$oul $old $eparately

The thing about Freddie Gibbs’ music is that you know it when you hear it but can imagine him almost anywhere: alongside DJ Paul on some throwback Southern trap (“PYS”) or over a lounge-y Alchemist beat (“Blackest in the Room”), next to newcomers like Moneybagg Yo (“Too Much”) or pioneers like Raekwon (“Feel No Pain”). Were his voice weaker or his writing less sharp, his workingman’s kingpin persona might get washed out, but they aren’t. And over the course of 45 minutes, he confirms that his stylistic flexibility isn’t creative indecision so much as proof of his gift for bridging hip-hop’s past with its ever-evolving present. After 2019’s underground-leaning Madlib collaboration *Bandana* and the self-consciously classic sound of 2020’s Alchemist-produced *Alfredo*, *$oul $old $eparately* sounds like Gibbs locking in his niche: the rapper’s rapper that a general audience can understand.

Inviting producers like Kaytranada, James Blake, and DJ Paul into the fold offers a refreshing canvas for a rapper whose technical prowess and stark songwriting deserve a varied landscape to thrive in.

Freddie Gibbs' conceptual exploration of success and all that it entails on $oul $old $eparately proves he's one of raps top minds and should be treated as such

Freddie Gibbs' long-promised Warner Records debut, $oul $old $eparately, followed two of the biggest albums of his career, Bandana (with Madlib) and the Grammy-nominated Alfredo (with the Alchemist).

Freddie Gibbs is a by-word for authenticity. The rapper’s decade-long hit streak has dominated the conversation surrounding Stateside hip-hop, with albums

Even with all of its guest spots and expensive-sounding beats, Freddie Gibbs's '$oul $old $eparately' is a frustratingly unambitious effort.

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