Not even an appearance on
Mariah Carey
's
Charmbracelet
was able to squelch anticipation for
Freeway
's 2003
Roc-A-Fella
debut. With his hustling put on ice,
delivers a strong album that should lay to rest the speculation that his unique vocal style -- alternating between a scratchy crack and an anything-but-gruff shout, filtered through a consistently high pitch -- would have difficulty remaining tolerable across a full album. Although his experience on the streets is tempered by his Muslim roots, the rough edges are never compromised. A lengthy supporting cast includes
Jay-Z
,
Beanie Sigel
Snoop Dogg
Faith Evans
Nelly
, and -- returning the favor --
, but
Philadelphia Freeway
is clearly the domain of the
State Property
member; none of his thunder is stolen. ~ Andy Kellman