K&K Billiard & Sports Bar loves the sweet pastime of pool. With 15 tables including four nine-footers and 11 seven-footers, there's never a long wait for a game. And if it's crowded, the tables are spaced far enough apart that you don't have to worry about someone else's cue ramming an inappropriate spot of your body. Open Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m., and Sunday from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., K&K offers tables for $12 per hour, but the underemployed can take advantage of weekdays, when you can rent a table for only $5 an hour from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Though there's no liquor served, there's an extensive beer menu, and the smoke-free environment makes it a great place to take the young pool hustler trying to learn his or her way around the table.

Readers' choice: Lost Weekend

Strip club culture in Miami hasn't been the same since Puppy Management CEO James Wright and GM Damion McKenzie took over G5ive Miami in 2014. The North Miami Beach venue has long served the community as a popular billiards and comedy club by day and a popping strip club by night. Within the past three years, G5ive has gained plenty of notoriety for its army of more than 100 talented dancers and servers who entice customers from all over South Florida. There are events and specials every night of the week, such as $2 Tuesdays, WCW Wednesdays, and Trendsetter Thursdays. Turn up for your birthday or celebrate dumping your significant other on Fetty Fridays; then experience a topnotch rapper or a model on Celebrity Saturdays. The booth is helmed by pros including DJ Meat, DJ Lucky C, and the 305's DJ Nasty. G5ive has also become a mecca for comedians and out-of-town artists. Philly rapper PnB Rock, Atlanta trio Migos, Harlem native Jim Jones, Rick Ross, Future, Red Café, Tory Lanez, Cardi B, David Guetta, and plenty of other well-known names have turned up, including R&B artist Mya, who one night sang and performed a few dance moves of her own. And don't forget about the strippers, including Essence Monroe, Chyna, and Miami Tip.

Readers' choice: E11even Miami

There's a laundry list of Florida rappers who've had their 15 minutes of fame in the past year. But only one Miami MC has shown a positive, uplifting spirit and guaranteed longevity. Zoey Dollaz makes headlines with every record he drops and maintains a passion for serving the community. This past year was pivotal in the Haitian rapper's career. The North Miami native's life took a successful turn after he signed to Future's Freebandz label via Epic Records while live on the air at 99 Jamz. In the past year alone, Zoey Dollaz has made a lasting impression on listeners, releasing the debut album Port-Au-Prince and his most recent mixtape, October. He has made his city proud by representing the 305 at every major concert he crashed in 2016. He was there for Beyoncé's Miami stop on the Formation World Tour and the infamous Summer Sixteen Tour alongside Drake and Future. He has set microphones on fire with slick freestyles at every major radio station, from Hot 97 in New York City to Power 106 in Los Angeles. When he's not clinking glasses of champagne with Jay Z and DJ Khaled or jumping on couches in the VIP section of high-end clubs, Zoey is assisting the community in Miami and doing what he can to help his people in Haiti. During Art Basel, the "Bad Tings" rapper took part in Finessing IV the People, which helped raised funds for the Haitian victims of Hurricane Matthew and for Sow a Seed, a nonprofit that works with orphanages in the Caribbean. While other local artists mumble redundant lyrics over tired beats and sort out multiple legal woes, Zoey stays true to his respectable and clean image while dropping hit after hit about the struggles he endured growing up on the streets of Haiti and Miami.

Rising R&B artist Brika would fit in neatly with acts such as Thievery Corporation and Zero 7. She has been profiled and revered by tastemakers such as Billboard and BBC Radio 1. Brika says Billie Holiday is her greatest inspiration, but her voice is more like that of Amy Winehouse or Banks. Her singing has a smoky, jazzy quality made for dark lounges and the space between lovers occupied only by candlelight and anticipation. Only a few short years ago, she was intimidated by singing in front of her high-school peers, but Brika now commands a room like a seasoned pro. For example, during her recent residency at Seaspice, the slender but powerful vocalist displayed a stage presence well beyond her years. Charming, funny, and witty throughout each of her performances, Brika worked the room like a standup comic, a Las Vegas magician, and a headlining soul siren rolled into one. Although the music is entrancing on its own, Brika has a personality as big and engaging as her voice. At only 22 years old, she has only just begun her career, but thanks to her well-received debut album, Voice Memos, and national recognition for her singles "Expectations,""Mumbai," and "I Don't Want Your Love," the future looks bright for this late-night songbird.

Great DJs in this city, believe it or not, are rare. Sure, a lot of partiers are content to dance and sing along to the Chainsmokers' "Closer" for the millionth time, but a great DJ can give you a collegiate-level lecture on commanding a room, all without the obnoxious Top 40 hits to keep crowds entertained. If you're looking for a jukebox, Miami has plenty of those, but if you want to be rewarded, check out Ms. Mada. As part of Link Miami Rebels, Mada (real name Rachel Tumada) enjoys residencies Fridays at Trade (1439 Washington Ave., Miami Beach) and Saturdays at Space (34 NE 11th St., Miami), where she has opened up for a who's who of the underground dance music scene, including Lee Foss, Claptone, Green Velvet, Jamie Jones, and Richie Hawtin. Having been at it since 2010, Mada has spun at venues such as Electric Pickle, Treehouse, and Story and made appearances at Ultra Music Festival and III Points. Even with that impressive resumé, Ms. Mada continues to fly under the radar of most Miami clubgoers.

Readers' choice: Oscar G

Locos por Juana has been a leader in Miami's music scene for more than 15 years. A staple and indeed a standard for what the Magic City and its diverse population can produce, Locos por Juana delivers a sound that surfs from one Caribbean island to the next, with trips into South America and the bandmates' native Colombia. Led by the trio of vocalist Itawe Correa, guitarist Mark Kondrat, and drummer Javier "Lakambra" Delgado, Locos por Juana is more a collective than a band. Dozens of musicians have floated in and out of the lineup over the years in a system that has helped to create rich live performances. Combining cumbia, dub, funk, hip-hop, reggae, rock, salsa, and essentially any musical style that gets people grooving and vibing, the veteran outfit is everything to everyone at any given time. In fact, the group's latest album, 2016's Caribe, even welcomes gringos into the fold through several bilingual tracks and even a couple of English-only songs. It's unfair to pin Locos por Juana down as a Latin rock band. They are a reflection of Miami's effervescent vibrancy and limitless energy. They echo the complex, multifaceted nature of the city.

South Florida, with its ocean breezes, palm trees, and sunshine most days, is a fun and relaxing place. It's also a commercial center for the Caribbean. Lake Worth's Spred the Dub is a lot like the area it calls home. The self-proclaimed "good-time reggae" band is far more than just another white-boy reggae act. These whiskey-loving goofballs are not only fun guys but also professionals. No matter how drunk this 10-year-old five-piece gets during one of its many performances, it always puts on a show and leaves crowds with a sense of boozy joy. These lovable scamps have gone from a jam band of rotating musicians to a reliable presence on the South Florida music scene. Their sound, a mixture of punk, ska, funk, soul, roots reggae, and beach vibes, combines nicely with Rat Pack aesthetics and a sense of humor that's self-deprecating enough to allow a band name whose acronym spells "STD." Alas, despite its staying power, one day Spred the Dub will be gone, and the world will be worse for it. Florida will have lost some of its magic. And we will realize, much like the tropical paradise we take for granted around us, what a good thing we had.

Readers' choice: Spam Allstars

Josh Miles is a Haitian-American soul singer who grew up in and around the churches where his parents served during his childhood. His passion for music is comparable to the zeal that makes true believers faint at many spiritual experiences. Born Joashmaël Michel, the 24-year-old singer/songwriter is the lead vocalist of J.M. & the Sweets (also known as Josh Miles & the Sweet Somethings). Raised in nondenominational churches that had praise bands and no need for boys' choirs, Miles began his vocal training after his mother, a singer, recognized his talent and put him in classes. Fed a steady diet of music by R&B and pop greats such as John Legend and Otis Redding, he discovered his personal hero, D'Angelo, as a kid, and things really clicked. J.M. & the Sweets comes across as a blend of Ben Harper, Gary Clark Jr., and John Mayer. Sultry, slick, and soulful, the group is equally impressive whether it's covering Bill Withers and Outkast or churning out a candlelit original slow jam. In addition to being as richly smooth as their name declares, J.M. and the Sweets are just as special. Now is the time to catch a truly magnificent group of musicians led by a charming powerhouse of a singer. They recently released their debut EP, Sol Village, and regularly gig throughout South Florida. No doubt they're on their way to something in line with the enormity of their talent.

When the Fish House began opening its Backroom Live stage for a blues jam every Thursday night, something curious happened. "I hire a lot of great musicians to come and play in the house band, but for the jam night, all these other incredible musicians show up just to play," says Angela Rivero, who owns the venerable Southwest Miami-Dade place with her husband Jose. Live music has been a staple of the deceptively cozy restaurant since it opened in 1996, but the Riveros' deep love affair with the blues really began after a trip to New Orleans in 2005. These days, their Backroom Live room is decked out in Bourbon Street finery and regularly hosts some of Dade's best players, such as Darrell Raines on guitar and Motel Mel on keyboards. Every Thursday night, the house band plays for an hour and then opens up the instruments to anyone who wants to lament how their love done 'em wrong. "It is an amazing thing, every week, how good the musicians are who show up," Angela says.

There isn't a large pool of Grammy-winning songwriters born and raised in Hialeah. But there is a songwriter, producer, and artist who's made the big-time in the past year. Alexander Izquierdo, AKA Eskeerdo, got his foot through the door of the music industry in 2010 thanks to a knack for writing powerful songs. After penning hits for Big Sean, Rihanna, Meek Mill, Diddy, and Selena Gomez, the Cuban-American won two Grammys for his songwriting efforts and also started his own career as a rapper. In 2014, he assisted in crafting hits such as Kendrick Lamar's "The Blacker the Berry" and Justin Bieber's "The Feeling." But he still had the energy to debut his breakthrough single "For the City," which went on to become the Miami Heat's official anthem. Since then, he's made plenty of noise in the rap game via EPs such as Cuban Jesus and his latest single, "Bitta." And he's still writing for others. Over the past year, Eskeerdo has crafted records for the biggest pop stars on the Billboard charts. He's responsible for hits like Fifth Harmony's "Work From Home" and Charlie Puth's "Dangerously." He even flexed his skills behind the boards as a writer and producer of smash hits such as Jason DeRulo's "If It Ain't Love" and Meghan Trainor's "Thank You" featuring Rock City. It's clear this 29-year-old songwriter stands out.