JPEGMAFIA says rap fans are bored, and yes, that includes hearing Drake “complain” about women and relationships. Here’s what else he told Billboard about the state of Hip Hop.

Key Takeaways

JPEGMAFIA says rap fans are tired of Drake’s repetitive lyrics and want something new.
He believes Hip Hop is creatively stuck and calls for more innovation in the genre.
His comments reflect a growing generational divide between legacy acts and experimental artists.

Rap fans are done hearing Drake “complain about b**ches,” at least, that’s how JPEGMAFIA sees it. In a Tuesday (June 10) interview with Billboard, the “Baby I’m Bleeding” artist weighed in on why listeners are craving something new, not just from Drake, but from Hip Hop at large.

When asked if he thinks hardcore music might increasingly crossover with rap — something he’s already flirted with heavily on I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU — the New York native responded, “I think a lot of people are gonna jump on that.” He continued, “[People are] gonna realize [that] what you guys are doing is boring as s**t. People yearn for something new, especially in rap.”

“We don’t wanna hear Drake complain about b**hes anymore,” JPEGMAFIA said. “We don’t f**king care. He’s 40.” For the record, the Canadian superstar is actually 38, and while plenty of his songs admittedly revolve around women, he’s also branched out into more genres than most artists could dream of. His February track “NOKIA” tapped into dance territory, and “Calling For You,” off For All The Dogs, found him testing the waters of sexy drill.

This isn’t the first time JPEGMAFIA took a jab at Drake. He previously took shots at the “Hotline Bling” hitmaker on his aforementioned 2024 project. Most notably, on “New Black History,” he accused people of “cashing out for PDFs and rapers (No Drizzy).” Then, on “it’s dark and hell is hot,” the Brooklyn native appeared to double down on the same accusations Kendrick Lamar leveled on “Not Like Us,” with him spitting, “If I show you a Drac’, I ain’t playin’ with kids.”

That said, some might argue JPEGMAFIA’s broader point about the state of Hip Hop is pretty spot on. “We need something different,” he stressed during his chat with Billboard. “I’m here to try to provide and cultivate that as much as I can because rap fans are f**king bored. Their idea of doing something different is taking different-sounding s**t and throwing trap drums on it.” Notably, Travis Scott expressed similar frustrations with the genre’s production.

“That’s not what I’m here to do,” the OFFLINE! creator clarified. “I’m here to really f**k you up…And If I’m not, I did not do my f**king job. Conscious rap has Nas, trap rap has Future, experimental rap is me. That’s it.”