It's no secret that rappers love to talk about Miami.
Even though we don't boast as many famous MCs as New York City or Los Angeles, the 305 is definitely on the list of hip-hop hot spots to throw into your raps.
Oftentimes, MIA shout-outs feel gimmicky. Too easy. Mentioning Miami for the sake of being trendy. But sometimes, lines can hit close to home. And rappers actually manage to capture the spirit of the Magic City in their rhymes.
Here are the five best rap lyrics about Miami.
See also: Ten Best Miami Rap Anthems Ever
"The streets is cold and the beaches is warm"
The bitches is everything in between. Wale is always repping his hometown of D.C., but he's also got love for the city that took him in. Ever since he signed to Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group, he's been spending much more time in the 305. With this line off "Miami Nights (Ambition)," he captures Miami's complex urban atmosphere by comparing the harshness of life on the concrete mainland with the beach's tranquil waters.
"Lotta drug dealing 'round me going down in Dade County "
There's a reason Florida's most popular city is nicknamed M.I.YAYO. In case you haven't caught on, yayo is Spanish slang for cocaine. And there's definitely always been lots of blow in the streets of Miami. The Bawse Rick Ross (even if he never actually was "in the distribution") is the hip-hop bard of Miami's sizable drug trade. Gotta make your paper somehow.
See also: Ten Softest Rappers in the Game
"Tell Uncle Luke I'm out in Miami too/Clubbing hard, fuckin' women, there ain't much to do/Wrist blang, got a condo up in Biscayne"
A while back Miami bass legend and New Times columnist Uncle Luke wrote an open letter to Lil Wayne and DJ Khaled calling them out for not doing enough for Miami when they talk about the city so much on their tracks. In response, Drake released this retort. Whether you agree with the sentiment or not, the lyric captures the shit-talking, shade-slanging nature of Miami's celebrity culture.
Watch where you hang out in the Grove cause you'll go from having a grand in hand to layin stiff on Grand Ave
Say what you want about Pitbull but the guy holds it down for the 305. From the very beginning he's been rapping about his city trying to put it on the map. Miami is one of the cities in the United States with the highest level of wealth inequality in the country, and this line shows that.
The good life...it feel like Miami
This one is simple, and it comes from a very worldly man. Kanye West has been all over so he knows a good party when he sees one. Miami may not be perfect, but one thing we can all agree on is the fact that we know how to have a great time. Year round summer, beautiful people and endless beaches. What more could you ask for?
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