A couple of years ago, the hashtag #blacklivesmatter brought the fight against racism to the present century, where it seems that this type of debate can (and should) only arise in virtual spaces. Far from the real world. What is often criticized to us is the fact that we waste our time and strenght arguing over Twitter... Only to find ourselves with no further energy to go out in the street and actually protest for things to change. Suspended in this odd social panorama, the world is in clear need of an artist like JPEGMAFIA.
JPEGMAFIA: THE ONLY TROLL THAT THE WORLD NEEDS
JPEGMAFIA check all the boxes to become one of the most influential artists of 2020... The interesting thing about his artistic vision, however, isn’t his experimental hip-hop, but rather some of his lyrics in which he fights racism with the language of the Internet trolls.
Barrington Hendricks grew up in Alabama and being as it is, he had to face tons of widespread racism. That kind of racism that won't stop before anything. (As a matter of fact, thanks to some enabling far right movements, it's even less prone to). As a last resort, Hendricks enlisted in the Air Force and served in places like Kuwait and Afghanistan. It was in the army, however, that he called it quits. As he recounts, in that period of his life he would face many problems caused by the angry reactions he had against the sexist and racist behaviors of his companions and superiors. Thankfully, upon returning to the United States (and settling in the difficult Baltimore), it was precisely that anger that made Hendricks change into his new artistic person: JPEGMAFIA.
This is the alias under which the rapper published three works that can only be understood as a crescendo of belligerence and activism -this one especially present in his last two albums (Veteran and All My Heroes Are Cornballs). Moving between the darkest and most experimental hip-hop, and the rowdiest punk, JPEGMAFIA created a musical debate that perfectly fits into his flow and lyrics. Especially into his lyrics, at the center of some controversies of the recent years. Mostly because, while others protest on Twitter, Barrington prefers to fight the trolls in their language. To get as low as their level. And to put aside humility and good vibes to fight them with their same weapons. His antiracist speeches are so raw and violent that they could make even the most ferocious trolls of forocoches (one of Spain's major online forum, TN) back off... Still, it's inevitable to think that if there were more trolls like JPEGMAFIA, the world would be a better place to live in.
