JPEGMafia

Barrington DeVaughn Hendricks (born October 22, 1989), known professionally as JPEGMafia (stylized in all caps), is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. Born in Flatbush, Brooklyn, he released his debut studio album, Black Ben Carson (2016) independently as well as his second album Veteran (2018), which received widespread critical acclaim. His third album, All My Heroes Are Cornballs (2019) entered the Billboard 200, and had signed to Republic for the release of his fourth album LP! (2021); both were met with continued critical acclaim. In 2023, he released his collaborative studio album Scaring the Hoes (2023) through AWAL. In 2024, he released his fifth studio album I Lay Down My Life for You (2024). On May 21, 2026, he released his sixth studio album Experimental Rap.

Early life

Barrington DeVaughn Hendricks was born October 22, 1989, in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn to Jamaican parents. He spent the majority of his childhood in East Flatbush. He moved to Alabama at the age of 13, where he experienced a significant amount of racism that would later influence his music.

Hendricks attended high school in Louisiana, where he enlisted himself in the United States Air Force at age 18. He served a tour of duty in the midst of the Iraq War and also spent time in Kuwait, Germany, Japan, and North Africa. After speaking up against his superiors' reported abuse, Hendricks was honorably discharged.

Career

2009–2014: Early work and career beginnings

At the age of 15, Hendricks developed an interest in music production as he began producing after learning how to sample. Describing his production, Hendricks said "When I was first making beats, no one liked the beats. I used to give people beats and they're just confused.", noting that "I started rapping because no one liked my beats at the time." Noting that he started producing before he started rapping, Hendricks said "I'm a producer first, rapper second but I take both of them seriously."

While living between in Okinawa Prefecture and Tokyo, he was producing and writing music under the moniker Devon Hendryx. Mixtapes being released under the name, including Dreamcast Summer Songs, Generation Y, JoeChillWorld, The Rockwood Escape Plan and The Ghost~Pop Tape.

2015–2017: Name change and Black Ben Carson

In early 2015, Hendricks returned to the U.S. and moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where he began to make and release music under his moniker of JPEGMafia. Under the new name, he would release his first mixtape, Communist Slow Jams, in April 2015. Just a month later, he released his second mixtape, Darkskin Manson, a tape that was inspired by the Freddie Gray protests in Baltimore. Following a number of mixtapes, Hendricks released his debut studio album, Black Ben Carson, independently in February 2016, which features a much harsher and more distorted sound than his other projects. Four months later, he released a collaborative extended play with fellow Baltimore-based rapper Freaky, titled The 2nd Amendment.

2018–2019: Veteran and All My Heroes Are Cornballs

After three years of living in Baltimore, Hendricks moved to Los Angeles, California into finishing his-then upcoming and untitled second studio album. In January 2018, he released his second studio album, titled Veteran. In an article on Bandcamp, he said "I wanted to show I'm not just a one-trick pony. I always do weird shit. I usually just keep it to myself. This time, I just let the filter go." At the time of its release, Veteran was considered JPEGMafia's most experimental album to date, receiving widespread critical acclaim. On June 3, 2025, Hendricks would announce the "Director's Cut" for Veteran, which released on streaming services on June 6. The album contains 6 new bonus songs that were previously singles or on the Not on Veteran! SoundCloud compilation. It also contains instrumentals on the CD and vinyl release.

Today, the master tracks for Veteran return to me. This is a privilege most artists do not get—the privilege of owning your work. This album changed my life forever. Without it, I would've never had the chance to showcase my experimental talents to the world. Some people cry like hoes when they have to acknowledge something from their past—but thankfully, I possess none of these lame tendencies. My albums are my children. I said this in 2019, and I meant it.

So, in celebration of my second child coming home from war, I've made a special edition of the Veteran vinyl: The Director's Cut. Enjoy this edition. The next time I acknowledge this child publicly, I will remaster him.