Alfredo 2 Album Review: The Alchemist and Freddie Gibbs Peak on Sequel Album

Alfredo 2 Album Review: The Alchemist and Freddie Gibbs Peak on Sequel Album

By Dylan Barbee

Courtesy of Apple Music

Release Date: 7/25/2025

It’s been half a decade since rapper Freddie Gibbs and producer The Alchemist released their Grammy-nominated album Alfredo. The collaboration album is still highly regarded in hip-hop today, with its dark and gritty Italian mafia tone still making a memorable listen. Many songs from Alfredo are still heavy in my music rotation, so when I heard that the duo was reuniting for Alfredo 2 with the release of the intro track “1995” and a short film on YouTube, I was buzzing with anticipation.

On Alfredo 2, the notable duo musically takes us to the streets of Shibuya with a Yakuza aesthetic being brought to life with The Alchemist’s hazy and atmospheric production style throughout. The late night in the streets of Shubiya vibe lasts for 14 songs spanning to a near flawless 48 minutes and coexists perfectly with Freddie Gibbs’ aggressive lyricism as he tells a story about self-reconciliation. The harmonious blend of the two veteran artists who are masters at their craft makes Alfredo 2 the best album of the year so far.

Each beat transitions into one another, illustrating a journey of self-determination for both Freddie and The Alchemist as they celebrate their strong partnership with each other as musical collaborators. This is high-quality music with carefully curated production and natural uses of sampling that is a gritty but expensive story that serves best when listened to from front to back. 

On songs like “Mar-a-Lago” and “Ensalada” at the beginning of the tracklist, Freddie Gibbs is just effortlessly weaves in-and-out of the pockets within The Alchemist’s beats while venting about his ongoing paranoia, comparing it to his upbringing to his recently newfound life of fame. “I reminisce on what the shit done done to me, A lotta white sheet, yellow tape dreams, When your life a nightmare, you can’t dream, So instead of runnin’ tryin’ to chase dreams, I was making sure the safe clean,” Freddie raps on “Ensalada,” featuring Anderson .Paak and The Alchemist, as the trio’s chemistry allows Freddie to flourish lyrically when talking about how his hustle mentality he adopted in Gary, Indiana, remains with him today. Although Freddie made it out of Gary and lives a completely different life now, he also can’t escape his vivid memories of trauma.

Another thought-provoking listen on Alfredo 2 is “Skinny Suge II,” which is a sequel to one of my favorite Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist songs, “Skinny Suge” on the first Alfredo. The Alchemist’s immediate use of heavy-hitting drums overlapped with a sci-fi-like synth makes “Skinny Suge II” one of the best beats on the sequel album. In addition, Freddie’s lyricism and messaging echo its predecessor as the rapper compares himself to the infamous Death Row Records founder Suge Knight, who was known for his violent nature and dominant reputation in the hip-hop industry. 

On “Skinny Suge II,” Freddie Gibbs makes callbacks to 2Pac’s career as well, one of Death Row Records' most successful artists. Lyrics are referencing the song “If I Die 2nite” and 2Pac’s final album under the name Makaveli called “The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory,” claiming the industry crucified him just like it did to 2Pac. Freddie Gibbs mentions retiring from hip-hop, claiming it's a dangerous genre to work in compared to other genres. “I put some money up ‘cause this rapper shit might never last, Wanna go hang it up, I’ve seen too many rapper **** pass, ****’ll hit you up, so every rap I spit could be my last, Really don’t give a f***, they want the clout, it ain’t about the cash,” Freddie raps on “Skinny Suge II.”

This is not the only time Freddie Gibbs has wrestled with his love for the rap game, as his last album, You Only Die 1nce, was about the same subject matter. In the short film that The Alchemist and Freddie Gibbs released on YouTube before Alfredo 2’s release, much of the story is The Alchemist convincing Freddie Gibbs to come back to doing what he is good at after a long hiatus in the mountains with a sensei, a reference to Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins hence is why Freddie calls himself the “Black Bruce Wayne,” on the final song “A Thousand Mountains.” 

The film and the album, at their core, are a story about self-reconciliation and realizing your true purpose despite the traumas that may weigh you down psychologically from your past. This is why the album’s complementary film emphasizes the Japanese word “Ikigae” and states that the word means “your reason for being,” and “the harmony of what you love or the skill that the world needs.” 

On “Jean Claude,” Freddie Gibbs references the Belgian martial artist over an addicting piano loop that rests upon compelling samples and drums while the rapper speaks about the mental toughness needed for a career in the music industry. “She loves me, she loves me not, The rap game don’t love nobody, You gotta get in and get out, Gotta get in and get hot, Gotta get in and get paid, You can walk away with nothing, So when it end, it’s a waste,” Freddie Gibbs raps on the song. 

“Jean Claude” transitions beautifully into my favorite and final song on Alfredo 2 “A Thousand Mountains,” after an Alchemist voice clip from the short film saying, “Just like you and I both know, even at the top of a f*** mountain, it’s always another peak.” The song consists of The Alchemist using harmonious flutes and drums on the beat, enabling Freddie Gibbs to flow lyrically as he talks about women, his success in rap and coming to peace about his role in the industry. Freddie acknowledges that he has already reached his peak as a rapper and debates over what he wants to do next. A part of him wants to keep proving himself and others wrong, and another part of him wants to “go get me a flute and just disappear in the mountains.”

In my opinion, this is the most refined both Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist has sounded yet. My only complaint about this album is Larry June’s weak feature on the song “Feeling.” However, despite this one minor flaw, Alfredo 2 is a masterpiece. Freddie Gibbs proves that he has not become a product of the environment he came from. The album’s predecessor Alfredo is a classic, and I love the music on that project, but this one is leagues ahead.

Overall, Alfredo 2 is a wise album with much experience and years of excellence behind it from both Freddie Gibss and The Alchemist, making it the best album of the year so far. 

Rating: 9.7/10