Big Freedia is best known as New Orleans' queen of bounce – now, her influence is spreading to every genre of music
Born and raised in New Orleans, Big Freedia has always been determined to represent for her hometown. Learn about her impressive 20-year career, and how she brought the locally-grown genre of bounce music to the mainstream in this episode of In the Know Profiles.
Video Transcript
- (SINGING) You already know.
[BOUNCE MUSIC]
BIG FREEDIA: Bounce music to New Orleans, it's-- it's the home. It's the birthplace.
- Big Freedia!
- Big Freedia!
BIG FREEDIA: It's our culture here. I mean, we love it. From the babies to grandmoms, they twerk and they shake. It's all New Orleans, baby.
- Freedia, we love you!
BIG FREEDIA: Love you too, baby.
[BOUNCE MUSIC]
My name is Big Freedia, the queen diva, you best to believe her. And I'm a music entertainer.
[BOUNCE MUSIC]
Never, never, never, never.
BIG FREEDIA: I have been working at this for 20 years now and grinding really hard and being that girl who has went around the world and show people what New Orleans culture and bounce music is about. And that's how I get the title, "Queen of Bounce."
[MUSIC - BIG FREEDIA, "N.O. BOUNCE"]
I'm that queen that'll make you bounce. I'm that queen that'll make you bounce. I'm that queen that'll make you bounce. I'm that queen that'll make you bounce. That's where I'm from. [INAUDIBLE]
I think I was just drawn to creative outlets as an escape goat. I growed up on Josephine Street here in New Orleans. You know, back then, it was really difficult just being Black and gay in the neighborhood. It wasn't something that was so accepted.
Family members whispered about it. They had meetings about it saying, "Oh, he's gay." You know, people in the neighborhood would tease me. I would have to fight at school.
So it's expected. You know, it's like you just be like expecting, who going to be, you know, a fool this time? I was like, "You know, they always calling me a fat [BLEEP] or a sissy or a Jenny woman." To get through all of that, you've got to be real strong.
And my mom, who was my biggest cheerleader, would say, "You better get back there and fight them and show them who you are in and stand up and be a man." So that's what I had to do.
I had to fight my way through. So now when they call it to me, I'm going to act like as a compliment and say, "thank you." It started messing people head up.
They're like, "Yo, [BLEEP]." I'm like, "Thank you," wave my hand, give them a big smile. So it was just a lot to have to go through as a kid, a lot.
It's hard talking about this stuff, I swear, especially my mom and them. I've been through some-- I've been through some tough times. I lost my mom in 2014.
And, you know, even my uncle and then losing your brother who you grew up with your whole life, you know, I just keep praying and asking God for strength to get me through all of those hard times. And I try to just remember the good times that we had with my fam. It takes a lot to fill just those three voids of losing a mom, an uncle, and a brother.
Giving love to the world, I guess, is the way I get through. Music is a way to relieve all of that. Get in the studio. Go make a great song. You know, work with other artists and collaborate. So each time I go to a different state or a different city, all of those forms of energy help keep getting me through each day by day.
What are y'all doing? Let's go. 4, 3, 2.
[MUSIC - BIG FREEDIA, "3RD WARD"]
Do it for the 3rd Ward. Shake it for 4th Ward. Work it for the 5th Ward. Clap it for the 6th Ward.
When I describe bounce music, I describe it as up tempo, heavy bass, call and response type music. It's a subgenre of hip hop from New Orleans. And it has a lot to do with ass shaking, being over, busting open, Peter Pan, squiggly wigglies.
[MUSIC - BIG FREEDIA, "GIN IN MY SYSTEM"]
(SINGING) I got that gin in my system. Somebody going to pop. I've got that gin in my system. Somebody be-bop.
Yeah, well, with my role as a pioneer, it has found its way into the mainstream, you know, doing songs with, you know, Ru Paul, Drake, Beyoncé. You know, I have a new song with Kesha. And we have two songs, actually. I have a song with Lizzo. And it gives us a chance to step into other genres of music and also explore each other culture.
Where y'all represent from tonight? Jacksonville, New York, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
As you can see, everybody is doing it globally now. People of all kind of genres are stepping in, wanting to do a bounce sound or have a bounce artist in their stuff. They love the sound.
They love the energy. They love the lyrics. They love the dance moves. And they have finally caught it.
As you can see, everybody is doing it. It feels really good though, just being the ambassador of bounce music and to see the culture spread out to the world. And other artists are finally wanting to be a part of it.
[BOUNCE MUSIC]
I'm the one and only Big Freedia the queen diva representing right here from the one and only New Orleans, Louisiana. (SINGING) You already know.
