Freddie Gibbs and Madlib have returned with their first joint single since the two united for 2014’s probably classic album Piñata. “Flat Tummy Tea,” from their long-teased follow-up Bandana, finds Gibbs in mafioso mode: cooking heat, flipping packs, and smoking $50 blunts while donning jewelry befit for Egyptian royals. After Madlib’s beat flips from a noisy funk romp into something more spare, Gibbs turns reflective, contemplating Congress, prison, and overdoses, but concluding on a perfect fuck-you punchline, “Took the sword and knocked white Jesus off of that white horse.” The chemistry is still there, folks.
Bandana does not yet have a release date beyond “sometime this year,” but “Flat Tummy Tea” is currently available on a 12-inch via Rapcats. The single comes with three bonus beats and the for-now exclusive title track from the forthcoming album. You can pick that up here. The LP will be Gibbs’ first since last October’s Fetti, his collaboration with Curren$y and The Alchemist; he also released the excellent mixtape Freddie last June. The last full-length Madlib produced was 2015’s Bad Neighbor with M.E.D. and Blu.
Listen to “Flat Tummy Tea” below.
