In the history of annoying journalism clichés, no one's ever embodied a "rapper's rapper" as much as Freddie Gibbs. When he's not sharing vivid D-Boy recollections or laughing at fallen enemies, he'll make time to own it. Otherwise, critics like me will prescribe it for him, noting a gravelly baritone that emits intensity and the way his omni-directional flow agility is a perfect conduit for bars that can be as quippy as they are poignant. By my count, he's dropped at least three fringe classics — Piñata (2014), Bandana (2019), and Alfredo (2020). A sequel to 2017's You Only Live 2wice, the new You Only Live 1nce isn't one of his best, but it's still Freddie Gibbs, so it's great almost by default.