Born in New York to Jamaican parents, JPEG spent most of his mid-teens in the deep rural south, bouncing from place to place due to rough circumstances at home. 
After graduating high school, JPEG joined the military, deploying to different parts of the world, meeting fellow artists and adding new elements to his producing and rapping repertoire. Now based in Los Angeles, JPEGMAFIA’s sound is dark but not without a humor that makes things even more uncomfortable. His role as villain or satirist, hood protector or nihilist is intentionally hard to put one’s finger on.