Freeway — Think Free

After experiencing the underground game for more than a decade, Freeway finally returns to Jay-Z's Roc Nation, releasing this project under New Rothchilds label. The music is handled by Bizness, S. Frank, Scholito, DJ Skizz, Jay & P.I., E.S.T., Gamal Lewis, Pop Traxx, Vidal Davis, Tryfe, Lou Diaz, Terrance Rolle, and Ben Diehl. The guests are Faith Evans, Jadakiss, Lil Wayne, Fat Joe, Johnny (aka Johnnii), BJ The Chicago Kid, Kamillion and Lil Uzi Vert.

"Intro" isn't a skit or an interlude, but a real track with one of the best productions on the disc, created by Bizness, Jay & P.I. with a great melodic soul sample supporting Freeway's focused rapping. S. Frank and Scholito place the first of several trap picks of the product, with the Philly emcee delivering worthily joined by Lil Wayne, who looks fit and more focused than usual. "The Nation" boasts another high profile guest in Jadakiss, also a former member of the Roc-A-Fella roster, which comes to pay homage to the host on a solid boom bap, glossy, triumphant production by S. Frank. Faith Evans is pretty good between hook and background, paving the way for one of the few cuts that stand out here: "Legacy", alongside "All Falls Down" (where he reflects on his health problems), and "Life on the Line", form a robust trio of songs, all produced by DJ Skizz.

The fitfh song boasts a good hook and sees Freeway reflect on his friend The Jacka, a rapper who was killed in 2015 with whom he collaborated throughout his career and with whom he had embarked on a tour after releasing a couple of collaborative projects with him. Fat Joe enters the cheerful "Cocaine White", on a rhythm that is the fruit of the work of five different beatmakers for this drug rap track, while “All the Way Live” is an attempted club banger with forgettable mainstream trap production and a poor execution from the guy still looking for some airplay in the East Coast city's suburban locals with this generic and bland choice.

The project raises its head with "Real One", where KaMillion and BJ the Chicago Kid back up Freeway's rapping over energetic production provided by Vidal Davis. There's Lil Uzi Vert (?!) in "Swagger on Mayo", the trapper tries to play on the playground of Freeway without being able to express himself in shape on a production that rewards neither his style nor that of his fellow citizen Freeway, revealing the track among the few flops of the disc. "About You" boasts a softer production to accommodate the emcee's bars, joined by an rnb hook from guest Johnnii. Pop Traxx is the author of a minimal and skeletal beat for the last track "Come Back", which is a bit sparse from a musical point of view.

The sixth solo studio album by Freeway coincides with a irregular and beautiful effort. Net of the rare bangers, it's a very cohesive LP and, although some traps try to make it stumble, it works well and can be heard from start to finish. For the first time since the beginning of his career, Freeway surrenders to the trap. It's not a good thing, also because despite being among the rare rappers to deliver in an understandable way over one of these beats, he's obviously inadequate, finding himself when the producers offer him rhythms with soul veins, as this same project demonstrates on various occasions. In any case, Freeway's return to the Roc is a success by every measure and sees him fit for these three quarters of an hour next to some heavyweights, in one of the most honest and mature projects of his career.

Rating: 7/10.