‘Embracing his Haitian roots.’ Ahead of first Miami show, Fridayy finds way to connect

Fridayy almost didn’t make it.

After a slew of airline troubles, the Haitian-American artist finally got to Miami, only then to go to the wrong Miami Dade College campus. But as Fridayy stood among a mix of Haitian students, faculty and fans, he clearly explained the significance of his visit to MDC’s Carrie P. Meek’s Entrepreneurial Education Center.

“It’s important to touch my people,” Fridayy said, his diamond chain glistening off the fluorescent lights. “I like touching the people, being around the people, especially my Haitian people. I just wanted to feel the energy.”

The Grammy-nominated artist made a guest appearance in Liberty City Thursday evening as part of a meet-and-greet with MDC’s Haitian community before his first Miami show on Friday. Attendees not only took pictures but asked questions to the Philadelphia-born singer. Fridayy also received a certificate of appreciation from Miami-Dade County for his artistry.

“I like his story and the way he’s using his talent to really promote Haiti and embracing his Haitian roots,” said Rolaindjy Desir, a recent Haitian-American graduate of MDC.

Born Francis Leblanc, Fridayy was first exposed to music in the sanctuary thanks to his father’s role as a pastor. Music, he recalled, was a form of discipline in his family so began to learn a bit of everything — piano, bass, trumpet, drums, guitar and, of course, singing — all at the tender age of 6.

“My dad forced me to play music, I ain’t gone lie,” Fridayy said with a slight chuckle. “Every Haitian parent is going to teach discipline in some way and that was his way: He used to make me read music, be in the band. If I didn’t want to practice, I’d get whooping.”

That practice eventually transformed into passion around the age of 14 when he learned how to produce and record himself. That began a journey that culminated with him recording a track entitled “GOD DID” — in his bedroom — and handing it off to DJ Khaled. It would become one of the most popular tracks DJ Khaled’s eponymous album, introducing Fridayy to the world alongside an all-star team that included Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, JAY-Z and John Legend.

“I didn’t have a dollar in my pocket when that song came out,” Fridayy said. “Khaled found me, he got that hook and I had the number one song in the world. I came out here to link up with Khaled and I performed that song at LIV. I played Khaled my album. That was the first time I was like ‘Everything about to change for me.’”

Everything that has happened since — from his collaboration with Lil Baby to his producer credit on Chris Brown’s “Breezy” to even being sampled on Drake’s latest album “For All the Dogs” — was a testament to his unique blend of R&B, gospel and hip-hop.

Still, one issue remained.

“A lot of Haitians didn’t even know he was Haitian,” said Wanda Tima, the founder of L’Union Suite, a South Florida media company that caters to the Haitian community. “And then the more he blew up, the louder he was about being Haitian, the more he told his story about having the same background that we did.”

Anybody who still questions his Caribbean heritage needs to listen to his self-titled 2023 project “Fridayy,” which combines the hymns of a church choir with riddims rooted in the diaspora. Even the project’s features — from Maverick City Music to Fireboy DML to Brown to Byron Messia — attest to that. Fridayy even did part of the opening verse on “Done For Me” in Creole.

“It’s just who I am, how I grew up,” Fridayy said. “I just decided to put it in the music. That’s the best way I know how to express myself.”

And with his Haitian identity now front and center, it was only right that his brief discussion with students ended with a question about what can young Haitians do about their country’s turmoil. His response was reserved yet firm in that there’s a lot of misconception about the root of the issues.

“A lot of the stuff they put on the news, the white people put it in a [negative] way,” Fridayy said. “Some people don’t even know that there’s good parts in Haiti. So just education and whoever you meet, just explain to them what’s going on.”