Let’s Get to Know Budding & Talented Rapper FreshfromDE

The hip hop industry today, with a couple of exceptions, is pretty lame and boring compared to what it was even 10-15 years ago.  There isn’t much that stands out in a see of auto-tune and dudes mumbling.  Luckily, there are some up and comers who plan on changing the game with actually rapping (and good to boot), style, sick beats and more.  FreshfromDE is one of those people.

FreshfromDE caught our eye a little while back with the release of his amazing track “High on Myself” off his new work called “The Ritual” (more here).  Because of that, we felt it was necessary to go more in depth and see what this Delaware native is all about, both in and out of the studio.

Check out our exclusive with FreshfromDE, discussing how he got his stage name, thoughts on the rap game in Delaware versus NYC, and plans for a hopeful future.

How did you come up with your stage name? 

Well my first name is Douglass and growing up I was always referred to as “Doug-E-Fresh” so you could say I was called “Fresh” ever since I was young. Then my first email I ever made just so happen to be “FreshfromDE@—-” but I never would have expected it to be a good name for me until now. I went by “dFresh” for lot of my earlier work but officially changed it to “FreshfromDE” last year when I dropped one of my most popular songs “Aston Martin.”

What artists influenced you into choosing this as a profession?

I started writing when I was 10 and that passion later transferred into music. I feel like the artists that influenced me the most were my older peers. Watching them make beats, rap, and record themselves really inspired me to step up my writing and get some other technical skills under my belt like recording and making beats. They were the ones that told me about schools for audio and sound.  Through those schools I learned so many new skills that made me focus and want to better my artistry more and more.

You are of course from Delaware. Being that NYC is known as the epicenter of hip-hop, can you describe what the scene like there is?

Being that there hasn’t been an abundance of hip-hop artists that have come from Delaware, I don’t have too much to reference from the past. But I can say there are some good artist emerging now with wide ranges of hip-hop. From 90s RnB to some live trap, Delaware has a range of different styles for such a small state. One thing that might be noted is that if you listen to enough good Delaware artists they have a certain “Mid-Atlantic Bounce” to their flow at times. This is a regional style that ranges from Delaware and Maryland to Pennsylvania and lower parts of New Jersey.

What has been your favorite song you have recorded so far, and why?

One of my favorite songs I’ve recorded is called “Weight in Gold” off my new project, “The Ritual” (all produced by Roca Beats).  It is my favorite so far because of the concept of us all wanting our “weight in gold” and the recording experience. I had the flow/ rhythm of the hook for a while but I didn’t put the words to it. Then when i officially sat down work on it, I wrote it the day before, rehearsed it, and did the whole song the next day. I was in the zone and I feel like you can hear it on the song.

Do you have a dream artist that you are dying to work with?

I would say Kendrick Lamar. I think him and I could make a bunch of stuff. I think mainly because of his beat selection, concepts, and versatility, we could fit together on a lot of different songs.

Tell us about your new single “High on Myself”.  How did you come up with it?

I’m not exactly sure if it was one concrete thing but I do remember when I was a kid my Mom would use the term “high on myself” to explain her everlasting upbeat attitude. That was for sure the inspiration for this song, and then I put my own twist on it.

What else do you have going on this year?

Besides “The Ritual” dropping soon we have videos for “Aston Martin” and “High on Myself” in the works. I just got back from SXSW in Austin and I plan to hit A3C in Atlanta in October where I hope to perform as well.

In closing, what is your biggest professional dream?

I dream to set a new standard in hip-hop with my skill and attention to detail. And with that I see myself becoming the new face of hip-hop.

For more information on FreshfromDE, check out his official Twitter page.