Freddie Gibbs - $oul $old $eparately
Hip Hop – Released September 30, 2022 – 15 songs, 46 mins
REID
It’s late October 2022 and Freddie is haunting Lundi’s dreams. Not the one with a burned face and blades for fingers. I mean Fredrick Jamel Tipton. The rapper from Gary, Indiana has seen his star rise in recent years with his name increasing in font size on annual festival posters. How do I know Freddie Gibbs? Recommended by one of my best pals, Mark Howard, the boloneyking himself. (Follow him on the gram. Thank me later.) Huge rap guy. Going into this, I know Freddie is a current guy with a classic style. I’ve heard a few tunes, otherwise it’s my first full album - let’s go.
It’s a different challenge providing critical substance on a gangsta rap album. Freddie comes as advertised, checking all the gangsta boxes.
Underdog $tory. Check.
$ellin’ records. Check.
Makin’ money. Check.
Drug chatter. Check.
Bu$y being the man. Check.
Let’s be honest. Not many are firing up $oul $old $eparately for its inspiring messages. It’s all about those beats, rhymes and steez. Gibbs has that in spades and the world is beginning to notice with guest appearances from Joe Rogan (Space Rabbits) and Jeff Ross (Rabbit Vision).
The album is strong overall but its peak is from songs six to twelve. In this compilation of beauties, Gibbs gets a boost with features from Rick Ross (Lobster Omelette), Anderson Paak and Raekwon (Feel No Pain), DJ Paul (PYS) and Pusha T (Gold Rings). Not to be overshadowed are his best solo tracks, the two Rabbit songs noted above and Dark Hearted. Gibbs loaded up the heart of the album like a baseball manager setting his lineup.
1… 2 Freddie’s coming for you. Gibbs continues to cement himself as one of the real ones on $oul $old $eparately.
Overall Rating: 8.0/10
Favourite Song: Feel No Pain
ROZ
This week the gentlemen at Too Sweet Reviews take a look at the fifth studio album by Grammy award nominated artist Freddie Gibbs. After not reviewing hip hop since Kendrick Lamar's Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers back in May, this reviewer was very excited to sink his teeth back into the genre once again. This is $oul $old $eparately.
A concept album, $$$ is set in a fictional hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, thematically serving as a metaphor for the risks and gambles that Freddie has made throughout his rap career in order to achieve success. The tracks begin and trail off with elevator music, front desk phone calls and comedic voicemail messages that include cameo appearances from celebrities such as Joe Rogan and Jeff Ross. From here however, the comedy ends - the record's lyrical content is dark and brooding in nature, mirroring the trials and tribulations of the difficult life that Freddie Gibbs has had to live in order to achieve the success that he has reached in the present day.
The album incorporates the talents of multiple world famous hip hop producers and, as a production fiend, was the element of the record that my ear dialed in on. After all, a rapper's flow being threaded through a high quality pattern of 808s, snares and samples can elevate the overall message and style ten-fold. On the top of the pack is none other than The Alchemist himself - one of my personal favorite hip hop producers ever - on Blackest in the Room. Soulful serenades introduce Freddie’s buttery smooth wordplay before a mid-track switch flips the instrumental into a downpitched piece championed by a groovy bass guitar sample. For those who are curious as to why The Alchemist is held in such high regard, please look no further than here.
With names such as Kaytranada (Zipper Bagz), Boi-1da (Space Rabbit) and J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League (Rabbit Vision), the tracks within $$$ are definitely not lacking in studio quality - each with its own signature style, percussive grooves and mixture of instrumentation. Feel No Pains combination of old school flow and tight production makes it a bona fide hit, with superstar feature Raekwon epitomizing these qualities better than anyone to have ever done it. Anderson Paak, Kelly Price, Moneybagg Yo, Rick Ross and Pusha T bring their A-game on their respective features as well; unfortunately, the remaining features leave much to be desired and generally leave the record with a sense of track bloat. This hotel is over capacity and needs to kick a few guests out.
Any lovers of the genre will enjoy $oul $old $eparately. Freddie’s flow is superb, his production team is massively talented and the features range from all eras of hip hop. Raekwon. The Alchemist. Need I say more?
Overall Rating: 7.8/10
Favourite Song: Blackest in the Room
LUNDI
If you’ve made it this far down the TSR review page I truly thank you, but word to the wise, the educated rap opinions stopped just above. I won’t blame you if you stop reading now, but if you are still curious here are my takes on Freddie Gibbs’ fifth studio album Soul Sold Separately.
Momma always told me not to judge a book by its cover but as I glanced at the title of this Freddie Gibbs album and the dollar signs flashed, I couldn’t help but assume what I was in for. Unfortunately after only one listen I realized I was spot on as the majority of the album’s lyrics knock me way out of my element. Simply put I in no way associate with Gibbs’ ‘get money, I’m from the streets’ rap lifestyle that fills Soul Sold Separately, and for someone who almost always relates to music through lyrical and emotional connection, that’s a major problem. An album of this nature will just never completely do it for me. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t love $$$ because when stepping back, I do see the greater appeal and how it can excite any listener who connects to music in a different way. For me though, the lyrical content is just so overwhelmingly unapproachable that the entire album experience suffers. With that said though TSR is built on a healthy mix of critical + personal thoughts and there are some great aspects to $$$ to dig into, so let’s switch gears to the positive.
Technically, Gibbs shows off his prowess and veteran knowledge on $$$ with a slick flow and powerful vocal. His delivery is effortless as he breezes his way through mid song tempo changes and links together rhymes with simplicity. I may not get much entertainment out of what he’s saying but damn the man is hype on the mic. It’s fairly easy to see how this old school artist is regarded as a rapper’s favourite rapper and I’m sure the numerous features that litter $$$ were jumping at the opportunity to join the icon on this album.
Gibbs also clearly has the ear of the production world as $$$ is a collection of well developed backing beats made of countless well tracked samples. Enlisting some elite company in the studio including The Alchemist, Kaytranada, and Madlib results in a refined spread of tracks and ensures $$$ is no let down musically.
Now, before I go, I must loop back to the lyrical content one last time with a question for the masses, can we please stop with the damn mumble rap?
$$$ is a fine technical album with solid beats by a rap mainstay, but with lyrics as my main musical selling point, Freddie Gibbs gives me buyers remorse. Sorry Freddie, it’s not you, it’s me.
Overall Rating: 7.0/10
Favourite Song: Feel No Pain