Freddie Gibbs & Madlib Piñata (Madlib Invazion) ****
Not just anyone can spit over Madlib's beats. The Indiana MC Freddie Gibbs joins such cult heroes as M F Doom and Talib Kweli in taking Madlib's liquid soul sounds and creating an undeniably solid release. The duo's approach is not to complement each other, but to use their artistic differences to create a characteristic sound. Gibbs doesn't have the lyrical wisdom of Kweli or the off-kilter word schemes of M F Doom – his rhymes are gritty street tales delivered with a refreshing honesty. The best tracks are when Gibbs addresses his darker moments. In Broken, he uses Madlib's hazy production to address his troubled relationship with his policeman father: "A life of crime is all we ever shared from then to now / And I'm a crook and you crooked, that's all we got in common." In Deeper, he reflects on a past relationship, admitting: "Maybe you grew up and I'm still living like I am 16." But not all is pointed inward. In Real, Gibbs lashes his former collaborator Jeezy. Jeezy will probably respond, but this minor controversy won't overshadow Piñata's quality.