New Orleans icon Big Freedia is dreaming of the future of bounce music. Over the past two
decades, the Queen of Bounce has expanded the booming sounds of Southern rap on a string of
high-energy, twerk-inducing projects, while showcasing her inimitable charisma on blockbuster
hits by Drake and Beyoncé. But where some might rest on their laurels, the Queen Diva still sees
plenty of opportunity to expand her empire.
“Bounce has been through many iterations—from Triggerman to Sissy to Cash Money Bounce—
but my new single is something I call Bigga Bounce,” says Freedia, heralding this new chapter
for the genre. “Welcome to Central City, y’all, where I pay homage to my city, my roots, hip-
hop, and to the art of creating a new sound.”
The tireless mogul broke into television in 2013 with Fuse’s Big Freedia Bounces Back, released
her memoir Big Freedia: God Save The Queen Diva in 2015, launched a cannabis line called
Royal Bud in 2022, and is on track to open her very own Hotel Freedia in New Orleans in 2024.
In addition to promoting Central City Freestyle, and $100 Bill Ft. Ciara, the Queen Diva is
gearing up to launch a new original series, Big Freedia Means Business, which will explore her
prolific entrepreneurial endeavors. Visuals and even more new music are already in the works
too. But in the greater scheme of things, Big Freedia hopes her voice and platform as an
unapologetically authentic artist will inspire, especially at a time when the rights of LGBTQ+
people are under constant attack.
“We gotta keep pushing, and I hope this album speaks to my community and everyone who
feels they don’t have a voice,” she adds. “I am living proof of why you don’t let yourself get
dragged down. We keep going. We keep fighting.”