Piñata
(2014)“The unlikely pairing that became a modern classic”
Gibbs's street-level gangsta rap over Madlib's crate-digging soul loops looked like a mismatch on paper; on record it sounds inevitable. Built over three years and preceded by the Thuggin', Shame and Deeper EPs, Piñata is entirely produced by Madlib and stacked with guests — Raekwon, Scarface, Danny Brown, Earl Sweatshirt, Ab-Soul, Domo Genesis and Mac Miller. It scored 82 on Metacritic, and Pitchfork argued that the duo's shared uncompromising streak erased any audience divide.
Why it ranks here
Gibbs's street-level gangsta rap over Madlib's crate-digging soul loops looked like a mismatch on paper; on record it sounds inevitable. Built over three years and preceded by the Thuggin', Shame and Deeper EPs, Piñata is entirely produced by Madlib and stacked with guests — Raekwon, Scarface, Danny Brown, Earl Sweatshirt, Ab-Soul, Domo Genesis and Mac Miller. It scored 82 on Metacritic, and Pitchfork argued that the duo's shared uncompromising streak erased any audience divide.
Context
His first collaborative album with Madlib, released March 18, 2014 on Madlib Invazion. It debuted at No. 39 on the Billboard 200, his first entry on the chart.
Highlights
- Thuggin'
- Harold's
- Knicks
- Deeper
- Real
Weak Spots
- Seventeen tracks and an hour long
- Consequence felt it drags a little in the final stretch
Production
Madlib
Influence
Turned Gibbs from a respected mixtape rapper into an underground headliner and made producer-and-rapper albums fashionable again.
Replay Value
Very high — Madlib's loops never wear out.