My second time seeing Freddie Gibbs at SXSW was even more impressive than the first. Whereas Wednesday night found Gibbs projecting a persona and struggling to find true fans in the audience, his late night set at Emo’s showcased Freddie in his element. On Wednesday, his calls for the smokers of Austin were answered by sober yells from teens waiting for Mac Miller’s performance; on Friday, they were met by sparking blunts and passed joints.
Gibbs was introduced by DJ Peter Rosenberg, he of New York’s Hot 97, who wagered “I bet – at some point during this set – Freddie Gibbs will take off his shirt.”
Clad in a sweatshirt and DPRTD hat, Gibbs took the mic with a smile. “Man, take my shirt off? I don’t know what this fool is talking about.” Two songs later he was down to a Smoker’s Club t-shirt. Two songs after that, he was shirtless.
Gibbs manages to make what would otherwise seem like an act appear completely natural. He smokes because he wants to, he strips because he wants to, he raps because he wants to. His flow is effortlessly facile and cool, rhymes thudding against each other in his languid delivery. It’s clear that he lives for rap – and yeah, maybe weed too – and he’s enjoying his ascension in the game. As he should; he’s one of the few making it look easy.
