Alabamian experimental rapper JPEGMAFIA debuted his latest project, “I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU (DIRECTOR’S CUT)” on Tuesday, completing an overhaul of his last album with reworked songs, new additions and heaping helpings of electric guitar.
JPEGMAFIA first appeared musically in the late 2010s with a series of abrasive and virulently political projects, with “Black Ben Carson” and “The 2nd Amendment” among them. Featuring his characteristically eccentric style of production and extremely referential lyrics, these early projects set the stage for his career as one of hip-hop’s most notorious iconoclasts. He credits his experience growing up in Alabama and his time in the military with much of his political focus.
Last year, the original version of “I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU” was one of JPEGMAFIA’s most anticipated records. It did not disappoint, touting glowing reviews and career-high sales. Still, he claimed the album wasn’t his complete vision and vowed to redo the project with fewer deadlines and more ambition.
Now, the album has returned, remade with more eccentric instrumentals featuring a new smorgasbord of solos from electric guitars, basses, acoustic drums and brasses. This rendition could best be described as rap rock, yet it contains the same aggressive flows and gritty synths that made his music truly special. It also redoubles the original album’s Christian themes and focuses on social injustice.
The excitement begins quickly on the first wholly new track, “PROTECT THE CROSS,” which released as a single in January. That version received a bit of a remaster on this project, being fitted with a new guitar line that, while fun, diminishes some of the impact of the song’s breakneck beat switch. Still, “PROTECT THE CROSS” demonstrates a lot of JPEGMAFIA’s approach on this project — more exhilaration and more guitars.
“SIN MIEDO,” JPEGMAFIA’s hit single from last year, reappears on this album with the same distorted bass hits and wild synth melodies. He avoids the pitfalls that have earned rap rock and nu metal their less-than-stellar reputation for being stale and corny, doing so by creatively mixing samples and real performances on “SIN MIEDO” to dramatic effect.
The next song, “I’ll Be Right There,” is a slower track focused on JPEGMAFIA’s righteous rage against nepotism and exploitation. The instrumental for the song features a cut-up soul sample and a driving drum performance, keeping the tempo up without harsh synths.
Later, the standout track “Exmilitary” explores JPEGMAFIA’s relationship with his military past and his guilt over purveying violence. While the song’s instrumental is relatively simple, little outbursts of noise between verses underscore his frustration with militarism and American interventionism, including in conflicts like those in Gaza.
“JPEGULTRA!” may be the most complete idea on the record, as JPEGMAFIA and featured artist Denzel Curry trade verses over a chorus of brass and strings. This jazzy beat is a brilliant fusion of genres, culminating in a euphoric big band chord progression by the second verse. Meanwhile, both MCs flex their wealth but also explore their difficulty balancing piousness with their extravagant and lascivious lifestyles.
“I recovered from this” concluded the original album with a solemn reflection on JPEGMAFIA’s relationship regrets, both in romance and with God. He raps slowly over a Janet Jackson sample that whispers quietly over stripped-back drums.
Reverence remains a theme on this remake’s new outro, “Allah,” which centers heavily on JPEGMAFIA’s relationship with the divine. As a part of a violent and polarized culture, he wonders how he, or anyone, can pray without a guilty conscience. Hymnal melodies, choral samples and clattering bells score this intricate and satisfying conclusion.
This concludes the A-side of the album, but there are a handful of B-side songs included on this version as well. These songs are rough around the edges and don’t really add anything of substance to the project. Still, they provide an interesting glimpse into JPEGMAFIA’s artistic process, and even these throwaway inclusions are worth listening to, if only to hear some remnants of his older work.
This “director’s cut” of “I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU” truly deserves that title. It sounds like an informed remaster, redesigned with the intention of furthering JPMEGMAFIA’s original vision. He made one of last year’s best rap albums even better, a feat befitting one of hip-hop’s most driven artists.
