Jordan Pedersen has not seen Paid in Full, but he was a big fan of ER.
The degree to which a rapper is freed from the need to say much of anything is in direct relation to how good said rapper is at rapping. Understandably, many rappers overestimate the latter, and things get off-balance: A$AP Rocky’s preeeeetty good at rapping, but he could stand to say a bit more. Ditto Pusha T. And French Montana is, well, French Montana. #hanh
If you’re gonna say nothing but hope to say it really well, you can’t go with a partner much better than Freddie Gibbs. Aside from the occasional reference to his hometown’s crushing destitution or sleeping in a sock drawer as a baby, Gibbs avoids “consciousness” like it’s signed to CTE.
Giftz, who hails from Chicago’s faaaaaaaaar South Side (Chief Keef plus 9 miles), offers a more muscular take on Gibbs’ acrobatic flow. If Gibbs is the running back, Giftz could be his offensive lineman. And like his neighbor to the east, Giftz manages to snap off clever lines at a Gibbs-level clip (“They say he gettin money/I’m the he they talkin bout” is a personal favorite). Gibbs remains in fine, fire-spitting, puppy-toting form here, even if he’s still in slightly autopilot ESGN mode.
If that album suffered from a few too many subpar Gary collaborators, one wonders why he and Giftz haven’t paired up before now. With a bit of coaching, Giftz might have the potential to be the Q to Gibbs’ Kendrick, or at least the Ferg to his Rocky. Hoping to see at least one (Feat. Giftz) on Cocaine Piñata.
In any event, bang this shit with a spiked fucking bat.
