Rewind That: Freeway Recalls Wowing Jay Z & Roc-A-Fella On "1-900-Hustler"
“I took the beat home and was like ‘Yo I gotta kill this joint.'”
The year, 2000. The album, The Dynasty: Roc La Familia.
After adding pieces like Memphis Bleek, Beanie Sigel and Amil to the growing Roc-A-Fella army, Jay Z set his eyes on releasing a label compilation album and it was to be called, The Dynasty: Roc La Famillia. Boasting a chock-full of soulful and rock-tinged sonics, courtesy of newcomers like Bink!, Just Blaze, and Kanye West, the album would serve as a loud roar to establish the team as the supreme squad that has the game tied up.
Despite positioned as a Jay Z solo album, Dynasty hosted standout moments for Bleek (“Change the Game”), Sigel (“This Can’t Be Life”), Amil (“You, Me, Him and Her”), and another newcomer by the name of Freeway, who made quite the impression on “1-900-Hustler.” According to the Philadelphia-bred MC, it was on this standout posse cut that he made his Roc-A-Fella debut. Interestingly, Beanie Sigel was originally supposed to have the song’s closing verse. However, thanks to his belief in Free, he suggested that the bearded rapper take the slot. From there, as Freeway told REVOLT, the task was to simply deliver a scene-stealing verse. “They presented the opportunity to me, I took the beat home and was like “Yo I gotta kill this joint,” he recalled. “So I did the verse, everybody loved it and Jay was like “This your introduction to the world”.”
Sooner than later, his deal with Roc-A-Fella came in, along with a flurry of classics and standout verses thereafter.