Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist have officially announced a new highly anticipated joint album entitled Alfredo 2.
A sequel to their widely acclaimed 2020 project, the duo dropped artwork for the follow-up album which nods to the original LP’s cover of hands puppeteering a dish of pasta.
No release date came with the announcement but the duo have been talking about a sequel as far back as 2021.
Gibbs said to NPR: “Next [album] I want to go to Hawaii. We can record in Hawaii. I’m going to bring in like 20 strippers. I need it for my mindset.”
The Indiana native recently cleared up rumors that his new joint album with Madlib had been lost in the wildfires that devastated Los Angeles earlier this year.
In a Reddit post from a fan who met with Gibbs, they claim that they asked the rapper about the status of his forthcoming project with the producer, only for him to reply that it was “lost” in the devastating wildfires that have ravaged the Californian city.
“Was at a work event this week and ran into Freddie twice! He walked past me and I was like wtf. Had to say hi when he wasn’t deep in a convo but he was so nice,” they wrote.
“We chatted for a bit and I asked about Madlib who lost his house in the fire and he said they lost an album that was done. Crazy anyways wanted to share!”
After word spread on social media, Gangsta Gibbs jumped on X (formerly Twitter) to clear things up.
“This cap,” he simply wrote in response to a post reporting on the supposedly lost album.
Madlib had lost his family home in the L.A. wildfires.
In a fundraiser for the producer, his longtime manager Stacy Epps said: “We are reaching out with heavy hearts to ask for your support in helping legendary producer Madlib and his family rebuild after losing their home, decades of music, and equipment in the devastating L.A. fires.
“Your donation, no matter the amount, will provide assistance to help Madlib with immediate personal needs, essentials like clothing, temporary housing, transportation costs and the tools Madlib needs to continue creating the music that has touched so many lives.”
Fontaines D.C. have teamed up with Rosalía for their new collaboration, Where Is Gone?.
The song features on the Irish rock band's forthcoming album, Dopamine Chamber, which arrives on Friday (16.10.26). For guitarist Carlos O’Connell, working with the Spanish superstar is particularly special because of his own Spanish roots.
He explained: “I’ve admired Rosalía ever since her debut album, which I thought was absolutely beautiful.
“What excited me most was the way she continued to preserve Spain's musical traditions, something that felt spiritually connected to what we've been trying to achieve with Irish music. Having roots in both countries, it's been really special to witness. "She's an artist who has continued to amaze me at every point in her career.”
Frontman Grian Chatten has also described the collaboration with Rosalía as one of the most memorable achievements of his career.
He revealed that he felt "humbled" when she agreed to lend her voice to the band's album.
Speaking to NPR, Grian said: “I've always felt there's something almost like a single big idea that I'm personally trying to communicate to the world before I get old and die, if that makes sense. There's one thing I think I'll spend my life trying to express. I have a feeling she has a similar outlook. … I mean, she's an amazing arranger, composer and lyricist. It means so much that she wanted to sing on something we'd put together. It's definitely one of the highlights of my career.”
Rosalía's links to Irish rock music extend beyond Fontaines D.C. She also offered inspiration and helped develop the Spanish lyrics for U2's The Mirror Maker (Rosalía), a track from their forthcoming album, Carnaval de Luz.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last week, she spoke about frontman Bono, saying: “I don't know him personally, but he sent me a text explaining that he was working on a new project and had written a song called The Mirror Maker."
Rosalía joked that Bono had invented a few words of his own.
She recalled telling him: “I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I told him he could create his own language if he wanted to.”
She described the opportunity to collaborate with the 66 year old music veteran as a real privilege.
She added: “Bono is a legend.
“It's amazing.”
Bono recently revealed that he was worried about seeming like a stalker when he reached out to Rosalía to ask whether he could name the song after her.
