Project Review: Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist Make ‘Alfredo 2’ Worth The Wait

The duo that linked-up so well in 2020 treat us to a sequel of the exceptional Alfredo. We get more of the same on Alfredo 2 and both Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist further drive home why they are some of the most talented in modern US hip-hop. 

The first track, ‘1995’, was released as a single prior to the project’s release. Here we see Gibbs demonstrating the creative braggadocio that makes his allure so strong. The Alchemist, as with every track here, shines too; first reappropriating some heavenly vocals, before morphing the instrumental into another with a fuzzy, thin guitar that dances around Gibbs’ delivery.

Al bathes us in ethereality for the first two tracks, until a darker edge emerges with ‘Lemon Pepper Steppers’. Dissonant glimpses of piano, interspersed with some light-fingered guitar hammer-ons sit under the tapestry of flows Gibbs stiches together. At first, he spits a staccato, quaver flow before switching to a much looser one. He then goes back to the first flow whilst playing on the original verse’s lyrics, before launching into a speedy burst of triplets. Particularly with the first flow, Gibbs somehow manages to make incredibly memorable, ear-worm like verses with rhythm alone – he does not need pitched melody to stay in your head. 

‘Ensalada (feat. Anderson .Paak)’ sees both homophonically playing with the track’s title, adapting it into “it’s a lot of” and using it as the initiating phrase when describing, for Gibbs, the toll the drug-selling life has on an individual. Anderson .Paak uses the same motif where his gravelly, higher-pitched singing offers a contrast with Gibbs’ lower tone. 

‘Empanadas’ contains typically stellar Freddie Gibbs humour with a bar regarding how sex with an old Rastafarian flame was so good it had him “watching soccer”. Gibbs also sneaks in some disses at Jim Jones and Benny the Butcher, with whom he has feuded, resulting in physical altercations in Miami and Buffalo respectively. Another hilarious bar is on ‘Lavish Habits’ where he threatens to “squeeze [DJ] Akademiks titties, you fat bastard”, which showcases the out-of-pocket-ness that makes Gibbs’ personality so entertaining.

Larry June’s addition on ‘Feeling’ forces Freddie to switch up. He takes a more melodic approach on the hook singing “you know a n**** keep a courtside view for a hoe like you, a n**** married to the game, I can never tell a hoe I do”. Larry’s stoned flow sits well next to Freddie’s more frenzied performance. ‘Gas Station Sushi’ features Gibbs commenting on the social milieu of the African-American community, profoundly stating that “White Supremacy has been killing n****s but we ain’t got no love for us”. Al’s beat here is particularly striking too, with an expressive legato synth line punctuated by percussive piano chords.

‘Gold Feet (feat. JID)’ displays some of the best work from all involved. Al samples impressionistic, ascending and descending piano runs with some tight drums and Freddie demonstrates some of his most interesting flows on the project. But JID arguably excels the most. I have previously struggled to get into his work. However, on ‘Gold Feet’, I was astounded by the technicality of his dazzling internal rhyme schemes. It is hard not to be impressed by him here. 

The only complaint I can muster, is that The Alchemist’s beats seem to construct the same soundscape more or less each time. However, I am clutching at straws here. These sonic spaces are ones that Al is a master at conjuring. Every beat piques my interest, every flow is dynamic and fluctuating, the wordplay is amusing and original, and the minimal features are curated tastefully. It is beyond doubt that these two are masters of their craft. I will (not so) patiently wait out the next half-decade before for the third instalment.

Star Rating: 4.5/5

Words by Charlie Edmondson