Artist: Flo Rida
Genre: Hip Hop
(Warner Music)
Reviewer: KENNETH CHAW

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IT takes just one great track to make an artiste’s career.

Tramar Dillard a.k.a. Flo Rida has been paying his dues in the music industry for years. Born and raised in the projects of Carol City, Florida, the aspiring rapper’s musical pursuit started when he formed an amateur group, GroundHoggz, at just 14. The boys wasted no time in laying down their beats, recording at various underground studios. But before they knew it, eight years had passed, and success was still out of sight. The rapper then put his music career on the backburner and focused on earning a degree in international business management instead.

But then a call came from an independent record label, offering him the opportunity of a lifetime. Flo Rida jumped at it, and by the following year, released his first single, Low.

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Contrary to its title, the track hit an all-time high, spending 10 consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, becoming the longest-running No.1 single of 2008. From then on, the rapper could do no wrong. His subsequent releases, In The Ayer, Right Round and Club Can’t Handle Me also tore up music charts in the United States.

Wild Ones is another solid release that lives up to the success of his previous works. The title track, featuring the sweet, sultry vocals of Australian jazz singer Sia, is already infiltrating the airwaves. Meanwhile, Good Feeling is one of the album’s more unique numbers, as the rapper splices in vocal recordings of Etta James’ 1962 Something’s Got A Hold On Me, paying homage to the soul singer, following her death early this year. Whistle is another maddeningly good song that has the potential to be a club hit, which thrives on a captivating whistled tune and a catchy chorus to match.

Though only 34 minutes long and with a mere nine tracks, Wild Ones manages to churn out enough head-bobbing dance hits to satisfy clubbers until his next release.

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