| Free at Last | ||||
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| Released | November 20, 2007 | |||
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| Length | 51:01 | |||
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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.
In 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.
Free 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]
Free 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]
| 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).
| 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 | |||
Sample credits
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Leslie Edward Pridgen, better known by his stage name Freeway, is an American rapper. Originally hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he first gained recognition after appearing on Jay-Z's fifth album, The Dynasty: Roc La Familia in 2000. The following year, he became a member of the Philadelphia-based hip hop collective State Property, which were signed to Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings. After releasing their debut album, Pridgen signed to Roc-A-Fella as a solo artist and began work on his debut album, Philadelphia Freeway (2003). Upon release, the album peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and saw positive critical response. He released a follow-up, Free at Last (2007) to moderate reception before him and fellow State Property cohorts were dropped from the label.
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Roc-A-Fella Records was an American hip hop record label and music management company founded by record executives and entrepreneurs Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke in 1994. Carter issued his debut album, Reasonable Doubt (1996) as the label's first release, in a joint venture with Priority Records. The label has signed and released albums for acts including Kanye West, Cam'ron, Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, Juelz Santana, Freeway, Jadakiss, Teairra Marí, State Property, and The Diplomats before its dissolution in 2013.
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Pedro Louis Zayas, better known by his stage names Peedi Crakk or Peedi Peedi, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is best known for his guest appearances on Freeway's 2003 single "Flipside" and Jay-Z's album The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse (2002). He was a member of the Roc-A-Fella Records group State Property, and was signed to G-Unit Philly. He is of Puerto Rican descent.
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Philadelphia Freeway is the debut studio album from Philadelphia rapper Freeway. It was released under Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. The most successful single was "Flipside", which featured Peedi Crakk. The single debuted at #95 on The Billboard Hot 100 music chart. It can also be found in the soundtrack to Bad Boys II. The lead single that was released was "What We Do", which featured Beanie Sigel & Jay Z. The single debuted at #97 on The Billboard 100 music charts. Most of the songs were produced by Just Blaze while some were produced by Bink! & Kanye West.
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