Replay: Freddie Gibbs

I wanted to start the series out with an artist I photographed the most since capturing live music performances, and quite frankly one of the best artists currently in terms of his discography and technical prowess in rap. Freddie Gibbs has been on my radar since his verse on “Scottie Pippens” in 2011 with Curren$y produced by The Alchemist. Along with storytelling, wordplay, wit, and flow are what usually draw me in when listening to hip-hop artists and Freddie seems to be a 99 in all of those categories consistently There MIGHT be a handful of hip-hop artists that can rival the Baby Face Killa’s discography since 2010 and that might be a stretch. After two Madlib and Alchemist produced albums, respectively and great solo outings such as $oul $old $eparately (2022) I’m ready to stand on the hill that he’s the third best artist from Gary Indiana (I will let you guess the first two).

One of my favorite aspects of Freddie Gibbs’s live performance is witnessing his breathe control. After seeing many live performances, I realize studio performances and live performances are not equal. Specifically with rap, it’s a major red flag to leave the vocals when performing live. It’s impressive to see an artist emulate their studio performance without background vocals especially when they have a knack for speeding and slowing up their cadence during their verses like Freddie Gibbs. If you never heard Freddie Gibbs perform “Baby $hit” acapella style you’re missing out on true hip-hop artistry. Capturing and documenting the essence of hip-hop culture is something I take great pride in.

Stay tuned for more insights and spotlights on the best live music performances I've had the chance to photograph!

Favorite Album : Piñata
Favorite Tracks : “Thuggin,” “20 Karat Jesus,” “Gat Damn," “$500 Ounces,” “Scottie Pippens,” “F****n' up the Count”

The photos featured here were taken at U Street Music Hall (Washington D.C. 2018), The Vermont (Los Angeles, CA 2021), and the Novo (Los Angeles, CA 2022).