Template:Infobox song "Freestyle" is the eleventh track on the mixtape I'm Serious by DJ Vice. The track features vocals by Mike Shinoda.
Background
"Freestyle" was recorded in 2001 and released sometime in 2002 as part of DJ Vice's mixtape I'm Serious, which was distributed during his shows in the Los Angeles area.
The song remained unknown to Linkin Park fans until mid-2004, when Crewdy, from the fansite Forfeit The Game, obtained the song in a trade. The track was edited by Eric (lperocker), removing DJ Vice's overdubs and rewinds which reduced the length of the track to 1 minute and 6 seconds, and Crewdy made it available for free download on his fansite in the first day of 2005.[1] For years, this version was believed to be a "real album version" of the song.
Near the end of the same year, DJ Vice uploaded a demo version of "Freestyle" to his MySpace page. The song was ripped by another fansite, ChesterSings, and made available for free download.[2]
The mixtape version of the song eventually found its way to Linkin Park fans but was mislabeled as a remix.
While the complete tracklist of the mixtape is currently unknown, the titles of the 10th, 11th and 12th tracks were confirmed by someone who owns a copy of the CD as being "DJ Vice", "Freestyle", and "Roc The Mic", respectively.[3]
The main instrumental of the song is a sample of "Sharp Shooters" by Talib Kweli. Some lines of "Freestyle" were reused on "Be Somebody".
Versions
Note: Only the date of the very first release of each version is listed.
| Title | Album | Length | Recorded | Released | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freestyle | I'm Serious | 1:21 | 2001 | 2002 |
|
| Freestyle (Demo) | 1:22 | 2001 | 2005 |
|
Personnel
- DJ Vice
- Mike Shinoda
Lyrics
I'm serious!
It can't get no bigger than this.
The homie Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park
Puttin' it down with the DJ Vice
Let 'em know Mike!
Let it begin with the stutter of light in short circuits
Driven to givin' minimal life more purpose
Behind closed curtains / I don't even exist
This / magic's created in the mirrors and the mist
It's / Mike Shinoda and DJ Vice at the same time
Rhymes like rain that trickle down your main line
And flood your streets over a high-tech beat
To sneak tuneful beats into turntable techniques
I don't sleep to dream / I sleep to build stamina
Energy to plan in advance / get your camera
With these rhymes, you better seal off the parameter
One line and you're swimmin' off the south coast of Canada
This is the sound / me and Vice in the cut
Roughin' it up / just in case you might get tough
Nitrogen under my breath, just to light things up
And DNA in every line so it's live enough / DJ Vice
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Let it begin with the stutter of light in short circuits
Driven to givin' minimal life more purpose
Behind closed curtains / I don't even exist
This / magic's created in the mirrors and the mist
It's / Mike Shinoda and DJ Vice at the same time
Rhymes like rain that trickle down your main line
And flood your streets over a high-tech beat
To sneak tuneful beats into turntable techniques
I don't sleep to dream / I sleep to build stamina
Energy to plan in advance / get your camera
With these rhymes, you better seal off the parameter
One line and you're swimmin' off the south coast of Canada
This is the sound / me and Vice in the cut
Roughin' it up / just in case you might get tough
Nitrogen under my breath, just to light things up
And DNA in every line so it's live enough / DJ Vice