Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)
"Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)" is a song by American hip hop duo Kids See Ghosts, composed of the rappers Kanye West and Kid Cudi, from their eponymous debut album (2018). The song features a guest appearance from American musician Ty Dolla Sign. It is the sequel to West's song "Ghost Town" from his eighth studio album, Ye (2018). The former was produced by West and Kid Cudi, with co-production from Mike Dean, Jeff Bhasker, and BoogzDaBeast, while additional production was handled by Andrew Dawson, Andy C, and Russell "Love" Crews. Apart from BoogzDaBeast, the lead and co-producers wrote the song alongside Ty Dolla Sign and Corin Littler, who has the stage name of Mr. Chop and received songwriting credit due to his work being sampled.
"Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)"
June 8, 2018
West Lake Ranch, Jackson Hole, Wyoming
3:26
- Kanye West
- Scott Mescudi
- Tyrone Griffin, Jr.
- Mike Dean
- Jeff Bhasker
- Corin Littler
- Kanye West
- Kid Cudi
A rap rock number with psychedelic elements, "Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)" samples "Stark" by Mr. Chop and an excerpt of a speech by Marcus Garvey. In the lyrics, Kids See Ghosts demonstrate recovering from mental illness and represent liberation. The song received universal acclaim from music critics, who generally expressed highly positive opinions of the composition. Some praised the vocals, while other critics appreciated the song's creativity. It was submitted for the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, though ultimately failed to receive any nominations at the ceremony.
"Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)" charted at number 62 on the US Billboard Hot 100, while it reached number 58 on the Canadian Hot 100. The duo and Ty Dolla Sign performed the song at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2019. Ronald Oslin Bobb-Semple issued a lawsuit over the song in March 2019, pressing the accusation of exploiting "The Spirit of Marcus Garvey (Garvey speaks to an all-Black audience)" without permission or payment. Kids See Ghosts and their co-defendants responded three months later, arguing fair use and that there was nothing wrong with the duo's actions, later reaching a settlement with Bobb-Semple in January 2020.
Composition and lyrics[edit]
Musically, "Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)" is a rap rock number,[16][17] with psychedelic elements.[14][18] The song is built around a chopped up sample of "Stark", written and performed by Mr. Chop.[7][8][9] An electric guitar riff is taken from the recording.[18] For the intro of the song, an excerpt from a speech by black nationalist Marcus Garvey is sampled alongside "Stark".[7][11][19] According to Spin's Zoe Camp, Garvey's proclamation "lays the track's liberating themes bare".[20] Drums are heavily featured, which are distorted.[9][21][22] The song also includes percussion, a cello, and an acoustic guitar; the latter of the three was played by Zack Djurich.[8][21][23] It contains voice modulation, as well as off-key cries.[9][24] West and Kid Cudi trade turns to perform for the chorus, which includes the former of the two yelling.[11][18][25] They are followed by Ty Dolla Sign and a gospel choir, with him harmonizing as the song's beat drops out.[11][26][27]
In the lyrics of "Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)", Kids See Ghosts demonstrate the recovery from mental illness and showcase liberation.[28][29] On the chorus, a message of it being acceptable to not feel okay is conveyed.[30] "Nothing hurts me anymore / Guess what, baby? I feel freeeee", proclaim both members of Kids See Ghosts separately, interpolating 070 Shake's lyrics "And nothing hurts any more / I feel kind of free" from "Ghost Town",[11][18][30] as well as representing freedom in a triumphant moment.[10] The word "free" is stretched out vocally through extra e's being used to echo the song title, with reverberation being applied to it.[11][31][32] West re-uses the nonsensical "Scoop!" phrase from "Lift Yourself", shouting it on the song.[14][33]
Commercial performance[edit]
Upon the release of Kids See Ghosts, "Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)" entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 62.[53] Simultaneously, the song debuted at number 30 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[54] In Canada, it peaked at number 58 on the Canadian Hot 100.[55] Elsewhere, the song reached number 72 in Australia on the ARIA Singles Chart.[56] It further charted at numbers 66 and 72 on the Irish Singles Chart and Singles Digitál Top 100 in Ireland and Slovakia, respectively.[57][58]