She was not invited to appear in the celebrity-packed Nice For What music video, which instead featured a cisgendered blonde white woman on screen during Freedia’s lines.
“I've worked tremendously hard to make things happen for New Orleans culture,” Freedia said in a recent interview with The Fader, “I just want us to get the proper recognition and the proper credit that we deserve.” As great as it is that Big Freedia’s voice is being featured in these popular music videos, her face remains absent. In that time, mainstream culture has absorbed the sound of Big Freedia, but has yet to give proper visibility to her, a self-identifying gay man who crossdresses. “The Queen Diva” is a founder of New Orleans Bounce music, which has been making a major comeback with N.E.R.D & Rihanna’s “Lemon,” Drake’s “Nice For What,” and Beyonce’s “Formation.” Freedia’s been rocking ever since her 1999 hit “Gin N My System,” and just released a new EP called 3rd Ward Bounce. Even if you don’t think you know who Big Freedia is, you already know who Big Freedia is.