All fears regarding the health of contemporary R&B icon Freddie Jackson were quelled at his recent performance at New York City’s Cielo nightclub. With a rousing set of classic and new songs from his latest release, For You, Jackson delivered a performance that made rumors of a possible medical condition that led to his weight loss of over 100 pounds seem far-fetched. After his performance, Jackson spoke to rolling out in the VIP section about how he refuses to be a stereotypically unhealthy black man, how age and the music industry motivated him to lose weight, and why the R&B hits of today won’t become the classics of tomorrow. –souleo
Many assumed that you had a medical condition when they saw your weight loss, which you denied. What do you think that reaction says about the perception of what a healthy black man should look like?
I’m just a black man that decided to not eat fried chicken, put butter over everything and have rice with a bunch of gravy. … I don’t eat it all week long and I don’t eat past 8 o’ clock. … I’m not gonna fall into fast food anymore. I did self-cleansing and I feel great.
In the process of losing what did you find yourself shedding besides pounds?
Before I turned 50 I said I want to do something to enrich my life and make me stronger. … These labels these days put you out you to pasture. So I want to at least look good so they can’t deny me. It’s made me know that if I can do that, there is nothing else I can’t conquer. So there is a new CD and I got rid of old management and old baggage. You’re never too old to start again.
What are your thoughts on the current state of R&B music? Do you think there is any substance in the genre today with its hypersexuality?
Some of it is more than I need to know and hear. You can say come give it to me but it’s the way you say it. The reason why there is no longevity is because it doesn’t mean anything.
