Mar
02

Freddie Gibbs Can’t Have Fun if the Homies Can’t Have None

One of the first times in which Gibbs pays any mind to contemporary rap trends, while sounding at home over a minimal menacing West Coast riff a la DJ Mustard. As Gotty pointed out, with a clean edit, this could conceivably be a radio hit. Of course, that would require payment to “radio promoters” and… Continue reading »

Feb
01

Chain Swinging: Jackie Chain and Freddie Gibbs go VIP

Evan Nabavian is a very irrefutable person. Which is worse: the most ill-considered rap/rock crossover or the cheapest instance of rap co-opting electronic? I vote for the latter, because rappers keep getting away with it. And yet, here I am giving Jackie Chain a pass on a particularly flagrant fist-pumper. “Night is Young” is as… Continue reading »

Jan
17

Video: Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – “Thuggin”

Watching this video can give heart attacks to the elderly. Home invasion rap has never been so psychedelic. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Thuggin’ by Rappcats

Nov
21

America’s Most Blunted Part II: MadGibbs

I wrote about this at my other online emporium, but the union of Freddie Gibbs and Madlib warrants repeat posting. Getting these two together was no idle whim, this was the product of months of clandestine meetings and secrets kept. Granted, Madlib could be a CIA agent if not for his quarter ounce a day… Continue reading »

Oct
31

Freddie Gibbs – A Cold Day in Hell

The new Freddie Gibbs mixtape, just in time to soundtrack smacking Trick-or-Treaters with sacks of flour. On first listen, this is more trap-oriented than past tapes. So it goes when Jeezy appears twice, 2Chainz once, and Alley Boy on a song called “Rob Me a Nigga.” Best heard while dressed as O-Dog. Download: ZIP: Freddie… Continue reading »

Oct
11

Double Vision: Joker & Freddie Gibbs Square Off

Bristol and Gary might be polar opposites, but purple connoisseurs like Gibbs and Joker can easily find common ground. Between “The Vision” and “Highway to Hell,” the former is fast becoming the go-to vanquisher for these electrocution bass cuts. The reasons are pretty simple. You need a wrath of God voice to cut through the… Continue reading »

Sep
14

Freddie Gibbs – “187 Proof”

Gibbs using the first official leak from A Cold Day in Hell to take tacit slaps at Rick Ross, make Steven Seagal references, and talk about his preference for the CPA over the DEA. Finally, a rap song I can play for my father. Gibbs has staked his career on honesty and rapping extraordinarily well.… Continue reading »

Aug
08

Kritics Choice: Big K.R.I.T. Gets Prolific

Evan Nabavian is old school when he rides. July 31, 2011. Children and maladroit college grads like me were blindsided by the arrival of summer’s halfway point. Working men and women trudged home through the unbearable heat while I sat in my room, where I had been sitting all day, all month, all summer, and… Continue reading »

Jun
30

Fab Five Freddie Gibbs

“Versatility” has a different definition depending on who you talk to. When I interviewed FloRida last week, he stressed its importance in sustaining longevity in the commercial rap game. Admittedly, he’s the same dude who had no qualms rhyming over Eiffel 65′s “I’m Blue,” so you have to take his words with a whiff of… Continue reading »

Apr
27

Beards, Blunts & Brooklyn: Freddie Gibbs & Big K.R.I.T. @ Southpaw

Photo via Austin Surreal Abe Beame is always cooking up something marvelous. What a difference a year and two critically acclaimed mixtapes make. Last June, Big K.R.I.T. had some buzz going — but not enough to save him from famously being booed off stage for attempting to perform “Country Shit” at a Jay Electronica/Joell Ortiz… Continue reading »

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