Freddie Gibbs to Tour Midwest in Support of Str8 Killa EP
If you don't know Freddie Gibbs by know, don't hold your breath...because Gibbs AKA Gangsta Gibbs is about to blow. What keeps him from getting lost in the sea of forgettable hip hop:
1. His alias says it all; Gangsta Gibbs is the real deal. Unlike some of his hip hop peers, he raps what he's lived. And it's been a tempestuous one!
2. Gibbs is really good. (Sgt. Tibs even co-signs).
His musical content and perceptive, intelligent lyrics have been compared to Tupac; his flow to everyone from Bone to T.I. After his deal with Interscope fell apart, Gibbs went overdrive in 2009 releasing two lauded mixtapes: The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs and midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik. 2010 saw the release of Str8 Killa No Filla mixtape and his Str8 Killa EP. This bevy of quality material earned him a place on XXL's Freshman 10 and had Billboard affirming Gibbs had "revive[d] gangster rap."
"This rap shit ain't all fun and games my nigga its a job," reads a Freddie Gibbs' Facebook status. Now I was only a part of the Gibbs "entourage" for 10 hours during his 2-day trip to NYC in late October, but boy did I get to see first-hand that dude ain't lying (I missed Day 1 of his NYC trip where he killed BB Kings alongide Ghostface Killa and GWHH buddy GLC). In that time alone he performed at the Fader Fort for CMJ Music Marathon, Brooklyn Bowl for Pitchfork's #Offline Festival, and shot a video at Dame Dash's DD172 studio. OVERLOAD!!! But let's not forget the countless interviews and impromptu photo shoots between all of this!!!!
I don't know what dude was working on (Well maybe I do. If you listen to Gibbs, you know he loves Mary. For evidence, see: "Personal OG", the track for the DD172 shoot. This song's one of my faves on the EP. It's juicy, fluid and sexy all at the same time. A song the fellas will love to watch the ladies dance to. Gibbs is very convincing on this track. Maybe Prop 19 would've passed if this had been the theme song)...but Gibbs worked NYC for ALL it had to offer. He labors like someone who's terrified of failure. Or maybe of ever HAVING to return permanently to his hometown of Gary, Indiana or the lifestyle about which he raps. (But I guess he told us that already: "I hope this rap shit saves me"). At the same time Gibbs is so INCREDIBLY laid back about it all...Well, that is until he goes on stage and his stripping alter-ego comes out. Catch it yourself as he tours the Midwest this January. For the Chicagoans, catch him January 14th at Metro.
After the jump get the full tour listing and pics of my time in NYC with Gangsta Gibbs.
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