Philadelphia-based Freeway’s reputation had been in dire need of a rehabilitation since 2007, when the rapper parted ways with Roc-A-Fella: enter a collaboration with Gregg Gillis, a.k.a Girl Talk. At first glance, their partnership on this year’s Broken Ankles EP might not have seemed like a natural fit, but Girl Talk’s vibrant take on pop’s saccharine swirl was the sticky sweet substance Freeway’s career needed most right now.
Opening track “Tolerated,” featuring the laconic flow of Waka Flocka Flame, demonstrates this formula’s viability, pairing the rappers’ pliable rhymes with the producer’s ever-reliable grasp of the hits. But where Girl Talk resuscitates Freeway’s lyrical gifts, Michigan noiseniks Wolf Eyes eviscerate the MC’s delivery on their recently released remix of the track.
And though the Ann Arbor band is best known for a dissonant version of punk fury, here their work — with its cut-up, stuttering beats and distorted vocals — more closely resembles the aggressive agit-hop of groups like Death Grips or clipping.
If you’ve ever wondered what a mash-up of soul and cloud rap would sound like when processed through a meat shredder, then get a taste of this track and discover how much you can tolerate. Just one listen will have you begging for seconds.
Watch the video for Wolf Eyes’ remix of “Tolerated” below: