Florida's Hip Hop Sensation Goes Back to His Roots

It’s unlikely that you haven’t heard one of his songs. Walking through the hallways at school, there’s a good chance that someone is either humming one of his hits or listening to his rhymes on their iPod. The man I’m talking about is none other than hip-hop sensation Flo Rida. Sure, most have heard of the man behind hits like Low, Right Round and Sugar, but few know the story of his rise to stardom.

Before the release of his debut solo album in 2008, Flo Rida was honing his skills within the music scene; however, it was his first single, Low, that really jump-started his career. Upon its release, the song almost instantly snatched the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and Flo’s widespread popularity was solidified when he won the 2009 People’s Choice Award for Favourite Hip-Hop Song. All this hype made me want to know more about the man behind the flashy beats and catchy lyrics, and I was lucky enough to be granted an interview with Flo to ask him about his struggles on his road to success.

Born Tramar Dillard, Flo Rida grew up in the impoverished area of Carol City, Florida. Though it wasn’t always easy, Flo knew how to stay focused. “There was a lot of negativity, but my mom always instilled in me to get to what’s positive, and that’s what I did,” he recounts. “A lot of drug dealing and killing and everything was around me but I never let that reel me in. I always looked outside of that.” For Flo Rida there was a certain formula to success: “I mean, I always knew that the more you dedicated yourself to anything, the better the results, so I always kept that in mind.”

Despite his roots, Flo Rida knew early on that he had the potential to change his circumstances. But after beginning international business classes at the University of Nevada, Flo made the decision to drop out to pursue his music career. “I took the initiative to say I can always go back to school, but with music you only have a certain time span a lot of times. It always kept haunting me like music, music, music. So I just took the sacrifice.”

Before his successful solo career, Flo rapped with his group the Groundhoggz and also worked with 2 Live Crew – and both experiences were highly influential in making him the artist he is today. “Being with 2 Live Crew was a situation where I was with my group the Groundhoggz and I just became the hype man for Fresh Kid Ice of the 2 Live Crew,” he explains. “Travelling with him for like a year off and on just showed me that things were bigger than just my hometown. The Groundhoggz showed me how to really think about the type of music that I make, and that I couldn’t be one-track minded around three different personalities. It’s taught me that as far as business goes as a solo artist, it’s not all about me, but it’s about the team.”

Artists like 2 Live Crew, as well as LL Cool J and Run DMC, provided inspiration for Flo as he worked his way up the ranks. And although he didn’t land a record deal right away, he knew it was possible if he worked hard, keeping positive along the way even when there was rejection: “You know some people’d turn me down, but I’d always go home to those who believed in me, so that kept me going.”

Fast-forward to the present and Flo now has a second solo album under his belt. Entitled R.O.O.T.S., an acronym for “Route of Overcoming the Struggle,” it was released in April of this year. And according to Flo, the biggest difference between his newest album and his debut is, “just the fact that there’s more substance versus the first one. Other than that, there’s No. 1 records on each of them,” he boasts.

In addition to the more substantial songs, the album is also balanced out by flashier club beats. Flo keeps his music fresh by utilizing various samples of older songs in his own hit singles – case in point the sample of ’80s hit You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) in Right Round and the use of Eiffel 65’s Blue in Sugar. Why? “I like to play around with all types of music,” he says. “And at the same time have these samples connecting with my style of flow.”

Despite Flo’s tough background, the rapper has grown into a prosperous businessman and artist. In fact, when I asked Flo what the biggest difference is between his life then and now, he couldn’t answer. That’s because everything is different! And he doesn’t take one minute of his fame for granted. He looks forward to evolving with his music, potentially in film, and working on his clothing line, Parlay Adore, which will hit stores by the end of this year. His advice to others trying to overcome a struggle? “Never be afraid to fulfill your dream. It’s all about taking big steps. What you put in is what you get out.”

Flo is an inspiration to anyone trying to overcome any sort of struggle in his or her life – and his success is proof that anything is possible with a lot of hard work and determination.