Freddie Gibbs, “$oul $old $eparately.”

We’ve seen a lot of rappers reflect on the superficiality of stardom and the lack of happiness it often brings over the last few years. On his fifth solo album, $oul $old $eparately, Freddie Gibbs opts instead to examine the cost of attaining success and stardom. While it’s not, here, a literal faustian bargain—requiring him to sell his soul for all his heart desires—Gibbs seems to recognize that the choices, sacrifices and risks taken can take their toll on a soul as he climbs to the top.

The album has a connective narrative thread about an ultra-luxurious casino, and an automated phone service guiding us through the listening experience. The casino seems to be a vessel of Gibbs’ mindset, with all the glitz and glamour transposed with a dark and seedy undercurrent around it. The album kicks off with the piano-led “Couldn’t Be Done” as Gibbs’ raps with a choppy, bouncy flow, detailing his rags to riches story.

“Blackest In The Room” follows suit with heavy jazz influences that appear on a number of tracks throughout the album, embracing saxophone, light cymbal and hi-hat rattles and a keyboard flourish. Gibbs reflects on how many lines he had to cross over during his career to meet end goals. A brief beat switch to heavier, bass-laden melody sees Gibbs express how he doesn’t lose sleep over the decisions he’s made.

Offset from Migos drops in on “Pain and Strife,” flexing on listeners while Gibbs raps about going through the pain of having to make money by any means necessary in his past. Old habits seem to die hard, though. On “Zipper Bags,” Gibbs examines how hunger drives impulse and how he still grapples with those feelings. Themes of excess abound. Moneybagg Yo drops in on “Too Much,” where the two embrace the endless indulgence of luxuries of which few can even dream.

Rick Ross, who worked with Gibbs on “Ice Cream” earlier this year, makes an appearance on “Lobster Omelette.” The ethereal instrumental offers a dreamlike sensation. Gibbs raps about how poverty and desperation tend to go hand in hand. The album then comes to “Space Rabbit,” easily the strongest track here, with abrasive snares paired with a light, echoing piano and a number of sniffing sound effects throughout. Gibbs opens up about his experiences dealing drugs and even discusses how his use of the drug lean began to affect his music—leading the rapper to quit.

Anderson .Paak delivers a phenomenal hook over a string melody on “Feel No Pain.” On this song, Gibbs expresses his frustration with the current political climate before being followed by Raekwon, who delivers a cold and hardened verse.

Gibbs gets into subliminal dissing on “Rabbit Vision.” It’s no secret that he and Benny the Butcher have feuded for the last few months. Without name dropping, Gibbs raps about being backstabbed by close friends in the music industry. The two have worked before and it’s sad to see how much things deteriorated between the two.

“Dark Hearted” is about how it takes a cold heart to survive in an even colder world. The somber piano and string melody weighs heavily. “Gold Rings” brings in the kingpin of the coke game, Pusha T. Here, Gibbs reflects on a relationship that fell apart because he put his trust in a woman who didn’t want to stand by him during a run-in with the law.

Musiq Soulchild delivers some excellent vocals over “Grandma’s Stove” as Gibbs finally seems to break and begins emotionally pouring out his grief and pain into one song. He expresses frustrations about being misjudged as a father, the stress of being involved in a feud and the deaths of friends. The commentary is about the late Pop Smoke, but considering the recent murders of Pat Stay and PnB Rock, it’s certainly worth considering how bad the violence in hip-hop is right now.

The album closes out with “Decoded.” Gibbs and Scarface rap over a somber synth instrumental, trying to find a silver lining and enjoy their lives despite the hardships they’ve been through. $oul $old $eparately is another solid entry in the fantastic catalog Freddie Gibbs has built for himself. The album offers a unique perspective on the relationship between success and misery in ways others haven’t been able to touch.

Follow hip-hop critic Tim Hoffman at Twitter.com/hipsterp0tamus.