Freddie Gibbs • "Dead Presidents Freestyle" / "Hot Boys"

Freddie Gibbs is Gary, IN through and through but is shining the light on New York and New Orleans with his two new releases, "Dead Presidents Freestyle" and "Hot Boys". Despite being straight-up prolific at this juncture he’s never gone heavy on the remixes or throwback tracks (despite the name of one most excellent project). Rightfully so, Gangsta Gibbs has so much original material pouring out of him that you’d wonder what the point was. But “Dead Presidents Freestyle” and “Hot Boys” are exceedingly fresh re-inventions and interpretations that pay homage, bleed Gibbs and need to be heard. Loosies or not, let there be no confusion that these follow-ups to his recent Shadow Of A Doubt do that success story justice.

"Dead Presidents Freestyle"

“Dead Presidents Freestyle” is rich, a hallucinatory trip through Gary over a slowed-and-throwed take on the beat that used to haunt New York. Freddie Gibbs doesn’t ease up, starting slow with strained bars then pushing into a heady double-time flow, inevitably building a maze of words. The production of Speakerbomb is almost as impressive as Gibb's mic prowess in this case, providing a beat that's hypnotic in a major way. When Freddie Gibbs finishes shredding, it's Speakerbomb who's kind enough to let you come-down from it all with his refreshing instrumental conclusion.

"Hot Boys"

“Hot Boys” is Freddie Gibbs on a tear, but it's also a dedication to the criminally underrated, influential and irresistible rap of New Orleans. No bounce here, it's not the aesthetic of the beat but the confession of his fandom as Gibbs reveals "I feel like he grew up in the 'Nolia, I'm 400 degrees on the corner". Though the Gary rapper never called the Magnolia and Calliope projects his home, he's shouting out the Big Easy in this nod. "Hot Boys" indeed, Freddie Gibb's flow is scorching as he drawls out his love of the South.