By Tonisha Johnson

There are artists who are considered landmarks in the game such as 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G and so on. And they've spoken endlessly about their struggles and sleepless nights on the block to make money to get their 'product' on the streets; selling music out of the trunks of cars and peddling sidewalks for cash to reinvest in their sound; their dream.

But none can say it took 7467 miles to get there.

When companies like Def Jam and Tommy Boy began, they had no idea that rap would last as long as it did. And mainstream culture would become a lifestyle. Where the inner-city kid meets the suburbanite; making musical exchanges. The love of hip hop expands worldwide. And that is where this artist makes his debut.

The ghettos of America have nothing on the Shanty Towns of Africa where running water is a luxury and clean air is a privilege. Survival is the ultimate motivation. To shut your eyes and rest you must consider yourself safe. And although not every inch of Africa depicts the uncivilized view audiences see on television screens; the reality pleads for a change.

Backed by emotional hard hitting beats in "Forgotten Hope" vocally controlled by a uniquely dominating voice that forces the listener to pay strict and close attention; FreDdy the Industry Nightmare demands a 'noticeable' change in his lyrics.

Like a job, experience is key in elevating to the next level. Whether institutionally or creatively, you must bring something to the table that has mass appeal in a game that with just one false move can eliminate not only your position but crush respected reputations male and female artists struggle to achieve.

The heart behind the mind that flows lines like Death is a part of life/I do it all for you /for you I'm gonna be a star tonight/I'm a shine before I'm living to die/and one day me and you are gonna meet in the sky - Dear Lord; is Christian and solid. Kind and courageous.

His experiences is the end result that one sees when set before FreDdy. Good? Bad? It is what it is. Unfortunately you can't just 'vibe' off his music. To know him is to understand him. And when you understand him you'll respect his vision, his worship and what he brings to the game.

Independent artists dream of getting picked up by labels. But right now you just want to be managed. Why is that?

FreDdy: I’m managed by Billion Dollar Entertainment. I got discovered actually through My Space at first. They hit me up telling me they see that I get a lot of plays. At first, we didn’t talk about the management thing. He wanted me to help him promote his My Space too. He was trying to pay me for that. Eventually, as things went on, he decided to sign me to a contract. I think we did like a couple of months ago. So he discovered me really from My Space.

What should an independent artist look for in management? That’s the key that gets you the record deals.

FreDdy: Basically, you’ve got to look for a manager that believes in you. As an independent artist, you’re trying to work as hard as you can to get yourself out there. So basically when you’re looking for management, you’re looking for somebody that believes in you. They got to believe that you can make it. You need a manager that is feelin’ your music and then they’ll work as hard as you can.

What sparked you to begin writing rhymes?

FreDdy:  Basically, it started out as me seeing my friend’s freestylin’. I was like, yo word you can do that? That was actually 4 years ago. At first I got on this website called Network54.com. And people can make their own forum pages and all that. I got on there and people were just freestylin’; text and typing it. So, that’s how I first got started. I started doing that as a joke and eventually, I started making little songs and I started recording on my computer. I started getting in the studio. And that’s when my manager talked to me and that’s when I started getting serious with my career like that.

And your career expectations?

FreDdy: Right now I’m basically just working one thing at a time. I’m trying to get my CD out. Get a little more fan base. The more fans you get, the higher your chances for a record company to look at you like that. You got to have your fan base first. That way they can market you. They got to know that people are going to like you. A bigger fan base is what I’m trying to establish right now.

What record company’ would you be interested in signing with?

FreDdy: Basically, people ask me that all the time. I just think its’ like whatever they offer me. They gotta give me a good contract that I can get the rights to my music. And the money too so…basically, any record company as long as they give me the right deal.

Most new artists have standard contracts where they give up their publishing, whether it’s permanent or a limited amount of time. Is that something you’d be willing to give up just to get on?

FreDdy: No. I don’t think so but it depends on if the person talks to me and I see their point of view. I don’t think I would do something like that but you never know what happens. If there’s a good deal for that I might do that. I don’t have an exact answer for that.

There’s been a blueprint set for new artist’. Now, most rappers own their own companies. Do you plan to start your own company or after awhile is that something you’d be looking to pursue.

FreDdy:  Right now I’m not looking at the bigger picture I would say. That’s not on my agenda list. I’m not planning to start a record label; I’m not saying it won’t happen but I don’t have a plan for that right now. I have a plan for my own career. Once I get established then I could look into bigger things.

What does your music bring to hip hop?

FreDdy: Basically right now…a lot of people that know me know I don’t like that dancing, club music. Cause that’s all I see on TV now.  Females shakin’ they ass all day. I think my music is something different. Something everybody can relate too. I want to try to bring something positive too for the kids to listen to. I try to talk about God too. I’m a Christian. I love God and all that. So I try to bring that in my lyrics. I’m bringing positive music I would say. I used to make club songs like awhile back but I changed my whole style when some situations in my life happened so…right now what I’m going to bring to hip hop is basically just positive music.

Does hip hop in its present form bring mainly entertainment value or is it informative?

FreDdy: Right now you’re basically getting entertainment music. That can be good but I think that rappers should be talking about bigger issues. It’s a lot of issues going on in the earth right now to talk about besides having a good time, know what I mean? There’s a lot of people dying. A lot of wars going on. You don’t have a lot of food in certain places like Africa. I’m from Africa. I’m African myself. So I see that and I can’t be over here talking ‘bout shake this and shake that. I think hip hop needs to look at bigger things in the world than just entertainment.

Don’t you think hip hop should balance the two?

FreDdy: I don’t think hip hop should have the balance. I think the artist should have the balance. I think that the artist should bring entertainment in his lyrics but at the same time bring something good in his lyrics. Something positive. So I think it’s on the artist and not on hip hop. I’m more based around talking about bigger things than entertainment.

You sound like you’re trying to bring awareness to rap?

FreDdy: Yeah.

A lot of rap artists shy away from being a role model. Are you ready for what comes with being a role model? Everything you do will be scrutinized.

FreDdy: Definitely. I hear that. But I’m not necessarily trying to be a role model but I know it comes eventually. People are going to look up to you like that. I think a lot of people hide from that but they have to understand that when you have a lot of people look up to you when you’re a famous person. You can’t be a hypocrite like, do what I say not what I do. When you’re a rapper you have to be ready for that. I don’t want to be a role model but I have to be a role model. I’m ready for that. It’s going to come anyway, no matter if I’m ready for it or not. I think rappers should take that into mind and realize that it comes with the territory.

Out of all your rhymes what is the most conscious aware line you’ve ever written?

FreDdy: I’ve made so many songs I can’t even count them. So it’s hard for me to choose one. But I would say the one that most people have heard and I think they should listen to more is ‘Closer than Close’ cause I basically I talk about live your life for the better but I basically tell people …be a good person. On my lyrics I say do good for somebody else. Life is short. So I bring all my issues on a song like that.

Let’s talk about your album. What’s taking you so long?

FreDdy: (lol) It’s my first album, so there are a lot of financial problems. But it’s not always the financial problems. I actually got to work with my manager so whatever he’s trying to do is different from what I’m trying to do and so we get conflict in that. That pushes the album back a little bit. The company that actually is going to press my album is also taking a long time. There are things that go into making an album that sometimes have to be pushed back like that.

Is that being released under a label?

FreDdy: I’m actually an independent artist being managed by Billion Dollar Entertainment. I’m not under any label right now. I’m just me.

That was the point that I was making before. Why just have your music out there like that? Why are you resisting starting a label?

FreDdy: Right now I’m not in the position where I can handle starting my own label. That’s gonna make me shy away from my own thing. So right now, like I said, if I get into a position of where I’m more financially settled in…and I have a fan base that I’m comfortable with…I will do bigger things. I’m probably going to start my own label. That’s actually a big possibility but right now no. I’m the kind of person that does one thing at a time. I think that’s the best thing. I don’t look at things that’s gonna happen 10 years from now. I look at things that are in the next couple of months, next couple of weeks, and the next couple of days, know what I mean?

So the future in regards to your career you really aren’t concerned with?

FreDdy: I can’t say I don’t care what people think about me 10 years from now. I just want people to see me now. And don’t worry about what I’m trying to become. I’m not trying to become Tupac, I’m just trying to bring something different to hip hop. That’s about it. I’m just trying to be FreDdy. And bring something good to hip hop that I think hip hop needs. Whatever’ going to happen in the future is going to come with time but for now you’ve just got to listen to what I’m trying to do now. That’s all I’m concentrating on.

What do you want people to get from your music?

FreDdy: I got songs for little kids. It’s positive. I got songs anybody can listen to and get a positive message for that. I got songs for the streets. Not the ones you may look at like oh he’s talking about killing. I got songs that talk about better things we could be doing. And you’ve got to stop all those things that are happening right now. My album has the whole package.  I got songs about God. And people who lost their friends, brothers….whatever. I think people can relate to my album. People may find entertainment too. I’m not saying there’s no entertainment …I’m saying their not going to be dancing to my album really. I think my album is going to provide what hip hop needs.

OCTOBER 25TH - THE RESURRECTION OF MUSIC