Freddie Foxxx

Born James Campbell in 1969 in Westbury, NY, the gravel-toned rapper known as Freddie Foxxx and later Bumpy Knuckles joined a crew by age ten and first appeared on wax as Freddie C. in 1986 via a Supreme Force 12-inch. A subsequent MCA contract yielded the 1989 full-length Freddie Foxxx Is Here. Following guest spots alongside Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo, Boogie Down Productions, and Naughty by Nature, he tracked Crazy Like a Foxxx for Epic, an album that stayed unreleased after only a handful of promo copies circulated; Fat Beats finally brought it out in 2008.

After a period of low visibility, Foxxx resurfaced through contributions to projects by Gang Starr and M.O.P. Dissatisfied with major-label “sink or swim” tactics, he launched his own imprint, Kjac, and secured Landspeed distribution for the 2000 solo effort Industry Shakedown, issued under the Bumpy Knuckles name. The veteran MC adopted that alias after an onlooker remarked on his fighting prowess; noting how his temper had softened from its more volatile youth, he began attributing occasional outbursts to the Knuckles persona. Crafted with beats from DJ Premier, Diamond D., and Pete Rock, the record assailed industry corruption. Konexion arrived in 2003 on Rapster and again included Premier’s input. A string of mixtapes and additional features ensued, among them turns on John Cena’s You Can’t See Me, Akrobatik’s Absolute Value, and MF Doom’s Born Like This. Concurrently he advanced material with Krupt Mob and readied Amerikkkan Black Man.