Shadow of a Doubt

Freddie Gibbs - Shadow of a Doubt
Critic Score
Based on 14 reviews
2015 Ratings: #293 / 1021
User Score
Based on 541 ratings
2015 Rank: #378
Liked by 41 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

80
AllMusic

With his 2015 release, Shadow of a Doubt, the hooks, plus production, are on the same level as his rhymes.

80
NME
As Gibbs says: “‘Piñata’ was like I went in the gym with Madlib to train. Now I’m ready to box, like Apollo Creed.” The resulting album is a total knockout.
80
HipHopDX

Shadow of a Doubt isn’t Gibbs flipping to go pop, but a man secure enough in the foundation he has laid to take a leap of faith.

80
Exclaim!

While some may miss the soul and jazz chops of last year's collaborative Piñata, it's safe to say his solo risks have largely paid off.

80
The Guardian

Shadow of a Doubt is a wholly modern affair, featuring beats from Blair Norf and Jay Z’s go-to guy, Mike Dean, and on which Gibbs’s dextrous delivery is encased in minor-chord synths.

80
Record Collector
Gibbs clearly thrives on the challenges of collaboration though, and for this follow up album he’s spread the production duties far and wide. It’s a ruse which may have backfired but has resulted in his most cohesive effort yet.
79
Northern Transmissions
Though Gibbs’ personal life has got him smiling, his art is still soaked in aggro tones and topics. Some habits die hard, and if you’re as quality as Freddie Gibbs is right now, what’s the point in stopping?
78
Pitchfork

The cover artwork of Shadow of a Doubt might depict Gibbs’ face half-cloaked in darkness, but his roots and aspirations have never been clearer.

75
Consequence of Sound

Even with all its different sounds, Shadow of a Doubt leaves one clear impression: Freddie Gibbs is a restless artist who continues to find meaning in his Gary story and beyond, knowing that the details can prepare him for whatever comes next.

70
PopMatters

On Shadow of a Doubt, Gibbs the man takes a backseat to his words, to the stories he’s telling, to the past these songs get lost in.

70
The Line of Best Fit

While Shadow of a Doubt might not go down as one of his classics, it features more than enough quotables and street-smart truisms to be worth a few spins.

70
Crack Magazine

Shadow of a Doubt is the perfect example of Gibbs’s hard work and a refusal to rest on his laurels.

70
The Needle Drop
Freddie Gibbs comes through with a new project that's equally moody and grimy.
BartDaGoat
82

[ Freddie Gibbs' discography ranking 5/11]
Black Thought also is cheat code.
So this is in practice his first solo album as "ESGN" was album in style of Jay-Z "The Dynasty", label type album. After his magnum opus Gibbs try to do trap. Before he have made okay songs in this styles, but here he is much better. He rapping like on "The Miseducation..." and also sings here very well. Production from producers like Mike Dean, Kaytranada or Murda Beats is good. Not ... read more

Rollo_P
81

The last fully-realized project we heard from Gibbs before he got detained in Europe on a rape charge - never a fun day to wake up and find out one of your heroes is a monster, ya know? Thankfully, he was acquitted of all charges, which allowed for myself and many other of his nervous fans to let out a sigh of relief and continue on in enjoying his material, including Shadow Of A Doubt. Just please don't use his experience as a way to slander real victims of sexual assault, that's rancid and ... read more

sweaty_ballz
70

It's not really a testament to his skills, but it's still a solid trap album. His singing can often be mediocre, but sometimes it works. The beats are good, but some are really generic and boring. And Freddie doesn't really have any outstanding verses. But some of these songs are really good.

KINGKUNTA
69

One of Freddie's worst

TheNBoy76
82

Ya'll be sleepin on my boy, this shit has Basketball Wives and is still great

JOJO_Br
70

"Shadow of a Doubt" representa um esforço sólido de Freddie Gibbs para continuar sua ascensão no cenário do rap. O álbum exibe a habilidade lírica e a presença vocal distintiva de Gibbs, destacando sua versatilidade e capacidade de explorar uma variedade de temas.

Ao longo do projeto, Gibbs entrega letras afiadas e introspectivas, abordando questões como sua ascensão ao estrelato, as complexidades da vida nas ruas e ... read more

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Track List

1Rearview
3:57
83
2Narcos
3:07
81
3Careless
3:46
82
4Fuckin' up the Count
3:21
85
5Extradite
4:39
92
6McDuck
3:28
79
7Mexico
4:12
67
8Packages
3:48
63
910 Times
3:30
68
10Lately
3:55
77
11Basketball Wives
4:09
49
12Forever and a Day
4:36
83
13Insecurities
4:26
77
14Freddie Gordy
3:51
81
15Cold Ass Nigga
3:53
61
Total Length: 58 minutes

Year End Lists

#45/Pigeons & Planes
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Added on: October 29, 2015