“SCARING THE HOES” is a rumor no more. On March 24, JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown satisfied alternative hip-hop fans anxiously waiting for the release of their collaborative album. Though this project was rumored for some time, fans were not sure the two unpredictable artists would follow through with it until the drop of the album’s first single, “Lean Beef Patty,” on March 13. However, now that “SCARING THE HOES” has been released, it is safe to say that the anticipation was worth it.
Courtesy of AWAL
Fans were treated to teasers of the album’s sound with the release of the singles, “Lean Beef Patty” and “SCARING THE HOES.” The former is chaotic and high-energy, featuring edgy social commentary. The latter is more eerie and dissonant, with self-aware lyrics about the generally unpalatable nature of the two artists’ discographies. These singles provide a great sneak peek at many of the main themes present on the album “SCARING THE HOES.”
“Burfict!” continues the hype from “Lean Beef Patty” with a horn-driven beat and a catchy hook. The song has emerged as an early hit from the still-fresh album. Another one is “Kingdom Hearts Key,” featuring young artist redveil, who adds to JPEGMAFIA’s already stellar production and has the honor of being the only feature on the album.
Although unconventional, the production stands out as one of the best attributes of “SCARING THE HOES.” The beats boast noisy energy, unique drums and sampling of video game music. Additionally, JPEGMAFIA creatively includes mundane sounds. For example, on “SCARING THE HOES,” he incorporates echoing claps, and a notification sound makes the listener think an email has interrupted the song on “Orange Juice Jones.” Critics have scrutinized the album’s mixing, with the noisy beats sometimes burying the vocals. However, a producer of JPEGMAFIA’s caliber most likely mixed the album this way intentionally. This choice is one of the many ways that JPEGMAFIA and Brown assert their intention to be loud, unfiltered and non-conforming on this project.
However, not every song is meant to be high-energy and loud. “Jack Harlow Combo Meal” uses a smooth jazz sample that gives the song a more laid-back feel. Brown’s boastful and aggressive verse beautifully contrasts the beat, and with an equally fun verse from JPEGMAFIA, this track ends up being one of my favorites on the album. “Run The Jewels,” which lyrically references the critically acclaimed rap duo it is named after, also takes a left turn with its funky pop production kicking in halfway through the short track. “Fentanyl Tester” is another track that incorporates poppy elements with its sample from Kelis’ “Milkshake” and its Wii-themed song-like beat.
JPEGMAFIA and Brown’s chemistry shines on this project. Both rappers utilize provocative and funny lyrics, but their voices are distinct enough to provide a necessary contrast. Often, JPEGMAFIA will start off a track screaming his lyrics before Brown swoops in with his iconic accent and attitude to close out the song, or vice versa. Either way, these two artists mesh together just as well as fans had hoped for, if not better.
With these two on a project, there is never a lack of clever bars. I have compiled a list of my favorites below:
“First off, f— Elon Musk / Eight dollars too much, b—, that’s expensive (True).” We were all thinking it, but it is even funnier coming from a Twitter celebrity like JPEGMAFIA.
“You can get rocked like Chrisean” — a clever play on social media influencer Chrisean Rock’s name — but Brown may have crossed the line here considering Rock accused rapper Blueface, her ex-boyfriend, of domestic violence.
“I don’t rap circles ’round n—, I do figure eights.” This line perfectly encapsulates the chaotic energy of the album.
“These drug addicts attached to me like I’m Tom Holland / Swing on these actors.” JPEGMAFIA references Zendaya’s role in “Euphoria” as well as her boyfriend Holland’s role as Spiderman.
Though “SCARING THE HOES” may not be for everyone, you do not have to be familiar with Brown or JPEGMAFIA to enjoy it; the goal of the album is to break new artistic ground. Also, with the variety of sounds on the project, there is not really a bad track — just different songs for different moods.
With the rappers hinting on Brown’s podcast that this record may be the precursor to several individual releases this year, fans can look forward to more from these two in the near future. Until then, “SCARING THE HOES” provides more than enough to keep the fans excited and the hoes scared.
Samuel Bartlett (26C, he/him) is from Durham, North Carolina whose major is undecided. Outside of the Wheel, Bartlett is involved with the Emory Climate Reality Project as an executive, helping plan events to raise awareness about climate change. He loves watching UNC basketball and exploring Atlanta.
