I’m stoked to be able to premiere Melbourne rapper Freeds’ new single, Bumper Carz. It’s a throwback to his days spent at theme parks, and Freeds’ delivery on the track evoke comparisons to prime Young Thug. If you’re a fan of Thugger, you’ll enjoy this new one from Freeds.

It’s a tropical one, so it’s perfect for the hotter weather coming our way soon. AYEPEE’s production on the track bubbles away under Freeds’ vocals, and it’s a fun time. It’s sugary sweet, and you won’t be able to stop yourself going in for another taste after you’ve played it once. Freeds is preparing to release his EP Baby Steps soon, and this is another taste of what he’s got cooking.

I was lucky enough to speak to Freeds about the track, as well as his favourite theme park story. Check out the track below, and read on to find out what inspired the song, as well as the time he hit up the Gold Coast with his family.

Speaking to Freeds about his favourite theme park story, there’s one time that came straight to mind. “Growing up, my mum couldn’t afford to take us on holiday; but there was one time she took us to the Gold Coast - it was the most exciting thing ever! We went to all the theme parks, my favourite was easily Wet & Wild.

“My older sisters would be lining up for upside-down rollercoasters/tower of terror/giant drop/etc and I would be either too short or too scared (let’s go with the first one?). My sister reminded me that I was standing with my mum under an umbrella when it was raining while they were going on rides. At least my mum had someone to keep her company. My favourite was definitely the waterslides, despite my fashionable exit where I would get pummelled and gulp a bunch of water. 

“I still haven’t been on an upside-down ride to this day - it’s definitely on the bucket list. I was always really small and tiny so even the mildest of roller coasters would make my stomach drop far more than the average person (I’m assuming) so I couldn’t even imagine going upside down. That vertical slide at Wet & Wild was intriguing but I definitely thought I would just fall off the slide because I was so lightweight.” Let’s hope Freeds gets a chance to conquer his fears soon!”

I also spoke to Freeds about how the track came together - and it’s been a few months in the making. “A few months ago my friend/producer AYEPEE sent me a beat which I opened up at work and instantly felt inspired. It was super fun and bubbly with its cute and repetitive glockenspiel-esque keys, heavy 808s, and bouncy drums - kinda sitting in that playful Kyle/DRAM/Amine pocket. The vibe reminded me of music that belonged to a theme park and I began conjuring ideas around that while texting AYEPEE a few too many times because I was excited. I landed on Bumper Cars and it stuck with me. 

“I later changed the “s” to a “z”, an unexplainable stroke of pure, creative brilliance. Haha, I just thought the “z” was cute in a lame kinda way. I’m pretty sure I was singing melodies and lyric ideas in my car because that’s what I always do when I get sent new beats. I opened up a session and just started recording the chorus/post-chorus. It all came out very quickly. Those initial takes are the ones I used for the song. They weren’t perfect but the energy was cool. 

“After that, I think it took a week or so before I did the first verse, and then like a month after that I did the second verse. I didn’t write down any of these verses, I just punched in lines and freestyled everything (a process I’ve been dabbling more with recently). I wanted the verses to be quite flowy and free-form with a Young Thug-inspired approach, but my spin - Lots of quirky vocal inflections and different flows sprinkled with some silly ad-libs.  

“Bumper Carz doesn’t dive too deep in terms of content. It’s just meant to be a fun song filled with personality. I use various bumper car-themed word-play throughout the track and poke fun at the same time - kinda like a ‘hey get out of my way’ type thing, or ‘I’m gonna win this race’ because I’m just out here being myself and not jumping on trends or trying to copy anyone. 

“It pokes fun at people who don’t want to see other people ‘win’ and has a bit of a braggadocious element to it with other artists being “plain” or superficial compared to me. I wanted it to feel a little animated. I also play on the fact I don’t wear diamonds - I’m a classic ‘gold chain’ kinda guy and I use that as a metaphor for saying it’s cool being yourself and liking what you like - I’m in my “own lane like Lois”.

“In the second verse, I continue this theme, mentioning that people are always trying to ‘cut corners’ or fast-track things in life but I’ve been ‘laying the groundwork’ for years and building one step at a time. Hence why my upcoming EP is titled Baby Steps. Things haven’t fallen in my hands and nothing comes easy, so I’m just slowly chipping away and learning what I can in the process. The song is intended to be played loud in the car on a sunny day and just being silly with your friends.” If you’re planning a road trip in the future, you’ll want to chuck Bumper Carz on. Roll down the windows, and let your worries float away.