Multi-hyphenate rapper, actor, and underground legend, Freddie Gibbs makes his long-awaited return with a surprise album release coinciding with Halloween. Out now via ESGN Records / AWAL, You Only Die 1nce is the first new music from Freddie following his scene-stealing performance on Kanye West’s Vultures where Gibbs’ contribution was widely heralded as the best verse on the album. Executive produced by Gibbs himself, Ben “Lambo” Lambert, Norva Denton, and Pops, the new album is Gibbs’ first full-length project since 2022’s $oul $old $eparately. Alongside the album’s release, Gibbs has dropped a music video “On The Set” co-directed by Gibbs himself alongside Lambert and Harley Astorga.
You Only Die 1nce is gangsta Gibbs at his grittiest and rawest — featuring dark production, heavy bass, and uncompromising rhymes delivered without premeditation. Despite achieving commercial and critical success in his career, that doesn’t necessarily mean things have become easier. You Only Die 1nce sees the street poet and storyteller look inward as he wrestles with his own dark thoughts while airing his grievances, artfully interpreted through album artwork by acclaimed comic book illustrator Mike “Deadly Mike” Del Mundo. With the devil perched on his shoulder and whispering in his ear, some moments could border on horror-core if they weren’t offset with doses of Freddie’s trademark humor.
Freddie Gibbs has become one of hip-hop’s most important, inimitable, and influential voices via his quotable wordplay, versatile songs, and unflinching honesty. Since 2009, the uncompromising rapper from Gary, Indiana has remained a critical darling while building a diehard global fan base with over 1 billion streams and counting.
First emerging with Midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik (2009), Gibbs immediately earned a reputation for unflinching honesty as he chronicled the gritty details of street life. Since then he has reinvented himself time and again separating himself from self-serious gangsta rappers with his comedic exploits, fascination with the surreal, and willingness to collaborate with some of the most experimental artists on the planet. His discography includes several of the most lauded albums of the past two decades including Piñata (2014) and Bandana (2019) with Madlib which were decidedly left-field yet each marked new critical and commercial highs. Bandana reached #21 on the Billboard Top 200.
In 2020, Gibbs teamed up with another cult-hero producer for The Alchemist-assisted Alfredo which earned a 2021 GRAMMY nomination for Best Rap Album and peaked at #4 on the Billboard Top Album Sales chart.
One of the most respected rappers by his peers, Freddie Gibbs has collaborated with everyone from Pusha T, Killer Mike, Anderson .Paak, and Yasiin Bey to Tyler, The Creator, Gucci Mane, Young Thug, and Kanye West. Throughout this time, he has also contributed music to blockbuster video game franchises, such as Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, and NBA2K. In early 2021, Gibbs teamed up with ESPN for Black History Month performing on their “Black History Always” special The Undefeated Presents: A Room of Our Own. Later that summer, he expanded beyond the world of hip-hop to make his feature film debut starring in Down With The King which premiered at Cannes. His performance was critically acclaimed with The New York Times naming him one of “The 10 Best Actors of the Year” and chief film critic, A.O. Scott listing Gibbs for a Best Actor nomination in his annual revision of who should have been nominated for the Oscars.
Firmly entrenched as an underground hero, he took the leap to a major label with 2022’s $oul $old $eparately and again brought his versatility full circle as he fit comfortably into varied soundscapes from Kaytranada, James Blake, and DJ Paul. His most recent album, You Only Die 1nce, was delivered as a surprise release at midnight of Halloween. It’s anybody’s guess where Gibbs will turn next but it is sure to break any previous conceptions of who he is.
