I Lay Down My Life for You (stylized in all caps) is the fifth studio album by the American rapper JPEGMafia, released on August 1, 2024, through AWAL. Two singles were released in promotion of the album: "Don't Rely on Other Men" featuring Freaky on June 17 and "Sin Miedo" on July 15. The album features guest appearances from Vince Staples, Freaky, Denzel Curry and Buzzy Lee. An accompanying tour in promotion of the album is scheduled to begin on August 7.
| I Lay Down My Life for You | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 1, 2024 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 41:17 | |||
| Label | AWAL | |||
| Producer |
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| JPEGMafia chronology | ||||
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| Singles from I Lay Down My Life for You | ||||
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Background and recording
editFollowing the release of his collaborative album Scaring the Hoes with Danny Brown in March 2023, JPEGMafia began teasing his next album. On April 4, 2024, he posted on X that the solo studio album would be coming "very soon."[1][2] On June 12, he announced the "Lay Down My Life" tour, scheduled to begin on August 7 in Pomona, California, and ending on September 21 in Chicago.[1]
On June 17, "Don't Rely on Other Men", featuring previous collaborator Freaky, was released as the first single from the album. It marked his first release since Scaring the Hoes and his contributions to Vultures 1 by ¥$, as well as his first solo release since the 2021 album LP!.[3][4][5] On July 15, "Sin Miedo" was released as the second single.[6][7][8]
On July 29, 2024, JPEGMafia announced the album's title—I Lay Down My Life for You—and released an album trailer. He initially stated it would be released "next week," later clarifying the release date as August 1.[9][10]
Reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 77[11] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Clash | 8/10[12] |
| Kerrang! | 4/5[13] |
| Pitchfork | 6.9/10[14] |
The album received an 8/10 from Clash, which said: "[c]ome for the headlines, but stay for the below-the-bar thrills. I Lay Down My Life For You is in turns earnest and surreal, confusing and pristine. Closing "i recovered from this" enthuses in its own rapture, the woozy sample pleading: "Funny how time flies when you’re having fun / Please stay…"".
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Barrington Hendricks. All tracks are produced by JPEGMafia, unless otherwise noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Scream This in the Mirror Before I Interact with Anyone" | 1:49 | ||
| 2. | "Sin Miedo" | 2:47 | ||
| 3. | "I'll Be Right There" | 2:48 | ||
| 4. | "It's Dark and Hell Is Hot" |
| 2:30 | |
| 5. | "New Black History" (featuring Vince Staples) |
|
| 2:17 |
| 6. | "Don't Rely on Other Men" (album version; featuring Freaky) | 2:52 | ||
| 7. | "Vulgar Display of Power" | 2:52 | ||
| 8. | "Exmilitary" | 5:01 | ||
| 9. | "Jihad Joe" |
| 2:14 | |
| 10. | "JPEGUltra!" (featuring Denzel Curry) |
|
| 4:52 |
| 11. | "Either On or Off the Drugs" | 2:21 | ||
| 12. | "Loop It and Leave It" | 2:01 | ||
| 13. | "Don't Put Anything on the Bible" (featuring Buzzy Lee) |
| 4:05 | |
| 14. | "I Recovered from This" | 2:56 | ||
| Total length: | 41:17 | |||
Charts
edit| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Hip Hop/R&B Albums (ARIA)[15] | 25 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[16] | 117 |
| Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[17] | 60 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[18] | 33 |
References
edit- ^ a b LaPierre, Megan (June 12, 2024). "JPEGMAFIA Plots North American Tour". Exclaim!. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
- ^ @jpegmafia (April 4, 2024). "soon very soon" (Tweet). Retrieved July 29, 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ Kelly, Tyler Damara (June 18, 2024). "JPEGMAFIA returns with "don't rely on other men"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
- ^ Carter, Daisy (June 18, 2024). "JPEGMafia Confirms Next Solo Album with New Single '"Don't Rely on Other Men"". DIY. Archived from the original on June 19, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (June 17, 2024). "JPEGMAFIA Releases New Single "don't rely on other men": Listen". Stereogum. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
- ^ TORT, Editorial (July 23, 2024). "Llegó "SIN MIEDO" lo más nuevo de JPEGMAFIA". TORT (in Spanish). Retrieved August 1, 2024.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (July 15, 2024). "JPEGMAFIA Shares New Single "Sin Miedo": Listen". Stereogum. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
- ^ Carter, Daisy (July 17, 2024). "JPEGMAFIA defies predictability on new single 'SIN MIEDO'". DIY. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (July 29, 2024). "JPEGMAFIA Announces New Album 'I Lay Down My Life For You', Out This Week". Stereogum. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
- ^ Bernstein, Elaina (July 29, 2024). "JPEGMAFIA Locks Down 'I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU' LP Release Date". Hypebeast. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
- ^ "I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU by JPEGMAFIA Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
- ^ Murray, Robin (August 1, 2024). "JPEGMAFIA – I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU | Reviews". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
- ^ Pearlman, Mischa (August 2, 2024). "Album review: I Lay Down My Life for You". Kerrang!. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ Ritchie, Matthew (August 8, 2024). "JPEGMAFIA: I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU". Pitchfork Magazine. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "ARIA Top 40 Hip Hop/R&B Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. August 12, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – JPEGMafia – I Lay Down My Life for You" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
- ^ "2024 32-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. August 9, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. August 12, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.