If DJ Khaled was a Marvel Comics character his superpower would be networking. For almost 20 years he’s assembled an Avengers-worthy list of top-tier emcees and producers for his studio albums, and given his latest, 2022’s God Did, debuted at #1 on the US Billboard 200, he has no intention on stopping.
Khaled’s roots are in Florida; he cut his teeth as a DJ and radio personality in Miami. His connection to the area shines in his albums, particularly his early releases that often featured Trick Daddy, Pitbull, Cool & Dre, and a myriad of emcees that call the Sunshine State home. “B**** I’m from Dade County” off his 2007 We The Best album is a track where Miami shines brightly. Seven Miami emcees-Trick Daddy, Trina, Rick Ross, Brisco, Flo-Rida, C-Ride, and Dre-celebrate their ties to The Magic City in a posse track that bangs in clubs well past Florida to this day.
“B**** I’m from Dade County” came on while I was in the gym a few weeks ago, and it was the first time I realized Trick Daddy lists off neighborhoods in the Miami-Dade County metro in the song’s intro. I absolutely had to map it Throughout the song a total of 20 places are celebrated in the lyrics, including Dade County itself and Miami’s 305 area code. As always, I symbolized the map using sports team colorways as inspiration: the Dade County/305 area code boundary (which is the same) is the blue from the Miami Heat’s “Miami Vice” City Edition jerseys and landmarks are fuchsia from the same. The legend boxes are blue and gray from the jerseys of the Miami Marlins.
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