Music
The rise of Fredo
In celebration of his new album Third Avenue, here's a rundown of how the West London artist quickly became one of the UK's biggest rappers.
Fredo is arguably one of the biggest figures in UK rap right now, and he’s reached this level in record timing. Since 2016 the North West London artist has amassed millions and millions of views on YouTube, generated impressive streaming numbers and even rapped on a number one record. With the recent release of his album Third Avenue and a UK tour on the way, let’s take a look back at how he reached this point.
When he broke through, eagle-eyed UK rap fans might have recognised Fredo’s face from videos by other artists. A member of West London crew Harrow Road Boyz, you can see him backing his bredrins like Rugrat and Ratlin.
Fredo burst onto the scene with one of the highest viewed debut videos in March 2016 with They Ain’t 100, delivering a street anthem that instantly catapulted him to the forefront of UK road rap. Listeners quickly turned the song into a street anthem, with a hook that was shouted in clubs and raves up and down the country. This culminated in it reaching the ears of Drake, who’s known for his knowledge and respect for other world markets, and They Ain’t 100 featured in an episode of OVO Radio on Beats1. The incredible thing about this, however? It all took off while Fredo was in jail.
However, soon after the release of the anthemic debut, Tim Westwood called Fredo up for a Crib Session over the summer of 2016, where he brought along some other buzzing names in UK rap scene – Ratlin, Young Adz and Shak Corleone – for an energetic session which, for reasons unbeknown to myself, has been removed from YouTube.
That summer Fredo also dropped his second single Pattern Gang, letting us know a full length project was en route. This triumphant announcement that he had arrived was what earned him a spot on Kojo Funds and Abra Cadabra’s raucous Dun Talkin remix, alongside UK stars such as Yxng Bane, JME and Frisco.
Every journey has its obstacles and breaks. In 2017 Fredo faced a short stint in jail at the top of the year. However, once he was released, he hit the ground with both feet running, releasing the street banger Like That and once again setting the streets alight. It became clear that the people were desperate for a full length project, and they didn’t have to wait too long. Despite coming in and out of jail, he beat both cases, then he dropped his debut project Get Rich or Get Recalled, signalling the direction in which he wanted his life to go towards.
His star continued to rise, as around a year of his debut single being released, he earned his spot on Charlie Sloth’s infamous Fire in the Booth freestyle series. Charlie must have liked what he heard, because soon after he got a placement on Charlie’s album The Plug. Fredo also dropped a heater with fellow luxury rapper Blade Brown, secured his second appearance at Wireless festival and did his first headline tour. All this while keeping up his links and dropping bangers with his boys from Harrow Road.
Labels quickly realised there was a star rising and clamoured to get him on side, and Fredo eventually opted to side with Sony’s Since '93 division. In 2018, Fredo dropped his second full length project, Tables Turn, which reached number five in the UK Album Chart. Boasting big singles such as Playin’ for Keeps, Rappin’ and Trappin’ and What It Is, he stamped a clear mark on his position in the game. The body of work also included a collaboration with American rappers Desiigner and Dave East, although it was eventually pulled from the project.
Later that year, Fredo dropped Ayy Caramba – a bouncy summer anthem with Nottingham duo Young T & Bugsey. While filming of the video out in Ibiza, social media was keen to observe how much Fredo was enjoying socialising with the models on the Spanish island.
Unwilling to rest, Fredo dropped collaborations with two massive rappers who have crossed over to the mainstream. One was Problem, a surprise verse added to the original tune by Yxng Bane, which had been a short but standout cut from his mixtape HBK: The Prequel. The other one, however, is one you may have heard on your radio, or seen on your screens. For a few weeks, this song was inescapable. Of course, I mean Funky Friday, the number one record that was a collaboration between Dave and Fredo.
An unashamed road rap anthem based round a niche reference to a popular weekend ice rink disco in South London, many were surprised when the record ran to the top of the charts. But against all odds, it streamed to number one, shooting these stars into an entirely new stratosphere.
Having dropped two singles in BMT and Survival of the Fittest and collaborated with German rapper Luciano, Fredo has dropped his album Third Avenue. The night before the album release, he teased another new collaboration with Dave, entitled All I’ve Ever Wanted. A stark contrast to Funky Friday, the rappers discuss the darkness that has haunted them. It hits like a cautionary tale with 808s all over it.
Throughout the album, it’s clear Fredo knows his sound – and he’s sure in it, too. Booming instrumentals leave him just enough space to to deliver visceral raps with conviction. His lyrics can be described almost as hyper efficient – he delivers sturdy bars with convincing authority. On tracks like Morning and Property Picking he narrates the world around him and tells about the world he lives. And although I doubt I’d describe a Fredo track as emotional, on other cuts such as Love You For That (an ode to his mother and her endless love, a classic rap theme) and Pray For You, he proceeds to tell us how the life he’s led has affected him and the people in close proximity. In short, hello world. Fredo has arrived.
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