Real Miami Music
By: Jamison Brown
You've heard of Denzel Curry, Rick Ross, City Girls, and HOPEFULLY Uncle Luke & The 2 Live Crew, but have you heard of Ice Billion Berg? Billy Blue? Brianna Perry? Or even current artists such as D30, K.Charles, and Kiddo Marv?
Returning to my stomping grounds of Miami made me realize that there’s a plethora of talent here. Maybe too much to cover, but that influence stems from the OGs. As I arrived home from the airport, I was actually greeted by two small artists who live around the area: Nbh 2 black and Marco. They both graduated high school with me and have music that I enjoy, but it’s different from what the OGs have done. Listening to music from Miami artists today, you’ll be surprised to know that it did not always sound like this. Before there was Denzel Curry and City Girls, it was Trina and Trick. The music in Miami today reflects the trend of similar beats, gritty lyrics, and scamming. But before we got to this point, every artist had their own style that reflected their respective neighborhood. This article will take a look at REAL Miami music through the eras.
Before we fully dive in, here are some terms to keep in mind:
Jwett - Any illegal way to get money. Usually by means of scamming
Jitt/jit (really your personal preference, just don’t spell it jhit) - Someone younger than you; a kid
OG - An original member/someone who’s been around for a while
Jook - A dance
Miami Bass
Let’s take it back to before I was a kid, and I’ll work my way up to the present day. During the 1980s & 90s, it was all about Miami Bass. I’m not going to cover too much of this time period for brevity, but it’s essential to know about Uncle Al, Miami Bass Music, and its influence on some of your favorite artists. Uncle Al was a huge figure in Miami as his music brought together some of the toughest neighborhoods. He’s the king of Miami Bass, and his influence can be seen all around Miami and in southern music in general. Though most artists who made Miami Bass Music weren't from Miami, the name came from where it was popularized and started. For example, “Swing My Way” by KP & Envyi is considered a Miami Bass song despite both artists being from Atlanta. Miami Bass became faster-paced music in the 2000s with horns reminiscent of HBCU or high school bands. Artists such as Smino and Bryson Tiller have paid homage to Miami Bass in their respective tracks “Exchange.” and “ Pro Freak.” Smino captures the sound of Miami Bass perfectly in a modern way as the band element during the “adjust your crown” bridge can be compared to Trick Daddy having a band playing in the background as well in his 1999 song “Shut up.” Whereas Tiller sampled “Swing My Way” for his Grammy nominated song “Exchange.”
Flo Rida & The Rise of Poe Boy
When I was around five years old in 2008, I was told to say, “Damn, she fine,” by a camera crew as a woman walked by. The shot I did would be the start of a music video for the song “How Much” by Redd Eyezz, featuring Juvenile and Flo Rida (link). Most people today know Flo Rida for making songs that you hear in movies or played at rich white kid frats, but most people don’t know he got his start making music that’s nothing like the non-vulgar, family-friendly music he makes today. Born and raised in Carol City, Flo Rida made music that reflected the environment he grew up in. The nasty “shake and I’ll pay for it” attitude is mainly what Flo-Rida’s older songs were about, so it’s a no-brainer that he was featured on a song with Juvenile. Flo Rida would begin his rise to fame when he made “Low” featuring T-Pain off his album Mail On Sunday. This project also had the track “Elevator,” which (in my opinion) is much better than “Low” because of the Timbaland feature. With the fame he gained from “Low,” Flo Rida put his Poe Boy collective on the map. This collective is one that I grew up around my entire adolescent life.
Poe Boy, known as Strongarm today, is one of the OG groups that formed the Miami Music scene. Founded by E-Class in 1999, Poe Boy is a family that was more than just music. Poe Boy has consisted of many artists throughout history, signing POD as their first. Though, the main figures of the label were Flo Rida as well as Brisco and Brianna Perry. A song that I remember vividly being played around Miami was “Black Shades'' by Brisco.
Brisco and Flo Rida were stars in their own way. With songs such as “Slidin,” “This is My Life,” and “Just Know That,” Brisco had the streets in a headlock with Flo Rida. If you think EST Gee talks about bricks and switching cars often, Brisco easily tops that. Brisco had features with the likes of Lil Wayne, Kevin Rudolph, and Rick Ross. He had one of the biggest impacts on the streets of Miami back when CDs and mixtapes were a thing. You couldn’t go anywhere and not see a flyer for him performing at a club or venue. Meanwhile, Brianna Perry isn’t talked about as much when it comes to music in Miami, though she did have a hit song called “Marilyn Monroe'' that had consistent air time on the radio.
Ice Billion Berg & The Fading of Bass
Going into the late 2000’s, Miami music moved away from Miami Bass introducing jook music. Poe Boy wasn’t the only thing popping in Miami. “Let’s Go Get Em,” “Zombie,” and “F the Other Side” are all Miami anthems that any native would recognize if played. Ice Billion Berg is an OG that has been around since he was a jit. He has made music with the likes of Ball Greezy, Trina, and Trick Daddy. Still around today, Iceberg was one of the few artists that have stayed consistent throughout the years. Working with the majority of his Miami peers, Berg’s a pioneer in Miami music that fans still give praise to all these years later. Desloc Piccalo popularized the wave of jookin around Miami during the 2000’s. With “Sticking and Rolling” and “ Drums” being hit songs at the time, Desloc was bound to be played at any party no matter the circumstance. Bizzle (rest his soul) was another huge influence amongst the late 2000’s. “Naked Hustle” and “Lip Biting Animal” were his most memorable songs; “Naked Hustle”, has a remix that features Iceberg as well. These are songs you can’t go wrong with playing at a function in Miami. If you enjoy Kid Cudi and his album “A Kid Named Cudi,” then maybe you know that his song “Maui Wowie” sampled “I’m So High” by the Miami group Grind Mode. This is just one example of how 2000s Miami music was the most influential in terms of decades, as it was the era that gave birth to the most versatile styles while staying true to that Miami sound.
Dance Era
A point in Miami music that is more difficult to pinpoint is the dancing era. Dance music has always been a staple in Miami, though it truly came to prominence when the 2010s rolled around. Artists like Brisco, Billy Blue, and others became phased out. At some point, everyone either went their separate paths or their music was not poppin’ anymore. Ice Berg became more popular as the 2010s introduced a new generation of talent. It was music that could bring everyone together and still gets played to this day; it introduced dancing music. Some popular dances on TikTok today stemmed from the dance scene in Miami and Jersey.
Chad Thomas is a former football player for the Cleveland Browns. Before becoming pro, he made music while he attended Booker T Washington high school. He’d become known as Majornine. He was great on the field and in the booth, as he would work with the likes of Ice Berg, Lil Dred, and other Miami artists. “Zombie '' was the song that gained Majornine recognition, but he would go on to make a plethora of hits that are loved by those from Miami. Around the same time Majornine started to gain some buzz, Vine, Dubsmash, and Thriller were released. For those who aren’t familiar with these apps, they were basically TikTok before TikTok was a thing.
At this point in my life, I was playing little league (optimist) football at Betty T Ferguson Park. Being at this park was my first introduction to the dance scene. If you were a dancer Betty T was the place to be. From the 75 hop to the clutch, if you weren’t at your respective neighborhood park, then it was a good chance you were at Galaxy every weekend dancing and having fun with friends. Galaxy was a skating rink about 20 minutes away from the city, and it held everything. At these events, Young Gordon would DJ and perform. This would mark the start of the Bobble Walk with DJ Ghost and Hit My Walk. These dances would become viral as NFL athletes started using them as their touchdown celebrations. With everyone growing up, the dance scene became a bit phased out. Despite the fall off of the dance scene, during this time something bigger was brewing on the back burner.
Modern Day Miami
Leading up to the current state of Miami music, there was a new generation planning to take over. The Worldstar Hip-hop series "The field” featured the new generation of Miami rap. The episode does a good job in showcasing other upcoming artists at the time such as Nell and Bruno Mali, which fills the weird gap of 2011-2014 ish. Around this time, Raider Klan was forming, and Spaceghostpurpp was looking to put Miami on the map with the likes of Denzel Curry, Young Simmie, and others. Though disbanded now, Raider Klan is popular amongst the Soundcloud scene as many artists in it would be the ones who influenced the use of Soundcloud. They also had a beef with A$AP Mob in which the two groups would go back and forth on who started what first and who’s jacking whose style. Though some members have expressed interest in getting the group back together, others aren’t on board and still have unresolved conflicts that are stopping a Soundcloud lover's dream from coming true.
Miami music culture now consists of a little bit of everything. From 2017 on, music in Miami has been through many trends and changes. The current generation of Miami music has given birth to some great artists — some who are either dead or can’t stay out of trouble. For those who have stuck around, their music is only getting better. The likes of Lil Dred and F.O.B Pook have been around since before 2020. If you are not into the glamorization of scamming, then F.O.B Pook is a go-to artist. He has lyrics that hit close to home. Take his song “Wise Words,” which starts with the line, “They say you reap what you sow / From the bottom of the map, I ain’t never seen snow.” This is a line that those from the south can relate to. I didn't see snow until a week before writing this article. Pook also has songs with the likes of Mozzy and Majornine. D30 is another artist that has been around for a few years. He’s consistently released music since starting, even touting a feature from Babyface Ray on their song “D to MIA.”
2020 sparked a new wave for Miami artists. During the pandemic, a lot of people took advantage of PPP loans. This would contribute to the rise of jwett music. Mula Mitch and Lajan Kid Joe, who have been around since 2020, are artists that have been prominent in making music about scamming. Some notable songs by them are “Vye Neg” by Lajan Kid Joe and “Force” by Mula Mitch. Both artists have lyrics that reflect the predominantly Haitian neighborhood of North Miami. Throughout Miami there are region-specific words, for example: In “Vye Neg,” Lajan Kid Joe tells a woman to “go wash her bouboun.” Then he repeats it again for the ones who are not Haitian in English translation. Adding to my earlier point, music in Miami can reflect specific parts of Miami. Though it’s not as often now, there are instances where you’ll find a difference. Most times, music from North Miami is not likely to sound like music from Hialeah.
There are also lesser-known artists, such as Me’Kayla Chenai and Jayy Breezyy, who are both versatile in their music. These artists and more exhibit how Miami music can vary. From the famous Betty Wright to seasoned vet Twelve'len. Countless artists have come from Miami. Every Miami artist has a distinct sound that others can’t replicate. I encourage everyone to check out the artists I have talked about. Miami will always be a breeding ground for potential artists to bloom; keep an eye out for the next generation.
If you want to check out some of the artists mentioned in this article, click the YouTube playlist below.