Gary, Indiana MC Freddie Gibbs hooked up with Oxnard, CA producer/MC/DJ/everything else, to drop the unexpected Thuggin EP late in 2011. This EP, commonly referred to as MadGibbs, contains 2 tracks of Gibbs over Madlib beats and 4 instrumentals including those to the 2 vocal tracks.
Right after Madlib’s Medicine Show wraps up for 2011, he drops this gem on us. Whether is was by chance meeting, or if it was all part of Lord Satan’s plan, he hooks up with Freddie Gibbs, hot off the release of his Cold Day In Hell mixtape. A surprising combination based on the fact that Madlib is part of Stones Throw, which specializes in strange underground music, while Gangsta Gibbs is signed to Young Jeezy’s CTE. All disbelief aside, this project happened, and thank whoever you pray to that it did.
The first track is called Thuggin, which is about, what else, general thuggery. Gibbs spits gangsta bravado over a high pitched piano loop for 3 minutes and 22 seconds. Gibbs exhibits his incredible flow and ability to ride the beat, mixing internal and multisyllabic gutter rhymes in his tale about “lurking where you living in the night time.” Gibbs also throws a possible shot at OJ Da Juiceman, Gucci Mane, and that whole tier of rappers, saying he is “still lyrically sharper than any short bus shorty”. Putting my love for the Juiceman aside, this is still a dope line, and just one of the many Gibbs spits nonstop.
The other track Gibbs raps on is called Deep, where he talks about being “Deep inside the ghetto” over a funky flip. It would be surprising to hear someone with such lyrical talent alliterating when talking about slanging cocaine and other gangsterism, but veterans of Mr. Gibbs are already used to this. The only problem with this track, is that is clocks in at only 2 minutes and 4 seconds.
The instrumentals on the EP are slightly disappointing though. Besides the instrumentals to the 2 Gibbs laced tracks, we get Riot Call which is a slow tribal drum beat that has nearly no momentum. We also get Cold On The Blvd which is a fast paced funky beat that would be at home on a Madlib beat tape, but pales in comparison to the 2 instrumentals Freddie Gibbs was given to bless.
Madlib & Gibbs have announced a follow up album to this EP sometime in 2012, so let’s hope Gibbs isn’t in the MF DOOM state of mind and this project actually sees the light of day. If this EP is any indication of what is to come, Gibbs may be one of the first rappers to have universal appeal to nearly all hip hop fans, as well as the ability to craft an incredible collaboration with the Beat Konducta himself.
90/100
Review Hip-Hop 