#ThrowbackThursday

Sunrise Park, Sunrise, Florida Oct 26, 2009

Snap Money Ent - @Snapmoneyent
  / snapmoneyent  
http://reverbnation.com/snapmoneyent
  / snapmoneyent  
  / snapmoneyent  
  / snapmoneyent  

Florida rap is having a resurgence. Whether it be through Kodak Black’s somber street tales or Denzel Curry’s galactic phonk, the Gunshine State is undergoing a renewal of musical spirit the likes of which hasn’t been seen since the late 2000s. That period found Rick Ross revitalizing the state’s rap scene with songs like “Hustler” and “Push It,” though he was simply the latest in a long line of rappers who helped bring fame to the peninsula.

Florida’s rich rap lineage stretches back to the late 1980s and early 1990s, when Uncle Luke and 2 Live Crew were Banned in the U.S.A., DJ Magic Mike was a “Speaker Terror Upper” and Uncle Al was Comin Thru. While giving birth to key regional acts like Poison Clan and MC Shy D, the defining Miami Bass sound soon gave way to the gangster leanings of Trick Daddy, who helped establish Slip-N-Slide Records as Florida’s premier record label in the late 1990s. That label would eventually turn other local acts like Trina, Plies and Rozay into national stars, while producers like the Drum Majorz crew, headed by Gorilla Tek, helped shape a modern new sound for the state.

Now, as Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group has spread itself out to many geographic areas — Meek Mill in Philly, Wale in the DMV, Stalley in Ohio, to name a few — Florida’s sound is being pulled back underground, where SoundCloud stars rule the land. Even as SpaceGhostPurrp has fallen by the wayside, his impact is still faintly felt through those that moved on from Raider Klan to do bigger and better things.

So for our latest New New column, we wanted to explore who some of the best rappers in Florida are right now. A couple have been around for almost a decade; others popped up over the last few years. But all of them have unique sounds and growing followings, two aspects that position each artist for success.

A note before we start: though we didn’t get to every single dope Florida rapper, one notable omission is Orlando rapper Woop. Back in May, he was sentenced to two years and six months for shooting or throwing a “missile” at a building or vehicle. His current release date stands as April 4, 2018, and though he has two excellent mixtapes (and one okay one) to his name, his career has stalled since being incarcerated earlier this year, hence why we didn’t include him.

Hometown: Sunrise/Lauderhill
Twitter: @Snapmoneyent
Notable songs: “Snap Mode,” “Holy Grail” (Quice), “Frugal” (Dolla Bill)
Sounds like: “I’d rather not give anyone free promotion,” says Quice, but they list Wayne, Boosie, Webbie, Soulja Slim and Master P as influences.
Why you should know them: Snap Money is Chop, Yung Quice, G Dez and Dolla Bill. They’re one of the most well-respected crews in South Florida, despite having little recognition outside of their state. They’ve acted without regard for the conventions of rap today; there isn’t a single mixtape between any of the four members. They just record and drop their shit on YouTube or SoundCloud—or even SoundClick. Though Dolla Bill is currently locked up, the crew continues to drop tracks with a consistency that outweighs the number of plays they get online.

Read More: The New New: 15 Florida Rappers You Should Know - XXL | http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2016/10/fl...