Sept. 30 delivered an ungodly amount of new music to the doorstep of hip hop heads around the globe. However, an argument can be made that the most impressive of the releases came in the form of Freddie Gibbs’ (“Death Row”) fifth solo LP, titled “$oul $old $eparately” because, as it has been proven time and time again, dollar signs make everything look cooler. Over the past decade, Gibbs has managed to establish himself as one of the most consistent MCs in the game. Whether it be off the back of his critically acclaimed collaborative efforts with producer extraordinaires Madlib (“The Call”) and the Alchemist (“Flight Confirmation”) respectively, even earning a Grammy nod for 2019’s “Alfredo.”
Three years have come and gone, and the Big Lord Bunny Rabbit has in his mind, the perfect time to officially come out of his creative hibernation. With a tracklist of 14 songs and a single bonus cut, “$$$” runs at a tight 46 minutes. To label this a return to form for Gibbs would be misleading, since the man has been in tip top shape lyrically for the majority of his career. With that being said, the entire album starts off with less of a focus on his technical ability, and on a rather positive note with the track, “Couldn’t Be Done,” in which Gibbs essentially takes a bit of a victory lap. At first, the placement may seem a little odd, but looking at his entire career as a whole, it makes a lot of sense. The man went from rough beginnings in the small city of Gary, Indiana to being one of the most celebrated figures in the rap game today. If that does not warrant a pat on the back, then one can only begin to imagine what actually does.
The triumphant nature of the opener reaches its apex thanks to the powerful vocals of Kelly Price (“Mo Money Mo Problems”), a noted R&B and gospel legend. As noted before, one of Gibbs’ defining characteristics is the hard-to-ignore charisma that typically appears at the forefront of most of his work. A shining example of this comes in the form of the lead single from the project, “Too Much,” featuring emerging star, Moneybagg Yo (“Time Today”). Possibly the most radio-friendly offering on the project, Gibbs and Yo trade fast flows back and forth with lyrics that just scream “coolest guys in the room.”
On the topic of features, outside of a handful of names, Gangsta Gibbs has decided to keep it in the family, opting to pull from the bag of past collaborators. Regardless of who he chooses to create with, Gibbs proves that he is more than capable of holding his own solo, with tracks like “Zipper Bagz,” “Blackest in the Room” and “Dark Hearted” turning out to be some of the main highlights. There are no horrifyingly bad songs on this album, and that is always a plus. The weakest track might be the Memphis rap-influenced “PYS” with Three 6 Mafia member, DJ Paul, with Freddie reusing the same flows and vocal inflections used on “Too Much.” Still, nothing sticks out as overtly terrible. For fans, this LP is just another reason on the proverbial list of why he is the best rapper of this generation. For those unfamiliar with his work, “$$$” can definitely serve as a proper introduction to the outspoken, over-the-top and politically incorrect world of Gibbs.
Image from Freddie Gibbs via YouTube
