Even though it’s only March, New Orleans-based bounce artist Big Freedia has already had a demanding year, appearing on Beyonce’s massively successful song “Formation” in February, recording a new album, which she plans to release in June, and filming the fifth season of her Fuse TV show, “Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce.”
However, not all things Freedia have been positive. Pressure from Mississippi Alcohol Beverage Control caused the cancellation of the musician’s Feb. 12 performance at the Dollar Box Showroom in Hattiesburg, though they have since resolved that issue and rescheduled the show for Friday, March 25. In the midst of that situation, she also pleaded guilty in court to the theft of about $35,000 in Section 8 low-income housing vouchers, though Freedia could say very little about the case, as it is ongoing.
The Jackson Free Press got on the phone with Freedia, who will also be performing at Martin’s Restaurant & Bar on Thursday, March 24, to discuss the recent ups and downs of her music career and where she’s headed next.
How did you get involved with Beyonce’s song “Formation?”
She gave me a call and told me that she wanted to lay some vocals on top of her new song, and, you know, I was really excited about that. Then, I went to the studio and laid some vocals down and sent them back over, and they were very impressed and loved the vocals. And four days later, the song was out. They had already been working on the song and the video. They were just adding a voiceover to the song. All of that was already done, though.
What did it mean to you to be featured on a song that just exploded and went everywhere?
Oh my God, it was amazing to be on a Queen Bee track, just alone. To get such good responses and (to have) people recognizing my voice right away, it was an amazing feeling.
How did you feel about being able to represent your city, the LGBT community and black culture on an international level?
Well, you know, I represent all different walks of life, and it just felt really good to be in a position to have another platform, a bigger platform, to speak on and represent New Orleans and the culture of bounce music. So it felt really good because my city was definitely behind me.
What would you say is the biggest difference between when you release something for yourself and when you record on something for someone else that premieres at the Super Bowl?
It was a much bigger audience that got to experience the song and hear my voice, and it opened me up to a whole other fan base—all of the “Bee Hive.” It just felt really good to have my voice expand a little bit further all over the world.
