Freddie Gibbs And Madlib: Tiny Desk Concert

This Freddie Gibbs and Madlib Tiny Desk performance was a year in the making, largely because Madlib insisted on playing with El Michels Affair, a vintage funk and soul band based out of New York. But it was worth the wait. When pianist Marco Benevento opened with a delicate, almost jazzy run, it created the perfect opening and juxtaposition for hardhitting emcee, Gibbs to jump in and ride the hell out of that beat. From the moment they launched into Education, a cut off the latest MadGibbs project Bandana, it was obvious Gibbs has spent countless hours honing his style. Meanwhile, Madlib, an enigmatic and reclusive producer known for his analog headnodders, brought along a small thunder tube and vintage electric bongos circa 1960. Just getting a chance to see him ignited excitement in the NPR crowd. But the conclusive jam in this killer set was Freestyle S, a track that drips with the smoothness of satin and swagger of the seventies. It and the rest of the set elevated the room for both longti