Five Florida Rappers And the Florida Rappers They're Listening To

Hometown: Orlando

Kaiydo is on a roll. Each of the young producer's recent releases have hit the mark, starting with "Red Freestyle" and the contagious Sampha flip "Arcade," and continuing through to last month's "Reflections." He's a natural, and he makes the shit seem easy. Low-key catchy can be so much more rewarding than in-your-face catchy, and Kaiydo seems to instinctively understand that.

It's also impressive that every new release manages to distinguish itself from Kaiydo's prior work. "I hear music as colors," he told us earlier this year. "Every melody has a certain mood, a certain temperature, a certain feel."

Hometown: Orlando

Kaiydo says:

The FL artist I picked is Jay Jumpin. Not only is he a dope artist, he also is my best friend and half of the technical and creative direction behind all of the music I release. Jay is involved in the all around creation process of my music, from production to engineering to actually helping write some of the songs.

Hometown: St. Petersburg

Chester Watson's Past Cloaks cemented the artist's status as one of 2016's most unique and singular rappers. We've been listening to Chester's progression since Summer Mirage, but it's really starting to look like his big break is around the corner. Watson produces most of his own songs, and it shows—his voice fits like a key into a lock, and he's able to cram complicated ideas and a librarian's vocabulary into loose, chopped-up samples.

Chester's music is intelligent, alive, and a refreshing alternative to the popular trends dominating hip-hop at the moment.

Hometown: St. Petersburg

Chester Watson says:

Well this is fam. Even if he wasn't fam, the realm of scarcity and consistency that his music dwells in is rare. I want him to put out a lot more, just because sonically I know he has the capability to sway the cosmos in his favor; more so than most.

I think people should pay attention to this fool because over my production and over any production he really clings to, the sound he makes is mesmerizing. We need to evolve into the state of lucid trance and out of this state of subtle hysteria... it looms; and our music dismisses that for a moment even if only to embrace a more hectic soundscape.

nü age.

Hometown: Orlando

Over the last four months months, Marcellus Juvann has released two incredibly strong projects. Both The Fall and After The Fall are full, cohesive stories of life as a young black American in 2016, and there's not a word wasted. Juvann is a reminder of the close link between poetry and hip-hop, and his verses are packed with emotion and imagery. Love, lust, violence, and Florida are at the center of his music, and it's a beauty to behold.

Hometown: Orlando

Marcellus Juvann says:

I fuck with LB because he's an artist cut from the same cloth. We both believe in the realism when it comes to making music. He's one of the most talented rappers I've met since being in Florida. He speaks truth and it's real. Me and him have a record on each others' up and coming projects and all I can say is wait on it!

Hometown: Tampa

Broderick Batts can do it all. One listen to "Kate Moss 1989" proves he can hang as a vocalist, but Batts' raps usually take center stage in his music. That's the case on his Erik Hassle collaboration, the aptly titled "¯\_(ツ)_/¯."

Batts is currently based in L.A., but his roots lie in Tampa. And like fellow Floridian Denzel Curry, he's a Dragonball Z fan—he once described his sound as “Goku meets The Chronic.” Those memories come through in the music. There's a bittersweet nostalgia to many of Batts' melodies, but he's not wallowing—these songs makes it easy to move, and now that he's signed to Ten Music Group, Batts has the support to go even deeper down the rabbit hole.

Hometown: Miami

Broderick Batts says:

My homie Dri over at Mieux Magazine turned me on to Miami artist Venus Amor. Her track "Like U" you is heavy on the vibes and features production from OG Sean, who is also based out of Miami.

Hometown: Carol City

Denzel Curry's Imperial dropped earlier this month. It's a huge step forward in terms of exposure for the young rapper, with verses from Rick Ross and Joey Bada$$ serving as the tape's only features. Those two do well in their guest capacity, but Curry is holding the album's reins throughout.

His is a breakneck style of rap—aggressive, insightful, and absolutely relentless in its delivery. He has range, too—for every "ULT," there's a more melodic, introspective cut like "This Life." Curry's lyrics are full of insider references that have garnered him a rabid following. His fans, like the rapper himself, are intensely committed to the craft. And his live shows are fucking crazy. There's no ceiling in sight for Denzel Curry.

Related: Watch Denzel Curry and JK The Reaper Freestyle in Our Backyard During SXSW

Kodak Black

Hometown: Pompano Beach

His style is real gutta, reminds me of Lil Boosie in his younger days. But Kodak has his own style mixed in, and he talks about the struggle of being broke and acquiring wealth as a youth.

Sdotbraddy

Hometown: Miami

As long as I've known him he was always a person who didn't take handouts and was smart enough to get it on his own. Other than that his rapid fire style adds more fuel to the flame when he's rapping.

Yoshi Thompkins

Hometown: Miami

Even at a young age I've witnessed his growth as an artist. Lyrically his skills are from another echelon whenever he channels his inner self through his music. His music is catchy, yet smart as hell if you really take the time to examine his songs.

Members Only

Hometown: Broward County

Xxxtentacion, Ski Mask the Slump God, and Wifisfuneral and the rest of Members Only all show that strength is really in numbers, and the power of a collective is something that shouldn't be underestimated. Xxxtentacion's aggressive punk influence flow mixed with the smooth lyrics cascading from Ski Mask the Slump God's voice and Wifisfuneral—who has a mixture between an unorthodox flow and lyrics—the whole collective is very powerful.

Rell

Hometown: Carol City

The brother of the incarcerated Nell, Rell is someone that shouldn't be slept on due to the history from his early music running with 758 stickupkidd, to eventually being a part of the Raider Klan collective. He's also in a group with Nell called New Era Gang. His pictures are painted very vividly over dope ass beats from New Era gang producer C5. Rell tells the story of his life living in the different projects of Miami Florida and also his trails and tribulations of his life right now.