Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist’s no-frills approach to live hip-hop is a strong reflection of their dynamic on the Alfredo albums, with a straightforward focus on authentic, high-quality output without any histrionics. That fact is also what separates them from many of their peers, especially the younger ones.
On Sunday, September 21, the duo played the first of two sold-out nights at a smoke-filled, dimly lit Brooklyn Paramount, transforming the venue into Alfredo's Restaurant, featuring a black and red ramen shop-inspired stage design. The crowd was a mix of people of all backgrounds and ages, as well as a surprising number of women, eager to witness two masters of their craft deliver a masterful show.
The evening began with opening acts that fit Gibbs’ and Alchemist’s tastes. MAVI, a rapper with some fan overlap and Jalen Ngonda, a soul singer. MAVI quickly made the vibes clear, engaging the crowd in chants of “Free Palestine” and “F**k 12,” the latter of which Gibbs later echoed.
At 9:30 p.m., The Alchemist took the stage, using the Bernie Mac-sampling intro to "1985" to welcome the audience to Alfredo’s. Freddie Gibbs then appeared in a samurai-inspired robe to thunderous applause, launching into his verse. For the rest of the night, the stage lights shifted between purple and blue, keeping the focus squarely on Gibbs.
Freddie Gibbs Brings His A-Game
Early in his set, Gibbs shouted out the crowd, expressing that New York City would “set the tone” for their remaining tour dates. Seeing him go to work in person is awe-inspiring. His performance was a refreshing one, a throwback to a bygone era in its execution, with incredible breath control, never rapping over a vocal track or missing a lyric. He also showed off his dexterity with a capella versions of verses before getting into the standard versions of songs. For 90 minutes, it was nothing more than bars and beats, as God intended.
Aside from his technical prowess, Gibbs was also incredibly affable. He joked about being tired between songs and frequently shouted out Alchemist, who was both the DJ and hype man for the night. He even shared a lighthearted moment with a fan who yelled, "I love you." Gibbs responded in kind, but when the fan responded with “I love you more,” Gibbs playfully told them to "calm down.”
Gibbs and Alchemist bounced between the two albums for the first half, opening with the first three tracks from Alfredo and following with the first three from the sequel. Following “Lemon Pepper Steppers,” they deviated from the albums’ respective tracklists. Instead, they paired tracks that had similar sounds. “Baby $hit” and “Gold Feet” are the most “boom bap”-like songs on their respective albums, with similar drum patterns that both evoke feelings of New York’s most enduring hip-hop style. The midtempo wooziness of “Look At Me” feels like luxury, complementing the high-end atmosphere of the pianos on “Feeling.” The only Alfredo songs that didn’t make the final cut were “All Glass” and “Frank Lucas,” neither of which was missed, considering the setlist’s seamlessness.
Brooklyn Embraces The Alchemist As One Of Their Own
Despite his Beverly Hills origins, The Alchemist’s New York sound and collaborators (Mobb Deep, Action Bronson, etc.) have made him synonymous with the East Coast. As such, the Brooklyn audience gave him a hometown hero’s reception. Gibbs gave Alc a moment to shine at halftime. Alchemist spun the classics, including the iconic Jadakiss and Styles P track “We Gonna Make It,” which drew a massive roar from the crowd. The heavy bass lines and sample chops of Alchemist beats are perfect for a live setting, and dropping a New York anthem to the reception it received only solidified that. Later in the show, Alchemist came from behind the turntables for a performance of “Ferraris In The Rain Part 2,” going back and forth on the mic with Gibbs in a moment that highlighted his growth as a rapper after rarely doing so for most of the last 25 years.
Freddie Plays The Classics And Finishes Strong
After his brief intermission, The Alchemist transitioned into “Blackest In The Room,” where Freddie Gibbs gracefully picked up the baton without any loss of focus. He ran back the beginning of “Lavish Habits” to double down on dissing Akademiks and Gunna, drawing plenty of cheers. Gibbs then tested the crowd’s knowledge of his non-Alchemist catalogue by performing fan favorites like “Crime Pays,” “Thuggin’” and “Gang Signs,” at which point his young daughter ran on stage to join him for the remainder of the show. “Thuggin’” received one of the show’s loudest reactions, with the crowd emphatically rapping every word.
Gibbs closed his main set with “Ensalada,” calling it his favorite from Alfredo 2. The opening notes alone received the largest ovation of the night, and the crowd proceeded accordingly. They went completely bar-for-bar with Gibbs. Skipping Anderson .Paak’s hook would’ve been a crime, so they allowed the crowd to sing along, even if people didn’t get quite as loud as they could’ve. Once the pair left the stage, eagle-eyed attendees noticed that Alchemist never closed his laptop.
After a few minutes, they came back out for an encore. Gibbs performed “Jean Claude” and “A Thousand Mountains,” Alfredo 2’s last two songs, before actually concluding. The energy was not necessarily as high as when the set started, as some people cleared out after “Ensalada.” However, those who stayed through the encore still rapped along, with “Jean Claude” as the clear crowd favorite between the two.
Final Thoughts
Sometimes, the simplicity of a rapper and a DJ getting on stage and reminding fans that they are two of the very best in the game is the most effective performance strategy. Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist did just that, with the “old heads” highlighting the difference in performance quality to their younger peers, a bit of a recurring theme for most of 2025. Alfredo and its sequel feel like two men who know each other’s musical instincts and accentuate each other’s strengths while still keeping things mostly mellow.
On stage, everything is dialed up to 11. The pair showed each other a ton of mutual admiration, loudly and regularly hyping each other up, and allowing each other to shine. Gibbs is a captivating live rapper, while Alchemist continues to kill it on the boards. There was no reliance on large-scale sets or theatrics to hook the crowd, just the immense skills of both men, which is what hip-hop was built on. Let’s hope Alfredo 3 is on the way so we can run it back sooner than later.
