By Odeisel

Gary Indiana is famous for being the home of the King. It’s also a depressed factory town that laid unfortunate claim to the murder capital of America for a few years. Depressed economic conditions and violence give ample inspiration for art, the outlet of the stricken and Gary’s Freddie Gibbs is possessed of enough art in his rhymes to be taken seriously. Gibb’s delivery has a tinge of a Tupac melody and Bun B bass with the double-time Southern sounding twang. His music, rife with those aforementioned tales of pain but with sadness and depth rather than hood aggrandizement make his major release highly anticipated. While we patiently wait, Gibbs has dropped the Str8 Killa EP.

The EP is full of features, which runs a bit of interference from those who are trying to get familiar with Gibbs, but they at least feel organic and unforced. It opens with “Str8 Killa No Filla” which has that all too familiar double time rhythm and a Tech N9ne feel. Gibbs delivers hardcore raps about putting in work, jacking drug dealers. Guest Big Kill, while solid, has a Freeway-ish voice but not the deft flow or ambition.

The somber keys and soft strings on the intro of “Rep 2 Tha Fullest” load up drama before ceding to the main arrangement with Gibbs and Watts’ own Jay Rock dropping tales of hood representation, colored by Gibb’s initial admission that Hip-Hop is the only thing keeping him from returning to that life for real.

The slow bounce of “National Anthem (Fuck The World)” finds Gibbs solo, lamenting the streets and their pull on him while alternating between a slow and a double flow that adds life to the track. Gibbs mentions building his buzz without guest appearances (contrary to this work) and pounds his chest with his belief in his skill and realness.  This mentality remains on “The Coldest” which features an R&B chorus and Gibbs rapping that he won’t “teach you how to Dougie but he can teach you bout this thuggin.’”

Liquid crystal guitars give an airy feel on “Personal OG,” the obligatory weed song.  Gibbs’ narrative power comes to the fore on “Live By The Game.” That regret and layered psychology is present in full force with one foot in the game, the other trying to keep his little brother out of it and his eyes turned away from his momma’s disapproving  gaze.

Hood general Bun B drops by on the baritone banger “Rock Bottom” which finds the duo feeling life’s pressures and medicating the pressures of hungry babies and light bills with alcohol and weed. Freddie turns to the streets to remedy those needs, without the approval of his baby’s mother, while Bun chooses using the music for salvation.

“Oil Money” is a posse cut closer adding Chip Tha Ripper, Dan Auerbach and Chuck English to a returning Bun B. The slow burn features some melancholy soul on the hook. Chip references Dave Chapelle and does his best Cleveland Killa Cam impression.

The Str8 Killa EP isn’t bad but it doesn’t bring you further into the world of Freddie Gibbs. Musically it’s basically one speed and that leads to a bit of boredom where the tracks bleed into each other sonically. The talent is there. The skill is there as well, but unless Gibbs gets better direction musically and raps over a wider range of beat speeds, he will sound like everything else in his lane.

Out of 5

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