17 September 2013 - 0 Comments

Astral People are pleased to announce two New Zealand shows from Gary Indiana rapper, Freddie Gibbs. Due to last minute schedule availability, Freddie Gibbs will make his way to Wellington and Auckland next week for two special shows:

Wellington – Thursday 19^th September @ James Cabaret

Auckland – Friday 20^th September @ The Studio

Tickets available now from http://www.undertheradar.co.nz/

Gibbs’ undeniable quality has seen him rise above the hordes of wannabe gangster rappers littering the American rap landscape. His unpretentious, hard-as-nails flow has set a new standard for grizzled vintage rap - the likes of which haven’t been heard since the late 90’s. A total absence of gimmickry and showboating has seen Gibbs build a reputation as the genuine article ofauthentic street flow. Releasing a slew of mixtapes for free with minimal promotion hasn’t stopped the world taking notice; Pitchfork went so far as to state “guys like Freddie Gibbs are saving rap”.

Statements like this are fairly remarkable given the set backs and false starts that dogged Gibbs’ early career. He amassed a slew of tracks while signed to Interscope and Young Jeezy’s CTE label before being dropped; luckily these cuts survived the fall out to appear on Gibbs’ debut tapes The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs andMidwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik in 2009. Featuring top notch productions from Just Blaze and Polow da Don, these releases introduced the world to Gibbs’ single minded approach to rapping. Using the time honoured tropes of women, money and hard living Gibbs provides an unusually resonant take on the gangster experience that can rip your heart out when you least expect it. Amidst raps about pimping women we hear of how heslept in a sock drawer as a child and his fears about having children of his own. Suddenly Gibbs was being mentioned in the New Yorker alongside Jay-Z and became the toast of the rap blogosphere.

Gibbs’ 2010 follow up St8 Killa solidified his reputation as a rapper of the highest technical ability. Shifting between double time flurries and explosive disjointed riffs, Gibbs began garnering comparisons with the likes of Krayzie Bone, Scarface and Buckshot, even without the big name producers that littered his earlier output. 2011 release Cold Day In Hell saw Gibbs bringing a new style of emotional heft to his tracks, juxtaposing hisbrutal monotone drawl with productions infused with notes of melodic melancholy. And with last year’s Baby Faced Killa Gibbs stood above the tired questions of authenticity plaguing modern gangster rap with performances that emphasised his talent and skill, rather than his criminal credentials or persona.

Despite the critical acclaim that accompanied all of Gibbs’ releases, hype is reaching new feverish heights over his upcoming album with Madlib. Tentatively titled Cocaine Pinata the collaboration will be a full-length team up between rap’s premier beat artist and its most consistent rapper. Another project in the pipeline is Gibbs’ first proper solo album, currently known as Necktie Party. With a slew of other releases with his hometown crew Str8 Slammin’ Click and under various aliases, 2013 is shaping up to be Gibbs’ biggest year yet. 

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