In the wake of the tragedy currently roiling Ferguson, a song like Cory Jreamz’s “Freedom” hits a little harder. Written well before the death of Michael Brown, the Houston native weighs the price of freedom, myriad forms of systemic oppression, the death of Sean Bell and a chant to fuck cops. The fact that it was created months ago speaks to the perpetual and grotesque abuses directed by cops towards the disenfranchised.
The Rodan industrial stomp recalls the scraped eardrum aesthetic of Yeezus, but feels singularly crafted to Jreamz’s own scalloped metal dome design. This is raw as much as in the minimalist sense, but also in the most literal interpretation. You can see the open wounds. No scars have yet to form. This is as heavy as closed fist, with the eagerness to escape of someone who has seen too much far too young.
