Flo Rida

If you're wondering what kind of an effect the 2 Live Crew has on young people, just ask Tramar Dillar, aka Flo Rida.

At age 15, Dillar was hanging out with the legendary rap group behind such infamous hits as Me So Horny and Do Wah Diddy. Now 24, the muscular MC has had the number one song in the country for the last two months. The booty-shaking club anthem Low is Flo Rida's debut single and features fellow Floridian T-Pain along with thumps and claps reminiscent of 2 Live Crew's greatest jams – minus the explicit lyrics.

A multi-sport athlete who has also tried his hand at acting, Flo Rida started rapping in his teens as a member of Carol City hip hop trio Groundhoggz. In 2001, he partnered with 2 Live Crew’s Fresh Kid Ice to perform locally but was unable to woo any labels. In search of a break, Flo Rida flew out to Los Angeles to record demos for Jodeci’s DeVante, who later hooked him up with Public Enemy hypeman – and reality TV star – Flava Flav.

After a disappointing three years on the West Coast, Flo Rida returned to the Sunshine State without a deal. Several mixtape appearances and a guest spot on B*tch I'm from Dade County from DJ Khaled’s most recent release, We the Best, reversed his fortune. In 2006, Flo Rida inked a deal with indie Poe Boy Entertainment, home of Miami standout Rick Ross.

A sign that there's more to come: Flo Rida's Low is featured on the Step Up 2 the Streets soundtrack along with tracks by Akon, Enrique Iglesias, Missy Elliot and Plies. His debut album, Mail On Sunday, will be released in March and includes collaborations with Trey Songz, Jazze Pha and Rick Ross. And while Flo Rida’s latest single, the Timbaland-produced Elevator, may not match the success of Low, it's another sure-fire dance floor dazzler.