Freddie Gibbs & Madlib

Freddie Gibbs, the Gary, Indiana rapper known for unflinching street narratives, and Madlib, the notoriously prolific and reclusive Los Angeles producer, make an unlikely pair on paper, and an unmistakable one on record. Their process itself is distinctive: Gibbs records his vocals alone in his own studio, then sends them to Madlib, who builds the beat around them afterward rather than the usual way around. Piñata, their 2014 debut, originally titled Cocaine Piñata before the label stepped in, took three years to finish and features Raekwon, Earl Sweatshirt, Danny Brown, and Scarface among its guests. Bandana, the 2019 follow-up, brought in Pusha T, Killer Mike, Black Thought, and Yasiin Bey. Together, the two albums make up one of the most acclaimed rapper-producer partnerships of the last decade.