Born as Frederick Brathwaite on the 31st August 1959 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, New York City USA, Freddy is a TV personality, visual artist and director, but probably best known to the world as the host of the MTV show “Yo! MTV Raps” (1988-1995), and for being involved in the New York underground graffiti scene.
Have you ever wondered how rich Fab Five Freddy is, as of mid- 2017? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that Freddy’s net worth is as high as $2 million, an amount earned through his successful career in the entertainment industry, which has been active since the late ‘70s.
Fab Five Freddy Net Worth $2 Million
Unfortunately, there is no information about Freddy’s life before his career took off. He joined the graffiti group Fabulous Five in the late ‘70s, which until then only worked in shadows, painting over New York Subway cars. Nevertheless, with the help of Freddy, they took a step forward, and from graffiti moved to the more conventional art world. In no time, Freddy and one of the members of the group, Lee Quiñones, held an exhibition of their respective works in Rome Italy, at the Galleria LaMedusa. Thanks to his rising popularity, he and Lee Quiñones, were cast in the film “Downtown 81”, written by Glenn O’Brien, which was more of a documentary as it follows artist Jean Michael Basquiat in his daily life. After the success of the film, Freddy tried to put his own ideas onto the screen, and with the help of filmmaker Charlie Ahearn, created “Wild Style” released in 1982, which followed a day in the life of Freddy’s friend and colleague Lee Quiñones. Back in 1981, he was co-curator of the art show Beyond Words, which was held at the Mudd Club, in which works from Futura 2000 artists were showcased. Also, the exhibition comprised works from Jean Michael Basquiat, Keith Haring, Rammellzee and Kenny Scharf among others.
Slowly Freddy and the rest of the graffiti-group began to surface from the New York underground scene, and in 1988 he was named as the host of the MTV show “Yo! MTV Raps”, thanks to the popularity of which, Freddy’s own popularity grew ever higher, and he became one of the most prominent figures of the rap scene. His stint on the show lasted until the mid-90s, and since then has been focused on careers as an actor, producer and director, but also has continued to encourage young hip hop and graffiti artists to follow their dreams, despite obstacles they encounter on their way to success.
Freddy has been referenced in the song “Rapture”, performed by Blondie, while his other imprints on the music and art scenes include the hit single “Change the Beat”, and numerous exhibitions throughout the world which he has held with other graffiti artists, and has inspired many artists, such as Bansky, Shepard Fairey, and Barry McGhee, among others.
To speak of his career as an actor, Freddy appeared in the film “American Gangster” in 2007, and the same year portrayed murdered rap artist Terrence ‘Fulla T’ Smith in the TV crime drama series “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” in one episode of the series, while most recently he had a minor role in the biopic about the former President Barack Obama – “Barry” (2016), and also appeared in an episode of the TV crime drama series “Blue Bloods” (2016).
Regarding his personal life, Freddy’s most intimate details such as marital status and number of children remain hidden from public eyes, as Freddy tends to keep such information as secretive as he can.
Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, American Gangster, The Freshest Kids: A History of the B-Boy, Downtown 81, Murder Was the Case, Wild Style
TV Shows
Yo! MTV Raps
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Fact
1
Is mentioned in the 1980 Blondie song "Rapture" and appears in the video of the song, which synthesizes disco with the then-emerging rap music and hip-hop. A pioneer of rap, Fab 5 Freddie met Debbie Harry and other members of Blondie at a club and they became friends. When Freddy suggested that Harry write a song about the rap scene, she did. The result is the rap that is the second half of "Rapture," which begins "Fab Five Freddie told me everybody's fly." The song's title is a pun on rap music. Also mentioned in the song "Have You Seen Her" by M.C. Hammer.
2
Was the first choice for the character of Russel Walker in Krush Groove (1985) .
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Blue Bloods
2016
TV Series
Atticus
Barry
2016/II
Rameek
Rachel Getting Married
2008
Rehearsal Dinner Guest (as Fab Five Freddy)
American Gangster
2007
Smalls Patron
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
2007
TV Series
Terrence 'Fulla T' Smith
The Manchurian Candidate
2004
Political Pundit
New Jack City
1991
Master of Ceremonies
She's Gotta Have It
1986
Dog 10 (as Fab Five Freddy Braithwaite)
Downtown 81
1981
Graffiti Artist
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
6th Annual VH1 Hip Hop Honors
2009
TV Movie co-executive producer
5th Annual VH1 Hip Hop Honors
2008
TV Movie co-executive producer
4th Annual VH1 Hip-Hop Honors
2007
TV Movie co-executive producer
3rd Annual VH1 Hip-Hop Honors
2006
TV Movie co-executive producer
2nd Annual VH1 Hip-Hop Honors
2005
TV Movie consulting producer
Hip-Hop Honors
2004
TV Special consulting producer
New Jack City
1991
associate producer
Wild Style
1983
Documentary associate producer - as Fred Braithwaite
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
Nas: Video Anthology Vol. 1
2004
Video video "One Love"
Murder Was the Case: The Movie
1995
Video short video "What's My Name?"
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Wild Style
1983
Documentary performer: "Down By Law" / writer: "South Bronx Subway Rap", "Military Cut Scratch Mix", "M.C. Battle", "Fantastic Freaks at the Dixie", "Subway Theme", "Cold Crush Bros. At the Dixie", "Cuckoo Clocking", "Double Trouble at the Amphitheatre", "The Chief Rocker Busy Bee, D.J. A.J. At the Amphitheatre", "Gangbusters Scratch Mix", "Rammellzee and Shock Dell at the Amphitheatre", "Down By Law"
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Wild Style
1983
Documentary original concept - as Fred Braithwaite
Composer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Wild Style
1983
Documentary
Music Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
Wild Style
1983
Documentary musical director - as Fred Braithwaite
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
American Gangster
2007
production consultant
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
Wild Style
1983
Documentary special thanks - as Fab Five Freddy
Downtown 81
1981
thanks
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Untitled Story of MTV Documentary
2017
Documentary filming
Himself
Luke Cage
2016
TV Series
Himself
Hip-Hop Evolution
2016
Documentary
Himself
Hustlers Convention
2015
Documentary
Himself
Retro 30
2015
TV Series
Himself
The Tanning of America
2014
TV Mini-Series documentary
Himself
Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon
2013
Documentary
Himself (as Fab Five Freddy)
Jamel Shabazz Street Photographer
2013
Documentary
Himself
Picasso Baby: A Performance Art Film
2013
TV Movie documentary
Himself - Hip Hop Pioneer (as Fab Five Freddy)
40 Greatest Yo! MTV Raps Moments
2012
TV Movie
Himself - Host
Gray: Live at the New Museum
2011
Documentary
Outside In: The Story of Art in the Streets
2011
Documentary short
Himself - Artist
Art in the Streets
2011
TV Series documentary
Himself
Blank City
2010
Documentary
VH1 Rock Docs
2010
TV Series
Himself
Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child
2010
Documentary
Himself
Downtown Calling
2009
Documentary
Himself
Burning Down the House: The Story of CBGB
2009
Documentary
Himself
The Universe of Keith Haring
2008
Documentary
Himself (as Fred Brathwaite aka Fab 5 Freddy)
Malcolm's Echo: The Legacy of Malcolm X
2008/I
Documentary
Himself
The Heart of Hip Hop with Fab 5 Freddy
2007
TV Series
Himself
4th Annual VH1 Hip-Hop Honors
2007
TV Movie
Himself - Honoree
Ali Rap
2006
TV Movie
Himself
3rd Annual VH1 Hip-Hop Honors
2006
TV Movie
Himself
VH1 Goes Inside
2006
TV Series documentary
Himself
2nd Annual VH1 Hip-Hop Honors
2005
TV Movie
Himself
New Jack City: A Hip Hop Classic
2005
Video documentary short
Himself
TV Party
2005
Video documentary
Blondie: Video Hits
2005
Video short
Himself (segment "Rapture")
Hip-Hop Honors
2004
TV Special
Himself
And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip-Hop
2004
TV Mini-Series documentary
Himself
Blondie: Greatest Video Hits
2002
Video
Himself (segment "Rapture")
The Freshest Kids
2002
Video documentary
A Tribe Called Quest: The Video Anthology
2002
Video
Himself (segment "Scenario")
MTV 20: Live & Almost Legal
2001
TV Movie documentary
Himself
BET's Top 25 Countdown
1999
TV Series
Himself (2007)
MTV Video Music Awards 1994
1994
TV Special
Himself
Freaks, Nerds & Weirdos
1994
TV Movie
Himself
Who's the Man?
1993
Himself
Juice
1992
Himself (as Fab 5 Freddie)
MTV Video Music Awards 1990
1990
TV Special
Himself
The 1989 Annual MTV Video Music Awards
1989
TV Special
Himself
Yo! MTV Raps
1988
TV Series
Host (weekend edition) (1988-1995)
Wild Style
1983
Documentary
'Phade' (as Frederick Braithwaite)
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Nas: Time Is Illmatic
2014
Documentary
Himself
Class of '80 Debbie Harry
2004
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Tupac: Resurrection
2003
Documentary
Himself
Known for movies
Wild Style (1983) as 'Phade'
The Universe of Keith Haring (2008) as Himself
Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (2010) as Himself
Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon (2013) as Himself