Hey, it's Anna. This week we are sharing one of our favorite episodes, a conversation

with Bounce Music sensation, Big Freeda. This interview is from 2015 when we made a series

about New Orleans on the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. And Big Freeda's been

on my mind a lot lately because she's been in my ears a lot this summer. I hope you

enjoy getting to know her, her family, and the place that made her.

Once you know, it was approved by Mom, there was no other worries. Brothers, sister, uncles,

aunties, none of them didn't matter if they accepted me or not, long as Mom did.

This is Death, Sex, and Money in New Orleans. The show from WNYC about the things we think

about a lot and need to talk about more. I'm Anna Sale. And I'm standing on Painter's

Street in the Gentile neighborhood of New Orleans. It's windy and it's hot. How do you

introduce yourself? We just introduce yourself into the microphone. Big Freeda, Queen

Diva de Dic Ira, your best to believe. Big Freeda is one of the biggest stars of New

Orleans Bounce Music. Bounce started in the late 80s and early 90s. It's a New Orleans brand

of something based heavy hip hop that you move your hips to. In the late 90s, Big Freeda

was among a new crop of queer performers who started dominating the local Bounce scene.

And as she another artist moved outside New Orleans in the years after Katrina, so did

Bounce. It just be like so surreal that I'm just like a bounce artist. Like it never

was in the plane. I guess it was destined to happen. Big Freeda was born Freddie Ross. When

she started performing, she picked the name Big Freeda in part because she liked the way

it rhymed with Queen Diva. Freeda doesn't identify as trans. She says she's comfortable

using either pronoun, but usually uses she because she says that's what her fans seem

to use the most. She tells me as we stand on this quiet residential street that she's

...