Freddie Gibbs Discussed Writing Music In Jail, And His Follow-Up To Piñata

In a new interview with Complex, Freddie Gibbs discussed writing his new album, You Only Live 2wice, while in an Austrian jail on charges of sexual assault. "Everything that I wanted to say I got it all out in this project," Gibbs said. It was recorded when he was out on bail awaiting trial. Gibbs was acquitted of all charges in September 2016.

The language barrier in Austria, as well as a sense he'd taken certain things for granted, led Gibbs to write constantly. "What else is there to motherfuckin’ read but my own raps? Fuck it, I’m gonna just rap—rap all day, rap all night, write raps." Despite his acquittal, Gibbs is still dealing with the stigma of the accusations - which he still emphatically denies - and their effects of his friendships. "I just gotta get my name back. I feel like a lot of people backed off of me because of this shit," he said.

Gibbs said he wrote three albums while incarcerated, including Bandana, the long-promised sequel to Piñata, his collaborative album with Madlib. No release date was mentioned, but Gibbs seemed excited about the material: "Y’all pretty much know that I’m about to drop the bomb with this Madlib shit."

The full interview also covers Gibbs's foray into the acting world, and his thoughts on Donald Trump becoming a trope in rap music. Read it here.