Effortlessly flowing between original and a capella versions of songs in his Sunday concert at the Majectic Theatre, Freddie Gibbs proved why many consider him to be one of the purest emcees in the game.
It was truly astonishing how rapping came so naturally to Gangsta Gibbs, as the DJ called him. It was as if he had an internal metronome always set to presto, or at times, prestissimo.
Fast rapping, with music or without, wasn’t the only element Gibbs offered to the Madison audience. Before he took the stage, two openers warmed up the crowd.
The first was rap/metal fusion group Dogs of War. Though the alternative hybrid outfit brought high levels of energy, their sound felt a bit misplaced, considering Gibbs’ more traditional leanings. As a result, the crowd just really wasn’t feeling Dogs of War, but not for their lack of effort.
While the first opener wasn’t very strong, Milwaukee’s Reggie Bonds, the second opener, gave Freddie Gibbs a run for his money for best performance of the night.
Bonds, accompanied by two younger emcees and a visible mob, brought a combination of high energy and high skill that wowed the Majestic audience. Interlaced with his originals, Reggie also played ’90s throwbacks in dedication to the late great Phife Dawg — a move that was very appreciated by the many hip-hop heads in the crowd.
After Bonds and company wrapped up, the house DJ played a few more tunes until Gibbs’ own DJ took the stage. The crowd anticipated the main event that they knew was about to take the venue by storm. Their excitement only grew Gibbs’ DJ played hit songs, like both parts of Kanye’s “Father Stretch My Hands.”
Around 10:15 p.m., the man himself, Gibbs, leaped on stage, and what followed was an hour plus of modern, vintage-inspired hip-hop.
Throughout his performance, Gibbs played a satisfying setlist. He gave due diligence to his most recent album, Shadow of a Doubt, while still playing some of his older songs like “Old English” and other tracks off of Piñata.
For “Old English,” Gibbs impressively annunciated Young Thug’s part, and it was refreshing to finally know what Thugger is trying to say in the verse.
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As mentioned before, Gibbs is first and foremost a rapper — and wow, is he good at it. Hearing his songs live really demonstrated just how quickly and accurately he was able to spit complex rhymes. Gibbs would go measure after measure without music in a dizzying display of lyrical mastery.
Where Gibbs excelled at rapping, he slightly disappointed in his showmanship. Between songs, Gibbs mostly led chants of “E.S.G.N.” and “Fuck the police.”
But one moment that stood out was when Gibbs and his DJ just chugged nice liquor for what felt like a solid 30 seconds. Gibbs and his DJ’s performances did not drop a single notch.
Some may have wished Gibbs and his DJ were more engaging, but this did not stop raucous chants of “Freddie, Freddie!” breaking out throughout the entirety of the show.
After he finished his set, Gibbs went out with a one-track encore, but not much else. The ending all felt a little sudden, but Gibbs stuck around at his merchandise table to take pictures and give autographs — rare for an artist of his stature.
Gibbs showed that he may be a just rapper, but a gifted one. As his own music pool grows and diversifies in the coming years, his performance skills will only improve as well. But in the meantime, Gangsta Gibbs put on a pretty dope show.
