Freddie Gibbs: A Rising Star

Does a place named Gary, Indiana sound familiar to you? If not, let me jog your memory a little bit. It has often been ranked in the top 10 most dangerous cities in the United States. More importantly, it is the birthplace of Michael Jackson and The Jackson 5. Gary helped to support the notion that stardom isn’t constricted by where you live, how poor you are, or how you were raised. A star is a star, no matter its surroundings or unbelievable odds. Do you know of any events, places, or individuals other than the Jacksons that came from Gary, Indiana? There are a few, but they don’t possess that unbelievable odds or restriction feel that the Jackson’s produced. Until now…

There is a potential giant in Gary, and his name is Freddie Gibbs. Born Freddie Tipton in 1982, Gibbs is the definition of a gangsta rapper. Not only is his lyrical content par with the greats in gangsta rap history, he is an actual G. After numerous fallbacks, including the loss of a full scholarship to college and a discharge from the military, Gibbs turned to the street life. While pimping women and selling crack-cocaine out of a recording studio, Gibbs realized he could become something greater through expression of music. His demo gained attention from Interscope and the rapper was signed to the label in 2006. A change within Interscope management caused Gibbs to be dropped.

Due to his motivated drive and tactics, Gibbs has gained a large following through extensive use of free media supplied by the Internet. In 2010 he released his first EP, titled Str8 Killa, a wonderful follow-up to an already impressive discography of popular mix-tapes. The album is brilliantly written and contains a roster of subject matter that fans of old-school gangsta rap will appreciate. Listeners will not be disappointed and will definitely look forward to new releases. He is now signed to the label CTE, which was founded by rapper Young Jeezy. Check out this article from MTV. Keep your eyes open for his debut album with CTE, Cold Day In Hell.