Freddie Gibbs
You Only Die 1nce
AWAL/ESGN
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The only thing that hasn’t sucked about the year 2024 is the music. This world may be a dark and hopeless place during these days, but man, have there been a lot of great albums. Usually, I am overly cautious when I hand out ratings for the projects that I review here at Albumism, but this year I feel like I’ve been flinging out 4.5 star ratings with reckless abandon. And I stand by all of these reviews, because, hey, it’s been a really awesome year for music.
The latest top-tier release of 2024 is You Only Die 1nce, the sixth solo album from Fredrick Tipton a.k.a. Freddie Gibbs. The Gary, Indiana born rapper put it out as a “surprise,” officially announcing the project only a day before its release. Gibbs is one of the best artists of the 21st century, dominating both the 2010s and the first half of the 2020s. So, it’s not a surprise that You Only Die 1nce is really, really good. It’s in contention for the best solo album of his career, and I don’t say that lightly.
Gibbs succeeds in making one of the best albums of his career by doing what he does best. There’s no grand shift in approach; he raps about things like being a dope emcee, his criminal past, and his prowess with the opposite sex. There are no high-priced guest appearances; Gibbs holds down the album’s rapping end entirely by himself. There’s no star-studded production roster; I’ve honestly never heard of most of the people who crafted the tracks for the long player.
There is a notable shift in Gibbs’ worldview throughout You Only Die 1nce, however. He sounds a little more jaded and world weary. He’s also a bit haunted by his prison stint in Europe. And he’s a little more involved in making movies these days. As such, his lyrical content throughout the album suggests that Down With the King (2023), a film that he starred in portraying a disillusioned rapper looking to escape the business, is at least partially based on his reality.
But as with many a great emcee, Gibbs puts his life experiences through the filter of what’s worked best for him as an artist: trying to find his way as he’s caught between two worlds. As he raps, he’s still a “broken soul, but I mastered turning pain into art.” Throughout You Only Die 1nce, Gibbs captures genuine emotion and displays his continuously improving lyrical and stylistic abilities.
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The production on You Only Die 1nce is outstanding. The beats have a uniform smooth and mellow feel, with Gibbs achieving this sonic unity while using over a half a dozen different producers. As mentioned before, many of these beat-makers are lesser-known quantities. Gibbs’ longtime manager Lambo gets production credit on a few tracks. Pops, who produced for a couple of other Gibbs projects, contributes a few beats as well. But this is the first exposure I’ve ever had to guys like Mishca Chillak, 454, Moo Latte, BYNX, and YG Beats.
You Only Live 2wice (2017) featured a few contributions from “Jesus” (as voiced by Black Jesus vocal actor Slink Johnson), who periodically chimed in to voice his support for Gibbs. Johnson appears again on You Only Die 1nce as The Devil (“But in South Central they just call me Andre…”), who frequently and humorously harasses Gibbs throughout the album. The Prince of Darkness excoriates the rapper for “straying from the program” and alternatively cajoles and commands him to return to the dark side.
For much of You Only Die 1nce, Gibbs contemplates his rise from street hustler to GRAMMY nominated artist, or, as he puts it, “I went from selling smack and Actavis to fucking with venture capitalists.” On the 16-bar “Status,” he basks in his elevated position as an artist, and revels in his wealth on “Rabbit Island.” “Wolverine” is his grittiest lyrical performance, with Gibbs transforming himself into an unkillable dynamo. He nimbly manipulates words and phrases with his flow, rapping “Walk on air like I was from North Carolina / But I come straight out of Gary, so I walk straight off the moon / I keep a Randy, Tito, Jackie and Jermaine, them all my goons.”
“It’s Your Anniversary” would be eyeroll-inducing for most rappers, but Gibbs records a track rapping to a sample of Tony! Toni! Toné!’s “Anniversary” and makes it absolutely work. The placid tones of the track mesh well with the pretty aggressive lyrical content. When not celebrating the death of his enemies, Gibbs hails his own verbal prowess. “Underrated, but I still feel like I ain’t got shit to prove,” he raps. “These n****s hate it, seven-figure bank statements, ain’t no illusion.”
Gibbs sounds like he’s being tempted by the Prince of Darkness on tracks like “Bricks Fees,” where he recollects his rough and tumble past, from dealing drugs to robbing unsuspecting rappers. He’s in full-on gangsta mode on “Steel Doors,” wantonly engaging in shootouts with both rivals and law enforcement. Rapping over distorted vocal samples, he ponders his motivation for continuing to depict illegal activities in his raps. “I'm begging the Lord to heal me, but I’m loyal to what's gon’ kill me,” he states. “If I switch it up, change up my message, then they ain't gon' feel me.”
“Origami” serves as Gibbs’ victory lap and is one of the best songs that he’s ever released. After being counted out for so long, he celebrates being a bracket-busting 16th seed who’s taken on all challengers and managed to make it to the championship. However, he’s acutely aware the success isn’t a cure-all, rapping, “Got millions in the bank and I still feel like a slave / My real life your entertainment, these bills gotta get paid.”
Gibbs wraps up You Only Die 1nce with “On the Set,” the album’s official single. He reflects on growing older and the shift of the rap game around him. He ponders a world where Puff Daddy has gone from a mogul that he once admired to accused sex criminal and pariah. He mourns the loss of icons like Frankie Beverly and peers like Young Dolph and Rich Homie Quan. He also reveals that he considered retiring from making music after Nipsey Hussle was killed. He seems fairly content with the idea of hanging it up for his rap career and focusing on other ventures.
Gibbs is an extremely talented artist. In between albums he has shown his skills as an actor, demonstrating his dramatic and especially his comedic chops. So, I’m well aware that this really could be his last album if he chooses to move in another direction. I certainly hope that’s not the case, as You Only Die 1nce is further evidence that he’s one of the best rappers of his generation, and still has lots to offer as an artist. If nothing else, his music has made this year a lot less miserable.
Notable Tracks: “It’s Your Anniversary” | “On the Set” | “Origami” | “Steel Doors” | “Wolverine”
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