Freddie Ross (born January 28, 1978), better known by her stage name Big Freedia (/ˈfriːdə/ FREE-də), is an American musician known for her work in the New Orleans genre of hip hop called bounce music. Freedia has been credited with helping popularize the genre, which was largely underground since developing in the early 1990s. Freedia identifies herself as a gay man and has stated that she does not care which pronoun is used to refer to her.