by Alex Johnson (@thenamesabj)
In the midst of this pandemic, our experience of time has been altered. Initially, it felt as if everything came to a standstill. As time went on, things seemed to accelerate and eventually a month would pass by in what felt like the span of a week. This odd phenomenon of having one’s daily routines disrupted was only further complicated by the murder of George Floyd and the ensuing protests nationwide. For some, everything was more hectic and more tumultuous as they took to the streets to demand an end to brutal policing practices that were only escalated as a response. Others had a different experience, staying home and watching on the news as businesses closed their doors and boarded up their windows. A shutdown during a shutdown. An odd combination of turmoil and stasis.
Then, right at the height of this period of civil unrest, Freddie Gibbs delivered a devastatingly poignant political message: “My execution might be televised.” It got to the core of why people were on the streets in the first place. That line stood out among an incredible amount of noise because it not only addressed the problem at hand so clearly, but it also reminds the listener of the media’s complicity in exacerbating that problem.
This line is delivered in the middle of what should be very seriously considered as a candidate for the best song of 2020. Not just because of its political message, but also because of every other aspect of the song. “Scottie Beam” stands as the quintessential song from Gibbs’ and The Alchemist’s incredible 2020 album—Alfredo. The instrumental is unceasingly luxurious, Gibbs’ flow, delivery, and lyrics are all razor-sharp, and then on top of all that, we get the best Rick Ross feature since “Devil in a New Dress.”
It's not just on this song that Gibbs and The Alchemist sync up so perfectly, they maintain this chemistry throughout the rest of the album. Alfredo is the product of two masters of their craft performing as well as they ever have. In this way Alfredo is reminiscent of Pusha T’s Daytona. It doesn’t necessarily explore radical new territory for either of the artists—The Alchemist has a long track record of weaving together samples with crisp drum tracks and Gibbs has always shown a penchant for adding a heavy dose of introspection to his lyrics about drugs, women, and money—but on Alfredo they’re performing at the peak of their abilities.
The standard is set for the production from the opening guitar riff. Throughout the album The Alchemist constructs beats that are grandiose without being corny, minimalist without being boring, and classic without feeling dated. The luxury of “Scottie Beam” is balanced by the stark simplicity of “Frank Lucas,” and both are perfectly in the wheel house of Gibbs, who, on the latter absolutely eviscerates the beat and reminds the audience that he is one of the most potent lyricists rapping today.
“Baby $hit” and “Babies and Fools” find Gibbs addressing fatherhood; on the former he hilariously compares raising a child to having to deal with other rappers, while on the latter Conway the Machine perfectly matches the introspective tone set by Gibbs. On “Look at Me,” among other songs on the album, Gibbs showcases a penchant for abandoning traditional song structures in favor of a more organic approach in which he intersperses rapid fire bars among periods of a more laid back delivery. It's moments like this which truly make this a great album, because not only does Gibbs rap so well, but he does it so casually. Perhaps it's in this feature that the mafioso theme which runs through the album is best demonstrated, Alfredo exudes the braggadocio exhibited by the best of mafia cinema, for most of this album it truly seems that Gibbs has the world in his hands.
The one song which comes off as underwhelming on the album is the Tyler, the Creator featuring “Something to Rap About.” The beat here fits in well with the rest of the album, but it’s far less compelling than the production elsewhere and comes across as monotonous. Gibbs’ performance is less compelling here as well, and the Tyler, the Creator feature is serviceable but ultimately the least exciting on Alfredo.
However, to dwell on the shortcomings of one good song among a batch of great songs is pointless. Gibbs has been on an incredible run, releasing at least seven great albums in the last decade, if not more. Alfredo certainly stands with the best Gibbs has ever released, and the same goes for The Alchemist. Few rappers have kept pace with Gibbs in recent years and few producers have been as prolific and consistent as The Alchemist. So, naturally, when the two come together and get on the same wavelength, the product is pristine.