”Pariah” Finds Gibby Stites Making Mental Health Music (EP Review)
Millville, New Jersey emcee/producer Gibby Stites coming off the 4th installment of the Family Tree series with a new EP. Getting his start in the music industry over a decade ago off his first 2 mixtapes Gillmatic & Broke n Local, he wouldn’t catch my attention until performing a set during Netfest On Your Couch during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns. Later that fall, he signed to Majik Ninja Entertainment & I had the honor of interviewing him shortly after the deal was made public. The 13th Wonder pretty much showcased Gibby to the juggalos as Jamie Madrox’ protégé & Welcome to iLLViLLE several months later took listeners through exactly where he comes from, but decided not to renew his MNE contract to form his own label iLLViLLE Worldwide shortly after. Off Air from last summer marked his return behind the boards after 5 years & is so far my favorite thing he’s done since leaving Majik Ninja, so I was interested in Pariah after being announced a couple months ago.
The title track gets the ball rolling with a somberly self-produced trap instrumental talking about why he sets it off & that they won’t ever stop him whereas “Memory Card” works in a guitar & hi-hats admitting that he really doesn’t give a fuck about a brand. “Swerve” keeps the dreary trap vibes going hittin’ ‘em with the cold facts prior to “Real Life” featuring Lingo brings a summery atmosphere to the table talking about layin’ down more personal subject matter.
“The Business” featuring EnzoHard incorporates this orchestral sample from DJ Emaculate with kicks & snares as both of them discuss going up in the music industry essentially just before “Eastside 3.0” ominously represents the East Coast for 3 minutes. “Suffocate” closes Pariah by fusing trap & rock confessing that it doesn’t hurt him to say the space in his heart nowadays has turned vacant.
Juggalos are generally divided when it comes to Gibby Stites, yet it’s undeniable to me that this EP has to be one of the most meaningful entries in his discography. The production altogether is generally more mellow than anything he’s put out in the past & it has an interesting mental health concept throughout except it’s coming from his own perspective.
Score: 8/10
