Freeway's Free At Last is the artists second album almost five years in the making. A lot has happened since he released his 2003 debut Philadelphia Freeway. Most notably the falling apart of Roc-A-Fella and the split between Dame Dash & Jay-Z. That situation alone could have spelt doom for the artist and this release. But Freeway managed to ride through that storm and release an album thats' good despite some glaring omissions.

The most glaring of those omissions are the two producers missing from this release that made his debut exceptional. That would be Roc regulars Kanye West & Just Blaze. Two of the best producers Roc-A-Fella employs. For them to not bless a single track on this album is insane and makes one wonder what could have lead to such a decision. But the lack of these two powerhouses doesn't diminish the album at all. Producers like Dame Grease, Jake One, Ryan Press, Chad Hamilton & others bring a mix of heavy bass lined tracks and Soul sampled sweetness that for some strange reason works well with Freeway's aggressive delivery.

Lyrically, Freeway still manages to paint a picture with his vocals. He touches on topics like the Roc's turmoils and coming up in the hood. His most impressive ability to flow over both mellow and hard tracks with equal vigor & grace. He also takes no backseat to any of the albums guest MC's. The list includes, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Scarface, Busta Rhymes, Jadakiss and Rick Ross.

Over all the album is a very refreshing release in today's ''Clone Era'' of Hip Hop. Will it get the promotion it should? Probably not. Will it sell a million copies? Probably not. But for those who pick it up it will surely entertain. If you're a true Hip Hop head then this is definitely worth picking up.

SonicAmp Rating: 8/10