8 August 24-30, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | culture | Night+Day | News | letters | coNteNts | “People don’t realize there was no hip-hop in the South. Zero. No Texas, no Georgia, no Memphis, no nothing. I would go do shows in Atlanta, and they would have New York DJs on their radio,” Uncle Luke told the New York Times earlier this year. “So I tell people I cre- ated hip-hop in the South. People have a ten- dency of trying to put me in a box of just Miami. No, I inspired everybody. Tell me, who was before us?” Luke and the 2 Live Crew were among the first hip-hop acts to crack the mic on main- stream white sensibilities and catch beef with law enforcement. The ultimate genius of Un- cle Luke lay in his audacity to use these con- flicts to market their music, songs like “We Want Some Pussy” and “Me So Horny.” The latter’s explicit nature led to the group’s ini- tially successful prosecution on obscenity charges and the state of Florida banning the sale of the album. That ban propelled the Lib- erty City-born rapper and music executive into a fight that eventually launched new le- gal ground for free speech. Uncle Luke and the 2 Live Crew (whose members migrated from California and an- chored themselves in Miami at Luke’s invita- tion) are the originators of the Miami bass sound and the architects of what many called the “Dirty South.” Look no further than the contemporary landscape of hip-hop music to see just how wrong many were about South- ern rap and Southern rappers. How rhymes cooked in a Southern drawl percolate and ass-shaking can promote resistance in a soci- ety bent on snuffing out the people who re- flect the genre’s constituents. It bears noting that 50 years later, hip-hop music is a global phenomenon increasingly spearheaded by women and continuously shaped or informed by the “Miami sound” and Southern culture. In honor of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, New Times reflects on Miami’s rap timeline, highlighting the Magic City’s biggest names and brightest moments, from the 2 Live Crew and Slip-N-Slide Records to women in bass and the jook movement. The Birth of Miami Bass 1983-1992 The 2 Live Crew In hip-hop’s becoming, Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell and the 2 Live Crew commanded headlines in the media culture wars. The re- lease of their wickedly hilarious and vulgar album As Nasty as They Wanna Be brought them (and Miami) national fame and notori- ety. In the early ’90s, Luke took his rhymes and parodies to the floors of Congress and, using the First Amendment to protect his raps, paved the way for DJs and emcees after him. At the height of his popularity, Luke’s business fell apart, but it signaled a new wave of Miami bass artists. The Dogs The ’90s hip-hop group consisting of Disco Rick, Keith Bell, Labrant Dennis, and Fergus “Cracked Up” Smith is perhaps best known for “Crack Rock,” the hit single with a school- yard taunt of “Yo mama’s on crack rock!” While the song is characterized by its upbeat quirk, the record sheds light on the Reagan administration’s War on Drugs and the crack epidemic. The group released three studio al- bums before disbanding in 1996 after Dennis was arrested for the murders of University of Miami Hurricanes linebacker Marlin Barnes and Barnes’ friend Timwanika Lumpkins, the mother of one of Dennis’ children. Anquette Allan Decades before Jacki-O, Trina, and City Girls embodied Miami’s raw and unfiltered rap scene, Anquette Allan rose to popularity with her 1986 Miami bass debut “Throw the P,” a clapback to the 2 Live Crew’s “Throw the D.” Backed by Keia Red and Ray Ray, known as the “Throw the P” girls, Anquette’s cheeky and bawdy bars established her as one of the first female predecessors of Miami bass and rap. Under the tutelage of Uncle Luke and signed to his Luke Skyywalker label, An- quette went on to release her 1988 debut, Re- spect, which contained popular hits like “Shake It (Do the 61st),” “Janet Reno,” “Ghetto Style,” and “I Will Always Be There for You,” the last of which peaked at number 76 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks in 1989. MC Luscious MC Luscious (née Rosalyn McCall) began rapping in the early ’90s when her cousin, producer Steve Tempo, recruited her for a re- make track titled “Boom! I Got Your Boy- friend.” Tempo previously had released the original single “Boom! I Got Your Girlfriend” with his group, the Boys From the Bottom. MC Luscious followed that hit with her 1991 debut album Boom!, which featured two ver- sions of “Boom! I Got Your Boyfriend” along with two additional singles, “Ride That Mon- key” and “It’s My Thang.” In 1993, she re- leased a follow-up, Back to Boom, and in 1995 brought her third album, Lollypop. Luscious’ last release was her 1997 rendition of Freak Nasty’s “Da’ Dip.” L’Trimm A Miami bass duo comprising Coconut Grove natives Bunny D and Lady Tigra, L’Trimm re- leased its debut hit single “Grab It!” in 1988, followed by one of the pair’s most popular songs, “Cars With the Boom,” an ode to Mi- ami’s car culture and subwoofers. The single peaked at number 54 on Billboard’s Hot 100, and in 2008 it was ranked number 95 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop. In 2016, “Cars With the Boom” was number 100 in Rolling Stone’s Top 100 Hip Hop Songs of All Time. The popularity of L’Trimm’s second al- bum, Drop That Bottom, led the Source to rec- ognize the pair as one of its “Hip-Hop Goddesses of the Month” in 1989. L’Trimm disbanded in the early ’90s after the release of its third album, Groovy, but Bunny D and Lady Tigra will permanently be embedded in Miami’s rap pantheon as the infectious pop- rap group that helped popularize Miami’s unique regional sound. Everyone’s Shaking to Slip-N-Slide 1993-2002 DJ Uncle Al and the Sugar Hill DJs Hailing from Liberty City, DJ Uncle Al (born Albert Moss) was one of the most prolific Mi- ami DJs in the ’90s to early 2000s. His call- and-response style and his iconic battles with the popular Bass crew Jam Pony Express par- alleled the Jamaican toasting style of early dancehall DJs and sound-clash culture, which also influenced hip-hop pioneer DJ Kool Herc. Known for the block parties and anti-drug concerts he spearheaded along with his crew, the Sugar Hill DJs, he quickly became a staple in the Miami bass and party scene. While tension grew between local law enforcement and Black residents, he became deeply embedded in his community and would promote peace and nonviolence dur- ing his sets via his signature “Peace in tha Hood” slogan. He also became a guest speaker on 99 JAMZ in Opa-locka. His life was tragically cut short when he was shot and killed in front of his home on September 10, 2001, at age 32. DJ Uncle Al’s innovative style is the root of local South Florida DJs and art- ists. His influence is memorialized in the unique regional production that defines Mi- ami hip-hop. Mother Superia Before Trina asserted herself in the main- stream with her salacious delivery, Mother Superia (born Sonya Levette Spikes) became known for her lyrical prowess in the ‘90s. Compared with the likes of MC Lyte and Queen Latifah, her sharp, aggressive flow and principled lyrics challenged the notion that Miami’s hip-hop scene was only party music. She notably coined the phrase “the Bottom” to describe Miami on her first breakout hit, “Rock Bottom.” She signed a deal with Island Records subsidiary 4th & Broadway in the mid-’90s and released her 1997 debut album, Levitation. Earning accolades from KRS-One and GZA (who directed her “Most of All” video), her debut album featured production from Redman, Blastmasta, and other hip-hop luminaries. Although Levitation was the last album she released, Mother Superia ushered in a new wave for female rap in Miami. JT Money and the Poison Clan JT Money began his career under the tute- lage of Uncle Luke, who discovered him at a Miami talent show. He signed to Luke Re- cords in 1990, and in that same year, he re- leased his debut album, 2 Low Life Muthas, alongside group member Debonaire. After Debonaire departed, Poison Clan released a 1992 follow-up, Poisonous Mentality, which featured its first hit, “Shake What Ya Mama Gave Ya.” Poison Clan put out two more al- bums between 1993 and 1995 and a string of club hits, including “Fire Up This Funk,” “The Girl That I Hate,” and “Don’t Sleep on a Hizzo.” In 1999, JT Money released his solo album, Pimpin’ on Wax, which featured his biggest hit single, “Who Dat,” featuring Solé. The song perched at the number-five spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and won the “Top Rap Single” at the 1999 Billboard Music Awards. Above: DJ Mr. Mixx (David Hobbs), Fresh Kid Ice (Chris Wong Won), Brother Marquis (Mark Ross), Luke Skyywalker (Luther Campbell) of the rap group 2 Live Crew pose for a portrait session on January 30, 1989. Left: MC Luscious’ 1991 debut album Boom! Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Heat Wave Records 50 Years from p 7
