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Flo Rida On The Road To Stardom

Atlantic Records

Rapper Flo Rida swings through his home state fresh off the success of his record-breaking single "Right Round."

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By SARAH HOYE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 3, 2009

TAMPA - Florida rapper Flo Rida is rolling through Tampa on Thursday to promote his recent single, "Right Round," and an upcoming album to be released March 31.

If "Right Round" sounds familiar that's because it samples the popular '80s dance-floor hit, "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" by Dead or Alive. The Miami-based emcee will make appearances at Tampa radio stations WBTP, 95.7 FM, WFLZ, 93.3 FM, and WLLD, 98.7 FM.

"Initially this was a record that I heard growing up in my house … by creating this song, I wanted people to know that I was well-rounded," Flo Rida said during a recent telephone interview from his tour bus while headed to a promotional stop in Jacksonville. "Doing the sophomore album, you want your crowd to know that they will buy something different or better."

Flo Rida's crowd is buying up the single in record numbers.

The track, featured on his new album "R.O.O.T.S.," sold over 636,000 downloads in the first week of its February release, breaking Flo Rida's own record for one-week digital sales (467,000 downloads of "Low" in January 2008). "Right Round" also broke the record for most downloads sold in the first week of release, set by Eminem's current single, "Crack A Bottle (Feat. Dr. Dre and 50 Cent)."

The rapper takes those record-breaking figures in stride. "With me doing records, it's not like I set out to achieve a certain goal. It is what it is," Flo Rida said. "I just thought I'd put out a record."

While the title of his latest disc (it stands for "Routes of Overcoming the Struggle") refers mainly to his own perseverance, he's aware of how it might resonate in the current social and political climate. Busy working in his Miami studio on Election Day, Flo Rida said he was amazed by the outcome.

"The one thing that struck me when I was in the studio watching the election was that I'm a part of history. [Barack Obama's victory] was definitely unexpected," he said. "It's a dream come true. He's the first African-American president."

Fresh off a promotional trip to Europe, Flo Rida also reflected on his own success.

"Staying true to my melodic style and being clever with rhyme patterns are great attributes that people like," he said. "I can't do normal things without people noticing me. It's things I knew would happen in this business, but it's a weird feeling and hard to explain unless you're in my shoes."

Celebrity can have its down side, he said, citing the recent Rhianna and Chris Brown news as an example.

"Anything you do … with cameras everywhere now, the media can take it to the next level," Flo Rida said. "As far as what I know, it's serious. They are two talented artists. I got a chance to meet both of them, and I hope that can continue."

"R.O.O.T.S.," the follow-up to the hugely successful debut album, "Mail on Sunday," examines the rapper's past struggles, alongside a number of tracks geared for the clubs. It also features guest appearances by the likes of Nelly Furtado, Ne-Yo, and Pleasure P.

"I've been doing this for 12 years. I've given my time and all my money to this. I knew every bit of it would go toward a career," Flo Rida said. "I love what I am doing."

Reporter Sarah Hoye can be reached at (813) 259-7832 or shoye@tampatrib.com.

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