Experimental Rap (album)
2026 studio album by JPEGMafia
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Experimental Rap (stylized in all caps) is the upcoming sixth studio album by American rapper and record producer JPEGMafia. It is set to release on May 21, 2026, through AWAL.
| Experimental Rap | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 21, 2026 | |||
| Genre | Experimental hip-hop | |||
| Length | 52:07[1] | |||
| Label | AWAL | |||
| Producer | JPEGMafia | |||
| JPEGMafia chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Experimental Rap | ||||
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On April 30, JPEGMafia released the album's lead single, "Babygirl". In promotion of the album, The Experimental Rap Tour, a North American tour, is set to take place between September and October 2026. The album will follow I Lay Down My Life for You (2024).
Background
On August 1, 2024, JPEGMafia released his fifth studio album, I Lay Down My Life for You, to positive reviews from music critics.[2][3][4] In promotion of the album, he embarked on the Lay Down My Life tour through August and September 2024,[5] and served as a supporting act for Linkin Park on their From Zero World Tour from June to September 2025.[6]
In 2025, JPEGMafia released the Director's Cut edition of the album in February 2025,[7] the collaborative EP, We Live in a Society (2025), with Australian electronic musician Flume in May, and the Director's Cut edition of Scaring the Hoes (2023) with Danny Brown in October.[8] Additionally, JPEGMafia collaborated with hip-hop duo Joey Valence & Brae on the single, "Wassup", in June,[9] appeared on the track, "Nola", from Kevin Abstract's album, Blush, later that month,[10] provided additional vocals for "Trinidad" from Geese's album, Getting Killed, in September,[11] and on January 2026, produced Maxo Kream and Denzel Curry's collaborative single, "Fake Jeezy".[12]
In May 2026, during an interview with Pigeons & Planes, JPEGMafia described his decision to name the album Experimental Rap, claiming that others in the sub-genre "pretend and try to be cool" with replicating another musician's style and that he could just be himself and "let other people try to figure out who they are at 40 or whatever." These comments led into a publicized spat between Earl Sweatshirt and JPEG on social media, with fans viewing these promotional comments from JPEGMafia as him subliminally criticizing Earl Sweatshirt's recent forays into ambient and plugg. [13] Additionally, the title's idea comes from JPEGMafia claiming to be a dominant figure in experimental hip-hop.[14]
Promotion and release
On April 29, 2026, JPEGMafia announced his sixth studio album, revealing the album's name to be Experimental Rap and its release on May 21.[15] The following day, he released the album's lead single, "Babygirl", with an accompanying music video.[16] Additionally, JPEGMafia released pre-orders of the album, revealed that it will contain 25 tracks,[17] and announced The Experimental Rap Tour,[18] a North American tour set to take place between September and October 2026.[19] The tour will be supported by Redveil and Matt Proxy.[16] The album is set to release through AWAL.[20] The album's second single, "War Over Land" was released on May 7, 2026, along with a music video.[21]
Track listing
All tracks are produced and written by Barrington Hendricks; "Bridges on Fire" is co-written by Sasha Spielberg.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "投影の芸術" (transl. "The Art of Projection") | 0:57 |
| 2. | "Babygirl" | 2:27 |
| 3. | "Burning Hammer" | 3:13 |
| 4. | "$ (Money)" | 2:15 |
| 5. | "Pop This Heat" | 1:56 |
| 6. | "Meet the Dealers" | 2:41 |
| 7. | "Head" | 1:43 |
| 8. | "Degenerates Prayer" | 2:13 |
| 9. | "The Ghost of Emmett Till" | 1:56 |
| 10. | "Since I Met Ye" | 1:58 |
| 11. | "¥ (Yen)" | 2:00 |
| 12. | "GYBB" | 1:59 |
| 13. | "Tsar Bomba" | 1:46 |
| 14. | "Mask On" | 2:33 |
| 15. | "His Will" | 1:07 |
| 16. | "Lights" | 3:02 |
| 17. | "New Era" | 2:27 |
| 18. | "One Day It Will Be Over" | 0:44 |
| 19. | "War Over Land" | 2:54 |
| 20. | "Bridges on Fire" (featuring Buzzy Lee) | 2:53 |
| 21. | "No Strippers in Heaven" | 2:32 |
| 22. | "內戰" (transl. "Civil War") | 0:27 |
| 23. | "Chat" | 3:06 |
| 24. | "The 1st Amendment" | 1:20 |
| 25. | "You Will Always Lose Money Chasing Women, But You Will Never Lose Women Chasing Money" | 1:58 |
| Total length: | 52:07 | |
Notes
- "Babygirl" and "Head" are stylized in all lowercase
- "Tsar Bomba" is stylized in all caps
- "You Will Always Lose Money Chasing Women, But You Will Never Lose Women Chasing Money" is stylized in sentence case
Personnel
Credits are adapted from Qobuz[1] and the "Babygirl" single on Tidal.[22]
- Barrington Hendricks – vocals, writing, production
- Dale Becker – mastering