''Let's Get Free'' is the debut studio album by hip-hop duo

dead prez Dead Prez, often stylized as dead prez, is an American hip hop duo composed of stic.man and M-1, formed in 1996 in New York City. They are known for their confrontational style, combined with lyrics focused on both militant social justice, self ...

. It was released February 8, 2000 on

Loud Records Loud Records, LLC. is a record label founded by Steve Rifkind and Rich Isaacson in 1991. Loud is a hip hop label that released material by acts such as Wu-Tang Clan, Big Pun, Mobb Deep, Krayzie Bone, The Beatnuts, M.O.P., Tha Alkaholiks, Pete ...

Critical reception

Although the production was derided by some critics as a "dull musical backdrop", ''Let's Get Free'' was called a "return to politically conscious rap". ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' gave the album four stars and lauded its equation of "classrooms with jail cells, the projects with killing fields and everything from water to television with conduits for brainwashing by the system".

Track listing

Album singles

Personnel

* stic.man – lead vocals, production, executive producer, art direction * M-1 – lead vocals, production, executive producer, art direction *Hedrush – production, drum programming *

Lord Jamar Lorenzo Dechalus (born September 17, 1968), known professionally as Lord Jamar is an American rapper, DJ, record producer, actor and podcaster. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Brand Nubian, which was formed in 1989. In 1996, he disco ...

– production *

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

– production *Tahir (of Hedrush) – vocals *Maintain (of Illegal Tendencies) – vocals *Indo (of People's Army) – additional vocals *Abu (of People's Army) – additional vocals *Keanna Henson – additional vocals *Ness (of A-Alikes) – additional vocals *Toya (of People's Army) – additional vocals *Divine (of People's Army) – additional vocals *Umi – additional vocals *Becca Byram – additional vocals, keyboards *Abiodun Oyewole (of

The Last Poets The Last Poets are several groups of poets and musicians who arose from the late 1960s African-American civil rights movement's black nationalism. The name is taken from a poem by the South African revolutionary poet Keorapetse Kgositsile, who bel ...

) – additional vocals *

Prodigy Prodigy, Prodigies or The Prodigy may refer to: * Child prodigy, a child who produces meaningful output to the level of an adult expert performer ** Chess prodigy, a child who can beat experienced adult players at chess Arts, entertainment, and ...

(of Mobb Deep) – additional vocals *Dedan (of Illegal Tendencies) – additional vocals *Nimrod (of Illegal Tendencies) – additional vocals *True Image – additional vocals *

Mark Batson Mark Batson is an American producer, musician and songwriter. He has worked on albums by artists including Alicia Keys, Dave Matthews Band, LeAnn Rimes, Anthony Hamilton, Eminem, India Arie, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Maroon 5, Skylar Grey, Grace Potter an ...

– keyboards *Christos Tsantilios – recording, mixing *Blair Wells – recording *Nastee – recording *Doug Wilson – mixing *Bernard Grubman – guitar *Pressure of Fambase – keyboards *

Melvin Gibbs Melvin Gibbs is an American bass guitarist who has appeared on close to 200 albums in diverse genres of music. Among others, Gibbs is known for working in jazz with drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson and guitarist Sonny Sharrock, and in rock music ...

– bass *Laura J. Seaton-Finn – strings *Joshua – horns *Mista Sinista (of

The X-Ecutioners The X-Ecutioners are a group of American hip hop DJs/ turntablists from New York City, New York. The group formed in 1989 and currently consists of three DJs, including Total Eclipse, DJ Boogie Blind, DJ Precision. Original members of the gro ...

) – scratching *Sean Cane – drums, executive producer *Matt Life – executive producer *Schott Free – executive producer *Stuart "Kamau" Lyle – cover concept *Kerry DeBruce – art direction, design *Lorraine West – illustration *Anthony Cutajar – album photography *Saba – road photography *Corbis – archival images

Charts

Album

Singles

References

{{Authority control Dead Prez albums Loud Records albums 2000 debut albums Albums produced by Kanye West Political music albums by American artists