| I Lay Down My Life for You | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | JPEGMafia |
| Cover: | JPEGMafia - I Lay Down My Life for You.png |
| Alt: | A night scene outside in which a large white cross looms above JPEGMafia, who is covered head-to-toe in black. |
| Genre: | |
| Length: | 41:17 |
| Label: | AWAL |
| Prev Title: | Scaring the Hoes |
| Prev Year: | 2023 |
I Lay Down My Life for You is the fifth studio album by the American rapper JPEGMafia, released on August 1, 2024, through AWAL. Two singles were released in promotion of the album: "Don't Rely on Other Men" featuring Freaky on June 17 and "Sin Miedo" on July 15. The album features guest appearances from Vince Staples, Freaky, Denzel Curry and Buzzy Lee. An accompanying tour in promotion of the album began on August 7.
Following the release of his collaborative album Scaring the Hoes with Danny Brown in March 2023, JPEGMafia began teasing his next album. On April 4, 2024, he posted on X/Twitter that the solo studio album would be coming "very soon."[1] [2] On June 12, he announced the "Lay Down My Life" tour, scheduled to begin on August 7 in Pomona, California, and ending on September 21 in Chicago.
On June 17, "Don't Rely on Other Men", featuring previous collaborator Freaky, was released as the first single from the album. It marked his first release since Scaring the Hoes and his contributions to Vultures 1 by ¥$, as well as his first solo release since the 2021 album LP!.[3] [4] [5] On July 15, "Sin Miedo" was released as the second single.[6] [7] [8]
On July 29, 2024, JPEGMafia announced the album's title—I Lay Down My Life for You—and released an album trailer. He initially stated it would be released "next week," later clarifying the release date as August 1.[9] [10]
The album received an 8/10 from Clash, which said: "[c]ome for the headlines, but stay for the below-the-bar thrills. I Lay Down My Life For You is in turns earnest and surreal, confusing and pristine. Closing "i recovered from this" enthuses in its own rapture, the woozy sample pleading: "Funny how time flies when you’re having fun / Please stay…"".
Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Paul Simpson claimed that the album shared, "a lot of the sonic hallmarks common to Peggy's work, from abrasive, disjointed production to troll-ish lyrics and song titles. He leans a lot more into rock influences on this album, with metal guitars blaring on several tracks, usually popping up in well-timed bursts and providing a welcome release." and concluded that, "JPEGMAFIA's confrontational personality can be overbearing at times, especially to listeners who don't consider themselves to be chronically online, but his production is always stellar, and his sheer creativity is unparalleled."
Concluding the review for Kerrang, Mischa Pearlman summarized that "those who are only after heavy guitars in their music won't be completely satisfied, especially in the mellow closing strains of "Don't Put Anything on the Bible" and the '60s psychedelia of ender i recovered from this. But that's on them. After all, you can't always get what you want. But this stunning, expansive collection of songs delivers exactly what this torrid world needs: a simultaneous celebration and indictment that will stand the test of time for decades to come."
In a more muted response from Pitchfork, Matthew Ritchie stated that, "At times his extremely online subject matter takes the bloom off his writing. But his innate ability to shift between breakneck flows amid chaotic production buoys the album."
All tracks are written by Barrington Hendricks; "New Black History" and "JPEGUltra!" co-written with their respective guests, "Don't Put Anything on the Bible" co-written with Robert Hazard. All tracks are produced by JPEGMafia, unless otherwise noted.
| Peak position | |
| Australian Hip Hop/R&B Albums (ARIA)[11] | 25 |
|---|---|
| Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[12] | 60 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[13] | 33 |
| UK Physical Albums (OCC)[14] | 97 |