Mar 01, 2010
Freeway & Jake One
The Stimulus Package
Rhymesayers
One is a Philadelphia born rapper, whose distinctive voice and infectious flow saw him rise to prominence in the early noughties through prestigious Roc-A-Fella Records, dropping such classics as the HUGE Just Blaze produced ‘What We Do’ featuring Jigga and fellow State Property front man Beanie Sigel. The other, a producer from Seattle whose consistent succession of dope beat making skills has earned him notoriety as one of the hip-hop game’s most sought after producers. Together, they form an unstoppable rap force.
Though Freeway and Jake One had previously worked together, it wasn’t until the two heavyweights united under Rhymesayers Entertainment on Jake One’s ‘White Van Music’ that the necessary foundations would be laid, birthing the tight partnership we experience on ‘The Stimulus Package’.
The enthralling soulful tone of the entire album is set immediately on the ‘Stimulus Intro’, and heads can be forgiven for getting a little nostalgic as long time friends and collaborators Beanie Signal and Philly Freeze trade verses emphatically, weaving effortlessly in and out of Jake’s sultry funk ridden instrumental. The boom, bap and thunderous clap of ‘Throw Your Hands Up’ is the perfect jump off to ignite the spirits of any hip-hop fan, before the bouncy rhythms of ‘One Foot In’ intersect - paired with an insanely infectious hook and an equally crazy beat, Freeway’s dynamite delivery on this track will have heads nodding throughout.
As a whole the album displays great dynamism. Philly Freezer really comes into his own as an emcee, serving up a range of flows, spitting over a multitude of beats – evidenced as such in the hard-hitting ‘Never Gonna Change’. Jake One lays down a raw sounding drum track which fluctuates between slow and fast tempos, switching up the pace of the beat at a moment’s notice and Freeway cuts into the track with ease, matching his flow and vigorous wordplay to mimic the discordant beat flawlessly. The aforementioned soulful undertone of the production on this record acts as a great mediator to Freeway’s street lyricism, whether it be the ultra smooth vibes of ‘Sho Nuff’ featuring Bun B, the sensual moods of ‘Freakin The Beat’ featuring Latoyia Williams, or the catchy, soulful vocal sample on ‘Know What I Mean’- this perfect union of hip-hop and soul is a great testament to the album’s overall success.
To quote the immortal lines of the equally infinite De La Soul classic, three is most definitely the Magic Number. Freeway’s third full-length studio album sees him drop some of his finest material to date. Fresh, dynamic and an absolute joy to listen to, ‘The Stimulus Package’ is worth its weight in hip-hop gold.
The Stimulus Package is out now on Rhymesayers.
