In Chicago, Big Freedia Talks Triggerman, Pitchfork Documentary & Upcoming Reality Show

Big Freedia is midway through a cross-country tour, and the Chicago stop last Friday was special. Not only was it a sold-out event and the rapper’s third gig at the Empty Bottle in less than a year, but it also happened to take place on her tour manager Leah’s birthday. To celebrate, natch, Leah took to the stage to twerk it alongside the Diva, the Dudes, and a selection of Chi-town’s boldest rump-shakers.

As a nationwide phenom, Big Freedia’s made ‘sissy’ an outmoded adjective to describe her music; ‘bounce’ is a perfectly apt name for this genre of uptempo dance tracks designed to infiltrate booties of all sexual inclinations.

Yet as Freedia’s profile has risen over the past few years, so has the public curiosity. What is her life like when she’s not on the road, but in her hometown, the birthplace of bounce, New Orleans?

To answer that question, various media outlets have approached Freedia with all sorts of documentary and reality show proposals. Now, she’s getting her widest exposure yet with an upcoming series on Fuse called Almost Famous and a new album dropping, to boot.

Prior to the show, we hollered at Freedia to find out what we can expect from the Dick Eater, the Queen Diva, and the Late Night Creeper in 2013. “A Big Freedia party is about getting people from all walks of life together on the dance floor,” she declared at one point during the night. Rightfully so.

I wanted to start off talking about 2012, which was a crazy big year for you, but also for the Triggerman loop. “Ball,” by Lil Wayne and T.I., brought the Triggerman back, and then also that song “Express Yourself” by Diplo and Nicky da B. What do you think of those songs, and why do you think the Triggerman is back on the radio?

Well, I love both of the songs. Everybody’s trying to get back into the bounce scene – I’m loving that. It just was a shocker that Lil Wayne bounced back in that field to me. But the Diplo song actually was supposed to be a collaboration with me and him, but I was on tour, and someone else connected him and Nicky da B together. So I’m still happy with the song – I liked the song, it was a nice song – but there’s much more to come.

To be honest, you sort of are the face of bounce right now; I wondered why it wasn’t you on that track.

Because it was supposed to be me. Somebody sideswiped me and did some conniving shit, but I let it ride, and I’m still moving forward, pushing through. Diplo had came to New Orleans and investigated me. We met and we hung out, and we were supposed to do the collaboration, and when he came for me, I was on tour.

Not only is the Triggerman back in the public eye, but a lot of gay rappers now, especially out of New York, like Le1f and Mykki Blanco, and I was wondering what your impressions were and if you follow that whole scene at all.

Oh yeah, I mean, I’m very proud of all musicians, especially my gay musicians who are stepping up and being free and being able to express themselves through their music. I’m giving a lot of people the edge to be able to express themselves and be out there and be who they are ,so I’m very supportive of all of them, very much.

You, as a person, just you being who you are, does so much for so many people. How do you handle that responsibility?

I’m just doing me and working really hard and doing what I need to do for my fans.

I saw your Pitchfork documentary the other day. What did you think of the outcome?

It was nice. It was shocking to me, some of the stuff that they got; it was shocking to me, I must say. When I first saw it, I cried. It was very emotional for me.

It was emotional for me just looking in. What was emotional for you?

The whole situation. Seeing my mom talking, the stuff that she said on camera, and the stuff with me and my boyfriend, and just the response of what my friends was saying on camera. I wasn’t around when they were talking, so I didn’t know what they had said. So once I actually saw it and they put it out, I got to see the finished product.

I didn’t know you hadn’t seen the footage.

No, I hadn’t saw the footage. At the end, you remember when I came outside and I asked him, I said, “Well, what they asking you?” He was like, “Go inside.” So anytime they interviewed anybody I was nowhere around. They had me occupied doing other stuff, so that’s how they was able to come up with all of that. Even with the decorating situation, when I was at the club, they kinda was like, “We ‘bout to leave,” but I forgot the mike was on me, so that’s how they got that. They was way across the street, if you couldn’t see. If you didn’t notice, they were way across the street.

Were you flattered by the outcome? It was very, very personal. Did it feel accurate to you, like this is really what your life is about?

Yeah, definitely, but I didn’t want all of it shown. I didn’t want that moment shown where people got to see me in that evil moment. No, I really didn’t. But it is what it is; it’s my life, and it’s real, and that moment happened. I was caught a little bit out of character, but that’s me.

When you read a lot of your press, they refer to you as “she.” But then in the documentary, it seemed like your friends and your family refer to you as “he.” I was wondering if you have a preference for either pronoun.

I don’t have a preference. It’s whatever everyone is comfortable with. I’m comfortable with myself; I know who I am. So whatever people may wanna say, “he” or “she,” they can do it. My fans prefer “she,” and I’m usually mostly “she,” but my family, that’s my family, they respect me as what I was born as, and they still respect me as who I am, and they just gon’ be all around with “she” and all that. And I love that from my family, that they respect who I am, and they have the option of calling me “he” or “she.” We play all kinds of ways. They be like “Girrrl,” or “Ms. Thing.” They call me all kinds of shit. So I’m used to it all. With the fellas in New Orleans, I’m a lot of ‘em’s dawg. Like, “That’s my dawg.” I’m all around the board, baby, I know who I am. I’m very comfortable with who I am.

Yesterday, news broke that you’re ‘bout to get your own reality show on Fuse.

Yeah, it’s been in the works. Yesterday was the official announcement, but it’s been in the works about the last year.

How did that whole thing come about?

Through just my team working and really getting out there, and the production company contacting us and wanting to work with us and really interested in us, and RuPaul helping, giving me that push. The same company that he’s with, that’s the company that I’m with – World of Wonder. Our connection as friends just became closer. So things just started really happening. They want to capture this story. There’s just such an interesting story, and New Orleans is definitely a place that needs a reality show.

Are you looking forward to it? How does your boyfriend feel about it? And your family, what are they thinking?

Everybody’s excited. I don’t know what’s gonna happen with the situation with the BF, but my family and everyone is excited for me. I’m very excited. I’m nervous at the same time, ‘cause I don’t know exactly what’s gonna happen with it, but I’mma just keep it real and be me, and however it may unfold, we gonna hope for the best of it.

This is gonna be like 24/7, like Keeping Up with the Kardashians-style reality TV, right?

Yeah, basically. I have my first eight episodes, so yes, they’re definitely about to invade my life.

And your hubby’s life, too.

Maybe. I don’t know. We have issues going on right now.

Gotchu. So it’s not even like that.

Yeah, we still have issues from that situation – from Pitchfork.

How do you mean?

It’s crazy.

He didn’t wanna be on camera? He did seem kinda shy.

Not from issues from him being on Pitchfork. Issues of what happened the day of it was recorded, when Pitchfork caught it on camera.

You’re talking about the scene outside the club?

Yes, at the club.

I was surprised that Pitchfork put that in there. That was ballsy of them.

Yeah, he’s been being a bad boy while I’ve been on tour, so all of that has unfolded.

Do you watch much reality TV? Are you a fan of reality TV?

Yeah, I am.

What are your shows?

Housewives of Atlanta; I’m friends with Derek J. I watch the Kardashians, I also watch the Braxtons. When I have a chance and they come on and I get to catch a few episodes, I do. But I’m so busy and I’m always working, so when I’m at home and I’m off tour – especially Love & Hip-Hop. It’s just like, I love to watch it, but if I catch it, I catch it; if I don’t, I can’t. Sometimes work calls, and I can’t watch it. But I keep up with a lot of ‘em, yes, definitely. Even the Fantasia one. That’s my girl, I love Fantasia to death, so I keep up with her for sure. I watch ‘em when I have a chance. My shit is CSI though.

Musicians who go on and do their reality shows, there’s always the fear that their persona and their character will overshadow their actual music. Do you have that concern?

No, not really, ‘cause I’m definitely gonna keep into my music. That’s what creates my character and who I am and how I bring people together a whole lot. So my music is gonna be very important to this show. All of my music will be used throughout this whole show, so that was a very good thing that I had through the deal, that all of my music will be played. So, yeah, the music is gonna be the main factor.