Fatherhood does strange things to men--their midsections bloat, their banks accounts drain, their Corvettes crash, their shitty garage rock bands break up. Freddie Gibbs isn't like most men. In his column for the LA WeeklyXXL contributor Jeff Weiss interviews the Gary, Indiana native about his new album and how the birth of his baby daughter, Irie, has changed his life. “I had 50 guns, now I have 100,” says Gibbs. “I’ve bought two guns for every month that she’s been alive. It’s brought out the protector in me.” Irie was welcomed in April; the rapper's fiancee is the daughter of former NFL running back (and Hall of Fame inductee) Eric Dickerson. Weiss also spoke to Gibbs about the remarkable run of success he's had since the dissolution of his Interscope deal. "I had a nightmare that I was mopping floors and that this Freddie Gibbs thing was all a dream," he laughs.

Though no title or date has been announced yet, Gibbs is working on a new album, heavy on 808 Mafia beats and technical, acrobatic rapping. The songs stand in stark contrast to Pinata, the 2014 album that paired him with legendary Oxnard producer Madlib. A favorite on critics' year-end list, Pinata merged Gibbs' trademark threats and crime narratives with odes to Los Angeles, small-time weed sales and his favorite chicken spots. Earlier this year, he dropped the three-song Pronto EP to considerable acclaim. His newest initiative aims to supply kids in his hometown with quality school supplies.

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