Miami in the '80s was coked up, flashy, and fueled by freestyle.
It is considered the greatest decade by some longtime Miamians, especially the type of folks who made a killing laundering Colombian booger sugar money while avoiding serious jail time by ratting on their friends.
For them, life was a never-ending swinger-friendly freak fest. A night out meant doing massive lines of blow with your soft-swap friends and dancing erratically to the sounds of Steven Bernard Hill, the freestyle legend simply known as Stevie B.
Stevie B was born in Fort Lauderdale in the late '50s. And after working several odd jobs 'round town to support himself, he finally landed a hit at the ripe age of 29.
Circa 1988, "Party Your Body" skyrocketed to the 78th spot on the Billboard Hot 200 and his debut LP went gold. Not bad for a guy who used to work in fast food.
But unlike some artists, Stevie B never let his popularity get to his head. After 25 years in the game, he's still humble and incredibly hungry.
"I look at like this, if the people want to crown me [the king of freestyle], I'll accept it," Stevie B said in a 2010 interview. "There are a lot of artists out there who have better voices, better songs, but the public makes a decision on what they want. I'll accept whatever they decide."
Stevie B. Friday, May 18. Club 50 at Viceroy Miami, 485 Brickell Ave., Miami. The party starts at 10 p.m. and tickets cost $25 plus fees via wantickets.com. Call 305-503-4400 or visit viceroyhotelsandresorts.com.
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