14 March 7-13, 2024 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | culture | Night+Day | News | letters | coNteNts | Month XX–Month XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Beats Generation Nine Miami rappers to watch in 2024. BY OSVALDO ESPINO S ince its emergence in the 1970s, hip-hop has rapidly proliferated throughout the U.S. and beyond, evolving into a global cultural phenomenon. With its vibrant music scene, Miami and South Florida at large have played a pivotal role in shaping the genre, mainly through the influence of Miami bass and sound. The Magic City has left an indelible mark on hip-hop, contributing to its evolution with art- ists ranging from the raunchiness of the 2 Live Crew to the hard-hitting bars of Kodak Black. Today, everyone seems to be worried that hip-hop is “dying” owing to its lack of success on the charts in the past few years, but there are clear indications that it isn’t true. With a look toward the next generation of rappers coming out of South Florida, New Times has picked out nine of the most buzz- worthy rappers in Miami. Bizzy Crook Bizzy Crook had one hell of 2023, dropping singles such as “Luck You,” “Love Language,” and “Plot Twist.” This year, he’s started off hot with “Bang, Bang, Bang,” an 808-boosted, R&B-flavored single that feels like Bizzy is coming out swinging into 2024. Bizzy is no stranger to suc- cess, with the in- dependent artist being the head of his label, Good Luck Forever. He has writing credits with Leon Thomas, collab- orations with Jim Jones, French Montana, and 42 Dugg, and an appearance at last year’s Roll- ing Loud. Bizzy has been in the game for more than a decade, but something special is ignit- ing within him right now. BLP Kosher The “Dreidel Man” is one of the more unique artists to blow up recently. If the name didn’t give it away, Kosher is very proud of his Jew- ish background, which is often referenced in songs and titles such as one of his 2023 al- bums, Bars Mitzvah. The Deerfield Beach na- tive initially emerged as a semi-pro skater, sponsored by Mad Skateboards, HUF foot- wear, and Mad Skate Shop. Having collabo- rated with other South Florida rappers like Luh Tyler and Trapland Pat, as well as inter- net rap legends BabyTron and Yung Lean, Kosher has started to make his way up the ladder into mainstream success. He loves to rap over hardcore trap beats with some of the most creative wordplay that we’ve heard in a while. His unique perspective is so refreshing and something hip-hop desperately needs. BossMan Dlow Only 48 hours after its debut, BossMan Dlow’s track “Get in With Me” surpassed 647,000 views, landing him the number six spot on the YouTube music chart, the same spot it stood on Billboard’s TikTok Top 50. Bossman Dlow is having a viral moment right now, which shows that it could be a matter of minutes be- fore he starts receiving mainstream attention. The track has also debuted on the Hot 100 at the number 68 position, proving that he’s about to come up. He has been making music for several years now, and his social media fol- lowing helped the song blow up after his “Kreepin Through the Streetz” freestyle. His organic growth and consistent output under- score his potential for continued success. Geovonniex Geovonniex has an ambitious work ethic and is set on delivering one project per month in 2024. His latest release, NVR 2 L8 // CH.1, delivered with solid tracks like “Kingdom Come” and “Fountain of Youth.” He’s been part of the scene for the past few years, and his NVR 2 L8 collective has put on several concerts and events in Miami. Odds are that if you are in the local music scene, you’ve prob- ably run into Geo. He continues pushing the idea of the Renaissance man, being his own videographer and creative director and even self-producing some of his work. He’s a force to be reckoned with, so be on the lookout for his next few projects. iCandy Pompano native iCandy is being positioned as the new face of Florida rap, and it’s easy to see why. She sampled Trick Daddy’s “Take It to da House” for her single “Keep Dat.” Since then, the song has amassed 40 million streams on Spotify, followed by a remix that featured Glo- Rilla, Kaliii, and Big Boss Vette. She didn’t let her momentum slow down, dropping the Flo Milli-assisted “Big Mad.” This time, she sam- pled Lil Mama’s 2007 single “Lip Gloss,” with fans in the comments clamoring for a re- mix. Her newest track, “Like This (Back It Up),” is the latest in her set of singles with bright videos, fun dance sequences, and strong wordplay. iCandy has the look to be a superstar, especially now that female rappers are a lot more respected and adored. Lil Crix Lil Crix is South Florida embodied. Since being added to Kodak Black’s Sniper Gang collective, Crix has taken advantage of the opportunity to show his musical prowess on tracks like “Iced Tea,” “Spin the Block,” and “Navy Seals” with Kodak and Real Boston Richey. He is similar in tone to rappers like Nardo Wick and NLE Choppa with how he delivers his bars but is at the same time more laid back with it. His latest feature on the FaZe Kayan track “Muppy,” the music video that amassed 418,000 views in less than two weeks, is a prime example of how Crix can slide on beats. Going back and forth with Lil Double 0, Crix can keep up with the pace and give a solid delivery. Loe Shimmy With his croaky voice, Pompano Beach na- tive Loe Shimmy delivers his melodic rap flows atop a laid-back beat. He can hop on the beat and go, spitting bars until the song ends. Shimmy raps about some of his troubles and successes in the most elegant of ways, making his music oddly relaxing. Even when he’s on the same track with aggressive rappers like Kodak Black, BossMan Dlow, and Luh Tyler, Shimmy keeps his cool and adds a sense of cool to every track. His introspective lyrics and his effortless delivery help him stand out. Shimmy has a bright 2024 ahead of him if he can continue to put the same caliber of quality in his next project. Skodi Skodi has been making noise in the under- ground for a bit now. Falling somewhere be- tween Rico Nasty and Kendrick Lamar, Skodi has a style that is hard to pinpoint. She is like a second wave of the SoundCloud rappers that flooded the South Florida scene and eventu- ally the country. She has dark, bleak lyrics on top of hard trap beats. She’s a bonafide rock- star who has shown that she can rap some se- rious bars when put on the spot, like when she hopped on her “Off the Radar Freestyle” or “A Trip to the Corner Store.” Influenced by acts like Vince Staples, Kid Cudi, and Schoolboy Q, it’s no wonder that Skodi can hop on a variety of sounds and come off like a natural. With a down-to-earth personality, banger tracks like “Back” and “I Don’t Like You,” and a magnetic stage presence, she could be on her way to getting the recognition she deserves. Tafia Tafia has been brewing up a storm after the North Miami rapper signed to Meek Mill’s Dream Chaser Records. Since starting his ca- reer after a stint in jail, he’s delivered raw lyr- ics with his uniquely raspy voice. 2023 was a busy year for Tafia as he dropped three proj- ects, including Bottega, a collaboration album with Tampa Bay’s Cheeks Bossman that was engulfed in South Florida energy. Repping both his Haitian background and Miami up- bringing, it’s no surprise that he was able to secure features from rap legend Rick Ross, the Diplomat’s Jim Jones, and the departed Young Dolph, who is on Tafia’s biggest hit, “Paper Route.” As someone who captures that slick Miami-Dade swagger, Tafia de- serves more recognition. [email protected] ▼ Music Pompano native iCandy is positioning herself to be the next rap superstar. Photo by Emmanuella Moss BLP KOSHER’S UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE IS SO REFRESHING AND SOMETHING HIP-HOP DESPERATELY NEEDS.
