| Fab 5 Freddy | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Birth name |
Fred Brathwaite |
|
Born |
August 31, 1959 |
|
Origin |
Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
|
Genre |
|
|
Occupation(s) |
Visual artist, filmmaker, rapper |
|
Years active |
1979-present |
|
Associated acts |
Beside |
Fred Brathwaite (born 31 August 1959), better known by his stage name Fab 5 Freddy, is an American visual artist, filmmaker, rapper and hip hop pioneer. He emerged in New York's downtown underground creative scene in the late 1970s as a camera operator and a regular guest on Glenn O'Brien's public access cable show TV Party. There he met Chris Stein and Debbie Harry of the new wave band Blondie, who immortalized him on the 1981 song "Rapture" with the line "Fab 5 Freddy told me everybody's fly". In the late 1980s, Fab 5 Freddy became the first host of the groundbreaking and first internationally telecast hip hop music video show Yo! MTV Raps.