This installment of “Forgotten Beefs” is also somewhat of a mystery to me, in that there is very little information on the basis of it. Freddie Foxxx has experienced many ups and downs in the rap game, but has maintained his position as one of hip-hop’s most enduring tough guys. Originally slated for vocal duties on “Eric B. Is President”, a young upstart named Rakim Allah turned out to be a more than capable replacement. Foxxx dropped his first solo effort three years later, and with Eric B. as executive producer it was no suprise that the album was equal parts classic brag rap (“Freddie Foxxx Is Here”) and sappy ballads (“Forever”).
The standout track – I’m Ready – sources it’s hook from Freddie’s first record as a member of Supreme Force “Handlin Things/You Gotta Come Out Fresh” (NIA,1986). But with the number of incredible hip-hop records being released in 1989, Foxxx’s confident, old-school influenced delivery may have come-off a little dated amidst the advanced techniques displayed by Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane and Kool Keith. But it was musically where the album really struggled, utilizing cheesy keyboard riffs over familiar breakbeats, which would have been fresh in ’86, but couldn’t compete with Marley and Ced‘s cutting-edge programming. That said, the five or so good tracks make this an album worth tracking-down if you don’t already own it.
KRS introduced Foxxx to a new generation of listeners after unleashing him on two tracks from the incredible Sex and Violence album, and before long he was aligned with the second incarnation of the Flavor Unit, which replaced hardcore members like Lakim Shabazz and Lord Alibaski with more the commercially viable Naughty By Nature and Zhane. The only original members remaining were Latifah, Latee and Apache. After making an impression with his show-stopping appearence on “Roll Wit The Flava”, Freddie recorded an album with S.I.D. Reynolds (the new in-house producer for the Unit after the 45 King‘s fall from grace). Possibly due to a luke-warm review in The Source, Crazy LikeA Foxxx (Flavor Unit/Epic) never saw a proper commercial release. The project did yield “So Tough” however, the b-side of which has had me scratching my head since it came out.
Crazy Like A Foxxx dedicates an entire verse to the original dismasters (no, not Raven T or Chuck Chillout), and details Freddie hunting down and stomping out Ultramagnetic members DJ Moe Luv, Ced Gee and Kool Keith (TR Love is spared for some reason). Considering that Ultra have never been afraid to take shots at the competiton, both on record and in their videos, this isn’t all that remarkable. The thing is, I can’t recall ever hearing anything about this feud. I have no idea what sparked it, and apparently Ultra never officially responded.
Could it be that the Bronx Bombers were, in the immortal words of Sponnie Gee and Jerry Lee Lewis, “all shook up” by this mic-wielding hardrock? Or was this aired-out on a radio show that I never heard?
The only possible link that I can make between Foxxx and Ultra goes back the First (and only) Annual Rappers Charity Boxing Title, which pitted rappers with handskills against their cross-coastal rivals. Match-ups included Willie D v. Melle Mel, and a scheduled fight between Ultra-affiliate Tim Dog and Dope E from The Terrorists (A Houston group signed to Rap-A-Lot). The thing is, Tim Dog never showed up, so Freddie had to step in and fight Dope E after having already won his own match. Bumpy Knuckles went on to win the tournament, and held it down for the East-coast. In his acceptance speech, he called-out the author of “Fuck Compton” for fronting on the event. I can’t find the original article, but I remember Freddie saying something about “rappers who make records like “Step To Me” but can’t get into the ring.”
Here’s an excerpt from a recent interview from Tha Formula:
ThaFormula.com – Willie D knocked Mel out?
Freddie Foxxx – One punch B, and Melle Mel is way bigger then him. Willie D wasn’t crying that skinny guy shit cause Willie D is not no big dude, but his hand game was together. This dude Dope E was fighting like a broad man. I was like “where the fuck did you all get this cornball ass muthafucka from?” Tim Dog should have came in there and broke his ass up. That’s what he should have did, but he didn’t even show up.
Since Tim was down with Ultramagnetic, it’s possible Keith and them may have dissed Foxxx somewhere in retaliation for his comments about Tim Dog, which in turn lead to “Crazy Like A Foxxx”. This is pure speculation however. Anybody who knows the real story behind this, please let me know. Apparently Foxxx has also shitted-on Dres from Blacksheep on a track or two as well.
Audio:
Freddie Foxxx – I’m Ready (Freddie Foxxx Is Here, MCA, 1989).
Freddie Foxxx – Crazy Like A Foxxx (b-side of So Tough 12″ single, Flavor Unit/Epic, 1994).
Annual Rappers Charity Boxing Title??? that shit is crazy. willie d is straight gangsta.
I met Melle Mel, the guy is huge, I think almost everyone in the rap game is afraid of Foxxx, anybody know what rappers he ghostwrote for?…
Foxx on one of his recent albums says “Sorry Dres your just to white”. Just goes down as one of the many race hater lines Foxxx has. Check out the track Konexion for his spray about not being about to trust white people. Funny bastard !!!
excellent write up. I never knw about this beef. At all. Now I’m smarter than all my hip-hop friends.
“The master” was by far the best track on the first Freddie Foxxx album.
A few rumors about the Kool Keith and Foxxx beef – Keith bounced to L.A because he was so shook, Foxxx got into a brawl and his jeans happened to come down to reveal he was wearing panties..
Whatever the case may be, “crazy like a foxxx” is one of the most slept on dis tracks ever.
“Foxxx got into a brawl and his jeans happened to come down to reveal he was wearing panties..”
I would be so disillusioned with the world if that turned out to be true.
Don’t know if this the start but i’m pretty sure that Foxxx’s “Crazy Like a Foxxx” was a direct response to Ultramagnetics (actually Kool Keith solo) “Yo Black”. In which there is a piece were Keith takes shots at most of the New Flavor Unit. To Foxxx In particular there is “why would you put a Foxxx against an alligator”. I remember hanging out with Kool Keith a lil before that Foxxx diss came out and we were just talking and he just asked me, “what do you think about Freddie Foxxx” and told him I thought he was dope and he asked why and I explained that he was just raw or whatever and that was it he never dissed him or said anything else and then like a couple weeks later I heard “crazy like a foxxx”…
I interviewed Kool Keith a little while after the Crazy Like A Foxxx single dropped. Keith had moved to L.A. and told me that when he was taking a trip from NYC to LA that Freddie Foxxx happened to be on the same plane. Foxxx was furious about the Yo Black!diss, and Kool Keith was very worried about taking a serious beatdown, right there and then on the plane. He told me he tried placating Foxxx by saying to Foxxx that the line wasn’t a diss and that he liked rhyming about animals. Anyway, it seems they ironed out their differences during the plane trip, and everything was cool. Keith sounded nervous of Foxxx though!
Also, Foxx and Keith did a song together for Keith’s “Matthew” album called “keith and Bumpy.”
The Freddy Fox diss to UltraMagnetic actually started because of the line that Kool Keith spits on the Fourhorsmen track “Yo Black”. “How can you put up a fox against an aligator/I’ll chew your crew one by one like a now or later/
Freddy assumed Ultra took a shot at him in a slick subliminal way (Which they were known for). It even went as far as Freddy Stepping to Keith after they got off an airplane while doing a show. Since that time though, Ultra and Freddy Fox are all tight!! They chilled together at Lord Finesse sponsored show last year in New York.
damn. this is some good information. i forgot about that line in yo black(dope song btw).
sex and violence is so rawww.
“Somebody Else Bumped Your Girl” is a track I still play to this day-you should expose that-I
saw Freddie and Treach come a half second away of beating down a dreadlocked mc at Jack the Rapper years ago (the un-named dread kid wanted NONE!!)real funny shit! Freddie goes down as one of the most overlooked mc’s, which is sad ’cause his underground joints are nasty
FREESTYLE PROFESSORS are back RELEASING YOUR POCKETS BEEN PICKED THE ALBUM SOON
I have been looking for a track that freddy fox was on and the chorus goes, “got flava for days” anyone got any ideas of the song..
peace
was this charity boxing event ever filmed?
i would love to see it,
there must be a copy somewhere….
I’m sure all of these comments are old, but where do you guys get this bullshit from. I have never heard a kool keith dis about me EVER. I ran into him in San Francisco years ago walking down the street with some guys (don’t know them) he was so fucking scared when he saw me, I thought he was gonna shit his pants. I didn’t have a street beef with him so I gave him a pass. As far as all that other homo shit about panties and all that. C’mon man, stop the fruity shit man. This blog was sent to Bumpy Knuckles by his own BLOG Finder Team.
Oh yea, I never dissed Dres either. What the fuck are you listening to.
So is it true that you did a track whit him on his matthew album called Keitn and Bumpy?
Yo, BK man, Im just reading about you and the R. Im disappointed to hear this cuz Im a fan of you both and I wish you increased success in your future works. I just wanna say that I read the quote that you allegedly base your vendetta on and I think youre misreading what Rakim said. Seems to me like what he said was that ‘BACK THEN you werent ferocious like that.’ Maybe you were maybe you werent but the INFERENCE that I get from his quote was that hes sayin that TODAY you ARE ferocious. You get what Im sayin? It seems like a lot of these beefs are unneccessary cuz they are later resolved upon realization of the intended meaning. I understand that yall have history from the pre-fame era but I trust you brothers can work it out so that the community isnt divided again on some stupid shit similar to how the media set the pretext for Pac and Big to be killed.
Maybe Ra WAS tryin to subtly dis in the interview, but it seems to me that he was acknowledging and admitting that you ARE “ferocious” now. But hey maybe this controversy will bring attention to 2 MCs who deserve it.
Peace
^^^
Start Peace..
dude kirk you idiot learn to listen, you my friend are in no way connected, hear what he says right after he says that whole white man can’t be trusted, something along the lines of all you niggas disgust me
Do it (STRICKTLY LYRICALLY)for 10 gees winner take all at the apollo or some shit . Ra vs Foxxx.2 me both cats are REAL hip hop,,among some others.
That is not Freddie Foxxx on “Keith N Bumpy.” Listen to the song, that is not his voice.
Let me tell yall I had a beef with Freddy Foxxx back in the day. One day I wa sin the village smoking some high grade and I got really hungry so I goes to BBQ’s right there on University. I’m like starving so I order a huge steak with the cornbread and fries with one of those big ass marguritas. I drink the whole margurita before my food comes and so now I gotta piss. I tell my waiter i’ll be right back and hit the bathroom. It was a long liquor piss and when I get back my foods on the table but there is this big mfer eating it. Now i’m pissed off hungry and all so I says “hey you f*ckin barbarian get your greasy paws off my steak” and smack him in the back of the neck. The guy gets up and turns around and its Freddie F-ing Foxxx. Now i’m like holy sh*t cause I read the blog about him beating up rappers and I also saw his picture in F.E.D.S magazine with real drug dealers Fat Cat and Pappy Mason. Anyway Foxxx eats the steak whole in one bite and then grabs me around the neck with one hand and lifts me off the floor. Now my eyes are all bulging outta my head like a damn cartoon or something and a crowd forms. Luckily i’m a trained ventriloquist so when Foxxx turned to look at the crowd (who by the way had started to chant “chokeslam, chokeslam)I was able to thow my voice and say “hey is that Freddie Foxxx? Can you autograph my 12′ copy of ‘So Rough’?” Foxxx let me go and said “where kid, where are ya?” and I said “over here Mr. Foxxx on the floor” Then when freddie bent down to look on the floor I had a chance to drop on his head a 1000 pound acme anvil that I had bought on the corner of 6th ave and 9th st earlier before I got high. When the anvil landed on Freddie’s torso the steak popped out of his somach and I snatched it and ran out the BBQ’s.
^^^^^ you sir are a real funny dude… Here’s my Foxxx Sighting a few years back maybe 06 while at home depot, picking up something can’t really remember what it was but anyway. Foxxx was standing next to me shopping for a new handle for his new door he just had put in, he turns to me then ask what do I think of it. Now I’m standing next to Foxxx mind you and all I can see is this dudes big ass hands, Bumpy Knockles needless to say I said that’s vary nice, And was able to continue keeping my teeth and all in my mouth for days to come…
You motherfuckers dont know shit been working for him last 3 years i never met a more noble person in my life, this all bullshit you talking and then say it to his face and their comes the problem, you guys havent got the nerve because you know its insultive and respectless, and i would be pissing al over you people when somebody talks about me like that get a fucking life !!!! Come out in the open guys
Rakim and Kool Keith are two rappers you don’t EVER want to battle. It’s a short list of names in all hip-hop history who could go up against either of those dudes and not end up sounding like an total amateur assclown. Freddie Fox just ain’t close to being on that list. He had to retaliate physically because he could never touch R’s or Kool Keith lyrically or musically, and he knows it.
i seen The R screw face Foxx at Bill Blass Funeral and Foxx put his head down,,didn’t want nothin with the God,the God kept lookin like say something now,then Foxx walked up the block and never came back
I didn’t have a problem with dude either. Freddie kept it 100. People make him out to be some untamed savage. Crazy. I spent time recording with him in the Cutting room in the 90’s. Bumpy actually changed my perspective on some industry things to. Shot out to Bumpy Knucks