Watch the sweaty set.
Boiler Room is known for hosting crammed and sweaty events around the world, usually featuring an electronic DJ stationed in the middle a bustling crowd. However, on Tuesday night at London’s Giant Steps club, the guests were hip hop duo Freddie Gibbs & Madlib. Gibbs released his second collaborative project with the legendary producer, Bandana, in June, and it has been hailed by many as an early album the year contender.
One could’ve guessed that things were about to get crazy when Gibbs started out the set swigging from a half-empty bottle Hennessy. Halfway through, he pauses to share that he is “drunk as f***”. He also uses most the breaks between songs to start “f*** the police” chants and to encourage the crowd to give Madlib his proper respect. Throughout the set, Madlib remains his usual elusive self, intensely focused on his craft and never uttering a word. At one point, he jokingly grabs the mic from Gibbs, only to return it without saying anything. Gibbs – dressed in red overalls with no shirt underneath – drips sweat prusely as he raps his heart out. The duo also revisited some cuts f their 2014 project, Pinata, like “Higher” – which Gibbs spit a large portion it acapella over Madlib’s scratching.