Fre$h P is not just a rapper.
He is a pure entertainer who spent his youth writing poems to pass the time while he was grounded for one infraction or another. Influenced by Eminem and Kanye West’s use of music to escape the real world, McAllister used art to run from the realities of living in Tampa housing projects before eventually earning a bachelor’s degree from Miami’s Southwest Florida College and then enlisting in the Army in 2012. Formerly known as Bill B., McAllister left the armed forces three years later and returned home with a new moniker — Fre$h P — and approach to music.
MUSIC ISSUE 2018
Meet 30 young Tampa Bay musicians who are (re)making a scene
“After leaving the military I made a promise to himself. To be the reason my family lives a better life,” he said. His “My City” single earned him gigs opening for Young Thug and several local showcases where his approach to the stage earned him as a reputation as a wild, costumed performer who can also hold is own in a stripped-back battle-rap setting.
Next show: Sat. July 21, 3 p.m. Rollins Island Grille, 10509 N. Nebraska Ave. Tampa. http://soundcloud.com/fresh813prince.
