The recently renovated Brooklyn Paramount, located on Long Island University’s (LIU) Brooklyn campus, was host to the first night of a sold-out two-night stay from Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist for “Alfredo: The Tour” on Sept. 21. 

Before doors opened at 7 p.m., the queue outside the venue went a long way down Flatbush Ave. Fans lined up in outfits ranging from the Japanese-inspired Alfredo 2 merch to a Spider-Man costume holding a giant “This Is: Freddie Gibbs” Spotify sign, with Uncle Aaron from Into the Spider-Verse on the cover. 

The Brooklyn Paramount, known for its high ornate ceilings and French baroque-style, was then home to the Tokyo-style “Alfredo’s” restaurant. The façade of a restaurant storefront was set up on stage, with a banner translating to “Alfredo” in Japanese and a neon “Alfredo’s” sign stamped on the door.

Along the storefront were multiple direct-response ads reading messages such as “NEED ALFREDO?,” “CASH 4 SAUCE” and “THEY’RE BACK IN ACTION.” They all directed you to call (310) 895-9737, a promotional number used for the “Alfredo 2” rollout that plays back audio of a woman speaking Japanese with the instrumental of “Jean Claude” in the background. 

If you’re a fan of Freddie Gibbs’ raps and The Alchemist’s production, you’re most likely appreciative of how their work blends hip-hop with soulful, jazz-inspired samples. This tour’s lineup of openers adhered to all spheres of the average “Alfredo” listener, with support from Sven Wunder, Mavi and Jalen Ngonda. 

Swedish musician Sven Wunder opened the show, accompanied by Josefin Runsteen on drums. Wunder perfectly set the tone for the night and matched the ambiance of the venue with his calming Jazz tones, reminiscent of something The Alchemist would sample. 

North Carolina-born artist MAVI appealed to the hip-hop sphere of the average “Alfredo” listener. A once underground rapper who’s been gaining traction over the past two years, MAVI had a rather short but still captivating and energetic set, performing fan-favorites such as “Self Love” and The Alchemist-produced “Miracle Baby.”

He took his time on stage to bring attention to issues such as police brutality and the Palestine-Israel conflict, chanting “Free Palestine,” while waving the keffiyeh of Isra Hirsi, co-founder of the U.S. Youth Climate Strike and daughter of U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar. 

Washington, D.C.-born singer-songwriter and guitarist Jalen Ngonda was the final addition to the stacked list of openers. An insane vocal talent to listen to live, Ngonda’s soulful voice brings you back to another time, equipped with a sound that reminds you of iconic Motown artists. Ngonda played tracks off his 2023 album “Come Around and Love Me,” ending his set with the viral hit, “If You Don’t Want My Love.”

Once 9:30 p.m. hit, The Alchemist took the stage, spinning “1985,” the intro to their 2020 Grammy-nominated album “Alfredo.” The track begins with a soundbite from the late comedian Bernie Mac. Mac says to “take the garbage out,” and once the guitar sample kicks in, so does Gibbs. Dressed in a Gi sporting an “Alfredo” logo on the back, he knocked down the door to the restaurant and was welcomed to an erupting crowd. 

The duo started the show off playing hits from the first “Alfredo,” including “God Is Perfect” and “Scottie Beam.” Gibbs acknowledged that they dropped their first project during the pandemic, meaning that they never got the chance to tour the album.

He asked the crowd if he should play songs from “Alfredo” or “Alfredo 2,” then presented them with a special third option of “..or both?” which was met with loud applause.

They took the last choice, starting their “Alfredo 2” run by performing “1995,” “Mar-A-Lago” and “Lemon Pepper Steppers.” After, they alternated between the two, playing “Baby $hit,” “Gold Feet,” “Babies & Fools,” “Look At Me” and “Feeling.” The duo even went back to their 2018 collaborat

ion with Curren$y, playing “Now & Later Gators” from their album “Fetti.”

After revisiting “Fetti,” Gibbs opened the door and went back into “Alfredo’s” restaurant, leaving The Alchemist solo to play a mini DJ set. He spun self-produced hits such as “

Life is Beautiful” by Larry June and 2 Chainz, “Tick Tock” featuring Nas and Prodigy, and the iconic “We Gonna Make It” by Jadakiss and Styles P.

With Gibbs still inside the restaurant, he started rapping off stage as The Alchemist laid the instrumental to “Blackest in the Room,” the second track off of Gibbs’ 2022 release “$oul $old $eparately.”

Gibbs emerged in a new Gi, changing from black to blue. This marked the beginning of a six-song “Alfredo 2” run, including “Skinny Suge II,” “Lavish Habits,” “Empanadas,” “I Still Love H.E.R.,” “Shangri La” and “Gas Station Sushi.”

After the six-song streak, Gibbs took a backseat and handed the mic to The Alchemist, who returned to his roots by rapping his verse live on “Ferraris in the Rain Part 2,” the first single off his 2024 release 

“The Genuine Articulate,” a project where the usual producer lays verses on every song. Gibbs got back up to perform his feature on the track, and he was up for the rest of the night. 

Gibbs chose five different songs from five separate projects to close out the show, starting with the fan-favorite “Something to Rap About” off “Alfredo.” They followed this up with two songs from two different Freddie Gibbs and Madlib collabs.

First, “Crime Pays” off their 2019 release “Bandana” and “Thuggin’” off their 2018 release “Piñata.” Originally released as a single and then added to the “$oul $old $eparately” Bonus Edition, Gibbs performed the upbeat “Gang Signs” for the final no

n- “Alfredo” track.

Gibbs brought his daughter onstage to perform the final song of the night, “Ensalada.” Calling it his “favorite song” off “Alfredo 2,” Gibbs rapped his verses as he carried his daughter and the crowd filled in to sing the catchy Anderson .Paak chorus.

The lights dimmed and the duo went back into “Alfredo’s” restaurant to close out the night. Not long after the lights went out, The Alchemist returned to his DJ booth and Gibbs came back to the stage shortly after for an encore. The two closed the show out for real this time, playing outro tracks “Jean Claude” and “A Thousand Mountains,” fitting songs that sound like the end-credits to an old fighter game. 

After selling out two nights in a row in Brooklyn, Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist will be traveling down south for their next leg of “Alfredo: The Tour,” continuing to serve fresh bars and beats to crowds in Texas, Florida and Georgia.