Freddie Gibbs

Early life

Fredrick Tipton was born and raised in Gary, Indiana, and grew up at 17th and Virginia St. on the city's east side. He played football at Ball State University on an athletic scholarship but was eventually expelled from college. At the age of 19, he was enlisted into the U.S. Army as part of a pre-trial diversion program when he was on trial for theft and gun charges, but was dishonorably discharged only eight months later after being caught smoking marijuana.

He then began working at a Gary mall, where he met local hip-hop producer Finger Roll, who, according to Gibbs, was "the only guy [in Gary] that had a studio." Gibbs then joined Finger Roll's No Tamin Entertainment crew and began pursuing a rap career.

On a December 8, 2022, the All The Smoke podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Tipton revealed that his father, Warren Tipton, is a member of the Chi-Lites, having joined the group in 2018 as a singer.

Career

2004–2011: Career beginnings and CTE World

Gibbs's rap career began in 2004, self-releasing his first full-length project, a mixtape titled Full Metal Jackit, which he followed up with a sequel that same year. Around that time, he was signed to Interscope Records and began working on his debut album, but was dropped from the label in late 2006, when the man that signed him, Joe Weinberger, left the label. In 2009, Gibbs released the mixtapes The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs and Midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik, followed by his first extended play Str8 Killa in August 2010.

Chip tha Ripper The Cool Kids

P.O.C.He would continue self-releasing mixtapes until 2011, when he signed to Young Jeezy's record label CTE World. In February that year, Gibbs announced on his website that he had joined up with fellow rappers King Chip and The Cool Kids to form the supergroup Pulled Over by the Cops (P.O.C.). In October, he released the mixtape Cold Day in Hell, which featured guest appearances from Young Jeezy, Juicy J, and 2 Chainz, among others. The mixtape received significant coverage from publications such as Pitchfork and XXL, appearing on the latter's Freshman List Class of 2010. Gibbs and hip-hop producer Madlib released their first and second extended plays, titled Thuggin' and Shame, in September 2011 and June 2012, respectively. The EPs served as previews for their upcoming collaborative album, which was originally titled Cocaine Piñata, and later renamed to simply Piñata.

Shortly after the release of Cold Day in Hell, Gibbs announced that his next mixtape would be a Gangsta Grillz mixtape titled Baby Face Killa. It was released on September 25, 2012, and featured guest appearances from Pharrell Williams, Jadakiss, Jay Rock, Currensy, YG, and others. The second track from the album, "Still Livin'" was featured on the 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V virtual in-game radio station Radio Los Santos.

2012–2018: Solo albums and ''Piñata''

On December 11, 2012, Gibbs announced that he was no longer a member of Young Jeezy's CTE label. He elaborated saying that there is no beef between the two rappers. On May 27, 2013, Freddie Gibbs announced he would be releasing his debut album ESGN (Evil Seeds Grow Naturally) on July 9, 2013, through his own record label of the same name. The album ended up being released on June 20, three weeks before the planned release date, due to a leak.

In September 2013, Freddie Gibbs and Madlib released Deeper, the final EP from the Piñata previews trilogy. Piñata itself was subsequently released on March 18, 2014. The album received universal acclaim from music critics with a score of 82 on the review site Metacritic. It peaked at number 39 on the US Billboard 200 and number seven on the US Top Rap Albums charts. On July 1, 2014, Gibbs, Young Thug, and ASAP Ferg released a single titled "Old English". It was produced by Salva and Nick Hook and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on July 23, 2020, for selling over 500,000 certified units. In October 2014, Gibbs and Madlib released their fourth EP, titled Knicks (Remix).

In March 2015, Gibbs released a three-track EP titled Pronto, which was followed up by his second solo studio album, Shadow of a Doubt, released on November 20, 2015. Gibbs's third solo studio album, You Only Live 2wice, was released in March 2017. The only single, "Crushed Glass", was released simultaneously alongside a music video directed by Eric Nelson. In June 2018, he released his first commercial mixtape, Freddie without any prior announcements.

2018–present: Further collaborations and increasing success

After the success of Piñata, Gibbs and Madlib announced in May 2016 that they were developing a second collaborative album. The resulting project was the album Bandana, which was released in June 2019. Bandana was preceded by two singles: "Flat Tummy Tea" and "Bandana", the latter featuring the dancehall artist Assassin. The singles were released in February and March 2019 respectively. Bandana was released by Keep Cool Records, RCA Records, Madlib Invazion, and ESGN, and received critical acclaim.

Gibbs also released multiple collaborations with producer the Alchemist. Their first project together was Fetti, a collaborative album between Gibbs, the Alchemist, and rapper Currensy. Fetti was released in October 2018. Gibbs and the Alchemist then reunited to release a second collaborative album, titled Alfredo, in May 2020. Alfredo was preceded a day earlier by its lead single, "1985", as well as an accompanying music video directed by Nick Walker. The album debuted at number 15 on the Billboard 200, making it both Gibbs's and the Alchemist's highest-charting album to date. It was critically praised, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.

In June 2020, Gibbs signed to Warner Records. Throughout late 2020 and early 2021, Gibbs released three singles through the label: "4 Thangs", which features guest appearances from fellow rapper Big Sean and hip-hop producer Hit-Boy; "Gang Signs", featuring fellow rapper Schoolboy Q; and "Big Boss Rabbit". Gibbs then released his first album on Warner and fifth overall solo album, Soul Sold Separately, in September 2022.

In addition to his musical ventures, Gibbs had a cameo role in the first season of the Starz drama series Power Book IV: Force in March 2022. He portrayed the role of Cousin Buddy, a cross-eyed drug dealer.

On October 30, 2024, Gibbs announced the release of his sixth studio album, You Only Die 1nce. The album dropped on November 1.

Artistry

Critics have recognized Gibbs's technically proficient and stylistically diverse rapping ability. Matthew Ramirez of NPR has described him as "the eternal technician"; Tshepo Mokoena of The Guardian characterized him as "a classic rapper's rapper" and stated that "when it comes to technique and versatility, he can take your breath away". He was featured on the soundtracks for Max Payne 3, NBA 2K12, Sleeping Dogs, and Grand Theft Auto V.

Gibbs has listed Scarface, DMX, Tupac, Jay-Z, Nas, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Geto Boys, UGK, Three 6 Mafia, Outkast, Raekwon, Eminem, Twista, Ice Cube, Noreaga, Juvenile, Spice 1, De La Soul, Kool G Rap, Black Thought, Mos Def, Jeezy, and Ol' Dirty Bastard as some of his influences.

Personal life

On November 4, 2014, a gunman opened fire on Gibbs, who was sitting in a car after he had finished performing at a record store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York. Gibbs escaped unharmed and two members of his entourage received non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.

In May 2015, Gibbs launched a GoFundMe to help School Supply Giveaway of Gary purchase school supplies for children in Gary, Indiana. On the site page, Gibbs explained, "Growing up in Gary there was little opportunity for a kid like me to make something of myself. Not having the basic supplies ... left a lot of us with little motivation to do well in school and turned a lot of us to darker paths. By helping these students acquire the basic supplies every student needs and deserves you will be maximizing their chances at a brighter future."

Gibbs has said that while he is not a fan of organized religion, he most closely identifies as a Muslim, calling it "a personal relationship between myself and God."

Gibbs is the father of two children: a daughter (born 2015) with his ex-fiancée Erica Dickerson, daughter of Hall Of Fame NFL running back Eric Dickerson, and a son from a previous relationship.

Controversies

Before performing a concert at Le Rex in Toulouse, France, in June 2016, Gibbs was arrested on a European arrest warrant issued for a rape alleged to have taken place in Austria in 2015, and extradited to Austria on sexual assault charges, Gibbs said he "has no intention of escaping justice, whether French or Austrian" and was charged the following month with sexual abuse charges on two women. After being held in jail for a number of weeks he was released on bail of €50,000, and acquitted on all charges in September 2016.

Gibbs has been involved in several public feuds with other rappers. In December 2021, it was reported that Gibbs was beaten up by members of Jim Jones' entourage at a restaurant in Miami. His most notable feud has been with Benny the Butcher. In August 2022, after trading insults with Benny the Butcher over social media for several months, Freddie Gibbs was physically assaulted by a large mob of people while on a date at a Dinosaur Bar-B-Que location in Buffalo, New York. TMZ acquired footage of the brawl, leading the video to go viral. Benny the Butcher seemed to confirm his involvement in the incident, posting images on social media of a chain allegedly taken from Gibbs during the fight. In a January 2024 interview with The Breakfast Club, Benny stated that the beef between the two rappers was over, but that he was not interested in making amends with Gibbs.

Discography

Main article: Freddie Gibbs discography

Studio albums

• ESGN (2013)
• Shadow of a Doubt (2015)
• You Only Live 2wice (2017)
• $oul $old $eparately (2022)
• You Only Die 1nce (2024)

Collaboration albums

• Piñata (with Madlib) (2014)
• Fetti (with Curren$y and the Alchemist) (2018)
• Bandana (with Madlib) (2019)
• Alfredo (with the Alchemist) (2020)
• Alfredo 2 (with the Alchemist) (2025)

Concert tours

Headlining

• Shadow of a Doubt Tour (2016)
• You Only Live 2wice Tour (2017)
• Freddie Tour (2018)
• The Album of the Year Tour (2019)
• Space Rabbit Tour (2022)

Co-headlining

• Independent Grind Tour 2014 (with Tech N9ne) (2014)

Supporting

• Young Jeezy – TM103 Tour (2011)

Filmography

Television

Films

Awards and nominations

References

References

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2. David Jeffries. "Freddie Gibbs". [[AllMusic]].
3. Bosman, Chris. (October 5, 2012). "Album Review: Freddie Gibbs - BFK". Consequence of Sound.
4. (July 10, 2013). "Freddie Gibbs: BFK | Album Reviews". [[Pitchfork (magazine).
5. (June 8, 2013). "Freddie Gibbs - 'BFK' Album Review - Pop matters". Pop Matters.
6. Thorpe, Isha. (November 24, 2020). "Freddie Gibbs reacts to Grammy nomination: "I told yall niggaz"". [[Revolt (TV network).
7. Weiss, Jeff. (December 2, 2009). "The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs". LA Weekly.
8. Gillespie, Blake. "Freddie Gibbs - IMPOSE Magazine". Impose Magazine.
9. Arnold, Paul. (May 28, 2020). "Soulja's Story: 10 Hip Hop Artists Who Served Their Country". HipHopDX.
10. Setaro, Shawn. (May 10, 2019). "Freddie Gibbs Survived His Darkest Moments With Madlib Beats in His Head". [[Complex (magazine).
11. (December 8, 2022). "Freddie Gibbs {{!}} Ep 163 {{!}} ALL THE SMOKE Full Episode {{!}} SHOWTIME Basketball".
12. Lester, Paul. (August 26, 2010). "New band of the day – No 855: Freddie Gibbs". [[The Guardian]].
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14. Frere-Jones, Sasha. (October 26, 2009). "Wrapping Up: A genre ages out.".
15. Breihan, Tom. "Freddie Gibbs: The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs / Midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik".
16. XXL Staff. (March 25, 2010). "Freddie Gibbs Teams Up With Alchemist For New EP". [[XXL (magazine).
17. Freddie Gibbs. "Freddie Gibbs - BLOG - P.O.C. Pulled Over by the Cops "Authority"". freddiegibbs.com.
18. Horowitz, Steven. (October 28, 2011). "FREDDIE GIBBS REVEALS TRACKLIST FOR "COLD DAY IN HELL," DUE OCTOBER 31ST". HipHopDX.
19. Drake, David. (November 15, 2011). "Freddie Gibbs: Cold Day in Hell Album Review". [[Pitchfork (magazine).
20. XXL Staff. (April 1, 2010). "Meet the 2010 XXL Freshman Class (XXL April 2010 Issue)". [[XXL (magazine).
21. Battan, Carrie. (November 21, 2011). "Freddie Gibbs and Madlib Made an EP Together, and It's Here {{!}} News". [[Pitchfork (magazine).
22. Lubansky, Matt. (June 22, 2012). "The Shame EP: Madlib and Freddie Gibbs (Madgibbs) Does It Again". [[Mass Appeal (media).
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24. Tardio, Andres. (April 4, 2013). "FREDDIE GIBBS SAYS A DREAM INSPIRED HIS "COCAINE PINATA" PROJECT WITH MADLIB". HipHopDX.
25. (September 25, 2012). "Download Freddie Gibbs' Baby Face Killa Mixtape | News". [[Pitchfork (magazine).
26. "Radio Los Santos (GTAV) by Rockstar Games on Apple Music".
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28. "Forgiato Fest 2013 > Forgiato Fest 2013 Line-up, Ticket Info". songkick.com.
29. Weber, John. (June 20, 2013). "Freddie Gibbs 'ESGN' Dropped Today Due To Leak". [[The Source (magazine).
30. "Piñata by Madlib".
31. Khal. (July 1, 2014). "Young Thug, Freddie Gibbs & A$AP Ferg - "Old English" (Prod. by Salva & Nick Hook)". [[Complex (magazine).
32. @freddiegibbs. (July 28, 2020). "Gold English 🏆🏆🏆".
33. (October 20, 2014). "Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – KNICKS REMIX EP – with Bronson, Bada$$ & Ransom".
34. Camp, Zoe. (October 29, 2015). "Freddie Gibbs Announces New Release Shadow of A Doubt, Shares "Fuckin' Up The Count" Video". [[Pitchfork (magazine).
35. (March 8, 2017). "Freddie Gibbs Announces "You Only Live 2wice" Album".
36. (March 8, 2017). "Freddie Gibbs Drops New Video "Crushed Glass," Announces 'You Only Live 2wice' Project".
37. Wilson, Scott. (June 22, 2018). "Freddie Gibbs drops surprise mixtape, Freddie". [[Fact (UK magazine).
38. (March 5, 2019). "Freddie Gibbs and Madlib Share 'Bandana' Project's Title Track".
39. "Bandana by Freddie Gibbs".
40. (February 19, 2019). "Freddie Gibbs and Madlib reunite on "Flat Tummy Tea"".
41. Hopkins, Anna. (September 27, 2018). "Freddie Gibbs & Currensy to Drop 'Fetti' Album on Halloween". [[XXL (magazine).
42. Setaro, Shawn. (May 29, 2020). "Freddie Gibbs and Alchemist Break Down New Album 'Alfredo'". [[Complex (magazine).
43. Rose, Jordan. (May 29, 2020). "Stream Freddie Gibbs and Alchemist's Latest Project 'Alfredo'". [[Complex (magazine).
44. Findlay, Mitch. (May 28, 2020). "Freddie Gibbs & Alchemist Lay Waste To "1985"".
45. Caulfield, Keith. (June 4, 2020). "Lady Gaga's 'Chromatica' on Course for No. 1 Debut on Billboard 200 Chart".
46. Johnson, Patrick. (June 19, 2020). "Freddie Gibbs, The Alchemist 'Alfredo' Interview". Hypebeast.
47. Lamarre, Carl. (June 18, 2020). "Freddie Gibbs Signs to Warner Records: Exclusive".
48. Espinoza, Joshua. (October 30, 2020). "Freddie Gibbs Connects With Big Sean and Hit-Boy on "4 Thangs"". [[Complex (magazine).
49. Deville, Chris. (February 5, 2021). "Freddie Gibbs & ScHoolboy Q Share New Song "Gang Signs": Watch the Video". [[Stereogum]].
50. Lavin, Will. (April 4, 2021). "Freddie Gibbs flips Nas classic for new track 'Big Boss Rabbit'". [[NME]].
51. Centeno, Tony M.. (2022-09-30). "Freddie Gibbs Drops 'Soul Sold Separately' LP With Pusha T, Offset & More". [[iHeartRadio]].
52. (March 21, 2022). "Freddie Gibbs Debuts As Cross-Eyed Cousin Buddy In "Power Book IV"".
53. Fisher, Caroline. (2024-10-30). "Freddie Gibbs Unveils Tracklist For New Album "You Only Die 1nce" Dropping Halloween Night".
54. Ramirez, Matthew. (2022-10-01). "With '$oul $old $eparately,' Freddie Gibbs cashes in on his cachet". [[NPR]].
55. Mokoena, Tshepo. (2022-10-04). "Rap powerhouse Freddie Gibbs: 'I was always the weird kid – a lot of people don't like that'". [[The Guardian]].
56. "Str8 Killa EP Review". Pitchfork Media.
57. (November 17, 2014). "Grand Theft Auto V Reveals Expanded Radio Station Tracklists for Game Relaunch". Pitchfork Media.
58. Burgess, Omar. (2012-11-08). "Freddie Gibbs Describes His Partnerships With Madlib And Young Jeezy". HipHop DX.
59. (November 4, 2014). "Freddie Gibbs Allegedly Targeted in Shooting Outside Rough Trade in Brooklyn". pitchfork.com.
60. (May 14, 2015). "Freddie Gibbs Launches GoFundMe for Gary, Indiana School Supplies". Answer Media.
61. Ma, David. (March 10, 2021). "Freddie Gibbs Might Blow Up, But He Won't Go Pop". [[NPR Music]].
62. Coleman, C. Vernon. (2015-04-26). "Freddie Gibbs and Fiancee Erica Dickerson Welcome Baby Daughter". [[XXL (magazine).
63. Tigg, FNR. (2019-09-26). "Freddie Gibbs Gets Restraining Order After Mother of His Son Allegedly Vandalized Car". [[Complex Networks.
64. Centeno, Tony M.. (2019-08-31). "Alleged Mother of One of Freddie Gibbs' Children Claims He Sent People to Kill Her and Their Son". [[XXL (magazine).
65. Park, Andrea. "Gibbs arrested before performing at a concert". [[People.com]].
66. Brennan, Collin. (June 4, 2016). "Gibbs arrested while on tour". [[Consequence of Sound]].
67. (June 23, 2016). "Gibbs Extradited to Austria". [[France24]].
68. (August 17, 2016). "Freddie Gibbs accused of Sexual abuse".
69. Lilah, Rose. (September 30, 2016). "Freddie Gibbs Acquitted Of Sexual Assault". HipHopDX.
70. Howard, Jacinta. (September 30, 2016). "Freddie Gibbs Acquitted in Austrian Sexual Abuse Trial [UPDATE]". [[The Boombox]].
71. (December 15, 2021). "Freddie Gibbs Reacts to Reports Claiming That He Was 'Beat Up' by Jim Jones at Restaurant in Miami".
72. (May 17, 2022). "Freddie Gibbs Fight Video from Alleged Assault and Robbery in Buffalo".
73. (August 24, 2022). "Freddie Gibbs and Benny the Butcher Trade Disses and Reference Altercation in Buffalo".
74. (January 14, 2024). "Benny the Butcher Addresses Freddie Gibbs Beef, Says 'Hell No' When Asked About Burying the Hatchet".
75. Moreland, Quinn. (February 23, 2016). "Freddie Gibbs Drops "Freddie Gordy" Video, Announces Shadow of a Doubt Tour". [[Pitchfork (magazine).
76. Montes, Patrick. (April 5, 2017). "Freddie Gibbs Announces 'You Only Live 2wice' Tour". Hypebeast.
77. Schatz, Lake. (October 8, 2018). "Freddie Gibbs announces North American "Freddie Tour"". Consequence of Sound.
78. Yoni G (Yuggs). (December 5, 2019). "Freddie Gibbs Closes 'The Album of the Year Tour' at Cervantes in Denver". BolderBeat.
79. (2021-12-15). "Freddie Gibbs' Space Rabbit tour 2022: Dates, locations and acts revealed".
80. Baker, Soren. (January 30, 2014). "TECH N9NE ANNOUNCES "INDEPENDENT GRIND TOUR 2014" DATES". HipHopDX.
81. Lipshutz, Jason. (July 27, 2011). "Young Jeezy Sets 'TM103' Tour Dates, Announces New Single".
82. Duong, Paul. (2011-09-08). "Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock & Freddie Gibbs "RapFix Live" Freestyle".
83. (2013-02-26). "Watch: Freddie Gibbs Remembers Michael Jackson's Return to Gary, Indiana on Pitchfork.tv's "Frames"".
84. "Loiter Squad Tombstone (Season 3, Episode 9)".
85. Huynh, Davis. (2015-06-02). "Freddie Gibbs Visits Snoop Dogg's "GGN" Show".
86. Tabrys, Jason. (2020-11-19). "Inside The Wild World Of Rapper Warrior Ninja On 'The Eric Andre Show'".
87. Melber, Ari. (March 12, 2021). "GOP under fire for trying to 'cancel' police criticism, Freddie Gibbs predicts Grammy win".
88. (2022-03-10). "'Bust Down' review: 'SNL's' Chris Redd and friends are profane, hilarious and down and out in Gary, Indiana".
89. Abraham, Mya. (2022-03-14). "Freddie Gibbs To Guest Star On 'Power Book IV: Force'".
90. Aderoju, Darlene. (2022-05-19). "'Yo! MTV Raps' Hosts Conceited, DJ Diamond Kuts & Special Guest Freddie Gibbs Talk Reviving an 'Iconic Hip-Hop Staple'".
91. Madarang, Charisma. (2023-01-24). "Freddie Gibbs, Anderson .Paak Help Us 'Feel No Pain' on Fallon".
92. Wiseman, Andreas. (2021-07-02). "Visit Films Launches Sales On Cannes Title 'Down With The King' Starring Rapper Freddie Gibbs In Movie Debut".
93. Mendez, Marisa. (2024-10-22). "Freddie Gibbs & YG To Star Alongside WWE Superstar In New Horror Movie 'Night Patrol'".
94. "Freddie Gibbs {{!}} Artist". [[Grammy]].
95. Grein, Paul. (2025-08-05). "Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars Are 1-2 in Nominations for 2025 MTV VMAs (Full List)".