Sign In to rate and review
CRITIC REVIEWS
100
The chemistry between Madlib and Gibbs is perfect and there’s a timelessness to these songs that will make you think of raw black cinematic worlds such as Super Fly or Truck Turner.
100
The rapper-producer duo follow up Piñata with another cinematic series of street stories delivered with lyrical majesty.
100
As the culture is currently enamored with more rhythmic patterns than the meat on the bone, Freddie Gibbs and Madlib have undoubtedly proved they can compete without compromising their composition standards.
91
Bandana concentrates the grimy energy of Piñata into an even more potent punch, and the result is a knockout.
90
For all the giddy, unruly energy, each song on Bandana flows together to make a poetic, poignant body of work.
90
It is an exceptional modern hip-hop album unafraid of exploring the darker sides of the modern rap persona, all whilst creating a rich, textured sonic environment within which it can be best ingested.
90
Fans of this dynamic duo's fantastic prior collaborative album will surely be thrilled by this sequel, which exceeds expectations as an inarguable masterpiece.
90
Equal parts gritty and flamboyant, with Gibbs both reveling in the fruits of his labor and watching them rot his teeth, Bandana stands toe-to-toe with the likes of Hell Hath No Fury, Reasonable Doubt or any other gold standard of the format you could name.
90
An LP more rounded and more stirring than the excellent first one.
83
The first record was a grower, gradually establishing itself as one of the great producer-emcee efforts of the young millennium, but Bandana seems designed to dazzle, to assert a joint legacy.
82
I can't conceive of a rapper-producer duo who could curb each other's most extravagant impulses more than this one; accordingly, Bandana is not a second too long, not a sample too nostalgic and not a bar too rap-heavy.
82
Bandana may deal with some weighty topics throughout its 46-minute run time, but its impressive flow—both in Gibbs’ rapping and their well-thought-out tracklisting—leads to a compelling but relaxed listen.
81
On their second album as a duo, Madlib and Freddie Gibbs pull themselves deeper into one another’s worlds.
80
These are two men whose different styles, lives, and paths through the music industry are so divergent that when they come together, they create something completely unlike what they could do on their own. What results is one of the best and most interesting rap albums of the year.
80
Bandana, like Piñata before it, strikes me as deliberate and calculated, a realization of style that makes use of both artists’ backgrounds and techniques.
80
Bandana is exactly what you would expect out of these two master-craftsmen in the best way possible.
80
In an era of hazy, spineless mumble rap, it’s so refreshing to hear two insanely talented, forward-thinking hip-hop artists back in the saddle for another Schedule-I romp in the game. Dig it.
80
Freddie and Madlib continue to bring out the best in each other on Bandana.
80
Two things that are never in doubt throughout the record are Madlib’s absurd skill for combining amorphous instrumental textures with hard snapping drums and Gibbs’ ability to lord over any beat put before him.
80
The hip-hop production wizard and charismatic MC team up for another head-spinning album.
70
While Piñata felt like a “Freddie Gibbs & Madlib album,” Bandana is far more driven by the MC. Madlib’s beats contain his hallmarks of soul samples and general haziness, but he mostly acts as a conduit for Gibbs’ emotions.
70
At 16 tracks, it occasionally feels a touch too indulgent, but that’s easily forgiven when you wonder how many more records of this quality we might get if more of hip-hop’s key figures were as open-minded as these two.
70
Listeners are given consistency and quality throughout.
40
The ever creative Madlib chucks in everything he can find to dazzle the listener. When this coheres ... it’s sensational. Often his work sounds too dense to compete with mass-market trap, and struggles to support Gibbs’s gruff rhymes.
This is a rare occurrence: An album is hyped up to be absolutely fantastic, delivers on its promise, and everyone seems to agree. Revel in this, because who knows when AOTY.org will ever see something like it again.
Uh...hot take?
Holy Jesus. This is not just a popular release. This is THE popular release. Like, how critically acclaimed can a album be?!
The top rated album of 2019!
Apparently the best hip hop record since To Pimp A Butterfly!
A 'modern day classic'!
The next Madvillany, if not BETTER!
Jesus, did this album suck you guys/gals off and then give you a goddamn Ferrari? What the hell is so special here?
Granted, I was going into this record with pretty high hopes. Freddie Gibbs is ... read more
Edit: After giving it a few more listens, I think I may have overhyped it a bit. I loved it as much as I said for the first two or three listens, but since then this has worn off on me. I now find myself coming back to this a lot less than both Piñata and Madvillainy, and I find it difficult to actually convince myself to listen to it again. Still, this is a tremendous album and still one of the best to come out of the year so far.
Original Score: 94
Fuck Piñata. Fuck ... read more
Almost every bit as good as Piñata, with an extra bit of more modern flavors attached to it.
Bandana is the second full length record from rapper-producer duo Freddie Gibbs and Madlib, following their incredibly consistent 2014 release Piñata, a record of which I revere in it's sheer consistency and chemistry the duo have. So, 5 years pass, and we're now in 2019, and these guys drop another record, of which continues the momentum the duo had half a decade prior, but with some ... read more
Freddie Gibbs and Madlib are back together better than ever making great tracks and continuing to bring out the best in each other.
Track Rating:
Obrigado: 7/10
Freestyle Shit: 9/10
Half Manne Half Cocaine: 9/10
Crime Pays: 9/10
Massage Seats: 9/10
Palmolive: 9/10
Fake Names: 9/10
Flat Tummy Tea: 9/10
Situations: 7/10
Giannis: 9/10
Practice: 8/10
Cataracts: 9/10
Gat Damn: 8/10
Education: 9/10
Soul Right: 8/10
FAV SONG: Education, Crime Pays, or Freestyle Shit
LEAST FAV SONG: Situations
Contributions By
patton, Z.Younk, maksym26, teamguy100, Leo Aguilar, parent, domvic, Toasterqueen12, Kdthird3, anztec, EiDouVarg, Glitchy, Inflation, OPENblinds, okcomputer12127, MikeOwen, JoaoSantosBecome a Donor
Donor badge, no ads + more benefits.
Donor badge, no ads + more benefits.
Advertisement
Track List
| 1 | Obrigado 0:29 | 74 |
| 2 | Freestyle Shit 2:28 | 84 |
| 3 | Half Manne Half Cocaine 3:12 | 83 |
| 4 | Crime Pays 3:02 | 94 |
| 5 | Massage Seats 2:26 | 84 |
| 6 | Palmolive 4:05 feat. Pusha T, Killer Mike | 93 |
| 7 | Fake Names 3:44 | 91 |
| 8 | Flat Tummy Tea 2:34 | 87 |
| 9 | Situations 3:48 | 82 |
| 10 | Giannis 3:18 feat. Anderson .Paak | 90 |
| 11 | Practice 2:54 | 88 |
| 12 | Cataracts 3:39 | 91 |
| 13 | Gat Damn 2:50 | 80 |
| 14 | Education 4:22 feat. Yasiin Bey, Black Thought | 93 |
| 15 | Soul Right 3:26 | 86 |
Total Length: 46 minutes
Year End Lists
| #2 | / | Complex |
| #2 | / | Okayplayer |
| #4 | / | The A.V. Club |
| #5 | / | Passion of the Weiss |
| #6 | / | SPIN |
| #6 | / | Vulture |
| #10 | / | Obscure Sound |
| #11 | / | Gorilla vs. Bear |
| #11 | / | Northern Transmissions |
| #12 | / | Consequence of Sound |
More Lists
Sign in to comment
9mo
Don't let The Guardian giving this a 100 distract you from the fact that they gave pinata a 60... WOW, you don't need to like it but you know what you're doing is visible right?!?!
1y
Don't Guardians giving this a 100 distract that they gave pinata a 60... WOW, you don't need to like it but what is being done is visible right?!?!
Added on: February 21, 2019