JPEGMAFIA Ends Berlin Concert Early After Fans Injured in Pepper Spray Incident

JPEGMAFIA has been forced to end his recent Berlin show earlier than planned after an unexpected incident involving pepper spray in the audience.

The New York-born rapper (whose real name is Barrington DeVaughn Hendricks) was performing at Huxley’s Neue Welt in Berlin on Monday (Jan. 20) when the incident took place. Per the Associated Press, the concert was evacuated early, with six people taken to hospital suffering from respiratory problems.

At the time of publication, officials said they were unclear as to what caused the incident, though were continuing their investigation. However, a report from Germany’s public broadcaster RBB claimed that an “unknown person sprayed pepper spray inside the auditorium”.

This is substantiated by the Setlist.fm website, where the entry for Monday’s concert notes that the show was stopped during a rendition of “Exmilitary” when pepper spray was allegedly sprayed by an audience member. Based on the setlists of other shows on the tour, the performance would have featured approximately five more songs to conclude a 23-song set.

JPEGMAFIA’s Berlin show was the first date of the European leg of his Lay Down My Life tour, which is in support of his fifth album, 2024’s I Lay Down My Life for You. While the record would peak at No. 102 on the Billboard 200 (his then highest-charting solo release), it followed on from 2023’s collaborative effort with Danny Brown, Scaring the Hoes. This record performed even better, hitting a new career high of No. 84.

On Monday, JPEGMAFIA also announced the impending release of the “Director’s Cut” edition of I Lay Down My Life for You, releasing new single “PROTEST THE CROSS” as a preview of what will arrive next week. No specific date for the project’s release has been announced, though JPEGMAFIA has confirmed the record will feature 13 songs.