“When people think of New Orleans they think about Hot Boyz and baggie clothes, like, just this old era. Like no, it’s lit now. We swaggin’ now. People doing new stuff. Ya’ll need to tap in and see what’s going on. I think that’s what we’re here for”
For much of the 90’s, New Orleans was a fertile juggernaut of a city that would eventually yield some of rap music’s greatest artists. The independent success of No Limit & Cash Money effectively consecrated the city, canonizing Louisiana as the irrefutable king of Southern rap. The Hot Boyz became the city’s new tastemakers. The platinum plaques matched the armored plating. Lil Wayne’s meteoric rise to stardom, however, proved to eclipse the regional success of the Hot Boyz altogether. And sadly, No Limit’s platinum tanks fell out of fashion far too quickly.
Now, fast-forward to 2005; the breached levees, the historic flooding, the tragic devastation of New Orleans. Katrina ripped away homes and businesses down to their foundations. The subsequent exodus of lifelong residents wiped the culture of that slab clean. That eclectic charm, that flavor and warmth and vibrance that pervaded every corner of the Big Easy – that too drowned in that flood water.
“Like Frankie said, it’s Cash Money/No Limit, then it’s Katrina, then it’s everything that’s happening right now. Each of those are ten-year gaps. Nobody is here for this part of the rebuilding of the city. It’s our job to be there and be the forefront of what’s happening in New Orleans”
It’s 2018. That’s where Freewater Studios enters the story. Doing their part in rebuilding New Orleans meant creating a new platform for local talent that honors the art of Louisiana culture and can compete, creatively, with the biggest names in the country. Founded by Frankie Watts and Dominick ‘Mardi’ Byrd, Freewater has evolved into a full-service creative agency with a central location in the city’s warehouse district, providing a platform for Louisiana’s likeminded, multimedia creatives, be it in photography, video, music production, clothing design, event planning, or “whatever else we feel like doing”.
“Freewater started with the concept of throwing a party”
Their insulated approach to creative direction parallels other similar agencies, such as A$AP Rocky’s AWGE or Lyrical Lemonade, brainchild of videographer Cole Bennett. Where Freewater differs is in their unique, community-oriented approach to it all – signature live events held throughout the year become intimate moments of gathering & communal embrace. Frankie & Mardi built Freewater Studios by simply throwing parties with their friends and taking cool pictures, and that’s still their core formula, now backed by over three years of consistently sold-out signature live events, numerous celebrity guest appearances, and even their own multi-stage music festival, the Freewater Block Party.
The agency offers in-house video production, graphic design, & studio engineering that supplements the work of their musical talent. Having this comprehensive approach gives their work a distinct polish, every aspect of what they do benefitting from numerous overlapping layers of quality assurance. Their roster, an elite team of usual suspects, includes Rich Gang-signee Neno Calvin, as well as Stone Cold Jzzle, whose received cosigns from both Kevin Gates and Lyrical Lemonade – Their also no stranger to big-name artists, promoting and hosting performances by major acts like LIL UZI VERT, A$AP ROCKY, CARDI B, GUNNA, RICO NASTY, DA BABY, G HERBO, LIL KEED – really, the list goes on & on…
Needless to say, they really do it all and they do it really well. Check out Freewater Studios and their roster of talent to witness the new wave of what Louisiana is capable of.
Oh, and don’t forget.
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