Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist

Alfredo 2 (released July 25, 2025)

Aight, first thing’s first: Am I the only person annoyed that the cover of Alfredo 2 is an image of ramen? It’s not sitting well in my spirit. It would be like Mariah Carey covering herself in wasps on her Butterfly album cover.

But that’s Gangsta Gibbs for you – he’s a troll first and foremost.

Actually, first and foremost, he’s a MC, and in a span of a few weeks that gave up top-tier projects like Raekwon’s The Emperor’s New Clothes and Clipse’s Let God Sort ‘Em Out – with Ghostface Killa’s Supreme Clientele 2 on the way – Ramen 2 Alfredo 2 is a welcome addition to the Summer of Spitters.

Alfredo 2 is the sequel to Gibbs and Alchemist’s 2020 joint venture, an album as rich and satisfying as its name suggests. And it’s not like either have slacked off in the past half decade. Alchemist has solidified his status as the underground’s go-to hitmaker, including this year’s Life is Beautiful with Larry June and 2 Chainz. And Gibbs has regularly – and effortlessly – dropped album of the year contenders, including last year’s fantastic You Only Die 1nce.

Their skills have remained sharp, and that makes Alfredo 2 another can’t-miss meal.

Gibbs always goes hardest over a soul sample, and that’s why first single “1995” works so well.

My history ain’t no mystery
Boy, your bars is under question, under review
Nothin’ new, another crew of Freddie clones
I put more n**** on this field than Jerry Jones

It’s less a radio hit and more a declarative statement, especially when Alchemist slices in electric guitar licks to close out the track. Gibbs doesn’t lose his stride though; he’s confident as ever.

Speaking of flow, one of Freddie’s greatest weapons is his lyrical dexterity. He’s constantly changing his cadence and adjusting his speed of delivery to keep the track fresh. “Lemon Pepper Steppers” – my pick for the best moment of the album – is the greatest showcase of that skill. Over Al’s classy but nasty production, Gibbs first commands the booth with a forceful flow, then picking up the pace on the second half with a slick double-time delivery. It’s a masterclass in pacing and breath control – but as long as y’all nod your heads, Gibbs is good.

Gibbs’ delivery remains addictive on “Empanadas” but he switches things up for “Feeling,” giving us the return of his Freddie Kane R&B crooner persona. Larry June comes through too and while he’s not always everyone’s cup of tea, his lackadaisical flow works well in this groove here. “Skinny Suge II” is equal parts menace and melancholy, with Gibbs just letting the punchlines fly. Only he can pull off bars like “My pimpin’ Megatron” and “squeeze the poison out the scorpion/Mandalorian.”

Gibbs often saves his more introspective pieces for his solo projects but he’s not afraid to dive deep on Alfredo 2. Anderson Paak handles hook duties while Gibbs wrestles with his insecurities on “Ensalada”:

Before I run off, they gon’ have to murder me
I reminisce on what this s*** did done to me
A lotta white sheet, yellow tape dreams
When your life a nightmare, you can’t dream
So instead of runnin’, tryna chase dreams
I was makin’ sure the safe clean

“I Still Love H.E.R.” shows Gibbs’ softer side in a tribute not to Gabi Wilson, but to hip-hop. Well, a “sorta softer” side might be more accurate, as he admits he pulled this love letter “from my heart, not my mind/my mind stay in the gutter.”

At least he’s honest.

And in case you think Freddie’s gone soft, he still has plenty of ammo for the likes of eternal foe Akademiks on “Lavish Habits”: “give a f*** about beef with multiple rappers, I like variety.”

At least he’s honest.

Alfredo 2 is exactly what you’d expect – and what you’d desire – as follow-up to a storied release. The production is top-tier (like the soothing sounds of “Shangri La”), the collabos burst with chemistry and energy (JID nearly steals the show on the elegant “Gold Feet”) and Gibbs’ refuses to release the stranglehold he’s had on rap in the past decade. As he proclaims on “A Thousand Mountains,” “N**** been rapping for like 20 years, I can go for another thousand.”

This project is another winner in a summer filled with them. Only one word properly describes Alfredo 2:

Slammin’.

Best tracks: “Lemon Pepper Steppers,” “Skinny Suge II,” “Gold Feet”

4 stars out of 5