JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown’s “Scaring the Hoes” Album Review

By Justin McPhillips

Rap has grown to an interesting height in recent years due to a variety of factors. With the internet and applications such as SoundCloud, anybody can be a rapper. Mainstream rap has included big-name rappers such as Drake, who has been on constant rotation for radio play since the late 2000s. Outside of this, many movements appeal to more niche groups such as cloud rap or lo-fi rap. Many artists receive a sort of cult following if their music is different or unique enough to garner attention. Two artists that have been making music for years and gathered this sort of attention under their unique classification of rap are JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown.  

The new joint album between these two artists titled “Scaring the Hoes” is a perfect meta-album that tackles the modern listener base of experimental rap. Danny’s iconic nasally and unique delivery in combination with JPEGMAFIA’s unique methods of production and delivery make for an entirely original listen that is a breath of fresh air for what can be considered rap.   

Listening to this album gives the feel of flipping through a dusty stack of old vinyl and listening to tracks at random, similar to how many feel about the iconic MADVILLAINY by MF DOOM. JPEGMAFIA, also known by Peggy, uses very obscure or unique samples of old music from genres such as soul, with a very boom-bap style of drums that are very in-your-face. The style of production is noisy and gritty, but very meticulously doctored and mastered to give a more vintage vibe. What creates such an interesting contrast in the music is the theme and lyrics of the overall album. The concept of “scaring the hoes,” which the album takes its name after, is a term created by the internet in response to the people who listen to experimental rap but play it and speak of it as if it is the norm. Many rappers dismiss memes and jokes regarding their music, but Peggy and Danny doubled down and created an entirely self-aware album that tackles the stigma that both of their music have been facing for years. Pairing a vintage style of beats with a joking, chronically online catalog of lyrics makes this album perfect for where we are with rap music and appeals to the fans that coined the term in the first place. 

Every song on this album is a completely unique experience that all go hard in different ways, but a few stand out to me personally. The title track, “Scaring the Hoes,” samples the unique work of Alexander Hungtai who is behind obscure projects such as Dirty Beaches and Love Theme. This track serves as one of the most unique beats I have heard in recent years with a squealing saxophone ripped from an experimental track with a very unique delivery to match the energy. The fourth track, “Garbage Pale Kids” also must be mentioned when speaking of odd samples, as it samples an obscure Japanese advertisement resulting in a very in-your-face beat that catches you off-guard. The title as well is most likely a play on the self-aware nature of their music as many jokes about how fans of experimental rap are the pale incel kids that stay inside on their computers (whom Peggy has rapped about many times). The ninth track “Kingdom Hearts Key” is my personal favorite track that I feel is a perfect embodiment of what Peggy and Danny Brown stand for. The sample stems from an old anime opening that switches between different chops, almost making it sound like a beat switch at times even though they come from the same source. With this enticing beat, they both serve some of my favorite rap performances on the album as well as a fantastic feature from Redveil who fits into the same niche. The tenth track “God Loves You” also has a very addicting beat with its very abrasive take on sampling soul music.  

Overall, this album is a must-listen for those who want an insight into the lengths that underground rap has reached as a movement. There are many memorable lines and insane beats that I believe will lead people to investigate the diverse discography that both artists hold.