Pinata-Freddie Gibbs and Madlib Review

Nowadays, it's hard not to view each year in music as a time capsule. We live in the now, so we lack the foresight for what will be remembered when the decade is over. Therefore, it's mostly a fools errand to deem something an instant classic, as some have done for Good Kid M.A.A.D City. However, it wouldn't be surprising if Pinata is remembered fondly as time goes by. As the culmination of years of EP collaborations, this project sees Madlib producing the entire album, and Gibbs simply kills it. With Madlib's sample heavy, jazz/blaxploitation inspired beats, the 17 track album has killer consistency, without filler or half-baked concepts. In fact, this is some of the best production of the year so far, which isn't surprising, considering Madlib's history, perhaps best known for his production with MF Doom on Madvilliany. These beats will haunt Alchemist for the rest of the year (though Lord Steppington is a dope project). What this album is most noteworthy for capturing is the spirit of 90s gangster rap. This is all due to Freddie Gibbs. Gibbs' cadence is pulled straight from the 90s. The comparisons to Tupac are warranted. The thing about Tupac was his flow had superb technical prowess when over a beat. Moreso than any other rapper at the time, aside from Biggie Smalls, his flow was nearly as rhythmic as the beat, and it's why his bars stand the test of time. When one reads the lyrics to a rap song, even without hearing it beforehand, the logical sense and catchiness of his bars enables one to almost predict his flow, and few rappers have written bars that are such a joy to rap along to. It's visceral and intuitive. Gibbs fits well in the list of rappers skilled enough to achieve that. This album could have been released in the 90s and I guarantee we would be talking about it. He has the same type of agency in his rhyme scheme. He rides a beat like a pro. The only problem with being so skilled technically is nearly every guest verse is overtaken. Gibbs even out-raps legends like Scarface, and newcomers like Earl Sweatshirt and Danny Brown, though Brown more than does his thing. Domo Genesis does have some standout verses, as he usually does when he pops up on a project. He proves once again that he is the most underrated aspect of the Odd Future collective.(Seriously, we got a Frank Ocean studio album and an Earl Sweatshirt studio album. Is one for Domo too much to ask?) We also get a killer posse cut, mirroring the early year success of last year's 1Train. Bottom line, this is a gangster rap album for the ages, and a proper debut for Freddie Gibbs.