Freddie Gibbs Murderin' it with Grillade + Cults

It was 11:30, the Yankees just got their shit wrecked, I was in midtown, my original plan to head to the Yours Truly showcase at Glasslands was in some serious jeopardy. But my friend gave the push, and I relented. Thank fuckin' god.

We got there in time to catch Cults put on a great set, rounding out their sound by employing a five-piece band. They got the crowd lazily dancing and swaying to their retro-pop. Cults channel both early 1960s bubble-gum Motown and voodoo guitar and organ blues, and yet still sound fresh, sophisticated, and danceable. Normally, I'd have been happy enough to just catch this, but last night it was only the appetizer.

After napping through the next bands set, I woke up freshly pumped. The word was Freddie Gibbs was gonna be playing with a live band. Grillade came on stage round 1:30 am, and brought the Glasslands crowd to a different place. Driving off two funky synths, tight guitaring, and a beautiful soulful lead singer, the venue chilled down with the crowd vibing in-sync. As the nights MC said, it was a family affair, and it felt like that. After three funkifying songs the energy was through the roof for the San Fran band. They then called up a special guest -- Freddie Gibbs.

Wearing a large hood that shadowed his face, Freddie came on and spoke some words softly, promising to tell some truths. The band hit it, and from their it was just a ride. Gibbs manned the stage like a fucking legend, weaving his flow seamlessly through Grillade's perfect backing. He went from self-proclaiming G status to introspection to love, and it all felt so true. Pulling out a blunt from behind his ear midset, sharing it with the crowd,  and then continuing with the same energy and emotion just solidified it. If Das Racist are the subversive party animals of raps new era, Freddie Gibbs is unquestionable proof that true hiphop is still alive and well. To put it succinctly, this was the best live hip-hop performance I have ever seen. The rapper. The band. The intimate venue. It was perfect.

Check the link for some pretty dope footage.

Photo credit of Mel D. Cole.

Cults - Most Wanted
Freddie Gibbs - National Anthem (Fuck the World)