In the midst of an impeccable run, arguably one of hip-hop's best, Freddie Gibbs has reason to be confident. It's part of the reason he is where he is today. And while he has occasionally made enemies along the way, including Jeezy, the man who once signed him to CTE, Gibbs has managed to come out on top. Now, following the release of his acclaimed Alfredo album, Gibbs has connected with Bootleg Kev to reflect on Jeezy, offering a few takes on his old sparring partner.
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"I stopped giving a fuck who like my shit ten years ago bro," says Gibbs. "You know when I gave a fuck who liked my shit? When I was signed to Young Jeezy. I was like 'damn man, I wonder if people like it.' Cause he was always about that...Once I got rich, I stopped giving a fuck. All my people and my family around me are doing good, so I don't really give a fuck about nothing else."
Curiously, Gibbs reveals that Young Jeezy has been his daily motivation. "I look up to Young Jeezy," he explains. "Come on bro, in 2010 I could have fucked with any rapper. Yo Gotti, Rick Ross. Anybody. I looked up to all those n***as, but I really looked up to Young Jeezy. So that said, all the music I made after that, is to prove n***as wrong. To prove I was where I was supposed to be. Every day, every time I go in the booth, every project I make, I'm trying to prove somebody wrong."
"I take the adversity and use it as fuckin' fuel," continues Gibbs. "The fact I can do that puts me above a lot of n***as. I wasn't supposed to make it, in 2006 Interscope dropped me." After Kev praises Freddie's perseverance and dedication to staying true to self, Gibbs circles back to his former mentor turned nemesis. "Jeezy is musically irrelevant," he claims. "Let's be real, dawg. Did you listen to his last album, no you fuckin' didn't. He's a legend, but right now, you're irrelevant." He appears to speak directly to Jeezy, saying "I love you, but what you want to fight? You can't fight me, out rap me. Any n***a that can't out rap me or beat me up, I don't give a fuck about."