Well well well. Long time, No Stella. Life is hard and work is neverending and sleep is limited and creative juices have been leaking rather than flowing, but what else is new? Rather than bore you with my first-world problems, I’d like to discuss a much more interesting topic today: Flo Milliiiiiiiiiiii.
Flo Milli, the 24-year-old virtuoso from Mobile, Alabama, has never been satisfied with average. Confident in her abilities since the age of twelve, the rap starlet always knew she would “make it”. With a knack for social media and creative marketing, Flo started posting beats on TikTok in early 2019. Seemingly overnight, her bedroom-produced “Beef Flo Mix” had become a worldwide sensation. The rest, as they say, is history.
Born Tamia Monique Carter, the rapper has garnered a dedicated fanbase aptly called the “Flo Military”. Her Southern hip-hop influences, Y2K style, and unabashed confidence have solidified Flo as one of the most daring and exciting voices in hip-hop to date. Her first two albums titled “Ho, Why is You Here?” and “You Still Here, Ho?” have drummed up hundreds of millions of streams, and catapulted the artist into her current reign over the genre. The final album in her iconic triumvirate, “Fine Ho, You Can Stay” is the culmination of her diverse inspirations and solidification of her development as an artist. The project features Flo’s tongue-in-cheek bratty bars, but also a more melodic and sensitive approach to lyricism that sets the album apart from her others. High budget beats and dynamic collaborations etch “Fine Ho, You Can Stay” into the cornerstone of hip-hop legends both old and new.
The album begins with a grimy, syncopated beat interjected with Flo’s iconic “Fuck you, pay me” line. Aggressive and driving, Flo’s delivery slices through the bass track like butter. Anycia joins Flo for “New Me”, another dose of self-loving lyricism that sets the stage for the introspection on the album to come. Billboard 100 hit single “Never Lose Me” with SZA and Cardi B begins the album’s journey inward, as Flo reveals a more vulnerable side to her facade of cockiness. The line “Tell me that you ain’t ever wanna lose me” demonstrates the rapper’s yearning for love and affection despite her confident desire for fun and sex.
One of the album's most powerful moments comes on "Lay Up”, where Flo allows herself to fully immerse in the intimate innerworkings of love. A melodic and saccharine production style engenders a throwback R&B feel, again reminiscent of the artist’s strong Southern roots. “You the only hood n**** that gets me” declares Flo, as she welcomes her unnamed love interest to undress their facade and be authentic in their time together.
The high-octane energy of the album’s first songs picks right back up in its last. Dance-craze conventions from 2000’s rap are employed in a freshand innovative light. “Tell Me What You Want” somehow evokes both crank-wave Atlanta rap and dimly lit Berlin nightclubs with its contagious energy and delivery. Concluding with the apathetic “Not Sorry” rounds out the story of a confident woman who craves love, but is unwilling to dim her light for it.
As the weather keeps heating up, Flo Milli has undoubtedly delivered a hot girl summer album for every gender. Feeling like sun on skin and a Mai Tai on the beach, “Fine Ho, You Can Stay” further solidifies Flo’s artistic prowess. From an eleven-year old rapping in her bedroom to the chart-topping rap maestro, Flo has always remained true to her roots and continued to deliver innovative beats. As the final installment in her three-album “Ho” trio, the project is an absolute triumph. Flo Milli is here to stay, so make way as she continues making waves.
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