Gibbs' rise to success was a long time coming. Dealing drugs out of a recording studio whilst creating mixtapes that didn't seem to go anywhere, he decided to focus more on his music and try and make something of his talent. Sending a mixtape to Interscope Records, he was asked to come to Los Angeles, US, to try record a debut album. Unfortunately for Gibbs, Interscope's management changed hands and he was dropped from the label. He returned back to his hometown before being persuaded by producer Josh the Goon to give it another shot.

In 2009, he released the mixtape, "Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs," which was full of honest and gritty tales of his life and the demise of his hometown, which were received with critical success, becoming popular across various internet outlets. This was followed by "The Midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik" and the 81-song mixture "The Labels Tryin' to Kill Me," with the rising fame across internet message boards prompting critics and the music industry alike to start to take notice of this rising star. The success of Gibbs showed how the internet can be a useful tool for an artist's success, outside of the mainstream avenues of record labels.

His ninth mixtape, "Cold Day In Hell" (2011) solidified his presence in the hip-hop world, bolstered by guest appearances with Young Jeezy, Juicy J, as well as the production talent of J.U.S.T.I.C.E league, Big K.R.I.T and Speakerbomb. His tenth tape, "Baby Face Killa" (2012) also featured high profile guests, including SpaceGhostPurrp, Jay Rock and Currensy.

In June, 2013, Gibbs dropped his debut album, "ESGN" which made significant waves in the US charts, reaching number 24 in the US R&B charts and number 17 in the US Rap charts. This was followed by his 2014 collaborative release with iconic underground producer, Madlib, titled "Pinãta." WIth the help of this legendary producer, Gibbs' record went to number 39 on the US Billboard Charts.