SoundCentric
Posts
#6: What Happened To The Radio Freestyle?

#6: What Happened To The Radio Freestyle?

Adam Dash
February 24, 2025

Good morning! Welcome back to another edition of the SoundCentric newsletter!

What a week in hip-hop! J. Cole surprise-dropped a new track, cLOUDs, on his blog. We also got an unexpected album from the Paris Texas duo, who are currently on tour opening for Tyler, the Creator.

I also dropped my first in-person solo pod this week with the one and only, Annabelle Kline-Zilles. I think it might be the best episode we’ve had yet, so make sure to tune into that.

But what’s really on my mind right now is—what happened to the good ol’ fashioned radio freestyle? I know they’re still out there, the same way I know Ray William Johnson is still out there. I’m sure they exist somewhere on the internet, but they just don’t seem to hit like they used to.

You could be reading anything in the world right now, and you're here with me. So, I appreciate it.

Let’s get to it!

Deep Dive

What happened to the radio freestyle?

What happened to the radio show freestyle?

I know they’re still around, but is it just me, or have they lost their flair? What used to be a rite of passage in hip-hop has now been replaced by pre-recorded live versions of singles, with mics dangling from the clouds.

I miss the feeling I’d get while watching a new freestyle. I used to stay up for hours, going down YouTube rabbit holes, watching rappers enter the land of the hyenas and take on Sway’s 5 Fingers of Death.

The first time I ever heard the beat for Jay-Z’s “A Million and One Questions” wasn’t actually while listening to Hov—it was during an Action Bronson freestyle on Funk Flex. That beat would later become the third one I ever rapped over and released online.

I’d hear beats that rappers freestyled on, do some research to find the original song, and boom—down another rabbit hole I went. These videos weren’t just about hearing cool lines; they were my introduction to hip-hop, my first real education in the culture.

I vividly remember forcing my dad to watch Black Thought’s ten-minute dissertation, glancing over at him every few minutes to make sure he was paying attention. Did you catch that one? Did you hear that rhyme scheme? This is the guy from Jimmy Fallon’s show (I was young, forgive me). I was torturing the poor guy.

I also remember showing him Griselda’s freestyle on Charlie Sloth’s show, explaining that the second rapper, Conway, has Bell’s Palsy from a shooting incident, which is why he only raps out of one side of his mouth.

The first time I ever heard J.I.D was on Funk Flex’s stage—another video my dad was forced to watch against his will. Come to think of it, I made my dad watch a lot of these. What a guy!

These videos even inspired me to make my own 5 Fingers of Death, where I rapped over five Chance the Rapper beats. Was the video good? No. But looking back, it’s fun to see how influential those freestyles were for me.

I miss these moments like an old friend who moved away in elementary school after their dad got a job in Iowa. I look back on those nights, memorizing verses and rapping along, and I can’t help but wonder—what happened?

And I know they’re still out there. There are plenty of amazing radio shows that still put out freestyle videos—LA Leakers, Bootleg Kev, Bars on I-95, On the Radar—but they just don’t feel like moments anymore. I can’t remember the last time my Twitter timeline was flooded with hype over a freestyle.

These used to be huge cultural moments. I remember when J. Cole hopped on LA Leakers before dropping The Off-Season—that was a moment. It felt like the timeline shut down just to talk about what that man had done. I miss that.

Freddie Gibbs rapped with his damn son on his lap and didn’t miss a beat. Lil Dicky brought Tracy flowers mid bar. Riff Raff went off the top of the dome and said some of the funniest most random lines ever. Childish Gambino did some internal reflection over the “Pound Cake” beat. We still don’t know why Tyler, the Creator went with that one line on Funk Flex.

And don’t get me wrong—I love On the Radar and everything Gabe P has built. He’s a huge inspiration to me. But I don’t know if those videos will ever get me as excited as watching Heather B fist-pound a guest after they shocked her with their rhyming prowess.

Maybe it’s just nostalgia? It’s natural to think what you grew up with is better than what you’re consuming now—we see it in NBA commentary every night. Maybe… I’m just getting old? Sorry, seasonal depression is getting the best of me.

I write this as a love letter to freestyles. They were my gateway into what became my first love: hip-hop. Everything I’ve done in hip-hop started with countless hours of watching Sway in the Morning videos.

So all I ask is that we wipe the crust from our eyes and bring ‘em back!