Freddie Gibbs Claims To Have Shot A Crackhead Nine Times — To Very Little Effect

Rappers often make braggadocious claims about their lives from before they picked up the mic. In fact, it could be argued that these claims are a large part of why many rap fans enjoy the genre, whether or not those big fish tales turn out to be true (Jadakiss’ 360-degree walls have become a favorite water cooler talking point on Twitter). However, every so often rappers say these things outside the context of their music, which somehow makes their boasts all the more outrageous and, in some cases, borderline problematic.

One of the kings of such statements is Freddie Gibbs. As a rapper whose primary inspiration seems to be his uninhibited, drug-dealing days in Gary, Indiana, Gibbs’ raps are often packed with shootouts, shady deals, and the sort of details that make US Prosecutors salivate at the thought of introducing lyrics in court (fortunately, they can’t). But during his appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast yesterday, Gibbs casually makes a claim that has fans doing double-takes.

“It’s a crackhead, back in the day,” he recalls. “I shot that n**** nine times with a TEC-9 and he kept running down the alley.”

It’s the sort of story that both begs more context and utter and absolute silence from the storyteller because as badly as we all want to know more, that’s exactly the sort of narrative that should remain on wax — not in a podcast, which isn’t protected by the same rules. Of all the questions that arise from Gibbs cavalier recollection, the one that hovers over the proceedings the lowest might just be: