Without Freddie, Madlib might just be another “low-fi beats to study to” producer - he damn near invented the genre - while Freddie would likely be another gangster rapper lost in the rush. It’s straightforward, black coffee rap, for those who won’t talk to you until they’ve had their first cup in the morning.īut the combination of Madlib’s beats, which seemed reserved for cartoon-y musical weirdos like MF Doom - and that’s a compliment - with Freddie’s from-the-gutter-or-the-mud-take-your-pick rhymes elevates both beyond the limitations of their respective lanes. While this style of rap has never actually gone away, there’s a certain type of rap fan who always laments its lack on urban radio, as if that type of rap fan actually ever listened to urban radio. To a certain mindset, times were simpler.īandana is something of a throwback to that time, a bald-faced appeal to traditionalists who embrace a particular brand of stoic masculinity, and dusty, jazz-sampled beats (and one day we need to discuss the screwy morality of a fanbase that celebrates drug trade, but decries its use when the former basically begets the latter and is arguably a way more sociopathic and destructive activity). The President seemed like a relatively competent, likeable person who rarely tweeted. Streaming was not yet the primary form of music consumption. Now it’s become known as the primordial birthplace of purist-trolling, South Florida-hailing, punk-rap misfits like Lil Pump, Wifisfuneral, and XXXTentacion. In 2014, Soundcloud was still primarily where Drake dropped random singles in the middle of the night. Between Freddie’s voice and ‘Lib’s quirky sampling sensibilities, the two share a chemistry that elevates the project to become more than the sum of its parts.īandana arrives in a much different rap landscape than its predecessor. It’s the most magnetic, gripping aspect of many of his projects, including 2014’s Madlib collaboration, Piñata, so it’s fitting that it’s the standout part of this year’s long-awaited follow-up to that project, Bandana. But when it comes to bringing the grit and desperation of his native Gary, Indiana to life, Freddie’s voice is his most potent, compelling weapon. There are plenty of rappers with a broader range of more emotionally resonant topics to talk about. There may be other, more technically proficient rappers around.
And it can elevate normally standard fare, turning a one-note project into thrilling cinema, like last year’s seven-song Pusha T project, Daytona.įreddie Gibbs has one of those great rap voices. It can set an emerging artist apart from his or her peers - think Meechie Darko of Flatbush Zombies or early Rick Ross.
A great rap voice can define a legend, like The Notorious B.I.G. Sometimes, it seems like the most important aspect of rap music is the artist’s voice. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year.
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