He casually drives around Atlanta, on roads like Peachtree, Marietta and Spring streets, with entertainers such as 2 Chainz, CeeLo Green and The Isley Brothers performing their classic hit songs from the passenger and back seats.
Freeman calls it “Cadillac Chronicles TV.”
“Cadillac Chronicles TV” is an Atlanta-based social media and YouTube series that records live interviews and performances from the road in his 1970s-era Eldorado. The videos, similar to late-night host James Corden’s “Carpool Karaoke” sketches, feature Freeman as a hype man who turns the front seat into a cozy stage for artists, producers and DJs.
The intimate shows, often featuring Atlanta’s cityscape in the background, give audiences a chance to see top musical acts perform in an intimate setting without having to pay high ticket prices or deal with crowds at live venues.
“It’s a cool way for everyone who appreciates music to connect with their favorite artists,” Freeman told UATL.
“It’s about having an appreciation for music and creating a space where everybody can experience the performances and music in the same way. Everybody has so much going on in their lives and gets so focused on that moment, they forget about all this great music. This gives them a refresher.”
Freeman created “Cadillac Chronicles TV” in April 2024 as an outlet to promote his own music, which is inspired by West Coast G-funk hip-hop.
He purchased the Cadillac from a cousin two years before the show’s launch. He kept the car’s brown color but reupholstered its tan leather interior, replaced the engine, added a cassette deck with a Bluetooth radio, and gave it wheels with fresh whitewall tires.
Freeman then decided to include some of his talented peers from The Playlist Academy, an artist development collective.
“I was going to pick up my friends, perform the songs for them, have them talk about what they liked and disliked. A lot of the people I would have on the show made music, so I decided to have them perform, too,” Freeman said.
By October 2024, the episode featuring DJ Ill Wink started to generate a buzz. Another video featured music by West Coast producer DJ Battlecat, and Freeman mentioned his name.
Freeman received a direct message and friend request on his social handles from DJ Battlecat. He said it motivated him to contact well-known artists through social media to perform in the vintage automobile.
“It was the first time I said something, and the universe sent it back to me. I started inviting them to see if they were interested. Before I knew it, they started coming through,” Freeman said.
Freeman staffed a four-person team, including partner Tyrell “Tokyo Trendz” Dixon, to help schedule artists and keep the show organized. As for bookings, he has artists apply through an online form and receives suggestions from his network of friends.
“It’s curated, so anybody can’t just come on the show. We go through all the submissions, and if you’re fire, then we reach out. People that know me will hit me up, and if I trust their musical taste, then I’ll give the artists a shot,” Freeman said.
DJ Unruely, cofounder of a residency at Afro-Caribbean restaurant Rock Steady Atlanta called Mashup Sessions, appreciated the crowd participation from bystanders on the street.
“People were waving their hands and bobbing their heads with us. It was an overall dope experience, and I want to hit him up to run it back a second time,” he said.
Bomb Jahlaam, an Atlanta-based female DJ, played an hourlong set of R&B, hip-hop, Afrobeats and house music while sitting inside the convertible car during an October 2024 episode. She called Freeman “selfless” and commended his willingness to provide a platform for musical artistry.
Credit: Bomb Jahlaam
“He’s opened himself up to allow us to do our thing. As creatives, we need more places to express ourselves, and he’s giving us a place to show our skills. Being on social media exposes us to new audiences, and he didn’t have to do that with his nice car,” she said.
Producer Corey “Mr. Hanky” Dennard called “Cadillac Chronicles TV” a hyperlocal equivalent of NPR’s popular live music series recorded in the company’s national headquarters.
“He’s becoming Atlanta’s mobile ‘Tiny Desk’ and meeting the culture where it’s at,” Dennard said.
Credit: Corey 'Mr. Hanky' Dennard
Growing up in West Orange, New Jersey, Freeman came to Atlanta to study business management at Morehouse College in 2010.
Between attending classes, he created music in his dorm room and landed internships with Disturbing Tha Peace Records and producer Tricky Stewart.
“I kept recording and engineering myself but started building connections in the music industry. I was around but didn’t quite figure out how I could contribute to the culture,” he said.
It appears he’s quite literally found his vehicle.
Freeman said he recently purchased a bus and has plans to take “Cadillac Chronicles TV” on tour across the country.
He has a wish list of guest artists for future episodes of “Cadillac Chronicles TV,” including Usher, Ludacris, T.I., Rakim, Big Daddy Kane and Queen Latifah. He hopes to grow the platform into a docuseries that could air on television.
“We’re going to pull up on everybody in their cities, ride around in their neighborhoods and have them tell their stories in the Cadillac,” Freeman said.
Freeman said while the Eldorado certainly makes the show, he ultimately produces “Cadillac Chronicles TV” as a way of documenting musical history.
“I’m a fan of music first. I want to keep finding new ways to entertain people, create content that people can value and inspire them in a positive way.”
