Freddie Gibbs is an artist who I feel like who has never completely gotten his flowers; not only from the Hip Hop industry but also from myself. Like many Hip Hop fans, I have always noticed and appreciated his talent, but not shown him as much love as I probably should have. Do not get me wrong, Freddie Gibbs is popular and has a lot of die-hard fans, but he probably deserves more attention for what he has done with his career, especially in recent years. Freddie Gibbs has been on a hell of a run over the 4 years or so, starting with his highly critically acclaimed album Alfredo with The Alchemist. A year later, Freddie dropped the even more beloved Pińata with Madlib. On both of these records, Freddie glided over a variety of instrumental styles with an old-school and new-school flair. He showed his sonic diversity and lyrical prowess, cementing himself as one of the premier non-mainstream/underground rappers out there right now. After dropping a few one-off singles, Freddie Gibbs continued his momentum of solid albums into 2022, when he dropped $oul $old Separately. This album was not quite as lauded as the previous two, but it is still more than solid, and once again showed how talented of a rapper Freddie Gibbs is. Freddie Gibbs took 2023 and most of 2024 off. Besides for some features, he remained relatively quiet over the better half of the last two years. Freddie Gibbs recently just released a new project called You Only Die 1nce. This project is being seen by many as a bridge for something bigger coming soon; in other words, it is something to hold his fans over until his next high-profile release. Below, I wanted to go over some of my favorite songs from Freddie Gibbs’ You Only Die 1nce, and then go over some overall thoughts on the record to close things off. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from You Only Die 1nce, and also comment on how you feel about the album as a whole.
COSMO FREESTYLE
After a pretty cool intro track called ‘Status’ that I almost included on this list, we ‘Cosmo Freestyle,’ which has quickly emerged as the most popular track on this project so far. ‘Cosmo Freestyle’ has a very soothing Jazz-Rap instrumental with a retro feel. This song makes me think of the underground rap that was big in the early 2000s. The piano riff and bassline that drive this one are so smooth and warm, and the beat is very relaxing. It is pretty surprising that this track is considered a freestyle, as Freddie Gibbs’ flow is so intricate and quick. It is impressive that he is able to freestyle this quickly, as it shows how quick-witted he is. Lyrically, ‘Cosmo Freestyle’ does lean into the fact this is a freestyle, as it is kind of all over the place. The main basis of the lyricism on this one is that Freddie Gibbs’ has come super far in his life, and will do anything he has to make sure he keeps growing and thriving. ‘Cosmo Freestyle’ is pretty cool and gratifying, and it is easy to see why so many people are into this one.
WOLVERINE
‘Wolverine’ has an even more easygoing feeling than the song that precedes it. Like ‘Cosmo Freestyle,’ this track has a funky old-school sound that is reminiscent of the early 2000s. Instead of feeling Jazzy, though, this one has more of a Neo-Soul feeling. The guitar riff and various instruments that complement it make me think of the funky instrumentals sung on by artists like Erykah Badu or Jill Scott back in the day. Hearing Freddie Gibbs on this kind of instrumental is very interesting and cool. He raps with this gruff and low tone that contrasts the warmth of the melody, but his breezy flow glides over this beat so perfectly. Freddie Gibbs’ vocal and lyrical tone on this track is pretty aggressive, which also creates a juxtaposition with the instrumental. In ‘Wolverine,’ Freddie Gibbs raps about how much better he is as a rapper, trapper, and player than all of his adversaries. ‘Wolverine’ may have a pretty welcoming instrumental, but its sentiment is pretty belligerent
BRICK FEES
‘Brick Fees’ has a significantly meaner and more gritty feeling than the first two tracks of the record. This is not only through the instrumental, but also due to the way that Freddie Gibbs raps on this one. I would say that the beat on this track is Trap-adjacent. It sort of has a Trap tempo, but also does feel a bit old-school. I really like the vibrating intense bass that drives this instrumental, as it makes the song feel very dark and harsh. The melody for ‘Brick Fees’ goes from being driven by a frigid piano riff in the first half of the track to a sort of light but melancholy guitar riff in the second half. As the melody changes, the forcefulness in Freddie Gibbs’s vocal tone and flow change. In the first half of the track, the rapping style is brash and in your face. His flow is smooth, but his tone is harsh. In the second half, his flow ramps up and gets more frantic, but his tone softens and becomes a bit more palpable. On ‘Brick Frees,’ Freddie Gibbs raps about his trapping days; he compares his success within the rap game and his success with women to the prowess he had when he was selling bricks. ‘Brick Fees’ brings in a tougher element to this instrumental which I appreciate a ton.
RABBIT ISLAND
‘Rabbit Island’ has a feeling that is warm and cold at the same time. In a way, it seems to fuse the energy that the first two tracks on this list have and the third track on this list. Unlike any of those three, the instrumental for ‘Rabbit Island’ seems to be driven by an old-school Soul sample, not unlike the way that the instrumentals on BigXthaPlug’s new album were arranged(although the beat for this one is more akin to underground Jazz Rap than Trap). The vocal sample that comes in about halfway through the track(and sort of serves as a hook) gives the song a brighter texture which I like a lot. Freddie Gibbs’ flow on this on ‘Rabbit Island’ is almost hypnotic. He raps with a low tone and a steady flow that is super soothing, giving this track a lullaby feeling. On ‘Rabbit Island,’ Freddie Gibbs raps about how he has not changed at all with success. He is still as much a thug as he has always been, and will still defend himself if need be. ‘Rabbit Island’ may have a pretty sweet sound, but its sentiment is anything but that.
STEEL DOORS
‘Steel Doors’ is a song with a sound that really stands out in this tracklist. This is probably the only song with no semblance of Jazz in its instrumental. Everything else here is at least Jazz-adjacent, but this one strays from that theme. The instrumental for this track is kind of hard to explain, even though it is pretty simple. The melody is very vivid, although it is also very straightforward. This melody is provided with what sounds like a soulful vocal sample with a ton of reverb on it, making it feel almost glitchy. The beat for ‘Steel Doors’ also has a glitchy element, matching the weird energy of the melody. Freddie Gibbs’ flow and tone on this song are a bit more forceful and energetic than pretty much anything else on this record. He raps with an emphasis that leans into the quirky energy of the instrumental nicely. On ‘Steel Doors,’ Freddie Gibbs raps about the hardships he has gone through and how still feels as close to his trapping days as he ever has. As much success as he has, he can not change the person he used to be. ‘Steel Doors’ is a track that stands out for how eccentric it feels when compared to the rest of the record, and it is a nice switch up from the status quo.
WALK IT OFF
‘Walk It Off’ is probably the most modern-sounding song on this record. This is the only one I would consider to be a true Trap track. It is also the one that immediately resonated with me the most. I downloaded ‘Walk It Off’ to my personal playlist as soon as I listened to it. Everything about this track is enjoyable and fun. It definitely has the kind of energy that can turn into a (somewhat) mainstream hit. The melody for this track is very sweet and bright, driven by a charming piano riff complemented by luscious synths. The fun Pop-Trap beat of this track has a feeling that makes me want to party and kick back at the same time. Freddie Gibbs demonstrates a variety of flows on this track that give the song so much texture and life. ‘Walk It Off’ is my favorite rap performance of the record due to how intricate it is. On ‘Walk It Off,’ Freddie Gibbs raps about how no one is going to stop him from being great. Anyone who tries to get in his way will be knocked out of the way. ‘Walk It Off’ is a fun Trap banger that I feel like will end up probably being the biggest hit from this record.
RUTHLESS
‘Ruthless’ is a track that returns the Neo-Soul sound that we got earlier in the record. Instead of feeling super relaxed and soothing though, this instrumental is a bit more spritely and bubbly. The guitar riff and vocal sample that drive this one is cozy and pleasant, and the beat has a bit of pep to it. For some reason, when I hear this one, I actually think of Tupac. This instrumental makes me think of tracks like ‘Keep Ya Head Up’ or ‘Run Tha Streetz.’ I really like how Freddie Gibbs’ low tone and smooth flow sit on this instrumental. The gruff way he raps creates a cool juxtaposition with the instrumental which gives it so much texture and life. In ‘Ruthless,’ Freddie Gibbs raps about how far he has come and how much status and all of the material things he has been able to accumulate because of his rap career. ‘Ruthless’ is a song that gives me nostalgia and particularly makes me think of Tupac, which I dig a lot.
Going into this record, due to the discourse online about it, I did not know what we were going to get. According to many things I have read, You Only Die 1nce was supposed to be sort of a buffer project while Freddie Gibbs creates something bigger and more grand that is supposed to be released in the near future. In other words, it is meant to hold fans over until Freddie Gibbs’ next real extravagant record comes out. I am not going to lie, I do kind of get that energy from You Only Die 1nce. This album does not feel as concise, conceptual, and compact as Alfredo, Pińata, or even $oul $old Separately. All three of those records seem to have a crisp sonic and lyrical theme. They flow together very evenly, and they feel like a story is being told not only in their words but also in their sound. You Only Die 1nce does feel a lot more loose than Freddie Gibbs’ last three albums. The instrumentals are more diverse and spread out, and although the album does follow some lyrical themes, it does feel a bit more scattered lyrically as well. I do not necessarily see this as a bad thing, though. On the one hand, it is pretty cool to see Freddie Gibbs venture onto multiple styles of instrumentals on this record, as it proves how eclectic he can be. Freddie Gibbs proves that he can rap on many styles of Hip Hop instrumentals on You Only Die 1nce, and he never sounds overshadowed or out of place. One of my favorite elements of this record is the fact that Freddie Gibbs demonstrates a variety of flows and rapping styles on this record, as he adjusts to fit the sound of each instrumental. Freddie Gibbs does not open up in the way we have seen him do so in the past, but he does show some lyrical prowess regardless. You Only Die 1nce may not be the most sophisticated or riveting Hip Hop record I have ever heard, but it is pretty high-quality for what it is. There are a lot of entertaining tracks on the record, and even if it is not the most compact record ever, it still shows Freddie Gibbs’ massive talent as a rapper. If You Only Die 1nce is a buffer for something coming up soon, it serves its role perfectly. This record has a good amount of music I know I will be coming back to, and it gets me excited to see what Freddie Gibbs does next.
EAST SIDE VIBES 