New Orleans rapper Big Freedia marked Mardi Gras with a delirious new track, “Best Beeleevah.” The song appears on Freedia’s new Spotify playlist, “The Sound of Bounce,” which celebrates the bombastic New Orleans style of hip-hop.
“Best Beeleevah” is rooted in a sample of Harry Belafonte’s “Jump in the Line (Shake, Señora)” and injects the classic tune’s delightful kettle drum melody with an explosive, speaker-rattling edge. Freedia presides over this blistering beat with gargantuan aplomb, bellowing the track’s euphoric refrain.
“Best Beeleevah” marks Big Freedia’s third new song of the year, following two collaborations with Ms. Tee, “Side Ho” and “Good Times.” Last September, she teamed with Mannie Fresh for another new single, “Dive.” Big Freedia is reportedly prepping a new album that’s expected to arrive this year. Her last record, Just Be Free, was released in 2014, while in 2016 she shared an EP, A Very Big Freedia Christmazz.
Big Freedia is on tour this spring opening for LCD Soundsystem and in May she’ll perform at Jazz Fest in New Orleans. Later that month, she’ll launch a European tour.
