On 'Extradite', the Roots’ Black Thought’s politically charged verse is sharply juxtaposed with Mikhail’s bright, jazz-influenced production, which eventually gives way to dialogue taken from a fiery speech on Ferguson by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. R&B singer-songwriter Dana Williams propels 'McDuck'. Rising Miami-via-Toronto emcee Tory Lanez contributes a bleary-eyed hook to dealers’ anthem 'Mexico' elsewhere, L.A. Another highlight is the understated, introspective 'Insecurities' produced by Dukes and Montreal’s Kaytranada (who teamed up with the rapper this year for the menacing one-off 'My Dope House').Īs for the record’s handful of guest spots, Gibbs has picked a mix of newcomers and veterans who complement but never overshadow him. He’s hardly the first artist to incorporate a sample from 'The Wire' into a song, but he’s one of few able to do so without it coming off cliché or rote (Boi-1da and Frank Dukes’ sinister piano loops greatly help).

His lyrics capture the pursuit of the American dream like a Scorsese screenplay (drugs, sex, and all-too-frequent bloodshed included). It’s nothing like anything else in Gibbs’ vast catalogue (its closest spiritual companion might be 'Old English', his 2014 track with A$AP Ferg and Young Thug) and it’s proof that the 33 year old is still more than willing to push himself out of his sonic comfort zone.

In contrast, 'Cold Ass Nigga' sees Gibbs with two feet on the gas, with frequent Kanye West collaborator Mike Dean providing a suitably urgent, glitchy trap beat. The sparse, atmospheric 'Rearview', which opens with a 'Welcome to Los Angeles International Airport' P.A., sees the rapper offer up a bullet point summary of his career to date before dismissing would-be copycats with trademark precision. If there’s any question as to whether or not acclaim has mellowed the man who frequently refers to himself as both 'Gangsta Gibbs' and 'Freddie Corleone', look no further than the two tracks that bookend the record. While the final result is less cohesive, and could benefit from trimming two or three songs, there’s no denying Gibbs’ versatility. A quick scan of the credits reveals the biggest difference between Shadow of a Doubt and his last LP-instead of one singular producer, there’s over a dozen wide-ranging names contributing beats here from Canadian hitmaker Boi-1da to 808 Mafia’s Tarentino. is back with his third full-length studio album. Now with little advance notice, and a raised middle finger to Q4 release schedules and anyone foolish enough to be making their best-of year-end lists early, the pride of Gary, Ind.

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