Florida rap started on the dance floor with the subwoofer turned all the way up. Miami bass took shape in the 1980s, and 2 Live Crew, led by Luther Campbell and his Luke Records label, set its template with "Throw the D" in 1986. The sound rode I-95 north to Jacksonville, where 95 South, named for the drive down to Miami, hit big with "Whoot, There It Is" in 1993, and the Quad City DJ's followed with "C'mon N' Ride It (The Train)."
From the 305 outward
Trick Daddy and Trina carried Miami into the mainstream around the turn of the century, and Rick Ross built a career on the city's yachts and sunshine image. A younger wave out of Carol City and beyond, Denzel Curry among them, pushed toward darker cloud rap, and the City Girls carried Trina's attitude forward.
Rolling Loud, which grew into one of the largest hip hop festivals anywhere, started in Miami in 2015 and has since staged its US flagship in Orlando too.
Where the shows land
Arena tours split their Florida dates between South Florida, Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville, and summer amphitheater bills run late into hot nights. Check the age limit and bag rules on your ticket before you go, and pick a meeting spot in case phones die in the crowd.
Local listings live on the Miami, Orlando and Jacksonville pages, and the singers are over on R&B and soul.
