Riding High: Flo Rida Delivers The Hits

by Ronda Racha Penrice

It's impossible to miss "Low," the monster hit that's even made its way to commercials for ABC's juggernaut show Dancing with the Stars. That's the single that's powering Mail On Sunday, the Atlantic debut album for the Florida rapper who calls himself Flo Rida (Flow Rider), playing off his native state's name.

Hailing from Carol City, just 15 miles from Miami's infamous party haven, South Beach, Flo Rida is following in the footsteps of longtime friend and childhood neighbor Rick Ross in solidifying Florida's vice grip on the music industry. Luke and the 2 Live Crew helped sway attention over to Florida when hip-hop was still in its infancy. Flo Rida says this wave is different from that first wave because it's not just one or two Florida artists making moves. There's a slew of them that include Trick Daddy, Trina, T-Pain, DJ Khaled, Rick Ross, Plies, himself and many others.

"It's definitely more people," he says excitedly. "I mean we're more unified now. Instead of beefing and everything, everybody is just standing together and we're calling it a movement right now. Any aspiring artist trying to come up today we're trying to tell 'em we're definitely here to provide that [support]. It's nothing but love going on right now."

For his own breakout hit, Florida proved a huge inspiration. "Down in Florida alone, people, they like to dress certain ways. Me and T-Pain just got together. The chemistry was there . . .It's like a bass record. The ladies definitely inspired me. A lot of times in the hood out of nowhere [you will see] this girl with boots with the fur on them, even in the summertime. Crazy! That's basically how we just came up with it. It just sounded catchy and clever. It stood out and that's basically why we chose it," he surmises.

There's no denying that the "Low" explosion has changed his world. Like all artists who break through the industry wall, Flo Rida's journey began way before now. "My cousin collected a lot of tapes back in the day," he explains. "He would just buy tapes. I mean tons of tapes, like every week. I started to listen to the instrumentals on them. I would look at TV, 'Yo MTV Raps' and all that stuff, and I would just go in the garage and record over the instrumentals. At that time—that was like 12 years ago—my lyrics weren't that good but I had a certain flow."

Hooking up with his group, Groundhoggz, which also includes Bred and F.I.S.T., only fueled his hip-hop aspirations. Shopping himself with the group and individually seemed to pay off when he got the opportunity of a lifetime to work with Jodeci's Devante. His three years spent in Los Angeles didn't result in a record deal but the musical boot camp experience has proven invaluable. While he was spending time in L.A., his music was finding a home in Florida. When he returned and really made a go with Poe Boy Entertainment, things really got moving and, before he knew it, he was on Atlantic.

His success hasn't made him immune to criticism, especially from those who prefer that their rap have a harder edge. Criticism doesn't bother him though. "You had Doo Wop back in the days and now you have R&B," he quips, "so everything has it time and changes. They definitely can have their own choice of what they would like but this is what it is now."

So far his flow has served him well but he also believes his willingness to learn and experiment contributes to his success. "I have a melodic flow, like Andre 3000, Nelly and Bones Thugs N Harmony," he says, with no qualms. "In order to be a great leader, you have to be a great follower. I try to be more creative. I try to come from left field every time so everything I do is different so when you listen to Flo Rida you don't get bored."

Actually, his prefers the universal approach in his music. "A lot of times, when I make a record, I try to give it more so a universal approach," he shares. "That's what I always try to target when I make records." Even still, the success of "Low" snuck up on him. Because they tested "Low" in strip clubs, he felt that it was a good record but never predicted it would rule all the Billboard charts. "A lot of times we take records to strip clubs and test them and immediately the ladies were going crazy over this record," he recounts. "I knew it would be big but, to this magnitude, I definitely couldn't have predicted it would be like this."

Not only did the record score him a prime spot on MTV's annual spring break performance roster and BET's Rip the Runway, it's also made him an international traveler. Prior to this record, Florida and Los Angeles were the most he'd really traveled. Now, he's racking up the frequent flyer miles. Especially surprising to him is the international love he's receiving. During his travels to Paris and Germany, a cabbie let him know just how big his record and he was.

"There was this cab driver driving [with] multiple cabs behind him and he gets out of the car [yelling] "Flo Rida". That's crazy," he says, smiling. "You're in another country and people know you like that, that's like amazing. I [can still] remember sitting on the couch and not having nothing. Now, going to another country and people know you."

One of the biggest things this newfound success has taught him is the value of patience. "Everybody gets a chance," he testifies, "because I was the same dude listening to different people giving that speech: 'work hard, grind and your time will come.'" And he certainly feels like he's reaping the rewards.

"It's like a dream come true," he exclaims. "Right now, I pinch myself every time. This business is really real like I watch myself on television, hear myself on the radio and it's just overwhelming."

Resting on his laurels, however, is not in his plans. "We're looking forward to not just having the number one single but the number one album," he says of his Atlantic debut, Mail on Sunday. To that end, he's enlisted the help of heavy hitters like Rick Ross, Lil' Wayne, Timbaland, Trey Songz, and even the late Roger Troutman. Already "Elevator," his second single, has cracked two Top 20 Billboard charts. Not forgetting where's he's come from certainly plays into the album's title.

"The first record that I put out was called 'Birthday on Sunday', [meaning] 'I can eat cake every day. Like, I don't want no cake on my birthday, I want my cake every day,'" he clarifies. "At the same time, I feel like this [album] is a special delivery for the fans and normally, in the States, you get your mail six days a week. I feel like that seventh day, whatever your prized possession may be, just talk about getting that every day. Who wouldn't want their mail to come on Sunday? . . . I just think Mail on Sunday [for] the fans is like special delivery."