Freddie Gibbs is an outspoken guy. Every time we speak with him, he’s got plenty to say about your favorite rapper. He recently stopped by the Complex office, and more than lived up to his rep. We asked him about his recent EP The Lord Giveth, The Lord Taketh Away with Statik Seletah, his upcoming mixtape Cold Day In Hell, and signing to Young Jeezy’s CTE.

We were also eager to find out what happened when he ran into Lil Wayne, Lil B, and DJ Khaled after taking shots at them in previous interviews. If that wasn’t enough, Gibbs also divulged details about the last fight he got into, gave thoughts on rappers like Drake throwing up gang signs, and spoke about how Big Sean and Wale’s music belong in the lost and found box...

Interview by Insanul Ahmed (@Incilin)

[Freddie Gibbs is reading Complex’s June/July issue with Rick Ross and Andy Samberg on the cover]

Enjoying the magazine?
Just looking at these goofy ass Maybach Music dudes.

What’s wrong with Maybach Music?
I don’t got no problem with Maybach, I like Maybachs. I can’t afford one.

I meant Maybach Music.
Ohh, Maybach Music. [Mumbles.]

You’re not a fan?
I bump CTE. I bump Young Jeezy.

What about your friend Pill?
I ain’t got a problem with Pill.

But you don’t bump his music anymore?
Do I bump Pill’s music anymore? I still bump Pill. I don’t want people thinking I got a problem with Pill.

Do you like “Pacman?”
“Pacman?” That’s the name of his song? I ain’t heard that shit. I like Pill’s old shit man.

Like “Trap Goin’ Ham”?
Yeah, I like that shit. He’s got that song “Coastin’” that I really like. So yeah I fuck with Pill.

We’ll come back to that in a minute.
Nah, fuck that, let’s talk about it! Nah, I’m just playing. [Laughs.]

I actually want to talk about CTE—
—You want to talk about Maybach Music Group?

[Laughs.] No, I know you want to talk about CTE.
­­Yeah, definitely.

Gibbs talks about signing with Jeezy

You’ve always talked about how you used to be on Interscope and how you’ve been through a lot of label drama. Was there any hesitation to sign to another label?
It’s always hesitation because you don’t know what they’ve got in store for you. It really takes trust. I had it in my mind that I wasn’t going into a situation unless I was getting what I wanted. I got what I wanted messing with Jeezy.

It wasn’t about no money or anything of that nature, it was just the fact that I feel I can take my music to the next level because that’s the most important thing. When people lose sight of that and get sidetracked by all of the other bullshit, it goes downhill. But as long as I keep the music and the shit in the lab first, I’ll be fine.

Is that why you trusted Jeezy?
Yeah. He had his own lane of music and I have my own lane. We combine the two, and I think that’s something great. That’s the main reason. Musically, that was my main focus. To be honest, I didn’t want to sign up under a rapper. I didn’t really want to do that because I can count the number of rappers I really respect on one hand. Probably with fingers missing.

You only respect three of four rappers?
Not no dudes I would sign under. But there’s rappers that I’ll fuck with and I’m cool with.

So there’s only a handful of rappers you would sign with.
Right. Not even handful, it’s a couple and Jeezy was one of them. And he gives me control of the shit I want to do. I don’t think CTE knew I was doing the Statik EP. They probably saw it on the Internet like everybody else. The thing is, I move. I don’t sit and wait for him to be like, “Hey man, do this.”

I learned that on my own when I was at Interscope. The mentality I had [back then was], “I’m signed. All I’ve gotta do is rap.” But [now I know] I need to put things in motion for myself. [At that time with Interscope], at the end of the day, they don’t give a fuck about you. You just a tax write-off.

But that’s not the situation at CTE. I’m not comparing the two because Interscope is a bunch of corporate motherfuckers and these is thug niggas. So it definitely ain’t the same situation. Everything Jeezy does is only going to enhance what I do.

And you mentioned there’s kind of a hesitation with signing to labels. The thing about Jeezy is that lately he’s been in a slump...
That’s what everybody says.

Did that influence your decision?
Nah, cause I ain’t sign with him cause he had the hottest song on the radio. That didn’t really matter to me. I already loved his music and respected him.

But is it fair to say he’s in a slump?
I’m not going to say he’s “in a slump.” I can say that he’s not as visible as other people. I mean shit, he’s got three platinum albums. Nigga probably took a break. A slump is if somebody is not making the same quality stuff. I think he’s still making the same quality stuff, but it might not be on the radio a hundred times an hour.

But he’s dropped three of four mixtapes and lots of singles.
I wouldn’t say he’s in a slump. I think he’s just been chilling, doing his thing, and gearing up for his TM103 album. The man’s been on the road doing shows. Every show I done been to with him has been a packed, crazy house. So shit, if you call that a slump, put me in a motherfucking slump.

When you signed to CTE, it was right after Ross signed a few people to MMG. It almost looked like a chess move on Jeezy’s part.
Yeah, it looked like that. But trust me, the shit we’re doing has nothing to do with the shit going on over there. It looked like that, but he ain’t trying to build no big Voltron robot to go against this nigga’s Voltron robot. It’s definitely not like that. It’s just thug niggas fucking with other real thug niggas.

CLICK NEXT TO SEE GIBBS TALK ABOUT HIS PAST SHOTS AT DJ KHALED, LIL WAYNE, & RICK ROSS