Zika is the scariest new four-letter word in Miami — worse than the “rent” in Brickell or “rain” during a wedding reception at Vizcaya. But, when examined from a wider perspective, all the hype hardly seems proportional. Over the last week or so, the number of Zika-related cases in a…
One could argue with the ease of claiming B.I.G. and ’Pac’s eternal rap game dominance that music fans want every speck of background on their favorite hotshots. How else could one explain the everlasting cycle of celebrity worship and tabloids, or the slut-shaming and buzz around the selfie hacks of…
Here’s something Katiana Urbina has learned in the past year: Life doesn’t care about your plans. It doesn’t give a crap about the big red X’s on your calendar or that things happen to be going swimmingly at the moment. Life is rude, and it will rear back its pimply…
We’ve been giving South Florida plenty of reasons to love #NewMusicFridays over the last few weeks, but this week is special. Kent Jones released his follow-up single to “Don’t Mind” earlier than expected. Pitbull’s prodigy Bobby Biscayne has finally given us his debut project that we’ve all been waiting for. …
Almost exactly a year has passed since we last spoke to local musician Galactic Effect. The occasion (other than to chat about a life-changing trip to Burning Man) was a celebration of the release of his newest single, “Sky Fortress,” which preceded an accompanying EP called Life On The Outer…
Hundreds of thousands of individuals make the choice to have an abortion every year in America, but the stigma toward the hotly debated procedure makes it so that many of these people feel isolated and unsupported in their decision. Even worse, states continue to pass laws actively restricting access to…
After years of debate, most agree the birth of hip-hop can be traced to an exact day and place: August 11, 1973; 1520 Sedgwich Ave., Bronx, New York City. At his sister’s birthday party, a dude by the name of DJ Kool Herc used a DJing method no one had…
Chris Escobar is frantically cutting onions in the kitchen of Miami’s most eclectic punk house. It’s a Thursday afternoon in Black Sheep House, where five members of the local activist group Food Not Bombs is cooking reclaimed food from grocery stores to serve to houseless folk in downtown. The skinny,…
It seems like the “comeback” is a trending theme in South Florida hip-hop this week. Miramar resident Bizzy Crook took the more literal route, dropping his new video for “The Come Back,” in which he takes over the Miami Marine Stadium before its possible renovation this fall. Meanwhile, Little Havana’s…
Fool’s Gold Day Off, the hip-hop/electronic music festival presented by Fool’s Gold Records, was a good thing for Miami music. Coming to the 305 for the first time outside of Art Basel last year, the event helped jumpstart the fall concert season, providing a smooth transition into III Points. Last…
Things should be good for the West Palm Beach indie-rock heroes of Surfer Blood. They have a new album set for release in early 2017. They’ve had opening gigs for some of their biggest influences, including the Pixies and Guided by Voices. Their song “Swim” was even heard on the…
For as long as the independent music operation — that is, any endeavor not tied to or backed by a major label — has existed, so too has the compilation. In certain circles, no meaningful or in-depth exploration of a favorite artist’s discography is complete without stumbling upon a loose…
Walking up to the front door of the North Miami Beach residence that serves as Pariuh’s creative headquarters is a neat-freak’s nightmare. Test prep books are stacked high on a table next to a full trash bag and shoes are strewn about. It looks like spring cleaning or preparation for…
As summer 16 draws closer to its unfortunate demise, Dade County’s prominent emcees are taking advantage of the season’s final moments. Trina and wifisfuneral took to the streets of Miami to shoot their new videos while Pitbull, Flo Rida and LunchMoney Lewis whip expensive race cars from the Port of…
It’s rather remarkable that in a city as diverse and cosmopolitan as Miami, a listening room like the Luna Star Cafe has become an anomaly. Over the past two decades, folk, blues and Americana artists of all stripes have embraced it as a place that spotlights more subtle and divergent…
While the Miami bass heyday of 2 Live Crew and company is over, its sound slowly fading into the past, there is a new generation of Miami rappers trying to give the city something else to shake to. South Florida native Yung Gordon is among them. “I grew up in Opa-locka,…
A few days ago — and I won’t say where — I went to a South Florida rap show. The smell of cheap marijuana filled the venue, kids with backpacks and DSLRs crowded the front of the stage, and the DJ played someone’s unmastered track straight from Soundcloud using an…
Steven Machat is a bit of a know-it-all. However, in this age of politicians who put their gut “feelings” first and discard facts like fast-food wrappers, he might be the ideal leader for a new political enlightenment. Last September, Machat threw his proverbial hat into the U.S. Senate race to…
With his epically massive ‘fro, it’s pretty hard to miss Arremer Jack (AKA Allen Rodriguez) at the Electric Pickle. But once it hits your ears, you definitely can’t miss the exuberant and decidedly soulful signature sound he’s brought to the club’s downstairs lounge as the resident DJ since 2014. Suffice…
After a long day of work, I checked my Twitter timeline to see it completely flooded with Kanye West retweets. “21 PABLO STORES WORLDWIDE THIS WEEKEND LOCATIONS HERE,” the Tweet said at 6:05 p.m., causing a complete frenzy, and starting dozens of arguments as to who deserved the title of…
The Miami hip-hop festival, Rolling Loud, will get a change of location for its third year. Since Dope Ent. founders Tariq Cherif and Matt Zingler created the event in 2013, the two-day hip-hop music festival, which was born and raised in Wynwood, has developed a strong following throughout its short…
It’s impossible to discuss disco as a cultural movement without bringing up “Disco Demolition Night.” An ill-fated and ill-conceived promotion designed to stimulate faltering White Sox ticket sales. The event promised 98 cent tickets to any fan who brought a disco record to Comiskey Park in Chicago. Said records would,…
