Fred the Godson began his continuing ascent to stardom in the gritty South Bronx ghetto of New York. He spent his early days learning the harsh realities of life on 156th & Fox, an area submerged in drug wars that he struggled to evade. Instead, Fred sought refuge in his large family. Though he came from a two parent household, life was nonetheless rough as they struggled to provide for six children. His family saw many hardships and tragedies living in the merciless Bronx ghetto. At a very young age, Fred found himself living a desolate existence; particularly after having watched his house burn down, and consequently experiencing life in a shelter. While future prospects seemed dim to Fred, given his circumstances, he was still determined to overcome the obstacles, thus finding a way to conquer his sorrows.
Fred eventually enrolled at Monroe high school, but was affected by the temptations that led him away from his studies and into the streets. The combined pressures from his peers and home life prevented him from graduating. Fred had reached a low point in his life. On top of his scholastic disappointments, Fred suffered from Kidney disease, Asthma, and Diabetes. Clearly a number of factors culminated to make Fred’s life harder than that of many adolescents his age, however, still he persevered.
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In this Interview with Montreality, Fred The Godson speaks about:
– His story (0:19)
– The type of student he was at school (0:45)
– Jobs he’s had as a teenager growing up (1:30)
– The key to success (1:39)
– What he would call his book, if he were to write one (2:19)
– What he has in his pockets (2:58)
– A memorable tour story (3:40)
– Music he’s been listening to (4:11)
– Artists & producers he’d like to collaborate with (4:39)
– His tattoos & the story behind them (5:03)
– What keeps him motivated (5:50)
One of the factors that allowed Fred to persist through the tougher times in his life was music. He recalls falling in love with music, and the Hip-Hop genre more specifically, after seeing MC Hammer. He quickly gained an appreciation for the performance aspects of Hammer’s work. At the age of fifteen, Fred also discovered that he had a special talent. He had an exceptional aptitude at working with words. He eventually combined this verbal propensity with his love for music, and found his niche. After becoming further enthralled with early hip hop acts, Fred began allowing this new love to penetrate every aspect of his existence. He began to put his life into the language of rap music, and so began his ascent to lyrical greatness.
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