“Twerking - and it's a lot more than twerking - comes from a long history of music and dance in New Orleans. Twerkin' happen around the world for a long time now, so I'm very excited that it's coming into the public eye, as long as it's respected.”

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.