Perspective shapes reality; understanding one’s motivation fosters an empathic respect. Childhood interrupted by a sheltered existence—yes, actually living within the confines of a shelter—Fred The Godson, possesses an intimate knowledge of what it is to inherit poverty.
Sustenance gained from family, Hip-Hop, and hope a youthful shyness was overcome by the pen’s power. Willfully shaping reality through captured soul sonnets, Gordo Frederico, has transformed once compressed circumstances; these words, the conduit to achieving financial and personal freedom.
Collecting an expert arrangement of sounds, feelings, and words, Fat Boy Fresh, is the latest mixtape that the Bronx native offers to his supporters:
AllHipHop.com: As a fellow Pisces, I must wish you a belated, Happy Birthday. As it was exactly a month ago, how is another year’s knowledge assisting you to be a better man and a better MC?
Fred The Godson: Dope—Pisces—Pisces Power! The more time that you put into the game, you learn more things. So, as far as the emceeing goes I’m always getting better. I’m always working; this is my life. As far as being a better man—I’m a father; I have a daughter. I’m learning more from her. We’re running around [like] crazy. I’m just taking care of the house, you know.
AllHipHop.com: Since you plan to release videos for each track from Fat Boy Fresh, what other revenue streams are helping to alleviate the financial demands of your emceeing?
Fred The Godson: Just everything; we’re into everything. Like clothing, they’re calling me for a lot of reality things. There’s a lot of sh*t.
AllHipHop.com: May I have some free clothes, or no?
Fred The Godson: Yeah, of course, the manufactures are in the building right now. They’re here you can talk to them on a one-on-one basis after this is done. I’m sure they’ll have no problem in fulfilling your wishes.
AllHipHop.com: So sweet. Fat Boy Fresh flows smoothly. Going from the “Intro’s” message, to laid-back lyricism, to penetrating introspection, I came to appreciate its journey for depth. What was essential to confirm the final track sequencing?
Fred The Godson: The secret of the way my tracklisting to go smoothly is that I’m never there!
AllHipHop.com: Are you serious?
Fred The Godson: Yeah, I just make the songs. I don’t want to be part of that, because I like certain songs and I don’t want that to interfere with me making a whole body of work flow. Some songs I like better than other songs—then it’s not going to be good. I have my team, and other people, they’ll come and do it. And whatever comes out comes out.
AllHipHop.com: You must really trust them to give up that creative control.
Fred The Godson: Yeah, yeah—we ain’t failed yet.
AllHipHop.com: Let’s travel behind the bars. “Prisoners Poetry” is my favorite track; I had it on repeat. “…My skin color was born to do a f###### bid / I’m in this gray pen-state the way I touch these kids / you won’t get rich by being honest / they divide us, and the promise is the cries of the Obamas…”
Fred The Godson: That was my man, Reef Hustle. That was his verse. That was dope.
AllHipHop.com: When you see him give him a hug, a high-five—all that!
Fred The Godson: Yeah, I’ll give him your number and everything. He’s going to be very happy about that.
AllHipHop.com: The cadence is almost combative; the lyricism beautifully demonstrates a penetrating perspective. How long did it take Reef Hustle, Sunny Heights, and yourself to perfect the track?
Fred The Godson: Heights, he had been done that beat. He gave me that beat probably like months ago. Me and Reef just came into the studio, and in about 30 minutes we just laid it down.
AllHipHop.com: I just pictured you with pen and paper, crossing out sh*t—
Fred The Godson: Yeah, quick—it’s fast. You know, it’s probably like the way you do this. When you first started you was probably slow as hell; as you go you get faster.
AllHipHop.com: To me, the verse speaks to the classic battle of the shouldn’t-haves quest to transform a survival mentality into a thriving reality. When if ever, does the pursuit of financial security justify diminished morality as it relates to yourself and to your community?
Fred The Godson: That’s what this is all about, man. It’s just about having and not having. I lived in a shelter not far from here, Relo Shelter. I come from nothing. So, when it’s like that with anything that I get—even if I’m buying a pair of sneakers, or buying like a white t-shirt, or whatever, taking family and friends out to get something to eat—that’s a form of celebration; before we couldn’t do that.
People don’t know what it is to really be hungry. Or wanting some sneakers or wanting some pants and you can’t afford it. We come from nothing; that’s why we do all this. When you look at Rock & Roll, when they come on stage some of them got ripped up sneakers and ripped shirts and sh*t. Most of those dudes is white, they come from household with money.
They’re on some whatever-sh*t. Hip-Hop is the only thing that has the big chains, and the big earrings, and the big cars and everything. So, we want you to know that we got bread. Everybody comes from poverty, really. Everything is just a big celebration.
AllHipHop.com: How do you balance the pursuit of amassing material things with sustaining your soul and morality?
Fred The Godson: It just depends on the person. A lot of people can’t do it.
AllHipHop.com: How do you do it?
Fred The Godson: It’s just me. I don’t have no instructions. It’s just that you have to stick to what you’re doing. I know a lot of people that’s drifted away [from their morality]. They do however they do it the way they do it, because they want to do it that way. But with me, I always gotta remain official, for real. I got a family. I’m a father. I got five little brothers and sisters. I have to be an example. Moms and pops always say that they’re looking from Florida with their binoculars. So, I don’t drift off. Everyday, I got friends and a lot of people around me. I have to—let’s just put it like that—I’m never going to change.
AllHipHop.com: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Fred The Godson: Thanks for the love. I just need everybody to go get that Fat Boy Fresh if they don’t already got it. It’s on Datpiff.com. It’s a free download. If you don’t like it I’ll give you your money back when you see me. TBM, Talk About Money, Fat Boy Fresh, ‘Strong is a Movement,’ we got the shirts out. Download your boy; I’m going to keep working. Everything out here for Fred is going to be crazy; I’m different!