Thirty-seven-year-old rapper Freeway has been the focal point of East Coast hip-hop since his entrance into the industry nearly 20 years ago. Thus, his first LP in four years was unsurprisingly met with incredible anticipation. Fans were excited to see how the artist’s last several years — filled with health scares and the loss of a labelmate to gun violence — would influence the legend’s music.
The rapper himself even told XXL magazine, “‘Free Will’ sounds and feels like where [I’m] supposed to be.”
The album demonstrated considerable maturity. The first noticeable change is in the artist’s slower, more refined vocals, which replaced the sing-song high pitch that many of Freeway’s biggest critics take issue with. Additionally, he finally strays from the heavy influential side project “State Property” once had on his music.
However, this doesn’t mean he’s completely abandoned his loyalties; he still mentions fellow rappers for a considerable amount of time on the album. “Hot as Ice,” arguably the biggest banger on the LP, gives a shout-out to his crew and their growth: “State Proper, Roc-A-Fella was our old sponsors, and we do it by ourself [sic] but it’s still proper on a higher level / We don’t got the same problems, got a lawyer beat the case like his name Cochran; flow youthful, bass knockin’ from a North Philly block but I can wake Compton.”
Unfortunately, these shout-outs are so pervasive, they quickly become redundant. The “I’m back” and “My crew is the best” themes grow old quickly. Songs like “Kane & Abel” and “Kodak” would be stand-alone hits, but seem trite and unoriginal when thrown in with so many similar tracks.
Other let-downs include “Bennie & Stella,” a tired song full of empty Drake-like puns such as, “I’m the convenience sto’ because she got me open all night.” There’s nothing wrong with an occasional disappointing lyric, but from someone like Freeway this is particularly unimpressive.
However, the artist is able to more than redeem himself with the raw honesty displayed on “Illuminate,” which tackles the guilt he feels for disappointing his family. “Addicted” approaches a similar topic: “I was my poppa’s favorite boy / Grow up to be like him / But I don’t know what happen to me.”
The rapper certainly still holds his own, but a more personal approach to the album would have been welcome. “Free Will” is a solid project, but was not as career-defining as it could have been, especially as it marked Freeway’s rebirth out of a dark place.
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