Alfredo (album)

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Alfredo
Studio album by
Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist
ReleasedMay 29, 2020
GenreHip hop
Length35:05
Label
ProducerThe Alchemist
Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist chronology
Fetti
(2018) 		Alfredo
(2020)
Freddie Gibbs chronology
Bandana
(2019) 		Alfredo
(2020) 		Soul Sold Separately
(2022)
The Alchemist chronology
Lulu
(2020) 		Alfredo
(2020) 		Haram
(2021)
Singles from Alfredo
  1. "1985"
    Released: May 28, 2020

Alfredo is a collaborative studio album by American rapper Freddie Gibbs and American hip hop producer The Alchemist. It was released on May 29, 2020, through Gibbs' own record label ESGN Records, as well as ALC Records and Empire Distribution.

The album is the first project between only Gibbs and The Alchemist, as it also marks the second time they have collaborated on a full-length project, following 2018's Fetti with fellow rapper Currensy. It features guest appearances from fellow rappers Rick Ross, Benny the Butcher, Tyler, the Creator, and Conway the Machine. It was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2021 Grammy Awards.

Background[edit]

The Alchemist and Gibbs first worked together as early as 2003–2004. However, nothing from that period was released.[1] Their first official collaboration was in April 2011 on the Currensy and Alchemist song "Scottie Pippen", which Gibbs was featured on.[1] In October 2018, the trio released a collaborative album titled Fetti.[2]

Title and artwork[edit]

The title is a portmanteau of The Alchemist and Gibbs' names.[3] The album cover, designed by Vlad Sepetov, shows a hand puppeteering a Fettuccine Alfredo dish. It draws similarities to the logo of renowned crime film franchise The Godfather.[4][5]

Release and promotion[edit]

On May 27, 2020, Gibbs and The Alchemist announced the release of new music via social media, before confirming the collaborative project shortly after.[6][7] The announcement came alongside the option for pre-ordering the album in digital and physical format, including a comic book stylized based on the album.[8]

The first single, "1985", was released a day before the album, alongside an accompanying music video directed by Nick Walker.[7][9]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic88/100[10]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[11]
Clash9/10[12]
Exclaim!9/10[13]
HipHopDX4.5/5[14]
The Line of Best Fit9.5/10[15]
Loud and Quiet8/10[16]
No Ripcord8/10[17]
Pitchfork8.0/10[18]
Q[19]
Tom Hull – on the WebB+ ((1-star Honorable Mention))[20]

Alfredo was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 88, based on nine reviews.[10]

Jack Bray of The Line of Best Fit praised the album, stating, "It's an incredibly tight record packed with stellar performances, production and presence throughout. The blood, sweat and tears of hip-hop run through the album, but Gibbs has once again redefined what that means".[15] Josh Svetz from HipHopDX enjoyed the album, saying, "Alfredo is a master class in rap — 35 minutes of cutthroat bars that feel like 15, leaving you hungry for another course. In a world where the basic function of waking up feels like a chore, Freddie Gibbs and Alchemist have served up a dish of quick comfort food packed with essential nutrients included".[14] Reviewing the album for Clash, Robin Murray stated: "Alfredo excels on every front, a record that fuses a thirst for fresh innovation with a depth of love for hip-hop and rap music that is almost unparalleled. Pretty much an instant classic, it's the sound of Freddie Gibbs finally bursting free, working with tour de force production to surge past expectations and claim his place at the absolute pinnacle."[12] Juan Edgardo Rodríguez of No Ripcord gave a positive review, stating, "Gibbs is a masterful curator who knows who to match his flows with, like on God is Perfect and Look at Me, splicing soul loops, movie clips, and inventive beats etched into his gruff vocals. The beats are an attraction in itself, but make no mistake: they wouldn't be as good if Gibbs weren't behind the mic spitting his poetic yet matter-of-fact observations".[17]

Clayton Tomlinson of Exclaim! said, "The current king of rap manages, yet again, to offer a searing insight into his life, past and present. The songs on Alfredo are fun even when the themes aren't".[13] Pitchfork critic Matthew Ismael Ruiz said, "Gibbs skates over these beats, effortlessly gliding in and out of the pocket. Even the moments of stark contrast feel natural".[18] Writing for AllMusic, Andy Kellman felt that "Whether Alchemist transmutes glacial boom-bap and trawling acid nightmares or spiritual soft rock and tear-jerking soul, Gibbs makes it all work to his benefit".[11] Rupert Howe of Q said, "The melodic flow of Alchemist's beats perfectly offsets his partner's raw, unfiltered delivery".[19]

Year-end lists[edit]

Select year-end rankings of Alfredo
Publication List Rank Ref.
Billboard The 20 Best Rap Albums of 2020
6
[21]
Complex The Best Albums of 2020
4
[22]
Exclaim! Exclaim!'s 50 Best Albums of 2020
15
[23]
The Fader The 50 Best Albums of 2020
15
[24]
The Guardian The 50 Best Albums of 2020
34
[25]
 The Best Music of 2020
9
[26]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2020
44
[27]
Spin The 30 Best Albums of 2020
16
[28]
Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2020
18
[29]
Under the Radar Under the Radar's Top 100 Albums of 2020
59
[30]

Industry awards[edit]

Awards and nominations for Alfredo
Year Ceremony Category Result Ref.
2021 Grammy Awards Best Rap Album Nominated [31]

Commercial performance[edit]

In the United States, Alfredo debuted at number 15 on the Billboard 200, earning 30,000 album-equivalent units in its first week,[32] making it both Gibbs' and The Alchemist's highest-charting album to date.[4]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks produced by The Alchemist.

Alfredo track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."1985"
2:32
2."God Is Perfect"
  • Tipton
  • Maman
3:59
3."Scottie Beam" (featuring Rick Ross)
4:04
4."Look at Me"
  • Tipton
  • Maman
2:33
5."Frank Lucas" (featuring Benny the Butcher)
4:41
6."Something to Rap About" (featuring Tyler, the Creator)
4:42
7."Baby Shit"
  • Tipton
  • Maman
3:36
8."Babies & Fools" (featuring Conway the Machine)
3:26
9."Skinny Suge"
  • Tipton
  • Maman
2:52
10."All Glass"
  • Tipton
  • Maman
2:33
Total length:35:05
Vinyl bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Daddy Loves You"
  • Tipton
  • Maman
1:18
Total length:36:23

Notes

  • "Baby Shit" is stylized as "Baby $hit"

Sample credits

  • "Scottie Beam" contains a sample of "Alone (Reprise)", performed by Wee and written by Norman Virgil Whiteside.
  • "Something to Rap About" contains samples from "On Love", written by D. Walker.

Personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from Freddie Gibbs' social media.

  • Ben "Lambo" Lambert – creative direction
  • Rich Gains – engineering
  • Vlad Sepetov – art direction
  • Mike "Deadly Mike" Del Mundo – original illustration
  • Eddie Sancho – mixing
  • Joe Laporta – mastering
  • Vic Wainstein – additional engineering (track 6)

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for Alfredo
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[33] 145
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[34] 76
US Billboard 200[35] 15
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[36] 12

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Setaro, Shawn (May 29, 2020). "Freddie Gibbs and Alchemist Break Down New Album 'Alfredo'". Complex. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  2. ^ Hopkins, Anna (September 27, 2018). "Freddie Gibbs & Currensy to Drop 'Fetti' Album on Halloween". XXL. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  3. ^ Suarez, Gary (June 4, 2020). "Freddie Gibbs And The Alchemist's 'Alfredo' Perfects The Rap Duo Recipe". NPR. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Johnson, Patrick (June 19, 2020). "Freddie Gibbs, The Alchemist 'Alfredo' Interview". Hypebeast. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  5. ^ Rose, Jordan (May 29, 2020). "Stream Freddie Gibbs and Alchemist's Latest Project 'Alfredo'". Complex. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  6. ^ Eustice, Kyle (May 28, 2020). "Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist Drop Surprise 'Alfredo' Album Stream". HipHopDX. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Breihan, Tom (May 28, 2020). "Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist Announce Surprise Album 'Alfredo', Share First Single "1985": Listen". Stereogum. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  8. ^ Johnson, Patrick (May 28, 2020). "Freddie Gibbs, The Alchemist 'Alfredo' Comic Book". Hypebeast. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  9. ^ Findlay, Mitch (May 28, 2020). "Freddie Gibbs & Alchemist Lay Waste To "1985"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  10. ^ a b "Alfredo by Freddie Gibbs Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  11. ^ a b Kellman, Andy. "Alfredo – The Alchemist, Freddie Gibbs". AllMusic. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  12. ^ a b Murray, Robin (June 1, 2020). "Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist – Alfredo". Clash. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  13. ^ a b Tomlinson, Clayton (June 1, 2020). "Freddie Gibbs Proves He's One of the Best Around on Alchemist Collaboration 'Alfredo'". Exclaim!. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  14. ^ a b Svetz, Josh (June 1, 2020). "Review: Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist's 'Alfredo' Is A Premium Hip Hop Offering". HipHopDX. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  15. ^ a b Bray, Jack (June 5, 2020). "Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist's next collaborative effort changes the game entirely". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  16. ^ Cashin, Cal (June 16, 2020). "Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist – Alfredo – Review". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  17. ^ a b Rodríguez, Juan Edgardo (July 9, 2020). "Quick Takes (June 2020) – Music Feature". No Ripcord. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  18. ^ a b Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (June 3, 2020). "Freddie Gibbs / The Alchemist: Alfredo Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  19. ^ a b Howe, Rupert (August 2020). "Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist: Alfredo". Q. No. 414. p. 107.
  20. ^ Hull, Tom (June 9, 2020). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  21. ^ Glicksman, Josh (December 10, 2020). "The 20 Best Rap Albums of 2020: Staff Picks". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  22. ^ Gee, Andre (December 1, 2020). "The Best Albums of 2020". Complex. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  23. ^ Morawitz, Owen (December 2, 2020). "Exclaim!'s 50 Best Albums of 2020". Exclaim!. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  24. ^ Elder, Sajae. "The 50 best albums of 2020". The Fader. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  25. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (December 18, 2020). "The 50 best albums of 2020: the full list". The Guardian. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  26. ^ Petrusich, Amanda (November 27, 2020). "The Best Music of 2020". The New Yorker. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  27. ^ Scarano, Ross (December 8, 2020). "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  28. ^ Bell, Max (December 10, 2020). "The 30 Best Albums of 2020". Spin. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  29. ^ Helman, Peter (December 1, 2020). "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". Stereogum. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  30. ^ Redfern, Mark (January 15, 2021). "Under the Radar's Top 100 Albums of 2020". Under the Radar. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  31. ^ Warner, Denise (March 14, 2021). "Here Are All the Winners From the 2021 Grammy Awards". Billboard. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  32. ^ Caulfield, Keith (June 4, 2020). "Lady Gaga's 'Chromatica' on Course for No. 1 Debut on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  33. ^ "Ultratop.be – Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist – Alfredo" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  34. ^ "Freddie Gibbs Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  35. ^ "Freddie Gibbs Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  36. ^ "Freddie Gibbs Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
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