Freddie Gibbs and Madlib released a new song, “Giannis” from their forthcoming record Bandana out June 28 (via Keep Cool/RCA Records and Madlib Invazion/ESGN). The song is named after Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo the all star NBA player that helped his parents immigrate to Greece from Nigeria.

Bandana is Gibbs and Madlib’s second album with songs, “Crime Pays” and “Flat Tummy Tea.” Gibbs signed with Young Jeezy’s CTE World and released a number of mixtapes before forming his own label, ESGN and releasing his debut studio album in June 2013. Since then, he has released four solo studio albums and one collaborative album with Madlib as MadGibbs.

In February 2019, Gibbs shared a clip with Madlib stating that they “Might put some shit out. Might. Thinking about it. We thinking about it.” Gibbs then shared on Instagram that the “Album is done. Finished. Finito.” They then released “Flat Tummy Tea” and announced Bandana is set to be released in 2019 through Keep Cool Records, RCA Records, Madlib Invazion, and ESGN.

In a Pitchfork article, Madlib’s beats are described as “dirty and spaced-out—theme music for the kind of kids who like rap, funk, and doing shrooms on the weekends.” Back then, producer James “J Dilla” Yancey was perhaps the only hip-hop producer who could navigate the mainstream and underground, crafting hypnotic tracks for Common, Erykah Badu, and A Tribe Called Quest while retaining an air of mystery.

Anderson .Paak just released a new single from his upcoming album Ventura. The track, “Make It Better,” premiered as Zane Lowe’s Beats World Record and features Motown legend Smokey Robinson. Paak has a tight relationship with legendary rapper and producer, Dr. Dre. Paak performed six songs on Dr. Dre’s 2015 album Compton and two on The Game’s The Documentary 2.5. Anderson’s success is on the rise, especially with his release of Oxnard and single “Bubblin” which he won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance

Gibbs gives back to his hometown by starting a GoFundMe to help School Supply Giveaway of Gary purchase school supplies for children in Gary, Indiana. He says, “Growing up in Gary there was little opportunity for a kid like me to make something of myself. Not having the basic supplies…left a lot of us with little motivation to do well in school and turned a lot of us to darker paths.”