Freddie Gibbs and JPEGMAFIA’s Beef, Explained

Freddie Gibbs and JPEGMAFIA have been feuding on Twitter. Here’s a breakdown of how the beef started and what’s happening now.

Feb 26, 2024
Via Getty
Via Getty

If you’re a resident of backpack rap Twitter, you’ve undoubtedly seen the strange feud between JPEGMAFIA and Freddie Gibbs unfolding on your timeline over the past few days. 

Both rappers were in Italy on Saturday for Kanye West’s Vultures 1 album listening event after both of them contributed to the project, and JPEG made it clear that he still has problems with Gibbs from a beef that seemingly dates back to a subliminal diss from nearly half a decade ago. 

JPEGMAFIA went on a Twitter tirade over the weekend and Gibbs responded indirectly by posting playful videos of himself acting as unbothered as possible.

Even after JPEG left Italy, he was still posting videos from his flight to the timeline, pointing out differences between the two of them and explaining how he believes Gibbs is not a gangster. Before long, all of his previous tweets were deleted. It’s been an odd weekend, so if you’re confused, here’s a breakdown of the beef between Freddie Gibbs and JPEGMAFIA.

How did this start?

Twitter

When JPEGMAFIA started throwing shots at Freddie Gibbs over the weekend, a lot of people were confused, because it wasn’t immediately clear why he’d become this upset with Gibbs and held onto a beef for so long. 

Well, back in January, JPEG responded to a fan on Twitter who asked why he had so much energy for Gibbs, explaining that the Indiana rapper has been sending subliminals his way since his 2021 album LP!. 

“Naw he lame af being a deadbeat dad is only kool to little kids,” JPEG wrote in a since-deleted tweet. “And he was shading me years ago during lp. His fake gangsta ass deserves it. He don’t do shit but [get] shot at, beat up and embarrassed. Fuck him and fuck anybody who respects him letting your girl get jumped cuz u cant handle beef is not gangsta AT ALL. Draw your weapon thug.”

Fans are speculating that the shade JPEG is referencing must have been on Gibbs’ album Alfredo, because it came out just before LP! in 2020. But no one has been able to cite a specific bar from Gibbs about JPEG, so it must have been very subliminal. 

JPEG had another tweet in October 2023 that may have also been subbing Gibbs. “I love my weirdo fanbase. These rappers get shot at and beat up at they shows then go cry to Akademiks,” he tweeted and deleted, a year after Gibbs’ violent altercation with Benny The Butcher. “Don’t nobody want that but clout chasers, I love that my fans appreciate my work for the time I put in.”

During an interview on the No Jumper podcast in 2022, JPEG brought up his name again, telling Adam22 that he believed Gibbs’ social media beef with DJ Akademiks was fake, arguing, “The reason I thought it was fake was when I saw Freddie Gibbs [say], ‘I could have smoked you.’ I was like, ‘Oh, this is not real.’ Why would you do that?” Clearly, something has been bothering JPEGMAFIA about Gibbs for years.

What reignited the beef?

Twitter

Only JPEGMAFIA and Freddie Gibbs know the answer to this question for sure, but what might have set JPEG off again has to do with Kanye. Back in January, he went on a Twitter rant, being critical of Kanye for working with artists who “have less to offer u than me.” He went on to tweet, “Im a scientist in the lab a surgeon bruh u and u skip over me for niggas thats getting they baby mommas fucked on camera.” Freddie Gibbs’ previous partner was an OnlyFans model, and he was notably featured on Vultures 1, which is why many believe these tweets were directed towards him.

JPEGMAFIA connected with Kanye after the Twitter rant, ultimately collaborating on Vultures 1, which put him in close proximity with Gibbs. It’s unclear what happened behind closed doors, but it’s possible that words were exchanged (or the close proximity raised tensions) which caused the beef to escalate.

What is happening now?

Twitter: @jpegmafia
In short, a lot has gone down, and almost all of the shots have been coming from JPEGMAFIA. 

While JPEGMAFIA and Freddie Gibbs were staying in the same hotel in Milan for Kanye’s Vultures 1 album listening, JPEG let off a series of since-deleted tweets, expressing his feelings about Gibbs.

"Never got shot at and did nothing, never got beat up, never spread my ass online, baby got no dick dent. I guess im the gansta now," JPEG said in his first few tweets. "And we at the same hotel this n***a so pussy lmao. Bald head pussy bitch ima fuck ya mamma n***a. Cry harder."

He continued, "N***a dressed like cult member. Not a gang member. Wheres the gangsta shit? Why your daddy a cop. Why your baby got a Dick dent? Whos really corny? Gang member?...You know when n***as got a cop for a dad it negates the gangsta shit they say? Right? Ima call your dead dad and make him arrest your pussy ass."

In the airplane on the way home from Italy, JPEG filmed himself speaking about Gibbs, pointing out differences between the two of them and further antagonizing his adversary. Outside of his airplane videos, all of JPEGMAFIA’s tweets directed toward Freddie Gibbs over the last few days have been deleted.

Gibbs has yet to directly speak about JPEG on social media, but he did film himself acting as unbothered as possible in multiple videos that he posted to Twitter. To drive home the point that he isn’t scared of JPEG, he even used the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood theme song in one of them. Like I said, it’s been a weird week on backpack rap Twitter.

Howdy neighbor. pic.twitter.com/repPsCV3wt

— Big 🐰 (@FreddieGibbs) February 24, 2024
Twitter: @FreddieGibbs
Freddie GibbsJPEGMAFIA

Latest in Music