Rap and Miami go hand in hand — a city where people come to flex, dance, and party like nowhere else.
With that in mind, New Times has picked five rap verses that perfectly capture the essence of Miami and celebrate the 305's undeniable impact on the genre.
Trick Daddy, "Take It to Da House"
"We don't play, we take it to da house/MIA, take it to da house/This the way we take it to da house/Take it to da house, take it to da house/305, take it to da house/Boy, we got that fire, take it to da house/ Slip-N-Slide, take it to da house/Take it to da house, take it to the — take it to da house."If you're making a list of rap lyrics that embody Miami, it only makes sense to start with the (un)official mayor of Magic City himself: Trick Daddy. His track "Take It to Da House" is a timeless classic in Dade County, still blasting through speakers across the city as one of Miami's most iconic anthems. From its infectious energy to the unmistakable chorus where Trick invites listeners to "take it to da house," the song perfectly captures the vibrant, party-loving spirit of the 305.
To make the track even more legendary, Trick brought in fellow Miami powerhouse Trina, whose verse helped solidify the song as a defining moment in Miami hip-hop. With its funky, sample-driven beat and undeniable swagger, "Take It to Da House" remains a celebration of Miami culture — past, present, and future.
Will Smith, "Miami"
"Party in the city where the heat is on/All night, on the beach 'til the break of dawn/Welcome to Miami, bienvenidos a Miami/Bouncin' in the club where the heat is on/All night, on the beach 'til the break of dawn/I'm goin' to Miami, welcome to Miami."We had to include Will Smith's late-Nineties ode to Magic City since it's what most out-of-towners believe the city to be like when they think of Miami — at least pre-SoundCloud era. Before Ocean Drive became a messy, tourist-filled trap, it was the center of what many people idealized Miami to be. A tropical beach getaway in the corner of the U.S. filled with late-night dance clubs, mojitos, and supercars up and down Collins. While this is a dated song, the energy of it is still represented in the city to this day. Miami is still very much a party city where clubs are bouncing well into the a.m. (for now, at least), and it still has some of that charm that has never left.
It's worth noting that the song was released during a renaissance period for the city, which was the epicenter of the cocaine wars in the Eighties. The song and its popularity helped clean up Miami's image a lot.
DJ Khaled, Pitbull, and Trick Daddy, "Born-N-Raised"
"I been born and raised in the county of Dade, land of the haze, the cocaine capital/We ain't just hitting you buddy, we Warren Sapp'n you/We coming hard like them Cubans in the '80s, dawg/Go ahead throw in the pot, I bet it's raw/Pero ten cuidado con un tumbe porque se lo llevan todo/Llamar el babalao pregunta le por un depojo/Pero final de todo tu no puede con los lobos/Everything that I do do, everything that I say say/Everywhere that I go I let 'em know 'Hey, I'm from the county of Dade.'"Ol' school Chevy heaven, ol' school niggas preachin'/Young niggas willin', getting rich off keys and violence/Trick, he's the mayor, Luke, he's the king/I'm Mr. 305 put that on a triple beam/I bet it weigh out more than a boatload of keys/Holla at them Haitians, let 'em know this lick's on me, welcome to Dade."
Let's take it back, man. Before Mr. Worldwide was Mr. Worldwide, Pitbull was the prince of the city, known by one of his monikers, Mr .305. At the time of release in 2007, Pitbull and collaborator, fellow 305-reppin' artist DJ Khaled, were in their mixtape era, dropping bangers like "Holla at Me" and "That's My Hood." Mixtape-era Pitbull proved that he could come in with some of the hardest-hitting bars about street life in Miami, repping his Cuban heritage in the process. It was right before Pit turned more into a popstar that your auntie loves and before the blog era would hit hip-hop.
He comes off cold and cool early in his bars, throwing references to the Cocaine Cowboys era and Warren Sapp, one of the University of Miami's best defensive football players. He throws in some Spanglish, raps about old school Chevys, and gives his flowers to fellow Dade county legends, Uncle Luke and Trick Daddy. It doesn't get any more old-school Miami than that.
Sexyy Red, "Pound Town"
"Uh, uh, I'm out here in Miami/Lookin' for the hoochie daddies (Where they at?)"Before anyone reading raises an eyebrow, close your eyes and imagine this. It's 5 a.m. at Gold Rush, and this song comes on. It's a beautiful image, right?
Sexyy Red is infamous for her raunchy lyrics describing sex in the most ratchet ways possible, but you know who did it first? 2 Live Crew. Back in the 1990s, Uncle Luke and the gang were rapping about sex positions, horny women, and how much they wanted to engage in intercourse with women as a form to express themselves. Now Ms. Red is doing the same thing, but from a woman's perspective, shouting out the hoochie daddies just like Luke and the boys did the hoochie momma's all them years ago. She's raunchy, ratchet, and in your face — which is kind of a Miami vibe.
Denzel Curry featuring Ice Billion Berg, "Carolmart"
"Hear the bass down the block 'cause the trunk keep knockin'/Got them bushido blades 'cause the rims keep choppin'/UM for the swag to get Miami poppin'/You could smoke a lil' weed long as you ain't flockin'/Put Dade on the map, gotta stay with a strap."If we're talking Miami rap, we have to pull anything from Denzel Curry's tribute to the city, Zuu, which saw the rapper repping Miami to the fullest with multiple shout-outs and references to growing up in Dade County. On "Carolmart," named after the flea market in Carol City that was closed in 2016, Denzel, with the help of fellow Dade county resident Ice Billion Berg, raps of looking fresh and being a real one from the 305 being raised on Trick, Trina, and Plies. The best lyrics come in the verse where Zel gives a shout-out to the UM swag that so many people rep, just like he did on the 2016 XXL Freshman Cypher, where he repped a classic orange and green UM sweater. Zel also references Miami car culture and the donks you'll see cruising all over the city with the craziest rims and the heaviest bass you'll ever see.
Honestly, since the whole project is a love letter to the 305, plenty of its lyrics could have ended up on this list as well.
