Today we’d like to introduce you to Walter French.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Walter. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started as a young kid always with energy and the passion to perform for people. My mom and dad would have friends over and always call me in the living room to dance and to sing Michael Jackson and other various artists. It came natural to me and I never thought of it being something special, it was just something that was very fun to me, “being a superstar” the dream of all dreamers.
To fast forward…moving back and forth from Georgia to Oceanside Ca, it was hard to adjust but I made it work. Living in Georgia in my 11th grade of high school, I met a couple of friends to led me to freestyling on days when we had nothing to do. I never wanted to join in but it looked to fun after seeing them rap all day and just have fun with it, being good or not. I caught on to rhyming and flowing and out of know where it came real easy to me. They looked at me like the goat at times hahaha and even gave me a nickname “jphree money” lol.
I moved back to oceanside ca to finish out my 12th-grade year of high school and when the high school freestyle battle came up, I couldn’t wait to showcase my new skills. After winning and putting my name on notice for a rapper in the school, I knew I had caught on to something. I then took off the money in that nickname and used just “jphree”.
Krump dancing was huge part of me becoming a good performer due to the fact of when you dance you are the only one moving in the room. You have to perform and put on a show and win by only getting good reactions by good dancing skills. I grew big in the krump dance world and was given a name by my boy Jarell banks, it was “Grim” he said since I was beau casper smarts little homie, I should be the guy who creates the ghost hahaha. I ran with it, and it was one of the greatest decisions I ever did. I became a well-known legend in the krump dance world and I would say that played a huge part in my performing success. krump led to me traveling to Hawaii year after year to perform with some of the hottest hip hop artists in the world like Tyga, glasses Malone, dej loaf, Steve Aoki, and many more amazing artists I met along the way to growing as a true stage performing and artist.
I finally got my chance in Hollywood ca when I met an A&R by the name of AV. He worked at Starz Enterprises records founded by Nick Gross. Sitting down at lunch one day he mentioned they were starting a label side of the company and I wanted in, the vibes were great the studio was amazing and the team looked like it could do no wrong. Working with the muzic doctorz and kayron the music on point and the goal was looking to be conquered. Starz and Walter French didn’t work out the way I planned but the people I met and the things I learned I would never take back. I would never take that back at all. From here, I met glasses Malone from performing in Hawaii we linked up and did a song called “The City” which was a pretty good song but like a lot of my music it didn’t reach the masses I intended for it to hit. Working with the label, I just didn’t think the right process to getting the work out was happening which led to us going our separate ways. Thanks to Brian Sallis helping me professionally out the situation and showing me a whole different side of the music industry, this side came with hard work and street grind which I wasn’t use to but man all this was showing me so much in a whole different way. I grew up fast, like real fast to having to get out and connect with people and it seems like I jump into a race from the start after already finishing the dang race.
After some years of not being signed it hit me kinda hard to not see the same people that supported then don’t support not but like I said before I really had to grow up fast and learn how to move. Basically, sink or swim! I connected with my boy jay Ali and we started making music and then maybe a year after linked with a content creator by the name of big Jah who did comedy skits and was killing the game. Far down the line in that connection, he put me in a skit and from there, I heavily started doing YouTube and my numbers in all aspects have reached and whole new height. I’m excited about this new journey.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It hasn’t really been smooth. Some struggle for me is a team. I never really had a team that believed in me the way you see artist with there crews these days.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
When I was in oceanside, I started a rap cypher called “the cypher” it was fun and from that, I realized what starting a business can be like or at least creating an avenue. I created a company called “Noophreebz Productions” which I shoot all videos unders.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I would say I’ve been hit with both, seems like some good luck then boom some bad luck but I realized its all from what kind of energy you keep around yourself at all times.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/walterfrench
- Facebook: facebook.com/walterfrench
- Twitter: twitter.com/thatgoldbeard
Image Credit:
Pictures by Kaitlyn Kohn & Patrick Bentley
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