of HipHopDX said, "When he ends the album with “Cold Ass Nigga,” the most demonstrably aggressive verse on the album, you realize Shadow Of A Doubt isn’t Gibbs flipping to go pop, but a man secure enough in the foundation he has laid to take a leap of faith. The album has received critical acclaim from music critics. Michael Madden of Consequence of Sound said, "Even with all its different sounds, Shadow Of A Doubt leaves one clear impression: Freddie Gibbs is a restless artist who continues to find meaning in his Gary story and beyond, knowing that the details can prepare him for whatever comes next." Keith Nelson Jr. The album has received critical acclaim from music critics. Fresh off the heels of his successful album, Pinata with prolific producer, Madlib, Freddie returns with Shadow of A Doubt. 2015 album from critically acclaimed rapper, Freddie Gibbs. ** there's a "fuck" that's in the sample at the end, and it's def edited (to "kcuf"), but the "u" still pops out a little and you know what it is from the surrounding context, so it might raise some eybrows.Limited double vinyl LP pressing in gatefold jacket. i've listened a bunch with it turned way up, and got the one FCC i found, but warning just in case. * there's some buried sampled dialogue at the beginning. another summary statement of identity like the first one, but less sure, more remorseful. a touch of moog, synth fog with a bit of hushed choral flavor. sinister growling undulating bass tone, spikey syncopated 808, very sparse kick (or maybe just a ton of attack on some of the bass notes). a brief sample of a chat w/ snoop at the end as the drums drop out and synth swirl takes over. gibbs' flow flips all over, just a bit sung at moments, occasional dips into double time, interleaves w/ churchy soulful male and female backup vox. birds chirping and soft wordless female backup vox, sunny rising piano loop over swirling synth trill over undulating bassline and sparse kicks cracking snares and ticky cymbals. serious classic 90s NYC feel on the beat. gibbs trades verses with black thought, beat keeps flipping, sunny part comes back occasionally, darker piano part bounces off of itself at times, drums drop out for stretches. piano goes dark and thins a bit, rich low steady bassline over fast hectic acoustic drum shuffle. opens w/ an excellent sample about homework from "the wire", closes with another good one about forensic accounting. pained slightly sung delivery, the things a person needs to do to survive in the drug game. steady trappy snare and cymbal runs over slow stuttery kicks. (FCC?**) very chilly electric piano that occasionally dips into a bit of warm rhodes-y fuzz. lines crowd to the start of the bar, delivery veering between just a bit slurred and just a bit sung. (FCC?*) ghostly not-quite-choir-like haunting synth echoes/ripples over heavy growl that serves double duty as kick and bassline, both really punchy and really squelchy. casual shit talking reintroduction, old demons, new demons, not sweating either too much. dark bassline, growling but deep, sparse 808 thumps, big but not much decay, rattling stuttering cymbals/snares/etc. sinister bass drone and airport welcome sample give way to slow rolling trunk rattler.
RIYL: Clipse/Pusha T, Killer Mike, Bun B/UGK, Scarfaceġ. Sound design is great, rattles the trunk, but also rewards paying attention in headphones.įCCs: edited for radio, with possible exceptions noted. Beats are way more on the synthy southern rap side than Madlib's sampledelic "Piñata" beats, except for "Extradite". But the shit talking is sharp, and the delivery and musicality of Gibbs' flow are probably more varied and fluid than ever. All the usual grim nuanced picture painting, a bit heavier on the rapper braggadocio and reminiscing, less of the specific storytelling and character creation of the Madlib collab. Top notch grimy gangsta rap from Gary, Indiana's Freddie Gibbs.