Fre$H

Emerging from the Sunnyside area of south Houston, rapper and songwriter Fre$H delivers his rhymes with a smooth sing-rap style that draws from the spirits of Travis Scott and Chris Brown. Originally performing as Short Dawg, he later changed his name and issued his debut full-length, Fre$hism, in 2018. Born Supreme Williams, he started as a Def Jam signee in the early 2000s, transitioning to Young Money in 2009. As Short Dawg, he issued a number of mixtapes, including the Southern Flame Spitta series, and combined the Houston-area chopped and screwed style with wordy bars similar to Young Money founder Lil Wayne. In the late 2010s, he parted with the label and rebranded as Fre$H, adopting a more laid back vocal style that incorporated melodic verses and atmospheric production. The first taste of this new sound arrived in the form of single “Petty” with 50 Cent and 2 Chainz. He followed with the March Madness 4 EP, which featured appearances by RL, Iamsu, 2 Chainz, and Trinidad James. His debut full-length as Fre$H was released that autumn. Fre$hism included “Petty” as well as guests Chris Brown, Wiz Khalifa, Kap G, and more. ~ Neil Z. Yeung