Photo by Shanna Gillette.
I just got back from the mixtape release party for Supa Man and Neece (pictured) at Full Moon Saloon in Ybor City and my overall impression is that the rap crew to which they belong, The Umbrella Corporation (pictured), is probably the most exciting thing happening right now in the Tampa underground. Mostly consisting of hardcore rappers quick to drop threats of bodily harm, the scene isn't for all tastes. But for anyone unopposed to verbal violence and colorful language, it's must-see entertainment. At very least, the kind that doesn't make me regret leaving the house on a Wednesday night.
In addition to adrenaline-pumping performances by the previously mentioned headliners, there were equally captivating, albeit briefer, spotlight turns made by fellow Umbrella emcees Aych, Jersey, Larsen, Black Reign, and others including special guest Madd Illz, an Orlando rapper who unleashed impromptu rhymes regarding items that were held in front of him by audience members. (He called it "Pocket Pool").
The sets were short and explosive. Macho boasts and clever put-downs tempered with the occasional confessional musing elated the attentive, enthusiastic crowd. Dull moments were rare. Before the scheduled performances got under way, it was open mic time. It resulted in spirited battles between acknowledged talents like Jersey and a mystery rapper who I spotted in the men's room hunched over the toilet in the vomit position after he held his own on stage with members of the Umbrella crew.
My notes are still on the passenger's seat of my car and I'm well past exhaustion at this point, so, for the time being, I'll skip the details. One of the rhymes that do I recall, though, was issued during the freestyle showdown. A flurry of insults had just been hurled his way when Aych was handed the mic. He nonchalantly brought it to his face and smirked. "I'm an asshole," he said. "Hotter than Tobasco."
This article appears in Jul 25-31, 2007.