Since leaving Roc-A-Fella after his sophomore album, Freeway has released three albums in just two years. The Philly native is about to make it four as he prepares for his third album in 2010. Free spoke to Slam about the album.
“It’s called Diamond in the Rough, and it looks like it will be dropping on November 30th,” he told the basketball magazine. “It’s going to be crazy. I just dropped the song “Escalators
,” and that’s been getting a lot of play. The whole album is soulful and real. It’s me, and it’s different than what everyone else is doing.”
The album will be featuring old friends and new, “I just sent something to Rick Ross,” Free said of the man whom he shares his stage name inspiration. “I’ve got Black Thought from The Roots. There is also production from Just Blaze.” Freeway hasn’t worked with Just Blaze since his 2003 debut, where Just guided the sound of the album by producing 10 of the 16 songs.
Freeway also spoke on MTV’s recent Hottest MC’s In The Game List, motivation and his former labelmate. “They got No. 1 right for now,” Free said of the list. “The list is what it is. We’re coming for that list next year, though.” The list doesn’t motivate Freeway though, it is his peers. “I think we motivate each other. Kanye is dropping a song a week. Well I was dropping a song a day during my “Month of Madness.” I’m sure that motivated him. For me, I’m motivated by whoever is a success.”
