Stop Sleepin: Freddie Gibbs

After being kicked out of college and discharged from the military, Freddie Gibbs found his home in gangsta rap.

The Gary, Indiana native uses his lyrics to vividly bring stories of his home town’s crime infested streets to life.  This talent was quickly noticed by Interscope, who signed Gibbs to a record deal within his first year rapping.

However, Interscope kept his music shelved for the last few years, but now that Freddie Gibbs has been released from that contract, he’s ready to explode onto the scene.

To give you a good feel for Gary, Indiana, check out the video for “From Tha G,” where Freddie Gibbs takes us around the city known for its high murder and crime rates.

In the first verse, Gibbs spits:

“Rest in peace to my cousin, we buried him last week,
Hopefully today they don’t put me under the concrete…
How can we get along, crackas doin us wrong,
One deceased, one in jail, two niggas with one stone,
It’s the type of shit we face, in the place that I call home.”

Freddie Gibbs cites Tupac as a major influence on his sound, which is definitely heard in “From Tha G.”

The introductory track off of The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs, “GI Pride,” also talks about coming up in Gary, Indiana.  Check out this Just Blaze track below, which will have the words “Gary Indiana” stuck in your head!

The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs:

The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs was released in early 2009, and was quickly followed by Freddie Gibbs’ most recent work, Midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuisk, hosted by DJ Skee.

A standout track on Midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuisk is “Iodine Poison,” where Gibbs shows respect to another one of his influences, Pimp C.

“Iodine Poison” is full of Pimp C references such as:

“Bitch I’m too hard to swallow, a son of super tight,
Was raised on riding dirty, dirty money off the white,
Kept a couple side hustles, the rappin was just a dream,
Laid that snap on the track, like I was an Underground King.”

That song will be appreciated by all UGK fans, as the mixtape version has an intro and outro of Pimp C quotes.

If you want to get a good feel for Freddie Gibb’s laid back story tellin’, check out “Country Bounce.”

That song defines the Midwest Gangsta Box Frame Cadillac Musik feel!  It’s a really smooth gangsta beat to ride out to.

Other stand out tracks on Midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuisk are “Something You Should Know,” and “Still Standing.”

Having already dropped two of 2009’s best mixtapes in The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs and Midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuisk, it is only a matter of time before the labels come back to the artist with an offer he can’t refuse.

Until that day comes, Freddie Gibbs is busy making quality music and putting Gary, Indiana on the map!