''Deeper'' is the third EP by hip hop duo

MadGibbs Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, sometimes known as MadGibbs, is an American hip hop duo formed in San Francisco, California in 2011. The duo is composed of Gary, Indiana-based Freddie Gibbs rapping and Oxnard, California native Madlib producing. The du ...

, which consists of

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

rapper

Freddie Gibbs Fredrick Jamel Tipton (born June 14, 1982), better known by his stage name Freddie Gibbs, is an American rapper from Gary, Indiana. After initially being signed to Interscope Records in 2006, Gibbs recorded his debut studio album under the label ...

and

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

hip hop musician

Madlib Otis Jackson Jr. (born October 24, 1973), known professionally as Madlib, is an American DJ, music producer, multi-instrumentalist, and rapper. He is widely known for his collaborations with MF DOOM (as Madvillain), J Dilla (as Jaylib), and Fr ...

. It was released on September 24, 2013 through

Madlib Invazion Otis Jackson Jr. (born October 24, 1973), known professionally as Madlib, is an American DJ, music producer, multi-instrumentalist, and rapper. He is widely known for his collaborations with MF DOOM (as Madvillain), J Dilla (as Jaylib), and Fr ...

. Following up on their EPs '' Thuggin''' (2011) and ''

Shame Shame is an unpleasant self-conscious emotion often associated with negative self-evaluation; motivation to quit; and feelings of pain, exposure, distrust, powerlessness, and worthlessness. Definition Shame is a discrete, basic emotion, d ...

'' (2012), it serves as the final EP in the trilogy before the release of their full-length LP, ''Piñata'' (2014). On the EP, "Deeper" is an ode to hip hop in the mold of

Common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally com ...

's "

I Used to Love H.E.R. "I Used to Love H.E.R." is a hip hop song by the Chicago-born rapper Common Sense. Released on the 1994 album ''Resurrection'', "I Used to Love H.E.R." has since become one of Common's best known songs. Produced by No I.D., its jazzy beat samples ...

". Gibbs showcases the yin and yang of heartbreak and anger on the title track which is the tale of two men and the women that "cut them deep." The B-side, "Harold's", is a nostalgic ode to the famous

Harold's Chicken Shack Harold's Chicken Shack (also referred to as The Fried Chicken King, Harold's Chicken, or simply Harold's) is a popular fried chicken restaurant based in Chicago, Illinois. The chain operates primarily in Chicago's predominantly black communities ...

– most known for their Chicago locations, but also located in Gibbs' hometown of Gary, Indiana – that served as the backdrop to many of his seminal life experiences.

Music video

On June 3, 2014, Madlib Invazion published the title track's music video online. The clip, directed by Jonah Schwartz, forms a trilogy with the story begun with the two previous videos, "Thuggin'" and "Shame". On said "loose" trilogy story arc, Gibbs' is shown running a drug operation and spending time with his girlfriend, before being sent to prison for a lengthy period. Upon getting his freedom, Gibbs discovers that she has connected with another man in his absence, and also has a son, presumably his.

Critical response

The title track was well received by

music critic ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of mus ...

s and was considered as one of ''Piñata'''s standout tracks. For James Elliott, "Deeper" is a standout because of its "weightiness". Writing of Earmilk, Elliott described Freddie Gibbs' style as "deceptively simple, thanks to tsdirect and blunt nature." He explained that rather than overwhelming listeners with "metaphors piled atop metaphors," or sweeping them away "with allusions to ancient religious scrolls and nostalgic myths from the past", Gibbs chooses to give them "the story how it happened, painting a vivid image of his reality with stark simplicity." Elliott remarks that "Freddie Gibbs and Madlib are more than an odd couple, they are a great pair." He observed that "Deeper" contains both of their signature techniques: with Gibbs letting listeners understand his pain with bluntness and Madlib finding strange samples to creatively use in production." Michael K., writer for ''The Come Up Show'', highlighted Gibbs' "ability to flow so effortlessly over a story telling track," giving listeners "a record that knocks but also has substance", and claimed that he "always comes correct on the track and Madlib's production puts this effort over the top." Jordan Darville of Chart Attack noted that the EP's title track "gives a rare look at the softer side of Gangsta Gibbs, an on-mic persona known for his vociferous championing of his drug lord status and violent solutions. But here, he's heartbroken." He wrote that "Gibbs' effortless narrative does most of the legwork, though Madlib's warm soul beat provides a good dose of honeyed heartache."

Track listing

;Notes * All tracks are produced by

. * "Deeper" contains a sample of "A Fool For You" as performed by The Legends, used courtesy of Curtis McCormick.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Deeper EP 2013 EPs Freddie Gibbs albums Madlib albums Albums produced by Madlib