Millville, New Jersey host and producer Gibby Stites has launched the fourth installment in her Family Tree series, along with a new EP. Having started his career in the music industry over a decade ago with his first 2 mixtapes Gillmatic and Broke n Local, it wasn’t until he performed a set during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown during Netfest On Your Couch that Caught my attention. Later that fall, he signed with Majik Ninja Entertainment, and I had the pleasure of interviewing him shortly after the deal was announced. “13th Wonder” pretty much introduced Gibby to the music world as a protégé of Jamie Madrox, and a few months later “Welcome to iLLViLLE” gave listeners a glimpse into his origins, but it wasn’t long before Decided not to renew the contract with multinational companies and established its own brand iLLViLLE Worldwide. Last summer’s Off Air marked his return to the board after 5 years and was my favorite thing to do since he left Majik Ninja, so I was intrigued by Pariah after he was announced a few months ago.
The title track climaxes with a melancholy homemade trap instrumental about why he does what he does and how they’ll never stop him, while “Memory Card” features guitar and hi-hats, acknowledging that he really won’t stop him . Don’t give a fuck about a brand. On “Real Life,” which features Lingo, “Swerve” keeps the moody trap vibe going, hitting them with hard facts, bringing a summery vibe to the table and talking about more personal subjects.
“The Business” featuring EnzoHard combines DJ Emaculate’s orchestral samples with kick and snare drums, and the two of them essentially discuss the evolution of the music industry before “Eastside 3.0” ominously represents the East Coast for three minutes. “Suffocation” closes out “Pariah” with a fusion of trap and rock, and it honestly doesn’t hurt that there’s no room in his heart now.
Juggalos are generally divisive when it comes to Gibby Stites, but there’s no denying that this EP has to be one of the most meaningful pieces of his discography. Overall, the work is more mature than anything he’s put out in the past, and there’s an interesting concept of mental health throughout, except it’s from his own perspective.
Score: 8/10
