HONESTY, INTEGRITY, and HARD WORK: not only a general recipe for success, but a trifecta of attributes as rare together as they are individually uncommon. In a renegade breed, much of those aspects are still present. That rare breed, reared in South Jamaica, Queens, includes Frenchie 1017; Bricksquad member, Atlanta transplant, a Queens representer – and the hardest working artist out right now
What separates Frenchie from his peers, though, are two seemingly trivial, but actually monumental tidbits: his constant travel back and forth from Atlanta, and his raw focus, energy, and determination. “I’m always up for an adventure. I was one of the only ones from my ‘hood to hop on the train; to see Brooklyn, to see the Bronx. I been through the Carolinas, Virginia – I spent half my life in Atlanta.” But the remembrance of Southside – its vitality, its vigor, its corruption, and ruggedness – instilled in the 26 year old an unparalleled work ethic – to get rich, or die tryin’.
As far as Frenchie’s influences go, apart from a few “out-of-towners”, the home base is well represented: “Gucci, that’s my boy. Banks, 50 Cent, Yayo – those are dudes from my neighborhood, and they made it out. LL Cool J, some of the older cats…and One Republic. I love so much different type of music, it’s a shame!” As far as concepts, the answer isn’t what you’d expect, but signifies an innate intelligence, tremendous foresight, and the result of exposure to different: different music, different cultures, and different regions. “My style is universal. I’ll go wherever the tempo takes me…the concepts come from the beats. Certain beats speak to my soul. It has to feel live.”
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A constant tour de force of videos, work, and tours, Frenchie’s Internet presence is a sight to behold: a quick WorldStar search brings forth over forty self-produced music videos, and his YouTube presence includes videos spanning back several years, and millions of collective views. “The Internet is the number-one promotional tool in the world. Children have so much technology nowadays, that they don’t even have to come outside. They can just stay indoors and have fun.” Maintaining this momentum, though, is a constant struggle for a 21st century entertainer, as Frenchie elaborates: “The grind is the toughest part. It’s beautiful when the music is out, and they vibe to it. But the hard part – you gotta wake up early, everyday, after barely sleeping for days on end, to go to the studio to fine tune, edit, and break day. Sometimes, I wanna close my eyes and sleep, but I’d never allow myself to do that – not till I’m in a coffin. I work hard, I go hard.”
“Hit The Ground” is available on iTunes here
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