Free at Last is the second studio album by Philadelphia rapper Freeway. It was released on November 20, 2007 by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings in the United States. The album enlists guest performances from Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Marsha Ambrosious, Rick Ross, Busta Rhymes, and Jadakiss.
| Free at Last | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 20, 2007 | |||
| Recorded | 2005–2007 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 51:01 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Freeway chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Free at last | ||||
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Background
editIn a November 2007 interview, Freeway explained why he took such a lengthy hiatus.[2] He had this to say:
I just been grinding you know the whole Roc break up really took a toll on me and kind of even held my career up a little bit, but I been working and I'm ready to get back out. It was a couple of things. The whole family structure wasn't in place like it was. There was a time when I could just go to Bassline [studios] and knock it out but it wasn't like that this time.
Production
editFree at Last features production from Bink!, J. R. Rotem, Needlz, and Cool & Dre, amongst others. Guest appearances include Marsha Ambrosius, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Scarface, Busta Rhymes, Jadakiss, and Rick Ross. According to Freeway, the album was executive-produced by 50 Cent—who also purchased publishing on the album—leading several publications to falsely conclude he was signed to G-Unit Records.[3]
Commercial performance
editFree at Last debuted at number 42 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling about 36,000 units during its first week.[4][5] As of April 2, 2008, the album has sold 100,206 copies in the United States.[6]
"Roc-A-Fella Billionaires" is the lead single. The song, produced by Dame Grease, features a guest appearance from Roc-A-Fella label-boss and fellow American rapper Jay-Z. Grease's production contains a sample of a version of "Big Spender", originally written for the 1966 musical Sweet Charity, by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields, as performed by Chita Rivera and Paula Kelly.[7]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| About.com |   [8] |
| AllHipHop.com |   [9] |
| Allmusic | [10] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B−[11] |
| Pitchfork Media | (7.7/10)[12] |
| Rolling Stone |  [13] |
| PopMatters | [14] |
| USA Today | [15] |
Free at Last was called "The Album of the Month" by the German hip hop magazine Juice, aiming 5 of 6 "Crowns". In the 01-02 / 2008 Issue (# 104).
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "This Can't Be Real" (featuring Marsha Ambrosius) | Carvin & Ivan | 3:44 | |
| 2. | "It's Over" | Jake One | 3:40 | |
| 3. | "Still Got Love" | Bink! | 3:45 | |
| 4. | "Roc-A-Fella Billionaires" (featuring Jay-Z) | Dame Grease | 3:41 | |
| 5. | "When They Remember" |
| Bink! | 3:43 |
| 6. | "Take It To The Top" (featuring 50 Cent) |
|
| 3:42 |
| 7. | "Spit That Shit" |
|
| 3:43 |
| 8. | "Reppin' The Streets" |
| Chad "Wes" Hamilton | 3:59 |
| 9. | "Free at Last" |
| Double-O | 3:38 |
| 10. | "Baby Don't Do It" (featuring Scarface) |
|
| 3:27 |
| 11. | "Nuttin' On Me" |
| Needlz | 2:55 |
| 12. | "Walk Wit Me" (featuring Busta Rhymes and Jadakiss) | Don Cannon | 4:06 | |
| 13. | "Lights Get Low" (featuring Rick Ross) | Cool & Dre | 3:47 | |
| 14. | "I Cry" |
| DJ Noodles | 3:11 |
| Total length: | 51:01 | |||
- Leftover Track
- "Where U Been"
Sample credits
- "This Can't Be Real" embodies portions of "Did You Hear What They Said?", written by Gil Scott-Heron.
- "It's Over" contains elements of "I'm Afraid the Masquerade Is Over", written by Herb Magidson and Allie Wrubel, and performed by David Porter
- "Still Got Love" contains samples from "Eddie, You Should Know Better", written and performed by Curtis Mayfield.
- "Roc-A-Fella Billionaires" contains a sample of "Big Spender", from the "Sweet Charity Original Soundtrack", written by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields.
- "When They Remember" contains samples from "The Way We Were", written by Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, and Marvin Hamlisch; and performed by Gladys Knight & the Pips.
- "Reppin' the Streets" contains samples from "I'll Be the Other Woman", written by Homer Banks and Carl Hampton, and performed by The Soul Children.
- "Free at Last" contains a sample of "I Wanna Write You a Love Song", written by Michael Gradney Jr. and David Oliver, and performed by David Oliver.
- "Baby Don't Do It", embodies portions of "Overture of Foxy Brown", written by Willie Hutch.
- "I Cry" contains a sample of "I Cry" written by Raeford Gerald and Gary Byrd, and performed by Millie Jackson.
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
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Year-end chartsedit
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References
edit- ^ Kellman, Andy. "Free at Last - Freeway". Allmusic.
- ^ Thought, Lyrical (17 November 2007). "[News] Freeway Talks About His New Album 'Free At Last'". Def Sounds. Archived from the original on 4 December 2007. Retrieved 19 November 2007.
- ^ "What Happened Between Freeway and G-Unit?". DJ Vlad.
- ^ Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 11/25/07 | Hip Hop News > HipHopDX.com
- ^ Katie Hasty, "'Oprah' Visit Helps Groban Soar To No. 1", Billboard.com, November 28, 2007.
- ^ Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 3/30/08 | Hip Hop News > HipHopDX.com
- ^ Free at Last (Liner notes). Freeway. Def Jam Recordings. 2007. B0004853-02.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "About.com review". Archived from the original on 2009-04-09. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
- ^ AllHipHop.com review
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ Entertainment Weekly review
- ^ Pitchfork Media review
- ^ Rolling Stone review
- ^ Pop Matters review
- ^ USA Today review Archived 2008-10-04 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Freeway Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
- ^ "Freeway Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.
- ^ "2008 Year-End Charts – Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2016.