BGALS, MCS & GRAFFITI CREWS: 90S MIAMI BASS CULTURE

This week I chatted with the UK born/ Miami raised vocalist and MC, Sofi Mari. Formerly known as Sopheye Sofly, she’s had an impressive career as a Bgirl and a drum and bass MC in Miami. Now living in London, she’s hosted for DNB legends in the game like DJ Storm, LTJ Bukem and Goldie.

But to me, what makes Soph extra unique is her diverse background in Miami bass culture.

So come on a journey with us, through graffiti culture, hip hop fashion, roller rinks and booty music... Learn how this important era of Miami bass shaped Sofi Mari's sound, and urban music as we know it today.

Hey Soph! So first of all I’m keen to learn how your worlds collided in Miami, from being a bgal to dnb MC and hip hop lover.

Let’s start with your former life as a bgirl. How did you get into Miami breakdancing?!

It took years to finally get there, but seeing breakdancers and girls booty dancing at school from a young age fascinated me. When I was 8 I used to stay up finding underground radio stations, jamming to Miami bass and booty music. If my mom heard it, she would’ve freaked out!

Classic Miami booty bass from ‘94

The older girls at school would have booty dancing competitions during school dances, so I was exposed to Miami Bass from way back.

“I learned how to dance the hydraulics and the tootsee roll in my friend’s driveway!”

Then I was 14, and some of my friends who were breakdancers used to practice spinning drum and bass in their living room. Crews used to cypher and break at the dnb parties. Miami was quite known for that.

I always wanted to learn how to break, but my homeboys never really showed me. It wasn’t until 2006 when a friend decided to teach me.

And how did the breakdancing scene link back to other genres and venues outside of dnb?

It was largely encompassing hip hop. Joel Stigale (RIP), who started Catalyst Hip Hop, played a huge part of the bboy culture in Miami: it was a free weekly practice for dancers. It was in a church of all places, and it really helped keep some of the kids off the streets! This was where I went to practice when I finally learned the dance. If you go to south Florida today, they still have it.

There was a room where you could practice your MCing and your production. The next room was where the breakers were. And they even had an area where they let the graffiti artists have a wall! So you could go practice your pieces.

Soph AKA Bgal Sofly at Down2BeFound Competition. She made it to the semifinals!

Outside of that practice spot breakers would often frequent clubs (playing hip hop, Miami bass and freestyle) and cypher there.

There was an old school/new school hip hop night that Dj Craze (Multiple world DMC champion and Miami native) hosted with Dj Keen One and it was called Buck 15. It was right across from Laundry Bar, where most of the drum and bass parties were, so many breakers would go in between events to dance. Both events were free, so it was easy to go back and forth.

sick! were there any other unconventional spaces?

“My friend Rochelle used to roller skate, so she’d be at the skating rinks all the time. Many DJs would come out there and throw Miami Bass parties”.

Hot Wheels is one of the main rinks that had these breaks parties and breakdancing competitions. It’s crazy because that’s where a lot of it grew. It’s so interesting how everything just led from one thing to the next to the next!

What sort of music did you listen to in the noughties?

Lots of hip hop: Missy Elliot, Lil Kim, Foxy Brown, Jay Z, Older stuff from the Black Eyed Peas, Busta Rhymes, Goodie Mob, Outkast (They're my number one!) Ludacris, Method Man and Red Man, Bone Thugs and Harmony, Nas, Dr Dre and Snoop Dog...the list is pretty extensive.

Some funk such as: James Brown and Parliament Funkadelic. P Funk’s tune "Flashlight" is my jam! And a lot of RNB/Neo Soul: Mariah Carey, Erykah Badu, Brandy, Mary J Blige, 112, Dru Hill… then all the typical Miami stuff like Trick Daddy, Trina, 69 boyz, Dj Laz, 2 live crew — and latin music too-- totally into it all.

Ultimate Miami Booty Bass Hype

You mentioned the graff rooms in the community spaces for breakdancers. How did graffiti tie into Miami Bass Culture?

The graff scene in Florida is really big. Even before I started breakdancing it was all over the place. Famous crews out there like BSK, and MSG are still tagging today.

"The graff crews to me are almost like gangs; they have rules to abide by. You’ve got your crew, you represent and you don’t tag over people‘s stuff.

Writing over someone else's piece is blatant disrespect and that's where conflicts arise between crews. I learnt all that from people trying to be graffiti artists in high school.

The biggest artists in Miami were called Crook and Crome. If you know about Miami graffiti, you’ll know about these guys. Some say they destroyed a lot of the city...but I thought it looked amazing.

I’m also fascinated by Miami fashion... what were the trends in the 90s and 00s!?

Baggy clothes were the biggest trend. Lines like Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, FUBU, Ecko and Baby Phat were big.

“If you were from the hood, you’d have jeans on, sagging past your butt and one pant leg up. Many people copied that while I was in school--whether from the hood or not ahaha”

I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of it, but then you’ve got your Chongas. It’s sort of like a take on Mexican culture and gang culture over in California. The Chonga concept became big in Miami as well, the Latina girls adopted it.

"The Chonga look consists of massive hoop earrings, brown lip liner with crazy gloss and your hair tied back in a massive bun or ponytail. Some girls wore these super tight, Brazilian style, low cut jeans and tank tops while others wore baggy clothes and lots of name brands like Tommy Hilfiger”.

You know how Aaliyah was dressing? She was one of my biggest influences. That whole style was me growing up in the states. Oh god, some of the pics I’ve got from my past. I had my hair tied back and damn near pasted down, I looked either like a little boy or a Chonga!

Was that a common look in the raving scene or was that you bringing in your unique look?

It tied into the bass culture but it was more for hip hop. A lot of those girls were more urban, listening to hip hop and booty music.

Rave culture in Florida and the states was really baggy. The baggier the better. Jnco jeans paired with tank tops, sports bras and hats. I remember seeing some of my friends at school in the 90s ahahahahah. It was a bit much!!

Oh man I love it, you paint such a vivid picture Soph! So what’s the scene like today, does Miami bass culture still have a presence?

I haven't lived in Miami for a while now, so I could be wrong in saying this; but I feel the presence of Miami bass isn't as large as it once was. Again, you'd have to dig to find it. Most of the younger generation are all about trap and Reggaeton.

I’m really happy that I'd found what I found, ‘cause I feel like I was the last generation to catch it. To catch the good hip hop, grow up during a time where Miami's bass sound was being defined, and catch what was available of Miami drum and bass.

A part of me thinks the generation that really did appreciate that music, finally reached a certain age where they've got families and kids and they just aren't going out every weekend anymore.

And now you’ve been in London for the last 4 years, taking off in the dnb world and hosting for some of the biggest names in the game.

Any final reflections on your Miami influences, and where you’ll take them next!?

Ultimately, I appreciate how unusual my journey’s been. Everything I’ve done, seen, and accomplished has been because of my fascination with what I grew up around. I'm proof that if you believe in something, and really want it, you can make it a reality as long as you don't lose sight of the goal.

Sofi Mari hosting for Goldie with Armanni Reign. Photo credit: Melkat

My stateside experiences were as two different aliases: Bgirl Sofly and Sopheye the vocalist/dnb MC. Coming to England I wanted to start fresh with a new name. Sofi Mari felt right: it's a name my family calls me. The aim is to push myself as a multi genre artist. It's still in the building stages, but I see this new alias as a step up from who Sopheye was; a more mature brand if you will!

I will never forget my roots: I love and respect them. I do miss Miami, and I do love Miami, but I don’t think Ill be moving back anytime soon! A visit has been long overdue, though. Fingers crossed I can make my way out there to see everyone again soon!

Bgals, MCs & Graffiti Crews: Miami Bass Culture in the 90s and 00s