Big Freedia Biography
Big Freedia (pronounced “FREE-da”), known as the Queen of Bounce, is at the forefront of the Bounce rap movement (a subgenre of hip-hop born out of New Orleans and known for its call and response style and lightening speed booty-shaking dance). Performing five out of seven nights in any given week with dancers she calls The Divas, Big Freedia’s show is nothing short of dazzling. She tours every city in America from New York to San Francisco and is always a favorite at festivals such as Electric Forest, Hangout Fest, FunFunFun Fest, SXSW, and Bonnaroo, among many others.
Though gay and proud, Big Freedia asserts that her (Freedia is a he but uses the feminine pronoun for her stage persona) sexuality has little to do with her music and rejects the term Sissy Bounce (the queer brand of Bounce). “All Bounce is Bounce,” he insists. “There’s no need to separate it out. All types of people—gay, straight, rich, poor, black, white come to my shows. People just wanna get out and shake their azzzz and have a good time!” And therein lies the beauty of Big Freedia: She can rock a pair of dangling gold earrings and light up a blunt and chop it up with the hardest rapper around. She’s not a gay artist, but rather an artist who happens to be gay.
Big Freedia has gone from a local New Orleans phenomenon to a national one over the past two years. After appearing in two episodes of HBO series ‘Treme’ [as herself] and in 2010, she released her debut EP on Scion A/V Presents: Big Freedia, produced by NOLA producer BlaqNmilD. The EP featured notables “Excuse” and “Almost Famous; other fan-favorites include “Gin in my System” “Azz Everwhere” and “Y’all Get Back Now.” Adding to her catalog, this year she released “Nah Who Mad” and “Booty Whop,” and she was featured on Spank Rock’s Everything is Boring and Everyone is a Fucking Liar LP, on the track “Nasty.” This month, she was featured on “Peanut Butter” with actor Ru Paul.
This January, Freedia made her television network debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! She appeared on “Last Call with Carson Daly,” FADERTV, PITCHFORK TV and has been lauded in press outlets such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Fader, RollingStone.com, SPIN, OffBeat, Chicago Tribune, Columbia Spectator, Pheonix New Times, San Francisco Chronicle, LA Times, LA Weekly, among many other media outlets.
Always pushing artistic boundaries, this year Big Freedia went hi-tech by releasing the Big Freedia Booty Battle Video Game, which Forbes magazine covered, calling it “…everything a great game should be.”
Raised on Josephine Street in uptown New Orleans, Big Freedia, born Freddie Ross, was raised by his mother, a hairdresser, and stepfather, a truck driver for Coca-Cola. When Freddie was 15, the family moved to a more upscale neighborhood in New Orleans. Freddie—along with his brother Adam and sister Crystal Ross—were immersed in music at home by their mother, who often sang along to her Gladys Knight and Patty LaBelle records around the house. But it was the Baptist church choir where a young Freddie flourished. ”My mother made sure I never missed practice,” recalls Freedia. It’s no wonder that by the time he was 18, Freedia moved from member to director of the choir.
A product of the hip-hop generation, Freedia was rocking RUN DMC, Salt ‘n Pepa and Adidas Shell Tops as a teenager. One night in 1991 he heard “Where Dey At” by MC T Tucker, (what many believe to be the first recorded Bounce track) and he was transfixed. After starting as a back-up dancer for Katey Red, the original “Sissy Bounce” rapper, Freedia knew Bounce was his calling and eventually broke out on his own.
Big Freedia is in the studio wrapping up her highly-anticipated debut LP, Da Idol and is filming episodes of a reality TV series for FUSE TV, Bounce. Finally, in the works is her DVD: Big Freedia Presents: Twerk Bounce & Pop, featuring real Bounce dance instruction from Big Freedia and some of her best and noted Divas.
Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Big Freedia and other top speakers and celebrities.
Big Freedia Speaking Topics
How do I book Big Freedia to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Big Freedia for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Big Freedia, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Big Freedia or any other speaker of your choice.
How much does it cost to book Big Freedia for a speaking engagement?
Speaking fees for Big Freedia, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fee for a live event is $10,000 - $20,000. For the most current speaking fee to hire Big Freedia, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
What topics does Big Freedia speak about?
Big Freedia is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Music, LGBTQ, Art & Design and Celebrity.
Where does Big Freedia travel from?
Big Freedia generally travels from New Orleans, LA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
Who is the agent for Big Freedia?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Big Freedia for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Big Freedia for your next private or corporate function.
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Big Freedia or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
Big Freedia is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Music, LGBTQ and Art & Design. The estimated speaking fee range to book Big Freedia for live events is $10,000 - $20,000. Please contact us for virtual event fees. Big Freedia generally travels from New Orleans, LA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Kalifa, Arlo Parks and Saucy Santana. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Big Freedia for an upcoming event.
SPEAKING TOPICS
Big Freedia Speaking Topics
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LGBTQ Issues
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Cultural Identity
NEWS
Big Freedia News
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Big Freedia Dishes on Marriage, Her Sexuality and Her New Memoir ...
Big Freedia is shaking up the music scene and is making gay and straight people around the world want to get hot and heavy with his electrifying, booty-shaking ...
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Big Freedia bounces into Houston for Pride Festival - Houston ...
Big Freedia is ready to put some bounce into Houston's summer. The Queen Diva, as she's known to fans, is one of the headliners at this year's Pride Houston ...
FAQS
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How do I book Big Freedia to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Big Freedia for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Big Freedia, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Big Freedia or any other speaker of your choice. -
How much does it cost to book Big Freedia for a speaking engagement?
Speaking fees for Big Freedia, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fee for a live event is $10,000 - $20,000. For the most current speaking fee to hire Big Freedia, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Big Freedia speak about?
Big Freedia is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Music, LGBTQ, Art & Design and Celebrity. -
Where does Big Freedia travel from?
Big Freedia generally travels from New Orleans, LA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. -
Who is the agent for Big Freedia?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Big Freedia for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Big Freedia for your next private or corporate function. -
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Big Freedia or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
BOOK BIG FREEDIA
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This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.
All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.
