5 Questions With Rags #76 - Keysha Freshh
2019 has been an incredible year for hip-hop and one of the best rap releases of the year belongs to Toronto MC Keysha Freshh. If you've been paying attention, it's not really a surprise that Freshh is releasing such on-point hip-hop right now. With a slew of other releases and her incredible work with The Sorority, Freshh is a proven veteran. Field Trip is a deep blast of bangers, perfect in the car or on in your room with those good headphones. Talking to me shortly before heading out west to BC for the final tour with her comrades in The Sorority, Freshh explained the genesis of this chapter in her career. “Field Trip was basically inspired by me wanting to tell a story that I felt was necessary to tell about my life at the time and where I was. It also felt like I was going on a journey at that part of my life. Basically writing the music, putting it all together and working on the album and every part of the album really was a special moment for me and that’s what made the whole process important.” The importance of her moment is evident in music. Field Trip sounds vital, important and aware. The sound on the album is a luscious balance of warm and heavy. Freshh's MCing, the main event, is unimpeachable. Check out the bars on “Hero,” one of the most alarmingly honest tracks of the year. Or the relentless battle rap of “Blah Blah.” Even if you haven't heard anything else she's done, a couple of listens through Field Trip and you'd be convinced that Keysha Freshh on the mic is hella serious business. If there's one thing we support over here at Rags Music, it's top-shelf hip-hop. So I was more than a little bit excited when Freshh was able to throw some of her time to answer the latest round of 5 Questions with Rags.
And if you haven't listened to Field Trip yet, fix yourself.
1. Do you remember the first album you bought with your own money?
The first album that I had was Mecca and the Soul Brother (Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth). The first album that I bought with my own money was Beware of Dogs by Bow Wow, that was on a CD. First vinyl I owned was Boogie Down Productions Criminal Minded. It was given to me by my cousin.
2. When was the last time you did something for the first time?
August 3. I went Zip-lining at Niagara Falls.
3. What's your best memory of a teacher growing up?
I wasn’t great at writing essays, but I had a teacher who took the time to learn song writing so he could relate it to essay writing, and help me understand. That changed my life.
4. If you could spend the day with anyone living or dead, who would it be and what would you do?
It would be Queen Latifah. And we would ride bikes and talk about life.
5. If you had one wish for hip-hop culture going forward into the future, what would it be?
It would be that we document times, people and places in a museum a lot more accurately. And we stress the importance of paying homage.
6. I forgot to get a guest question from the last answerer so I dug back and pulled one from DJ Nu-Mark of J5... Would you prefer some E-40 or some O.E.?
E-40.
If you're on the West Coast this coming week, make sure you go see Freshh and the rest of the Sorority as they fuck up the coast one last time as a group. They'll also be with Snotty Nose Rez Kids, who are dope as hell.