by Marcus Brooks

Created on: June 21, 2009   Last Updated: June 25, 2009

For a long time, rap music was a monopoly controlled by the two coasts East and West. Nothing moved the needle without being from either New York or Los Angeles. There were three, dominate record labels; Def Jam and Bad Boy in New York, Priority and Deathrow in Los Angeles. The "game" was locked by big markets and big dollars. The game changed for South Beach (Miami) in 1988.

Luke Campbell decided to enter the rap game using two, key ingredients: sex and vulgarity. His band, "Two Live Crew" was an interracial mix of black and Hispanic. But, it was all dirty. Their songs, such as "Me So Horny" were the sex anthems of legends! Me So Horny was a common phrase used by Southeast Asian prostitutes to American soldiers during the Vietnam War. That phrase was reinstituted to nightclubs and stripper joints nationwide.

Two Live Crew were terrible, lyrical rappers. They lacked the "flow" and creativity of a Nas Escobar, Gangstarr, Rakim and even Oakland's, Too Short. However, they had plenty of scantily-clad, bronze-tan women wearing g-string and thong bikinis to show on their album covers. Three, straight records reached multi-platinum status. Luke went from four-eyed, rapping perv to "Uncle" Luke. He reaped enough money to open his own gentlemen's "club" that serviced pro athletes and celebrities long after Two, Live Crew disbanded. In addition, he became the pioneer of Miami-based, rap music. Later contributors included the Cuban reggaeton lyricist, Pit Bull and the gold-toothed, Trick Daddy.

In 1990, the Geto Boys arrived. They comprised of Willie D, the 4'4' Bushwick Bill and Scarface. They all came from Texas and produced a slow, gritty tale of ghetto life called "My Mind's Playing Tricks on Me". It soared to #1 on Billboard's Urban Charts. The city of Houston found itself head and shoulders above the rap world. But, that was only the beginning.

New Orleans soon joined in their representatives. They had two acts straight from the rough and rugged, Ninth Ward. Percy "Master P" Miller told a darker side to Louisiana's Bayou. His "Ice Cream Man", "The Ghetto's Trying to Kill Me" and "I Wanna Say Unnnh" skyrocketed No Limit Records to record-setting status as an independent, record label. No Limit Records evolved into No Limit Entertainment by doing straight-to-video movies, television, sports management and clothing brand. He went from a man inheriting $10,000 in Richmond (CA) to a personal, net worth of $500 million dollars.

The other, Bayou success story came

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