Flo Rida Takes Journalists on a 'Wild' Ride at Album Listening Party

Industry professional or video vixen? All bets were off last night at Flo Rida’s private listening session held on a party bus that cascaded through Manhattan, blaring tracks from his fourth album Wild Ones. Set to drop July 3, the project is concise yet direct, bursting at the seams with the rapper’s signature club anthems. The exclusive guest list consisted of editors, writers, and photographers that left their journalistic oaths behind for the night and partied—in the true spirit of the album—like wild ones.

Flo Rida greeted his guests at the Polar Lounge, dressed in a silver-spiked leather vest (and kicks to match) that only a man of his stature could pull off. Lighthearted yet focused, he hosted the party with a southern hospitality that allowed his guests to take the spotlight as they gyrated from stripper poles and guzzled champagne, unabashed, straight from the bottle. Although tight-lipped for most of the night, Flo took time to converse with guests one on one. He did promise that his album would be experienced “the way it was meant to be heard,” each note reverberating through the bus, the city as its backdrop.

While Flo Rida mingled with the crowd, his girlfriend (whom he respectfully acknowledged throughout the night), and their entourage—save for one of Flo’s crew who provided shirtless lapdances for some of the hesitant ladies—tucked themselves into the back of the bus, celebrating another round of indisputable club bangers.

Wild Ones is full of roguish innuendo (one can only guess what “Whistle” is about) and “Sweet Spot” does this particularly well, featuring Jennifer Lopez who ups his dance floor cred even more. RedFoo of LMFAO adds his usual fratty chanting on “Run” and the title track, which along with most others on the album, follows Flo’s tried and tested formula: his signature rhythmic cadence leaning on a sexy siren-sung hook.

–Rajul Punjabi

Photo credit: Meghan Benson