Although it no longer exists, Fresh Finesse was a web site that I started in 1995 to share and explore my interest at that time, in Hip Hop music. I promoted it as “Where Cyberspace Meets the ‘Hood” and it quickly drew a huge following, becoming one of the first memorable sites of its kind.
At that time, people were still exploring what could be done with internet technology, and people who were interested always enjoyed finding a virtual location where they could meet others who shared the same interests.
An interview on MSNBC noted that Fresh Finesse was a site to look out for and avery interesting write-up in Wired Magazine noted the following:
…Fresh Finesse (www.freshcom.com/), as “where cyberspace meets the ‘hood.” It’s a virtual city where Brazilian hip hoppers trade mother jokes with kids from neighborhoods in the United States. Pascal doesn’t censor postings, and the community has grown organically and developed a life of its own.
Pascal thinks the success of Fresh Finesse is a sign that the herd will come, but the imminent arrival of large numbers of new people also raises troubling questions – especially for those who know hip hop history. As online hip hop becomes more popular, the success will attract the soulless commercial interests… Wired Magazine “Chip Hop” – 9/97