Frak The Person: A Battle Rapper’s Rise in The Bay
About a year ago, I went to Ruckus and Rumpus Revival show where I was absolutely amazed by the performance of an artist named Frak The Person and his unique battle rap style. During show, he effortlessly weaved words from the audience into freestyle songs, creating an unforgettable experience. Although that was my first time seeing him wow a crowd, I initially discovered Frak right here on Broke-Ass Stuart (BAS).
It was actually five years ago that we introduced you to Frak here on BAS and shared his origin story and his views on life in The Bay. Since our first feature with him, Frak has experienced significant growth as a performer. With some exciting developments on the horizon, we caught up with him to share updates on his journey.
Frak The Person at El Rio – Photo By Marissa Joy Clark
Frak: All About Community
Hailing from San Francisco’s inner Sunset district, Frak spent years as a mentor and educator in local organizations such as Youth Speaks. Around five years ago, he transitioned to pursuing music and entertainment as a full-time job.
Just last weekend, Frak celebrated his 30th birthday at El Rio with a stacked lineup – much of which were artists from the 17-member-deep Family Not a Group. “Family not a group is my crew in San Francisco and we’re working on a collab album. They’re all San Francisco Oakland-based artists. We’ve come together to, you know, nurture the dying scene of The Bay Area,” Frak said.
Frak The Person – Photo By Marissa Joy Clark
Along with new music, Frak will continue his ongoing collabs like he does as part of FOURSQUARE – “Which is a platform I started to shed light on Bay Area artist and beyond where we do four bar back-and-forth so I’ll wrap for four lines the next person wrap four lines and it’s not just wrapping we’ve had on so we’ve done so songs we’ve done all types of genres,” say Frak. “I also started a new podcast battle rap called BAR WARS.” Frak became a co-host on the BAR WARS Thizzler YouTube just earlier this month.
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Frak’s latest FOURSQUARE collaboration with Kaly Jay is an infectious tune guaranteed to brighten anyone’s day called “Bay Arnold“. Packed with local flair, playful attire, and an irresistible rhythm, this rap duo’s track has quickly become my top pick for 2024. Moreover, it sheds light on Frak’s versatility—he’s not merely a battle rapper but also a skilled comedian. Looking ahead, it’s evident that Frak will further explore his comedic and screenwriting talents alongside his music projects and live shows. With his diverse skills, I believe he has the potential to achieve remarkable success.
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Rapping for Sway and Wyclef Jean
Recently, Frak showcased his free-styling skills in New York on Sway Calloway’s SiriusXM show: Sway in the Morning. During the show, Wyclef Jean came in and sat down to talk with Frak – eventually giving him a list of words that he turned into a freestyle rap that was jaw-dropping and powerful. There’s something really cool about seeing someone lean into their talents and gifts at the same table as people they admire.
Frak with Wyclef during Sway’s show – photo from the Youtube recap
“He got that DNA in him,” Wyclef Jean said just after his freestyle performance.
The story behind how Frak got on the show was pretty hilarious. Sway explains that he had heard a bit about Frak because he keeps his ears open to what’s happening in the bay. But more recently he had seen an old clip of Frak pretending to be on Sway’s show go viral online. In this clip, Frak is seen “on the show” freestyling with Sway. In reality, the whole scene was fake and Frak had put himself in front of a green screen to make it look like he was on the famed radio show. The original fake video was created 2-years ago. Seeing Frak come full circle is really inspiring and he was smiling ear-to-ear the entire show.
Frak embodies the spirit of the Bay Area: he’s putting in the work and he’s leaning into his passions and talents. He’s also deeply rooted in its culture and committed to giving back to his community. Alongside his pursuit of a music career, he consistently showers fellow artists in the Bay with support.
“An important lesson I learned since I got started, I will probably say not to limit your creativity. I think in the age of social media, people feel like they are encouraged to find a niche and just continue at that niche. I think if I did that I could’ve just been just a battle rapper or been just a musician and never tried skits. But I think being able to see my creativity in a larger context and not cut myself off from doing stuff that my inspiration led me towards has built skills that are multifaceted. So when I try comedy, I’m able to incorporate that into battle rapping. When I try battle rap up I’m able to incorporate that into performing and auditioning because I’m less nervous. So basically, just not limiting my creativity and using the skills I build in each other to grow the other parts,” says Frak.
Frak The Person – Photo By Marissa Joy Clark
As I look back to when I first watched Frak do his thing at the Ruckus and Rumpus Revival show, where his electrifying performance left a lasting impression, I can’t help but admire his ability to captivate audiences with his unique style and spontaneous creativity. With his upcoming album “Uncanny Valley” and a string of singles on the horizon, along with his determination to explore new avenues beyond battle rap, Frak’s future shines bright. Keep an eye on Frak – he’s just getting started.
Frak The Person during his birthday party at El Rio – Photo By Marissa Joy Clark
What’s Next for Frak?
“I feel a momentum and I’m gonna capitalize on it by finally dropping new music again so I have an album pretty much done titled Uncanny Valley and my plan is to drop a single a month. We just dropped – Splain featuring Chase Moore,” says Frak. “No shows coming up as of now to announce but if you wanna stay in touch with me, follow at the person always got new stuff on the way.”
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT FRAK HERE:
IG: @fraktheperson
Facebook: @FrakTheMC
Frak on Spotify
Web: https://frakmusic.com
Learn about some of his collaborators Frak & I mention in this article:
Family Not a Group
Ruckus and Rumpus Revival
BAR WARS battles – or on Youtube via The Thizzler
Youth Speaks –
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