Fridayy is a 3x Grammy Award-nominated singer, songwriter and producer from Philadelphia. He is currently signed to Def Jam and earned his breakthrough moment this year by appearing on hit tracks like DJ Khaled’s “GOD DID” alongside Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, John Legend and Jay Z, as well as Lil Baby’s “Forever,” which earned him his first top 10 hit on the Billboard chart.
We had a conversation with Fridayy about how songwriting helped break him into the music industry faster, his unique sound, his dreams of working with Frank Ocean, his newly released EP Lost In Melody, and more.
Oumou Fofana: This is YOUR year. You recently became Grammy nominated and you’re on the Billboard charts already. How are you feeling right now?
Fridayy: I feed good. It ain’t like a way to really explain it. I feel blessed though. I feel blessed, that’s a good word for it.
Fofana: Did you ever imagine breaking in like this?
Fridayy: I always imagined it but I ain’t know it was gonna be like this, like so fast and how it happened. But I always seen myself at this level. I always knew I was supposed to be at this level. For sure.
Fofana: Your vocals on “God Did” though? Wow. You really brought that track to life. You’re a rising artist and already on a record with music icons like Jay Z and Lil Wayne.
Fridayy: It’s crazy. Sometimes I be thinking it’s unreal, like it’s just crazy. There’s people that been in the industry for a long time and they can’t get the opportunity I got. It’s a blessing. They can’t get on a song with Jay Z. The fact that I did, on my first year is a blessing.
Fofana: Can you tell us the story behind this accomplishment?
Fridayy: I been watching Khaled on Instagram quoting the saying “GOD DID” a lot. So me, my manager, and A&R thought it was a good idea to try and send him a song with that message. The song originally started with me. It was nobody else on it. At first Khaled told me that it was really supposed to be an interlude with just me singing. But, one day Khaled called and said he was gonna make it legendary. That’s when he threw all the rappers on.
Fofana: Besides your vocals on Lil Baby’s single “Forever”, which is off his latest album, you also helped produced it. How did that collaboration come about?
Fridayy: That was actually through me and Vory. It was me and Vory’s song. He posted it on Instagram and I guess Lil Baby heard it. I don’t know how he heard it but he hit up Vory and was like, “Who that singing on the hook?” Vory was like, “That’s my guy, that’s my man Fridayy.” That’s just how it started. Lil Baby took Vory off and just kept the song for himself. Originally it was suppose to be me and Vory song.
Fofana: When did this happen?
Fridayy: This was like three weeks before Baby’s album dropped. This was like recent. He was like finishing up his album. We just got right on it.
Fofana: Everything for you is happening so fast. Accomplishments back to back.
Fridayy: That’s what I’m telling you. I don’t even know how I feel yet. I haven’t really got the chance to really sit down and soak everything in.
Fofana: You’ve written and produced songs for Chris Brown, Wiz Khalifa, Meek Mill, Tink, G Herbo, Rod Wave and more. Did you start off as a producer and then transitioned into singing? Tell us about this journey.
Fridayy: I been an artist my whole life. It wasn’t really moving because I never had the structure or everything you needed outside of music. I never had those things. So when I met my manager, he was like, “Bro, maybe you should just start songwriting and producing. It might be a faster way for you to get into the door.” Because for real, for real when you meet like an A&R and you tell them you’re an artist, they don’t really care. When you tell them you’re a songwriter and you can give their artist 10 songs, they would really lock in with you. They’ll bring you in the studio everyday. It’s like you’re offering something else besides you trying to get a deal to be an artist. So, like, me songwriting first, was a faster way in the door.
Fofana: That’s very interesting to know. Is music something that runs in your family?
Fridayy: Yeah, all my brothers do music. And my cousins too. We all play an instrument in some way or sing in some way. It really runs in the family. I also think it’s like a church thing. Just hearing all the music growing up.
Fofana: You have a very unique sound. Your voice, it’s just different.
Fridayy: I use to listen to a lot of soulful singers, old school singers, gospel singers, and all that. I listened to a lot of John Legend, Boy II Men, and church music. Then, I be mixing it up with the new energy. That’s how I would explain my voice.
Fofana: Who gave you the nickname “Melody God?”
Fridayy: I gave myself that nickname. It was like the first time that me and Timbaland started working. And then, he just kept telling me, “Bro, like, these melodies are crazy. You don’t run outta melodies.” I really named myself that, but I was just getting amped up because Timbaland the GOAT to me. The way he was just responding off what I was sending him, I was like, “Yeah, I’m the “Melody God” for sure.
Fofana: Any musicians you look up to for inspiration?
Fridayy: Timbaland one of ’em for sure, Kanye West one of ’em for sure. It’s a lot of producers I could name. A lot I’m already working with, like my brothers. I’m inspired by Ayo, he’s a producer, Bizness Boi, Fortune.
Fofana: Any artists you dream of working with?
Fridayy: Man, I wanna work with Frank Ocean. I wanna work with Tems, Sza, Burna Boy.
Fofana: I was listening to your EP Lost in Melody yesterday. I really felt the vulnerability through the lyrics. You can tell that your pass struggles were a big inspiration behind this project.
Fridayy: Yeah, I just wanted to focus on like, what I was going through and what I know other people are going through, you know? I just wanted to make you feel it through the music. Sometimes I don’t even dive deep. Like I could really dive deeper, but I just keep it at like a surface level so you could put it in your own way. Like, however you take it, you take it. ‘Cause it’d be like songs like “Don’t Give Up On Me” or “God Sent,” my fans would be hitting me up and they’ll be telling me different, you know what I mean? Like different scenarios of their own life, while they relate to the song, you know? So I just be trying to connect with people because I know that everybody going through something.
Fofana: God sent is actually one of my favorite songs off the Ep. You and Vory? He’s one of my favorite artists right now. That’s an epic combination though. What’s your relationship like with Vory?
Fridayy: Vory one of them people, like as soon as he heard me, he just wanted to help. It was genuine. Even him giving Lil Baby that song, that just shows you the type of ni**a he is, you know? He just wanted to help. That’s my bro for real. As soon as I link with him, he would just gimme advice. Like we be on the phone, he just gimme advice on how to move through this. You know, because he been doing this longer than me. Vory really like one of the GOATs in this right now. He is your favorite artists’ favorite artist. All your A-list artists love Vory. He just be helping me because he kind of started like me. He came up with Bryson, he came up with Drake.
Fofana: How did you guys meet?
Fridayy: It was Instagram.
Fofana: What was the best advice you’ve ever gotten from someone in the industry.
Fridayy: Don’t stay focused on the win that you just got. Like keep working because once you winning, everybody really wants you to stop, so you really gotta go three times harder. Just like Khaled said, the key to winning is to keep winning. When I look back 10 years, I want to be like “Damn I really left a mark.” That’s why I really don’t be soaking it in like you said. I just be thinking about what’s next.
Fofana: As you should. So, what’s next for you?
Fridayy: Probably a tour, definitely a new project in 2023.
Fofana: Any more music videos from the EP?
Fridayy: Oh yeah definitely. We shooting. We’re trying to shoot music videos for a lot of the songs off the EP. Definitely be on the look out for a couple remixes. And a couple more features. I am on a couple of people’s projects that’s about to come out too.
Watch the music video to Fridayy’s latest single “Empty Stomach,” off of his debut EP Lost In Melody below: