Freddie Gibbs is one of the few rappers in street leaning hiphop that has an actual "buzz" around him.. The irony is that he had to get off a major label in order to create it. I was there when Freddie was signed, it was during the 50 Cent explosion which was the gift and the curse. The gift was to see the possibilities of extreme success and curse was seeing the politics behind extreme success. The difference was 50 had so much brand equity before he signed, not to mention 2 of the baddest security guards (Em, Dre) standing over each shoulder. Freddie was just a struggling rapper with a boatload of talent. Unfortunately that isnt enough in todays world. You gotta make the water boil before you sign the dotted line. There just isnt enough time and money for the long term development anymore in that genre. So after a bunch of ups and downs he left Interscope and hooked up with Dj Skee who has since made the water boil. Now he has the power. Question is what does that mean in todays business? Is staying independent the answer for someone like Freddie? Can he change the game in his own way? I hope so.
