By Canela Vasquez
On Feb. 2, songwriting rapper Doechii made history as the third woman to win Best Rap Album at the Grammys.
During her acceptance speech, she highlighted the talent in Tampa, and urged “labels go to Tampa, there’s so much talent there.”
As the self-proclaimed “swamp princess,” Doechii has never hidden the fact that she is a Tampa Bay native and took this monumental moment to remind the biggest names in the music industry of her creative roots.
The shout-out has invigorated local creatives and given them hope for more acknowledgment by labels and scouts.
Another Tampa Bay native, Celyne Mckenzie, creatively known as “Thee Celyne”, has followed Doechii’s career for years. In Tampa’s tight-knit community, she often finds herself in the same artistic circles as early Doechii collaborators.
“Sometimes when artists get big and experience fame, they tend to forget where they come from, but I was super proud of her that she didn’t,” Mckenzie said.
With a wide range of museums, murals, theatres and music venues, Tampa Bay has become a small but mighty hub for creativity and artistic expression. Mckenzie said she has grown into this expressive culture and credits Tampa Bay for her passion of artistry.
“I love the 813 so much,” she said. “Florida is a great state, but Tampa is a gem, and a lot of people don’t know that. I feel like Doechii’s win really was that fire, that resurrection of hope for some creatives in the Tampa Bay area.”
The University of South Florida’s director of contemporary commercial music and CEO of Project Gametime LLC, Kenrick Wagner, acknowledges the struggles of exposure for local artists.
“Look at the major markets in the nation,” Wagner said. “You have New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta. Then outside, you have these pockets and places where music is happening and it’s going on, but not at the forefront.”
Wagner said that through community connection, artists can network and build a strong foundation of support. Independent record labels such as Ybor City Records, Symphonic Distribution and Cigar City Management have been a breeding ground for rising artists.
Alejandro Cornado, creatively known as “Chach” and band member of THA BANNED, said he believes that open mics are where undiscovered talent can be explored. Bars like Shuffle, 7th and Grove, Tori Bar and Sparkman Wharf are a few examples of venues that offer a safe space for creatives to amplify their art.
“To me, in my own eyes, it’s another coming of a renaissance where there are so many different arts and mediums that are being explored in Tampa,” Cornado said. “It’s just more of a reassurance that she won that Grammy and was able to point out to labels, to other artists in the actual scene to take a look at Tampa because there’s so much going on here that goes over people’s head.”
Though Doechii’s acknowledgment of local artists has momentarily spotlighted Tampa’s creative prowess, many artists know that more noise will need to be made to grasp the attention of major industry players.
“It’s not going to change overnight,” Wagner said. “But what it is going to do is shift the attention from the major markets across the nation to start looking for where we can find the next popular sound or where the wave of the culture is going to go.”
For talent scouts and record labels now looking to Tampa Bay, local artists encourage them to disregard the successful music formula and focus on genuine raw talent.
“I would definitely say for record labels and talent scouts to be more personable,” Cornado said. “Go to these venues, there’s going to be something you like when you do go and dabble.”
Mckenzie said that if scouts are looking for a replica of Doechii, the results will be lackluster.
“There’s so many different flavors and so many different varieties, and you’ll truly miss out if you try to come and recreate something,” Mckenzie said. “Look at what raw talent we have here, and go with that because that’s what makes us special. We’re not like anybody else.”