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Fred The Godson’s Wife LeeAnn Jemmott Talks About His Foundation & New Exhibit | SWAY’S UNIVERSE
Mar 2, 2023
LeeAnn Jemmott, wife of the late Fred The Godson, is keeping his legacy alive through the great work she is continuing through the Fred The Godson Foundation.
In a moving tribute to celebrate the life and legacy of Fred The Godson, fans have an opportunity to take part in this immersive experience coming soon to the Bronx. Through art installations and interactive activities inspired by his music, we can honor one of hip-hop's most influential figures who tragically lost his battle with COVID-19 at just 35 years old.
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0:00
yes
0:01
Jim Jones
0:05
the juggernaut
0:07
the truth speaker himself Jim Jones
0:09
Harlan's finest speaking on Fred the
0:11
godson we got Tony from Queens on the
0:13
line Tony Sayer talk to us Rising shot
0:23
yes indeed Tony man we talking about our
0:26
brother you and I were actually at the
0:28
street naming right you came to the
0:29
street naming right yeah I was at the
0:31
street name in um like I said I manage
0:35
ETF radio so we did a bunch of
0:36
interviews with from Fred the God and
0:41
just he sold like his humbleness
0:45
outside
0:46
anything like he was a good dude
0:50
um
0:52
my fault I'm driving I'm on that sippy
0:54
nice little bridge right now
0:55
um
0:57
yeah but like it's I've met a lot of
1:00
people artists and like him he just
1:03
stuck anytime he seen me no matter where
1:06
he was
1:11
what's good and we just had that that
1:15
relationship we came up since the
1:18
endless freestyle I ever seen at the
1:20
radio station that I had the pleasure of
1:23
recording
1:26
um and I watch it every year
1:29
just to remember him I put it up every
1:31
year just the remembrance because he was
1:35
slept on yeah he was an artist that was
1:37
slept on and
1:40
like
1:41
Jim said
1:43
somebody should have scooped him up
1:44
because
1:45
he was independent but he needed that
1:48
major backing yeah
1:50
yeah
1:51
um that's just a testament to who this
1:53
man was first thing you started with was
1:56
how humble he was yeah you know and um
1:59
that that was at the core of our
2:01
relationship you know I used to hang out
2:02
Fred and I would go up top to the Bronx
2:05
and hang out at a juice bar a lot and uh
2:08
and I promise you man there wasn't there
2:10
wasn't many minutes where we weren't
2:12
cracking the [ __ ] the hell we man we had
2:14
gut lives all the time I looked at Fred
2:17
like a little brother I'll call Fred at
2:19
seven in the morning you know hey man I
2:21
need you to come up to the show today
2:23
sway today and I do to get up and show
2:26
up and you know with Fred I had a chance
2:29
to show him another side of myself
2:31
um
2:32
the way we communicate it wasn't just
2:34
from our sway this guy who's been in the
2:37
music business and has the ability to
2:39
put people on platforms and it wasn't
2:41
him as an emcee we talked as human
2:43
beings we talked as men uh we talked as
2:46
um husbands and lovers we talked as
2:49
fathers we talked about everything I
2:52
recall calling Fred and I feel like he
2:54
was on vacation with Leanne jamaat who's
2:56
with us right now I'm giving her a big
2:58
round of applause and I feel like they
3:01
were at the poolside once so me and Fred
3:03
was jumping talking on the phone you
3:05
remember that
3:07
I think I interrupted the vacation as
3:09
always you know but um but but Tony I
3:12
appreciate your call we gonna celebrate
3:14
this would have been his 38th birthday
3:15
we promised to keep his legacy alive he
3:18
is here we we affirm believer energy do
3:21
not does not die you know the physical
3:23
The Vessel we leave the vessels but the
3:25
energy remains Tony you're a citizen
3:27
let's say in the morning and so with
3:29
that we're going to celebrate Fred the
3:31
godson today give it up for the one and
3:33
only Leanne jamaat is with us
3:35
[Applause]
3:35
[Music]
3:36
[Applause]
3:38
children
3:40
yeah how the baby's doing Leanne they're
3:43
doing well they're growing up Sadie will
3:45
be 13 this year oh damn yes damn baby
3:49
she's growing up and um Sophia will be
3:52
eight Sophia will be eight wow and how
3:54
are you doing welcome to the show
3:56
welcome back here so used to come and
3:57
sit in the back yep now you in the front
4:01
do his thing and let him do his thing
4:02
and now you're doing it how you been
4:06
okay you know just maintaining uh-huh
4:09
getting through this life as a new
4:12
single mom yeah yeah
4:14
um you got beautiful children they're
4:16
always yeah
4:17
always well dressed
4:19
stay fly stay fly yeah well they you
4:22
know they have their own fashion sense
4:24
lady dresses herself she picks out her
4:26
own clothes so does Sophia
4:28
I guess they get it from their daddy
4:30
they get it from their daddy right Fred
4:32
was very stylish what was Fred like
4:34
behind closed doors like did he do
4:36
dishes
4:38
absolutely not
4:41
no Fred was he was just like you said he
4:45
was a funny guy he always had us
4:47
laughing
4:49
um you know if I pushed him enough he
4:51
would do dishes but it would be like
4:53
there's 20 dishes he'll do three but you
4:56
know that was all good at least he tried
4:58
Sadie is exactly like him okay but um
5:02
yeah no Fred just brought good energy
5:04
love
5:06
um
5:07
just kindness to the family yeah yeah
5:10
what was um like around the house was he
5:13
one of the type of people that sat
5:14
around in his boxers and watched TV or
5:17
was it was he a handyman well yeah
5:19
sometimes he would get into his series
5:22
um but most of the time he's at the
5:23
kitchen table writing songs you know
5:26
with his wife beat on in the Beats
5:29
popping that head mad hard yeah you know
5:32
let me wait let me see your head Bob to
5:33
do your friend
5:35
yeah you know
5:37
a little bit like this
5:40
through the chin yeah that's the elite
5:43
Riders throw the chin yeah so he would
5:45
do do that or he's like arguing with
5:48
somebody about some sports game that you
5:50
know he's into who's the best player or
5:53
whatever Heavy Sports Fan What attracted
5:55
you to Fred what were you over
5:58
that he was just he was a nice person
6:01
you know out of
6:02
all the guys that were in my area he
6:06
seemed you know he just was nice and I
6:09
felt like he wanted to know me and you
6:12
know I wasn't trying to get other things
6:14
at that moment you know he just made me
6:16
feel special and nice and that old
6:19
school love
6:20
Leanne was a unicorn in the area
6:24
do you remember y'all first date
6:27
yeah yes we went to
6:31
um
6:32
a steakhouse
6:34
and Edo's I think it's in um Mount
6:37
Vernon I want to say okay yeah
6:40
that was our first date we ate we
6:42
laughed he joked and you know it was
6:44
love from there yeah that's it one day
6:47
one day Leanne
6:49
um so I just know what did he like about
6:52
you what did he say was it that appealed
6:54
to him about you
6:56
um I think because I just was different
6:58
than what he was used to I was a little
7:00
more
7:01
you know spicy a little more
7:04
I had you know just more Sparkle than a
7:07
lot of these other females and I'm from
7:09
Boston so that's just different oh damn
7:11
same time damn that it turns the whole
7:13
scenario up you from Boston absolutely
7:15
yeah you got that edge on you yes okay
7:18
what did y'all dream about because I
7:20
know you got the Fred the godson
7:22
Foundation was that a part of the dream
7:24
two to one day start this Foundation
7:26
yeah well the dream has always been to
7:29
you know be a positive Citizen and give
7:32
back like even through with Fred as a
7:34
musician he just wanted to stay positive
7:36
and you know uplift and that's what
7:39
we're doing with this Foundation we're
7:40
currently in the process of uh
7:43
partnering with some Bronx community
7:45
centers
7:46
um this spring to bring in music
7:48
composition classes
7:51
um and you know while they're working on
7:53
this they're going to be writing songs
7:55
learning how to you know write lyrics
7:57
and harmonies and Melodies we're going
8:00
to start them off learning how to write
8:01
songs then we're gonna
8:03
um start teaching in music production
8:06
and then from there the music business
8:08
so their consumers they're creators but
8:11
we're also going to teach them how to be
8:13
bosses yeah yeah that's Fred was um at
8:17
one point probably one of the most
8:19
sought after MCs in the game I know he
8:21
had some a lot of sit-down meetings
8:23
including with Jay-Z and these guys
8:25
seemed like they were interested in
8:28
signing him but he continued to work
8:29
regardless of those signings or not
8:32
um as an independent person you know as
8:34
an independent artist did he ever feel
8:37
did he ever let that discourage him that
8:40
that you know as people talk about these
8:41
deals that never hit the table how did
8:44
he feel about it no because Fred just
8:46
knew he was that good so he just figured
8:48
you know people were just scared of the
8:52
real [ __ ] that he had to say and excuse
8:54
me I'm sorry I didn't mean no no you
8:56
won't shave for a fight okay
8:57
Fred was just very confident he already
9:00
knew who he was what his gift was and
9:02
really it was their loss because you see
9:05
Fred just kept throwing all the heat out
9:08
and like you see he has cold followers
9:11
and you know Fred when you see like
9:15
people leave messages and stuff it's
9:17
always something deep like Fred saved my
9:19
life or you know if it wasn't for Fred
9:22
so even though we know Fred knew he was
9:25
a great MC Fred just also knew he was
9:27
just that [ __ ] like a great person to
9:31
his core so absolutely I like that man
9:35
thank you for being here today I
9:37
appreciate you he was like a brother to
9:40
me yes we had a great relationship you
9:43
know laughing and joking all the time as
9:44
well often listen back sometimes to some
9:48
of his lyrics and like damn I just
9:50
caught what he said like you know what I
9:52
mean did you did you listen back now and
9:55
have that same feeling absolutely
9:57
absolutely we were just listening to him
9:59
last night bringing in his birthday at
10:01
midnight and I was like wait did you
10:03
hear what he just said so yeah now and
10:05
it's so sad because you know it's it
10:07
always happens like this when someone
10:09
passes away and I was with him I lived
10:11
with him right now
10:14
exactly so yeah but I love it though
10:17
because I'm he's gone three years and
10:19
I'm still able to hear his voice and
10:22
hear new things that he's saying so it's
10:24
just it's a beautiful thing
10:26
um come on man Leanne Jamal is here uh
10:29
your sister's name
10:31
let's share share see you sitting where
10:34
she used to sit
10:36
when Fred got here
10:38
right uh yeah that's great so one day
10:42
she might be sitting here too let's go
10:44
what's she doing
10:46
she's a educator she does music
10:49
um education as well she's also an
10:52
assistant and working towards her
10:55
master's degree okay that's what's up
10:58
what was that
11:00
your journalist okay come ask your
11:02
sister a question
11:07
yeah yeah get her on camera right there
11:08
say your name say your name hey my name
11:11
is Sheriff Ferguson what's up y'all okay
11:13
I got a question for you Leanne all
11:14
right let me see let me see what I got
11:18
that's a journal can you tell us more
11:20
about the goal of the foundation and
11:23
when will it possibly like start in the
11:26
near future well the goal is just to
11:29
um educate Inspire and bring up the
11:33
South Bronx so we're just trying to
11:34
bring uh programs into into the
11:37
community to keep the youth off the
11:39
street keep them from killing each other
11:41
and just give them a
11:43
um you know just give them something to
11:45
do like Fred came from the South Bronx
11:49
the shelter drugs blah blah blah gangs
11:52
and all of that but it didn't that's not
11:54
who he became so just the whole goal is
11:56
you guys see he did this and other
11:58
people do it like this y'all can do that
12:00
too y'all don't have to keep killing
12:02
each other every day and Wildland and
12:04
never give up on your dreams right
12:05
absolutely yes and even if you don't
12:07
reach Jay-Z's status you could still be
12:10
a legend like an impact yeah exactly you
12:13
did great sure you don't write with me
12:15
you have to have have you do some
12:16
correspondence work with universe
12:19
you down
12:20
okay cool all right uh Fred the godson
12:24
Foundation uh and you go to
12:26
www.fred the
12:28
godsonfoundation.org what is it that
12:30
y'all need right now from people
12:32
we just need support we have a music
12:35
composition program starting April 1st
12:39
2023 at Bronx house so we just need the
12:42
community we need y'all's kids come
12:44
register them we have
12:46
um celebrity URL rappers that will be
12:49
assisting with the instructors teaching
12:52
these kids how to write songs and you
12:54
know just develop their lyrical skills
12:56
so that's what we need right right now
12:58
we need you all to register for this
13:01
program okay we need all the citizens
13:03
especially if you in this tri-state area
13:04
Fred the godson
13:06
foundation.org support I'm just curious
13:09
when you were talking about how you
13:11
listened to Fred's music and you hear
13:13
things you didn't hear I was thinking
13:14
about you have young kids and oftentimes
13:16
young kids don't have the Primitive
13:18
their father or mother passed away at an
13:21
early age to hear their voice over and
13:22
over and so I'm just curious what is
13:24
your kids relationship like to Fred's
13:26
music and how does it impact them when
13:28
they listen
13:30
um I think it just gives them just a
13:33
piece of a sense of their dad still here
13:36
like they are complicated kids they
13:38
don't cry they don't talk about Fred
13:40
hardly I never been through this so I
13:42
don't really know you know what to
13:44
expect with the kids but I feel like
13:46
just looking at their faces when his
13:48
music is playing you know Sadie's
13:50
rapping his lyrics Sophia was full when
13:53
he passed so you know I know she knows
13:55
who our father is but not as much as
13:57
Sadie but no listening to his voice is
14:00
just wonderful like I tell them all the
14:02
time you all will always have your dad
14:04
like I don't have that because my father
14:06
wasn't an artist but you guys can watch
14:08
him on TV on you know the computer
14:10
listen to him on the radio so
14:13
uh it's just great that they have that
14:15
that's great Leanne you know when sway
14:18
started off he was reminding us that the
14:20
spirit Never Dies right even when the
14:23
vessel passes away do you feel like you
14:25
have a spiritual relationship with Fred
14:27
and how does it show up absolutely Fred
14:31
you know presents itself all the time in
14:33
many different ways I was actually at an
14:35
event last week in Charlotte North
14:38
Carolina and when I walked into the
14:40
ballroom all of the decor was of New
14:43
York it was a American Heart Association
14:46
event so I'm seeing the Statue of
14:48
Liberty and I'm like wow Fred I fail you
14:50
then the gospel quiet comes on they
14:53
start singing Michael Jackson's can you
14:55
fail it and I was like oh [ __ ] like yeah
14:58
you know stuff like that always happens
15:00
out you know I'm somewhere out here
15:02
Fred's music or you know we pass
15:05
Frederick Avenue
15:08
um the other day like coming back from
15:10
down south of here so just a little you
15:13
know he's he lets me know he's here
15:14
little red Cardinals or
15:17
just you know a smile or something like
15:19
that that's what's up you ever smell
15:21
them
15:22
sometimes yeah that's it and I and I
15:25
hear Fred a lot in my head like he makes
15:27
me laugh
15:28
as you know like Fred love joking so I
15:31
can always tell him saying some [ __ ] to
15:33
me like yeah
15:34
yeah I I I saved my messages from Fred
15:37
yeah you know what I mean you ever do
15:39
that go back and yeah I have a few yeah
15:42
yeah I would go back and read them
15:43
because it was I was Fred I saw as a
15:46
little brother so they'll tell you the
15:48
way I am with the all of these guys are
15:51
like my little brother so I'm gonna you
15:53
might not catch it on the air but I give
15:54
them tough love
15:56
yeah you know and so I would just
15:59
collect I would just clown with Fred all
16:01
the time so when I read back these
16:02
messages they definitely helped me smile
16:05
yeah and that's like what I really miss
16:07
the most about him yes his energy and
16:10
his Spirit was just so uplifting and
16:13
just refreshing and funny yeah I gotta
16:17
commend you because not everybody
16:18
continue to work yeah well you know I
16:21
took a little time off I just I had to
16:23
you know to get my mind right and my
16:26
emotions right but you know I know I saw
16:28
Fred like sit with his asthma or his
16:31
high blood pressure was diabetes but it
16:33
didn't stop him he kept going he kept
16:35
performing you know puffing his
16:37
Albuterol and kept it going so I know I
16:39
have to do the same thing there was a
16:42
woman we had here named Bozeman Saint
16:44
John yesterday and she has a book called
16:47
urgent life right love lost and survival
16:50
you know and she lost her husband
16:54
um and she lost a child and she talks
16:57
about how she had to you know face these
17:00
things pick it up and continue for not
17:02
for the for the sake of herself and for
17:04
another reason for the sake of them
17:06
absolutely you know and so I want to ask
17:08
you because a lot of people in our
17:10
community lose loved ones for whatever
17:12
reason in this case it happened to be
17:15
over illness
17:16
um
17:17
um what are some of the things that
17:19
helped you get through that's helped you
17:21
cope that folks tuned in might be able
17:23
to relate to
17:25
um well that's funny you asked because
17:26
someone just sent me a DM a few weeks
17:28
ago this this woman
17:31
from out of town she said she lost her
17:33
husband she's pregnant and she has a
17:34
baby like you know if I could give her
17:36
advice and I just told her for me
17:38
personally my kids just kept me going
17:41
because just as a human and an adult and
17:45
me having a long-term relationship with
17:47
Fred that they didn't you know was
17:49
harder for me because he was my friend
17:51
and just you know just everything that
17:53
we went through over these years so I
17:55
look at them for the strength because
17:59
just honestly you're gonna be weak like
18:01
when you lose somebody like that you
18:03
know just they're snatched away from you
18:06
like Fred was it is hard
18:09
um but just knowing that you gotta raise
18:12
your kids and and also that I know Fred
18:14
wouldn't want to see me fall
18:17
that keeps me going and you know the
18:20
fans like his he has some his fans are
18:23
really wonderful people they lift us up
18:26
all the time they give they send us nice
18:28
messages you know it's just really nice
18:31
it's great one of the greatest punchline
18:33
MCS period period ever ever punch lines
18:39
you go top 10 punch lines Fred the
18:42
godson is in it for real that don't mean
18:44
top 10 selling artists or all that stuff
18:47
punch lines try to go back and listen
18:50
I've got to go back and listen man if
18:53
the cleverness of it all you know and
18:56
the confidence and the delivery because
18:59
it was just he he knew his voice which
19:01
is he never emphasized the punchline was
19:04
coming you know that was that's what
19:06
makes you have to go back and listen
19:07
right you just like damn it did he just
19:10
say that that's crazy okay we used to
19:13
crack up with Fred with Ryan facts like
19:16
he dropping some of the illest bars but
19:18
we're hearing them cracking the [ __ ] up
19:20
because it's so clever clever
19:31
with the
19:36
[Music]
19:37
so what kind of projects can we expect
19:40
okay well he his documentary is in
19:44
post-production right now it's coming
19:45
out fall 2023.
19:48
um and with that Contraband three will
19:50
be coming out at the same time okay yes
19:53
and um today actually happy birthday
19:57
baby today's his birthday
20:00
period
20:02
Happy Birthday homie today is the grand
20:05
opening of God level Studios that his
20:08
brother fat boy Izzo created in memory
20:11
of Fred along with the studio in the
20:14
front there's an art gallery so you know
20:17
the whole New York City United States of
20:20
America who you know whoever loves Fred
20:22
y'all can come out to 25 Bruckner
20:24
Boulevard
20:25
um it's just you know
20:27
um Bruckner that's um the Bronx right
20:29
yeah that's the new SoBro area
20:33
making it nice okay so yeah if you know
20:36
we have all his memorabilia in there you
20:38
know never be never before seen pictures
20:41
of him from his youth
20:43
um you know like his prednisone that he
20:45
got right before he passed the sweater
20:47
he wore when he went to the hospital
20:50
um
20:51
albums and different art pieces that
20:54
people made for Friday after his passing
20:56
it's just like you know a Fred
20:58
experience you want to experience him
21:00
come down to God level Studios okay all
21:03
right Leanne jamaat uh and what about
21:06
yourself you got any special projects
21:08
you're working on outside I'm just
21:10
strictly dedicating myself right now to
21:13
um raising Sadie and Sophia my baby
21:15
Sophie is next up she's an artist I wish
21:18
I would have brought a piece of her work
21:19
for you guys to see but whatever gift
21:21
Fred had she has with drying and she's
21:24
only seven years old wow um and but yeah
21:27
I'm focusing on the foundation that's
21:28
what I'm focused on his music he has his
21:31
team for the music you know shout out to
21:33
everybody who's still supporting Fred
21:35
and you know his team we love you guys
21:39
and you know thank you Leanne we here
21:42
for you I know I got to do my part for
21:43
that documentary Heather and I jump on
21:46
it too yeah I haven't done my part yet
21:48
100 you know I got you don't even worry
21:51
about us easy money okay and we're gonna
21:54
continue to support you can always come
21:57
up here and talk about the foundation
21:58
any project you have coming up thank you
22:01
you are always welcome we figured it out
22:03
you know thank you text messages but I
22:06
want to tell you I'm gonna do it I'm
22:07
gonna do it right and we're gonna make
22:09
it happen and I and I told you years ago
22:11
I wanted to contribute and I still want
22:13
to so I haven't forgot about that thank
22:15
you it's just a matter of time okay
22:17
absolutely so everybody just make sure
22:19
today from two to seven it's the grand
22:22
opening of God level Studios 25 Bruckner
22:26
Boulevard in the South Bronx come out
22:28
you know show love show support we are
22:32
auctioning off some items one of ones
22:34
you know and um so yes thank you to the
22:38
Bronx and Sway and everybody else that's
22:42
great absolutely thank you
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