I’ve recently purchased a lot of Freestyle featuring artists that I am 99.9% sure are AI. From the short previews I listened to I found that most of these new songs sound like actual human beings. None have been added to the station simply because I haven’t had the time to listen to any of it. I don’t want to just add stuff blindly - that almost never works out well.

A friend from overseas sent me an email earlier this week asking for my opinion on the latest Freestyle releases. If you are a regular reader of this Substack you already know my answer. If you are new, let’s just say that most of this new shit is not for me.

He commented with his thoughts that recent AI Freestyle releases have been better than many of the latest songs from established artists and producers. I would have to agree. My biggest issue with AI artists is that most sound the same. Male or female, the voices and vocal arrangements are always similar. Until we get to a place where the AI vocals sound natural, the critics will continue to have ammunition for the shots they fire in their imaginary war against AI Freestyle.

The funny thing is those who have condemned AI Freestyle are the same people praising AI when their friends are involved. Everyone else is a blight to the genre, but if their friends use AI vocals or music all of a sudden it becomes tasteful and artistic. A recent album release riddled throughout with blatant usage of AI is being praised by the same people who will undoubtedly whine about stuff like the upcoming release by an artist called “Mr. AI” (yes, this is a real thing).

AI is AI. Whether it’s Jay Alams, Willie Valentin, Angel Mena or whoever else using it - they are just as guilty as the other producers peddling AI Freestyle like Lugo/MMR, DJ Allan Back or a countless number of others. You either oppose AI or you don’t. You don’t get to pick and choose (or in this case condemn and praise) based on your allegiances. This isn’t fucking middle school.

No matter the vitriol being spewed in an attempt to influence which Freestyle songs fans should be listening to - they are going to like what they like. Not because some warring Freestyle faction says so, but because the music speaks to them. It doesn’t really matter if it’s AI or not. The fans will cast the deciding votes.

Anyways - that’s all I really wanted to say this week.

RSE Freestyle Radio

I still haven’t gotten around to the spring cleaning. Things have just been busy lately.

I did resume messing around with the new RSE Freestyle Radio app. Unfortunately I am running into the same issues with getting Apple CarPlay up and running as I did when I last worked on it like 6 months ago.

There aren’t any new releases worth mentioning so I’ll skip ahead to sharing the update Excel file for June 2026. There will most likely be some more stuff added over the next few days as I attempt to sift through several hundred files.

Rse Freestyle Radio June 2026

14.2KB ∙ XLSX file

Download

Download

Wrapping Things Up

My apologies for missing last week. Life happened. All is well though.

Since my last post I’ve seen a few movies…

The Mandalorian & Grogu: Fun, but it’s just basically an intro followed by two episodes of The Mandalorian Disney+ TV series. If you’re a fan of the series or Star Wars in general it’s worth checking out. Just don’t expect much more than what you get with the TV series.

Passenger: Aside from the fact that this is just not a good movie, the two leads (Lou Llobell & Jacob Scipio) are severely lacking in chemistry. It’s a shame because I think Lou Llobell is great on the Apple TV series Foundation (where she stars as “Gaal Dornick”). If you’ve seen the teaser trailer, you’ve pretty much seen best the part of Passenger.

I Love Boosters: Two weeks later and I’m still not sure if I liked this one. It’s bizarre and quirky which is usually my kind of film. It is a satire which plays like a live action comic book and then kind of out of nowhere becomes a Sci-Fi story. It’s got a great ensemble featuring Naomi Ackie, Keke Palmer, Demi Moore, Don Cheadle, LaKeith Stanfield, Poppy Liu, Will Poulter, Taylour Paige and Eiza González.

I had to give up my ticket to Backrooms last weekend due to some stuff going on at home. I’ll be seeing it this weekend on Sunday. First up is Masters Of The Universe tomorrow morning.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for listening and thank you for your support!

Until next week… Take care.

- Brad Warsaw

I don’t have much to discuss this week, so I’ll give some movie recommendations - two in particular. First up is The Sheep Detectives. This is a film that had intrigued me from the moment I first saw the trailer about 2 months ago.

The Sheep Detectives is a clever and surprisingly charming mystery that blends humor, suspense, and heart into an entertaining ride from beginning to end. The film follows a flock of sheep who unexpectedly find themselves trying to solve a murder after their beloved shepherd (Hugh Jackman) is found dead. What begins as a quirky premise quickly evolves into an engaging and heartfelt mystery filled with humor, clever twists, and plenty of personality.

With its unique concept, witty dialogue, and heartfelt performances, The Sheep Detectives stands out as one of the most original and entertaining mysteries in recent years. The film is rated PG and very family-friendly though don’t mistake it for a kids movie. While maintaining a wholesomeness, it doesn’t shy away from touching on some darkness.

There is a reason why many people have called this one of the best films of the year. The screenplay was adapted by Craig Mazin (best known for HBO’s Chernobyl and The Last Of Us). Mazin is one of the best in the game and any project he is attached to deserves your attention. In addition to Jackman, the human cast also includes Emma Thompson, Nicholas Braun, Molly Gordon, Conleth Hill and Nicholas Galitzine. The sheep are voiced by an all-star cast including Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Regina Hall, Patrick Stewart, Chris O’Dowd, Brett Goldstein, Rhys Darby and Bella Ramsey.

My other recommendation is the new horror film Obsession. I purposely avoided trailers beyond the original teaser that had come out a while ago. The teaser really told you everything that you needed to know about the plot, without revealing anything. I think going in blind aside from the short teaser really made this one a nice surprise.

You can’t talk about Obsession without mentioning the lead actress, Inde Navarrette. I knew she looked familiar but I just didn’t recognize her in this film. Looking very different from when she was on Superman & Lois just a few years ago. One of the main reasons Obesssion is so good is due to Inde’s performance as “Nikki”. Strong performances by the entire cast make Obsession an really fun ride. It’s darkly funny, unsettling, unhinged and, at times, really fucked up.

The cast delivers strong performances that elevate the material at every turn. Michael Johnston gives a compelling lead performance filled with vulnerability and intensity, while Inde Navarrette brings emotional depth and insanity to the story’s central relationship. Cooper Tomlinson and Andy Richter provide strong supporting performances while the entire cast works together to maintain a feeling of escalating tension.

Obsession succeeds because it balances horror, mystery, and emotional drama without losing focus on its characters. Thanks to confident direction and a committed cast, the film becomes a gripping psychological thriller that stays with audiences long after the credits roll. I’m thinking about finding some time this weekend to see it for a second time. It’s just that good.

By-the-way: I’ll be seeing The Mandalorian & Grogu later this morning, Passenger tomorrow an I Love Boosters on Sunday.

RSE Freestyle Radio

I have been adding content to the station, but I still haven’t gotten around to the spring cleaning. I am hoping to get started over the next few days.

The lone new release this week is the latest from Synthia Figueroa: “Promise To Love You”

Another solid, but typical, release from Artistik. “Promise To Love You” doesn’t reinvent the wheel but with the poor shape that Freestyle has found itself in recently, it doesn’t need to. It just needs to be good, which this is.

Here is the updated Excel file for May 2026.

Rse Freestyle Radio May 2026

21.9KB ∙ XLSX file

Download

Download

Wrapping Things Up

Is anyone else tired of the Freestyle circle-jerk? You know - the same handful of people (all friends who are in bed with one another) posting when one of them has a new release. They hop onto Facebook to deliver some variation of “I got my copy. Now go get yours”.

This is what Freestyle has become in 2026. The music can no longer speak for itself so you’ve got The Get Along Gang giving each other a reach-around to perpetuate their nonsense. It just never fucking ends!

Thanks for reading. Thanks for listening and thank you for your support!

Until next week… Take care.

- Brad Warsaw

Over the years we’ve seen several large Freestyle shows featuring old school favorites (both original artists & current lineups without the OGs 🙄). There have been events featuring newer acts as well. This week I have to ask: Where is the inevitable “Scumbags of Freestyle” tour featuring all of the bridge-burners and con artists? 🤣

Back in 2020, Angel Mena took money for pre-orders of an album that never materialized. He conned dozens of fans out of roughly $20 (myself included) for a CD that probably never existed in the first place. I remember seeing him post on Facebook a few months later stating that he was taking his time recording the album and that there was no firm timeline for a release. In other words, it will be done when it’s done. 6 years later he now has a new, new album set to be released a few weeks from now. Aren’t we lucky?

Where the fuck are the refunds that he owes everyone that was gullible enough to give him money back in April of 2020? Where is the $500 he owes me for an audio interface I graciously lent to him to record the 2020 album that he failed to deliver to the fans? The last communication I had with him was a year later (March 2, 2021) asking him to return the equipment. “Ok. I’ll get it out ASAP” was his response. The last message I sent to him was 3 months later on May 31, 2021.

Some people may see this and think I’m being petty for airing dirty laundry in the public like this. Do you really think I give a fuck about any of these Freestyle miscreants? I am sharing this because it’s the undeniable truth. Freestyle fans should know the facts before they decide who to give their hard earned money to. It’s been 6 years. I am over it. It’s just the principle of the whole thing. There is a lack of honor and integrity in Freestyle and more people should call these Freestyle shysters out on their bullshit!

Freestyle fans seem to have a short-term memory and they tend to forgive and forget a lot of malfeasance. Not me. I’m sure there are people who will make excuses for him. He will be absolved of his Freestyle sins and the sycophants will declare his return as the second coming of whatever Freestyle “god” they believe in. Freestyle fans can not and should not reward bad behavior - but we all know they will.

Regardless, I wish Angel Mena nothing but the best of luck with this new project. Yes, that is what I say about anyone in Freestyle that I’ve got issues with. I’m at an age where it’s much easier to let things go than to be mad about things I cannot control. I can’t control other people’s shitty behavior. I just hope Angel Mena has changed his ways and isn’t planning another scheme to fleece his fans of their money for more vaporware.

RSE Freestyle Radio

News dropped this week that Laissez Faire is back and set to release a remake of “In Paradise” in the near future. Nobody asked for this, but in Freestyle we always get what we deserve! Look - I have no clue whether or not this new version is any good. It just might be, but that doesn’t make it any less pointless. The original is a fondly remembered classic for a reason.

The biggest question I have is: Will this new version of “In Paradise” also feature a borderline soft core porn music video like the original did? LOL

Today, remixes of Joei Mae’s recent single “Ask Me Again” were released featuring a variety of new versions including Freestyle mixes by Jay Alams and Tim “Spinnin’” Schommer. It’s no secret that I didn’t like the original version. It felt like it was a disjointed and jumbled mess of clashing styles that all had reached their peak 20 years ago. While these new mixes are an improvement, I think a Carlos Berrios remix is sorely missing even though I thought their last collaboration (the #1 song of 2025 “Far Away Forever”) was nothing special.

I haven’t started on the much needed spring cleaning, but I did add a bunch of new content to the station this week. Here is the updated Excel file for May 2026

Rse Freestyle Radio May 2026

18.9KB ∙ XLSX file

Download

Download

Wrapping Things Up

I saw Hokum last week and I really liked it. This is the new horror movie starring Adam Scott. He plays an author who is haunted by personal demons. He decides to take a trip to Ireland to visit the hotel his parents had spent their honeymoon and to scatter their ashes. He hears stories from hotel staff that the building is supposedly haunted by a witch and then shit starts to happen. Highly recommended to my fellow horror fans. For anyone that has a low tolerance for gore you can go into this one knowing there isn’t any in this film aside from a little blood here and there.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for listening and thank you for your support!

Until next week… Take care.

- Brad Warsaw

Apologies once again. I know I’ve been a bit absent over the last few weeks. Real life has just been busy. Busier than usual and I didn’t have a lot of free time to focus on the station. I am happy to report that I added a lot of content to the station this week… 91 tracks as of just a few minutes ago!

You can check it all out in the updated Excel file for May 2026

Rse Freestyle Radio May 2026

16.5KB ∙ XLSX file

Download

Download

I was hoping to have time to write a proper update for this week, but unfortunately things are a bit hectic at work today and I just can’t. Hoping to get back on track for next week.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for listening and thank you for your support!

Until next week… Take care.

- Brad Warsaw

In 2026, Freestyle has hit new lows with the over-usage of AI and glorified Pop songs. Just because you say it’s Freestyle doesn’t necessarily mean that it is Freestyle. Some people have argued that there is a lack of talent, but let’s be honest - if that were true 90% of our beloved classics would have suffered the same fate. Freestyle as a genre has a long tradition of artists with questionable vocals. It didn’t stop the magic from happening back then.

The passion that you could hear throughout Freestyle’s golden era is pretty much absent today. The overall lack of diversity in the talent pool is modern Freestyle’s biggest problem. This is a genre where a majority of new releases are being produced by the same handful of people (many of which should have retired years ago). This has ultimately led to the stagnation that our music currently faces. It all sounds the same.

Then there is the South America problem. They idolize Tony Garcia and Steve B which is why so many Freestyle productions hailing from Brazil and Colombia are shameless ripoffs of the High Power Records and Stevie B sounds. I’m not saying all of it is bad, but there is just so much “Planet Rock” one can tolerate before it drives you mad.

If there is one thing I have learned over the years is this: people like what they like. Every Freestyle fan has a special relationship with the genre. I may not like Freestyle songs or artists that you like and vice-versa. That’s OK. It doesn’t make your opinion invalid and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

But… this new shit? 2026 has easily been the worst year for Freestyle music in recent memory. I know there are people out there that may truly think Freestyle music has never sounded better. You’re wrong, but you are entitled to have this opinion.

I’ve come to expect every new Freestyle release to be a massive disappointment. If it manages to punch above its weight (like last week’s “Till The Day I Die” by Cynthia) it’s a pleasant surprise. This is a rarity nowadays.

Over the last few years I’ve advocated for new blood to step up and take the reigns of the Freestyle genre. I warned that if it didn’t happen by the end of 2025, the genre was completely fucked. Tell me I was wrong! The gatekeepers are past their prime. When they aren’t serving you AI slop they are selling you the same music over and over again. There may be a few changes to trick you into thinking it’s something different that doesn’t sound like the last 3 songs they’ve released - but come on. It’s the same drum samples. Same synth sounds. Similar riffs. Similar lyrics and vocal arrangements, etc. It’s a vicious cycle of Freestyle fuckery.

Going back to my first sentence: When was the last time a new Freestyle song hit you the same way one of the countless classics of the genre have continued to over the years? Please let me know in the comments because aside from one or two songs, I can’t think of any.

RSE Freestyle Radio

Apologies for posting so late today. I got pulled into something at work. I am in the middle of uploading some content to the station right now. It’s detailed in the updated Excel file for April 2026 below. Everything dated for today will be added within the next hour or two.

Rse Freestyle Radio April 2026

14.4KB ∙ XLSX file

Download

Download

Wrapping Things Up

A few weeks ago an artist that I used to work with reached out to me to see if I would be down to work on something new. I told him that I was retired and currently have zero plans to come back. He then sent me two songs he is working on. Both are remakes of his older material that he originally released in the 2000s. One was a track that I had produced for him.

After giving him my blessing on the new production for my music, I made sure to let him know that I wasn’t a fan of the AI vocals he used on these new songs. He stressed to me that it was only there as a placeholder and that he plans to record his own vocals. I hope so.

Anyways, that’s all I’ve got for this week.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for listening and thank you for your support!

Until next week… Take care.

- Brad Warsaw

It’s been a very busy two weeks, but I’m glad that it’s over now. With all of this going on, Freestyle was the last thing on my mind. Expect a regular update next week.

Before I wrap things up, I would like to point out two new GOOD releases this week. First is the latest from Artie. A nice Freestyle remake of “Where Did Your Heart Go”, originally recorded by Was Not Was in 1981.

Today, Cynthia released her latest single “Till The Day I Die”. I’m pleasantly surprised by this one. I like it and I think it’s the best song she has released since her Timber!/Robbins days.

Both of these new songs can be heard on RSE Freestyle Radio. Here is the updated Excel file for April 2026.

Rse Freestyle Radio April 2026

13.7KB ∙ XLSX file

Download

Download

Thanks for reading. Thanks for listening and thank you for your support!

Until next week… Take care.

- Brad Warsaw

Take care

-Brad Warsaw

This week I’ve got a tech review for you. I had been interested in XR glasses for a few years. Recently there have been several notable models released by three of the biggest brands: VITURE, XREAL and RayNeo. RayNeo’s lineup is the least expensive option that offers a lot of “bang for your buck”. I quickly ruled out RayNeo because they are a division of TCL and well, fuck TCL. I will never give them any more of my business!

It came down to choosing between the XREAL 1 Pro, XREAL 1S, VITURE Beast and VITURE Luma Series. The VITURE Beast and XREAL 1S are the two most popular models available at the moment. I would have probably bought the VITURE Beast but the lack of diopter adjustment made me hesitant. Everything I saw regarding XREAL said they were a solid choice, but most reviews suggested VITURE won in a side-by-side comparison in picture quality, color saturation and brightness.

Eyesight degrades as you get older and I would rather not have to add a prescription lens insert if the default configuration didn’t work for me. I started to look at VITURE’s Luma series, which features diopter adjustments. I had pretty much settled on the Luma Ultra. I checked the prices on Amazon and VITURE’s website.

I visited VITURE’s store on the Shop app and saw that they had some great deals. The Luma Pro was on sale for $349, plus there was an extra $55 off and I was also able to apply a promo code for an additional 10% off. I also picked up the VITURE Pro Mobile Dock, because it is needed if I wanted to connect my Switch 2 to the glasses, plus it can also be used to connect the glasses to sources that only have an HDMI out. The glasses and dock ended up being roughly the same price the glasses were on sale for ($349), before the additional $55 & 10% off savings.

I received my order on Tuesday and the VITURE Luma Pro glasses are pretty much everything that I hoped they would be. Before I give you my impressions, let me tell you what these glasses aren’t. These are not virtual reality goggles like the Meta Quest3 or PlayStation VR. You are not going to get that 360°/6 DoF immersiveness that you would with a VR headset. These are Extended Reality (XR) glasses. It’s like having a large screen portable monitor in a form factor that looks like a pair of sunglasses. There are two 1200p micro OLED screens (one for each eye) inside and it can be used to mirror just about any source that supports video out over USB-C.

My biggest reason for wanting XR glasses is working from home. I WFH 3 days per week. I usually start the day off on my main setup (Mac Studio), where I have dual 24” monitors. Later in the morning I migrate to the living room and work from my MacBook Air the rest of the day. With the laptop being a 13” - the smaller, single screen gets to be a bit tedious and tiring. I will sometimes connect my iPad via Sidecar to act as an extended display (giving me a dual screen setup), but it’s still just two 13” screens. XR glasses seemed to be the perfect solution to my want of a larger display for working from my laptop.

XREAL’s 1 Pro, 1S and VITURE Beast feature a specialized chipset that packs a lot of the glasses main features into the hardware. The Luma series relies on VITURE’s SpaceWalker and Immersive 3D apps to do the heavy lifting. It was a compromise that I was OK with since I’ve heard that the XREAL glasses and Beast can get uncomfortably warm due to the onboard processing. Anyways, I have mainly been using my Luma Pro glasses with my MacBook Air and it’s absolutely perfect for my needs. I set the SpaceWalker app to a side-by-side dual screen setup. I have the left “monitor” in front of me. I look to the right and there is the second “monitor”.

While VITURE claims the screens can appear to be as a large as 152” with 52° field of view, I personally keep the displays set at a distance that makes the screen appear to be around the size of an 80” TV. There are some compromises on quality. The screens are 1200p (which is essentially 1080p at an ultrawide 16:10 aspect ratio). This means you are not going to get the benefit of 4K resolution, but they do look great regardless.

I think the biggest downside is the loss of HDR. RayNeo’s newest glasses claim to be the first XR glasses on the market to support HDR, but once again: fuck TCL!

I will say that the Luma Pro’s colors are vibrant and the 1,000 nits of brightness keep things looking lively. VITURE’s 2D to 3D conversion works pretty well and can be downright impressive at times. While I would prefer HDR over the “ViewMaster” look that you get with modern 3D, it almost makes up for the lack of HDR support IMHO. The SpaceWalker app for mobile & tablets (iOS/iPadOS in my case) includes the 3D conversion features integrated, but for desktops you will need the separate “Immersive 3D” app.

There are pros and cons to using SpaceWalker. On phones and tablets, SpaceWalker acts as a dashboard of sorts. It’s web-based and only certain platforms are supported in SpaceWalker mobile, which is required to take advantage of the “immersive 3D” feature. Outside of SpaceWalker you can mirror your phone or tablet to the glasses and use whatever apps you want, but you will lose the ability to convert that content to 3D.

To get the most out of the SpaceWalker experience on mobile devices, you will need to purchase VITURE’s USB-C charging adapter for phones/tablets. There are two models available. One for iPhone/iPad with USB-C and one for non-Apple devices with USB-C. I ended up ordering one from Amazon yesterday and briefly tried it out earlier this morning. It works, but I have no idea what features it unlocked. All I know is the message I saw saying that this attachment was needed to use certain features is no longer there.

On desktop SpaceWalker allows for more freedom. You can choose 2 and 3 multi-display setups which comes in a few different options (side-by-side, vertically stacked, landscape-portrait-landscape, etc.) and it acts just like a single or multiple monitor setup. The Immersive 3D app for desktop machines allows you convert everything to 3D, but it needs to be run separately from SpaceWalker and both apps can’t be used at the same time. This means some of the fine tuning (like screen distance) that you have set in SpaceWalker will return to the default setting (which I would estimate makes the screen look to be roughly 100”). Not a deal-breaker, but it is slightly disappointing that the 3D app doesn’t at least include these options.

VITURE’s XR glasses feature built-in audio by Harman. The speakers are inside of the arms of the glasses and sit just above the ear, firing downward. The sound won’t blow you away, but the audio is well-balanced and crystal clear. The speakers are close enough to the ear that you can set the sound to the second or third lowest option and hear it as clear as day in a quiet environment. The open air design means that anyone near you will be able to hear the audio of whatever you are watching/listening to while wearing the glasses. In louder environments, I would suggest using headphones.

The Luma Pro are powered by the device it is connected to via a USB-C cable. If the device doesn’t provide power you will need the VITURE Pro Mobile Dock, which also acts as an external battery to power the glasses and also charge a gaming handled like a Nintendo Switch 1/2 or a Steam Deck while using it with the glasses.

Wearing XR glasses you are tethered to an external device at all times (phone, tablet, computer, gaming device, Mobile Dock, etc.). You get used to it though. Note: The dock is needed in order to connect a Nintendo Switch 2 to the glasses. I tried it out and it works, though the drop in resolution from 2160p to 1080p and the lack of HDR is noticeable. Gaming with the glasses would be great if you travel, but at home I would rather have the full 4K/HDR experience.

The glasses feature electrochromic film tint. With it turned off, the glasses will become transparent enough to make it look like a pair of dark tinted sunglasses. With it turned on, it reduces transparency to about 20%. The OLED displays in the glasses can also be turned off when not in use - so in theory you could probably wear these as sunglasses. I wouldn’t, but you probably could. VITURE also sells a physical lens shade that can be attached to the front of the glasses to block out even more light if you find the electrochomic tint isn’t strong enough for you.

VITURE provides 3 sets of nosepads (small, medium and large). The pads are connected to a wire frame, which attach to the glasses magnetically. You can swap the nosepads to find the right fit for you. The arms of the glasses are also adjustable to further customize your fit. Just above each eye is a dial to adjust the diopter to correct for nearsightedness up to -4.0D myopia. The glasses also come with a nice carrying case, the USB-C cable, a cleaning cloth and some stickers to black out the onboard front-facing camera, which sits just above the nose area.

I haven’t used the camera. I haven’t seen any options in SpaceWalker or the onboard menus for the camera. It’s possible camera features will be unlocked in a future firmware update. I really don’t know. I have read that the camera can be used to shoot video, live-streaming, and for AR-type stuff like a HUD and navigation. As far as I can tell camera features are not accessible yet.

VITURE also sells an accessory called the Pro Neckband, which is supposed to be able to bring a spacial computing experience to their lineup of XR glasses. I’m intrigued, but it would take a lot of convincing to get me to spend nearly $400 on an Android-based “computing” system.

Overall, I’m happy with VITURE’s Luma Pro XR glasses. Limitations of the SpaceWalker software aside, they do the exact job that I specifically wanted them for. This technology is developing quickly and XR glasses seem to be gaining momentum. I’m glad that I got a great deal on the Luma Pro and ended up saving $200-$250 that would have gone to the Beast or Luma Ultra. It was still a bit pricey and the tech is rapidly evolving at a pace where the next gen of XR glasses will start hitting store shelves over the next few months. I think the technology has reached a point where it has become reliable enough to perform certain tasks very well.

RSE Freestyle Radio

Another unremarkable week for new releases.

Rse Freestyle Radio March 2026

18.1KB ∙ XLSX file

Download

Download

Wrapping Things Up

Freestyle is a shitshow. This week we saw a respected DJ / Producer / Remixer Peter Serrano (PJ Sera) call out Eugene “Yuyo MC DaWizard” Rivera for his notoriously bad behavior. He’s been bullying and threatening people online for years now. Glad to see someone is finally stepping up to Freestyle’s grand Juggalo for his internet thuggery.

Continuing their commitment to destroying whatever is left of the genre: 418 Freestyle dropped another AI release today by the artist “Cantina Dwellas”. Funny they didn’t even bother to slap their obnoxious logo on the cover of this 💩!

Thanks for reading. Thanks for listening and thank you for your support!

Until next week… Take care.

- Brad Warsaw

If you came here looking for a Freestyle rant, you’re going to be very disappointed. This week’s post is dedicated to my fellow bald brethren.

I started shaving my head in 1995. I was 19 years old and came to the realization that I hated having hair on my head, especially during the Summer. I grabbed a pair of clippers and shaved it all off. I’ve been shaving my head ever since.

Schick Xtreme 3 was my go to razor for a very long time. At least 20 years. It is the only traditional disposable razor that I know of with blades that flex and contour, which is a huge plus for head shaving. I don’t even remember what I used prior to the Schick Xtreme 3. I’ve also found that nothing works better than bar soap. No shaving creams, gels, foams or butters get as close of a shave as I get with bar soap (Irish Spring Moisture Blast is my soap of choice).

I had been shaving just about every other day for 30 years and I started thinking that there must be an easier way. Back in 2000 my younger, dumber self suffered a really bad chemical burn after having the bright idea to try using Nair on my head. I read the warning on the bottle saying not to use it on the face or head, but I did it anyways. I probably should have sought medical care, but I think I was too embarrassed by the incident.

In late 2024, I decided to look into some options. I had been curious about the many electric shavers that are marketed towards head shaving and settled on the Skull Shaver Pitbull Gold. Using it is faster than a razor but the closeness (or lack thereof) may look like you’ve shaved your head, but the stubble left behind is roughly the equivalent of “5 o’clock shadow” or about 12 hours worth of growth after a traditional shave. If you’re OK with that than I would say it’s worth picking one up.

Even though I was OK with the Skull Shaver, I can’t say that I was ever really happy with its results. I would find myself shaving with the Schick Xtreme 3 once every 3 or 4 shaves just because I missed the closeness of it. A month or two ago I started looking into other electric options. I kept seeing the Braun Series 9 Pro mentioned just about everywhere. I started looking into it.

Last week Amazon happened to have some deals on the Series 9 Pro and I picked up the Braun Series 9 Pro+ 9660CCPS which includes the Series 9 Pro+, the 6 in 1 SmartCare Center, a Clean & Renew cartridge, a travel case, cleaning brush and a replacement head for the shaver. I received it the other day and I am loving it so far.

I have only used it twice and both shaves were done dry. Shaving with the Braun Series 9 is faster than the Skull Shaver and it gets much closer. Still not as close as using a razor, but impressive nonetheless. Based on the dry shave results I think a wet shave may produce a shave that is nearly as close as using a razor. Once I get around to it, I will let you know!

Cleaning the Braun is simple. Just remove the head. Tap out the hair clippings, give it a quick pass with the brush and then place it into the 6 in 1 SmartCare Center where it will get a deep cleaning, rinse and a battery recharge. Best of all, the head only needs to be replaced once every 18 months.

RSE Freestyle Radio

Zero new releases worth mentioning, but Tommy Boy has started to release TKA’s classic 12” singles on digital. Currently available are “One Way Love” and “Come Get Your Love”. Here is the updated Excel for March 2026

Rse Freestyle Radio March 2026

17.7KB ∙ XLSX file

Download

Download

Wrapping Things Up

I am going to see Project Hail Mary at 12 noon today. Can’t wait. Also going to see Ready Or Not 2 on Sunday. Really looking forward to that as well.

I checked out Undertone last weekend, and found it to be quite enjoyable. It is low budget horror done really well. Also got around to seeing a few other movies last weekend. First up is Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. It goes off the rails during the third act, but the movie is a really fun ride. I’d compare it a bit 7gto Idiocracy, if Idiocracy was a story about a man traveling back in time to stop the AI uprising.

I am surprised at how much I liked Solo Mio. For a PG film, it never feels like they are targeting anyone younger than an adult audience. It’s your standard rom-com, with all of the expected tropes, but it’s well done. It’s sort of like Forgetting Sarah Marshall without the puppet musical.

Finally, I also checked out This Is Not A Test. With its low scores, I appear to be the only person that actually liked this zombie outbreak film. I thought the entire cast did a great job. The story wasn’t anything groundbreaking but I had a fun time watching it. If you’re a fan of zombie horror, definitely give this one a watch.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for listening and thank you for your support!

Until next week… Take care.

- Brad Warsaw

Apologies again for being absent for the last two weeks.

It’s 2026. We have officially made it 50% through the 2020s and are now in the back half. I can only think of two songs released between the years of 2020 and 2025 that have earned a spot on my personal Freestyle playlist. A playlist that would span the entire history of Freestyle music. Songs that stand the test of time. Songs that are true classics. Just two songs: “Second Chance At Love” by Nashali and “Heart In Pieces” by April.

This is a problem with Freestyle in the 2000s as a whole. I would find it just as hard to come up with more than a handful of songs released between 2000 and 2020 that I would consider worthy.

Despite a few things that I don’t like about it, admittedly minor nitpicking, I would also give a pass to “Slipping Through My Hands” by TKA. What can I say? There is no male voice that I associate with Freestyle more than Louis Sharpe (a/k/a Kayel / K7). He is the voice of the genre as far as I am concerned.

Once upon a time I was one of Freestyle’s biggest and loudest cheerleaders. I supported every single release that Hot Productions, Metropolitan, Tazmania, Ti Amo, etc. shit out on what seemed like a weekly basis in the mid-to-late 1990s. I would be lying if I said that I loved all of it but it would be fair to say that I loved getting a steady supply of new Freestyle music even if 90% of it was absolute trash.

The death and resuscitation of Freestyle music in the 1990s saw a bunch of people jump on the Freestyle bandwagon to make a quick buck, turning the genre into a factory in the process. Placing quantity over quality became commonplace for Freestyle music during this renaissance of sorts. Sacrificing originality and creativity for “Planet Rock” loops and songs started and completed within an hour or less to meet the deadline for weekly ViperMania compilations. Quantity over quality is still the prevailing mentality of Freestyle’s snake oil salesmen in 2026.

They are selling you 418 variants of the same thing. First is the nostalgia bait. This is typically new music by a familiar artist from Freestyle’s glory days. The latest examples of this would be “Unloyal” by Coro, “Let It Go” by Tony Moran & Willie Valentin, “Fragile Heart” by Nyasia and today’s new release “Back In The Day” by April. The second is straight up pop music deceptively being peddled as Freestyle. An example of this would be “Emotional” by Jenaro, “Threads” by Jase David, whatever Luis Marte’s last few releases were and just about everything else that has come out lately. Third is all of the AI bullshit that has flooded the scene over the last year.

I am sick and tired of everyone pretending that most of the new releases are instant classics. Always touting “quality” usually due to affiliation with certain labels, producers and/or artists instead of offering an honest opinion. I don’t know about you but I gauge the “quality” of a new Freestyle song by asking myself one simple question: is this a song that will make it into my permanent rotation? Is it a song that I will still be listening to over the next few decades? The sad truth, as I mentioned above, is that only 2 or 3 songs released over the last 5 years have met this criteria. Technical and perceived quality doesn’t mean shit if the music isn’t “timeless”.

Not to single Coro out, I am only using this as an example. “Unloyal” may be a good song to some people in this moment. Will it be regarded the same way that his classics “Where Are You Tonight”, “Can’t Let You Go” or “My Fallen Angel” have been over the last 35 years? Absolutely not. “Unloyal” is a product of its time. A pop song being sold as Freestyle. Just like many other new “Freestyle” songs it is stuck in this fleeting moment and will be forgotten once the 2026 year end countdowns serve as its eulogy.

I watched Whistle last week. There is a quote from the movie that perfectly captures what I am trying to say: “It doesn’t get old. Good music. It’s only bad music that ages.”

Freestyle is in an era of some really bad music. Music that has forgotten what Freestyle is supposed to sound like. Music that is bland and generic wannabe Pop, or AI slop. If this is the direction you want to take your sound as a Freestyle artist or producer, stop pretending it’s Freestyle music. Stop taking advantage of the fans because you know the diehards will support you no matter what garbage you spew into their ear holes. Masochists that will thank you and beg for more of your non-Freestyle “Freestyle” abominations. Stop the madness and be honest for a change!

RSE Freestyle Radio

I’ve reached a decision regarding “reviews” of new releases. Moving forward I will only mention things that have caught my attention. Basically, if I can’t recommend it - you won’t hear about it from me.

With that said - there is nothing new worthy of a mention this week. Here is the updated Excel file for March 2026.

Rse Freestyle Radio March 2026

16.3KB ∙ XLSX file

Download

Download

Wrapping Things Up

Is there anything more deserving of an eye-roll than seeing someone promote a Freestyle show by starting with the lame “It’s going down this (insert day of the week here)”?

Apparently it’s “going down” tomorrow night right in my own backyard. Just a 5 minute drive from where I live, Steve “Mr. Miami” O’Neill is hosting an event headlined with performances by Tony Moran and Willie Valentin.

Even if I wasn’t done going to Freestyle shows, I wouldn’t betray my own morals to support anything hosted by a MAGA hatemonger - former/reformed or whatever other lies you tell yourself to help you sleep at night. Any artists willing to overlook this guy’s politics for a payday or fans willing to put money in his pocket despite knowing who and what he is, makes me question who you are as a person.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for listening and thank you for your support!

Until next week… Take care.

- Brad Warsaw

I’m not going to lie - with the world being on fire at the moment I really don’t have much of a drive to do anything. Freestyle just feels so insignificant and unimportant while the fucktard in charge of the United States has started what will most likely become World War III because of his constant need of escalating distractions to keep people from asking him about Jeffrey Epstein.

Maybe I’ll feel more like myself next week? Today, I’ve got nothing. Anyways - here is the updated Excel file for March 2026.

Rse Freestyle Radio March 2026

15.5KB ∙ XLSX file

Download

Download

Sorry to be such a bummer! Until next week… Take care.

- Brad Warsaw

Just as an FYI: I’ve reached a point where I feel like I am no longer the target audience for 99% of new Freestyle releases. As a life-long Freestyle fan, if I am the target audience, just about every one is failing as far as I am concerned and has been for a very long time.

Disclaimer: I’m sure my opinions may piss off some of my peers. I don’t care. I’d rather be honest than a unscrupulous cheerleader whoring out my praise in exchange for promos and whatever else they are being offered. My ratings are based on whatever Freestyle music has become over the last few years and I approach all of this shit with much lowered expectations.

“Secret Love” by Aby Cruz

February 6, 2026 | SGR Records USA

I’m glad that Aby has had a renaissance of sorts over the last few years (let’s all just agree to forget his 2019 album The Journey Continues - Retro Future Freestyle). I don’t know why but this track reminds me of Erik Christian’s “The Beat Stops” even though it doesn’t really sound anything like it, aside from a few similar notes in the music and vocal arrangements. ”Secret Love” feels like a tribute to the old school Freestyle sound while also having a more modern vocal arrangement. I absolutely love the strings during the songs intro and wish there were more string arrangements throughout the rest of the song.

If I were to rate it on a scale of 1 to 10, it would be a 6.5 / 10. I like the song, but I don’t love it. I think it’s the vocal arrangement that I’m not really feeling here. It feels like another Pop song disguised as Freestyle.

“Speed Of Light” by Luis Guevarez

February 12, 2026 | LG Music

LG’s latest effort takes a few cues from the Florida Breaks scene. It combines a new school Freestyle sound with hard hitting drums and deep bass often featured on Breaks tracks. I’ll be honest here, I like this song more than Guevarez’s last few releases despite it having a similar vocal arrangement to many of his previous songs. I’d rate this one a 7 / 10 more so for the music than the same old same old vocal arrangement.

“Beyond Goodbye” by Lanah Skye

February 13, 2026 | GNX Music Group

Lanah Skye’s third single, “Beyond Goodbye” continues to prove that she is a rising star. While I still think her debut cover of Rainy Davis’ “Sweetheart” is her strongest release, it is undeniable that she is earning her place as one of the hottest acts currently in the genre.

Like most new Freestyle releases, “Beyond Goodbye” is another Pop song disguised as Freestyle. For better or for worse, it is the sound that everyone seems to be aiming for in Freestyle at the moment. Although I wouldn’t consider “Beyond Goodbye” to be a personal favorite, it is a very solid effort and a strong contender for 2026 year-end countdowns. Throwing hard Freestyle drums behind what would otherwise be just another Pop song doesn’t really make it Freestyle IMHO. 8 /10.

“Ask Me Again” by Joei Mae

February 14, 2026 | Vanilla Sky Music

Joei Mae’s latest song “Ask Me Again” perplexes me. The musical direction adopts a “modern” sound that came and went about 20 years ago (with “1, 2 Step” by Ciara) and then also throws in a bunch of synth chords, stabs and EDM style vocal chops/samples. This track is a hodgepodge of conflicting styles and it’s just a mess in its current form. I really hope remixes are on the way for this one. A more traditional Freestyle remix could save this one from mediocrity. Joei Mae’s vocals are as strong as ever, but man this song is such a disappointment. 5 /10.

“Unloyal” by Coro

February 17, 2026 | JA Music / 418 Freestyle

Coro makes his long awaited return to Freestyle music with “Unloyal”. I don’t know what last years “The One Thing” was, but it certainly wasn’t Freestyle. It’s been 3 years since his duet with Julio Mena, “I Hope” - which was a song I didn’t like at first, but it really grew on me over the years.

Coro’s vocals sound great, except for the breakdown where he goes off and sounds like he’s really struggling. That part sounds absolutely terrible. The track is typical Jay Alams though he does try to maintain a more traditional Freestyle sound on this one. At the end of the day, it is just more of the same. Nonetheless, this is a solid track and Coro’s best solo effort to see the light of day in 30 years (at least since 1996’s “Do Unto Me”). I’m not sure if that’s really praise since it still doesn’t hold a candle to any of Coro’s true Freestyle classics. 8 / 10.

“Destiny” by Alexis Jae

February 19, 2026 | Anxious Icon

It’s no secret that I am quite fond of the music Alexis Jae has been releasing over the last few years. Where most other Freestyle releases have become stagnant, her music has been quite consistent. “Destiny” is yet another much needed breath of fresh air. What I love about Alexis Jae’s music is that it has an attitude that only a handful of today’s younger Freestyle artists have been able to capture. Her music is raw, modern and a throwback to Freestyle’s better days. Best of all - it never tries to be anything other than Freestyle.

“Destiny” follows the same “less is more” formula that many of her other songs have used. It’s little more than some hard hitting drums, bassline, minimal synths, a few samples and orchestra hits while putting her vocal front and center. It’s another win as far as I am concerned. I really wish other Freestyle artists and producers would go back to basics with their music like Alexis Jae has seemed to master. 8 / 10 (and that’s a true 8, with no curve).

“Let It Go” by Tony Moran & Willie Valentin

February 20, 2026 | Artistik Recordings

Willie Valentin has been hyping this release as “The Ultimate Freestyle Collaboration”. “Let It Go” by Tony Moran & Willie Valentin is a perfectly fine new Freestyle song. It’s refreshing to hear Tony Moran on a new song that doesn’t sound like a studio leftover from the mid-1990s for a change. Willie Valentin’s production sounds like a combination of Tony’s mid-1990’s sound and modern dance music.

This is a nice change of pace from Willie’s usual sound, but I was expecting this duet to be an event. I purposely avoided listening to samples of the song because I was expecting it to be great. I wanted to save the surprise for when I bought the single. To be honest I don’t think it lives up to the hype. There is nothing “ultimate” about this collaboration. I won’t even comment on all of the hype man antics littered throughout the song. This is just another release for the Freestyle sycophants to rally behind because it’s Tony & Willie which means it is automatically “fire”. I truly wish “fire” was accurate. Maybe if they had doused the sparks with some gasoline it could have gotten there. 7 / 10

My big take away from this latest crop of releases is that most new Freestyle productions are devoid of heart & soul. It’s sterile, monotonous, repetitive, wannabe Pop music. It isn’t Freestyle no matter how badly you want it to be. Freestyle’s time in the mainstream ended nearly 35 years ago. You know what a Freestyle record should sound like, yet you are going out of your way to muddy the waters. Just make a real fucking Freestyle song and stop with this deceptive bullshit.

These songs certainly will not be in my personal rotation 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 years from now.

RSE Freestyle Radio

Since I just ran through all of the new releases there isn’t much else to add. Here is the updated Excel file for February 2026.

Rse Freestyle Radio February 2026

17.6KB ∙ XLSX file

Download

Download

Wrapping Things Up

Have you watched anything good recently? I rewatched the first season of Amazon Prime’s Fallout before diving into the second season. While I liked season 2, I don’t think it was as good as season 1.

I recently watched Peacock’s Ponies and really enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun and pretty funny, which I wasn’t expecting.

We’re currently in the middle of watching How to Get to Heaven from Belfast on Netflix. It’s an interesting little mystery that gets a little slap-sticky at times. Definitely worth a watch.

Anyways, that is all for this week.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for listening and thank you for your support!

Until next week… Take care.

- Brad Warsaw

I will be back next week along with my review of an anticipated new release from Coro. Will it sink or swim? I guess we’ll find out together!

Until then, take care.

- Brad Warsaw

What made Harmony so great? Aside from being an excellent line of Universal remotes that can control multiple devices, it also supported activities. If you are not familiar, an activity is a macro that eliminates the manual steps needed to power on/off devices, change inputs, etc. It consolidates everything into a single button press. Want to watch TV? It will power on your TV, A/V receiver, streaming box and switch the TV and receiver to the correct inputs. Whatever activities you program, the remote will do all of the heavy lifting for you.

My first Harmony was the 880. It was a fancy remote featuring a full color LCD screen and rechargeable battery with a charging cradle. It felt like you were living in the future and it was awesome. Back in the mid-2000s programming a Harmony remote required connecting the remote to your computer and using an app to setup all of your devices and activities. After a few years most of the buttons on my 880 were unresponsive unless you put as much pressure as possible when you pressed it. Apparently this was a common issue in those early models. IIRC Logitech support told me that the contacts underneath the buttons rusted over time (most likely from moisture in the air during the humid summer months). Logitech offered me a discount on a new remote, but while shopping at Target I decided to downgrade to a lesser model: the Harmony 300.

The 300 was one of Harmony’s basic, entry-level universal remotes that supported only 4 devices and 1 activity. It might not have been as fancy as the remote it was replacing, but it got the job done. Best of all it was inexpensive (roughly $35) so if I ever needed to replace it this wasn’t an investment like the more advanced models in the Harmony lineup. I can’t remember how many 300s I went through (the buttons would wear out over time), but it was at least three.

My final Harmony remote was the Harmony Smart Control in 2016 which came bundled with the Harmony Hub. The Harmony Hub acted as a whole room IR blaster. The hub connected to your home’s WiFi and the Smart Control remote utilized Bluetooth to pair to with the hub. The Harmony hub supported Bluetooth and WiFi devices which added a new level of control that previous generations couldn’t. Gone were the days of connecting the remote to your computer via a USB cable and using the Harmony software to program your remote. With the hub came an app for your smart phones and tablets which allowed you to setup your devices and activities. The app could also be used as a remote as well. The hub seemed gimmicky to me at first, but I fell in love with it fairly quickly and has ended up being my most favorite Harmony experience.

In April 2021 Logitech announced that they were discontinuing the Harmony brand and would no longer manufacture the hardware. There was mad dash on existing stock and prices skyrocketed due to the demand and general FUD over Logitech’s decision. The buttons on my Harmony Smart Control eventually wore out. What would have been a new $30 replacement for just the Smart Control remote was now around $150 for a used one. No thanks. It was time to move on, but were there any options that offered a similar experience to Harmony?

I was aware of other remote brands that supported macros, but most of them were ridiculously difficult to program. You could eventually get these macros to perform like a Harmony activity, but the steps required to get there meant you would be spending a lot of time with trial and error.

hit the usual home theater enthusiasts forums and saw a lot of people talking about the brand they saw as being Harmony’s successor: Sofabaton. The brand offered 2 models the U1 which was their entry-level model and the X1 which many people deemed as the new Harmony. In October 2023, I purchased the Sofabaton X1 well aware that reviews were “mid”, at best. People either hated it because it wasn’t Harmony, or fell in love with its potential.

Note, I never bothered to upgrade to the X1S as it was my understanding that the only difference between the X1 and the X1S was an improved LCD screen.

Several years ago I wrote a review of the Sofabaton X1 for my personal “Rhoq Reviews” blog. I doubt anybody read it because I don’t recall ever sharing a link to that blog with anyone. I’ll save you the novel that I wrote in October 2023 and just share some highlights:

The Sofabaton X1 is one of the few (if not only) Harmony alternatives featuring activities and I am very happy to say that my experience has been that it works just as well. There are some quirks with getting devices set up for use with activities, but it’s a fairly easy learning curve if you’re coming over from Harmony.

I intended to keep my Harmony Hub up and running for at least a few days while I was testing and getting used to the Sofabaton X1. After only a day of use I felt confident that the Sofabaton X1 was getting the job done exactly as I hoped it would. I disconnected my Harmony hub and retired it permanently. I know spending $190 on a universal remote seems a bit outrageous, but having the ability to press a single button on a remote to set and control multiple devices in one fell swoop can be life changing.

I feared the worst when Logitech killed the Harmony brand. Having a viable alternative like Sofabaton lessons the blow. If you are a Harmony user with a remote that is starting to show its age, I would recommend the Sofabaton X1 as your replacement. With Harmony devices becoming more and more expensive on the reseller market, Sofabaton is in a great position to become the true heir to the Harmony throne.

A few weeks later, I updated with the following:

After using my Sofabaton X1 for 2+ weeks I am very happy with the product. The remote design took a little getting used to both in form factor and navigating between two separate areas of the remote. With the Harmony Smart Control remote, I pressed a button to launch an activity. That was it. With the Sofabaton, there a few more steps involved. Scrolling to select an activity, clicking to launch the activity on the top half and then using the bottom half of the remote for controls. Once I got accustomed to the X1 layout I didn’t mind the extra steps. In the end, I am finding that it’s both different but the same as Harmony which is really all one could hope for.

Despite a few bugs (mostly being that the LCD screen randomly turns on and the Sofabaton X1 Hub frequently disconnects from my Apple TV), the X1 has served me well over the last 2 years. When the news came out that the X2 would be releasing in October 2025, I was interested. When I saw the $370 price tag, I decided to wait and see if any deals would pop up around the holidays.

Sofabaton had offered an early bird discount of $40 if you purchased the X2 directly from their website. For Christmas, there was an additional $40 discount (total savings of $80). I was able to the buy the Sofabaton X2 for $290. This is about $150 more than I paid for the X1 during Amazon’s October 2023 Prime day sale! Ordering directly through Sofabaton meant having to wait “30 to 90 days” for fulfillment. I placed my order on December 24, 2025 and received my X2 on January 28, 2026.

I didn’t upgrade because there was anything wrong my X1. It works just as well as it always has. I bought the Sofabaton X2 because I was satisfied with my X1 and wanted to continue supporting the only company trying their hardest to offer a similar experience to Harmony and its devoted fan base.

The X2 is a true upgrade from the X1. The metal housing feels great to hold when compared to the plastic body of the X1. A charging cradle is also included this time around. Unfortunately Sofabaton still does not support fast charging. It requires a USB-A to USB-C cable which are usually limited to 2.5w. If you attempt to use a higher wattage charger with a USB-C to USB-C cable the SofaBaton hardware won’t recognize it.

Replacing the X1’s scroll-wheel is a touchscreen. To start an activity you slide the “button” on the touch screen (like a “slide to unlock” feature on a smart phone). The remote also features some haptics which vibrates the X2 to let you know that an activity has been started or when pressing the “off” button to power down all of your active devices.

Like with the Sofabaton X1/S and the last iteration of Logitech’s Harmony brand, the X2 is a hub-based remote control and programmed via an app for your phone. Setup is pretty straightforward. Though still not as easy as setting up a Harmony remote, the X2 setup was a bit easier than what I can remember from the X1. Unfortunately, the X2 needs to be setup from scratch. Unlike Harmony, device and activity settings from the X1 can not be transferred to the X2. Sofabaton does not yet offer any sort of online account system to sync your settings. That information exists solely on the hub. The X2 does have a backup feature which I can only guess means settings can be restored from a backup, if necessary.

While the X1 wasn’t perfect, it was a step in the right direction. Riding on the momentum of their initial offerings, Sofabaton’s X2 feels like an evolution. It looks and feels like a premium product. It’s weighty, has a slimmer profile than it’s predecessor and the build quality is exceptional.

Everything seems to function as expected with the X2 and Sofabaton appears to be committed to addressing bugs reported by their users and improving the overall user experience.

I have run into 3 issues so far:

1. The X2 remote has randomly rebooted once or twice.

2. The X2 remote froze once and was completely unresponsive for several minutes. It eventually rebooted on its own.

3. I have also run into my old nemesis of the X2 hub disconnecting from my Apple TV. It has only disconnected once and it was for just a second or two (not the 30+ seconds the X1 Hub would be disconnected for). The X1 hub would disconnect fairly regularly - at least a few times per week. It’s been a while, but I do seem to recall the Harmony hub would also randomly disconnect from an Apple TV very infrequently. This issue could just be a symptom of aging Bluetooth technology.

Speaking of the Apple TV, if you own one and are thinking of picking up a Sofabaton X2, make sure you set the Apple TV up as a Bluetooth device instead of IR. With BT the X2 functions as expected. If you set it up as an IR device, you will make yourself go crazy trying to figure out why simple button presses aren’t working properly.

While not perfect, the Sofabaton X2 experience improves on just about everything Sofabaton learned from the X1/S. Is it a necessary upgrade? No. If you are happy with the X1/S, there is no real reason to upgrade aside from the X2 hub being a bit more stable, backing up your settings and the ability to add a very limited set of smart home and WiFi devices. Recommended only if you absolutely want the X2 or if you are looking to replace a Harmony remote that has seen better days.

RSE Freestyle Radio

New Releases

The big standout new release of the week is the latest from Destune Records: “Nunca Te Olvidaré” by Samy. The track reminds me of the retro Electro/Freestyle sound that emerged once everyone got “Trip Hop” out of their systems. Good stuff!

This week also saw Albert “Luckybase” Rosa (from Tauro Records and the god awful dumpster fire Freestyle Caliente compilations from the late 1990s) return to the Freestyle scene with a new project: “Rivers Of Love” by Valentino Romeo, a co-production with Deep Innovation/FGM’s Louis Robles.

I was on the fence about adding this one to the station. It’s a decent track that I am actually enjoying more than some other newer releases, but the artist sounds like an AI creation to me. A little while back I made a statement about being more selective when it comes to adding music by AI artists. In the end, I felt the song is strong enough to make it into the rotation.

Also making a return to Freestyle this week is Viper Music Network. January 30 saw the release of Rockell’s latest album, Beautifully Broken: Chapter 1. Featuring productions by Marano/Phillips (Adam Marano & Chris Phillips), Rob Federici and Chris “The Greek” Panaghi, Freestyle fans may be disappointed to learn that only two of the 10 songs on this album can be classified as “Freestyle”. The rest of the songs span across a few different genres.

When people have reached out to me over the last few years asking for my opinion of a potential comeback of Adam Marano I have told them that I was curious to hear what a new Adam Marano Freestyle production would sound like today. Be careful what you wish for.

The nicest thing I can say is that it doesn’t have the Viper sound fans may have been expecting. Instead it’s just the same boring, generic Freestyle slop that you’ve grown accustomed to over the last few years. For these reasons, neither of the Freestyle songs (“Boulevard of Broken Dreams” which appears to be an original song and a remake of Nelly Furtado’s “Say it Right”) from Rockell’s new album will be played on RSE Freestyle Radio.

With all of that out of the way, here is the updated Excel file for February 2026.

Rse Freestyle Radio February 2026

16KB ∙ XLSX file

Download

Download

Wrapping Things Up

I am noticing a concerning trend on Bandcamp with Brazilian Freestyle producers ridiculously overcharging for one song. DJ Allan Back started the trend by charging $9 for each of his remixes. I am now seeing the same from DJ TG, J-Mix, Axcel, etc on their Bandcamp pages. I think $2 is still a reasonable price, for a single track. Maybe even $2.50. But $5, $7, $9 or $10? Get the fuck out of here with your Planet Rock bullshit!

I know Freestyle fans have been known to pay premium prices to get their fix, but please resist the urge. Overcome your Freestyle OCD and do not buy any of it. They are only taking advantage of you. If you continue to support no matter the insanely high price, you are only proving them right. Don’t support the con!!!

Thanks for reading. Thanks for listening and thank you for your support!

Until next week… Take care.

- Brad Warsaw

RSE Freestyle Radio

New Releases

There were two new releases this week. One was just good enough to get an add (“Emotional” by Jenaro), the other is a disaster but with a great message (“Comeback” by Planet Patrol).

The Planet Patrol song is a mess. It could have been decent had they taken the vocals in a more straightforward direction. Instead, they went for the classic Planet Patrol sound and shoehorned the vocal arrangement to sound akin to “Play At Your Own Risk” and most of the other songs in their back catalog.

”Emotional” by Jenaro is a decent song that loses itself when it gets to the chorus. Working with Rob Federici over the years I am very familiar with the way he records vocals. He likes to save most of the doubling for the chorus and this is exactly where the song falls apart. Every time Jenaro sings “Emotional”, which is a lot - it sounds very overcrowded and claustrophobic. It’s off-putting. I feel that Rob kind went a bit overboard with the plug-ins here. The music for the original version of the song gives me April “Someone To Hold” vibes at time.

Here is the updated Excel file for February 2026 with everything that was added to the station this week.

Rse Freestyle Radio February 2026

14.4KB ∙ XLSX file

Download

Download

Wrapping Things Up

Thanks for reading. Thanks for listening and thank you for your support!

Until next week… Take care.

- Brad Warsaw

Welcome to the post-Freestyle era of the RSE Freestyle Radio Weekly Update. What this means is there will be less ranting about Freestyle and more of me geeking out. This week, I’d like to start talking a bit about home audio & video. Specifically about news that came out a few days ago stating that Sony has given a 51% stake of their home audio and video business to TCL who will be taking over the manufacturing of Sony-branded TVs and home audio equipment. Terrible move IMHO.

For a long time the Sony name has been synonymous with quality. Whether or not that is actually true is debatable, but Sony products in general are fairly reliable. I have had a pair of Sony tower speakers for nearly 20 years. I use these speakers daily and they perform just as well today as the day I bought them. I also have a pair of Sony upfiring Dolby Atmos speakers that I am very happy with.

A few years ago, I wanted to buy a new TV and was on the fence about what to get. After going through a few Vizio models over the years I was ready to try a different brand. After debating between Hisense and TCL, I went with TCL. The TV worked well until it died about a week after the 1-year manufacturer warranty expired. Something in the panel blew that basically made everything look like the brightness and contrast were set around 25%. It was dark and nearly unwatchable. TCL support basically told me to go fuck myself because I did not buy the extended warranty. I replaced the dead TCL with an LG OLED and vowed to never give TCL any more of my money.

With this Sony deal I fear the same shitty TCL manufacturing and customer service will apply to prestige brands such as Sony’s Bravia series, effectively destroying the legacy of Sony’s television business. While the articles I have read only delve into the television side of the deal, Sony’s home audio products are also included. Without any further details to go on I am going to assume this includes Sony’s home theater receivers and speakers.

When it comes to receivers I am a Yamaha guy, but I really like Sony’s speakers. Since people view Sony as more of a TV and PlayStation manufacturer and not much else, many seem to sleep on their home theater speakers. They are highly underrated and up until now would strongly urge any one looking to buy new speakers to consider checking out Sony’s offerings. With the pending changes coming I would refuse to recommend anything manufactured for Sony by TCL.

Sony has also become a worthy competitor in the hugely crowded headphone space. I personally don’t own any of Sony’s highly recommended headphones, but I do own an obscene number of others. My current headphone roster is all Apple and Beats.

Beats is a brand that I’ve always felt was over-hyped. Before being acquired by Apple, my one and only experience with a Beats product wasn’t a positive one. I had a pair of Beats X. These were “neckband” Bluetooth earbuds and one of the ear buds died after a few months.

I avoided Apple’s AirPods offerings for a long time. It wasn’t until the original AirPods Pro came out that my curiosity had been piqued. I bought a pair and was underwhelmed. When the AirPods 2 came out and heard all of the talk about how much better they were than the first generation, I eventually bought a pair after the mid-cycle upgrade to USB-C. It was a night and day difference, especially with the much improved ANC and Dolby Atmos support. The Pro 2 still had issues when it came to the fit. I found myself constantly having to adjust and push them in to keep them from slipping out of my ears. Eventually the AirPods 2 became my go to for watching TV and movies at home on my Apple TV.

After going through various different over the ear headphones and earbuds made by Anker’s SoundCore brand, I decided to give Beats another go. I bought a pair of Beats Studio Buds + and absolutely loved them. These sound and fit great. They became my daily driver for when I’m out and about. Eventually I bought a second pair to use at home for gaming.

Based on my positive experience with the Studio Buds +, I bought a pair of Beats Studio Pro wireless headphones and don’t love it. Sound is fairly average and both the ANC and Dolby Atmos pale in comparison to the AirPods Pro 2.

Last year, I also gave the Skullcandy/Bose collaboration a try. The Skullcandy “Method 360 ANC with sound by Bose” was a decent sounding product for its price. It currently retails for $130. I gave it an honest shot at being my daily driver until the left ear bud stopped holding a charge after only 2 or 3 months. Kudos to Skullcandy for their excellent customer service. They gave me a refund in the form of a credit for their online store. I wasn’t interested in buying anything else for myself, but I did end up using the credit to purchase a pair of $250 Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 for less than $50 out of pocket for the Mrs., so I consider that a win.

When the AirPods Pro 3 were announced, it was a no-brainer for me to pre-order a pair along with the iPhone 17 Pro Max. I was most curious about Apple’s claims they they changed the material the ear tips were made of for a more secure fit as well as further improvements to the already impressive ANC from the AirPods Pro 2.

The AirPods Pro 3 somehow managed to deliver on its promises while fixing my biggest complaint from previous generations. The Pro 3 doesn’t budge once placed in your ears. No more constant adjusting or pushing them back in. On top of that, the ANC is crazy good. These replaced the Beats Studio Buds + as my new daily driver. The second pair of Studio Buds + are now also used for gaming. I ended up buying a second pair of AirPods Pro 3 to replace the Pro 2 that I had been using for TV and movie watching.

During the recent Amazon Prime Day sale in November 2025, I finally pulled the trigger on Apple’s premium over the ear offering, the AirPods Max. I bought them more out of curiosity than an actual want (or need) to own them. Like the Beats Studio Pro, I was expecting the AirPods Max to be massively over-hyped. I was pleasantly surprised by how great they actually sound. While it is way overpriced by a good $200, the AirPods Max are really, really good. ANC is on par with the AirPods Pro 3. Dolby Atmos is more immersive on the Max and the sound is perfectly balanced.

I do have one complaint about the AirPods Max and that is the baffling choice to exclude a way to power them off. They are always on. They go into a low-power “standby” mode when not in use and a deeper state of hibernation when inserted in the magnetic case. Even in this ultra low-power state the battery drains quicker than you’d expect. I hope that maybe one day Apple will introduce a power option in a future firmware update.

I would highly recommend AirPods Max if it wasn’t so expensive. AirPods Pro 3 are the better choice for your wallet and also feature a nicely balanced sound, albeit with compromises due to the nature of earbuds and lack of full sized-drivers.

RSE Freestyle Radio

OK, maybe a little ranting

It was another dead week in terms of new Freestyle releases. Because I’ve disassociated myself from much of the Freestyle world, every now and then something slips past my radar. This was the case with the latest single, “Threads”, by Jase David which was released on January 9. It’s decent enough to get an add, but… I’m torn on this one.

On one hand, I think Jase delivers a commendable vocal performance. On the other though the track is representative of everything that is wrong with modern Freestyle. It’s a straight-up Pop record disguised as Freestyle which is probably exactly what everyone involved was aiming for. The problem is aside from the sycophants that claim every new release to be 🔥 before they’ve even heard the song, it’s not Freestyle enough for fans such as myself and it is DOA to the audience they are trying to attract outside of the Freestyle genre. I would rather have some hard drums, a driving bassline, a nice synth riff and some orchestra hits over this wannabe Pop / Freestyle sound any day of the week. Jase David’s “Broken” from a year ago was a much better Freestyle project than this. This is not a knock on Jase David at all. It’s a statement against the tone-deaf direction modern Freestyle is heading.

The old men who refuse to release their G.I. Joe Kung-Fu death grip on Freestyle have seriously lost touch with the audience. When they aren’t serving you a rehash of the shit you’ve already heard before (whether as a remix, a remake or just the same fucking sound over and over again), they bring this type of shit that no true Freestyle fan actually wants to hear, but they’ll swear up and down it’s what the kids are into nowadays. We all know there is nothing kids love more than to listen to the music their grandparents were into when they were their age.

Jesus Christ people. These attempts to make Freestyle “hip” and “modern” by chasing every single bandwagon are just sad, lame and cringe-worthy. Let Freestyle be Freestyle. If that isn’t enough for you, move the fuck on, market whatever it is you are trying to sell as “Freestyle” to a different audience and let a new generation of young producers and artists try to rebuild the genre that these card carrying members of the AARP have killed. They are just so stubborn, out of touch and desperate to have one last mainstream success before they die. Does anyone really enjoy a stale mimosa served 25 years too late? I’m embarrassed for the Freestyle genre.

Anyways - here is the updated Excel file January 2026.

Rse Freestyle Radio January 2026

18.4KB ∙ XLSX file

Download

Download

Wrapping Things Up

I saw Nia DaCosta’s 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple last Saturday and absolutely loved it. I was sad to see the news that it grossly under-performed at the box office. I get that the first part was very divisive amongst fans of the series. I personally was disappointed with the Danny Boyle film - I didn’t hate it, but I also didn’t love it.

Without spoiling anything, Nia DaCosta’s film picks up where last year’s 28 Years Later ends. It embraces all of the weirdness introduced in Danny Boyle’s film, adds a lot more weirdness of it’s own and manages to make sense of it all by the time the credits roll. It’s odd, quirky, trippy, brutally violent and a whole lot of fun. It’s also paced very well. Whether you enjoyed 28 Years Later or not, do yourself a favor and go out to see The Bone Temple. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

That’s all for this week. Thanks for reading. Thanks for listening and thank you for your support!

Until next week… Take care.

- Brad Warsaw

Time got away from this morning, so I am only sharing the updated Excel file for January 2026 this week. Added lots of stuff earlier today!

Rse Freestyle Radio January 2026

17.6KB ∙ XLSX file

Download

Download

It’s a new year. In 2026 my goal is to let go. My only connection to Freestyle music will be RSE Freestyle Radio. All other association that I may have had with the genre is done.

Rhoq Solid Entertainment is dead. I have zero desire to write or produce new Freestyle music.

I have zero interest in going to any of the lame ass local Freestyle shows that occasionally pop up on my Facebook feed. I also find all of the Freestyle drama that is perpetually perpetrated on social media to be sickening.

I have now reached a point where if I receive a text message regarding some sort of Freestyle drama, I won’t respond. The senders only seem to want to get a rise out of me. I refuse to take the bait.

I keep getting messages relating to the local Freestyle scene in the Philadelphia area. Let me make it 100% crystal clear: I don’t give a fuck about what 418 Freestyle, Tazmania Records, Gino Caporale, Mike Ferullo, Steve “Mr. Mig” Migliore, Rob Federici, Denine, Adam Marano, Steve “Mr. Miami” O’Neill (or “Mr. MAGA” as he is now known to me), Jerry Tripodi, DJ Slice, etc. are doing. None of them are of any concern to me and I wish them all nothing but success. I couldn’t care less about who is doing what. I want nothing to do with any of the drama people are attempting to incite and instigate. As far as I am concerned this is your fight, not mine. Keep me out of your bullshit!

Many of my peers, all of who are nearing or have already crossed the half-century mark, are still living in some sort of Freestyle fantasy land where in 2026 Freestyle music is still their one and only defining attribute. How fucking sad is that? How have you managed to live this long without growing to become a real person? Freestyle is dead. Let it go and move on with your lives.

Some could argue that RSE Freestyle Radio contradicts that statement. Take it from the source: this station exists only as a tribute to the Freestyle genre. Nothing more, nothing less. It is certainly not proof that Freestyle music still has any fuel left it its tank or air in its lungs. Freestyle is as dead as Disco.

Like Disco, Freestyle enjoys marginal success as a circus act for the middle-aged folks that yearn to relive their youth. You can pretend all you’d like that Freestyle is going to make a big comeback, become relevant and enjoy mainstream success again. If it were going to happen, it would have. The genre has failed to seize every single opportunity over the last 30 years for Freestyle to rise above the raw sewage it’s been swimming in since 1993.

I live in the real world. The writing has been on the wall for DECADES now. Freestyle people turn a blind eye to the obvious and continue to shit out more of the same. Over and over and over again. Day after day, year after year, decade after decade. Nothing has changed and nothing ever will without a complete reset of the game board. New blood is long overdue.

Instead of embracing change and encouraging fresh ideas, Freestyle refuses to grow. It is perpetually stuck in adolescence where it will remain for the next 3 decades (if it can survive that long) until the current guard start dropping like flies. Then what?

Do I think Freestyle has another 3 decades left? Fuck no. It’s amazing that it has held on this long considering how niche whatever is left of it has become.

The days of Freestyle music crossing over to become a mainstream pop success are long over. Freestyle music has failed to make any new “stars” in thirty years. 30. Three-zero. Not a single Freestyle artist since Rockell made her debut in 1996 has done it. They never will again.

You can spew all of the names you’d like that are at the supposed top of the Freestyle heap nowadays. Not a single person outside of the fanbase has ever heard of any of them and never will unless they break away with something relevant, contemporary and NOT Freestyle. Nobody outside of the thinning herd of Freestyle fans that still remain remotely give a single fuck about the genre.

So yes, I truly believe that Freestyle is dead. Anyone who says otherwise is in denial, lying to themselves and to everyone else dumb enough to listen to them.

I know I said that these weekly updates would become more straightforward and focused on the station, but as this weeks theme suggests: letting go is difficult. Truth be told I just started typing and that is what came out. It was almost as if I was compelled to rant!

RSE Freestyle Radio

Although I may be finished with the Freestyle scene in general, that does not mean I no longer have an affinity for the genre. Another goal that I have for 2026 is to put a greater emphasis on content. Over the last few days I have made some purchases from sellers on Discogs and plan to resume ripping records exclusively for RSE Freestyle Radio. It’s probably been about 6 months since I was last at it.

For now, here is the updated Excel file for January 2026. I added a bunch of stuff this morning.

Rse Freestyle Radio January 2026

15.8KB ∙ XLSX file

Download

Download

Wrapping Things Up

I have given some thought about the direction that I want to take this Substack and I’ve decided “anything goes”. This means that I will write about whatever interests me. Not just Freestyle. If you are still onboard for this ride expect to see my thoughts on movies, TV, video games and tech in the near future.

Last week I saw Marty Supreme. I liked it, but I agree with most of the comments I have read: Timothée Chalamet’s performance is excellent, but Marty is such a fucking douchebag that 2 and a half hours of his antics is too much.

I saw Song Sung Blue the week before that. I also watched the original 2008 documentary it was based on. Typical biopic, with a lot of fictionalized elements for dramatic effect. Neil Diamond is always a good thing and Jackman & Hudson were both great.

Tomorrow I am going to see Primate. Not a movie I was planning to see in a theater but all of the surprisingly positive buzz convinced me to go and see it instead of waiting to watch at home.

On the TV side of things, I first heard about an upcoming Australian series Dear Life a few months ago. It came out on January 1 and I’ve got to say that I am really enjoying it. It’s about a woman struggling to put her life back together after the death of her fiancé. She ends up seeking out and disrupting the lives of people who received his donated organs. The synopsis would lead you to believe that it would be overly sappy, but it’s really a great dramedy about grief and PTSD with some truly outstanding performances. Worth seeking out.

Brooke Satchwell gives an amazing lead performance as a woman trying to cope with all of the pain and shit that life keeps throwing at her. The show also features a few familiar faces if you are a fan of Aussie shows (such as Annie Maynard best known for playing “Bess” on Upper-Middle Bogan and Megan Smart - “Amelia” on Class of ‘07). Eleanor Matsuura (best known for playing “Yumiko” on The Walking Dead) also co-stars.

On the gaming front, I have fallen in love with Dispatch. It lives up to all of the hype. It’s got a great story and it is genuinely funny. Fans of the Telltale style should definitely check this one out. Admittedly there isn’t much to do aside from making some dialog choices (yes, your choices do matter and steer the direction the story goes), a few QTE sections and the rest of the gameplay is the management of your superhero team, deciding which hero is best for the job and solving some puzzles where you need to hack into things to gain control or access to various things throughout the game. It sounds a bit boring, but believe me the story and witty banter keeps it very entertaining. I started a second play-through as soon as I finished my first one because I enjoyed it so much.

Speaking of games, I sold my XBox Series X a few months ago. I wasn’t using it and figured with many former XBox exclusives now releasing on PlayStation, I no longer have a need for Microsoft’s consoles moving forward. My PSN ID (and XBL Gamertag) has been RhoqSolidEnt for around 20 years. I’m ready for a change. Any suggestions?

That’s all for this week. Thanks for reading. Thanks for listening and thank you for your support!

Until next week… Take care.

- Brad Warsaw

It’s a new year. Happy 2026 everyone! This week’s update will be my last dissertation on Freestyle music for the foreseeable future. Beginning next week these posts will become more mundane - delivering status updates on the station and not much else.

We recently capped off 2025 with the RSE Freestyle Radio 2025 Year In Review Top 20 countdown. If you missed the show, links to download the files in FLAC and MP3 will be provided below. If you want to avoid any spoilers, skip to the bottom of this page now and come back after you’ve listened. I am going to dissect this year’s countdown, song-by-song.

As a reminder - the countdown was determined by the votes of the RSE Freestyle Radio listeners. Things would have been vastly different if I had chosen the songs and order myself.

20. “Rain” by Ayna

Ayna is no stranger to the Freestyle scene. She has been around for nearly 25 years. I’ll admit that when she debuted in the early aughts, I wasn’t a fan of her music. I certainly didn’t think she would be relevant 20+ years later.

Over the last 10 years, Ayna has emerged from her cocoon to become the butterfly that was featured on the cover of her 2005 album Untold Stories. If there was an award for most improved vocalist in Freestyle music, Ayna would definitely be the front-runner. She went from being forgettable to releasing several consecutive standout songs over the last few years.

At number 20, Ayna’s “Rain” deserved to place higher up on the countdown. I was happy to see her make the list, but I personally think the Lewis Martinee remix, which also features O-Baby, was top 10 worthy. Ayna is the shining star amongst SGR Records’ roster of highly questionable “talent”. How and why Lewis Martinee has aligned himself with the Juggalos at SGR Records truly baffles me.

19. “City Sounds LIke You” by Odalis

The first of two appearances by Odalis on this year’s countdown, “City Sounds Like You” is a showcase of everything that is right and wrong with this artist. First it’s undeniable that the songwriting and vocals are superb. I would even go as far to say that Odalis Soledad is too talented to be wasting it on Freestyle music.

Odalis’ debut album (It’s A Feeling) was just released. 21 tracks. All of which can be classified as Freestyle. The problem is they all sound the same. Not in the way that other AI assisted Freestyle projects sound the same, but that all of the music and vocal arrangements sound so similar that it becomes difficult to differentiate one song from another. There is zero variety. This leads me to believe that Odalis is a one-trick pony. If you’ve heard one Odalis song you’ve heard them all.

Ironically, “City Sounds Like You” was mistakenly omitted from the album. Instead “Pain Of Yesterday” is repeated in its place and I’d be willing to bet that many people wouldn’t even notice because it’s all become the same fucking song!

18. “He Don’t Love You” by E’Dee

When “He Don’t Love You” by E’Dee was first released I thought it was another solid, but typical Artie Rodriguez production. I was really glad when remixes were released offering fresh new takes and interpretations of Artie’s original production. For me “The 1018 Funky Club Mix” is the definitive version of the song and it is what I chose to feature in the number 18 spot.

17. “The Beat Stops” by Erik Christian

Perhaps the most interesting piece of Freestyle music to be released in 2025. The production feels like it puts the listener in the middle of a “tug of war”, pulling you in several different directions. It feels contemporary at times, while also feeling like a throwback to 80s & 90s Freestyle music and 80s synthpop & new wave. I like that Erik seems to be working with different producers. An artist needs variety to keep their sound fresh and this is what he appears to be doing.

16. “I Married You” by Odalis

This is another superb release from Odalis and definitely worthy of being on the countdown. His songwriting has perfectly captured the meaning of “marriage”, however everything I said earlier about Odalis’ music still remains.

15. “Every Time We Touch” by Nelson Rego

Nelson Rego made his SGR Records debut in 2025. I’ll be honest, while I think Nelson has talent, I have never been a fan of his music. A lot of it is just too homogeneous for me, almost to the point of parody. “Every Time We Touch” is no different. This is another paint-by-numbers, Freestyle 101 sounding song devoid of any soul. Like many of his more recent releases it just sounds like every Freestyle trope was tossed into a blender, mixed up and then someone declared it “good enough”. Is it though? This is a song that 100% would not have made my top 20!

14. “Sweetheart” by Lanah Skye

I know that many people think I am against Freestyle remakes because of how hard I have been on several remakes in the past. The truth is I can appreciate a remake when it is well-done. Lanah Skye’s rendition of Rainy Davis’ “Sweetheart” is an example of a remake done completely right! I have even gone on record to say I believe this is the single greatest thing that Willie Valentin produced in 2025.

My favorite version of the song, taken from the maxi-single, is the “Sweet Drummer Version”. This is another song that I feel should have made it into the top 10. Interestingly enough, all versions of “Sweetheart” by Lanah Skye have been pulled from the major digital music stores and streaming services.

13. “Crush” by Julie

Another example of a remake done right! I am just going to copy and paste what I originally wrote when the song was released back on August 8, 2025:

This is a remake of the 1998 hit song originally recorded by Jennifer Paige… As far as remakes go, they did not shit the bed! The track shines with a truly impressive vocal performance by Julie!

I do think that this release could have benefited from some remixes. DJ Allan Back’s original production is very repetitive and gets to be a bit annoying by the time the song ends.

12. “Don’t Hold Back” by Betsya

Betsya made her Freestyle debut in 2024 with “Show Me & Tell Me”, a song I really liked. She followed in 2025 with “Don’t Hold Back”. It is a song that instantly caught my attention. Multiple versions were released and while I really like DJ Tommy B’s original version, I decided to go with the “Brazilian Freestyle Dance Mix” as my pick for the number 12 spot.

11. “Ring The Alarm” by April

My feelings about the mishandling of April’s comeback to the Freestyle genre are no secret. She is my favorite Freestyle artist of all time. To witness such a great comeback with “Heart In Pieces” pissed away with unsolicited remixes of a remake (“Someone To Hold”) and a Christmas song truly left me baffled.

I was really happy to see her return with a new Freestyle song in 2025 even if it was short-lived and followed up with another fucking remake (“You’re The One For Me”). Back on August 8, 2025 I wrote the following:

On August 5, April released her newest song “Ring The Alarm” through her label Peace Tracks. I finally got a new April Freestyle song to be excited over. While it’s not as strong as “Heart In Pieces”, it’s still a great old school sounding track which should make most Freestyle fans happy. It’s a lot like when “You’re The One For Me” was followed up with “Bring Back The Lover In Me”. It’s just a hard act to follow, but commendable nonetheless.

“Heart In Pieces” was the #1 song on last year’s RSE Freestyle Radio Top 20 countdown. I liked “Ring The Alarm”, but it certainly is no “Heart In Pieces”. This is another 2025 release that could have benefited from a remix package. Instead we got another Freestyle inception project of remixes of a remake of her bona fide classic “You’re The One For Me”. I’m happy to see April on this year’s countdown and I am fine with her slipping 10 places down to number 11. It is what it is.

10. “Unbreakable” by Jase David & Luis Marte

Released in July 2025, “Unbreakable” sounds exactly like everyone involved in its creation. As soon as it starts you know right away it’s a Luis Guevarez production. Then you have the typical Luis Marte writing and vocal arrangements. Is the song good? It’s fine. Is it worthy of the top 10? Probably not. It’s just another “if you’ve heard one song, you’ve heard them all” kind of thing. Perhaps I would feel differently if Luis Marte was brought in as a guest vocalist to someone else’s song. He’s become way too comfortable and complacent with his own work where it all just blurs together.

This is the first of two appearances by Jase David in the top 10.

9. “Things That You Tell Me” by Jenni Renee

Originally featured on her 2024 full-length album release: A Better Love, it is the song in which the album’s title came from. Like most of the other Freestyle songs that dominated in 2025 it is more of the same. Same production and overall sound as Jenni’s other songs. Similar vocal arrangements. Echoing what I said about earlier entries on the countdown, there is a severe lack of variety. That is not to say that this isn’t a quality production. It is.

I’m not sure if a song that was technically released in 2024 is top 10 worthy, but it definitely earned its place on the countdown.

“Things That You Tell Me” is the first of two appearances by Jenni Renee in this year’s top 10.

8. “Army” by Denine

Perhaps the cheesiest Freestyle song of 2025, Willie Valentin did what he could to turn this one into a Freestyle anthem. I went with the Artistik remix for this year’s number 6 spot. This is not a song I would have picked.

7. “Lost In Your Love” by Luna Amour

Felix “The Phlexican” Figueroa is back to doing what he does best: producing music and chopping up some slick multi-edits. “Lost In Your Love” combines modern sounds with hard hitting old school drums. A surprising entry, especially to land so high on the countdown. Possibly a song I may have overlooked if it weren’t for the votes!

6. “A Letter From Afar” by League Of Heroes

At number 6 is League Of Heroes (Tony Moran & Kenny Diaz) with their cover of “A Letter From Afar”. They went with the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach resulting in a song that becomes a loving tribute to the work that John “Jellybean” Benitez put into the 1984 original “A Letter From Afar” by B-Movie.

5. “Broken” by Jase David

When”Broken” was first released, I thought it had the potential to be the #1 song of 2025. As we got further into the year, my love for the song began to wane. It lost its luster pretty quickly and it became just another forgettable new Freestyle song to me.

In late 2024 I had a conversation with some friends. Two artist names were brought up and said to have the skills and talent to “make it”. Jase David was one of those names. 2025 saw him release “Broken” and “Unbreakable”. Neither song “wowed” me. Maybe I just don’t get it? I recognize that within the scope of the Freestyle genre he is definitely among an elite few of talented singers, but I just don’t see what all of the fuss is about.

4. “Give Up The Fight” by Rebekka

Rebekka has the newest release to be featured on this year’s countdown. I was very surprised to see this one land all the way up at number 4. It’s definitely countdown worthy and ranks right up there with her other collaborations with Javier “Dr. Javi” Ayala. “Give Up The Fight” by Rebekka ended up being one of my favorite releases of 2025.

3. “Love From You” by Jenni Renee

“Love From You” is another single released in 2025 for a song that was originally featured on Jenni Renee’s 2024 album, A Better Love. She is the other name that was suggested to me as having the “it” factor (along with Jase David). There are things that I really like about this song especially the overall sound and vibe of the track.

There are also things that I don’t like such as the call back to “All Hooked Up” and the overall vocal arrangement of the verses. Like I mentioned earlier with “Things That You Tell Me” it gets to the point where it all sounds so similar, but it’s all quality stuff. Jenni desperately needs some variety for any future projects. The only song she has released to date that doesn’t sound exactly like everything else in her catalog is the remake of Laissez Faire’s “To Be In Your Arms”.

2. “Space” by Jonelle

My personal pick for the #1 Freestyle song of 2025. “Space” by Jonelle was a breath of fresh air when it first came out and has remained a favorite of mine throughout 2025.

1. “Far Away Forever” by Joei Mae“

The song voted to be #1 by the listeners of RSE Freestyle Radio for 2025 is “Far Away Forever” by Joei Mae. It’s a solid enough song, but doesn’t offer anything new that you haven’t already heard before. It features what has become Carlos Berrios’ standard sound over the last 10 or 15 years.

I was glad to see Brenda Rodriguez resume using the “Joei Mae” name. Going by “C-Bank” for the last few years made zero sense to me. First and foremost C-Bank was a project that featured several different producers and artists. Brenda Rodriguez was one of those featured artists, going by the name “Geminis”. She wasn’t the first artist to be featured on a C-Bank project nor was she the last.

When she began working with Carlos Berrios in the mid-1990s she reestablished herself under the artist name “Joei Mae”. She built a following under this name, more so than she ever did as “Geminis”. To suddenly switch to using “C-Bank” felt like a serious misstep. I’m sure it helped to get her bookings on 80s music nostalgia shows, but she only recorded 4 songs with C-Bank as “Geminis” - two of which are covers of Christmas songs (“Perfect”, “I’m So In Love With You”, “Last Christmas” and “Feliz Navidad”).

Anyways, “Far Away Forever” by Joei Mae is your number one Freestyle song of 2025. I probably would have ranked it around #10 for being more of the same, but that’s just me.

2025 was a disappointing year for Freestyle music. I sincerely hope 2026 is better.

RSE Freestyle Radio

I’ve updated the Top 20 archive on the RSE Freestyle Radio website. The RSE Freestyle Radio 2025 Year In Review Top 20 Countdown is now available to download. These files are available as MP3s (320 kbps) and lossless (FLAC). Visit https://rsefreestyleradio.com/archive.html to get the files.

I uploaded some music to the station this morning. Here is the updated Excel file for January 2026:

Rse Freestyle Radio January 2026

14.4KB ∙ XLSX file

Download

Download

Wrapping Things Up

2025 was an ugly year. Not just for Freestyle, but globally. Don’t be a fucking asshole. It takes nothing to be kind.

To anyone from “the industry” that may be reading this I’d like to offer some advice: no matter what the snake oil salesmen offer you, do not accept any offers. They are always too good to be true. No matter the sales pitch, the truth is they can’t do anything for you that you aren’t already doing for yourself. They want your IP and don’t give a fuck about you. Stay independent and don’t let them cuckold you!

That’s all for this week. Thanks for reading. Thanks for listening and thank you for your support!

Until next week… Take care.

- Brad Warsaw

Another year is in the books. Before we start a new chapter titled “2026”, I just want to wish everyone happy holidays and a happy new year. I hope you got everything on that was on your wish list for the holidays!

Next week I am planning to dissect the RSE Freestyle Radio 2025 Year In Review Top 20 Countdown and share my thoughts on the songs that received the votes to make it onto the countdown.

After next week I am planning to scale back the scope of these weekly updates and return to its original intention: to share updates about the station and not much else. Why? While venting my frustrations about Freestyle most weeks has been therapeutic I realize that week after week it starts to sound repetitive. Freestyle beats enough dead horses and quite honestly I think I’ve beaten all that I can from it’s festering, diseased carcass.

I’m tired & exhausted and at the end of the day Freestyle just isn’t worth the time or energy that gets wasted whenever I write about it. The end of 2025 has seen the powers that be slowly out themselves as the pieces of shit they truly are and I feel as though my regular rants have reached their natural conclusion. This doesn’t mean there won’t be any more rants, but there will be far fewer moving forward. If something lights a fire inside of me you can bet you ass I will let you know about it!

Here’s to hoping 2026 will be a much better year for the Freestyle genre.

Until next week… Take care.

- Brad Warsaw