Since his debut in 1984's A Nightmare On Elm Street, Freddy Krueger became one of the most iconic figures in horror movie history. His distinct appearance, marked by burn marks, a disfigured face, and a metal clawed glove, has haunted children's nightmares for decades. However, his influence isn't limited to the horror genre itself. Over the years, hip-hop has made a number of references to the spooky character. From DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince to Offset, we're exploring Freddy Krueger's influence in hip-hop.
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Freddy & The Fresh Prince
Freddy Krueger quickly became a household name in the 80s, even for those who never watched Nightmare On Elm Street. Despite the disturbing aspects of his character, he ascended into pop culture stardom. In 1988, the Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff capitalized on his popularity on their sophomore album, He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper. Aptly titled “A Nightmare On My Street,” Fresh Prince details an encounter with Freddy over Jazzy Jeff's eerie production. Given their family-friendly appeal, the music video and song were much more lighthearted than the source material. The video boasted changes to Freddy’s look since it was not an official collaboration with the movie franchise, which they emphasized with a disclaimer both at the beginning and end of the video.
Unfortunately, even in the attempt to work alongside the film's studio, an agreement was never reached. Later, New Line Cinema, the film studio behind The Nightmare On Elm Street movies, sued the duo for copyright infringement. However, the song and its music video had already been released. The studio wanted the singles to be recalled and the music video pulled from MTV. The duo tried to claim the video was a “parody” of the character but this did not work. Since they were already at odds but the damage had already been done, there were not many options available. The song still continued to sell physically but included a disclaimer just like the music video did. The music video was pulled from MTV and physical copies were destroyed. But, a copy survived through the legal proceedings and continues to surface online, which fans can watch today.
The Fat Boys Meet The Real Freddy
Interestingly enough, New Line Cinema decided to work with hip-hop trio The Fat Boys for their song “Are You Ready For Freddy?”A deal was agreed on with both parties and they went all in for 1988's A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master. "Are You Ready For Freddy" dropped as part of the film's official soundtrack. The video even included a cameo from Freddy Kruger, played by the original actor, Robert Englund. Freddy even contributes a few bars, adding to its comedic tone. Although not as successful as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince's homage to the horror villain, "Are You Ready For Freddy? was officially tied into the movie franchise. While the horrorcore genre and Memphis utilized horror scores for their own DIY artistic endeavors, The Fat Boys and The Fresh Prince took the relationship between hip-hop and horror to commercial heights.
The Nightmare Continues
The influence of Freddy Krueger extended well into the 2000s. The late Chicago rapper Fredo Santana released a project in 2013 titled Fredo Kruger and a sequel in 2018. The covers for both featured artwork that blended aspects of Fredo’s face with Freddy’s. In 2017, Fabulous and Jadakiss released a project called Friday On Elm Street. In the music video for the track’s opener “F Vs J Intro,” Fab wears a Freddy Krueger-inspired fit while Jada rocks a Jason mask. However, Fab ties in Krueger's presence into his final bars, rapping over the eerie production, "But I'm not gon' be the one you keep on sleepin' on/ This verse right here be your worst nightmare/ I just laugh at you n***as then come after you n***as/ Freddy!"
This feeling continues on 2017's “Nightmare” by Offset and Metro Boomin. Appearing on the Halloween-centric Without Warning alongside 21 Savage, it as only appropriate that that paid homage to the terrifying figure. On The hook of "Nightmare," Offset raps, “Freddy Krueger, give 'em a nightmare / Soon as you close your eyes n*gga we right there." Not only does it tie into the film but it also enhances Metro Boomin's haunting production on the song. What’s your favorite hip-hop crossover with Freddy? Let us know in the comments section.