Game On – Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist Drop “A Thousand Mountains” and Launch Retro Fighter
Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist Keep Climbing with “A Thousand Mountains” and Alfredo II: The Game
When Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist released Alfredo back in 2020, it didn’t just hit , it landed with weight. Fast-forward five years, and their follow-up project Alfredo 2 has arrived with both artistic ambition and real-world momentum. The album just debuted at #28 on the UK Official Albums Chart, the highest chart position to date for either artist in the region , a FAULTLess reminder that slow and steady evolution often pays off in bigger waves than viral hype.
Alongside the album rollout, the duo has unveiled the video for “A Thousand Mountains,” directed by Nick Walker. The visuals lean heavily into the cinematic world introduced by Alfredo: The Movie, which dropped alongside the album. Set in a moody, stylised Tokyo, the film,and now, the video,presents Gibbs and Alchemist as ramen-slinging criminal antiheroes: think Ghost Dog meets Midnight Diner, if both had boom bap soundtracks. The concept might be playful, but the execution is anything but half-baked.
The release of “A Thousand Mountains” also coincides with Alfredo II: The Game,a retro-inspired browser fighter that lets fans take control of Freddie or Alchemist in a pixelated brawl, all while streaming tracks from the new record. It’s a smart expansion of the Alfredo universe, tapping into nostalgia without losing sight of what keeps this duo current: tight storytelling, punchline-dense lyricism, and atmospheric beats that feel more like scored cinema than backing tracks.
While Gibbs handles bars like a technician, The Alchemist remains peerless behind the boards. Since Alfredo, he’s been on a relentless run,crafting albums with everyone from Boldy James and Larry June to MIKE and Erykah Badu. He’s still the underground’s most respected collaborator and its most reliable innovator, threading lo-fi dust with moments of luxury and unpredictability.
As for Gibbs, his rise has been more than musical. He’s continued carving out a lane in film and TV, bringing the same raw emotional depth to the screen as he does to his records. There’s a balance to his career now: between street realism and artistic experimentation, between underground ethos and mainstream success. That duality fuels the world of Alfredo 2,a place where noodles boil slowly and every beat carries the weight of intention.
For all the multimedia embellishments,the film, the game, the lore,the core of Alfredo 2 remains what it always was: a rap album that rewards close listening and long-term investment. It’s textured, refined, and full of replay value. And with “1995” now added to BBC Radio 6 Music’s A List, this might just be the moment Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist step out of cult status and into something even more expansive.
For those who’ve followed Gibbs and Alchemist over the years, Alfredo 2 feels like a natural progression. For new listeners, it’s a fully-formed world to get lost in.