The 11s: (2) My Favorite Freddie Gibbs Appearances...

12:56 pm - Fri, Dec 23, 2011: 3 notes

The 11s: (2) My Favorite Freddie Gibbs Appearances…

I just realized that I’ll never get this shit done if I don’t stay on it. Y’all know how verbose I like to make these posts, but forgive me if some of them are a little brief. I’ll try to keep it as dope as possible.

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So here’s #2. Says it all in the title. My favorite 11 Gangsta Gibbs songs.

Any regular reader knows that I’m a Gibbs stan. No shame in my game. As for the tracks, some belong to him, some don’t, all are excellent and I’ll remember 22 more that should be on this list the minute I finalize it. He had that type of year.

Then again, I’m biased - but that’s neither here nor there. No order to this list because real niggas don’t rank shit if they don’t feel like it. Let’s go:

Curren$y feat. Freddie Gibbs - Scottie Pippen: I don’t think you can go wrong combining two of my favorites over an Alchemist beat. They obviously employ contrasting approaches to this rap shit, but they both keep it pretty G at all times. Gibbs, as always, owned this shit with what essentially serves as his manifesto. Everything you need to know about Gibbs is in this verse.
Freddie Gibbs - B.A.N.ned: Cardo out-did himself with this beat. Probably the least lyrical/technical shit you’ll hear from Gibbs, but it’s the least he could do given the sample source (Sade) and the ridiculously aggro content on the track. I wonder who he’s taunting on this shit.
Young Jeezy feat. Freddie Gibbs & Scrilla -Sittin’ Low: This is my favorite Jeezy + Gibbs collaboration and I’d posit that they’re all pretty good, but this just happens to be the best of the dozen or so tracks they did. I mean, it’s frivolous as fuck, but Ridin’ Music oughta be that way. Plus, it’s nice to hear Scrilla do his thing, but neither he nor Jeezy really have the chops to keep up with Frederick.
Freddie Gibbs - My Homeboy’s Girlfriend: Another selection off ‘Cold Day In Hell’. Also done by Cardo (with another Sade sample! Cool Story Bro), but this time Freddie goes a little deeper with a dramatic tale of lust, betrayal and shocking consequences. Or in other words, bitches ain’t shit and neither are niggas. Apparently, it’s also a tribute/homage to an old 8Ball song. I’ll let you find that on your own.
Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Thuggin’/Deep: I’m cheating here with these two tracks in one entry, but sometimes life bees lyke dat. Gibbs + Madlib is a no brainer, there’s no way that combo doesn’t make excellent work. Can’t wait for the full-length project in 2012. I might even start doing drugs again.
Trackademicks - Chill feat. Freddie Gibbs, Phonte & 1-O.A.K.: Laid back slice of summer goodness that maybe 4 people heard. Further proof that Gibbs is capable of pretty much any kind of rap you’re looking to hear. His work on the hook is excellent. That said, Phonte mighta taken this one with that jokey old man story telling flow. No shame in that for Gibbs though.
Freddie Gibbs & Alley Boy feat. Big K.R.I.T. - Rob Me A Nigga: You already knew this shit was going to be on the list. I bet this is what all those niggas planning to “wob” you sneakerheads for your silly Concords are going to be listening to right before they pistol-whip you. Just give the shoes up bruh, especially if they’re fake. Even if you know the guy robbing you from kindergarten or church. Take it as a loss you can make it back someday. Getting too fly will make you a target homie.
David Dallas feat. Freddie Gibbs - Caught In A Daze: This Aussie cat dropped a really nice album on DuckDown Records. I’m sure I’m one of three people that heard it. Again, Gibbs shows out on this bitch, but this track probably has the best example of him doing this thing where he comes in (or leaves) on the track before his verse starts by adlibbing a bit, doing his opening bars or doing the end of the hook right as the hook is ending. It’s a nifty trick that I appreciate every time. Pause.
Freddie Gibbs feat. 2Slaves - Neighborhood Hoez: Gibbs goes in over a Jodeci sample. As with most gangsta rappers, misogyny comes a little too naturally to Gibbs, but I’ll be damned if it doesn’t sound excellent. 2Chainz isn’t the worst thing ever, but the less I say about him the better. Cold Day In Hell was reeeeeally good.
Freddie Gibbs - Heaven Can Wait: Yep, another one off CDH. I’m not sorry, the only album I played more this year is Nas’ ‘It Was Written’, but I’ve been bumping that bitch at least once a week since 1996, so there’s no competition there. CDH only dropped in November, but I’ve played each song on it at least 60 times. This one has Gibbs counting his blessings over a beautiful Jamiroquai sample. I listen to this and realize that life is never really that bad. There’s always something to be pleased about if you stop and smell the fucking grass. Or your girl’s pussy. Oh - you don’t have a girl? Sorry bruh, smell your palms then. Or kill yourself. Whatever you do, don’t smell a hooker.
Freddie Gibbs & Statik Selektah - Lord Giveth, Lord Taketh Away: This creepy burner (with a matching video) is off the collaborative 24 hour EP that Gibbs dropped with Statik Selektah early in the year. Even when Gibbs is just talking shit, the imagery remains unfuckwitable. But now that I think about it, he isn’t just talking shit, he’s talking about robbing folks. Sigh. It’s nice living a life devoid of shit people want to take from you. Let’s all be poor together while we listen to real shit from Gangsta Gibbs.

Aight, that’s #2 in the can. Here’s to Freddie Gibbs’ continued success in this rap game. He deserves it and we all deserve to hear some credible, yet skilled Gs on the radio/TV soon. Rap fans these days often excuse their tolerance of fraudulent rappers by saying that it’s just music and that’s all they care about. That’s cool and all, but one of the few things that separates this thing we love from other genres of music is the fact that we require (or used to) some level of realness from the cats telling these stories. That, along with other elements of our culture, is getting lost. I’m not saying that niggas can only rap about shit they’ve done, but don’t piss on me and call it rain. If you want to sell me great sounding poison that’s fine, but it would be nice for to believe that you know what the fuck you’re talking about and that you have just a little integrity. Just a bit. Rant over.

Enjoy the holidays and check back often. I promise to write about shit you might actually care about. Ciao…