Free at Last (Freeway album)

{{Infobox album

| name = Free at Last

| type = studio

| artist = Freeway

| cover = Free at last.PNG

| alt =

| released = November 20, 2007

| recorded = 2005–2007

| studio =

| genre = {{hlist|East Coast hip hop|hardcore{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/free-at-last-mw0000571609|title=Free at Last - Freeway|last=Kellman|first=Andy|work=Allmusic}}}}

| length = {{duration|m=51|s=1}}

| label = {{hlist|Roc-A-Fella|Def Jam}}

| producer = {{hlist|Bink!|Carvin & Ivan|Chad "Wes" Hamilton|Cool & Dre|Dame Grease|Dangerous LLC|DJ Noodles|Don Cannon|Double-O|J.R. Rotem|Jake One|Needlz|Ron Fair}}

| prev_title = Philadelphia Freeway

| prev_year = 2003

| next_title = Philadelphia Freeway 2

| next_year = 2009

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Free at last

| type = studio

| single1 = Roc-A-Fella Billionaires

| single1date = July 10, 2007

| single2 = Lights Get Low

| single2date = November 20, 2007

}}

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.

Background

In a November 2007 interview, Freeway explained why he took such a lengthy hiatus.{{cite web|last=Thought|first=Lyrical|url=http://www.defsounds.com/articles/Freeway_talks_about_his_new_album_free_at_last_1|title=[News] Freeway Talks About His New Album 'Free At Last'|publisher=Def Sounds|date=17 November 2007|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071204152915/http://www.defsounds.com/articles/Freeway_talks_about_his_new_album_free_at_last_1|archivedate=4 December 2007|accessdate=19 November 2007}} He had this to say: {{quote|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

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.{{Cite web|url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=AHBl2xg90yA|title=What Happened Between Freeway and G-Unit?|publisher=DJ Vlad}}

Commercial performance

Free at Last debuted at number 42 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling about 36,000 units during its first week.[http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.6028/title.hip-hop-album-sales-week-ending-11-25-07 Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 11/25/07 | Hip Hop News > HipHopDX.com]Katie Hasty, [http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1047203/oprah-visit-helps-groban-soar-to-no-1 "'Oprah' Visit Helps Groban Soar To No. 1"], Billboard.com, November 28, 2007. As of April 2, 2008, the album has sold 100,206 copies in the United States.[http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.6675/title.hip-hop-album-sales-week-ending-3-30-08 Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 3/30/08 | Hip Hop News > HipHopDX.com]

"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.{{cite AV media notes |year=2007 |title=Free at Last |title-link=Free at Last (Freeway album) |others=Freeway |type=Liner notes |publisher=Def Jam Recordings |id=B0004853-02}}

Critical reception

{{Album ratings

|rev1 = About.com

|rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{Cite web |url=http://rap.about.com/od/2007albums/fr/FreeAtLast.htm |title=About.com review |access-date=2009-08-19 |archive-date=2009-04-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090409004753/http://rap.about.com/od/2007albums/fr/FreeAtLast.htm |url-status=dead }}

|rev2 = AllHipHop.com

|rev2score = {{Rating|8|10}}[http://AllHiphop.com/blogs/reviews/archive/2007/11/20/18901159.aspx AllHipHop.com review]

|rev3 = Allmusic

|rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r860458|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic review]

|rev4 = Entertainment Weekly

|rev4Score = B−[https://web.archive.org/web/20080525082107/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20160389,00.html Entertainment Weekly review]

|rev5 = Pitchfork Media

|rev5score = (7.7/10)[http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/10928-free-at-last/ Pitchfork Media review]

|rev6 = Rolling Stone

|rev6score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20090116003537/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/17252384/review/17312557/free_at_last Rolling Stone review]

|rev7 = PopMatters

|rev7score = {{Rating|7|10}}[http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/freeway-free-at-last Pop Matters review]

|rev8 = USA Today

|rev8score = {{Rating|3.5|4}}[http://blogs.usatoday.com/listenup/2007/11/this-weeks-re-2.html#more USA Today review] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081004170042/http://blogs.usatoday.com/listenup/2007/11/this-weeks-re-2.html |date=2008-10-04 }}

}}

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

{{track_listing

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| title1 = This Can't Be Real

| note1 = featuring Marsha Ambrosius

| writer1 = {{hlist|Leslie Pridgen|Ivan Barias|Carvin Haggins|Gil Scott-Heron}}

| extra1 = Carvin & Ivan

| length1 = {{duration|m=3|s=44}}

| title2 = It's Over

| note2 =

| writer2 = {{hlist|Pridgen|Jacob Dutton|Herb Magidson|Allie Wrubel}}

| extra2 = Jake One

| length2 = {{duration|m=3|s=40}}

| title3 = Still Got Love

| note3 =

| writer3 = {{hlist|Pridgen|Roosevelt Harrell|Curtis Mayfield}}

| extra3 = Bink!

| length3 = {{duration|m=3|s=45}}

| title4 = Roc-A-Fella Billionaires

| note4 = featuring Jay-Z

| writer4 = {{hlist|Pridgen|Damon Blackman|Shawn Carter|Cy Coleman|Dorothy Fields}}

| extra4 = Dame Grease

| length4 = {{duration|m=3|s=41}}

| title5 = When They Remember

| note5 =

| writer5 = {{hlist|Pridgen|Harrell|Alan Bergman|Alan and Marilyn Bergman|Marilyn Bergman]]|Marvin Hamlisch}}

| extra5 = Bink!

| length5 = {{duration|m=3|s=43}}

| title6 = Take It To The Top

| note6 = featuring 50 Cent

| writer6 = {{hlist|Pridgen|Jonathan Rotem|Curtis Jackson}}

| extra6 = {{hlist|J. R. Rotem|Carvin & Ivan {{small|(vocal)}}}}

| length6 = {{duration|m=3|s=42}}

| title7 = Spit That Shit

| note7 =

| writer7 = {{hlist|Pridgen|Teraike Crawford|Jason Turnbull|Ryan Presson}}

| extra7 = {{hlist|Teraike "Chris Styles" Crawford|Jason "Sire" Turnbull}}

| length7 = {{duration|m=3|s=43}}

| title8 = Reppin' The Streets

| note8 =

| writer8 = {{hlist|Pridgen|Chad Hamilton|Presson|Homer Banks|Carl Hampton}}

| extra8 = Chad "Wes" Hamilton

| length8 = {{duration|m=3|s=59}}

| title9 = Free at Last

| note9 =featuring Kidz In The Hall

| writer9 = {{hlist|Pridgen|Michael Aguilar|Presson|Michael Gradney Jr.|David Oliver}}

| extra9 = Double-O

| length9 = {{duration|m=3|s=38}}

| title10 = Baby Don't Do It

| note10 = featuring Scarface

| writer10 = {{hlist|Pridgen|Hamilton|Presson|Brad Jordan|Willie Hutch}}

| extra10 = {{hlist|Chad "Wes" Hamilton|Ryan Press {{small|(co.)}}}}

| length10 = {{duration|m=3|s=27}}

| title11 = Nuttin' On Me

| note11 =

| writer11 = {{hlist|Pridgen|Khari Cain}}

| extra11 = Needlz

| length11 = {{duration|m=2|s=55}}

| title12 = Walk Wit Me

| note12 = featuring Busta Rhymes and Jadakiss

| writer12 = {{hlist|Pridgen|Donald Cannon|Trevor Smith|Jason Phillips}}

| extra12 = Don Cannon

| length12 = {{duration|m=4|s=6}}

| title13 = Lights Get Low

| note13 = featuring Rick Ross

| writer13 = {{hlist|Pridgen|Marcello Valenzano|Andre Lyon|William Roberts}}

| extra13 = Cool & Dre

| length13 = {{duration|m=3|s=47}}

| title14 = I Cry

| note14 =

| writer14 = {{hlist|Pridgen|Matthew Naples|Raeford Gerald|Gary Byrd}}

| extra14 = DJ Noodles

| length14 = {{duration|m=3|s=11}}

| total_length = {{duration|m=51|s=1}}

}}

;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

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"\| Chart (2007) ! scope="col"\| Peak position
{{album chart\|Billboard200\|42\|artist=Freeway\|rowheader=true}}
{{album chart\|BillboardRandBHipHop\|5\|artist=Freeway\|rowheader=true}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center"

scope="col"| Chart (2007)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

{{album chart|BillboardRandBHipHop|5|artist=Freeway|rowheader=true}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"\|Chart (2008) !scope="col"\|Position
scope="row"\|US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums{{cite web \|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2008/top-r-b-hip-hop-albums?page=1\|title=2008 Year-End Charts – Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums\|work=Billboard\|accessdate=April 19, 2016}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|70

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

scope="col"|Chart (2008)

!scope="col"|Position

scope="row"|US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums{{cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2008/top-r-b-hip-hop-albums?page=1|title=2008 Year-End Charts – Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|work=Billboard|accessdate=April 19, 2016}}

| style="text-align:center;"|70

References

Category:2007 albums

Category:Def Jam Recordings albums

Category:Freeway (rapper) albums

Category:Roc-A-Fella Records albums

Category:Albums produced by Cool & Dre

Category:Albums produced by Dame Grease

Category:Albums produced by J. R. Rotem

Category:Albums produced by Needlz

Category:Albums produced by Don Cannon

Category:Albums produced by Bink (record producer)

Category:Albums produced by Jake One

Category:Albums produced by Double-O