Read the full interview on YoungCalifornia.com!
B Free brings his Detroit swag to the rap game, representing his city down to his core. Real name Brenton Freeman has been doing music for damn near his whole life, but it wasn’t until high school until he made it his career. Triggered by a heartbreak, he quickly found healing through music, eventually creating his own lane with versatile flows and unique style. Read more…
The 23-year-old describes himself as a “lit ass n*gga,” who actually wants to become the biggest artist in the world one day. Most recently, he unleashed his new single “Rojo” which combines that West Coast vibe we all know and love with the South.
Why should people fuck with you?
Why shouldn’t they fuck with me? I’m not a Fed, I ain’t gonna call the cops on you. I ain’t no snitch, I’m a cool ass n*gga. A Detroit n*gga, just trying to be in the game and make shit happen.
Being from Detroit, what were you seeing growing up?
Typical stuff: family doing things they shouldn’t be doing. Friends doing things they shouldn’t be doing. Crack heads, drug dealers, everything. Experiencing that and seeing that in my environment everyday made me want to get out of that and become something better.
When did you find music?
Music’s been in my life. I don’t wanna sound super cliché like “I was born a rapper,” but rap was always in me. Not just rap, but music itself. It’s so universal, it’s like second nature. Probably about the age of 7 is when I wrote my first rap, I’m 23 now.
How would you describe your sound?
Ahh, it’s hard. I don’t want to put myself in a box. I’d say ambigous as fuck, and rage. I have songs where I’m just singing to the females trying to get on their soft side, let them know I have a soft side. I have shit where I’m just screaming, “Shooting Up The Club!” Then I have the record “Rojo,” where it’s more so Detroit style, laidback, and just showcasing my versatility.
How important is it to come to LA as an up and coming artist?
It’s so important, this is the mecca of rap. Not even rap, but if you want to be something. You want to be an actor, you want to be a model, you want to be anything in media or show biz, you gotta come to LA. So I had to pay my dues and come through.
Favorite part about the West Coast?
So far, probably the shordies. [chuckles] I be on that. We got some fire shordies but the shordies out here, they seem oriental. They seem different. I’m from the East Coast, we don’t really have sunshine, pretty weather, and pretty women like this. It’s different, I like it though.
What was the inspiration behind your name?
It’s actually my government — well part of my government. The first letter of my first name and the first four letters of my last, so B Free.
What’s your real name?
I can’t say. You a Fed? You FBI? You the CIA? Am I gonna get arrested? [chuckles] It’s Brenton Freeman.
In “Rojo,” you say “they gon’ know my name from Detroit to Compton.” Can you explain that line?
Hell yeah. You know how people go from coast to coast? Kind of like nationwide but go international, worldwide as well. They gon’ know me from Detroit to Compton! I was in the D when I recorded it, so the reference just came naturally.
What is it you want fans to get from your story?
Man, that anything is possible. Whatever you put your mind to, you can do it bro. All jokes aside, I know everything is a meme. Everybody’s making funny shit, everyone’s super insensitive and sensitive. But at the end of the day, fuck what anybody has to tell you. When they say no, fuck them. When they doubt you, fuck them. You can do whatever you want.
Talk about teaming up with Puma.
Oh shit, that was fly as fuck bro. I did a Halftime show at Little Caesars Arena, it was Milwaukee Bucks verse Detroit Pistons. I had a pair of Pumas and wore them. Puma saw that shit, I guess they fucked with me and sent me some more shit. They just sent it to me. I don’t know who it was but shout out to Puma for plugging me and putting that together. They showed love. Working with Puma was a dream come true. I’m not trying to sound super fucking Finding Nemo, but it’s dope as fuck. I still fuck with Puma regardless, I have Pumas on right now.
Talk about linking with Diggy Simmons on “All Mine.”
That’s bro. We linked through Big Sean’s best friend Earlly Mac, he’s from the D too. We’re familiar with each other’s work so we linked up, he introduced me to Diggy. The rest is history. We worked on the record together actually in LA. Last time I was here, we worked on it together. He did his thing man: went in there, one take, came out. I told him “yo you gotta come to the D to shoot a video,” so we did that. We brought out mad shordies and it was lit.
Best memory from that video shoot?
I don’t know if I can say that on record. [chuckles] Long story short, it was lit. Shout out Diggy, shout out to everybody who came through.
Did you learn anything from being in the studio with him?
Shit man, time is money. This man was filming for… what’s the show he’s on? Grown-ish. He had to go film after that so we literally had a two-hour block. He did his thing. We got to know each other, talked a little bit, and he left right afterwards. Flew to the D probably a month later.
What are some goals yourself as an artist at this point of your career?
Shit man, get a Grammy. Go Diamond. Buy my mom a house. Fucking Hall of Fame. Be the best. Be as huge as possible, I just want to be fucking huge. [chuckles]
What’s it gonna take to get there?
It’s gonna take hard work, dedication, no sleep, and persistency. It’s gonna take staying loyal to my team. It’s gonna take being able to be fucking productive and adapt to any situation or anything thrown your way. Regardless if it’s some random shit. One time you can go into a studio and Dr Dre could be there, he could be like “rap for me” and you gotta do that shit. ‘Cause it’s Dr. Dre, you gotta show you’re serious and show your skills. Whatever it takes.
How important is social media for your career?
It’s super important. If you’re not poppin’ on social media, then you really don’t have your fans or the engagement you need. Anybody can buy views or buy likes, anyone can buy followers and comments, but if you legit have people checking up on you and fucking with you for you, that’s lit. That’s super important. We don’t buy CDs no more, it’s all streaming. It’s a streaming industry and your social media has to be poppin’. It don’t gotta be you spending money or you with celebrities, it’s gotta be you. That’s it.
Favorite person to follow on IG?
Ooh, Spice Adams. He’s a football player from Detroit. He’s the dude who says “ha-ha-ha.” He’s funny as fuck, I be all over his content. [shows video] He’s still in Detroit, I want to meet him. He be doing funny ass videos. If I met him, I wouldn’t fan out but I’d tell him “bro, you’re so fucking funny.”
What’s a normal day in the life? Walk us through.
Wake up, take a piss, take a shower. Call my moms, see how she’s doing. I live with my brother, so usually I wake up to him making beats. We reference some shit, we work on records. I link up with my manager Marcus, I link up with my homies or some shit. Really anything that we can do to get to that goal. Just work. If it’s not work, it’s partying with shordies and more partying.
Do you get lit often?
Eh… not as much. Off-camera, I’m not trying to be caught up out here. I don’t belong to the campus, did you see that on Twitter? Future be like “she belong to the streets?” You’re missing all the fire shit that’s so funny. I’m not here for everybody. I still have my fun but I’m not trying to be a fucking goofball. I get turnt but responsibility.
3 things you need in the studio?
Water. Cell phones off. I don’t want a lot of people there, I gotta focus. Definitely water’s a must. Anime. There has to be anime. Regardless, it’s gotta be on low volume or no volume. It’s gotta be Japanese, even though you can’t hear it.
What’s your favorite anime?
I’m an anime daddy for real. I watch so much anime. Every rapper likes anime now because we made that shit cool. I fucked with Anime way before Toonami Jetstream… I mean obviously Dragon Ball Z being on Cartoon Network. But even then, you watch Inu Yasha, Yu Yu Hakusho. I fuck with all that shit. Even the modern-day shit, right now I’m watching Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan, One Piece. That’s the GOAT right there.
What would you be doing if you weren’t doing music?
Selling dope. [laughs] Nah I’m playing. Shit probably working at Jet’s Pizza. I used to work at a pizza spot. It’s funny, I got hired by my cousin. She was the manager. I had to start requesting time off. The day I went in, she didn’t give me time off and she fired me that day. ‘Cause I was like “yo I got a show,” I was probably 15 or 16. Then funny story, dang I ain’t trying to put her on the spot, but I did the Little Caesars Arena show and they saw me there. So it worked out. [chuckles]
What’s the best encounter you had with a fan?
Shit, probably them freaking out and crying. When they freak out and cry, it makes me freak out. I’m like damn, ya’ll really fuck with me. That organic real ass shit. I try to give them my wristbands or something they can remember me by.
Who’s the most played artist on your phone?
Right now? Probably Travis Scott. Travis is fire. You know who I been listening to a lot of? Billie Eilish. “Ocean Eyes” is fire. That shit’s dope.
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