Freddy E may be gone, but his family and friends will never forget him. The hip-hop flavored comedian and spoken-word poet may not have been the most well-known artist before he died Saturday in an apparent suicide, but Honey Cocaine will never forget him.
"He was just a character, everybody loved him, he was always happy, funny, always making jokes and just living life. Real confident, he was just a good person," the Toronto rapper told in an exclusive sit-down on Tuesday.
Hours after fans learned of Freddy's death, rumors circulated on Twitter that he decided to take his own life after a failed relationship with Honey Cocaine, but those rumors are false, she says. Honey maintains that she and Freddy were just friends.
"I had a show in Seattle and he was there, so that's when I met him. He was a fan who became a supporter, who became a friend," she said of their budding relationship before reiterating that they never dated. "I made it clear and he respected that, he never forced it. We were friends and we had an understanding and we were always there for each other as friends."
It is still unclear why Freddy decided to kill himself, but he did send a series of grim tweets before his passing. "Annnd, my day is ruined," he wrote on the site, giving way to a series of other tragic messages. "If there's a God then He's calling me back home. This barrel never felt so good next to my dome. It's cold & I'd rather die than live alone."
Though his final message to the world was dark, Honey will remember all of the light Freddy E brought to the world around him. "He was a good friend to everyone and I know that because I met his friends and you know what he was the person that you can depend on, he was a good guy, he had a genuine heart," she said. "He was talented and he just knew how to make people smile and in this world that smile means everything."
Honey Cocaine sends her condolences to Freddy's family and friends, but she also wants to message to young people that if they have fallen on hard times, they should seek help. "If you have a problem, there are people who care about you. At moments when you're weak, talk to somebody," she urged. "Talk to God, talk to whoever you believe in. Talk to your friends, your parents, your siblings, anyone. Professionally, it doesn't matter, because when you have problems, you don't have to deal with it by yourself.
"These battles don't have to be fought alone, especially when you're young and you feel helpless and hopeless," she said. "There's hope, there's a light."
If you or someone you know has had thoughts of suicide, there's help at HalfOfUs.com.