He’s created a thriving space for local businesses!
Rapper Flo Rida, real name Tramar Lacel Dillard,” invested $10 million in 2023 to purchase the Cloverleaf Plaza shopping center in his hometown of Miami Gardens, AfroTech reports. The property was acquired by Flo Rida and his business partner Lee “Freezy” Prince, just after the rapper’s successful legal win against the Celcius drink brand, which earned him a whopping $82.6 million award in his favor.
The investment was historic, and Flo Rida is now credited with opening the first Black-owned plaza in Miami Gardens, Florida. The rapper said it was his purchase of a club, Studio 183, in the plaza that made him want to invest in owning something of his own, something he never thought he’d be able to do growing up in the area.
“You might own a house and things like that, but growing up just looking at highrises and things like that, the first thing is not to think that you can own it. Maybe you have a spot there, but you won’t really own it. So to actually own our own plaza is just phenomenal,” Flo Rida previously told reporters.
The plaza is now occupied by several local businesses, including Boost Mobile, Creole Kitchen, Cloverleaf Beauty Supply, Top Notch Cigars & Smoke Shop, and Flowers by Grace, a longtime flower shop owned by Grace Vernon that has been a mainstay in the community for more than 30 years. Vernon said there is a sense of pride in being able to operate a business under a Black landlord for the first time ever.
“It gives you a sense of pride and just overall feeling so good to know that we’ve come this far, as far as I’m concerned, where you can see someone who looks like you, doing good things and great things,” Vernon explained, according to Miami Herald.
Other business owners echoed the sentiments, saying conditions have improved tremendously since Flo Rida and Prince took over management.
“It’s 100 percent better than before, it’s well-kept. We have security guards. Mr. Freezy is constantly in the plaza. So you feel safe. He’s always around. You can get to him easily with any problem,” said Nicole Ward, owner of Prestige Beauty Salon.
This marks an upward trend of Black artists using their wealth in service of rebuilding the communities they come from. Flo Rida now joins a long list of notable figures paying it forward and helping to shift ownership in underserved communities.
Cover photo: Rapper Flo Rida Invests $10M to Open First Black-Owned Plaza in Hometown of Miami Gardens/Photo credit: Miami Gardens/Facebook