Sound: Electro-flavored hip-hop.
Claim to fame: Flo Rida started off 2008 at No. 1 with "Low," which held on for a 10-week run unmatched by any single since Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable" - the biggest difference being that Beyoncé was a superstar by then while "Low" was the Florida rapper's first official single (and the biggest single of 2008). But those who don't listen to Top 40 radio or spend their weekends clubbing may be more familiar with the song from Tom Cruise's zany comeback dance in "Tropic Thunder."
Latest effort: "R.O.O.T.S,"which hit the charts at No. 8 in April, spinning off the Top 5 singles "Right Round" and "Sugar."
If one song could make you love this artist, it would be: "Sugar." The rapper's most infectious single yet, the chorus hook is undeniable - euphoric, even - with some chick named Wynter Gordon recycling the better parts of "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" by Eiffel 65. And Flo Rida's flow is unstoppable, switching the rhythm just often enough to keep things interesting as he rhymes his way through three verses about a lover he calls Candy who's so sweet she gave him a mouthful of cavities.
For fans of: Black Eyed Peas, Dr. Luke, Timbaland, Dead Can Dance, Madonna.
Trivia: In his teens, he toured with fellow Floridians 2 Live Crew (of "Me So Horny" fame).
