Freddie Gibbs is back. The rapper may best be known for his collaborations with Madlib, but his solo material has always benefited from having a conceptual edge. It may seem like he's telling traditional stories over hard-hitting production, but there's always something more eclectic and ambitious under the surface. YOU ONLY DIE 1NCE is a perfect example. The album is a sequel to Freddie Gibbs' release YOU ONLY LIVE 2WICE, and like the title suggests, it focuses on mortality. The lead single, "On the Set," was a weighty tribute to fallen rappers like Biggie and Nipsey Hussle.
"On the Set" is actually the last song on the album, which means the rest of the songs build up to it. The placement was not accidental. Freddie Gibbs waxes poetic over this somber collection of songs, like with the meditative "It's Your Anniversary" or the menacing "Ruthless." Gibbs manages the rare feat keeping the tracklist both cohesive and varied. "Brick Fees" sees the rapper rattle off bars over a measured beat, and "Wolverine" may just be the best song on the whole album. There's nothing flashy about the music or Freddie Gibbs' rhyme scheme, but the earnestness on display is what has always allowed the rapper to stand out from his peers.
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Freddie Gibbs Gets Contemplative On New Album
YOU ONLY DIE 1NCE tracklist:
- Status
- Cosmo Freestyle
- Wolverine
- Brick Fees
- Rabbit Island
- It's Your Anniversary
- Nobody Likes You (Interlude)
- Yeah You
- Steel Doors
- Walk It Off
- Ruthless
- Origami
- On the Set