I Lay Down My Life for You

Following the release of his collaborative album, Scaring the Hoes, with Danny Brown, in March 2023, JPEGMafia began teasing his next solo studio album. On April 4, 2024, he posted on Twitter that his next solo studio album would be coming "very soon". On June 12, he announced the tour, called "Lay Down My Life", which begun on August 7, in Pomona, California, and ended on September 21, in Chicago, Illinois. On July 15, he released the album's second single, titled "Sin Miedo". On July 29, 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. On January 20, 2025, he released the single, "Protect the Cross", as a single for a deluxe version of the album, titled ''I Lay Down My Life for You: Director's Cut''. == Reception ==

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 mixed review 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." == Track listing ==

All tracks are produced by JPEGMafia, except where noted. Credits adapted from Bandcamp. ''I Lay Down My Life for You: Director's Cut'' Notes • indicates an additional producer • "Don't Rely on Other Men" features additional vocals from FreakyMafiaCult. • "I Scream This in the Mirror Before I Interact with Anyone", "It's Dark and Hell Is Hot", "Don't Rely on Other Men", "Vulgar Display of Power", "Either On or Off the Drugs", "Loop It and Leave It", "I Recovered from This", and "I Lay Down My Life For You" are stylized in all lowercase. • "Sin Miedo", "Jihad Joe", "JPEGUltra!", "Protect the Cross", "Cult Status", "Coke or Dope?", "Allah", "Hate", and "Take An" are stylized in all caps. • "What the Hip Hop Hell is This?" is stylised as "What the hip hop hell is this ?" • The Premium Edition additionally features instrumentals of all tracks on sides C and D, with minor differences: • Track C6 is the "Cult Status" / "New Black History" outro instrumental. • Tracks C9 and C10 are both instrumentals of "Exmilitary". • Instrumentals for "I Scream This in the Mirror Before I Interact with Anyone", "JPEGUltra!", "Loop It and Leave It", and "Don't Put Anything on the Bible" are extended. • All ''Director's Cut'' tracks push the standard tracks one spot down, except for "Jihad Joe", which is track 7 on side B. • The versions of "I Scream This in the Mirror Before I Interact with Anyone" and "Jordan Rules" present on the Bandcamp version of the Director's Cut feature extended instrumentals, extending their length to 2:37 and 3:30, respectively. • The version of "Cult Status" present on the Bandcamp version features an additional verse, extending its length to 3:35. Sample credits • "Sin Miedo" contains samples of "Hoochie Mama", as written and performed by 2 Live Crew. • "I'll Be Right There" contains samples of "Don't Walk Away", written by Vassal Benford III and Ronald Spearman, as performed by Jade. • "It's Dark and Hell Is Hot" contains a sample of "Upa Upa Pocoto x 170Bpm", produced by DJ RaMeMes (O Destruidor do Funk). • "New Black History" contains a sample of "Covered N Money", written by Nayvadius Wilburn and Sonny Uwaezuoke, as performed by Future. • "Don't Rely on Other Men" contains a sample of dialogue from episode 1 of season 1 of Succession, "Celebration", as spoken by Logan Roy. • "Vulgar Display of Power" contains an interpolation of "Bring the Pain", written by Clifford Smith and Robert Diggs, and performed by Method Man. • "Exmilitary" contains a sample of "After Laughter (Comes Tears)" as performed by Wendy Rene. • "Don't Put Anything on the Bible" contains a sample of commentary by Ian Eagle during a 2023 NBA Eastern Conference semifinal match between the New York Knicks and Miami Heat. • "I Recovered from This" contains samples of "Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)", written by Janet Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, as performed by Jackson. ''Director's Cut'' • "I.S. 231" contains an interpolation of the traditional composition "Rasta Man Chant", as arranged and performed by Bob Marley and the Wailers. • "Protect the Cross" contains a sample of "Pass the Dutchie", written by Jackie Mittoo, Fitzroy Simpson, and Lloyd Ferguson, as performed by Musical Youth. • "Jordan Rules" contains a sample of episode 1 of season 4 of Dark Side of the Ring, "Chris and Tammy". • Both "Coke or Dope?" and "Vulgar Display of Power" contain a sample of "Hit 'Em Up", written and performed by 2Pac featuring the Outlawz. • "Boy You Should Know!" contains a sample of "Body Party", written by Ciara Harris, Jasper Cameron, Nayvadius Wilburn, Michael Williams, Pierre Ramon Slaughter, Carlton Mahone, and Roddy Terry, and performed by Ciara, and a sample of Omarosa's appearance on Bethenny. • "Allah" contains a sample of "Pelle Coat", written by Durk Banks and Darrell Jackson, and performed by Lil Durk, and an excerpt from a lecture by Khalid Yasin. • Both "What the Hip Hop Hell Is This?" and "Take An" contain samples of voice lines from the video game Valorant. • "What the Hip Hop Hell Is This?" contains a sample of "The Greatest Love Story", as performed by Heaven Sent & Ecstasy. • "Come & Get Me" contains a sample of "Weak Azz Bitch", written by Paul Beauregard and Jordan Houston, and performed by Three 6 Mafia featuring La Chat. • "Bloodline Freestyle" contains a sample of "If Only for One Night", as performed by Roberta Flack and Peabo Bryson. • "Take An" contains samples of "Suicidal Thoughts", written and performed by the Notorious B.I.G., and the Think break from "Think (About It)", written and performed by Lyn Collins. == Personnel ==

Credits were adapted from Bandcamp and Spotify. • JPEGMafia – production, arrangement, mixing (all tracks), guitar (tracks 1, 7–9, 14), bass (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7–9, 12–14), drums (tracks 1–2, 5, 7–10), synthesizer (tracks 3, 5–6, 12–13), piano (tracks 3), programming (tracks 1–3, 5–10), keyboard (track 7), string arrangements (track 8), vocal arrangements (track 13), additional guitar (track 6, 10, 13), additional guitar programming (track 2), additional drums (track 4), additional synths (track 11) • Jeff Ellis – assistant mixing engineer • Dale Becker – mastering (all tracks) • Kenny Beats – production (tracks 9–10),, drums (track 10) • Alex Goldblatt – production (track 10), guitar (tracks 2, 4, 6–7, 10–11, 13–14), bass (track 10) • Aver Ray (Billy Ray Schlag) – production (track 10), string arrangements (tracks 3, 6, 8, 10–14) • Nick Lee – production (track 10), bass (track 10), piano (track 10), horns (track 10) • Flume – additional production (track 5) • Denzel Curry – additional vocals (track 4) • Buzzy Lee – vocal arrangements (track 13) • Members of the Mafia – vocal arrangements (track 14) • FreakyMafiaCult – additional vocals (track 6) == Charts ==