Azizi Gibson
Azizi Gibson was born to a military family, and spent most of his childhood moving around the world. He was born in Frankfurt, Germany but soon after moved to Zaire, Singapore, and Thailand before coming to the States. During the fifth grade his family moved from Thailand to Annapolis, Maryland where he lived until he started college. After a few years at Saint John's College, he dropped out and moved from Annapolis all the way to Los Angeles.
Azizi Gibson had been exposed to rap his whole life, and at the age of three he was videotaped freestyling. You could say his recording career started early, but it really didn’t begin until a chance meeting while ‘couch-surfing’ at a friend’s apartment. Azizi spent time hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Lucky for him, while he was working out at his gym, he recognized a guy running on the treadmill was the recording artist Flying Lotus who was also the founder of the independent record label Brainfeeder. He immediately approached him, and told him that he too was a musician and he was really happy to meet Flying Lotus. They exchanged emails and later the same day Azizi tried without success to email him his mixtape. Luck was on his side when he ran into Flying Lotus and this time he had a copy of his mixtape on him. Later the same day Aziz got a call from Flying Lotus saying that he loved his work, and that they should meet up some time. It didn’t take long for Flying Lotus to sign Azizi and launch his recording career with the Brainfeeder label. While under contract with the label, he put out two albums Backwards Books and The Last. Both of these albums are in my top ten favorites of all time.
Azizi Gibson had been exposed to rap his whole life, and at the age of three he was videotaped freestyling. You could say his recording career started early, but it really didn’t begin until a chance meeting while ‘couch-surfing’ at a friend’s apartment. Azizi spent time hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Lucky for him, while he was working out at his gym, he recognized a guy running on the treadmill was the recording artist Flying Lotus who was also the founder of the independent record label Brainfeeder. He immediately approached him, and told him that he too was a musician and he was really happy to meet Flying Lotus. They exchanged emails and later the same day Azizi tried without success to email him his mixtape. Luck was on his side when he ran into Flying Lotus and this time he had a copy of his mixtape on him. Later the same day Aziz got a call from Flying Lotus saying that he loved his work, and that they should meet up some time. It didn’t take long for Flying Lotus to sign Azizi and launch his recording career with the Brainfeeder label. While under contract with the label, he put out two albums Backwards Books and The Last. Both of these albums are in my top ten favorites of all time.
Backwards Books
I have to say that Backwards Books, Azizi’s first project with the Brainfeeder label is my top choice. It is tough to choose but this one has stayed at the top of my favorite album lists through the many changes in my musical tastes. I have always been able to come back to this album and enjoy it. For a rapper so young and inexperienced, his ability to spit beautiful lyrical and flowy verses with complete control is amazing. His lyrics are great, extremely engaging and upbeat. Aside from that the real reason that I listen to this album is that it has the most amazing beats. The production on this album is some of the best that I have ever heard, and the variety is mind-blowing to have beats as hard hitting as the beats on Angel Assassins and slower and deeper but just as intense beats like on Backwards Books is ridiculous. I never get tired of this album because every song is unique and every song is worth listening to.
Some of my favorite songs on this album are
The Last
In the middle of 2015 Azizi dropped an unannounced free album, it was his first project since Backwards Books. His followers were elated when they were surprised with a brand new album from one of their favorite rappers but it only got better when they listened to it. Like his previous albums The Last was full of amazing beats, in fact I would venture to say that his production is consistently the best of any other artist that I have heard. But he also has a rare Azizi track where he slows it down and takes away the heavy beats that are in all the rest of his music, this track is Bad Habbits. In the song Bad Habits, Aziz raps about how he is running away from love, and going from girl to girl without ever creating a lasting relationship because he doesn't want to open himself up to another person. This shows a completely different side of Azizi and because of this Bad Habits is one of my favorite songs of all time. Overall this is one of my favorite albums and anyone that appreciates rap should listen to it.
Some of my favorite tracks from the last are
Some of my favorite tracks from the last are