LOS ANGELES, CA- I’ll be real—hip-hop hasn’t been my go-to genre lately. Between algorithm fatigue and sheer oversaturation, I’ve been craving anything but braggadocious basslines. But I still make it a point to listen to almost everything that lands in my inbox… and thank God for that. Because “WASSUP” by Joey Valence & Brae, featuring JPEGMAFIA, hit me with the kind of nostalgic energy jolt that made me feel like I was back at my first house party.
From the jump, it’s clear this track isn’t here to play coy. That addictive, chant-heavy hook—“Wassup? Wassup? Wassup? Wassup? Wassup?”—straight-up hijacked my brain. It’s a loving lift of the A-Town Players’ rowdy refrain, and just when you think that’s the only homage, Joey drops “Whoop, there it is!”—a playful nod to Tag Team’s 1993 party anthem—proving this song wears its throwback inspirations like badges of honor.
Lyrically, it’s reckless fun. This isn’t introspective poetry—it’s brash, snotty swagger wrapped in skater energy and low-end thump. Take Joey’s takedown in the first verse:
“I’m making bops / And all you make is shitty pop / You rappers soft / You think you hard, you really not / Like oh my god / Your whole career is really chopped.”
Brae’s verse follows suit with cartoonish flair:
“I’ll do this shit two times like a Twix / I got checks, got bands, I got bricks / You green with envy, your fits are trash / Oscar the Grouch head lookin’ ass.”
Then comes JPEGMAFIA’s feature, and everything gets louder, messier, and more electrified. He roars in with:
“I am the pick of the litter / The infamous nigga / The creature that you heard about…
Still on a bender / Higher off life than I was on them benzos.”
It’s unfiltered chaos with purpose—Peggy’s signature blend of stream-of-consciousness rage and razor-edged flex.
“WASSUP” isn’t reinventing the wheel, but it doesn’t need to. It’s a sonic Molotov cocktail: brash, beat-heavy, and weirdly brilliant. I was fully ready to dismiss this as juvenile noise, but now I’ve got it on repeat. Sometimes all you need is a track that hits hard, shouts louder, and doesn’t apologize for wanting to throw the wildest party on your playlist.
Follow Joey Valance and Brae on Facebook, Instagram and X.
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