Born and raised on the harsh streets of South Bronx, the boy who grew to become Fred Da God found solace developing his skills in putting words to music. He’s developed a strong reputation as a fierce showman, and one such show led him to meetings with Jay Z. With many achievements as an unsigned artist, he’s currently in talks with the major’s about the next step for Fred Da God.
We met up in Harlem to see what’s happening. (Big up to Vonjeff for the heads up)
Lady Jay UK: We up here in Harlem right now chillin, what’s up Fred?
Fred Da God: Everything good. Everyone know I’m BX favourite son, south Bronx. Everything good Lady Jay, can’t complain.
Lady JayUK: What’s happening with you right now?
Fred Da God: Well right now, I’m getting the contract and everything squared, can’t really discuss where I’m goin’ yet. Until that gets squared away, I’m just putting music in the streets, takin’ are of that.
The new one is American Gangster hosted by Big Mike. I got production by Justus League, Reefer, Sha Money XL, everybody be on there.
Lady Jay UK: So how did some of those collaborations come about?
Fred Da God: Well they all came about through me doin’ what I’m doin. I been at the Def Jam building a lot, and you know they was gonna let me rock on there, bein’ that I do get busy you know, not to brag you know, but that’s what it is man.
Lady Jay UK: So what’s coming up for you?
Fred Da God: Right now, they want me to drop another mixtape. I don’t know, I’m in the middle of seeing how I’ma do it. Soon I’m supposed to be workin’ on something with Jada, you know hopefully everything follows through with that. I know he busy, but we supposed to be linkin’ up and doin’ somethin’, and hopefully in the near future I’m supposed to be linkin’ up with Little Wayne.
So that’s what I’m doin’. Well you know, we don’t find many street dudes out there with no deal, like doin’ everything. Everybody know me, the cars the jewellery, 60,000 you see me at them shows man and everything mine, everything paid for studio.
Personally, I do it for the street, and they respect me because of that.
Lady Jay UK: When did you start in the game, and how long has it taken you to get to this point?
Fred Da God: It was a rush, naw it was long. It was crazy, I started really seriously doin’ it in 2000. There was a couple of meetings; I could have signed, but the deals wasn’t right. But now, it’s eight years, but it worth it. That’s what I love to do.
Lady Jay UK: So you weren’t in a rush to just sign with the first thing that came along?
Fred Da God: No not really because, like everybody that now me, know like I wasn’t starvin’ or nothin’ like that ‘cos we, when everyone know you in the street you know how to make money so, it was like, thank God that I had that. Cos if I was starvin’ I’d a had to be forced to sign with anybody you know to feed my family my little brothers and sisters, but, you know, I been aight, so chillin…
Lady Jay UK: I heard that your live shows are heavyweight and need to be witnessed. Why’s that?
Fred Da God: I don’t now. Maybe ‘cos I’m fat man. You know, ‘cos like, when you fat…
Lady Jay UK: People wanna come and look at yer?
Fred Da God: Yea! They wanna come look at you, ‘cos you not supposed to be able to do certain things, like I can rock a mic, I can rock a whole show solo, and I move, and I get the crowd into it. Everybody be boppin’…
Lady Jay UK: Where’s the best place you’ve performed, or best show you’ve done?
Fred Da God: I would say, Temple. TNY. I did rip out S.O.B.’s a couple times though. There’s been a lot of places, but if I had to pick one I would say Temple. Only because, like I teared down that show crazy and that’s what made Lyniess pick me out and bring me to Jay like two days later. I was just ready for the Jay Z and… It was last year, but that performance made me go to Jay and go in his office and just do what I do, and I him goin’ crazy too.
Lady Jay UK: What else?
Fred Da God: Right now I’m settin’ up a site where y’all can just download the music, buy it, but really I might just download it, I might not even charge nobody whatever whatever. In the meantime, you can go to my Myspace.
http://www.myspace.com/fredthegodson
I have people working on my Myspace, but if you talk to them it’s still like talking to me. I don’t really be on the computer, you know what I’m sayin, but I got like 5/6 people working on my myspace page for me. Sorry, but the knowledge ain’t even there. I be on it sometimes, but I be on it sometimes.
You can go on there, or you can go on http://www.myspace.com/draftentertainment or Label, which is shout out to Black, shout out to Preem, shout out to Stu, shout out to Chanz – Loose Kannons Records.
I have a ‘Best Of Both Hoods’ album out right now, but I don’t know what we gonna release it under. My singer, my boy Tyler Woods, DFL, he’s on a couple of singles with 9th Wonder right now. That’s my boy, yea he’s the engineer, he’s everything with me like. I flew him up from North Carolina, we just get busy. It’s beautiful.
Lady Jay UK: Good things happening then?
Fred Da God: Yea it’s a lot of things goin’ on.
Lady Jay UK: Thank you.
Fred Da God: No problem Lady Jay. Hopefully, I’ll be over where y’all at. In the UK, tear it down.
Lady Jay UK: Make sure you get up to Manchester.
Fred Da God: Maunchester? (blatently never heard of the place)
Lady Jay UK: (Laughs) Manchester…
By: Jay Diamond | www.unityradio.fm Tuesdays 10pm till Midnight | www.myspace.com/ladyjayuk. Check out my podcast for interviews.
