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'Rent' Is Due And Big Freedia Is Here To Collect

The Queen of Bounce has resurrected the '80s rap-rock crossover and honestly, I am here for it.Big Freedia's "Rent" punctuates her outrageous party music with a guitar riff that winks at "Walk This Way," then bumrushes the stage to shake some booty. The video takes sweet revenge on the no-good man who won't reciprocate her hard work and hard love: "It's the first of the month / I said enough is enough / I committed to you / You should of paid me in love."

Big Freedia's forthcoming EP, 3rd Ward Bounce, out June 1, comes at a good time, having scored recent features onDrake's "Nice For What" andBeyoncé's "Formation." But while she's out collecting rent on delinquent lovers, rent is also due from those same mainstream figures who love to feature Big Freedia's booming voice,but not her face in music videos.

"That's when I say the proper recognition and the proper credit," Freedia toldThe Fader. "You know, my voice be on a lot of different stuff and people want to use bounce music as a part of their music but when it comes to the proper recognition of me being in the video, that's something that we're steady working towards to make it happen."

Big Freedia deserves to capitalize on her bounce gospel. I mean, have you been to aBig Freedia show? It's a religious experience that will convert the unwashed in a mass of sweaty bodies.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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