February 26, 2021 • 48 mins
Kesha talks to the queen diva Big Freedia and plan for joint dance parties with shaken asses everywhere after the pandemic. Freedia tells Kesha about the difference between good voodoo vs bad voodoo and its history in New Orleans.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
So if you were a ghost, what would be your
style of hunting? Your signature? If I was the ghost,
what would be my style of hunting? Probably something sexual,
pulling dicks. Oh my god, Yes up, I'm gonna pull
(00:20):
your dick off today. I'm Gosha and the Creepies. We
are blessed with the presence of the Queen Diva, Miss
(00:45):
Big Frieda. How are you, honey? I'm good. You already
know how you doing. I miss you too. We were
just talking about how we were supposed to be spending
this whole past year making people dance their tits off.
That's right, for real, for the whole body, Like, for real,
(01:07):
just wear them out. We were going to wear them
out onto our honey. Well we still will will. Yes,
So everybody get the COVID shots so we can get
back to it. Yeah, so we can go shake our
asses till we can't anymore. We can go raise some
hell'll chase some rainbows. Girl, Yes, well you seem well.
(01:29):
Is that your home? Are you home right now? I
love New Orleans? I was thinking about it. Oh I
miss it girl, not me. I'm ready to get from
I've been thinking about moving and I'm like, should I
move to Austin. I boomed to Nashville, and then I
was reading up on New Orleans and I was like, funk,
(01:52):
should I just moved to New Orleans. It's such a
magical city. It is. It's a crazy place. It's crazy,
crazy place. It seems I've spent some time there. But
obviously you were like born and raised in New Orleans, right,
That's right my whole life. So that's why I'm ready
to get the hell away from the words right now.
I want to get back on the road, back to
(02:12):
the bag and the fans. Me too. I missed that energy, yeah,
because you know, just like performing virtually is really weird,
you know. Um, It's like, you know, you don't have
the audience to screaming Holly, you don't have the people
to touch and feel, and you know the room is
not sweating with little drips of water on the wall.
(02:35):
So it's just a weird feeling, you know, sometimes in
the virtual space. So I definitely want to to feel
that energy and love from that stage. You can hear
it all in the your green room while you're getting ready,
you know what I'm saying. Yes, it's such a it's
such a weird experience for to try to put into
words that feeling it is. There's nothing like it. It's
(02:56):
nothing like it, and like it's so like anxiety and excitement,
anticipation and you're snatched and you're pulled and you're yanked in. Yes,
it's definitely a war. But we will you will see
me in big free to on stage as soon as
it's safe, just for all of our listeners. I am
(03:19):
super curious just in reading so much about New Orleans.
There's so many parts about New Orleans that seemed very
conducive to being creepy or spooky or supernatural. It feels
like a very witchy, like a magic, witchy city. Yeah,
you know, there's lots of talk of voodoo here. Um
(03:41):
you know, I have a friend who's a boodoo priests
and um, you know he reads me sometime. But usually
you know, when I go get a reading, it's about um,
you know, just life, a life reading and um, you know,
energies and stuff like that. I don't you know, he
don't usually be playing with no like witching spells and
stuff like that, or no hex to kind of you know,
(04:04):
get nobody or nothing like that. But you know, there
is here say that there's some voodoo, some the dark
side of the voodoo going on as well here in
New Orleans. But I keep it on the light side.
If I go get a reading, that's good because I
saw on you like a is it like a reality
show on the clips on YouTube? You're talking about going
(04:27):
to your voodoo priests. Yes, that's him and so so
there is like a dark and a light. So it's
just like anything like you can pick the light positive side.
Voodoo is not just a dark kind of it's a
dark thing always. No. You know, they have people who
practice the good, you know, kind of good voodoo, and
(04:48):
they have people, of course who practice the bad voodoo.
So just like anything in life, you got the good
and the bad. And I definitely want to stay with
the good though, you know, especially when it comes to
some thing like that. I don't want to be having
spirits and stuff come and talk to me and touch
me and freak me out. You know. I'll watch a
lot of movies dealing with you know, um, the weird
(05:13):
and and and and the are normal, I would say, um,
but I definitely don't want to have to experience any
of that, So I definitely keep it on the light side.
I used to funk with like Luigi boards, and I
thought it was really fun to try to conjure up spirits.
And when I'm on tour, I stay at haunted places.
(05:34):
And then all of a sudden, I had an experience
with something and I was like, I'm done. That was
just too much. Well, I just didn't know what I
was doing, and I realized you have to be careful.
It's fun, but until some ghost tries to funk with you,
and then it gets very real. Yeah, I've never had
(05:56):
too many weird experiences of something, you know of no
ghostly like friendly things coming at me or on any
of that. And you know, but dar is talk that
in New Orleans has a lot of places that's haunted
buildings and hotels. And you know they're saying right now
on Canal Street the building that collapse, that they're going
(06:18):
to have some spirits in there because they still have
people stuck in the rubble right now. Yeah, the building
that collapse on Canal Street and they try to like
blow it up to get the building to fall down.
The building still would not fall. So that has been
closed off over a year now. Oh wow, and they're
(06:39):
trying to blow it up and make it fall to
build something else. Yes, and there's still people bodies in there.
Oh my god. That seems like a recipe for some
supernatural ingredients. I always start the conversations off with do
you believe in the supernatural? I mean to extend I
(07:02):
feel there is another power that bese um you know
I but not to experience it into actual see it.
You know what I'm saying. It's a it's a thing
where it's just always that thought in the back of
your mind, you know, is it real? Is it not?
So you know, I really haven't had any experience too
(07:24):
to really even think that far of man, you know,
is this really real or not? But at some point
in my mind I do think that, um, there is
an other side, you know what I'm saying, that people
have to deal with spirits. It just probably depends on
who it comes to and the people that deals with
(07:46):
that type of energy and stuff. But that's not my world. Yeah. See,
I didn't think it was my world, but now I
want it to be my world. I want to just
know everybody's experience because they feel also ties in to
your spiritual background too, you know, right, So I mean,
that's why I was about to go next. So you know,
(08:06):
I do believe in God, and so I do have
a spiritual background that comes from being in a church
and growing up, um, in the gospel choir and stuff
like that. So there is a higher being that you
can feel the spirit when when I've been you know,
going to church all this time since i was a kid.
(08:28):
So I'm certain that there's an other side like we've
been talking about that also visits people and that they
believe in it, that their beliefs are strong and and
going to church. I read that you kind of were
the one that really wanted to go to church and
you took your mom to church, and that's I don't
(08:51):
know if that was like a true story. And I
did the same thing with my mom too. I did, like,
you know, I would just try to encourage every out
in the house to go to church. You know, I
was the one who was always at church every Sunday,
acquired rehearsal on Saturdays, you know, at Bible study. So
I was just trying to make sure that my family
(09:12):
was saved as well, and then they knew God. And um,
you know, my my mom she started all bringing us
to church when we were small, so she actually instilled
it in me, and I just going and I will
pull them back, you know, with me every now and then.
That's it's so funny because I've always been drawn to
the church, and I just think it's about finding the
(09:32):
one that suits you. Like I went to a lot
of different ones that didn't feel quite right, but then
when I found just I almost had to find the
church that fit me. And it kind of is a
very unique thing that I hold inside myself and I
know my morals. I know love is good. I know,
you know. That's like what I've come to is I
(09:54):
take from all different kinds of religions and just take
the most positive pieces. Yeah, in my mind, I have
my own church. And it was so much fun making
raising hell and performing that with you and when we tour,
because we will't just creating that almost like I really
(10:14):
wanted to create that with you, and I think we did.
It was like welcome to church, and the churches like
love one another, Yeah, shake your eyes and love one another. Well,
I mean, you know that's what it's about. And and
and you know, the people us we make up the church,
the church that they call the church is just the
(10:35):
building the churches inside of us, and um, you know,
we make it up. So you know, I enjoyed making
Raising Hell and because it did have a spiritual background
and it felt really good, and you it was something
fun for our audience to be able to you know,
have the church in them and let it out and
(10:55):
express themselves and in the way that they want. So
you know, it's all about having what's inside if you
come out absolutely, I feel like it is it is
what's inside of you. And I've never heard it said
that way, but it is. A church is just where
you go to celebrate life and focus on the good
and try to bring out the good and be honest
(11:17):
about yourself, but in a building with other people. And
then the singing part of churches would always drew me
to church as well. Like I was never in a choir,
but you were in a choir, right yes, And I
was the quiet direct there. Yeah, and that's like where
you started singing, right yeah, that's the most funnest part.
(11:38):
You know. For me, it was always the music that
that drew everybody together and brought us together. Um, you know,
it was just like you can put on a good
gospel song. You have people standing up clapping, you have
people shouting, you have people dancing, you know, and that's
where the spirit came in when those mom that's what happened,
(12:00):
and it was through the music. Yes, And I love
when it all kind of happens at the same time.
I feel like music can be a really spiritual experience.
It can mean Yeah, so many different emotions you know,
can come out of music, from happy to say to
you know in between two to dancing. It's just so
(12:21):
many things that come from come from it. And that's
the fun part to see, especially in church, when it
all happens at the same time, because you have good
all of the things, the energy, the expulsion of sounds
and clapping and singing and all of that. Community. I
find community also for like as my church, my church's
(12:42):
music and my church's community. And I love being able
to create a space where we can all come and
do that. And that's what raising hell is really about.
For me. It's I'm not a perfect person, far from it.
And I like to do some ship that people would
probably categorizes not in the way of the Lord, but
(13:04):
maybe not. I mean, just like getting drunk and running
around and acting a fool, but it's all like in
good fun. And I think as long as you treat
people with respect and you're good, then that God or
higher consciousness, that's that's the exchange of energy. Oh yeah,
I mean, that's what it's about. You know. The song
(13:25):
had great energy and and it brought people together, and
it gave us all a reason to want to raise
Hell just about enjoying life and living life and living
in our truth. And you know, it brings the community
of different people together and that was that was the
biggest part of bringing all these people together and doing
(13:47):
something positive through music, because you know, everybody might not
be able to get up and go to church, but
this is their church. We're giving them a piece of
church that relates to their religion or relates to uh
they're higher being or you know, their spiritual feeling. And
that's what's important. You know, He works in mysterious ways,
(14:10):
and he puts you know, us in different positions where
people are able to deliver and and make people know
who He is and in many different ways. And and
somebody may have got you know, closer to God listening
to Raising Hell. I hope, so that would be amazing
(14:35):
I'm certain, I'm certain for sure that someone did well.
And Chasing Rainbows too, like that song was so special
is so special. I was listening to it earlier because
my nieces in the video, my brother was just telling
you and she loves it, and she was the one.
She's about five. She told me that you were going
(14:56):
to be on the New Yar's Eve show. Yes, that
was How was that? Oh? It was great. I mean
the experience, you know, just doing something on a positive
note bringing in the new year in the countdown, I
had a blast. I can't wait to do it again,
and you know, hopefully next year I do it again.
(15:18):
You know, it was a lot. I just wish that
the world was open and that I could have had
the whole New Orleans behind me as we were doing it,
you know, because we have to kind of be like
socially distanced and people in these little circles and stuff.
But you know, next year, we're doing what we can
to try to stay sane and connected even with all
(15:40):
this going on. I know that you're killing it. And
I also heard I'm pretty sure I heard one of
your songs in a commercial like last night, but I didn't.
It went by so fast. One of your songs in
a commercial right now, yeah, JUBIDERM Yes, face filler is
(16:04):
that the lip filler? I was reading about, uh, Queen
Marie Lavaux, and I was so taken by her story.
Do you know about her? Like the queen of Voodoo
and New Orleans? And she just sounded like a wonderful person.
(16:28):
She helped feed people that couldn't afford to buy food, clothes,
kids on the streets, and just in like reading about
New Orleans. It's made me want to dive deeper into
what voodoo is because I think when I first hear
about it, you know, I'm from Nashville and then I
live in l A. It's a it's a removed thing
(16:49):
from my culture that I lived through. But it seems
like a really interesting and she seemed like a beautiful person.
It seems like a really interesting religion. What means I
think that you know, um, you know, in life, certain
people have certain positions that they feel, and I think
(17:12):
she did a great thing for New Orleans just in
the community. Um, that's just like divine prints. He helped
a lot of people. He's always in tune to the
community and trying to help people to you know, going
the right direction or sphere of their life in the
direction in the right direction. That's why he's always doing readings.
And I think that, you know, she was another person
(17:35):
that UM has that's kind of the same path where
you're helping the community and helping people to kind of,
you know, fix something in their life that they UM,
you know, can fix before it becomes something else. When
I went to see the Voodoo Priests, UM, and you
saw that I was probably crying on the show. You know,
(17:58):
he had told me that he had sought death on
my brother and that he needs to fix some things
before it's too late. I told my brother, and UM,
he still wasn't fixing the things that he needs to fix.
And not long after me and the brutal pre spoke,
my brother was killed. And so I saw that. Thank you.
(18:22):
But I'm just saying that people can feel some things
and know some things and have a connection what a
spirit and and be able to tell you things to
kind of help you down the line, and you should,
you know, sometimes take advice and listen. And I'll pre
warn my brother. I tried to save him and did
(18:43):
everything in my power, and he just wouldn't listen and
things happen. So you know, spirits do um play their part.
You know, I listened to the Holy Spirit all the
time and try to let a guide me in the
right direction and keep me on the right path. Absolutely,
I feel like I'm also I have a team of
(19:05):
angels or spirits. I'm not sure it's kind of you
can use whatever word, but just I feel like I'm
not alone. And I can tell if I'm making a
decision that's not a good decision, I can like, bitch,
maybe I where you look at that decision. Maybe try
to fix that decision because that's not you're not going
in the right direction. Yeah, and you know I feel
(19:28):
the same exactly what you just said, Like you know
there are you know, a spirit that guides us and um.
I also feel like I have guardian angels, you know,
my mom, my uncle, all the people who have helped me.
If I can hear my mom saying, oh, don't do
that ship that is I'm no, don't do it. You
(19:48):
know I can hear saying yes, this is the direction
you want to go in. And she is my guardian
angel now who walks with me and on my side.
And and I'm always saying she's clearing paths for me
for certain things. You know, I genuinely think it's true
because there have been so many times in my life
I can't see what's happening or why it's happening. And
then later on, after you've had to go through this
(20:10):
ship storm or something really difficult, then you understand why
it happened. Yeah, it clicks in. It clicks in, and
be like, oh, that that was the reason. You know,
this is why this happened to get to this. You know,
I totally feel it, Like even this year, I feel
like this past year has been so difficult and just
(20:34):
overwhelmingly intense. I don't know how it's been for you.
I actually want to ask you it's been for you.
It's saying it's crazy, so so crazy, unlike anything I've
ever experienced in my life, saying especially you know, I'm
we always want to go, we're always working, were always creating,
(20:56):
and to just have to kind of all of that
just stopped all at once. You know, it messages you up,
It really messages you up, and they put you in
a whole different mind frame. You know, then you have
to try to figure out new ways and things and
it's a lot. So yeah, I think my spirit helped
guide me through this quarantine as well, because I was
(21:18):
in the first couple of weeks, I was freaking out
my album had just dropped. I didn't get the promo it,
you know, I had to be called off a little
promo tour as soon as they dropped. So it was
just all kind of weird feelings and spaces I was in.
And I think the spirit has definitely helped guide me
not to lose my mind. I'm with you the first
(21:39):
couple of like the first couple of months I was.
I remember calling my therapist and being like, I think
I'm losing my mind and she said, no, You're having
a spiritual awakening. And I was like, but why does
it feel like I'm going just completely insane? And I
think it's like you said, we just are always on
the always creating, always putting all this energy into all
(22:03):
these things, and then to just have like a cold
stop right after I just put my album out too,
and I canceled the whole tour with you and all
the promo, and I felt like I just poured my
heart and soul into making this thing and it never
got to Yeah, to flourish. Listen, we and I'm telling
we had the same feelings and I was just like
(22:25):
you know, but it also gave us a chance to
reevaluate ourselves and to reevaluate our life and our surroundings
and everything around us. And it gave us a chance
to just take a break for ourself and you know,
really just look at things in a different light. You know. Um,
now we can create a new sound and a new
(22:48):
energy and a new wave of stuff that that, you know,
after looking over what we just went through in the
last year, now it's twenty one, we can create something
new and give people a new a new space of energy, love, music, light,
you know. Um, kind of to goal come from where
(23:09):
it was in and come into a new space in
you know, we all went through something. So now we
we have the opportunity to use our platforms to create
new sounds and and all of that, you know. And
so I'm interested to see how this year will go
versus last year. You know me too. It's come out
(23:33):
with a bang of a start, with a bunch of
crazy shit already going on. But I'm I'm hoping between
Army Hammer being accountable and the insurrection on the Capitol,
all of those things. Hopefully, like we got out of
our system for this year and we can just get
(23:54):
the vaccine make some new music. I feel so, um,
so different than I did a year ago. And I'm
excited to see what other artists are going to make
out at this time because I just feel like we
all feel weird about it, we all feel crazy about it,
and now it's time to channel that in the art,
which is exciting. Yeah, it is exciting, and it's scary. Yeah,
(24:19):
it's excited and scary at the same time. So um,
you know, and I've I've been really happy about what
I've been creating, um lately. You know what I did
do though, just to keep busy. You know, I was
doing a little shakedown Fridays in my backyard when Quarantine
thought it and I had thought at the little cooking chill,
(24:40):
but the but I was going to the studio more
than ever and creating sounds and channeling my energy and
letting you know, shipped out in the in the in
the box. And so I'm excited about the new wave
of music that will be coming this year. And um,
you know, I'm just in a different as you know,
(25:00):
I've even when I perform, I'm in a different space
and it's just it's really weird. You haven't performed except
for virtual stuff. But that's what I'm saying. It's been
virtual and I've had maybe like maybe three gigs that
was out into the public and and so, um, just
(25:22):
a weird balance now. And it's just like I want
to get back to that, to that feeling, you know,
of where I was, and it's just so weird now.
So I'm excited to see where it's going to go. Though,
um once everything open back up, and will I get
back there or will will they go into a whole
new direction? You know, Well that's the thing. It could
(25:43):
take you in a whole new direction, which is scary,
but it's also so exciting to maybe have I've taken
this year because that was what I was worried about too.
I'm like, I want to get back to something like
maybe I don't want to get back to something, maybe
I want to get into who I've become. And and
just knowing that, I feel like a very deep change
(26:04):
in myself. It's exciting but terrifying. It is it is
so well, hopefully this your girl, we get to go
on so where Inchiano? All of that okay, and we
won't be tired from promo so we can really check
our uses like never before. Yes, I'm ready, God, I
(26:25):
mean do. I've been dancing around my house like a
complete fool this quarantine. But I'm just practicing, practicing for tour. Listen.
You gotta keep the energy up though, and that's the thing, like,
you know, as artists, we have to keep our energy
up because you know, we don't want to get lazy
and sluggish, and you know when we go out there,
(26:46):
we gotta hit it hard. So it's just been like damn,
I want to relax, but I also got to keep active.
So I've just been on the go constant, constant. You know,
it's good for you. I don't know how to relax,
and me either, Like it's the I don't know how.
It's the worst. People always like what you do for
self care. Um, I go to sleep and try to
(27:08):
get a nap. You know that's myself care because I'm
always going to go I can't even I like, I
get a massage like once a month, but I've been
doing that this year, or I'll go to a show.
I can't do that this year. I just really missed
the human connection, Like I love being able to see
you and you're in New Orleans and this is amazing,
but I cannot wait to we're in the same room
(27:30):
and so hot. Yes, I listen, girl, you know howavy
with when you're like you see somebody and you haven't
saw him in forever and everybody's screaming in holl That's
gonna be happening all around the world. Just lots of screams. Okay.
I can't wait for that moment. I love that it's
(27:51):
something to look forward to because after the the was
Spanish flu in nineteen seventeen, then came like what was
it called, what was the tent called? Yes, the Roaring twenties.
So I'm hoping if we look to history, that there's
something that keeps everybody inside and then right afterwards there's
(28:13):
an explosion of parties and music and art and wildness
and energy and connection. And that's what I'm praying for. Listen.
I feel it's going to happen. I definitely feel it.
I've been saying that, you know in the low places
that's been sneaking opening, like you know, Atlanta and Houston
(28:35):
and all that you know, those people are still like
kind of parting a little bit, but the places that
have been not really opening, the clubs and the spaces,
where did all of this happened. When it do, it's
gonna be like Wildfire's shift. People shaking asses everywhere, turning
up bottles, popping, you know, laughing and screaming. And I
(28:58):
haven't saw you in years. You know, all that's gonna
be going down. It's just gonna be crazy all over
the world. I can't wait. I'm just like all my friends,
all my fans and just turned up like me too.
Oh my god. Yes, you're making me excited just thinking
about it, like change, because I got excited. It's coming.
(29:22):
It's coming. It's a new year. It's going to come.
But oh, speaking of like partying, I've never been to
Marty Gras and not maybe not this year. But we're
not having it this year. They weren't even having Mighty Rod.
They counseled Mighty Grod girl, And I mean, that's like
(29:42):
the biggest thing for New Orleans. That's the you know,
that's the money maker here, that's the biggest tourist attraction,
and we're not having it. They're talking about some doing,
you know, a bite mighty grass, some type of ship,
you know, and want me to be the Grandma show
girl you get that would be amazing. You want to
(30:04):
bike being the big grand Marshal. Do you get a
key to the city. I don't want being a Grand
marsha for no parade. That ain't happening. I want to
be the Grand Marshal of something, the Grand Marshall when
it's actual mighty ground. Okay, we're going to put out
a p s A with you saying that. Okay, I
(30:26):
would vote for you. I don't know if that helps.
But if people vote out up for you, I don't
think they pick. They just I don't know how they pick.
I guess somebody has to pick between all of the
clubs and like you just it's just a huge party
and Marshall usually is at the front of the parade
on the on like the biggest float in welcoming everybody
(30:50):
to the parade, and you know, waving in this Royal
Court is out there with you, and they have the
big crown, and you know, it just depends like mostly
when it's a celebrity though there they might wear a
costume or they might not. But They're up there waving
their things, throwing stuff and you know, just being fabulous.
Oh you would be so good at that. Yeah, I've
(31:12):
done it before. Yeah, you just haven't been the Grand
Marshall on Mighty grid Day. I'm usually on I ride
with the Cruel Zulu. So I'm on the float on
Mighty Gride Day throwing beads and I'm in a mask
and a big bushwig. People don't even know if it's
me unless I say something. So I was reading about
(31:38):
the cruise. Are they cruise that like is everybody friends
with each other or is it like one crew throws
their own parade and the other crew throws around parade? Well, yeah,
every crew throws their own parade, usually the bigger cruise
that's been around for years, like the Zulu, Um, the
Endemian and Bakers like that. It's an organization and and
(32:00):
they have a night that their their parade rose throughout
the city and they usually connected with all the all
the parades because you know, kings and queens of all
the groups have to get together, and you know it's
all ran by the city, so they have to they
connect everybody together. But they're all separate groups, all throughout
(32:21):
the city. Okay, one year, I'm going to come. Yeah,
you've gotta come. It's so much fun. You gotta come.
The whole experience is just amazing. I would love that
you can be the queen and I'll do whatever. I
don't know, I'll be that. We're both gonna be the queen.
That that happens all the time, all you gotta baby.
(32:45):
That's how they gets all the fabulous beads. You know,
the girls up Bourbon Street, they're just titterless all night.
That might be me, depending on how many drinks I've had,
I might be up there with you, acting very distinguished
and waving. It might be the one flashing my titties,
running around trying to I'm a freends mine too. I've
(33:05):
never been. It seems like the most fun thing. People
always have a wild story when they come back from
Idagra what they did in New Orleans. And that's the
best thing. Like you always have stories that you can
meet with here in great memories and it's it's a
great city, you know. I love this city also, which
(33:27):
I didn't know this, but when someone passes away, there's
like a funeral parade. Yeah, we celebrate, you know, we
celebrate their life and their legacy and um usually we
have like the second Line parade come or we have
a jazz processional where we play music and we we
(33:47):
danced in honor of them in their life, and so
like from the time they coming out of the church
and to the hearst and putting their casket in where
we're like, we're celebrate it in their life and continuing
to to let their memories live on. Yeah beautiful, Oh yeah,
I had it. I did it up for my mom.
(34:08):
Hearts and carriage, you know, jazz processional, same thing for
my brother. Like we we yeah, we celebrate their life.
Is it? Is it it all? Do you celebrate Day
of the Dead as well, where it's kind of more
of a celebration of the people that have passed on?
Say that again, the Day of the Dead, we don't
(34:29):
have that, no, we I mean, it's just we usually
have so many debts here and so just each funeral,
it's like the same thing happening every week or you know,
every other day you're you're seeing people celebrating their loved
ones life and so that's really not no Day of
(34:49):
the Dead. That's every day, you know, somebody's we're losing somebody. Well,
I'm sorry. I've watched your would you call it your
documentary or the movie Free to Out a Gun, and
that was so moving and just so much about New
Orleans I didn't realize, including the passing of your cousin
(35:09):
and your brother, And I just want to tell you
I'm sorry, because I do see on your Instagram that, yeah,
there's a lot we deal with and there's a lot
of ideal with. But you know, I tried to remember
those people in good light and good spirit and continue
to celebrate their life and their legacy and let them
live through me, you know, especially if they're my family
(35:30):
and we're connected. I try to remember them by doing
something good that they would have done, or something that
they could have tried to change. I'll try to do
it in my life. It's amazing the documentary you made,
Freed to Got a Gun. It's streaming on Peacock, and
it just shows kind of the cyclical issues of gun
(35:55):
violence in New Orleans. And as someone that's never lived
there and only visited a couple of times, I had
no idea that it was one of the top cities
for death spike gun violence America and I was just wondering, like,
what would you say would be a start to addressing
(36:19):
that issue. Well, you know, the guns. It's the guns
are the big problem. You know, just being able to
have easy access to guns. Um, these parents not really
watching their kids around guns. You know, It's a lot
has to happen in order for this to happen. With
(36:43):
with with trying to get a balance on these guns,
from the companies to the to you know, our local
and national leaders, to us as a community. Um. You know,
I just went through something this week that was letting
me know the reason why I'm fighting so much about
this gun violence and trying to get strict a gun laws.
(37:05):
Because my best friend had a birthday party on Friday,
and at the party, a five year old baby got
hold to a gun and shot a four year old
baby in the head. Which all these kids I know
and grew up and watched them from when they came out.
(37:27):
And this is a family that I'm very connected with.
So this is the reason why guns need to, you know,
be removed. I mean, if every if there was no
guns in the world, we wouldn't be having all these
issues and all these killings. Only people that I think
really need guns or our you know, our armies that
(37:48):
has to fight for war or you know, defend our country.
But you have so many people that just have easy
access to guns, and and it's it's it harms all
of us in the in and um so, yeah, that's
what I dealt with just this week. And it was horrible.
The baby is still needs a new skull and so
(38:12):
and he did survive, He did survive. Yeah, but that's
so horrifying to think of seeing that happen to such
a young person that probably doesn't even understand what they're holding,
or so innocent, hasn't even got a chance at life,
you know, and all to a gun. You know, the
(38:35):
baby went looking at the searching and found how old
the cousin's gun that was put away, and it's it's
about fifteen children in the room and one gets shot
in the head. So I didn't that would be so
scary And I'm so sorry. And after watching your documentary,
(38:56):
I it opened my eyes to a lot of things
I had no idea about about the gun violence in
New Orleans and guns in general. I personally am just
terrified of guns. I don't, you know, the Second Amendment
and there's people fighting for their necessity to have guns,
and unless you're going and hunting for your dinner or
(39:18):
your law enforcement, and that even is like, well they
need to yeah, the law enforcement dealing with using less guns,
and just the systemic racism under who is getting shot
more often than yeah, it's black people, not white people,
(39:40):
And just I don't know, the whole monstrosity of guns.
It would be a wonderful thing if we could make
them at least harder to get to have to get
your mental illness evaluated before you get a firearm, because
you know, it's just you. You've given it to people
and you really don't know their coredela, their conditions and
(40:02):
or or whatever. As long as they got the money,
they got the gun, you know. And a lot of times,
a lot of these ways that they're transporting the guns
or or whatever, people are breaking on the trains and
in different places to get the guns. They just need
to be stricker and tighter laws and security in place
when all of this stuff is happening. Well, it was
(40:24):
a very moving documentary and I urged anybody listening to
go watch it. And I'm so sorry again, this is
like an ongoing thing that's happening in your life. I
want to ask, this is purely just from watching that.
How is the younger? He was like ten years old.
I think his name is Devon. Devon, Yeah, same as
(40:47):
my boyfriend. And that was crazy that him and my
boyfriend has the same name. That is just going fine.
He actually just got out of jail. Devon is all
grown up that it's not a little kid anymore. Devin
has sprouted up to about six three six four. He's
taller than me. And you know how small he was
(41:09):
when he was on a documentary and I haven't saw
him since, and the boy just I don't know. It
was like he ate a tree and grow as tall
as the tree. He's doing well though. I've been keeping
in contact with him, and you know, he's staying out
of trouble. He has to be inside by six pm
every day. He has some strict you know, things that
(41:33):
he has to do. But he wouldn't be in that
position if he was doing right. And you know, hopefully
he's going to get on the right path now. And
he had to become a victim of the system in
order to you know, and now somebody's regulating his life.
That should not be happening as a young kid. You know,
he should be able to be free and live his
(41:54):
life and be who he wants to be um when
he grow up and enjoy life and in his community.
But now he has to be inside at a certain
time and win an ankle monitor and you know, so
hopefully he gets it together and we're gonna keep fighting
with him to stay on the right path. And and see,
(42:15):
I think that is going to be something very powerful
when he gets older, and that he's going to make
some type of change in his world because of the
path that he had to go down in order to
change his life. Well, if you speak to him, or
if there's anything I can do, but just under my love,
and I just want to see him win. Yeah me,
So we all do, you know, And that's the thing.
(42:36):
We all want to see our kids win, and all
the kids in the community, and we want to see
them be successful and do something, and you know, we
want to break some of these generational curses that's happening,
you know, of these kids just following the same thing
that they saw and and and and become a victim
to the system. And I'm just tired of it. I've
(42:57):
been seeing it all my life, and I just want
better from our community. Absolutely, it's a beautiful community. It's fascinating,
Like after watching between your documentary and just reading about
New Orleans and the history of Mardi Gras and about
um Marie wait, I'm gonna sunk up her name, Marie Laveau,
(43:17):
just all of it. It's just so vibrant and so
full of life. And it's a real shame when a
gun gets in the way of someone living a really beautiful, joyous, celebratory,
full community loved life because of one stupid moment with
(43:37):
a stupid gun. So it was really touching and thank
you for making that, and it really was informative for me.
And then sissy bounce. You're one of the queens and
there's no sissy bounds. No, it's just see Okay, I'd
never heard of the term cissy bound. But then I
(44:00):
start and our reporter came and was like, you know,
put a title on it. We don't put titles on it.
It's just bounced music. I'm a gay artists who happened
to do, you know, bounce music, So it's just bounce music. Yeah,
we don't separate it here in New Orleans. Everybody just
if you do bounce music, if you just do bounce music,
there's no such thing, get straight bounce or sisty bounce.
(44:20):
It's all just bounced music. And they tried to put
it in a category. But you know, nobody can't box
the queen in No, they sure as hell can't. I apologize.
I read that. I read that, and I was never
head that before. Oh my god, I have done hundreds
of articles cleaning that up from one article. It's not
(44:43):
sissy bounce, it's motherfucking bounce period period. Okay, and you
are the queen of bounce? And how did that between
church and between just like living in New Orleans, was
that just like the thing you were drawn to? Did
(45:03):
you always know you wanted? No? I did not. So
being acquired director, people knew me all around the city.
You know, I traveled with the choir, you know, doing music,
and you know I was also the choiet directly at
my church home and and my high school. So I
was well known with with the choir and with music.
(45:25):
And when I transitioned, you know, in in nine um
to kind of start stepping into the bounce game, it
just kind of happened you know, having fun, you know,
with people in my neighborhood, making fun, crazy stuff up,
saying it in the neighborhood, grabbing the mic at the
clubs and at the black party, is doing it. And
(45:45):
then it's just we started coming becoming the catch and everybody, Oh,
you're gonna get on the mic, You're gonna do this,
You're gonna do that. And once I went made my
first song, there was no looking back. Yeah, the rest
is history, queen. Okay, I gotta really, I got like
(46:06):
four stupid questions. They're like quick fire. So if you
were a ghost, what would be your style of hunting?
Your signature? If I was the ghost, what would be
my style of hunting? Probably something sexual. Pulling dicks. Oh
my god, yes, I'm gonna pull your dick off. I
(46:33):
want to join you in the afterlife if that is okay? Yes?
And who would you hunt? I just told you all
the boys, the good ones are the bad ones. The
good ones, Well, I mean I'll just go, you know,
just take a little peek at the good ones. The
(46:55):
bad ones. We're gonna hunt them. We're gonna pull there
it a hard tug. Yeah, we're gonna squeeze those balls.
I love that, Okay. And if you had a cult,
what would be the dress code? If I had a cult,
what would be the dress code? Uh, probably something dealing
(47:19):
with booty shorts. Some as shorts, you know, but you
just a little two cheeks out. You know, you got
four shorts on, but just a little two cheeks, like
two little circles on the back. My coat will be
very much dealing with lots of ash shaking. I love
that that is your, like, at least your stage cult
(47:40):
and family and people that come to the show's Like
when I met you on that cruise ship, it was
the most ass heavy place I've ever been. Like everybody
as soon as you got up on stage, everyone took
their ass out. It was like, that's how I'm supposed
to be the take your ass out. Yeah. The power
(48:03):
of the as it brings people together. You know. That
is the most beautiful way to end a podcast. And
you should make that into a T shirt. Okay, Yes
I will. It's so good to see you. Thank you
so much for coming on here. Love you, love you girl. Okay,
I'll see you hopefully very soon. Yes you will, girl.
(48:26):
The alright creepy, alright, creepy bye,
So if you were a ghost, what would be your
style of hunting? Your signature? If I was the ghost,
what would be my style of hunting? Probably something sexual,
pulling dicks. Oh my god, Yes up, I'm gonna pull
(00:20):
your dick off today. I'm Gosha and the Creepies. We
are blessed with the presence of the Queen Diva, Miss
(00:45):
Big Frieda. How are you, honey? I'm good. You already
know how you doing. I miss you too. We were
just talking about how we were supposed to be spending
this whole past year making people dance their tits off.
That's right, for real, for the whole body, Like, for real,
(01:07):
just wear them out. We were going to wear them
out onto our honey. Well we still will will. Yes,
So everybody get the COVID shots so we can get
back to it. Yeah, so we can go shake our
asses till we can't anymore. We can go raise some
hell'll chase some rainbows. Girl, Yes, well you seem well.
(01:29):
Is that your home? Are you home right now? I
love New Orleans? I was thinking about it. Oh I
miss it girl, not me. I'm ready to get from
I've been thinking about moving and I'm like, should I
move to Austin. I boomed to Nashville, and then I
was reading up on New Orleans and I was like, funk,
(01:52):
should I just moved to New Orleans. It's such a
magical city. It is. It's a crazy place. It's crazy,
crazy place. It seems I've spent some time there. But
obviously you were like born and raised in New Orleans, right,
That's right my whole life. So that's why I'm ready
to get the hell away from the words right now.
I want to get back on the road, back to
(02:12):
the bag and the fans. Me too. I missed that energy, yeah,
because you know, just like performing virtually is really weird,
you know. Um, It's like, you know, you don't have
the audience to screaming Holly, you don't have the people
to touch and feel, and you know the room is
not sweating with little drips of water on the wall.
(02:35):
So it's just a weird feeling, you know, sometimes in
the virtual space. So I definitely want to to feel
that energy and love from that stage. You can hear
it all in the your green room while you're getting ready,
you know what I'm saying. Yes, it's such a it's
such a weird experience for to try to put into
words that feeling it is. There's nothing like it. It's
(02:56):
nothing like it, and like it's so like anxiety and excitement,
anticipation and you're snatched and you're pulled and you're yanked in. Yes,
it's definitely a war. But we will you will see
me in big free to on stage as soon as
it's safe, just for all of our listeners. I am
(03:19):
super curious just in reading so much about New Orleans.
There's so many parts about New Orleans that seemed very
conducive to being creepy or spooky or supernatural. It feels
like a very witchy, like a magic, witchy city. Yeah,
you know, there's lots of talk of voodoo here. Um
(03:41):
you know, I have a friend who's a boodoo priests
and um, you know he reads me sometime. But usually
you know, when I go get a reading, it's about um,
you know, just life, a life reading and um, you know,
energies and stuff like that. I don't you know, he
don't usually be playing with no like witching spells and
stuff like that, or no hex to kind of you know,
(04:04):
get nobody or nothing like that. But you know, there
is here say that there's some voodoo, some the dark
side of the voodoo going on as well here in
New Orleans. But I keep it on the light side.
If I go get a reading, that's good because I
saw on you like a is it like a reality
show on the clips on YouTube? You're talking about going
(04:27):
to your voodoo priests. Yes, that's him and so so
there is like a dark and a light. So it's
just like anything like you can pick the light positive side.
Voodoo is not just a dark kind of it's a
dark thing always. No. You know, they have people who
practice the good, you know, kind of good voodoo, and
(04:48):
they have people, of course who practice the bad voodoo.
So just like anything in life, you got the good
and the bad. And I definitely want to stay with
the good though, you know, especially when it comes to
some thing like that. I don't want to be having
spirits and stuff come and talk to me and touch
me and freak me out. You know. I'll watch a
lot of movies dealing with you know, um, the weird
(05:13):
and and and and the are normal, I would say, um,
but I definitely don't want to have to experience any
of that, So I definitely keep it on the light side.
I used to funk with like Luigi boards, and I
thought it was really fun to try to conjure up spirits.
And when I'm on tour, I stay at haunted places.
(05:34):
And then all of a sudden, I had an experience
with something and I was like, I'm done. That was
just too much. Well, I just didn't know what I
was doing, and I realized you have to be careful.
It's fun, but until some ghost tries to funk with you,
and then it gets very real. Yeah, I've never had
(05:56):
too many weird experiences of something, you know of no
ghostly like friendly things coming at me or on any
of that. And you know, but dar is talk that
in New Orleans has a lot of places that's haunted
buildings and hotels. And you know they're saying right now
on Canal Street the building that collapse, that they're going
(06:18):
to have some spirits in there because they still have
people stuck in the rubble right now. Yeah, the building
that collapse on Canal Street and they try to like
blow it up to get the building to fall down.
The building still would not fall. So that has been
closed off over a year now. Oh wow, and they're
(06:39):
trying to blow it up and make it fall to
build something else. Yes, and there's still people bodies in there.
Oh my god. That seems like a recipe for some
supernatural ingredients. I always start the conversations off with do
you believe in the supernatural? I mean to extend I
(07:02):
feel there is another power that bese um you know
I but not to experience it into actual see it.
You know what I'm saying. It's a it's a thing
where it's just always that thought in the back of
your mind, you know, is it real? Is it not?
So you know, I really haven't had any experience too
(07:24):
to really even think that far of man, you know,
is this really real or not? But at some point
in my mind I do think that, um, there is
an other side, you know what I'm saying, that people
have to deal with spirits. It just probably depends on
who it comes to and the people that deals with
(07:46):
that type of energy and stuff. But that's not my world. Yeah. See,
I didn't think it was my world, but now I
want it to be my world. I want to just
know everybody's experience because they feel also ties in to
your spiritual background too, you know, right, So I mean,
that's why I was about to go next. So you know,
(08:06):
I do believe in God, and so I do have
a spiritual background that comes from being in a church
and growing up, um, in the gospel choir and stuff
like that. So there is a higher being that you
can feel the spirit when when I've been you know,
going to church all this time since i was a kid.
(08:28):
So I'm certain that there's an other side like we've
been talking about that also visits people and that they
believe in it, that their beliefs are strong and and
going to church. I read that you kind of were
the one that really wanted to go to church and
you took your mom to church, and that's I don't
(08:51):
know if that was like a true story. And I
did the same thing with my mom too. I did, like,
you know, I would just try to encourage every out
in the house to go to church. You know, I
was the one who was always at church every Sunday,
acquired rehearsal on Saturdays, you know, at Bible study. So
I was just trying to make sure that my family
(09:12):
was saved as well, and then they knew God. And um,
you know, my my mom she started all bringing us
to church when we were small, so she actually instilled
it in me, and I just going and I will
pull them back, you know, with me every now and then.
That's it's so funny because I've always been drawn to
the church, and I just think it's about finding the
(09:32):
one that suits you. Like I went to a lot
of different ones that didn't feel quite right, but then
when I found just I almost had to find the
church that fit me. And it kind of is a
very unique thing that I hold inside myself and I
know my morals. I know love is good. I know,
you know. That's like what I've come to is I
(09:54):
take from all different kinds of religions and just take
the most positive pieces. Yeah, in my mind, I have
my own church. And it was so much fun making
raising hell and performing that with you and when we tour,
because we will't just creating that almost like I really
(10:14):
wanted to create that with you, and I think we did.
It was like welcome to church, and the churches like
love one another, Yeah, shake your eyes and love one another. Well,
I mean, you know that's what it's about. And and
and you know, the people us we make up the church,
the church that they call the church is just the
(10:35):
building the churches inside of us, and um, you know,
we make it up. So you know, I enjoyed making
Raising Hell and because it did have a spiritual background
and it felt really good, and you it was something
fun for our audience to be able to you know,
have the church in them and let it out and
(10:55):
express themselves and in the way that they want. So
you know, it's all about having what's inside if you
come out absolutely, I feel like it is it is
what's inside of you. And I've never heard it said
that way, but it is. A church is just where
you go to celebrate life and focus on the good
and try to bring out the good and be honest
(11:17):
about yourself, but in a building with other people. And
then the singing part of churches would always drew me
to church as well. Like I was never in a choir,
but you were in a choir, right yes, And I
was the quiet direct there. Yeah, and that's like where
you started singing, right yeah, that's the most funnest part.
(11:38):
You know. For me, it was always the music that
that drew everybody together and brought us together. Um, you know,
it was just like you can put on a good
gospel song. You have people standing up clapping, you have
people shouting, you have people dancing, you know, and that's
where the spirit came in when those mom that's what happened,
(12:00):
and it was through the music. Yes, And I love
when it all kind of happens at the same time.
I feel like music can be a really spiritual experience.
It can mean Yeah, so many different emotions you know,
can come out of music, from happy to say to
you know in between two to dancing. It's just so
(12:21):
many things that come from come from it. And that's
the fun part to see, especially in church, when it
all happens at the same time, because you have good
all of the things, the energy, the expulsion of sounds
and clapping and singing and all of that. Community. I
find community also for like as my church, my church's
(12:42):
music and my church's community. And I love being able
to create a space where we can all come and
do that. And that's what raising hell is really about.
For me. It's I'm not a perfect person, far from it.
And I like to do some ship that people would
probably categorizes not in the way of the Lord, but
(13:04):
maybe not. I mean, just like getting drunk and running
around and acting a fool, but it's all like in
good fun. And I think as long as you treat
people with respect and you're good, then that God or
higher consciousness, that's that's the exchange of energy. Oh yeah,
I mean, that's what it's about. You know. The song
(13:25):
had great energy and and it brought people together, and
it gave us all a reason to want to raise
Hell just about enjoying life and living life and living
in our truth. And you know, it brings the community
of different people together and that was that was the
biggest part of bringing all these people together and doing
(13:47):
something positive through music, because you know, everybody might not
be able to get up and go to church, but
this is their church. We're giving them a piece of
church that relates to their religion or relates to uh
they're higher being or you know, their spiritual feeling. And
that's what's important. You know, He works in mysterious ways,
(14:10):
and he puts you know, us in different positions where
people are able to deliver and and make people know
who He is and in many different ways. And and
somebody may have got you know, closer to God listening
to Raising Hell. I hope, so that would be amazing
(14:35):
I'm certain, I'm certain for sure that someone did well.
And Chasing Rainbows too, like that song was so special
is so special. I was listening to it earlier because
my nieces in the video, my brother was just telling
you and she loves it, and she was the one.
She's about five. She told me that you were going
(14:56):
to be on the New Yar's Eve show. Yes, that
was How was that? Oh? It was great. I mean
the experience, you know, just doing something on a positive
note bringing in the new year in the countdown, I
had a blast. I can't wait to do it again,
and you know, hopefully next year I do it again.
(15:18):
You know, it was a lot. I just wish that
the world was open and that I could have had
the whole New Orleans behind me as we were doing it,
you know, because we have to kind of be like
socially distanced and people in these little circles and stuff.
But you know, next year, we're doing what we can
to try to stay sane and connected even with all
(15:40):
this going on. I know that you're killing it. And
I also heard I'm pretty sure I heard one of
your songs in a commercial like last night, but I didn't.
It went by so fast. One of your songs in
a commercial right now, yeah, JUBIDERM Yes, face filler is
(16:04):
that the lip filler? I was reading about, uh, Queen
Marie Lavaux, and I was so taken by her story.
Do you know about her? Like the queen of Voodoo
and New Orleans? And she just sounded like a wonderful person.
(16:28):
She helped feed people that couldn't afford to buy food, clothes,
kids on the streets, and just in like reading about
New Orleans. It's made me want to dive deeper into
what voodoo is because I think when I first hear
about it, you know, I'm from Nashville and then I
live in l A. It's a it's a removed thing
(16:49):
from my culture that I lived through. But it seems
like a really interesting and she seemed like a beautiful person.
It seems like a really interesting religion. What means I
think that you know, um, you know, in life, certain
people have certain positions that they feel, and I think
(17:12):
she did a great thing for New Orleans just in
the community. Um, that's just like divine prints. He helped
a lot of people. He's always in tune to the
community and trying to help people to you know, going
the right direction or sphere of their life in the
direction in the right direction. That's why he's always doing readings.
And I think that, you know, she was another person
(17:35):
that UM has that's kind of the same path where
you're helping the community and helping people to kind of,
you know, fix something in their life that they UM,
you know, can fix before it becomes something else. When
I went to see the Voodoo Priests, UM, and you
saw that I was probably crying on the show. You know,
(17:58):
he had told me that he had sought death on
my brother and that he needs to fix some things
before it's too late. I told my brother, and UM,
he still wasn't fixing the things that he needs to fix.
And not long after me and the brutal pre spoke,
my brother was killed. And so I saw that. Thank you.
(18:22):
But I'm just saying that people can feel some things
and know some things and have a connection what a
spirit and and be able to tell you things to
kind of help you down the line, and you should,
you know, sometimes take advice and listen. And I'll pre
warn my brother. I tried to save him and did
(18:43):
everything in my power, and he just wouldn't listen and
things happen. So you know, spirits do um play their part.
You know, I listened to the Holy Spirit all the
time and try to let a guide me in the
right direction and keep me on the right path. Absolutely,
I feel like I'm also I have a team of
(19:05):
angels or spirits. I'm not sure it's kind of you
can use whatever word, but just I feel like I'm
not alone. And I can tell if I'm making a
decision that's not a good decision, I can like, bitch,
maybe I where you look at that decision. Maybe try
to fix that decision because that's not you're not going
in the right direction. Yeah, and you know I feel
(19:28):
the same exactly what you just said, Like you know
there are you know, a spirit that guides us and um.
I also feel like I have guardian angels, you know,
my mom, my uncle, all the people who have helped me.
If I can hear my mom saying, oh, don't do
that ship that is I'm no, don't do it. You
(19:48):
know I can hear saying yes, this is the direction
you want to go in. And she is my guardian
angel now who walks with me and on my side.
And and I'm always saying she's clearing paths for me
for certain things. You know, I genuinely think it's true
because there have been so many times in my life
I can't see what's happening or why it's happening. And
then later on, after you've had to go through this
(20:10):
ship storm or something really difficult, then you understand why
it happened. Yeah, it clicks in. It clicks in, and
be like, oh, that that was the reason. You know,
this is why this happened to get to this. You know,
I totally feel it, Like even this year, I feel
like this past year has been so difficult and just
(20:34):
overwhelmingly intense. I don't know how it's been for you.
I actually want to ask you it's been for you.
It's saying it's crazy, so so crazy, unlike anything I've
ever experienced in my life, saying especially you know, I'm
we always want to go, we're always working, were always creating,
(20:56):
and to just have to kind of all of that
just stopped all at once. You know, it messages you up,
It really messages you up, and they put you in
a whole different mind frame. You know, then you have
to try to figure out new ways and things and
it's a lot. So yeah, I think my spirit helped
guide me through this quarantine as well, because I was
(21:18):
in the first couple of weeks, I was freaking out
my album had just dropped. I didn't get the promo it,
you know, I had to be called off a little
promo tour as soon as they dropped. So it was
just all kind of weird feelings and spaces I was in.
And I think the spirit has definitely helped guide me
not to lose my mind. I'm with you the first
(21:39):
couple of like the first couple of months I was.
I remember calling my therapist and being like, I think
I'm losing my mind and she said, no, You're having
a spiritual awakening. And I was like, but why does
it feel like I'm going just completely insane? And I
think it's like you said, we just are always on
the always creating, always putting all this energy into all
(22:03):
these things, and then to just have like a cold
stop right after I just put my album out too,
and I canceled the whole tour with you and all
the promo, and I felt like I just poured my
heart and soul into making this thing and it never
got to Yeah, to flourish. Listen, we and I'm telling
we had the same feelings and I was just like
(22:25):
you know, but it also gave us a chance to
reevaluate ourselves and to reevaluate our life and our surroundings
and everything around us. And it gave us a chance
to just take a break for ourself and you know,
really just look at things in a different light. You know. Um,
now we can create a new sound and a new
(22:48):
energy and a new wave of stuff that that, you know,
after looking over what we just went through in the
last year, now it's twenty one, we can create something
new and give people a new a new space of energy, love, music, light,
you know. Um, kind of to goal come from where
(23:09):
it was in and come into a new space in
you know, we all went through something. So now we
we have the opportunity to use our platforms to create
new sounds and and all of that, you know. And
so I'm interested to see how this year will go
versus last year. You know me too. It's come out
(23:33):
with a bang of a start, with a bunch of
crazy shit already going on. But I'm I'm hoping between
Army Hammer being accountable and the insurrection on the Capitol,
all of those things. Hopefully, like we got out of
our system for this year and we can just get
(23:54):
the vaccine make some new music. I feel so, um,
so different than I did a year ago. And I'm
excited to see what other artists are going to make
out at this time because I just feel like we
all feel weird about it, we all feel crazy about it,
and now it's time to channel that in the art,
which is exciting. Yeah, it is exciting, and it's scary. Yeah,
(24:19):
it's excited and scary at the same time. So um,
you know, and I've I've been really happy about what
I've been creating, um lately. You know what I did
do though, just to keep busy. You know, I was
doing a little shakedown Fridays in my backyard when Quarantine
thought it and I had thought at the little cooking chill,
(24:40):
but the but I was going to the studio more
than ever and creating sounds and channeling my energy and
letting you know, shipped out in the in the in
the box. And so I'm excited about the new wave
of music that will be coming this year. And um,
you know, I'm just in a different as you know,
(25:00):
I've even when I perform, I'm in a different space
and it's just it's really weird. You haven't performed except
for virtual stuff. But that's what I'm saying. It's been
virtual and I've had maybe like maybe three gigs that
was out into the public and and so, um, just
(25:22):
a weird balance now. And it's just like I want
to get back to that, to that feeling, you know,
of where I was, and it's just so weird now.
So I'm excited to see where it's going to go. Though,
um once everything open back up, and will I get
back there or will will they go into a whole
new direction? You know, Well that's the thing. It could
(25:43):
take you in a whole new direction, which is scary,
but it's also so exciting to maybe have I've taken
this year because that was what I was worried about too.
I'm like, I want to get back to something like
maybe I don't want to get back to something, maybe
I want to get into who I've become. And and
just knowing that, I feel like a very deep change
(26:04):
in myself. It's exciting but terrifying. It is it is
so well, hopefully this your girl, we get to go
on so where Inchiano? All of that okay, and we
won't be tired from promo so we can really check
our uses like never before. Yes, I'm ready, God, I
(26:25):
mean do. I've been dancing around my house like a
complete fool this quarantine. But I'm just practicing, practicing for tour. Listen.
You gotta keep the energy up though, and that's the thing, like,
you know, as artists, we have to keep our energy
up because you know, we don't want to get lazy
and sluggish, and you know when we go out there,
(26:46):
we gotta hit it hard. So it's just been like damn,
I want to relax, but I also got to keep active.
So I've just been on the go constant, constant. You know,
it's good for you. I don't know how to relax,
and me either, Like it's the I don't know how.
It's the worst. People always like what you do for
self care. Um, I go to sleep and try to
(27:08):
get a nap. You know that's myself care because I'm
always going to go I can't even I like, I
get a massage like once a month, but I've been
doing that this year, or I'll go to a show.
I can't do that this year. I just really missed
the human connection, Like I love being able to see
you and you're in New Orleans and this is amazing,
but I cannot wait to we're in the same room
(27:30):
and so hot. Yes, I listen, girl, you know howavy
with when you're like you see somebody and you haven't
saw him in forever and everybody's screaming in holl That's
gonna be happening all around the world. Just lots of screams. Okay.
I can't wait for that moment. I love that it's
(27:51):
something to look forward to because after the the was
Spanish flu in nineteen seventeen, then came like what was
it called, what was the tent called? Yes, the Roaring twenties.
So I'm hoping if we look to history, that there's
something that keeps everybody inside and then right afterwards there's
(28:13):
an explosion of parties and music and art and wildness
and energy and connection. And that's what I'm praying for. Listen.
I feel it's going to happen. I definitely feel it.
I've been saying that, you know in the low places
that's been sneaking opening, like you know, Atlanta and Houston
(28:35):
and all that you know, those people are still like
kind of parting a little bit, but the places that
have been not really opening, the clubs and the spaces,
where did all of this happened. When it do, it's
gonna be like Wildfire's shift. People shaking asses everywhere, turning
up bottles, popping, you know, laughing and screaming. And I
(28:58):
haven't saw you in years. You know, all that's gonna
be going down. It's just gonna be crazy all over
the world. I can't wait. I'm just like all my friends,
all my fans and just turned up like me too.
Oh my god. Yes, you're making me excited just thinking
about it, like change, because I got excited. It's coming.
(29:22):
It's coming. It's a new year. It's going to come.
But oh, speaking of like partying, I've never been to
Marty Gras and not maybe not this year. But we're
not having it this year. They weren't even having Mighty Rod.
They counseled Mighty Grod girl, And I mean, that's like
(29:42):
the biggest thing for New Orleans. That's the you know,
that's the money maker here, that's the biggest tourist attraction,
and we're not having it. They're talking about some doing,
you know, a bite mighty grass, some type of ship,
you know, and want me to be the Grandma show
girl you get that would be amazing. You want to
(30:04):
bike being the big grand Marshal. Do you get a
key to the city. I don't want being a Grand
marsha for no parade. That ain't happening. I want to
be the Grand Marshal of something, the Grand Marshall when
it's actual mighty ground. Okay, we're going to put out
a p s A with you saying that. Okay, I
(30:26):
would vote for you. I don't know if that helps.
But if people vote out up for you, I don't
think they pick. They just I don't know how they pick.
I guess somebody has to pick between all of the
clubs and like you just it's just a huge party
and Marshall usually is at the front of the parade
on the on like the biggest float in welcoming everybody
(30:50):
to the parade, and you know, waving in this Royal
Court is out there with you, and they have the
big crown, and you know, it just depends like mostly
when it's a celebrity though there they might wear a
costume or they might not. But They're up there waving
their things, throwing stuff and you know, just being fabulous.
Oh you would be so good at that. Yeah, I've
(31:12):
done it before. Yeah, you just haven't been the Grand
Marshall on Mighty grid Day. I'm usually on I ride
with the Cruel Zulu. So I'm on the float on
Mighty Gride Day throwing beads and I'm in a mask
and a big bushwig. People don't even know if it's
me unless I say something. So I was reading about
(31:38):
the cruise. Are they cruise that like is everybody friends
with each other or is it like one crew throws
their own parade and the other crew throws around parade? Well, yeah,
every crew throws their own parade, usually the bigger cruise
that's been around for years, like the Zulu, Um, the
Endemian and Bakers like that. It's an organization and and
(32:00):
they have a night that their their parade rose throughout
the city and they usually connected with all the all
the parades because you know, kings and queens of all
the groups have to get together, and you know it's
all ran by the city, so they have to they
connect everybody together. But they're all separate groups, all throughout
(32:21):
the city. Okay, one year, I'm going to come. Yeah,
you've gotta come. It's so much fun. You gotta come.
The whole experience is just amazing. I would love that
you can be the queen and I'll do whatever. I
don't know, I'll be that. We're both gonna be the queen.
That that happens all the time, all you gotta baby.
(32:45):
That's how they gets all the fabulous beads. You know,
the girls up Bourbon Street, they're just titterless all night.
That might be me, depending on how many drinks I've had,
I might be up there with you, acting very distinguished
and waving. It might be the one flashing my titties,
running around trying to I'm a freends mine too. I've
(33:05):
never been. It seems like the most fun thing. People
always have a wild story when they come back from
Idagra what they did in New Orleans. And that's the
best thing. Like you always have stories that you can
meet with here in great memories and it's it's a
great city, you know. I love this city also, which
(33:27):
I didn't know this, but when someone passes away, there's
like a funeral parade. Yeah, we celebrate, you know, we
celebrate their life and their legacy and um usually we
have like the second Line parade come or we have
a jazz processional where we play music and we we
(33:47):
danced in honor of them in their life, and so
like from the time they coming out of the church
and to the hearst and putting their casket in where
we're like, we're celebrate it in their life and continuing
to to let their memories live on. Yeah beautiful, Oh yeah,
I had it. I did it up for my mom.
(34:08):
Hearts and carriage, you know, jazz processional, same thing for
my brother. Like we we yeah, we celebrate their life.
Is it? Is it it all? Do you celebrate Day
of the Dead as well, where it's kind of more
of a celebration of the people that have passed on?
Say that again, the Day of the Dead, we don't
(34:29):
have that, no, we I mean, it's just we usually
have so many debts here and so just each funeral,
it's like the same thing happening every week or you know,
every other day you're you're seeing people celebrating their loved
ones life and so that's really not no Day of
(34:49):
the Dead. That's every day, you know, somebody's we're losing somebody. Well,
I'm sorry. I've watched your would you call it your
documentary or the movie Free to Out a Gun, and
that was so moving and just so much about New
Orleans I didn't realize, including the passing of your cousin
(35:09):
and your brother, And I just want to tell you
I'm sorry, because I do see on your Instagram that, yeah,
there's a lot we deal with and there's a lot
of ideal with. But you know, I tried to remember
those people in good light and good spirit and continue
to celebrate their life and their legacy and let them
live through me, you know, especially if they're my family
(35:30):
and we're connected. I try to remember them by doing
something good that they would have done, or something that
they could have tried to change. I'll try to do
it in my life. It's amazing the documentary you made,
Freed to Got a Gun. It's streaming on Peacock, and
it just shows kind of the cyclical issues of gun
(35:55):
violence in New Orleans. And as someone that's never lived
there and only visited a couple of times, I had
no idea that it was one of the top cities
for death spike gun violence America and I was just wondering, like,
what would you say would be a start to addressing
(36:19):
that issue. Well, you know, the guns. It's the guns
are the big problem. You know, just being able to
have easy access to guns. Um, these parents not really
watching their kids around guns. You know, It's a lot
has to happen in order for this to happen. With
(36:43):
with with trying to get a balance on these guns,
from the companies to the to you know, our local
and national leaders, to us as a community. Um. You know,
I just went through something this week that was letting
me know the reason why I'm fighting so much about
this gun violence and trying to get strict a gun laws.
(37:05):
Because my best friend had a birthday party on Friday,
and at the party, a five year old baby got
hold to a gun and shot a four year old
baby in the head. Which all these kids I know
and grew up and watched them from when they came out.
(37:27):
And this is a family that I'm very connected with.
So this is the reason why guns need to, you know,
be removed. I mean, if every if there was no
guns in the world, we wouldn't be having all these
issues and all these killings. Only people that I think
really need guns or our you know, our armies that
(37:48):
has to fight for war or you know, defend our country.
But you have so many people that just have easy
access to guns, and and it's it's it harms all
of us in the in and um so, yeah, that's
what I dealt with just this week. And it was horrible.
The baby is still needs a new skull and so
(38:12):
and he did survive, He did survive. Yeah, but that's
so horrifying to think of seeing that happen to such
a young person that probably doesn't even understand what they're holding,
or so innocent, hasn't even got a chance at life,
you know, and all to a gun. You know, the
(38:35):
baby went looking at the searching and found how old
the cousin's gun that was put away, and it's it's
about fifteen children in the room and one gets shot
in the head. So I didn't that would be so
scary And I'm so sorry. And after watching your documentary,
(38:56):
I it opened my eyes to a lot of things
I had no idea about about the gun violence in
New Orleans and guns in general. I personally am just
terrified of guns. I don't, you know, the Second Amendment
and there's people fighting for their necessity to have guns,
and unless you're going and hunting for your dinner or
(39:18):
your law enforcement, and that even is like, well they
need to yeah, the law enforcement dealing with using less guns,
and just the systemic racism under who is getting shot
more often than yeah, it's black people, not white people,
(39:40):
And just I don't know, the whole monstrosity of guns.
It would be a wonderful thing if we could make
them at least harder to get to have to get
your mental illness evaluated before you get a firearm, because
you know, it's just you. You've given it to people
and you really don't know their coredela, their conditions and
(40:02):
or or whatever. As long as they got the money,
they got the gun, you know. And a lot of times,
a lot of these ways that they're transporting the guns
or or whatever, people are breaking on the trains and
in different places to get the guns. They just need
to be stricker and tighter laws and security in place
when all of this stuff is happening. Well, it was
(40:24):
a very moving documentary and I urged anybody listening to
go watch it. And I'm so sorry again, this is
like an ongoing thing that's happening in your life. I
want to ask, this is purely just from watching that.
How is the younger? He was like ten years old.
I think his name is Devon. Devon, Yeah, same as
(40:47):
my boyfriend. And that was crazy that him and my
boyfriend has the same name. That is just going fine.
He actually just got out of jail. Devon is all
grown up that it's not a little kid anymore. Devin
has sprouted up to about six three six four. He's
taller than me. And you know how small he was
(41:09):
when he was on a documentary and I haven't saw
him since, and the boy just I don't know. It
was like he ate a tree and grow as tall
as the tree. He's doing well though. I've been keeping
in contact with him, and you know, he's staying out
of trouble. He has to be inside by six pm
every day. He has some strict you know, things that
(41:33):
he has to do. But he wouldn't be in that
position if he was doing right. And you know, hopefully
he's going to get on the right path now. And
he had to become a victim of the system in
order to you know, and now somebody's regulating his life.
That should not be happening as a young kid. You know,
he should be able to be free and live his
(41:54):
life and be who he wants to be um when
he grow up and enjoy life and in his community.
But now he has to be inside at a certain
time and win an ankle monitor and you know, so
hopefully he gets it together and we're gonna keep fighting
with him to stay on the right path. And and see,
(42:15):
I think that is going to be something very powerful
when he gets older, and that he's going to make
some type of change in his world because of the
path that he had to go down in order to
change his life. Well, if you speak to him, or
if there's anything I can do, but just under my love,
and I just want to see him win. Yeah me,
So we all do, you know, And that's the thing.
(42:36):
We all want to see our kids win, and all
the kids in the community, and we want to see
them be successful and do something, and you know, we
want to break some of these generational curses that's happening,
you know, of these kids just following the same thing
that they saw and and and and become a victim
to the system. And I'm just tired of it. I've
(42:57):
been seeing it all my life, and I just want
better from our community. Absolutely, it's a beautiful community. It's fascinating,
Like after watching between your documentary and just reading about
New Orleans and the history of Mardi Gras and about
um Marie wait, I'm gonna sunk up her name, Marie Laveau,
(43:17):
just all of it. It's just so vibrant and so
full of life. And it's a real shame when a
gun gets in the way of someone living a really beautiful, joyous, celebratory,
full community loved life because of one stupid moment with
(43:37):
a stupid gun. So it was really touching and thank
you for making that, and it really was informative for me.
And then sissy bounce. You're one of the queens and
there's no sissy bounds. No, it's just see Okay, I'd
never heard of the term cissy bound. But then I
(44:00):
start and our reporter came and was like, you know,
put a title on it. We don't put titles on it.
It's just bounced music. I'm a gay artists who happened
to do, you know, bounce music, So it's just bounce music. Yeah,
we don't separate it here in New Orleans. Everybody just
if you do bounce music, if you just do bounce music,
there's no such thing, get straight bounce or sisty bounce.
(44:20):
It's all just bounced music. And they tried to put
it in a category. But you know, nobody can't box
the queen in No, they sure as hell can't. I apologize.
I read that. I read that, and I was never
head that before. Oh my god, I have done hundreds
of articles cleaning that up from one article. It's not
(44:43):
sissy bounce, it's motherfucking bounce period period. Okay, and you
are the queen of bounce? And how did that between
church and between just like living in New Orleans, was
that just like the thing you were drawn to? Did
(45:03):
you always know you wanted? No? I did not. So
being acquired director, people knew me all around the city.
You know, I traveled with the choir, you know, doing music,
and you know I was also the choiet directly at
my church home and and my high school. So I
was well known with with the choir and with music.
(45:25):
And when I transitioned, you know, in in nine um
to kind of start stepping into the bounce game, it
just kind of happened you know, having fun, you know,
with people in my neighborhood, making fun, crazy stuff up,
saying it in the neighborhood, grabbing the mic at the
clubs and at the black party, is doing it. And
(45:45):
then it's just we started coming becoming the catch and everybody, Oh,
you're gonna get on the mic, You're gonna do this,
You're gonna do that. And once I went made my
first song, there was no looking back. Yeah, the rest
is history, queen. Okay, I gotta really, I got like
(46:06):
four stupid questions. They're like quick fire. So if you
were a ghost, what would be your style of hunting?
Your signature? If I was the ghost, what would be
my style of hunting? Probably something sexual. Pulling dicks. Oh
my god, yes, I'm gonna pull your dick off. I
(46:33):
want to join you in the afterlife if that is okay? Yes?
And who would you hunt? I just told you all
the boys, the good ones are the bad ones. The
good ones, Well, I mean I'll just go, you know,
just take a little peek at the good ones. The
(46:55):
bad ones. We're gonna hunt them. We're gonna pull there
it a hard tug. Yeah, we're gonna squeeze those balls.
I love that, Okay. And if you had a cult,
what would be the dress code? If I had a cult,
what would be the dress code? Uh, probably something dealing
(47:19):
with booty shorts. Some as shorts, you know, but you
just a little two cheeks out. You know, you got
four shorts on, but just a little two cheeks, like
two little circles on the back. My coat will be
very much dealing with lots of ash shaking. I love
that that is your, like, at least your stage cult
(47:40):
and family and people that come to the show's Like
when I met you on that cruise ship, it was
the most ass heavy place I've ever been. Like everybody
as soon as you got up on stage, everyone took
their ass out. It was like, that's how I'm supposed
to be the take your ass out. Yeah. The power
(48:03):
of the as it brings people together. You know. That
is the most beautiful way to end a podcast. And
you should make that into a T shirt. Okay, Yes
I will. It's so good to see you. Thank you
so much for coming on here. Love you, love you girl. Okay,
I'll see you hopefully very soon. Yes you will, girl.
(48:26):
The alright creepy, alright, creepy bye,
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