Tampa is a weird place. Nestled mid-dick on Florida’s gulf side, miles of treeless roads sport high-end car salesmen next to alien-themed strip clubs and a rich dude is buying up everything around Downtown and pushing people out to the suburbs that didn’t exist 15 years back. It’s a place that gave the world the curious mix of John Cena, Aaron Carter, Cannibal Corpse, Hulk Hogan, Billy Mays, Underoath, Macho Man Randy Savage, and Ray Charles. That’s Tampa: it’s terrifying. But the saving grace of the city of mangles is the occasional Miami Bass-bred club star. I bet you didn’t know “My Neck, My Back (Lick It)” was from Tampa rapper Khia – arguably the best thing to come out of Florida not under the name Trina or Trick Daddy. It’s been 13 years since Khia went soared up international charts and Tampa might be ready to crowd another queen.
Thast is ready. She isn’t new to it all, her Soundcloud goes back through two years of songs like “Fuck U,” “Rep Ur County,” and “Stop Hatin,” it’s aggressive, unruffled, and unswerving Florida bravado. Thast put up “Play My Shit” this week and doesn’t beat around asking or begging the DJ politely, Thast knows she has what we need and isn’t going to step down to our level, she says it outright on the track: “We run this bitch.”
• Thast: https://soundcloud.com/thast01