Haitian Fresh: International Boss

The name alone has an element of its own; this man has practically taken the whole country of Haiti and carried on his back across the industry, let alone the world. Confident and aggressive in his grind, he has literally made a huge imprint in the Hip-Hop industry; there is not one artist that does not know who Haitian Fresh is. The iconic Wyclef Jean heard of him through his grind and quickly signed him to his growing label, Sak Pase Records; Miami’s own Zoe Pound has even co-signed him as their brethren. This artist has yet to release a studio album for the world to indulge and yet his music can clearly be heard all over, as a matter of fact he has enough material to cover over three albums to last him into the new decade. It is evident that in a short period of time a major distribution label will pick him up and the rest will be history.

Aside from his artistry in music, Haitian Fresh is also a devoted philanthropist content on providing whatever he can in his power for his beloved country that he carries in his moniker. He has practically taken Hip-Hop back to a time when the message was what was important in a song. In due time, Haitian Fresh will be an iconic legend in his own rite. I formally introduce you to Mr. Haiti himself, the international boss with the Haitian colors hanging by his side. This is an exclusive interview that you will only read here on 24hourhiphop.com.

24: How is everything with the infamous Haitian Fresh?

Haitian Fresh: One word, Blessed. I’m blessed to be an up and coming artist. It seems like I’ve been doing this forever, but it’s only been two years and that’s because I work harder then anybody in the game. I’ve got a book coming out called ‘The King of Grind,’ as well as a movie. People need to see that I’m one step away from being the biggest thing in Hip-Hop. Everybody who knows me and those who have studied Haitian Fresh knows that is the truth. I’ve brought truth to the game. I’m a nigga who’s done it for himself. I’ve grinded for myself; spent half a million dollars on myself in two years and I’m not afraid to say that. I show people that you could do it for yourself without any favors. I’m a boss, I didn’t need anyone doing nothing for me, I’ve never had to pay any radio stations or DJ’s, I did it for myself, flyers, everything, I did it for myself.

24: How did the man become Haitian Fresh?

Haitian Fresh: I’ll say about three years ago, I was going to concerts and really started studying the game and I loved music. Rap was never my thing; it wasn’t what I chose to do, but I sat back and looked at the game and was like, ‘Man, the game really changed from what it was twenty thirty years ago.’ Now it’s like you get a good hook or a beat and it’s about who you know. So I said you know what I’m going to come in this game and change it, I’m going to be the new face of Hip-Hop and I’m going to change it. What I mean by change it, is I’m going to bring something new to the game. I’m not going to just come out there and act like I’m a boss and I’m a killer, I never killed anybody. I’m going to bring truth to the game, that’s what the game’s missing. What ever you talk about is what you’ve lived. Truth, that’s what I’ve brought. They call me Haitian Fresh; Mr. Haiti, because I rep Haiti, I’m not the only one that reps Haiti, but I’m the first one that took a chance in the Hip-Hop game. I was representing way before I sold ten million copies. There were times that I’d be at the club getting laughed at, booed at and the whole time I kept my flag at my side. If you look at celebs now, their representing their Haitian flag; I made it ok to be Haitian. I love to see rappers email me and say that they look up to me or hear some fans coming up to me and saying, ‘I’ve never been so proud to be Haitian.’ A lot of people do their thing but as far as Hip-Hop, I played a big part in it.

24: You call yourself Mr. Haiti; it’s like taking the whole country on your back basically. What does Haitian Fresh stand for?

Haitian Fresh: Well, Haitian Fresh was not a name that I just picked because it sounded good. When I first came to America I was six, that was like in 1992 and we were just a bunch of Haitians. They said we stunk, we smelt, we ate this and that,we had aids, all that fuck shit, so I was like shit, I’m going to come show you how much I love my people. Haitian Fresh, I’m Haitian and I stay fresh; I look good, I smell good and there isn’t nothing you got that I don’t got. There’s nothing that you can get that I can’t get. If you look in history, Haitians were the first black slaves to be free, so my people are the bravest and Haitians should be proud to be Haitian. I call myself Haitian Fresh because there’s a lot of power behind it. Hard work, determination, blood, sweat, and tears, that’s how my name is getting out there into Hip-Hop; now it’s circulating. There’s no big name out there that doesn’t know who I am.

24: You stated you wanted to bring Hip-Hop back to the forefront; when it was real. What elements are you adding back into the game to bring Hip-Hop back to a time when it was genuine and really meant something?

Haitian Fresh: People are scared of the unknown. When you get me, you hear good music. You’ll hear me with Lil Boosie, Wyclef, Busta Rhymes; big names in the game and I haven’t even dropped a video yet. I’ve got people vouching for me, because I’ve took something that never had a chance in Hip-Hop. Anybody can write 16 bars and anybody can get lucky and write a hit song, but it’s like I’m bringing the damn country to the game; I want to make music for everybody. Longtime ago people used to do Hip-Hop, because they loved Hip-Hop, not because of how much money was in it. I’m not in it for the money or the fame, but for the change. I’m the Obama of the game. Nobody knows where he came from, but Obama believed in himself and made people believe in him. All it took was for people to do a little research and listen to him. They just saw him as a regular black man and were ready to give him the X, but when they gave him a chance and let him talk and give a speech, it was over. My speech is going to be when my first video comes out, I got hits after hits andmy videos are going to be something phenomenal. The industry is like a pussy and I’m like that guy who’s been in prison for fifteen years, so of course when a nigga get out of prison and he gets a little piece of that pussy and what do you think he’s going to do to that pussy? He’s going to fuck the shit out of it! The industry is like my pussy right now. A lot of people foreplay it, fingered it, and rubbed it, but they never laid a nut. I’m going to make it nut, because I know what I stand for and what I’m bringing. I’m like a bull, when I’m out the cage, it’s over!

24: You said you’re not in it for the fame and the money; you’re in it for the culture. When did Hip-Hop inspire you? What was your inspiration?

Haitian Fresh: Hip-Hop is a way to let the world know about my people. You can have three white people die and see it all over CNN, but when five hundred people die in Haiti you don’t see it. You see CNN giving a rush through with a few clips. I feel that once I get out there and my name starts getting heard more and more, I’m going to let people know how it is in Haiti. I’m going to take trips every month of every year, and use Hip-Hop to show the world that my people are more then what people say. We are one of the hardest working people in America. I want the Haitian press to come after me, so I could let them know, the next ones are going to be bigger.

24: Now let’s get into your music, I’ve heard numerous amounts of artists say that when they listen to a beat, the beat tells them what to write, does that same element go for you?

Haitian Fresh: Not really. The beat is apart of it, but I think about what message can I send out. If you listen to my music I don’t try to make words sound alike, that’s a rapper. I’m known for making hits, I’ve dropped three songs in Florida and they’ve all been classics. The consistency is there. I’d rather be known as someone who can make hits, not someone who can rap real well. I know a billion niggas that could rap real well, but I only see twenty of them on TV and why is that, because you have to make a hit song to get on TV. So basically I make hits, I’m not the best rapper and neither do I want to be known as the best rapper, but I’m a true artist. A true artist is someone who can get on stage and give a real show. When you get Haitian Fresh, you get a real show. I’d rather have a hundred thousand fans that will stay with me forever, then have a million fans that won’t mess with you the next year.

24: It’s evident that you’re trying to spit the truth and send a message through your music for your country and to your people. What projects do you have coming in the future?

Haitian Fresh: The music is only the beginning and as I told you before, I’m going to be a legend in the game. I’ve got movies and TV shows coming, plus I want to help other people. I’m not going to be in the game, make millions and not bring something back home. People who have asked were answered, people who have seen it, seen it. I spend a lot of money like, every two months I clean out my closet and I send clothes and things to Haiti, along with money. I do the best I can do. I’m blessed with everything I have. A lot of people have, but don’t give. I’ve done motivational speeches in schools, for Katrina victims, and for the Juvenile system. I’ve done shows for free, I’ve given out turkeys for thanksgiving and jackets, because it s about to be cold, but I don’t need any credit. If you’re going to do something, just do it. Be the best you can.I get a bunch of people who come to me like, ‘Fresh I gotta hit song,’ ‘I’m like okay, but I don’t know you, I’ve never met you.’ To me it’s like, grind, you need to grind. I’m not going to give it to you because nobody ever gave it to me. When you grinding and you get in the game then I’ll know you because I’ll hear people talking about you. That’s how Wyclef found out about me! He heard about me. Who ever I work with, I guarantee that my album will be platinum! I’m predicting that in the next four or five months, with the right label behind me and video; BET is going to be mine.

24: I’ve heard on the streets that the ‘Jockin Jay-Z’ track kind of intertwined with what you were trying to do. What’s your side of the story?

Haitian Fresh: Well as you said, you heard it from the street. I’m nobody right now compared to a Jay-Z, who’s got his name in a certain status. I don’t want anybody saying that I’m using Jay-Z’s name to get some fame. Haitian Fresh did it by himself, but I’m going to let you be the judge and come up wit your own decision. Go to 24HourHipHip.com and watch that video, then look at mine that came out a year ago. It’s too many similarities, but at the same time I didn’t believe what everyone was saying, I thought it was just a coincident. That s why you didn’t see that video come out and why we didn’t go crazy with it. The songs were too similar. Not discrediting Jay-Z, but the song went worldwide to the point where anybody could have heard it. ‘Gon Joc’ is one of the biggest records to hit South Florida; only a year old, but it’s a classic. ‘Gon Joc’ and ‘Jockin’ Jay-Z’ is too familiar; too close.

24: Do you think that was directed to you on any personal level?

Haitian Fresh: I’m not going to say that. It might have been coincidence, he might have heard the record and said it sounded good and then redid it, but I don’t know. To keep it real with you, at the end of the day, Jay-Z could sit there and make a hit song any day. I would never sit there and be like, ‘Oh Jay-Z stole my song and he copied me,’ because it would be dumb; I’d laugh at myself, but the similarities are there. It’s just very ironic. I mean if you playing my song then so be it.

24: So just for the fans. You’re saying that you have no animosity towards Jay-Z?

Haitian Fresh: No, I have no animosity towards Jay-Z. Jay-Z’s done a lot for people in the game. He’s one of those rappers that I truly respect.

24: How did Wyclef hear about you?

Haitian Fresh: Grinding and people hearing my name. I’m one of the guys that don’t adhere to the word no. Whatever I say, do or want is going to happen. It might take slower then usual, but it’s going to happen. Three years ago I was on the cover Of Ace Magazine; they were doing a feature on Miami and Memorial Day weekend and on the cover it was me and some cars and there was some writing that said ‘Wyclef pass me the torch.’ Now I said that like three years ago and it happened! In one of my songs you’ll hear Wyclef saying, ‘Haitian Fresh, I pass the torch to you,’ and he doesn’t even know about that magazine. Whatever I say is going to happen.

24: So when it comes down to Miami, how did the affiliation with Zoe Pound, Redd Eyezz, and Strictly Business come along?

Haitian Fresh: People have got to give Redd Eyezz his credit. He’s been the game for awhile and has got a real good team behind him. Zoe Pound is like my family and I want to rep it in away. Zoe Pound has done a lot of good things. Zoe Pound stands for Braveness; people who are going to believe in what they stand for. I’ve got mixtape with me and a lot of people from the Zoe Pound family.

24: Since your grind is there and we hear about you around the streets, when do we expect to see a debut album?

Haitian Fresh: I want every independent artist to listen to this. There is no point in dropping an album without TV shine. I predict my album to drop next year 09 or 2010. Preferably, once I get on television and distributions on the way. Once on television, it will come quicker then I expect, because now the fans want it. I’ve got so many songs that it’s like to the point where I can drop a single every three months.I’m going to do a whole album in just Creole, which is going to be a special one. Half of the proceeds from that album will go to Haiti. I might even drop two of the same album, one in Creole and one in English, because we got to remember there are Haitian Americans and some that you don’t even know are Haitians.

24: What would you say sets you aside from every other artist in the game right now?

Haitian Fresh: Television time, skepticism; a lot of people are scared of what’s new. I’m bringing my own name to the game and that’s what sets me apart. I don’t have to worry about dropping one hit and then two three months down the line the song fades and I’m out the game. I don’t have to worry about that. I make hits, Haitian Fresh makes hits and that’s a big difference. If you hear a song and my name is next to it, you don’t even have to wonder, because you already know it’s a hit. My name alone, Haitian Fresh, it’s a name on its own. I’ve been a boss before the name. A lot of people didn’t come in the game as a boss. I’m a real boss and I’m coming in ready. Wyclef is like a nuclear bomb and me, I’m the ammunition. Haitian Fresh is guaranteed to change the face of Hip-Hop. It’s already written and there is nothing anyone can do. God himself is going to have to come down a change that. I’m not trying to be like other people. I look up to Ice Cube; he came as a gangster, but wasn’t afraid to go back and say, I love my family and God. His last single was a very positive song if you listen to the lyrics.I’m going to be legend. 50 Cent is going to be a legend along with Jay-Z. To me Wyclef is the biggest legend of them all and that’s not because I’m signed with him, it’s because he’s done it worldwide. He’s the first Hip-Hop artist to perform in front of 2 billion people at the World Cup. He’s worked with the best; he’s an icon. He’s worldwide.

24: Thank you for providing 24hourhiphop.com with this exclusive interview; you do have any last word for your present and future fans?

Haitian Fresh: I want to thank all my fans, just hold on a little bit more. It took Jesus along time to prove that he was Jesus (laughing), but shouts out to my lord and savior, I don’t go to church a lot but I believe that he blessed me. To my street hustlers, get your money, be safe and Haitian Fresh is here to stay and I’m coming, I’m coming like a muthafucking tornado; category eight. Thank you to everyone that’s ever supported me, I love you all. Shouts out to Rick Ross, Pleasure P, one of the hardest working artists I know. Jeezy, who’s like my family, Lil Wayne, the whole Cash Money click, the whole ‘Be Strong’ movement, Ace Hood, DJ Khaled, Busta, the whole Jim Jones click, Yung Joc, Shawty Lo, T.I., Plies, Brisco, Flo Rida, Wyclef, RP Solo, Black, ZMF family and every Haitian I ever met and that died, everybody in lock up, who don’t know if their coming home or coming home soon. I want to shout out to all my independent artists, Daytona; my city, the whole Zoe Pound family, Redd Eyezz, Zenn; one of the hardest working muthafuckas in the game and I’m only saying that, because I approve it. Shouts out to Platinum Sound, Jerry Wonder, Leeky, which is my road manager, Guy T Ent, Chyna, Precious, Connie, the whole family and if I forgot anyone I’m sorry. All my DJ’s, national and international; DJ Quik, DJ Crunch One, DJ Def, DJ Strong, DJ Blaze, DJ Slim, DJ Real, DJ Griot, DJ Nasty, DJ Push, DJ Bigga Rankin, DJ Suicide, DJ Khaled, DJ Sam Sneak, DJ Smalls, underground DJ’s , DJ Marque and 92.7. All the fans, Daytona, Miami, Tallahassee, Orlando, all the beautiful ladies and single moms, thank you. My daughter Jamiyah; the love of my life, my princess and my number one fan, I love you. She’s who I do it for!