Freeway Tells His Life Story (Full Interview)

In this full-length interview, Freeway discusses the energy surrounding his city as they prepare for the Super Bowl and how Lil Uzi Vert’s “Just Wanna Rock” is currently situated as Philly’s anthem. The conversation shifted gears as Freeway talked about growing up in Philly during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He also discussed his religion and the struggle he faces as a rapper who is also a devout Muslim. From there, he explains how former West coast drug lord Freeway Ricky inspired his choice of a rap name. He also reflects on meeting Beanie Sigel for the first time before chronicling the events that led to him signing with Roc-A-Fella Records. He also talks about recording with Jay-Z for the first time.

As the conversation moves along, Freeway discusses his work with the late Nate Dogg before breaking down Jay-Z's legendary recording process for rap verses. The Philadelphia native also discusses his relationship with iconic hip-hop producers Just Blaze and Kanye West. Elsewhere in the Q&A session, Freeway explains why he chose to leave Def Jam and why he prefers to release music independently nowadays. Moving on, he touches on the brief moment when he considered signing with Birdman at Cash Money Records. As the conversation nears a conclusion, Freeway talks about developing his real estate portfolio in Philadelphia. Scroll up and press play to watch the entire interview.