Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Pinata to Bandana

Five years ago, Gary, Indiana rapper Freddie Gibbs (A.K.A. Gangsta Gibbs) and producer Madlib dropped Pinata, a west coast, gangster hip hop album that was hailed as a modern classic by many upon release. Before the release of Pinata, Madlib had collaborated with a rapper of this caliber for an entire album only once before- …

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Oxymoron: Five Years Later

Five years ago, this week, ScHoolboy Q dropped his third studio album, Oxymoron, an album full of grimey, west coast jams. Oxymoron finds ScHoolboy at his best, mixing gritty gangster paraboles with catchy, infectious choruses and melodies on songs like “Collard Greens” and “Man of the Year”. It is his tightest, and most fully realized …

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A Philosophical Examination of Kanye West’s “Freestyle 4”

When Kanye West released his 7th studio album The Life of Pablo in February of 2016, reviews were mixed. After 5 or 6 classic albums (depends on how you feel about 2013’s YEEZUS), this release left critics, and fans, feeling let down. If only they knew that we were all just over 2 years away from …

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