Playing Catch-Up With DJ Khaled and Statik Selektah Pt. II

Patreon subscribers already know about the ridiculous side project I've taken on on top of everything else I do on these damn sites (what can I say, being buried in work sometimes makes me feel comfortable - I know, my brain is broken): track-by-track, essay-length analysis of each album released by DJ Khaled and Statik Selektah. With these dueling series I intend to draw parallels between the two "disc jockeys" (I put that in quotes because only Statik actually works as a DJ these days) and their shared mission of delivering entertaining, engaging music while exposing as many of their famous friends to their respective audiences as humanly possible. Also, the catalogs of both men act as a who's who of their respective versions of our chosen genre for whatever year their projects were released, fascinating time capsules into what each believed hip hop sounded like in that moment.

Playing Catch-Up With DJ Khaled and Statik Selektah

 

Patreon subscribers already know about the ridiculous side project I've taken on on top of everything else I do on these damn sites (what can I say, I like to keep busy): track-by-track, essay-length analysis of each album released by DJ Khaled and Statik Selektah. With these dueling series I intend to draw parallels between the two "disc jockeys" (I put that in quotes because only Statik actually works as a DJ these days) and their shared mission of delivering entertaining, engaging music while exposing as many of their famous friends to their respective audiences as humanly possible. Also, the catalogs of both men act as a who's who of their respective versions of our chosen genre for whatever year their projects were released, fascinating time capsules into what each thought hip hop sounded like in that moment.

My Gut Reaction: Freddie Gibbs + Statik Selektah - Lord Giveth, Lord Taketh Away (June 24, 2011)

Back in 2011, Fredward Gibbs was sitting pretty as a blogger favorite in our chosen genre, as his mixtape game had taken off and his career was (finally) taking off after a false start at Interscope. Not one to rest on his laurels, however, he did what any artist should do: he attempted to expand his horizons. To that end, he made a temporary side trip to New York to work with producer-slash-deejay Statik Selektah, a dude who is very vocal about trying to extend the shelf life of boom bap for the younger generation.