DIRECTOR: Unkle Luc
PRODUCER: 90culture
Broot McCoy, from Palm Beach by way of Boston, taps Miami-based visual extraordinaire Unkle Luc for his latest visuals. The 90culture-produced “Order of Operations” is a laid-back, nostalgic track that gets visually complimented with scenes of wild animals, nonchalant hooping, and tripped-out shots with that signature Unkle Luc feel. This song, along with others by Broot McCoy, can be found on Apple, Spotify, and Tidal.
Sometimes in life, you just don’t know what you want until it’s sitting right in front of you. That is precisely the case with South Florida rapper Malc Stewy and his latest video. After dropping off his well-received EP, The Stew, back in April, Stewy returns to the Citrus with fresh squeezed visuals for his standout track, “What You Want.” As a South Floridian, Malc Stewy felt the desire to pay homage to some of the landscapes that help define the essence of the region in this video. Fellow South Floridian and visual extraordinaire known as The Infamous JC was able to capture exactly that, while piecing it together in a compelling way. When asked about this video, Malc had this to say about it:
“The video was directed by JC, and we shot it at the Swap Shop in Broward and the old Carnival Flea Market in Delray…very Florida lol. Song is featuring and produced by French, and the video is starring Taty Sachi. This song is one of my personal favorites from my last project “The Stew”.
Christian Rose is a relatively new artist on the scene, but has a knack for crafting songs like a veteran. The Pensacola-bred rapper/singer has made some waves on social media and SoundCloud after releasing standout tracks like “Revenge,” and “Alexander McQueen” featuring buzzing Atlanta rapper Yung Bans. Recently, Rose let loose another impressive single, entitled “WYM.” With banging production by Lxmongrab, who has previously produced for Nessly, the track is a memorable display of this Florida underdog’s effortless ability to make catchy hooks and hard-hitting raps. Be sure to keep an eye out for Christian Rose, as he doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
Broward is basically the new breeding grounds for talented rappers these days, and Mikey More is certainly no exception to this. Even in the midst of being caught up with the law, the rapper formerly known as Floda (aka Flo) still manages to fulfill his passion for making music. As an up-and-coming rapper, you can possess the skills that would attract plenty of producers, but often times, the most inspiring beats arise from the depths of Soundcloud. That was exactly the case for Mikey More, as he decided to shamelessly put together a project called I Stole These Beats. At 5 tracks in length all over Origami beats, this EP is an easy listen with high replay value that only further proves that More is bound for success. Keep an eye out for Mikey, because this guy can really rap and it is quite evident in his music.
Palm Beach-bred rapper Malc Stewy has been steadily making strides towards success with his music over the years. Not too long ago, he caught the attention of NYC underground legend Smoke DZA. The Kushed God took a liking to him and brought him on The Smoker’s Club tour as well as The Key To Life tour with The Lox so he could get his feet wet on the road. Since then, Stewy has been able to get in the studio, including several sessions with DZA, to put together a polished body of work called The Stew. At only 8 tracks in length, the project is an easy listen with high replay value through and through. With strong features from Miami-bred Freebandz artist Zoey Dollaz, noteworthy fellow Palm Beach rapper Eric Biddines, and of course Smoke DZA, there is plenty reason to give this a spin. The Stew is out now on all major streaming platforms.
Fresh off of making Citrus Rap’s #BestOfFlorida2016 list, Miami’s very own GlockyCashOnly drops off his latest project entitled Fine Marble (you are so just be). The Dade County producer/rapper provides an array of eclectic soundscapes and rhythms throughout this very wavy 40-minute mix that seamlessly blends track after track of original composed instrumental music that anyone can vibe out to. With that said, press play above, catch a vibe and be sure to keep up with GlockyCashOnly.
2016 is a year that no one will ever forget—for better or for worse. Between tragic and untimely passing of pop culture icons and disappointing election results, some may say it’s for worse. However, optimistically speaking, 2016 was an unforgettably good year for music— particularly for Florida rappers.
This year, Florida has continued to make strides towards solidifying the state as a relevant powerhouse for hip hop through various nods from acclaimed tastemaker personalities, national publications, and even some major festivals. The industry, for so long, has neglected Florida’s output until just recently—after being given a late pass from the culture.
Between XXL Freshman list honorees, major label signees, and viral sensations, Florida certainly has a lot to be proud of this year. As the buzz continues to grow (at a faster pace than ever before), many cultural appropriators will attempt to define Florida—but not without coming off as disingenuous. For that reason alone, it was only right to get the Citrus Rap staff together to give a genuine perspective of the best Florida rap 2016 had to offer. Please be mindful that this list is in no particular order and is influenced by nothing more than the opinions of dedicated individuals in Florida’s bubbling rap circuit. With that being said, here’s to a successful 2016 and hopefully an even better 2017…cheers!
Directions: Click the song title link below to navigate the list.
Lajan Slim, for those unfamiliar, is a Broward County rapper who recently signed to Def Jam this year. Pusha T claims he is also the newest member of G.O.O.D. Music, which is not only an incredible look for him but for the entire state of Florida. Much of Slim’s buzz and success can be rooted from his zoe anthem, “Haitians.” Directed by Cinestream Pictures, the video depicts young Haitian culture in South Florida as young Lajan and company repeatedly waive the flag with pride.
With political correctness constantly eating away at different slang terms, Denzel Curry went against the grain with his single, “Gook,” shedding light on the concept of being a gook in the sense of being an outcast rather than the derogatory Asian slur. The video, directed by JMP, captures Denzel gookin’ out at the famous Miami Marine Stadium as he puts on for his city.
When Prez P and Big Nics get together, it’s a Miami affair. An entire album with the two was exactly what the city, Florida, and the entire rap game needed—especially with Unkle Luc behind the visuals. Premiered by The FADER, the #TooPlayerMode video for “Set,” features Nics and Prez flexing at the country club—playing golf and tennis while looking all too fresh. With additional signature glitchy edits and trippy color correction from Luc, this video is truly a classic.
Who thought it didn’t snow in Los Angeles? Wintertime proves all naysayers wrong in the frosty video for his hit single, “Thru It All.” With a record so cold, it was only proper to have the Los Angeles locale quickly turn from sunshine to snow. This, of course, was made possible by director extraordinaire Jimmy Regular behind the lens—who is known to get icy with it on the visuals.
When thinking about breakout artists from Florida in 2016, Tweleve’Len should immediately come to mind. Recently signing with legendary manager Coach K to join the likes of Migos, Rich The Kid, and Lil Yachty, the Miami songbird is destined for greatness. While some artists can forget where they come from in the midst of music glory, Twelve’Len remains humbly true to the 305 in his video for “Star Dust” with trusty director FXRBES cinematically capturing him in Overtown being one with the culture. It’s the perfect video for one of the most feel-good songs of 2016 coming out of Florida.
Miami is undoubtedly the breeding ground for the new young wave of trap music, and Lil Pump is one Dade County representative who surely looks promising. With an amazingly executed video by RaheemXP that aesthetically plays off of early school days nostalgia and South Florida trap culture, the self-proclaimed “trapper of the century” makes a good case for being one of the most prolific up-and-coming artists from Florida.
Jacksonville wordsmith DoLA teamed up with Central Florida-based teamSESH producer ghost/\/ghoul on a masterpiece of a project entitled Better/\/3D. “Red Light” is definitely one of the songs on the project that truly deserved fitting visuals. With frequent collaborator and director JG on the job, it was a perfect match—as DoLA is captured in his hometown football team’s jersey putting the city on his back with trippy lighting and effects that properly set the mood for this Duval artist’s banger.
West Palm Beach and its surrounding area can often be quickly dismissed as a beautiful and harmless place to raise your kids. Hailing from the 561, wifisfuneral reminds everyone with his dark and gloomy visual for his single “Grim” that his experience was far from glamorous—despite any preconceived notions about his home turf. With a very existential theme, Nassacre did the video justice by placing wifi in a bathtub surrounded by candles to set the mood of one of the standout records from Black Heart Revenge.
With a visual aesthetic so crucial to his artistry, Vintage Mob’s very own Cashy makes it hard to not be placed in the best videos of the year. While he might have kept reasonably quiet in 2016, Cashy’s video for “Who You Wanna Be” is loud with bright colors and vintage flare. This Gfxkid-produced video is truly an unforgettable gem from 2016.
While it might be difficult to take Fort Myers rapper Plies seriously in 2016 amidst all of the viral videos and memes he’s been the subject of, why should anyone have to? Even Plies knows how to poke fun at himself and the zany lifestyle of being a rapper like him. He especially does this to perfection with his unforgettably hilarious video for his hit single, “Racks Up To My Ear.” Pretending to be a mariachi while air-guitaring a stack of money is by far one of the most absurd ways to flex—and who better to do it than Plies? Props to Omar The Director for this one.
