Boiler Room is known for hosting crammed and sweaty events around the world, usually featuring an electronic DJ stationed in the middle of a bustling crowd. However, on Tuesday night at London's Giant Steps club, the guests were hip hop duo Freddie Gibbs & Madlib. Gibbs released his second collaborative project with the legendary producer, Bandana, in June, and it has been hailed by many as an early album of the year contender.
One could've guessed that things were about to get crazy when Gibbs started out the set swigging from a half-empty bottle of Hennessy. Halfway through, he pauses to share that he is "drunk as f***". He also uses most of the breaks between songs to start "f*** the police" chants and to encourage the crowd to give Madlib his proper respect. Throughout the set, Madlib remains his usual elusive self, intensely focused on his craft and never uttering a word. At one point, he jokingly grabs the mic from Gibbs, only to return it without saying anything. Gibbs - dressed in red overalls with no shirt underneath - drips sweat profusely as he raps his heart out. The duo also revisited some cuts off their 2014 project, Pinata, like "Higher" - which Gibbs spit a large portion of it acapella over Madlib's scratching.