Abstract rapper and all-around creative Pink Siifu received a whole new level of attention with his 2021 studio album GUMBO’! . The album lives up to its title, not just due to the Southern sonic influences that Siifu incorporates but because of the litany of featured artists — everyone from Cincinnati up-and-comers like Devin Burgess to heavyweight producers The Alchemist and monte booker to Atlanta spoken word legend Big Rube. The Birmingham-born polymath recently announced a GUMBO’! Deluxe with 11 additional tracks, adding ZelooperZ, Valee and many others to the slew of collaborators.

After a Los Angeles “Negro vs Gumbo” show to close out 2021, where Siifu played tracks from his two most recent albums, the mercurial MC is headed on a quick tour specifically to highlight GUMBO’! with stops from Brooklyn to Seattle kicks off in Chicago Thursday night at Schuba’s. The tour is entitled “4 tha folks,” which could refer to the fans or the support acts, all of whom are associated with the Cincinnati-based GKFAM collective and appear on the album.

Here are four tracks that we’re hoping to hear from Siifu on Thursday, March 3rd. These will surely get you into the GUMBO’! spirit.

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BACK’!

Siifu maneuvers through experimental production like a pro on this entire record, but he truly slid on this one, finding just the right pockets of the 808-heavy beat. Keep an eye on 0:57, where
the bass hits right as he says the word “bitch.” The refrain of “back on my shit, back on my
bullshit” feels right on time as Omicron subsides and Chicago lifts more COVID restrictions.

Call tha Bro (Tapped In) [ft. Maxo]

This is one of the grooviest tracks on the project. Siifu enlists New York abstract rapper Maxo (not to be confused with Maxo Kream of Houston) for the first verse, where he delivers his opening bars over a lone cymbal before a reverbing guitar riff and a soulful horn kick in. Despite the slow burn of the track, Maxo’s throwaway line, “I was 15, bagging bad bitches like a free throw, easy” still manages to hit hard.

Roscoe’!

Following up the equally hectic “Wayans Bros.” this track sees Siifu going full stream-of-consciousness with his verse, employing a jumpy Playboi Carti-esque flow and chastising the song’s subject for “being on fed shit.” Prominent claps and a thunderous bass make the beat intense from start to finish. Definitely throw this on during a workout.

Voicemails Uptown (ft. monte booker, Turich Benjy, Lance Skiiwalker, JayBee Lamahj, VCR,
Nelson Bandela)

This monster of a track is really a two-parter, with both halves carrying some Monte production signature. The first beat is full of his trademark bouncy synths, while the latter features guitar triads visible on many a Smino record. In between Siifu verses, Turich Benjy finishes the first half with a breathy verse reminiscent of Bari (fitting considering it’s a Monte beat) and TDE’s Lance Skiiwalker sings a slightly distorted yet gospelly hook on part two. This is a fun track, and the two halves are bridged, naturally, by an angry voicemail addressing a man named Lev who’s clearly in the doghouse.

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