Orlando’s rap scene was supposed to be one of Florida’s next breakout movements. Instead, by 2020, the city’s rising drill wave was being discussed through shootings, federal gang pressure, public ambushes, dead teenagers, social media threats, and a feud that seemed to follow two of its biggest young names: Glock9 and Hotboii.
The conflict was often framed online as AFNF versus 438, or “The Army” versus Hotboii’s side of Orlando. To casual fans, it looked like another rap beef fueled by Instagram Live and diss songs. To law enforcement, it became something much more serious. The FBI, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and Orlando police publicly identified the 438 gang and the Army gang as major drivers of violence in the area, saying the conflict had already been tied to multiple shootings and deaths.
Case Snapshot
Main artists: Glock9, also known as 9lokkNine, and Hotboii
City: Orlando, Florida…