Freddie Gibbs emerged as a Gary, Indiana-raised gangster rapper, a slim figure who brought a convincing menace to his somewhat boilerplate crime narratives. He had a few different record label situations, built a small fan base, but didn’t seem to be a scene-defining talent. All of that changed when he released this inspired collaboration with LA’s crate-digging beat savant Madlib. Gibbs’ machine gun flow was a revelation over Madlib’s jittery, organic beats. This record is the aural equivalent of chili crisp over vanilla ice cream, it doesn’t seem right, but the spice is balanced by the velvety sweetness, and the result is considerably better than the sum of the parts.