Joey Valence & Brae are one of hip-hop's brightest duos right now, so it's no surprise that they linked up with one of its brightest singular creatives. "WASSUP" featuring JPEGMAFIA is their newest single, and follows the similarly rowdy IDK collaboration "CLOVER."
It's a pretty simple track at first with claps and shouted group vocals, but the verses and hits of percussion quickly energize it further. This new song has a very propulsive structure to it, as each refrain, bar, or vocal switch-up leads into the next. The lyrics are obviously confident and confrontational, and the beat doesn't compromise either.
Rattling drums, blaring horns, and some occasional distortion takes "WASSUP" all the way. It might remind you of Joey Valence & Brae's "PACKAPUNCH" last year or some of the more immediate cuts off of JPEGMAFIA's recent Veteran deluxe rerelease. But at the end of the day, it takes on a life of its own.
All of these artists have been pretty consistent with their approach to making music, but not necessarily with their sound. You will find as much contemporary influence here as you will callbacks to more classic styles of hip-hop. It makes for a pretty refreshing experience, and "WASSUP" does not slouch on the volatility to achieve this balance.
With all that in mind, we can't wait for what Joey Valence & Brae do next. JPEGMAFIA is as determined as ever to continue to evolve as a musical force. Furthermore, we can only expect great things to come from both developing catalogs.
Joey Valence, Brae & JPEGMAFIA - "WASSUP"
Quotable Lyrics
I'll do this s**t two times like a Twix,
I got checks, got bands, I got bricks,
Swerve the corner in a four-door,
Videos of the show give you FOMO
