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Freeway - Free At LastAlbum Review by:
John Burnett
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
 Preview/Download MP3
The Roc-A-Fella break-up was inevitable. There was one too many egos at the table. When the rift between Dame Dash, Biggs Burke and Sean Carter became public, the Hip Hop community knew the Roc, as we once knew it, was over. Caught in the center of the split was Freeway. Four years had passed since his 2003 debut, Philadelphia Freeway, and it had become unclear whether a sophomore effort would ever be released under the Roc-A-Fella imprint; especially after Free was rumored to be in discussions with G-Unit honcho, 50 Cent. The Philadelphia native patiently waited for his time. After two successful releases for Roc-A-Fella with Graduation and American Gangster by Kanye West and Jay-Z, respectively, the baby gorilla is set to embark on his sophomore effort, Free at Last.
Free’s second LP recaptures the soul that embodied Roc-A-Fella Records circa Blueprint. On “When They Remember” producer and long time Roc affiliate, Bink, loops up the bellowing voice sample over crashing high hat cymbals and drums to create a stirring track for Free’s staggered ramblings. Delivery-wise, Freeway wrecks havoc on this track picking the perfect pocket to ride in, but the track has no specific topic or hook leaving the effort seemingly incomplete. We find Free a bit more concentrated on “This Can’t Be Real.” Here, he muses on his musical journey up to the break-up accompanied by the melodic vocals of Floetry’s Marsha Ambrosius. Free excels on this introspective tale of his rise and recurring pitfalls clearly articulating each stage of his progression. This track transitions into the higher paced “It’s Over” where Free throws jabs at producers, Just Blaze and Kanye West for being irresponsive when he was seeking their production. The track also serves as a fiery response to those who thought the Roc and Freeway were finished.
Surprisingly, Free decides to tap into his pop sensibilities—who knew he had those—on the 50 Cent assisted “Take It to the Top” and “Lights Get Low” featuring Rick Ross. JR Rotem produces the former with 50 lacing the hook while Free serenades a longtime female companion over the track. While this is a far cry from Free’s usual tough talk of “dumping clips in ya grill” it doesn’t come off as a botched attempt. It’s just a piece of Free’s repertoire that needs to be developed. “Lights Get Low” on the other hand doesn’t work as well with Cool and Dre’s production feeling, sonically, out of place. The album culminates with a balance of street life and spirituality on the Chad Wes produced “Baby Don’t Do It.” The album is at its best when Freeway combines the two.
Free at Last reveals that Freeway is not a complete rapper yet. His ability to put hooks together is suspect and many of his tracks lack direction. Many times the above are overshadowed by the fact that his delivery is so phenomenal. He’s like an instrument accompanying the production. He knows exactly which instrument to ride or where to hide in the beat. Also, his rhyme schemes are unique with his signature checkered flow. All in all, Free at Last is a very enjoyable listen from top to bottom. The production is on point, there’s quality features and Free’s growth and passion is evident.
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