Jpegmafia is known as a rapper with strong opinions and an off-kilter worldview but he’s also an accomplished beat maker who produces much of his own music, as well as tunes for other artists like Danny Brown and IDK. However, he doesn’t think fans yet appreciate production as a distinct art form yet, as he tells Talib Kweli on the latest episode of People’s Party. What begins as a discussion on fans’ ignorance of the rigors of recording and performing music as a regular job ends up drilling down to the essence of why what recording artists do is actually so important.
“I think if people had more respect for artists, they’d understand this,” Peggy posits as a response to Kweli’s questions about Ms. Lauryn Hill and her perpetual tardiness to live shows. “The touring we do, the work we put in — it’s not understood.” He digs into the production aspect by elaborating, “Even producing, it’s not a craft that’s appreciated right now. In 20 years, people might appreciate it, but [not] right now.” He provides a few examples, pointing out, “People don’t understand how good J Dilla was or Q-Tip… The average fan don’t respect the work we put in.”
The two also discuss a wide variety of non-musical topics, from their shared origins in Flatbush, Brooklyn to battling racism online, leading to one of the most animated interviews in People’s Party history. Glasses get broken, insights are shared, and Jpegmafia gets seriously over-served on Japanese whiskey. Check out the latest episode of Apple’s No. 1 music podcast above.
People’s Party is a weekly interview show hosted by Talib Kweli with big-name guests exploring hip-hop, culture, and politics. Subscribe via Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.