Baltimore-based rapper/producer JPEGMAFIA hit Aus shores for the first time this month as a part of the national Listen Out festival tour. Peggy made a pit stop on Arvos with Chris Twite to give us the 411 on his latest album, Australian tour experience, and his creative process.

All My Heroes Are Cornballs – a recent FBi album of the week – marks a moment of introspection for JPEGMAFIA.

“I go a little deeper into my subconscious…with Veteran I was pointing the finger at other people, but with this one I am pointing the finger at myself.”

A self-professed “transplant of the great city of Baltimore”, JPEGMAFIA has embraced a city with an incredibly unique and passionate creative scene. Of Baltimore, he says:

“It’s diverse and it’s free…you just do whatever you want to do to the best of your ability…when I moved to Baltimore everybody was just working for nothing basically, just cause they wanted to do it. That’s the beauty of it.”

Even amongst all of Baltimore’s diversity and freedom, JPEGMAFIA prefers to work alone. Writing and producing the entirety of All My Heroes, he’s taken his creative process into his own hands.

“I have to. It’s out of necessity. I don’t do things because I need an ego boost out of producing my own records, I do it because people are completely independable [sic] and you can’t depend on them.”

Listen back to the full interview up top to get the scoop on All My Heroes Are Cornballs, and hear Peggy’s musings on the significance of the Baltimore creative scene and the necessity in relying on oneself.

WHO: JPEGMAFIA + Flume, Schoolboy Q, Denzel Curry, Doja Cat & more
WHAT: Listen Out
WHERE: Brazilian Fields, Centennial Park
WHEN: October 5th 2019
HOW MUCH: 4th release $177 + booking fee