In case you didn't know, folks in Miami are proud of Uncle Luke, Trick Daddy and the other local artists that showed America how the Magic City let's loose during the VH1 Hip Hop Honors -- and Triple C's Young Breed agrees 305'ers have a lot to be hyped about.
"Luke and the 2 Live Crew? That was a movie. Trick Daddy did his classic verse from Scarred and made it rain on the VH1 stage. That’s straight Dade County," explained Triple C's member and Rick Ross protege Young Breed. "Trina, Pitbull, and FloRida were on the same set with the Teflon Don Rick Ross and were introduced by the biggest Dj in the country, Dj Khaled. We stood our ground all night! The crowd went ham!"
It's not a stretch to think that the estimated 2.5 million viewers, the second highest in the show's 7-year history, was due in large part to the Miami theatrics Breed emphatically described when he spoke inside his Carol City Uptown Studios Thursday night.
Breed, one of the many local artists that descended on Manhattan's Hammerstein Ballroom last weekend, said the attention given to Southern hip hop was long overdue.
"Of course it was high time the South was honored, but many of the greats for whatever reasons didn’t make it to the unforgettable experience," he said. "The South has been selling records in numbers for years. Most of the independent successful labels in the industry came from the South. We never had that major label. I really felt [Hip Hop Honors] was well deserved."
While local legends Trick Daddy, Uncle Luke and Betty Wright paved the way for Miami to become America's current urban music mecca for out-of-towners like P Diddy, many locals argue the love was never returned, leaving Miami as a hip hop after thought.
However, the VH1 Honors ratings may prove to be sweet vindication that the MIA has blown past New York and Los Angeles in capturing the nation's imagination. But just how far into the depths of debauchery our stodgy neighbors up North are willing to venture is yet to be seen.
With his signature Miami dreadlocks aka "wicks" and grills, Breed believes they'll enjoy the ride.
"The M.I.Yayo is back. We got history and we're paving a new era into the hip-hop world," said Breed. "The Chevys, the dreads, the gold-teeth, the diamonds and the exotic cars. It’s the fast life. We're setting trends."
