Playa's Paradise

"I feel like a lot of people in the hip-hop community here just have a yearning to see someone come up from Phoenix, you know, to represent them," says Sabataj, an intense young man who comes across as the deep thinker of the bunch. "So it can be like, 'Yo, it's not all about cactus and tumbleweeds and cowboys!' Everybody who tries to make it in music here has this sort of fire in them, and they're gonna have some representation for that. The world deserves to hear what Phoenix is bringing to the table."

Preacha agrees, but has a little trouble nailing down exactly what constitutes the Phoenix hip-hop sound. "We're just trying to capture the atmosphere here, but we're also universal, 'cause down here is like a melting pot."

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Survivalist's infectious "Bounce" was a surprise entry in the Top 5 of Billboard's Hot Rap Singles chart.

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• Claude Thomas
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He does allow that Phoenix rappers may have an advantage creating that laid-back style so many rappers seem to be going for nowadays. "We got that Southwestern drawl around here," he chuckles. "And that laid-back style comes naturally in the Valley. I mean, let's face it: We got the sunshine here. It's hot! How else are you gonna be?"