20. "Just so I'm interpreting the reference correctly" In response to Reply # 3 Fri May-29-20 11:11 AM by Numba_33
The Jordan/cocaine circus line was a reference to The Last Dance episode about him half-way snitching on his rookie year Bulls team, correct? That means he created the song within the month or so the documentary dropped, right?
**edit**
The main reason I'm asking this question if because I'm curious how long it took for this whole project to put together. I'm assuming it took some time to cobble the guest verses together.
"Sean sparks like John Starks, nah, Sean ball like John Wall" - Rest In Power Forever Sean Price.
8. "RE: you're missing out, fam." In response to Reply # 7
>gibbs been thorough from jump.
Morgan Freeman.jpg (the ‘he’s right, you know‘ one)
And now he’s getting beats from some of the best to do it. I don’t know who convinced him to do it but they saved and propelled his career.
The list of rappers with projects from Alchemist should obviously be longer. But I’m glad Freddie is on it now. I’m listening now and my god these beats are BONKERS. And duh, Frederick is going to town cuz that’s what he does now that the Madlib projects showed him something.
11. "give You Only Live 2wice a spin" In response to Reply # 6
bandana is prob the hardest and best album in his catalogue at this point, but YOL2 is my personal favorite - lyrically i think its his most raw and honest
15. "i think this album is what got me to turn the corner on him" In response to Reply # 11
i checked it out because of that 2017 albums post and found out i really liked it. i still dont think hes a top lyricist but i "get it" now. i appreciate what he does.
13. "hadnt heard this song" In response to Reply # 6
>but he really opened my eyes on $500 >ounce...cotdamn, he killed that joint.
im not really into westside, but this track is dope - it came out this year, and its produced by alchemist - fuckit im making it an Alfredo bonus track in my itunes
23. "Yea I've got most of his albums saved to listen to." In response to Reply # 6
I checked out Pinata back in 2014 when it dropped and for whatever reason it didn't really resonate with me. But all these albums and especially the Madlib collabs seem to get rave reviews across the spectrum so I figure it must be me missing something.
I plan to listen to a lot of Gibbs this wknd.
Isn't he a coke rapper tho ? Think I recall that as the only criticism of him that I've consistently seen.
27. "RE: Yea I've got most of his albums saved to listen to." In response to Reply # 23
dude can rap, just tired of the tough guy/coke shit, heard it done so much better by others. Now let me get back to this creative Denzel Curry joint...
31. "Word yea so I wasn't just making that up." In response to Reply # 27 Sat May-30-20 09:34 PM by Brew
And I think that's probably why I always shelved his music or de-prioritized it, subconsciously even.
>dude can rap, just tired of the tough guy/coke shit, heard it >done so much better by others. Now let me get back to this >creative Denzel Curry joint...
New album ? What's it called ? I see nothing new on Spotify but I'm willing to pay/download obviously.
45. "I mean, he was always more than that." In response to Reply # 31 Fri Jun-05-20 11:02 PM by Nodima
But he had a phase once he first got on with blogs where he went really hard on trap and since it was the first stuff really getting a push it makes sense people might get that impression of him.
But Midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik and The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs, both released in 2009 and mostly made up of stuff he was demoing while signed to Interscope are remarkably well-rounded as the title references imply. Aside from some dated production and markedly improved technical ability, Midwestgangsta is still my favorite project from him and IMO an undeniable classic (that I recognize probably hit different to a 20 year old college kid vs. if I were hearing it for the first time now). Here's a couple cuts that show that he didn't get introduced as specifically a coke rapper, it just kind of became that because that's what the late 2000s/early 2010s really wanted from the mixtape scene he found his fame from:
Note for the second track: they eventually did a NO DJ version, which Spotify picked up a year or so ago, so head there if you want to avoid the DJ Skee drops and hear it properly mixed and mastered.
Anyway, there's a brief period there when he first started his ESGN label that he was leaning hard into the gangster aspects of his persona but after he caught that sexual assault accusation it seems like he made the smart decision to double down on the wine and cheese lifestyle of Madlib and Egon.
52. "Thanks for the breakdown - will for sure check this out." In response to Reply # 45
>But he had a phase once he first got on with blogs where he >went really hard on trap and since it was the first stuff >really getting a push it makes sense people might get that >impression of him. > > >But Midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik and The Miseducation >of Freddie Gibbs, both released in 2009 and mostly made up of >stuff he was demoing while signed to Interscope are remarkably >well-rounded as the title references imply. Aside from some >dated production and markedly improved technical ability, >Midwestgangsta is still my favorite project from him and IMO >an undeniable classic (that I recognize probably hit different >to a 20 year old college kid vs. if I were hearing it for the >first time now). Here's a couple cuts that show that he didn't >get introduced as specifically a coke rapper, it just kind of >became that because that's what the late 2000s/early 2010s >really wanted from the mixtape scene he found his fame from: > > >County Bounce: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ3IWtAT3Tw >Just Tryin' to Make It: >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_D1SIpYHwE >Playa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjKnsI6ZIhs > >Note for the second track: they eventually did a NO DJ >version, which Spotify picked up a year or so ago, so head >there if you want to avoid the DJ Skee drops and hear it >properly mixed and mastered. > >Anyway, there's a brief period there when he first started his >ESGN label that he was leaning hard into the gangster aspects >of his persona but after he caught that sexual assault >accusation it seems like he made the smart decision to double >down on the wine and cheese lifestyle of Madlib and Egon. > >~~~~~~~~~ >"This is the streets, and I am the trap." � Jay Bilas >http://www.popmatters.com/pm/archive/contributor/517 >Hip Hop Handbook: http://tinyurl.com/ll4kzz
14. "this is pretty great" In response to Reply # 0
gotta see how it holds up with more listens. for now ill say its in the top 10 of 2020 releases. i think frank lucas is the only song i was kinda eh about on first listen.
28. "We’re living in an amazing era of one rapper/one producer projects " In response to Reply # 0
There’s just so many of them in the last decade or so. So much better than those bloated albums with 10 different producers that were predictably all over the place, that we used to get.
33. "Yup. No reason to chase the radio hits anymore " In response to Reply # 30
It’s a whole different model. Rappers and producers are just making the best music they can make and making the music they want to make. It’s refreshing.
34. "RE: Yup. No reason to chase the radio hits anymore " In response to Reply # 33
>It’s a whole different model. Rappers and producers are >just making the best music they can make and making the music >they want to make. It’s refreshing.
Exactly. And it allows people to be damn good at what they’re good at. My musical heart and soul hurts when I hear mixtape/rappitty rappers try to make singles/chick songs/Club jams/stuff that doesn’t fix their talents. I know it’s dangerous to ‘stay in a lane’, but it’s also a way to end up with a rock solid career that lasts.
I hoped like hell when Freeway and Jake One made StimulusPackage that it would be a big call to everyone to tighten up their budgets and producer lists. Then Curren$y just kept on doing 1-producer projects. Now, here we are!
35. "RE: Yup. No reason to chase the radio hits anymore " In response to Reply # 34
>I hoped like hell when Freeway and Jake One made >StimulusPackage that it would be a big call to everyone to >tighten up their budgets and producer lists. Then Curren$y >just kept on doing 1-producer projects. Now, here we are! >
Yup, those are the exact examples that came to my mind when I was trying to figure out how long this has been going on. Stimulus Package and Curren$y!
36. "RE: Yup. No reason to chase the radio hits anymore " In response to Reply # 35
> >>I hoped like hell when Freeway and Jake One made >>StimulusPackage that it would be a big call to everyone to >>tighten up their budgets and producer lists. Then Curren$y >>just kept on doing 1-producer projects. Now, here we are! >> > >Yup, those are the exact examples that came to my mind when I >was trying to figure out how long this has been going on. >Stimulus Package and Curren$y!
Add in Roc Marciano and even J. Cole handling lots of their own production and things are going well. I just wish I could more easily find those Roc samples. I'm still hoping to find out what he used for God Loves You and Richard Gear.
It is a good time to like straight-ahead rap music.
40. "RE: don't forget all the muggs projects, starting with ill bill, planet ..." In response to Reply # 39
>sick jacken
Yes. I also remember being straight up turned out by Return of the Mac. Prodigy and Alc went batshit on that one too. And yeah, the follow-up was good times too.
46. "The programmed Asian dude really hurts Bandana in polite company" In response to Reply # 44
The worst is that aside from the intro it's programmed into the beats. I want nothing more than to play the instrumental to "Fake Names" in my restaurant, but it closes out with that damn A.I. saying "no fuck boys, real n****s only" and it's so garbled and accent-driven I could probably get away with it, but EYE know what it's saying and we're a white-owned, French restaurant so it's 86'd.
48. "So, coincidence or not..." In response to Reply # 0
Dan Le Batard interviewed Gibbs on his South Beach Sessions podcast. Great listen. Hearing him talk about the climate in the country now, his kids, how he got to where he is in rap...really gave me a different ear than I might have had, when listening to his music. He was VERY open about things he did as he was trying to get his rap career off the ground, the situation in Austria, etc. all that said...I listened to Bandana, first. It’s good. Real good. I must have played “Crime Pays” like 12 times before moving to the next track. Alfredo, though?????? GEEZ! Unless we get blessed with something real dope in the next few months, this is AOTY. Beats, lyrics, guest spots (Benny is just unfair). Kinda fun to hear a one producer album.
...I'm from the era when A.I. was the answer, now they think ai is the answer - Marlon Craft
Printer-friendly copy 
Email this topic to a friend
The Lesson
