Lav's Music Corner

Review by Lavender: Freddie Gibbs is a critically lauded rapper who has been at it for a full 15 years at this point. He broke through in the 2010s on the back of great collaborative records with legendary producer Madlib like Pinata  and Bandana . He's continued a run of solid projects into the 2020s, garnering acclaim for his 2020 crossover with The Alchemist Alfredo  and more acclaim, from me at least, for 2022's $oul $old $eperately . So when he surprise announced a new solo album last week I had no reason to think it would be anything less than solid. And that's pretty much the expectation that You Only Die 1nce  lives up to.  One of the best parts of this record are the instrumentals. Tracks here serve up dreamy blends of fluttering keys and vintage soul that create a great palette for introspection. "30 Girlfriends" is a great example where Freddie takes on this relaxed instrumental with an impressive series of flows that don't require him to up the int...