My City: Miami Beat Wave (Exclusive Interview)

I usually try to be clever in these My City headlines (or at least I think I'm being clever), but when a group's so down for their city they include it in their name, there's not much more to say. In the latest edition of our ongoing series, production duo Miami Beat Wave, they of the "Slight Modification" talk about the musical melting pot that is Miami, the city's burgeoning hip-hop scene, their 24-hour-a-day studio habit and much more.

RefinedHype: Miami's certainly a melting pot of a lot of different cultures. How has your music been influenced by your city's diverse musical environment?

Miami Beat Wave: Being in Miami we are influenced by literally every music genre. Our team itself is diverse, and our repertoire shows that. But we also keep different styles separate, or pure, if you will. Miami always reminds you how every different facet of music is important, from latin reggae to club bangers to grimy hip hop, it's all here because of the mixed cultures. There are no boundaries to the music being made because of the diverse environment its coming from. Every genre is another opportunity to get your music heard.

RefinedHype: On a national level most hip-hop fans know Miami for its "gangster" rap. What else does they city's hip-hop scene have to offer that the mainstream's missing?

MBW: There's so much talent brewing in this city right now. There really is a resurgence of real hip hop, and good music in general. Miami is such a hard city to win fans in so artist's are pushing themselves even more, and it's getting to a point where we can compete with every other major city that's pushing hip hop too. Many artist in Miami are putting the soul back into the hip hop we all used to love with more of that mainstream sound.

RefinedHype: What inspires you about your city?

MBW: We live in the most tropical climate city in the country where people all around the globe travel to vacation in. They come for the ocean, the food, the ambiance. The Art scene in Miami is unbelievable, and the Music never stops. The city was made from the grind and hustle of so many different cultures working together. And Miami is definitely the city that never sleeps....there's inspiration everywhere you go.

RefinedHype: If I'm rolling through Miami where can I find you?

MBW: At the recording studio creating new music, or at a venue networking and showing support for up and coming local artists. We work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so you can hit us up @305-299-3814/980.622.9019

RefinedHype: Last words? Shout outs? Confessions?

MBW: Listen & download our new mixtape "Slight Modification"!! Check us out at www.miamibeatwave.com or hit us up on twitter @miamibeatwave. Shouts Out to SoFlo Ent., DJBooth.net, the whole dead prez RBG family and Refined Hype!!