The Brag

Big Freedia
Azz Everywhere
By Dorian Grey

New Orleans’ unique cultural gumbo has given the world many outstanding music genres over the ages: jazz, Dixieland, Creole, rhythm ‘n’ blues (and later, rock’n’roll) all came out of the Louisiana swamps. These days, the city’s best known musical export (among a certain demographic) is southern rap, particularly that of Lil Wayne and the Cash Money roster – but according to those in the know, Weezy isn’t the true sound of the streets in the Wards of New Orleans. That title goes to ‘bounce’, a hyper-regional off-shoot of hip hop in the same genus as juke, Miami bass and Baltimore club.

Usually built around the ‘Triggerman’ beat (you know the one – dan-da-da-dan) and samples from hip hop and RnB chart hits of the past and present, bounce is a frenetic mix of looped beats and high hats, whistles, horns and shout-outs. In short, upbeat club music designed for nothing more than getting you to bend over and show us what you’re working with. The MCs role is not to demonstrate lyrical dexterity and wordplay but to get the people going, with a mix of Mardi Gras Indian chants and call and response – think Waka Flocka Flame, if he was trying to hype the party rather than demonstrate how hard he is. And when it comes to bounce MCs who get the party started, nobody does it for more people or more frequently than Big Freedia (pronounced ‘Frida’).

Big Freedia’s one of the leading lights of ‘sissy bounce’, a micro-genre so-named because it’s bounce music hyped by flamboyantly gay or transsexual MCs (although, as Big Freedia says, “You may have a gay or straight rapper – but it’s all bounce music”). I’ll spare you the essay on why it might be culturally significant that New Orleans is home to massively popular gay rap stars, or why an outrageously fabulous gender bender is the best possible emissary to get women and men shamelessly shaking their arses – it’s all been written before. Suffice to say, Big Freedia rules bounce parties from Brooklyn to Melbourne, and she’s worked damn hard to get there.

Between playing at least two clubs a night, six nights a week in New Orleans, Big Freedia also runs an interior design and party planning business, and for the past few years has been hitting the road regularly as an emissary for bounce music. Watching a Big Freedia film clip, like the insanely catchy ‘Azz Everywhere’, two things are immediately apparent: people go absolutely nuts at her parties, and if you’re not able to shake it like a salt shaker, you might feel a little left out. But Freedia says not to worry if your pelvic flexibility is a little lacking. “Freakin’, grindin’ – you can do anything you feel comfortable doing! The most important thing is for people to feel free to let loose at a Big Freedia show. We get all types everywhere – gay, straight, black, white, punk rockers, hipsters. Big Freedia shows are for everyone.”

The whole role of a bounce MC is to conduct the action on the dancefloor like a manic, arse-slapping aerobics instructor, shouting out directions to ‘Bend over’, ‘Lift your leg’, ‘Wind it’ or ‘Make it clap’. You can also count on it getting pretty filthy-minded when Fredia plays at GoodGod’s ChristmASS Everywhere party this weekend – as is to be expected from a genre where the dance style is based entirely around sex simulation. Classic bounce shout-outs include ‘Suck dat pussy for a pork chop’ and ‘Do it, baby, stick it’, but Freedia has a few shout outs of her own in the catalogue. “Listen out for ‘I got that gin in my system. Somebody’s gonna be my victim’ and ‘You already know!’” says Big Freedia. “But they all mean the same thing: get ready to shake some azz and have a good time!”

With: Juiceboxx (USA), Love Kings and DJ Sveta
Where: BOOTY BOOTY BOOTY (ChristmASS Everywhere) @ GoodGod Small Club
When: Thursday December 8