Freak Nasty

Born in Atlanta, Georgia and raised in Louisiana, American rapper Freak Nasty (real name Eriq Timmons) would first make a name for himself as a DJ and producer before coming to the fore as an emcee. Initially serving as a host and in-house producer for New Orleans crew PxMxWx in 1993 under the alias DJ Razor Cut, he later made his rap debut as Freak Nasty in 1994 with a self-titled solo album, released via local label Hotlanta Music. The LP found regional success in Georgia, and was succeeded by the more successful 1996 follow-up Controversee… That’s Life… And that’s the Way It Is. While the album didn’t make an instant impact, the self-produced single “Da’ Dip” gradually proved a sleeper hit. After a push from Virgin Records, the track rose to number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1997, later obtaining RIAA platinum certification. Timmons’ third album, Which Way Is Up? (2000), yielded a minor hit in the form of 1998’s “Do What U Feel”, which peaked at number 33 on the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks chart. After a string of commercially insignificant albums in the early 2000s, he returned to the Hot 100 with the 2005 crunk/rap-rock hybrid “Do It Just Like a Rockstar” (featuring Crazy Mike), which peaked at number 45 and later appeared on his 2007 double album Freaknotic/Crunk City. Timmons has since released several more albums including 2018’s Smoke It Up. To this day, “Da Dip” in particular has enjoyed an enduring legacy, going on to be interpolated by Detroit rapper Danny Brown on his 2013 single “Dip” and global superstar Cardi B on her 2017 Hot 100 chart-topper “Bodak Yellow”.