Page 7 - Florida Sentinel 9-9-22

Feature
Boi Durty And United Music Mafia Look To Expand Tampa Music Market
BY MONIQUE STAMPS Sentinel Staff Writer
Over the years, Tampa Bay has served as the home for many artists and music producers. Tampa native Samuel “Boi Durty” Hines is one of the tal- ented homegrown sons that has returned to bring atten- tion to the Tampa music scene.
Retired military veteran Sean Whitlow is also looking to promote the Tampa music world and his company, United Music Mafia is making that hap- pen.
Whitlow and Hines met through a mutual friend and became like fam- ily after Whitlow heard Hines’ tracks and they found common ground in
SEAN WHITLOW
... CEO of United Music Mafia
their approach to music and the music business.
Two years ago, United Music Mafia entered the game and rapidly became successful. The company is now international, with business in over 20 coun- tries. Based in Atlanta and Tampa, the streaming serv-
ice is a new kind of record label.
Whitlow states that his plan is to continue to pro- mote globally, while still promoting Tampa as an economic force in the busi- ness. His two main plat- forms, UMM Music Video Streaming and You Slade Social Media Platform are content-based and are plat- forms for artists and cre- ative people. His platform currently has over 200,000 users.
“My focus right now is Florida, with concentration on Tampa and the Bay Area. It’s why I came back from overseas after retiring from the military. I want to give local talent a foot in the door. We want everyone to be educated about their tal- ent so that they enjoy suc-
SAMUEL “BOI DURTY” HINES
cess.” Whitlow says. Hines, a producer, songwriter, rapper, and singer has a long history in music and is the former protégé of the late Fresh Kid Ice of the 2 Live Crew. His rap name, Boi Durty stands for Don’t Underesti- mate Real Talent You
Heard.
His latest album is titled
Apply Pressure and his lat- est single is Skin 2 Win, which is available via
streaming and in stores now.
“I’ve been producing and now I have come back to Tampa. I also want to bring attention to Tampa. My roots are deep here. My late mother, Gloria Hines, was an influential gospel singer in Tampa, and I learned the business from her. She prepared me to re- ceive the blessing of work- ing with industry professionals like Mr. Whitlow.”
“My music is positive dance music. Remember Freak Nik and parties we used to have? I want that same vibe for my music and what I bring to the Tampa area. That includes helping the community through food drives and other ef- forts,” Hines emphasized.
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