Freak Nasty

Though best known for his mid-'90s dance hit "Da Dip," rapper/DJ Freak Nasty continued a healthy music career for decades following the success of his semi-ubiquitous song. He kept his party-friendly persona going strong into the 2000s and 2010s, with rhymes about sex, celebration, and altered states fueling albums from 2000's Which Way Is Up? to 2018's Smoke It Up. Meanwhile, "Da Dip" became a part of the cultural lexicon, its resiliently catchy refrain being referenced consistently in songs from lesser-known artists and even Cardi B's multi-platinum breakthrough hit "Bodak Yellow." Freak Nasty was born Eric Timmons in New Orleans, but he was living in Atlanta when he began working as a professional musician. He started out in the early '90s as DJ RazorCut, part of the Cash Money-signed group PMW, but went solo as Freak Nasty with a self-titled debut album in 1994. While the album sold respectably, it was his 1996 sophomore release, Controversee...That's Life...And That's the Way It Is, and its standout track "Da Dip" that put the rapper on the map. Over the winter and spring of 1997, "Da Dip" became an underground hit, eventually reaching the mainstream and staying in the charts for weeks. Freak Nasty resurfaced in 2000 with Which Way Is Up? The album featured lead single "Do What U Feel," which made some waves in underground circles but didn't rise to the same level of popularity as "Da Dip." Throughout the next decade he released several albums and mixtapes, like 2002's Freak Nasty World and 2006's sexually fixated From Da Street 2 Da Club. When Shop Boyz scored a hit with their 2007 single "Party Like a Rockstar," there was a minor controversy surrounding Freak Nasty's earlier track "Do It Just Like a Rockstar." Some saw his song as an attempt to cash in on another artist's hit, even though his metal-rap party anthem was recorded two years earlier. He wrote a passionate letter that was published in Billboard magazine stating his case and wishing Shop Boyz continued success. Now back in his hometown of New Orleans, Freak Nasty continued producing new material and performing live DJ sets. In addition to constantly creating new songs, he helped new artists in his community and even set up his own charity foundation. In 2018, Freak Nasty released the laid-back Smoke It Up, featuring longtime collaborator Crazy Mike on several tracks. ~ Fred Thomas, Rovi