Florida Hip-Hop: More Than Meets The Eye

As far as rap goes, Florida is mostly known for rappers like Rick Ross, Plies, Pitbull, T-Pain, Flo Rida and Trick Daddy, with DJ Khaled “holdin’ it down” with his three albums, on which he erases any doubt as to whether he and the rappers he collaborates with are the best, and as to whether or not they are global. Or if you want to back it up a bit, Florida is home to such acts as Vanilla Ice and 2 Live Crew. But while you may get some enjoyment out of a couple of these artists, this is far from the best group of rappers, and also far from the best representatives of Florida Hip-Hop.

On the other hand, Florida is home to various rappers and groups making unique, good music. Describing themselves as "somewhere between N.W.A and PE," Dead Prez is a duo made up of Stic.man and M-1. They're known for their debut album "Let's Get Free," featuring such gems as Happiness, Behind Enemy Lines, and, of course, Hip-Hop. The album is heavily political, dealing with afrocentrism and the oppression brought upon black people as a whole, speaking negatively of "the white man." While this may turn off some, the subject matter doesn't bother me (or most people), due in part to the duo being entertaining enough to keep you listening, regardless of whether you agree with their message or not. None of the beats really come out and grab you, but instead provide a fitting backdrop for Stic.man and M-1 to rhyme over. Since Let's Get Free, Dead Prez have released the three-part Turn Off The Radio series, with the latest of which being released just this summer. All three are very good, as is their sophomore album, RBG (Revolutionary But Gangsta).

Celph Titled is a no-bullshit, straight up battle rapper with some sick punchlines. A member of the Demigodz and Army of The Pharaohs, he's mostly known for his 4-disc mixtape The Gatalog: A Collection of Chaos. I haven't heard the whole thing, but the first disc is pure heat. It's a very feature-heavy mixtape, but all the guests hold their own, and Celph kills it repeatedly. He also has an album with Apathy, "No Place Like Chrome," a collection of unreleased songs from the two, and both come nice on it. He stands out on the Demigodz EP "The Godz Must Be Crazy," and holds his own on Army of The Pharaohs' The Torture Papers.

Representing Gainesville, we have Cyne. From this year comes the Japan-only release Water For Mars, a great album featuring what I believe to be the song of the year so far, Pretty Apollo. They also have good albums in Pretty Dark Things and Starship Utopia. However, their magnum opus is Evolution Fight, with its great production and solid rhyming. It's amazingly cohesive, one of those albums with no filler; every song belongs and serves its own purpose.

QuESt is a relatively new rapper, with three mixtapes out since December '08. Distant Travels Into Soul Theory is a unique tape, telling a story of a relationship through both song and spoken conversations. You should also check out Sol.illaquists of Sound - As If We Existed.

Florida Hip-Hop is much more than it appears to be at first glance. If you can get past the more popular rappers, you’ll find a nice variety of rappers and groups representing different styles; there’s something for everyone.