Uriel (known as Freak Daddy across the internet!) is a brilliant influencer based in Portland, Oregon who uses his social media influence to create a community for the LGBTQ+ and allies.
Uriel was kind enough to answer our prying questions about his career and brand:
1.Do you think photographers, models, etc. should be making a point to grow their TikTok influence? Why or why not?
Tiktok can be a great way to find an audience or fan base for your work, but authenticity is important. People can see through any BS.
2.Would you ever accept Bitcoin as payment?
I already accept cryptocurrency!
3.What is your favorite invoicing software?
QuickBooks.
4.How do you handle tax season?
I keep detailed records throughout the year and put money aside every month. Keeping good records from the beginning makes tax season a little less stressful when you do everything yourself.
5.At what point did you decide to truly live as yourself and not conform to what was deemed “acceptable” in the South USA?
I’m not sure if there is a single point where I decided to live for myself. Self-love is a process and it has taken me years to peel back the layers of parental and societal expectation to find what it is I truly want for myself. I spent many years hiding behind conformity for protection. I started choosing myself around 23 after checking myself into rehab and getting serious about managing my addictions and eventually came out as trans and queer at 29 but I didn’t begin medically transitioning until the end of last year. I sold everything and moved to Portland, OR in January of 2020 in hopes of finding community and trans-specific healthcare and I haven’t looked back.
6.What inspires you to create your art, music, podcast episodes, etc.?
I am inspired by human connection and empathy. Community and belonging are pivotal to our survival and I strive to create places where others can feel seen, understood, and heard. Creating music allows me to fully explore and process my own emotions and the end result is a work of art that can hopefully heal as much as it entertains. I have a degree in journalism and love interviewing people and learning about their lives and perspectives. My podcast, Impurity, was created to shine a light on issues that society tends to shy away from. My hope is that through the conversations I have there, folks are able to move past the shame associated with feeling alone in their identity and leave feeling a little less isolated or at the very least, having learned something new.
7.How did you come up with the name “Freak Daddy?”
The phrase “top freak daddy” was a tagline I saw at the end of an adult film. I fell in love with the phrase and changed my IG handle prior to deciding to come back to the music scene. I have been working professionally in music off and on since I was 15 years old but I needed a fresh start and a new artistic identity. When I went to release my single Confetti my co-producer suggested I go by the artist name Freak Daddy and the rest is history. As a queer, trans-masculine, sex worker in a society that simultaneously others me and fetishizes me, I feel like the name perfectly sums me up.
Thank you, Uriel.
Check back – we regularly feature our artists! If you’d like to be featured email growth@castingcoin.com ❤️