Freddie Foxxx

Totgesagte leben länger: nachdem er jahrelang nur sehr unregelmäßig von sich hören ließ, will der Veteran aus der New Yorker Bronx jetzt noch einmal ganz groß angreifen. Der Startschuss für die Veröffentlichungsoffensive ist mit dem überfälligen Re-Release von “Crazy Like A Foxxx” bereits gefallen. Und 2009 soll dann endlich neues Material kommen – in unserem Interview spricht Freddie Foxxx gleich von zwei Alben. Wir werden hören…

What made you re-release “Craxy Like A Foxxx” after more than 14 years? Did you feel like it was something like an act of defiance?

No, people asked me for it. They e-mailed me. It’s my album, so how can I be defiant? The people wanted to hear it, so I put it out.

Why didn’t you come out with the album back in 1994? I read this and that, so could you give me some more background information?

It was a problem of the record label. My album was scheduled to come out next. The record label showed off with everything that was in the pipeline or what was about to be put in the pipeline – and my record was the first one … however, I ended up taking control of the masters after that. And when people started e-mailing me and told me that they want to hear it, I decided to release it.

Have you ever talked again to the responsible persons?

No. I don’t care. It doesn’t matter. I don’t care about what happened. I had to keep moving, I couldn’t focus on that. You know, I figured out one day I could release it and people would recognize that it is a classic underground album – and that’s what I did. But I don’t plan to do any touring on this record. Only if people want to hear one or two songs on one of my shows…

How do you remember the studio session with 2 Pac?

It was incredible. Pac was very creative. He came in with an idea what he wanted to do with the song. I had actually played it for him briefly over the phone. He showed up, he wrote his lyrics in the studio. I still have the lyrics he wrote, he signed the paper. It was a good session, we had a vibe! He stayed for the whole song to make sure that everything matched.

Ok, back to the present: Why did you make yourself scarce over the last few years?

I mean, I’ve been underground … is scarce a reference to mainstream music? I mean, I’ve been in control of my releases. I didn’t want to oversaturate the market with records I didn’t think people should hear yet. There’s a time for everything. I’ve been building and creating a new catalogue, I have been mixing it with my old catalogue. So that when I do decide to come out with my stuff, I just can push buttons and have my releases ready instantly. Alot of records are finished. I worked with KRS-One, DJ Premier and all these guys on stuff that I’ve been putting into the catalogue.

So let’s talk about your new album coming up entitled “Amerikkan Black Man” … what will you bring to the table?

It’s a concept album. I wanted to go back in and just catch up on a few things. I’ve been listening to Nas’ album and I realized that he tried to come on the same level or direction that I was coming on with “Amerikkan Black Man”. I’ve been talking about this album ever since “Industry Shakedown”. I wanted to revamp a few things before I go back in. I got a few things that I’m going to bring to the table: very creative, special things…

Who will be featured on the album?

I don’t know. I’m not doing too many collaborations. I think that’s a problem with alot of records, alot of these artists have too many guest appearances on records. I don’t really like too many of those for my albums. I got a couple of singers on some songs, but not really any rappers for that matter.

Do you consider it a political album?

It has a political undertone to it, but it’s not really political. You know, I’m a black man in the United States of America. You have to look at the evolution of the people that I’m a part of. From being considered the lowest form of humans in the world according to white americans – and growing into a culture of music that enables us to have conversations between all different types of races. We live in a time where a man who looks like me is running for the president of the United States and he’s only one step away. So it’s about evolution and it’s about growth. It’s not being angry about the past. You have to notice the change around us and see that we can overcome anything we want when you put your mind to it.

You mentioned another album with KRS-One: what’s the state of the recording process?

It’s called “Royalty Check, I’m 75% finished mixing it, it will be out next year. The album is just me and KRS-One going back to back. It’s a big album, man, we recorded it in about three days. He came to my studio, I had a whole bunch of beats done by myself, he was in love with the production … and started rapping, than he said ‘you do the second verse’ and I was like ‘aight cool’ and so on, straight to the next song. He did like five or six joints on one day.

What about you working with Trademarc, how did that come together?

That’s John Cena’s cousin. I was producing for John Cena – and he was around…they all were big fans of my work so I started to producing records for them. That’s it.

One last question: will you be touring Germany next year to promote your new albums?

You know what: probably so. But alot of the promoters are always crying broke. And I don’t want to go on tour with people crying broke like ‘I only have little money’ and so on. It’s not just Germany but anywhere you go. If you don’t have money, you can’t have the show! I don’t wanna perform for free for people all the time – and I need a promoter that is not crying broke. Like somebody is supposed to do favours for them. You pay for what you get. I’m on stage, I’m doing a hour and a half – have your money right! If you have your money right, I will come out. Alot of rappers are doing shows for no money basically because they’re trying just to be seen. But I don’t work like that. So if promoters have their money right, I’ll come on tour. If they don’t have their money right, I’m comfortable where I’m at.