DJ Esco
| Freebandz | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Parent company | Sony Music Entertainment |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Future |
| Distributor(s) | Epic Records |
| Genre | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Official website | http://freebandz.com/ |
Freebandz is a record label founded by American hip hop recording artist Future. The label's releases are distributed through Epic Records. The artists under the label are referred to as the "Freeband Gang" (FBG).
Future signed a major label deal with Epic Records in September 2011, days before the release of his mixtape, Streetz Calling. The mixtape was described by XXL magazine as ranging from "simple and soundly executed boasts" to "futuristic drinking and drugging jams" to "tales of the grind." A Pitchfork review remarked that on the mixtape Future comes "as close as anyone to perfecting this thread of ringtone pop, where singing and rapping are practically the same thing, and conversing 100% through Auto-Tune doesn't mean you still can't talk about how you used to sell drugs. It would almost feel antiquated if Future weren't amassing hits, or if he weren't bringing some subtle new dimensions to the micro-genre."
Though Future had told MTV that Streetz Calling would be his final mixtape prior to the release of his debut studio album, another mixtape, Astronaut Status, was released in January 2012. In December 2011, Future was featured on the cover of Issue #77 of The FADER. Before his album being released in April 2012.XXL's Troy Mathews wrote, "While Astronaut Status is up and down and never really hits the highs like 'Racks', 'Tony Montana', and 'Magic' that fans have come to expect from Future, it’s apparent that he’s poised to continue the buzz of 2011 humming right along into 2012." Future was selected to the annual XXL Freshmen list in early 2012.
His debut album Pluto, originally planned for January, was eventually released on April 17. It included remixes of "Tony Montana" featuring Drake and "Magic" featuring T.I.. According to Future, "'Magic' was the first record T.I. jumped on when he came outta jail. Like, he was out of jail a day and he jumped straight on the 'Magic' record without me even knowing about it." The track became Future's first single to enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Other collaborators on the album include Trae Tha Truth, R. Kelly and Snoop Dogg On October 8, 2012, Pusha T released "Pain" featuring Future, the first single from his upcoming debut album.
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