“I truly believe there needs to be more programs for artists and musicians to teach basic financial literacy and planning. Coming from where I came from, I know that I could have used that kind of assistance.”

American rapper, singer, and performer

Big Freedia is the stage name of Freddie Ross Jr., an American rapper, singer, and performer. She is known for her work in New Orleans bounce music, and for helping bring the genre wider attention after it had remained largely underground since the early 1990s. Her performances and recordings are closely tied to bounce, a style of hip-hop rooted in New Orleans. She is often associated with the music's rise beyond local scenes, and her work has helped define how the genre is heard outside its home city.