Freddie Gibbs hasn’t had time off in quite a while. The Gary, Indiana native initially ascended on an impressive streak of five mixtape releases between 2007 and 2009, maintaining national recognition after severing ties with Interscope Records in 2007. The subsequent five years have brought three more independent mixtapes, an LP, collaborative projects with Madlib, another with Statik Selektah, and a throng of song-stealing guest spots.
Naturally, the only thing to commemorate his swelling discography and current stint on the “Independent Grind Tour” is another album, this time delivered as a neon-lit victory lap. Gangsta Gibbs arrives on the 31st installment of The Tonite Show, a series curated by Oakland DJ The Worlds Freshest, and leaves behind the brooding, portentous tone listeners have come to expect in favor of a laid-back, self-indulgent one. As he declares in the intro, Gibbs is only “fucking hoes tonight, smoking weed tonight, selling dope tonight, and doing whatever the fuck else I want to do.”
Sonically, The Tonite Show is rooted in wailing saxophones, shimmering synths and thick bass lines. The Worlds Freshest delivers much of the production from the front seat of a ‘64, deploying a hyper-local dedication to 1990s G-funk with a few skittering 808s for updates. The relationship between Gibbs and Worlds Freshest is equally old school; though most one-emcee, one-DJ digital releases are ostensibly ceremonial or promotional, Gibbs has no shortage of shoutouts for the man behind the boards. The triteness of “The Worlds muthafuckin’ Freshest bitch!” is easily overlooked when said in Gibbs’ blunted baritone.
While the subject matter isn’t anything new, Gibbs’ versatile flow is what buoys the uniqueness of The Tonite Show. He methodically moves through the clapping percussion of “Keep It Gangsta,” bobs and weaves on the uptempo “G Like That,” and adopts a Midwestern, harmonic double time on the woozy “Bitches, Dope And Dollars.”
Yet despite its hedonistic focus, there’s a clear politics to The Tonite Show. Gibbs has ridden the recent popularity of Piñata and fully adopted a Los Angeles aesthetic, but from the album’s first track, he asserts that he “still be in the trenches even though my shows are packed out.” Gibbs is hittin’ bitches with his Nikes on, but not without keeping the struggle of Gary in his rear view. It was life or death for a dude that used to rob trains for a living, and even the most relaxed songs on The Tonite Show, like the Problem-assisted “On Me,” are bolstered by a surly sense of deservedness. The boasts about girls hit harder; the celebrations become more visceral.
The Tonite Show is mainly held back by a lack of content and inconsistency from its features. The LP is only 10 tracks, including an intro, outro and interlude, while “On Me” and “Pussy Got Slap” are rereleases. ESGN affiliate G-Wiz delivers a respectable but ultimately forgettable 16 on “Bitches, Dope And Dollars,” and Problem’s verse lacks the replay value of fellow featured emcees Trae Tha Truth, Yukmouth (“I Be On My Grind”) and Sir Michael Rocks—the last of which introduces himself as “the type of guy to make your thighs get a divorce” on “I Wanna Do It.”
Clocking in at just 29 minutes, The Tonite Show finds Gibbs firmly cruising in one lane, and developing an undeniable and unexpected rapport with The Worlds Freshest. While the concept wears thin, Gangsta Gibbs is able to adjust to the Zapp and Dre-inspired beats without swerving from his hardened formula, and after the harrowing stories from projects past, a celebration feels warranted this time.
Better than Cocaine Pinata, but still nowhere near ‘Cold Day In Hell’, and ‘midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik’ remains as his best work.
you seriously dont like cocaine pinata… that is a diss to both gibbs and madlib. if you dont like madlibs beats then you dont like hip hop
trippin
nowhere near ‘cold day in hell’ and ‘midwestgansta’??!! i like those tapes but yeah fkn right!. pinata is his best project to date and that’s undisputable. and personally believe that, of his older tapes, the miseducation is his best one.
I like Hip Hop, since I like every other release by Freddie but Cocaine Pinata. The Madlib production doesn’t sound good to me. You say I don’t like Hip Hop, so why I’m not listening to Lil’ Wayne and other bullshit “rappers” like him? That’s because I like Hip Hop. Even though ESGN has trap-influenced production, it’s still near better production-wise and to me the best album out of 2013.
Freddie Gibbs – Eastside Moonwalker
“Better than Cocaine Pinata”
OH HELL NO THATS THE ALBUM OF THE YEAR SO FAR
Cocaine Pinata is far from being the album of the year. PTSD is the best, easily. Much better production and overall it’s just so near perfect.
5/5!
tell them hoes that i’m on the east side
DJFRESHDJFRESHDJFRESH
didnt like the beats on here but gibbs done his thing
Support.
this is dope
WHOLE THING IS FRESH. DJ Fresh flipped the samples nice af.
tell them hoes that i’m with jose in a u-haul truck finna ship that yay
Sorry bros, while I might be Jewish, I am just not feeling this. Granted it IS a solid album, production wise, it wasn’t all that great. Can’t just rate this album a 5/5 just because Freddie Gibbs’ name is attached to it. Wouldn’t be right.
gibbs on fire
Cocaine Pinata > Miseducation > Midwestgangsta > Str8 Killa EP > Cold Day in Hell > ESGN > BFK > The Tonite Show > Lord Giveth
First 5 I listed are all 4 or 5 outta 5 and can be interchanged, I still listen to em all.. Left out the first few tapes too
only tapes I don’t listen to are Lord Giveth and this one. Both had 2 dope tracks imo and a bunch of alright ones.
Dude has one of the best discogs out tho fosho
ESGN > Cold Day In Hell > Str8 Killa No Filla > BFK > Midwestgangsta… > Miseducation > The Tonite Show > Lord Giveth, Lord Taketh Away > Cocaine Pinata > his other and older work.
Yes, ESGN with trap beats IS better than Pinata with “real Hip Hop” beats. But it’s just my opinion, not everybody has the same taste in music as I do.
Ay! anonymous nigga stfu
Santino Music is unbelievable, especially that Santino is almost 18.
He is A good looking kid Too!! Hes what they call A Triple Threat
in the Industry. His Tracks are just all I can say is – bow-down peeps!
Hes about to drop “Letters To You” his second Tape, an
Santino has this Flow and way in an with his Lyrics that’s so
like real Old School meets modern, Im not sure how to explain,
its like this kid was Born from someone BIG back in day- who was reincarnated,
peeps this is real talk. Once I relized This kids amazing Talent,
I have followed and paid very close attention, and is very
mysterios how his writing and Flow swag everything but
also its also something else,that is just so familiar from back in the day,
but its still totally Original,
Kid cant even be compared to Anyone else, keepin it 100 peeps.
On You Tube channel is ” Santino Music ” ,
He just put out his “OFFICIAL Music Video” like 3 days ago
Its called “CHINATOWN FREESTYLE” Video – an is Tight AF!!
Its the kids first Official Video and kid gets mad props.
And he has lots of Videos up all kinds of Remixes, a lot of
Old School Beats and boi those are tight AF!
Also a few freestyles and like that!
Santino can Freestyle so amazing, like a Mutha F**!
I haven’t seen many dudes in my ** years that can hold out like him,
nobody can go as long and as deep,
better then Santino or can even freestyle like this kid,
no shit peeps. Just check it, yous see.
And most of his Remixes are Better then The Orig. Real talk.
CHINATOWN FREESTYLE Video – is off the hook!
Its the kids first Official Video and kid gets mad props.
On Sound cloud I don’t know how often they update that tho,
may be free music only and some youtube tracks to some new some
up about a year almost.
I had someone share a Video with me about 7 months ago
and that’s how I first saw and watched Listened to Santino,
I have been an will continue to follow Santino’s success,
he will be one of the Greats, a M-Label will Def. pick him up real quick,
and Santino will have his pick, so you kno he’ll get what he wants,
not that bs deal either, if Santino even wants to sign out, he might want to stay Indi,
I know this friends… I remember my own grind,
I didn’t make a Big name for myself, but I did run the game for a good minute,
and lil man get mad Respect! Santino, mad respect bruh.
#SantinoMusic #LettersToYou
Twitter @ThaRealSantino
Instagrm. @SantinoMusic
Soundcloud @ ThaRealSantino
All Santino’s Links peps is up all over
and on his YouTube Channel.
Check Santino Out, If all yous don’t already know
Santino name yous will real soon anyways, real talk .
Best album 2014
I fuxxx with this tuff freddie gibbs jus keeps shit from the perspective of a real niggah everyday life
Gibbs is the truth but I’m a lil less into this one, but at the rate he works can’t be too mad about it.
If the Worlds Freshest produced it… It’s slaps!
Gibbs is easily one of the most underrated rappers of this generation. All of his projects are dope as hell and this one is no different. Love this tape