Supersoul

Florida doesn't have the best rep these days. Musically, it boasts little more than "funky breaks," a feel-good brand of dance music that goes over great with the candy-ravers, but sends critics scurrying for earplugs. Lately, however, a handful of Miami artists have been breaking into the upper 47, offering a new brand of dark, edgy electronica.

Omar Clemetson -- a.k.a. Supersoul -- stands at the center of this crew. His mix of styles reflects a place where scraps of other cultures wash ashore, offering keen-eyed beachcombers radical recombinant possibilities. On his debut, "The Sickness" confounds geography by bringing together the streetwise swagger of "dirty South" rappers like OutKast, the singsong incantations of reggae, and a lumbering bass-and-drums interplay that's native to no region. Clearly, there are strange forces afoot in Florida: Supersoul, an ambassador for the seamy underbelly of South Beach splendor, has translated them into a musical language we can all understand.