Do you ever think to yourself: man, there's no more good rap music! You're mostly right. But only mostly. For example, this new song, from Philadelphian MCs Freeway and Young Chris (both late of Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records), is excellent. It sounds like the two are sitting on a stoop a nice summer day, snapping their fingers and rhyming into the breeze just for the fun of it. "You can try me," says Freeway, "But you're gonna fail harder/Lock me/I'll get the bail and go hella harder/I am what's happening without Nell Carter and Freddie Stubbs!" Oh hey, wait?
Great rapping. Seriously. But, a complaint: Freeway's either confusing old sitcom cast credits, or kicking science I can't catch up with. Nell Carter was never on "What's Happening!!" That was Shirley Hemphill!
Come on, Free, gimme a break!
Even sadder when you consider that Shirley Hemphill's body wasn't discovered until days after her death. How quickly we forget.
...Seriously, though, "Hemphill" doesn't scan.
Freeway also released a song called "Freeway's Beard", based on the idea that Eminem has been hiding in his (admittedly impressive) beard for the last few years. It's quite odd but quite good.
OMG, we all loved 'Buhloone Mindstate' but you know? The reason it worked? Because they were *fucking De La Soul*.
Yes, Freeway has the best beard in hip-hop. (Rick Rubin's is too ZZ Top, and Free gets extra points for the no mustache Abe Lincoln thing. Hey maybe president Obama should have his picture standing next to Freeway?) And he is one of the best - and certainly most underrated - rappers out there, too.
Maybe he's being self-deprecating.