G Herbo Drops ‘Lil Herb’ Album Featuring Anderson .Paak & Jeremih

Key Takeaways:

• The album title Lil Herb signals a return to G Herbo’s early identity and artistic roots.
• Collaborations with Anderson .Paak, Jeremih and Wyclef Jean add depth and range to the project.
• Songs like “Longevity” and “Give It All” delve into themes of fatherhood, grief and personal growth.

G Herbo is one of the few Chicago rappers from his era still standing tall. On Friday (Nov. 7), the “PTSD” artist released his latest album, Lil Herb.

The LP’s title takes its name from G Herbo’s original moniker, which he used up until 2015, so it feels especially fitting that fans are getting this project nearly a decade later. Speaking with XXL in May, G Herbo called the 15-track effort his way of “closing that chapter,” especially since he’s now “finally about to be 100 percent independent.” Whether Lil Herb marks his last release under a major label — it arrived through Uptown Records and its parent company, United Music Group — or if there’s another on the way, is still unclear.

Regardless, there’s a lot to love about Lil Herb. In addition to previously released songs like “Went Legit” and “Reason,” the album finds G Herbo opening up about losing his brother on “Give It All,” and choosing fatherhood over the street life on “Longevity.”

A few more highlights from the album include “Emergency,” which samples Wyclef Jean’s classic “911.” There’s also the Jeremih-assisted “Whatever U Want,” whose accompanying music video stars G Herbo’s partner and mother of his two youngest children, Taina Williams. Elsewhere, Anderson .Paak appears on “Thank Me,” which fittingly opens with Snoop Dogg’s 2018 Hollywood Walk of Fame acceptance speech.

In many ways, Lil Herb reshapes G Herbo’s narrative, both lyrically and thematically. Across the tracklist, he confronts old wounds (“Where Would I Be”), rights past mistakes (the previously mentioned “Longevity”), and looks forward with optimism (“Colossal”). Take a listen below.

On Thursday (Nov. 6), G Herbo sat down with “The Breakfast Club” to discuss Lil Herb. “I really don’t feel like it’s my best body of work, but I just feel like it’s my best era of rap. I feel like I’m rapping better than I ever rapped before,” he explained. “I just know for a fact: I’m rapping so good, and I gave it my all.”