$oul $old $eparately

by Freddie Gibbs

Overview

Freddie Gibbs' long-promised Warner Records debut, $oul $old $eparately, followed two of the biggest albums of his career, Bandana (with Madlib) and the Grammy-nominated Alfredo (with the Alchemist). Both of those releases, as well as his first with Madlib, 2014's Pinata, all reached the Top 40 of the Billboard 200, and were almost immediately hailed as classics, adding to a discography already stacked with efforts that are highly regarded by hardcore rap fans. $oul $old $eparately reflects on the path to success, framing the album with interludes about a glamorous casino and tales of luxurious excess, yet most of the lyrics focus on the bleakest aspects of the struggle, from drug abuse to the loss of friends, family, and partners. The frequent presence of a pink, Energizer Bunny-like rabbit mascot in the album's artwork and lyrics somewhat candy-coats the seriousness of the subject matter, as Gibbs uses humor and extravagance to draw the listener into his often cold and unforgiving perspective. He is joined by a long list of guest rappers, singers, and producers, with the Alchemist and Madlib returning for one song each (the Madlib-helmed "CIA," which suggests that the agency is responsible for crack, Instagram, and AIDS, is a clear highlight). Kaytranada's trippily intricate beat matches Gibbs' jagged flow on "Zipper Bagz," and the emcee drives through the stunning "Space Rabbit" without getting swept away by the track's lush, ethereal pianos. James Blake's detached croon hovers over "Dark Hearted" like a distant fog, emphasizing the spine-chilling qualities of Gibbs' lyrics. The Musiq Soulchild-assisted "Grandma's Stove" is just as haunting, particularly during the outro, when Gibbs' mother leaves him a message, yet she's constantly interrupted due to a horrendously faulty connection. Grander in scope than Gibbs' rightly praised single-producer efforts, $oul $old $eparately is nearly as consistent, as the project is driven by his unyielding focus. ~ Paul Simpson

Product Details

Release Date:	09/30/2022
Label:	Warner Records
UPC:	0093624870715

Tracks

1. Couldn't Be Done
2. Blackest in the Room
3. Pain & Strife
4. Zipper Bagz
5. Too Much
6. Lobster Omelette
7. Space Rabbit
8. Feel No Pain
9. Rabbit Vision
10. PYS
11. Dark Hearted
12. Gold Rings
13. Grandma's Stove
14. CIA
15. Decoded

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Freddie Gibbs   Primary Artist,Vocals
Slink Johnson   Primary Artist
Julian Petty   Primary Artist
Jeff Ross   Primary Artist
Linda Berry   Primary Artist
Joe Rogan   Primary Artist
Raekwon   Featured Artist
DJ Paul   Featured Artist
Jadakiss   Featured Artist
Kelly Price   Featured Artist
Anderson .Paak   Featured Artist
Edgar "JV" Etienne   Co-Producer
Offset   Featured Artist
Moneybagg Yo   Featured Artist
Rania Nasreen White   Vocals
Scarface   Featured Artist
Pusha T   Featured Artist
Rick Ross   Featured Artist
Musiq Soulchild   Featured Artist
Big Sean   Vocals,Featured Artist
Hit-Boy   Featured Artist
ScHoolboy Q   Featured Artist

Technical Credits

Norman Soloman   Composer
Boi-1da   Producer
DJ Paul   Producer
Daniel Escobar   Tracking
Kingpin Skinny Pimp   Associate Producer
Jadakiss   Composer
Jake One   Producer
Yomo Smith   Composer
J.LBS   Composer,Producer
Quincy Hanley   Composer
Dacoury Natche   Composer
Lauren D'Elia   Track Engineer
Frederick Tipton   Composer
Fortune   Producer
Roget Chahayed   Producer
Fraka   Producer
Daniel Maman   Composer
Charles Scruggs   Composer
Paul Beauregard   Composer
Sixto Rodriguez   Composer
Bobby Goldsboro   Composer
Kelly Price   Composer
Kevin Spencer   Mixing,Producer,Mastering,Mixing Engineer,Mastering Engineer
Ben "Lambo" Lambert   A&R,Composer,Executive Producer
Sean Momberger   Composer,Producer
Anderson .Paak   Composer,Producer
Kiari Cephus   Composer
Kaytranada   Producer
Louis Kevin Celestin   Composer
Ben Lambert   Composer
Ari Morris   Mixing Engineer
Edgar "JV" Etienne   Musician,Associate Producer
Bizness Boi   Producer
Sevn Thomas   Producer
Rupert Thomas, Jr.   Composer
Bryon McCane   Composer
Hareton Salvanini   Composer
Kadeem Phillips   A&R
Super Miles   Producer
Zachary Young   A&R
Megan Milius   A&R
Demario White   Composer
Rodney Jeffrion Montreal, Jr.   Composer,Programming
Norva Denton   A&R,Composer,Producer,Executive Producer
Pilgrim   Producer
IV Beats   Producer
IV Beatss   Composer
Faxonly   Producer
Swaggyono   Producer,Programming
Bradley Jordan   Composer
1da Banton   Producer
Matthew Sean Herring   Tracking,Track Engineer
Bobby Mota   Track Engineer
Arianna Reid   Composer,Producer,Programming
Mauricia “Rici” Keels   A&R
Lucy Pogoriler   A&R
Phillip Briche   Composer
Corey Woods   Composer
Madlib   Producer
Mark Green   Composer
Robert Diggs   Composer
Justice League   Producer
El DeBarge   Composer
The Alchemist   Producer
Thomas Brenneck   Composer,Producer
G Koop   Producer
Freddie Gibbs   Composer,Lyricist,Executive Producer
Neenyo   Producer
Big Sean   Composer
Swoope   Producer
Eric Wright   Composer
Jordan Houston   Composer,Associate Producer
William Mitchell   Composer
Michel Ripoche   Composer
Mike Bozzi   Mastering Engineer
Anthony Henderson   Composer
Antoine "Yella" Carraby   Composer
Ronette Bowie   A&R
Hit-Boy   Producer,Programming
David Kim   Mixing Engineer
Andre Robinson   Composer,Programming
Taalib Johnson   Composer
William Roberts   Composer
Terrence Thornton   Composer
Kyle Evans   Producer
Nasir Jones   Composer
Fredrick Tipton   Composer
Thurston McCrea   Mixing,Engineer,Tracking,Track Engineer
James Blake   Composer,Producer
Stanley Howse   Composer
Steven Howse   Composer
Jahaan Sweet   Producer
Harmony Samuels   Musician,Producer
Kenny Beats   Producer
DJ Dahi   Producer
Jacob Dutton   Composer