Freddie Gibbs - The Ghetto

This is the latest evolution of gangsta: it's brash, unashamed, and touches on social injustice and the plague of poverty. Admittedly, Skinnyman did something similar (beautifully) in 2006. But I've never heard something like this out of the States... Obviously there's conscious hip-hop, but Freddie's not as righteous as that - he's an unabashed gangster, analysing the origins of his criminality.

This is good. The video's beautiful too: a love song to a suffering community.

Blu ft Freddie Gibbs & Homeboy Sandman - In

This is a fairly feisty instrumental, something like jazz with a subwoofer, and a foghorn. There's nothing in there to distract from the lyrics, and Blu, Freddie and Homeboy Sandman (in that order) go hard on the verses.

The Sandman even coins some nice slang "I was holding confetti: little paper". And Freddie, as always, sounds like he speaks in verse naturally.

Freddie Gibbs - Playa (Mexicans With Guns Remix)

This little number combines some of my most favourite things: Freddie Gibbs, Mexicans with Guns, and cow bells.

I love the funky syncopated low-ride sound, (and the cow bells), but it took a couple of listens to get used to it, probably because MwG put Freddie on the off-beat, and that always sounds weird. That guitar melody is sweetness itself though. If you like MwG, check out their soundcloud for more juice.

Freddie Gibbs - Playa (Mexicans with Guns Remix) by Drewtewksbury

Freddie Gibbs - From Tha G

I am pretty much all over this. The vocal sample on the instrumental is just... groovy? Yes, you could call this gangsta-groove. If you wanted to get shot. Anyway, it's got a real West Coast sound, despite coming straight out of the Midwest (Gary, Indiana).

Freddie always has more flow than the Hoover Dam, and this is no exception: those rhymes are pretty intricate for a straight gangsta track. And yes, the chorus is gash - nothing in life is perfect, I guess.

Freddie Gibbs - National Anthem

Freddie Gibbs has amazing flow: the rhythm of the rhymes in the intro, and the transition to double time at 0:40 are incredible.

He might be the reincarnation of gangsta rap, which would be no bad thing. Neverending Cycle is the probably the most articulate statement about First-World deprivation you'll hear this year.