JPEGMAFIA and Earl Sweatshirt are undoubtedly two of the biggest rappers in the alternative hip-hop space. But that similarity does not seem to have endeared these guys to each other. At all.
Recently, the two got into a back-and-forth on Instagram that had plenty of shots being fired in both directions. This isn't the first time they've gone at each other, and with how their relationship stands, it may not be the last.
It's crazy that the tension has gotten so high between these two talented emcees. So, what's the history of beef between Peggy and Earl, and what led to this fresh flurry of Instagram comments?
Here's what led to JPEGMAFIA and Earl Sweatshirt going back and forth
This beef really kicked off last year, when JPEGMAFIA went out of his way during a Billboard interview to diss Earl and legendary producer The Alchemist. Earl and Alc dropped a collab album, Voir Dire, back in 2023. JPEGMAFIA went at them for what he believes is a lack of ambition.
According to Peggy, "The rest of these motherf*****s literally do the same thing. Alchemist, Earl, and them? They've been making the same f*****g song for the last twenty f*****g years. Nobody gives a s**t."
This bold statement wasn't met with any public rebuttal from Earl at the time, though there was fan speculation about him having some subliminal bars. Regardless, Earl wouldn't truly fire back publicly until this more recent flare-up. It occurred in the comments of a JPEGMAFIA interview clip posted by Pigeons & Planes on Instagram.
This clip showed JPEGMAFIA again being inflammatory as he promotes his upcoming album, which is going to be called EXPERIMENTAL RAP. He proclaimed himself to be the best in the experimental space, unable to be copied by others who are less talented than himself.
He also took what were seen as thinly veiled swipes at Earl and his peers when he said, “Other people in this genre, they want to pretend and try to be cool and be like, ‘I don’t want to be experimental rap. I want to be something else. I want to f*****g rap like LUCKI. I want to make songs that the young people make.’ I don’t really need to do that."
Earl couldn't let another attack on him slide, and he didn't. He got busy in the comments, with posts such as "Nobody copies cuh because his music is gnarled rough, and ugly (derogatory),” and “Lmao leave me alone pls I make music with my friends that I have (derogatory).”
Things devolved even further from here. JPEGMAFIA would disparagingly compare Earl's career trajectory to Joe Budden, make fun of his use of the term "cuh" as someone who went to boarding school, and call Earl and his friends internet tough guys who gave him free promo.
Earl, meanwhile, chose to handle things very sarcastically. He faked excitement for the new JPEGMAFIA album, saying it "seems like it's gonna be really experimental." He also mocked Peggy's fashion choices when he commented about liking his "new leather vibe."
That's basically the extent of this internet battle up to the present. Things have died down for the time being, but it was quite the spectacle when it was popping off in real time.
Evidently, differences in style and the meaning of being "experimental" both seem to be huge factors in this beef. Even though neither artist is anywhere near mainstream, it's true that they operate quite differently. JPEGMAFIA is generally more glitchy and wild, while Earl Sweatshirt is more laid-back and lyrical.
That shouldn't inherently incite bad feelings, but in this case, it has. JPEGMAFIA sees other rappers with an "experimental" label, like Earl, as lesser than him and has chosen to be quite outspoken on the matter.
Right now, it seems that many people are taking Earl's side in the beef. JPEGMAFIA is the one who initially spoke ill of Earl, and with the way he's been moving, he's apparently fine with burning bridges and making enemies in the alternative hip-hop space.
Meanwhile, Earl clearly isn't going to sit there and let Peggy speak without any pushback anymore. It's a shame that this is the state of affairs, because both artists have made really worthwhile music, just in their own alternative lanes. Their styles aren't the same, but both challenge listeners and are invaluable in the rap landscape.
All that fans can do is hope for a more amicable future between Earl and Peggy. Their artistic differences don't mean that one is inherently better than the other, or that they can't coexist. Only time will tell if they can come to that realization themselves.
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