Lurking in the shadows of hip hop, there lies a man who is built like the Hulk albeit the lack of green skin. Like Bruce Banner, when his justifiable anger gets the best of him, he lets loose his rage. Fortunately for us, this liberation is evidenced through an acceptable platform, or rather outlet- the MIC. If there ever was a poster child for the coined phrase, "the industry is shady"; Freddie Foxxx a.k.a. Bumpy Knuckles would coolly fit the bill. Despite a tremulous past marred with, for lack of better words, shadiness; Freddie Foxxx has been able to steadily stay afloat even though it might have been within the confines of a self-inflicted obscurity. Talent does not imply that one has to do everything everybody else is doing. That said it is quite clear that Freddie will continue to grow in his zone as he puts it, "...continue to make the sounds that draws me to the music." His most recent release Crazy like a Foxxxx, was not released for the love of money, "...didn't release the record to go platinum" but rather for the love of this thing called hip hop and its true enthusiasts.
ER: What it do? Should I call you Freddie Foxx or Bumpy Knuckles?
Bumpy Knuckles: Don't matter dawg, it's all the same.
ER: I will just call you Freddie then. So what's good? Where you at?
Bumpy Knuckles: I am in the studio right now.
ER: What you working on?
Bumpy Knuckles: I am not working on nothing right now; but at the present time I am kind of like working on a couple of different projects. So I got a few things on the table, some mix CDs...working on mixing this KRS-ONE record that I worked on called Royalty Check.
ER: So you still dabble with producing?
Bumpy Knuckles: Yeah definitely, everyday.
ER: So what have you done recently?
Bumpy Knuckles: Just mix CDs, like I have been doing a lot of catalogue stuff. I worked with DMC on a couple of projects; I am active, definitely active.
ER: Do you feel that if you had hooked up with Eric B earlier in your career it might have taken a different path?
Bumpy Knuckles: I don't know, and that will never be known because I never went that direction so I can't really look at it and say, "If I would have..." I am not a if I woulda shoulda person. Whatever happens is meant to happen that way, I will deal with consequences, or I thank God for the consequences at times. Eric B and Rakim was supposed to be so that's what it was.
ER: Why did you opt not to update Crazy like a Foxxx?
Bumpy Knuckles: Yeah because it would have made the album sound wack. If I would have changed the album it wouldn't have been Crazy like a Foxxx. People was asking me for Crazy like a Foxxx, I gave them 94' that was when I was in a Crazy like a Foxxx mode. I think if had changed it I would have cheated everybody out of getting the experience of what I was dealing with and how I was feeling in the time that I made the album. That's like getting a classic car and putting rims on it and doing all kinds of shit to it; and then when you go to sell its value has decreased
ER: You mentioned being in a different mode back in '94, so what mode are you in now?
Bumpy Knuckles: I mean it depends; like right now when I listen to songs I am listening with a different ear. The emcee is not as popular as the producer nowadays; I am still in writing mode. I am in a mode where I still care about my wordplay and what I am saying; I am still concerned about what comes out of my mouth and how I write it. You know if I could make people rewind the tape, or rewind the cassette or I mean saying cassette like I am from the ol'skool. If I could make people rewind the CD or hit rewind on the IPOD or whatever you listening to it on and make you say, "Yo did you hear what he said." They used to do that, nowadays they don't do it no more youknowwhatimean.
ER: Since you just mentioned rewinding tracks, could you speak on Man Destroys Man?
Bumpy Knuckles: It's really about standing to protect yourself from people who feel they can advantage of you because of your weakness that's what that song is about. Even though I put the situation the way I put it, youknow being that it is about jail and dudes coming at you in a homosexual type of way, you have to know how to protect yourself from any kind of situation that puts you in a detrimental light. That's the message I was sending out, this is how man destroys man.
ER: On So Tough you spit, do I blame it on my pops that left when I was feeding on my mother's breast? In your opinion how has the increasing case of absentee fathers affected the youth today; particularly young African American men?
Bumpy Knuckles: I mean it's bad when I child doesn't have a father figure to keep that youknowyouknowhatimean." What I was saying in the song was do I get off my ass and do something about my life or do I sit around and blame my father for not being around when I was young kid youknowhatimean. sternness...you need a balance of both. Both boys and girls need a presence of female and male authority in their lives because those are two different life experiences. Women deal with experiences in life as females, and men deal with others. I think that when you [a child] are missing that information from that entity it causes the kids to have a lack of knowledge. I am not saying that a woman can't raise a man, that's nonsense. But, it is always better to have both parents there, that is if they are both level-headed and into parenting, "errbody ain't into parenting
ER: How was it like working with the late Tupac Shakur?
Bumpy Knuckles: Dope, I mean dope Pac came in the studio. Man when he walked in I already felt the energy was gonna be crazy. He really listened to the music, he didn't just do his verse and leave, the whole environment was engulfed by him. We were in there having fun.
ER: On Industry Shakedown you vented a lot of your frustrations, how is your relationship with Queen Latifah?
Bumpy Knuckles: I don't really have a relationship with Queen Latifah, I mean we cool. I haven't spoken to Dana in years. It has been years, she is on some Hollywood type shit right now. I am sure if I see her in the streets it's hi and bye. I ain't got no malice towards, I am glad she is doing well, I wish her the best. She is very talented, but I just don't rock with her like that and she don't rock with me like that.
ER: What's next for you?
Bumpy Knuckles: I think I am gonna try and get out in '09. I have been in the studio for five years, just stacking up my catalogue. I got so much music; I have just being doing so much studio work it's ridiculous. Muthafuckas might think I fell off the edge of the earth but when I come back out on the stage it's gonna go down.
TURN OFF THE RADIO!
Freddie Foxxx- Can't Break Away
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