Midwest gangsta rap poet laureate [lastfm]Freddie Gibbs[/lastfm] is out to save hip hop. Counting [lastfm]2Pac[/lastfm], [lastfm]Notorious B.I.G.[/lastfm] and [lastfm]Bone Thugs N Harmony[/lastfm] as major influences, ‘Gangsta Gibbs’ is carrying the gangsta rap torch into the new millennium.

His new single “Stripes (Run DMC)” featuring like-minded artist [lastfm]Young Jeezy[/lastfm] (aka The Snowman) is another great addition to his rapidly-growing catalog.

“Rap is for divas,” Gibbs claims on his new album St8 Killa, his first major label release. After being tossed around for a while by labels, Gibbs decided to take the underground route to the top, releasing a string of unstoppable mixtapes, starting in 2009 with the now-classic The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs.

His songs tell the story of his life coming up in the streets of hometown Gary, Indiana, portraying the social complexities of pursuing the American Dream in a forgotten middle American city. There’s no glamour in his message, just hustle.

Download a free MP3 of Freddie Gibbs featuring Young Jeezy’s “Stripes (Run DMC)” – available for a 24-hour period.