Freeway Album: “Philadelphia Freeway [Clean]”

Freeway's 2003 debut "Philadelphia Freeway" was a heavily anticipated solo release from the Roc-A-Fella Records and State Property member. From the moment I first heard Freeway on Jay-Z's "1-900-Hustler" and later on State Property's awesome single "Rock the Mic," I could tell Freeway was a special rapper. First off, you'll notice his very unique delivery, a high-pitched yell that you could compare to M.O.P., but more soulful. He has a true presence on the microphone, and when he raps you can't stop listening, which makes him so great on posse cuts. "Philadelphia Freeway" takes advantage of his strengths, putting guests on almost every track and giving it more of a group effort vibe. However, the spotlight never leaves Freeway, and his passionate lyrics always take the forefront. Freeway raps about the trials and tribulations of a low class hustler and the life he lived growing up in Philadelphia. But what makes his stories and raps interesting is the mindset he delivers them in. He's a devout Muslim and has a very strict set of values, so when he tells of crime and hustling, he does so in an almost sorry tone that makes it much more interesting. Unlike on most of the Roc-A-Fella albums, where the guest appearances are limited to those in the ROC family, "Philadelphia Freeway" has a guest list that seems like a who's who of hip hop. The star power is pretty impressive.

Some credit for this album's greatness must also go to the production. Freeway was blessed with beats with some of the best in the business for his debut. Just Blaze produced nine of the sixteen tracks, and his songs are cleverly arranged bangers with great instrumentation. A then widely unknown Kanye West also contributes. Overall the production is awesome, and in some points even carries the album. As to be expected for a debut, "Philadelphia Freeway" isn't perfect, and there are some weaker spots where a collaboration doesn't quite work or the verses get redundant. But overall, I find this debut really impressive, and I highly recommend it.

The album opens with the soaring female vocals of "Free," a clever and thoughtful introductory track. The first single, a great Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel collaboration called "What We Do" is a good gauge of the album as a whole. The rappers talk about the crazy and crime-ridden lives they live, while acknowledging that "what we do is wrong" with a certain conscious undertone. Just Blaze's beat is awesome, and this song is one to remember. Nate Dogg delivers the hook on "All My Life," and the bass-heavy Peedi Crakk collabo "Flipside" follows. This song was the second single, showcasing a pumped-up Freeway at his lyrical finest, over a true banger of a beat. Nelly provides a high profile guest on the pretty nice "On My Own," I recognized the hook's guitar sample from A Tribe Called Quest's "Lyrics to Go." Snoop Dogg guests on the solid "We Get Around," and I really like Faith Evans's vocals on "Don't Cross the Line." Another B-Sig collabo, "Life," has nice production with good yet familiar verses, and "Full Effect" has a chilling beat with the Young Gunz featured. The hard "Turn Out the Lights" and "Victim of the Ghetto" are two nice deep-album cuts, and the excellent "You Don't Know" has a cleverly-produced piano-laced beat and hook. One of the very best songs is the excellent "Alright," where vocalist Allen Anthony makes a wonderful guest. Freeway is thoughtful but happy over one of the best beats of Just Blaze's career. His instrumental here is excellent. My favorite song, though, might be "Hear the Song." You might recognize this sample as the one Nas later used for "Just A Moment," but I think Kanye did it better with this song. Free's verses are thought-provoking. The album closes with two bonus tracks. The first is a Mariah Carey and Jay-Z collaboration, "You Got Me," which is the worst song on the album, not awful but definitely slow and sluggish. The second is an absolute banger, the anthemic "Line 'Em Up," which has a hard-rocking beat and nice chemistry between Freeway and Young Chris.

More so than the other young rappers in the ROC, I think Freeway is a guy with a lot of star power and mass appeal, and given the chance to emerge from his mentors' shadows he could become a big heavyweight in hip hop. His rough streets lyricism and gruff delivery with his Muslim mentality make him a unique yet still very accessible rapper. It's been a long time already, but I hope to watch his career continue to rise with his upcoming album. In the meantime, if you haven't, definitely check out "Philadelphia Freeway."