JPEGMafia has rereleased his cult-classic mixtape as one of his final projects.
Ghost Pop Tape was made when JPEG used the name Devon Hendryx, while he was staying in Japan in 2012. The tape was later released on Bandcamp and other underground mixtape services, with limited physical copy releases.
The elusiveness of the tape definitely added to the overall value of it, with it becoming one of the most coveted and sought after mixtapes in certain underground rap circles.
Ghost Pop Tape has this gloomy yet ethereal sound to it with the masterful production. What it does best is create a mood with its beats and vocals.
The mixtape provides beats reminiscent of those old Adult Swim commercials. It provides a feeling on par with walking around late at night in the wintertime with snow everywhere and the moon shining.
This mood is combined with self-destructive and gloomy lyrics and the ethereal production.
Standout songs include “Sakura,” “Ballad of A Poor Man,” “Neon Kitchen 4,” and the unusually titled “Missing image file_maladaptivedaydream.”
The way JPEG combines his sorrow and musical talent into these songs, packing them full of grim lyrics and harsh reminders of his own reality, really goes to show just how ahead of its time Ghost Pop Tape was.
