Coming off the release of Alfredo II in July, Freddie Gibbs got back in the saddle with The Alchemist for two back-to-back sold-out shows at the Brooklyn Paramount. The stage, aptly updated to match the bowl of ramen displayed on the cover of Alfredo II, featured a Japanese restaurant storefront called “Alfredo’s,” complete a menuand a sidewalk sign indicating that there would be “twice the sauce” this time around. After Mavi, Ovrkast and Jalen Ngonda each warmed up the crowd with their own underground flavors, The Alchemist found his DJ booth towards the left of the stage, where he began by teasing samples on his drum machine. Starting off with the first three tracks from the original Alfredo record, Gibbs entered through the restaurant’s neon-sign door, sporting a custom ALC x Rabbit Vision red karate gi. Though the crowd’s excitement for this five-year-old album was no surprise, the reception continued for the first few tracks off the new album. It was particularly gratifying to see how familiar fans were with the lyrics of this recently released project, establishing it as an instant catalog classic.
As the duo continued alternating tracks between the two Alfredo albums, there was no disparity in the crowd’s energy as to which songs were new and which were the classics. With some of the older songs, Gibbs would rap a verse acapella-style before confirming for The Alchemist to play the beat. Gibbs’s persistently yelled the lyrics, compared to his more tame sound on the recordings. He was able to do so even on particularly difficult verses with such control, like “Gold Feet.” Meanwhile, The Alchemist, still connected to his origins as Eminem’s tour DJ, proved to be an exceptional support DJ, even subbing in for collaborator Larry June’s comedic adlibs on the chorus of the track, “Feeling.”
About halfway into the show, Gibbs announced his desire to become an R&B singer. He began shakily piping what is arguably his catchiest chorus, “Now & Later Gators,” from Fetti, his 2018 collaboration album with The Alchemist and Curren$y. He quietly exited the stage through the restaurant door right before the verse started. With just Al onstage, the producer spun a number of his beats before initiating the absolutely bone-chilling instrumental to Alfredo II highlight “Skinny Suge II,” a personal highlight off of Alfredo II. As the track’s punchy drums echoed up to the high ceilings of the Brooklyn Paramount, Gibbs burst through the neon door, rapping one of his most chilling verses. He now dawned a whole new outfit, consisting of a yellow jacket, sparkling shorts, Timberland shoes, and his flashy gold rabbit chain. After the song, the audience started wildly cheering for just one of the show’s many surprises, as, out of the blue, the great Erykah Badu did a quick walk across the stage and disappeared shortly after, no words spoken.
After debating whether to “talk some shit,” Gibbs and Al launched into “Lavish Habits,” a track where, in just the first few lines, Gibbs takes shots at two big names in hip-hop: DJ Akademiks and Gunna. It was such a massive thrill when the whole house belted those lines that The Alchemist had to stop the song to run it back. Gibbs began dancing and repeatedly yelling “Oh!” as the room chanted those bold lines again with him, making for one of the most exhilarating and hilarious moments of the night. Despite his stern demeanor while rapping onstage, Gibbs smiled ear-to-ear between every song, clearly having a blast. The audience was distinctly united throughout the whole show, each attendee constantly both ready and electrified by every surprise thrown at them. Some of the most enjoyable moments were when the audience would sing the sample of an instrumental while Gibbs rapped along. The duo played a few more tracks from the new record, with Al adding twists such as switching the beat to “I Still Love H.E.R.” to something completely new. The show would not have been complete without Freddie taking Al out of his DJ booth, with the producer asking the crowd, “Can I get busy one time?” and rapping one of his own tunes.
As the night neared an end, Gibbs decided to pay tribute to The Alchemist onstage, visibly grateful at the duo’s work together. Although everyone in attendance was there to see the two perform their catalog together, Gibbs’s legendary projects with esteemed California-based producer, Madlib, cannot be overlooked. When the duo played a few of Gibbs’s Madlib-produced hits, the crowd was at its most pumped. After a brief fakeout, the duo returned to the stage for the last two tracks on Alfredo II to round the show off. Typically, fans seeing an artist want to hear the older, more popular songs rather than the newer ones that aren’t as familiar, but I was astonished to see that after playing every single track off the new album, the audience had still been captivated by each one. This show proved not only the dedication of the fanbase but the timelessness that this record and its legacy will have going forward.