An extension of New York’s ‘80s hip-hop explosion, freestyle took the booming electro beats lurking under rap songs and added passionate vocals to the mix, imbuing the tracks with theatrics and heat. Clubs in Brooklyn and the Bronx were quickly taken over by this version of high-energy, high-drama dance pop, and as freestyle’s popularity spread to cities like Miami with sizeable Latino populations, it gained a foothold on the radio as well, with stars like Lisa Lisa and Stevie B turning their emotion-fueled performances into Top 40 gold.