This image is the cover for the book History of Miami Hip Hop, The

History of Miami Hip Hop, The

In the late 90s, the music scene in Miami was at the infancy of becoming the multi-million dollar cultural and artistic force that it is today. Musicians like Pitbull, DJ Khaled, and countless others staked Miami’s claim as the newest Mecca for Hip Hop heads and graffiti artists. During this time, The Cipher was created. An independent newspaper that followed the scene and included reviews, interviews, essays, photos, and more, The Cipher was the choice source for discovering Miami’s underground. The History of Miami Hip Hop chronicles the ups and downs of this legendary rag during its short tenure. Author John Cordero presents both a memoir of his time as one of the newspaper’s creators, and an anthology of some of The Cipher’s greatest hits. Both a love letter to The Cipher as well as 1990s Miami, this narrative is an essential chapter in the history of Hip Hop’s third coast. The book features never-before-seen photos of 1990s stars RZA, Ghostface Killah, and Method Man of Wu-Tang, Andre 3000 of Outkast, Black Thought of The Roots, Phife of A Tribe Called Quest (R.I.P.), Lil' Kim, Aaliyah (R.I.P.), and artists that achieved global celebrity in the 2000s, like Destiny's Child, The Black Eyed Peas, Timbaland, DJ Khaled, and many more.

John Cordero

John Cordero was born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1977 and immigrated with his family to the United States in 1989. His family settled in Miami, FL in 1995, where he became immersed in the Hip Hop scene. From 1998 to 2000, Mr. Cordero co-founded, edited, and published The Cipher: Miami’s Hip Hop Newspaper, an independent monthly publication that chronicled the emerging Hip Hop scene in South Florida. He is a US Navy veteran. 

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