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By Joe Price
These days, we should all be used to people messing with us on the internet, but rarely is it the artists playing games. The red flags waved early on, so maybe we should have expected Death Grips to be as difficult with us as they were with Epic. After their infamous antics involving an erect penis, a leaked album, and a pissed off record company, the band withdrew themselves from the public eye as a group of artists, and presented themselves as art itself. While other bands have used social media and the internet to connect with fans, Death Grips has used it to confuse and disrupt. In other words, it kind of sucks to be a Death Grips fan.
Life after Death Grips seemed like such a weird prospect for a while. That is, of course, until a mysterious Twitter account appeared and drove fanatics crazy. Did they ever break up? Are they fucking with us? What is going on in the world of Death Grips? There were an infuriatingly large number of unanswered questions lingering after their apparent break-up, and just recently everything changed again. After hinting at new music and a tour, the release date of The Powers That B/Jenny Death was confirmed for March, and just today we heard a new track, “On GP.“
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We’ve had broken promises in regards to their “final album,” cryptic tweets, and an “instrumental soundtrack:” it would appear that Death Grips aren’t quite done yet. If “Inanimate Sensation” taught us anything, it’s that there’s still reason to be excited about the prospect of more from Sacramento’s finest. Despite this, it’s hard not to be jaded—after all, Death Grips aren’t exactly trustworthy. Their infamous n0-shows aren’t the only indicator of this—they’re pretty much the most famous trolls in music at this point.
This trollish reputation has led to endless fan-created memes. Just look anywhere music is discussed (4Chan, Reddit, Last.fm), and you’ll find someone making a mockery of their music through dumb internet jokes. It makes being a fan even more unappealing than the weird tricks that they so frequently employ.
The URL breadcrumb trail that we’ve all been following since their demise has heated up at a few different points, but never have we received a confirmation of what it is they’re doing, or whether or not these clues were even from them to begin with. It’s looking more and more likely that the group is still together, but what if the Tweets were all an elaborate ruse hatched by a psychotic fan with access to never-before-seen photos? And what if Jenny Death was made a while ago and isn’t actually brand new music. It seems unlikely, but it’s still a possibility. It could also be Death Grips just getting us all excited for their own amusement, who really knows?
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We’re never going to get the answer, and that’s because that would remove part of their appeal. It’s great to witness all of these strange antics, but it’s also tiring and frustrating to participate as an active and passionate fan. When Death Grips broke up, they said, “Death Grips was and always has been a conceptual art exhibition anchored by sound and vision.” While it doesn’t excuse all the shitty things they’ve done, it at least explains them.
There’s the possibility this is all some sort of obtuse commentary on the ways labels treat the material of musicians post-break-up or post-death, but as with all art, it’s entirely up to interpretation. It’s hard not to think they’re doing all of this simply because they want fans to speculate on what’s coming next, and interpret what it all means. Do we have the right to be pissed off at their actions even if their band is more of an in-depth art performance rather than a traditional musical act? Of course we do, but it doesn’t take away from their artistry.
There’s the possibility this is all some sort of obtuse commentary on the ways labels treat the material of musicians post-break-up or post-death, but as with all art, it’s entirely up to interpretation.
No one sounds like them, and that’s what makes them so special. But on the flip side, no one treats their fans or goes about everything musicians do the way they do. They still have so much more that they could achieve, but there’s a chance that we’ll just have to settle for one more album and that’s it.
The point is: Death Grips, a band with seemingly limitless things to say, wouldn’t just pack their things and leave their fans wanting more simply because they think they’re “at their best.” While N*ggas on the Moon made for a captivating listen, there are very few that would say it’s their favorite release. It made for an interesting change of pace, but in no way did it feel like it had any sense of finality to it. It was hard for Death Grips fans to accept their break-up, and it looks like it was hard for Death Grips to accept it, too.
Death Grips are trying to be as Death Grips as possible. It’s a love-hate relationship, as without all the weird stunts mysterious circumstances, they really wouldn’t be the same band. It’s part of what makes them such a unique presence. Yes, it kind of sucks and sometimes I wonder why I’m still a fan, but at the end of the day, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Related: The 13 Best Death Grips Songs
