My bad. Three months ago, Smoking Section don, John Gotty sent out an e-mail requesting that I listen to Freddie Gibbs, a Gary, Indiana-raised, Interscope Records refugee with co-signs from Devin the Dude and Just Blaze. For reasons best blamed on scatterbrains and Internet fatigue, I never got around to The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs, an excellent collection of jettisoned major label tracks, freestyles, and stone-cold street raps.
Last week, Gibbs released his follow-up, Midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik, an album that takes its title from Outkast, but its inspiration from the asphalt. Beyond prodigious rapping ability, a penchant for writing catchy hooks, and a great ear for beats, Gibbs’ lyrical acumen distinguishes himself from the crack-packing masses. No recycled cliches, no paper-thin narratives, just Gibbs navigating the gauntlet of Gary to craft tracks with tape-popping re-playability. Think of him as the missing link between Midwestern speed rap and trunk-rattling Houston ride music–if you like Bone Thugs, UGK, Z-Ro, and Trae, Gibbs will probably be your new favorite rapper.
The curse of hip-hop circa 2009 is that a rapper as good as this has no place in the major label galaxy. The gift is that fans can get mixtapes like Midwestgangstaboxframe-cadillacmuzik, free of commercial compromise, A&R tampering, or shamelessly cloying club tunes. If it isn’t the best tape of the year, it’s terribly close. Bereft of big name guest-stars other than Devin Copeland singing the hook on “Sumthin U Should Know”and Pill crushing “Womb 2 The Tomb,” Gibbs does the majority of the lifting. Which isn’t a problem, not only is he a heavyweight, he’s already a contender.
Download:
MP3: Freddie Gibbs-”Iodine Poison”
MP3: Freddie Gibbs ft. Pil-”Womb 2 The Tomb”
ZIP: Freddie Gibbs-”Midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik”
ZIP: Freddie Gibbs-”The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs”
7 comments
DocZeus says:
August 29, 2009 at 5:58 pm (UTC -7)
Yeah, this is shockingly good.
Deen says:
August 30, 2009 at 12:21 am (UTC -7)
Easily my favorite “new” rapper working today…
...as two short planks says:
September 2, 2009 at 2:36 am (UTC -7)
Tried downloading the Miseducation mixtape twice. Error each time, any ideas, regardless if they reveal that I’m thick? …
Passion of the Weiss says:
September 2, 2009 at 9:29 am (UTC -7)
Not sure, maybe try googling for a different link. This one is still working for me.
Vincent says:
September 3, 2009 at 7:49 am (UTC -7)
I had no expectations for this and I’m pleasantly surprised. If you’re going to rap about the same ish as everyone else at least have some talent, passable production and make your ish sound better than the rest of the clowns out there. Can’t wait to hear what he does next. If only he said ‘something’…
Passion of the Weiss » Blog Archive » Live at on the Rox: Pill & Freddie Gibbs says:
September 18, 2009 at 8:52 pm (UTC -7)
[...] forthcoming “4075: The Refill.” If you haven’t scooped Gibbs last two mixtapes, the links are still good. And if you already know, cop his first tape, Live from Gary Indiana Pt. 1. Ideal with a jar of [...]
Passion of the Weiss » Blog Archive » The Label’s Trying to Kill Me: Wale, Freddie Gibbs, Pill, Poochie, and Other Totally Outrageous Paradigms (Part II) says:
November 17, 2009 at 3:00 am (UTC -7)
[...] 2 the Tomb,” an instant-classic from Freddie Gibbs’ instant-classic mixtape, Midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzick. Directed by Skee TV go-to-director, Matt Alonzo, the almost five minute clip is a mini tour de [...]