ESGN

For the submarine component, seeElectrostatically Supported Gyro Navigator.

For other uses, seeESGN (disambiguation).

ESGN (Evil Seeds Grow Naturally)is the debutstudio albumby American rapperFreddie Gibbs.The album was released on June 19, 2013, by ESGN andEmpire Distribution.The album featuresguest appearancesfromDaz Dillinger,Spice 1,Jay Rock,G-Wiz, Hit "Skrewface", Big Kill, Lil Sodi,Problem,Y.B., D-Edge, G.I. Fleezy andBJ the Chicago Kid.

ESGN
Studio albumby Freddie Gibbs
Released	June 19, 2013
Recorded	2012–13
Genre	Hip hop
Length	75:56
Label	ESGN Empire
Producer	Lord Zedd Lifted League of Starz Big Jerm Sayez J Reese Willie B The Colleagues SMKA SAP GMF Cardo Tone Mason Like O Fire & Ice Superville
Freddie Gibbschronology
Baby Face Killa (2012) ESGN (2013) Deeper EP (2013)
SinglesfromESGN
"One Eighty Seven" Released: June 11, 2013

Background

On March 23, 2013, the first song from the album titled "The Color Purple" was released.In an April 2013, interview withHipHopDX,Freddie Gibbsspoke about when the album would be released, saying:

I'm 'bout to drop thatESGNalbum probably in June for the summer time, just to hold niggas over before we drop thatCocaine Piñatawith Madlib.ESGNis gonna be me, G-Wiz, D-Edge, Hit Screwface, G.I. Fleezy and Big Kill. We putting that shit together right now. It's gonna be kind of on that Jay-ZDynasty: [Roc La Familia]type shit. I got a lot of records that I like. We're gonna fuse that thing together and make that shit work to show what we're working with collectively. Basically, this album gave me a chance to breathe and breathe fire on mothafuckas I’ve been wanting to breathe fire on. So it’s really giving me a little outlet right now. Once I whack niggas on this mothafuckin' album then I'm gonna fall back on they ass and just chill for the summertime, get my dick sucked and drink drinks with umbrellas and shit in them, nigga. Just like Tony Soprano said, niggas is getting wacked. Niggas is getting clipped. This album is strictly for niggas that's getting they nuts clipped.

On May 14, 2013,Freddie Gibbsannounced that his debut albumESGNwould be released in July.On May 27, 2013, he announced on hisTwitteraccount that the album would be released on July 9, 2013.On June 11, 2013, the first single from the album "One Eighty Seven" featuring Problem was released.On June 13, 2013, the second song from the album "Freddie Soprano" was released.On June 17, 2013, the music video was released for "Eastside Moonwalker".The album was later released three weeks before its original July 9, release date on June 20, 2013.On July 1, 2013, the music video was released for "Lay It Down".On July 15, 2013, the music video was released for "Have U Seen Her" featuring Hit Screwface.On August 26, 2013, the music video was released for "The Real G Money".On January 8, 2014, the music video was released for "One Eighty Seven" featuringProblem.

Music, songs and lyrics

In June 2013, during an interview withXXL,Freddie Gibbspreviewed the album.He spoke about "Eastside Moonwalker", saying: "That's one of the dopest tracks. Shout out to GMF. He produced that. It's showing people that I'm the staple of the game when it comes to Gary [Indiana]. Michael Jackson is dead, so I gotta pick up the torch and run with it for my city. Actually, I am the only person grabbing it. I am just doing what I got to do. I'm the eastside moonwalker. I stay high, baby."He also spoke about "Freddie Soprano", saying: "That's the definitive verse from the album. Basically, telling y'all what it is. How I feel about what's what."He spoke about "F.A.M.E." which featuresDaz DillingerandSpice 1,saying: "[The acronym stands for] 'Fuck All My Enemies'. You know who I am talking about. If you an enemy—fuck you. I grew up listening to Daz and Spice-1. If it wasn't for guys like that, I wouldn't be rapping. Any project I do, I try to pay homage to guys that I respect. Last project I fucked with Jadakiss. He's one of the guys that when I came up, I came up listening to. He's still an athlete in this game. He's still one of the best in it. He don't get his credit. I always try to pay homage to the guys that were instrumental in my career with me coming up. That's why I linked up with Daz and Spice-1. [This is a diss] track to anybody who want it. If the shoe fits, wear it. I'm talking shit about all of you niggas. If the shoe fits, wear it. If you pick up the shoe and you put it on. You want to take to Twitter and you want to get on your track and say something about Freddie Gibbs, make sure you got your hardhat on."He spoke about "Lay It Down" which is produced by Willie B, saying: "Shout out to Willie B. He fuck with Jay Rock and them. He produced that shit. That's one of them hard-hitting joints. It's going straight to the point. Lay it down. That's a robbing song."He also spoke about "Have U Seen Her" which features Hit Skrewface, saying: "This is featuring my boy Screwface. SMKA, they produced that. That's one of them bangers. It's hard."

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	73/100
Review scores
Source	Rating
Consequence of Sound
HipHopDX
Pitchfork Media	6.9/10
PopMatters	7/10
XXL	(L)

ESGNreceived generally positive reviews frommusic critics.AtMetacritic,which assigns aweightedrating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received anaveragescore of 73, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", based on 5 reviews.Anthony Asencio ofHipHopDXgave the album three and a half stars out of five, saying "Ultimately,ESGNmay not be a cultural event. It doesn't introduce a new sound, nor does it feature many moments we haven't heard before. Yet what makes this album important are all the reasons Hip Hop needs Freddie Gibbs. On any one album, he can give you pieces of Tupac, UGK, Three 6 Mafia, and blend them into a harmony that would make Bone Thugs-n-Harmony proud. And on that point, ESGN is a massive success. "Chris Mench ofXXLgave the album an L, saying "None of this criticism is to say thatESGNis a bad album. Freddie is a talented rapper with great flow and a wise selection of collaborators, and many songs are individually effective. Rather, it is simply an album that lacks a clear perspective on the many heavy topics it tackles. A first time listener may walk away feeling very familiar with Freddie Gibbs' sound, but still unsure of who exactly he is. "David Amidon ofPopMattersgave the album a seven out of ten, saying "For those hip-hop fans forever in pursuit of the latest glass-shattering bass and semi-auto mob rules,ESGNis likely 2013's flagship release. This is Gibbs' deep breath; let's see what direction he takes off running in next. "

Chris Bosman ofConsequence of Soundgave the album four out of five stars, saying "Gibbs' EPs and mixtapes tend to run long, andESGN– at 19 tracks – is no exception. The length is a weakness. The bleakness of Gibbs' world, even when it's going well, can leave you gasping. The shock is somewhat lost in the number of tracks. In the scheme of the album, it's a minor quibble.ESGNdigs new paths through rap's hallowed grounds. It may not be the crossover success that those who ride for Gibbs would love to see, but it doesn't diminish this excellent record. "Jonah Bromwich ofPitchforkgave the album a 6.9 out of 10, saying "On" Hundred Thousand ", Gibbs supplies a perfect—and, true to form, concise—review ofESGNhimself. "Ain't trying to be the man, just trying to maintain." Calling an album "more of the same" sounds dismissive but it's something that fans are often happy to receive and there are those for whom 20 tracks of Gibbs rapping nearly perfectly will be enough. But for everyone else,ESGNcomes as an unwelcome reversion to the mean. It's the sound of a rapper more than happy to maintain his narrow lane after being burned by the industry, one who's lost the ambition to leave his comfort zone, at least for the time being. "

Track listing

No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Lil' Sodi"	Lord Zedd	1:52
2.	"The Real G Money"	Lifted	3:11
3.	"Came Up"	Lord Zedd	3:46
4.	"Hundred Thousand" (featuring G-Wiz and Hit Skrewface)	League of Starz	3:19
5.	"D.O.A." (featuring G-Wiz and Big Kill)	Big Jerm Sayez J Reese	3:12
6.	"Lay It Down"	Willie B	3:17
7.	"I Seen a Man Die" (featuring Lil' Sodi)	The Colleagues	3:38
8.	"Have U Seen Her" (featuring Hit Skrewface)	SMKA	4:01
9.	"One Eighty Seven" (featuringProblem)	SAP	3:29
10.	"Eastside Moonwalker"	GMF	2:46
11.	"F.A.M.E." (featuringDaz DillingerandSpice 1)	Cardo	4:14
12.	"Paper" (featuring Y.B.)	Lifted	5:32
13.	"The Color Purple"	Tone Mason	3:45
14.	"Certified Live" (featuring G-Wiz andJay Rock)	Lifted	3:24
15.	"Ten Packs of Backwoods" (featuring D-Edge)	Big Jerm Sayez	3:13
16.	"Dope in My Styrofoam" (featuring G-Wiz and G.I. Fleezy)	Like O	4:12
17.	"9mm" (featuring G.I. Fleezy and G-Wiz)	Fire & Ice	4:28
18.	"Lose Control" (featuringBJ the Chicago Kid)	Superville	5:53
19.	"Freddie Soprano"	Big Jerm Sayez	3:56
20.	"Murda Dem" (featuring G.I. Fleezy and Big Kill)(iTunesBonus)	Fire & Ice	4:48
Total length:			75:56

Charts

Chart (2013)	Peak position
USHeatseekers Albums(Billboard)	8