Flo Rida discussed his new single “G.D.F.R.” and so much more.
Congrats on the new single “G.D.FR.” Tell us about the song and speak about working with Sage The Gemini.
Yeah, shout out to my boy Sage the Gemini and Lookas who actually produces on the record. Sage, probably a couple years prior to us doing this record, I met him for the first time and most recently we went into the studio and we created this record thinking it would most definitely get the crowd hype, with him being the life of the party and me being the life of the party then merging the two. We’ve seen some great success from it, being the theme song from the NBA as well.
Tell us about Lookas?
He’s a house DJ and producer. The sample that is on the record, he’s the guy who came up with that.
“G.D.F.R.” is now the theme song for ESPN’s coverage of the 2014-15 NBA season? What are your favorite basketball teams?
I can’t say favorite, but definitely Miami Heat is my team. I’m really more of a fan of a lot of the players, like LeBron James, Derrick Rose, I love Carmelo and D.Wade. A lot of the players on the [Miami] Heat are my friends and I knew them prior to the success I have now, but regardless I always go for the home team.
If you could play 1:1 with a basketball player who would it be?
I’m definitely interested in seeing what it would be like to play against LeBron. Not to say that I’d have some success, but when it comes down to greatness you definitely want to experience that.
Your upcoming album is called “The Perfect 10.” What inspired the titled?
After being in the game for about 8 years, I definitely wanted to put a great work of art together, that was the perfect material. Each song well thought out, well produced, great lyrics, great melodies and I can just give it to the fans. I look forward to them making this as successful if not more then the last album I put out.
What can fans expect from the project?
This project, I’ve been working on it for over a year now. I’ve definitely been inspired by a lot of the places I’ve been traveling to and meeting new artists that have inspired me and who have been in the game. So far I got to work with Sage on the album, Robin Thicke, my boy Frankie who is one of the producers on the album and as far as giving you guys all the details on the album, I’ll definitely be posting some things on my Instagram Official_Flo.
Are there any other key producers/collaborators you worked with?
I got the chance to work with DJ Mustard as well.
You are known for merging genres like Dance and Hip-Hop. Can you reflect on that?
Yeah, I think growing up in Miami, Florida where there is a gumbo of different cultures and it’s a place that a lot of tourists love to come. It has inspired my music as far as me taking the initiative to work with EDM producers and various producers. Just growing up in Miami and being a fan of artists from Miami, who’ve had success such as the 2 Live Crew, Trick Daddy, Trina, and even now Rick Ross and Pitbull.
You have worked with David Guetta, will.i.am & Nicki Minaj, what do you love about collaborating with other artists?
Just the passion that they have. And at the same time it’s always interesting to be around them and feel their aura. You can just tell they have so much to give to music and I just love being around that. I know how much hard work I put into this and how creative I am and it’s just a lot of creative minds together, so you never know what you might come up with.
When did you first realize you were passionate about music?
Definitely the day I decided to drop out of school to pursue music. I was going to school at the university out in Las Vegas and didn’t have enough time to do my music.
Is there any singer/rapper you would like to collaborate with?
I always tell people, I’m a big fan of Beyoncé. I got a chance to go on tour with her, but as far as making a record I think that would be something that would make history.
How did you discover music?
In my household, my sisters grew up singing gospel. They had a gospel group growing up and they still do. My dad plays just about every instrument and he sings as well.
You are known for great club jams, where are your favorite places to party?
Going to Dubai, partying in my Miami my hometown and going to London, partying in Russia, the Bahamas. I mean anywhere I go, I get the party going.
As Thanksgiving is coming up, what are you most thankful for?
Definitely my family and being able to give. That I’ve been blessed with the ability to give. I do a lot of charity. Back home, I have a football league with about eight thousand kids. We just did an event with the cheerleaders, and there were about three thousand people in the building at the University of Miami, where we held a cheerleading competition. We’ve been doing this for years now just to see the smiles on the kids’ faces, from 4 year olds to 14 years old. It’s really just overwhelming. Dej Loaf came out and performed, Fat Joe, Gorilla Zoe, and my artists as well as some of the Dj’s around town came out. Watching the parents react, you know they always give me a pat on my back for never forgetting where I came from.
-Toyibat Oridami
