American rapper
Musical artist
James Campbell (born March 27, 1969), better known by his stage names Freddie Foxxx and Bumpy Knuckles, is an American rapper and record producer from Long Island, New York.[2]
Biography
Foxxx got his start rapping in the early 1980s.
In 1986, he recorded "You Gotta Come Out Fresh / Handling Things" under the alias Freddie C. as a member of the Supreme Force (other members were Cool Cee and Easy E) on NIA Records. Later in 1986 he was slated to meet with producer Eric B. who was searching for an MC to pair up with; Foxxx missed the meeting, and Eric B. ended up pairing up with MC Rakim and forming the group Eric B. and Rakim.[citation needed]
Despite this, Foxxx's first LP, Freddie Foxxx Is Here, was produced entirely by Eric B. and Foxxx, and was released in 1989 through MCA Records. He soon parted ways with the label and became a member of Queen Latifah's Flavor Unit establishment.[3] In 1993, only promo copies of his second album, Crazy Like A Foxxx, were circulated when Epic Records decided to shelve it.[3]
Foxxx then began to be known more for his cameos on songs by Boogie Down Productions, Naughty by Nature, M.O.P., O.C. and, most notably, his appearance on Gang Starr's The Militia from their Moment of Truth album (1998). The song was issued as a single, building a buzz for Foxxx and helping him to prep for his next full-length release.[3]
This time around he applied the lessons he'd learned from previous experiences with major record labels, and went the independent route. The Industry Shakedown album featured production from hip hop heavyweights DJ Premier, Pete Rock and The Alchemist. The members of M.O.P. provided the album's only cameo.
After the success of Industry Shakedown, Foxxx released his fourth album, The Konexion (2003) via Barely Breaking Even. A less commercially successful affair, the album was nevertheless faithful to its predecessor in terms of style and content and featured contributions from frequent collaborator DJ Premier and DJ Clark Kent.
Foxxx made significant contributions to the WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 soundtrack. He contributed two songs, and made a guest appearance on another song. He also produced all of the hip hop songs. He also appeared on John Cena's WWE released album You Can't See Me.[3]
In 2006, Foxxx released his fifth album, Street Triumph.
In 2009, Foxxx released his sixth album, Amerikkan Black Man.
Bumpy Knuckles’ previously shelved second album Crazy Like a Foxxx finally saw a major official release on July 29, 2008 on Fat Beats Records.[3]
