Fab Five Freddy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fab 5 Freddy
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Fab 5 Freddy at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Fred Brathwaite |
| Born | August 31, 1959 |
| Origin | Bedford–Stuyvesant, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Years active | 1978–present |
| Associated acts | The Fabulous 5 |
Fred Brathwaite (born August 31, 1959), known as Fab 5 Freddy, is an American artist and filmmaker. He is also a pioneer in hip hop. Many see him as a key figure in the street art movement.
Freddy started in New York's art scene in the late 1970s. He began as a graffiti artist. He helped connect the growing rap scene with the downtown art world. He became widely known in 1981. This was when Debbie Harry of Blondie mentioned him in her song "Rapture". Later, in the late 1980s, Freddy became the first host of Yo! MTV Raps. This was a very important hip-hop music video show.
Contents
Fab 5 Freddy's Creative Journey
Early Art and Graffiti
In the late 1970s, Freddy joined a graffiti group called the Fabulous 5. They were famous for painting entire sides of New York City Subway cars. Freddy and Lee Quiñones, another member, started to move their art from the streets to art galleries. In 1979, they showed their work in a respected gallery in Rome, Italy. In 1980, Freddy painted a subway train. It featured cartoon-like pictures of giant Campbell's Soup cans, inspired by artist Andy Warhol.
Connecting Art and Music
Freddy often appeared on Glenn O'Brien's TV show, TV Party. He was also a regular at the Mudd Club and took part in The Times Square Show. He helped bring together the uptown graffiti and early rap scenes with the downtown art scene. Freddy explained, "I was bringing the whole music, hip-hop, art, break dancing, and urban cultural thing to the downtown table."
In late 1980, Glenn O'Brien chose Freddy and Lee Quiñones for his film New York Beat. This movie was later called Downtown 81. It showed artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and the culture around him. Debbie Harry, Blondie's singer, was also in the film. In early 1981, Freddy appeared in Blondie's music video for "Rapture." He was seen painting graffiti in the background. "Rapture" was the first hip hop video ever shown on MTV.
"Wild Style" Film
Freddy worked with filmmaker Charlie Ahearn. They started making the film Wild Style in 1981, which came out in 1983. This movie featured artist Quiñones and showed the growing hip-hop culture in the Bronx. Wild Style was the first film to truly show hip hop culture. Freddy wanted to challenge negative ideas about New York City's young people. He aimed to connect break dancing, rapping, DJing, and graffiti as parts of the same culture. Freddy created the film's music. He also co-produced it and played a main role as Phade, a hip hop club promoter.
Art Exhibitions and Influence
In April 1981, Freddy helped organize an art show called "Beyond Words" at the Mudd Club. He co-curated it with Futura 2000. The show featured their own art, plus works by Basquiat, Rammellzee, Keith Haring, and Kenny Scharf. This was the first time many artists from the Bronx hip hop scene showed their work in the downtown New York City art world.
In May 1981, Freddy was set to perform at "Graffiti Rock" with Rock Steady Crew. The show was canceled but later rescheduled at The Kitchen. After the Rock Steady Crew and Afrika Bambaataa performed at The Ritz nightclub, a new popular night called "Wheels of Steel" began. It became so crowded that Freddy helped find a new place for the party: The Roxy Roller Rink in NYC. This roller rink later became famous when it was used in the film Beat Street (1984).
Music and Media Work
In 1982, Freddy released the single "Change the Beat". He rapped the song in both English and French. The song's B-side featured a famous sound clip. It's a voice saying, "Ahhhhh, this stuff is really fresh." This sound has been used as a scratch sample in over 2000 hip-hop songs. It was first used in 1983 on Herbie Hancock's song "Rockit".
Freddy's song led to other records and the first hip hop tour in Europe in 1982. It was called "New York City Rap." In 1983, Freddy worked with the German punk rock band Die Toten Hosen. They created a hip-hop version of their song, called "Hip Hop Bommi Bop". This is thought to be the first time punk and hip hop were combined.
In 1988, Freddy made history as the first hip hop VJ. He hosted MTV's music video show Yo! MTV Raps. He later became an associate producer for the 1991 film New Jack City, where he also appeared. In 1994, he directed the music video "One Love" for rapper Nas.
Freddy has also appeared in TV shows and films. In 2007, he was in an episode of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent". That same year, he had a small role in the film American Gangster. In 2008, he appeared as a wedding guest in the film Rachel Getting Married. In 2016, he played Atticus Howard in an episode of the TV series Blue Bloods.
On August 11, 2017, an animated version of Freddy was featured in a Google Doodle. He narrated it to celebrate the 44th anniversary of DJ Kool Herc's pioneering use of the hip-hop break. In 2019, Freddy was the creative director for a hip hop photography exhibit. It was called "Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop." This exhibit was based on a book by Vikki Tobak.
