Big Freedia Quotes

I grew up in a Baptist church my whole life.

I came out at a very early age. I sat my mom down at my 12th birthday party and told her in front of my friends. She said, ‘Baby, mama already knows, and I’m going to love you regardless.’ Once I got my mom’s support, there was nothing else I needed.

The bigger artists are definitely looking and paying attention to the culture and the style of bounce music.

I mean you have to work hard to earn respect and make people respect you. When I come to the presence of any room or any place, people give me the most high respects and I’m gracious and appreciative of that.

I loved listening to music around the house with my mom on Saturday mornings when we would clean up.

We have a dance in bounce music called ‘exercising’ where you just open your legs and shake your butt a little bit from side to side.

I’ve worked tremendously hard to make things happen for New Orleans culture.

I come from the city of New Orleans where it’s live and vibrant.

I’ve grown in tremendous ways with enhancing my music, my ability to perform on stage and travel all around to spread bounce music. I’ve come so far from being that little black boy growing up in New Orleans to now.

Twerking is just limited to a certain, specific dance where it’s hand on the knees and you’re busting open. With bounce music, we do a whole lot more and everyone is so unique in the way that they move and their personality.

I’ve always liked to dance.

I always try to have my hair and my nails did no matter what. As long as that’s done, putting an outfit and some shoes together, and a little makeup, that’s nothing.

People should be able to do what they want in life and not be judged or put in a box or a category.

My church people supported me when I made my transition from gospel to bounce and that made it a lot easier.

Everybody knows that at a Freedia show, you’re definitely going to have some crowd participation, and they’re anticipating and waiting for that moment.

Everything changed after Katrina. It’s a new New Orleans now and I think it’s better. It was a wake-up call and it rebuilt and cleaned up the city. It all happened for a reason. I’m now grateful for Katrina.

I like to make everything and I can really cook.

I basically go with whatever my gut tells me.

When something get hot, everybody want to jump on the bandwagon and act like they created it.

I’m a bounce artist, straight born and raised from New Orleans, Louisiana, and I love what I do.

I was so big, so I had to always come up with my own creations. Like, when I would do junior prom and stuff, I would have stuff specially made or added to my outfit. I definitely was always into trying to do something a little over and beyond.

That was one thing my mama instilled in me: to be well trained in the kitchen. Growing up, I was always in the kitchen with her. You name it, I make it: red beans and rice, lasagna, chicken, pork. I am the queen of cooking.

There’s no such thing as ‘sissy bounce.’ We don’t separate it here in New Orleans at all. It’s just bounce music. Just because I’m a gay artist, they don’t have to put it in a category or label it.

I’m an artist who happens to be gay.

Gay folks go to church. We pray to the Lord too.

Being gay and coming up in New Orleans was not easy. At first I was very terrified and very timid.

I’m always honored to see my music and New Orleans Bounce make its way into mainstream culture.

Bounce music is uptempo, heavy bass, call and response.

Generally, I cook from the soul and measure by eye, throwing in this and that along the way. But I want to be a certified chef. That’s one of my goals.

The first 10 years of my journey, I was still figuring out who I was, and then I had to redo it all over again when I became bigger. So instead of saying, ‘I’m gay and this is me,’ I started telling the story through my music.

I come from a community plagued with so much poverty and violence and homophobia.

Some issues just need to be dealt with – that we’re still dealing with in the world, with police brutality and racism.

A lot of people think that I am trans but I’m not trans. I am a gay male with hair and nails. So if you say ‘he’ or ‘she’ it doesn’t matter. I know who I am.

If I’m just trying to get to different levels… and it takes levels to get to levels, and I just have to do what I have to do to keep on climbing the charts and getting where I need to be.

The journey after Katrina, it opened a lot of doors for a lot of people. Coming from a rooftop to going to Hollywood and around the world, internationally teaching people about bounce music, definitely God is good and amazing about what he can do with your life.

The best times I’ve had backstage are when you have people around you who genuinely love you, respect your privacy, and have your back – that’s what it’s all about.

I got my style from my mom, she was a classy lady.

My mother was my rock and my inspiration.

When I first started, I was definitely reserved,. I was still trying to find myself.

I love Red Bull, they support everything that I do. They always support music and they’re always pushing music.

Being a big kid, I was kind of fat and chubby, and I got picked on quite a bit.

Of course, Bounce is all about the dance moves.

Before I was rapping, I was an interior designer and decorator.

Like a lot of artists, I started out as a singer in my church choir when I was a child.

I’m human, just like everyone else.

I’m a beast in the kitchen.

Performing has always been a natural part of me.

I’m over twerking.

I started travelling doing shows everywhere to make people feel like a sense of New Orleans wherever they may be.

I’m steady trying to make this bounce stuff mainstream and do some wonderful and great things for the culture of New Orleans.

I draw my strength from my mom, who passed away a few years ago. She taught me from the day I was just a little boy to never give up and be proud of who I am.

Drake and I have built a relationship, vibing and performing together.

I met Icona Pop by chance because we were both recording at the same studio. I was a fan so when I heard they were in the next room, I went to say hi. Next thing I knew, they were on two songs.

Bounce is taking flight all over the globe. New York especially, and L.A., Canada, Portland, Washington. It keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Real twerkers can use their knees for support.

I’m a performer, so when I get to any space, I make it my own for that moment and have fun.

I feel very accepted, like I never have any slander. I never have any issues. You know, like, when people see me, they respect me. It’s all about how you carry yourself.

I’m comfortable with who I am.

When I go shopping, I try to specify certain things for certain events, but most of the time, I have so much stuff to pull from at home in the closet.