| Detroit Rap City: A Survey of the Motor City Renaissance | October 11, 2018 |
Harold Bingo scours the streets of the D beyond Sada Baby and Payroll Giovanni to look at new projects from Cash Kidd, FMB DZ, Drego and Beno, Allstar JR, and Rocky Badd
| “I’m My Own Competition”: An Interview with Black Milk | April 5, 2018 |
Madeleine Byrne speaks with Black Milk about his development as an engineer, live bands versus sampling, and his approach to racial issues.
Paley Martin speaks with ZelooperZ about Bruiser Brigade, the Bothic way, and his relationship with Odd Future.
| Back For the First Time: “Hot Soup” and The Old Danny Brown | April 14, 2014 |
Max Bell is on a liquid diet You probably weren’t checking for Danny Brown in July of 2008. (I wasn’t.) Sure, you might’ve if you live in Detroit or had friends who attended The Shelter regularly. There’s also the possibility that you frequented Michiganhiphop.com, Hoodhype.com, or that you were one of the 11 people to […]
| The Grand Old Party: A Review of Danny Brown’s “Old” | October 11, 2013 |
Son Raw makes 2 Live Crew look like some Mormons. Danny Brown ended XXX with a pained howl that would have made a fitting epigraph had drugs, violence or jail snuffed out his promising rap career. Thing is, that didn’t happen. Against all odds, the skinny jeans-wearing backpack-rapper with a blown out haircut and encyclopedic […]
| Shots Fired, Episode 49: “Detroit” featuring guests Black Milk, Quelle Chris & Denmark Vessey | October 7, 2013 |
We probably needed House Shoes and Hex Murda for ultimate last rites authority on all matters pertaining to the D, but the trio of Black Milk, Quelle Chris, and Denmark Vessey are among the best musicians that Detroit has produced over the last half decade. Knowledge was brought in via carrier pigeon and dispersed via […]
| The Rugged Return of Detroit’s Big Tone | February 7, 2013 |
Evan Nabavian is pouring one out for Tone and Poke too. When Detroit saw a salvo of great rap around 2008, the names to know were Black Milk, Waajeed, House Shoes, Elzhi, Guilty Simpson, Royce da 5’9”, and Ta’Raach. But as with any great hip-hop scene, plenty more talent bubbled below the surface. In 2009, […]
| You Watching Like the Other Four Lakers on the Court: Danny Brown & House Shoes’ ‘Sweet’ | September 4, 2012 |
Danny Brown subtly breaking down the potential for problems between Kobe and Dwight Howard. Between this and “Grown Up,” the Hybrid has starred in two of the best videos of the year and he doesn’t even have a new album out. Impressive. Don’t sleep on House Shoes either. He is one of the most quotable […]
| The Making of Houseshoes | May 2, 2012 |
Conventional hip hop logic holds that the DJ is enduring a long slow slide towards California Condor status. You could theoretically argue that things have gone downhill since Kool Herc essentially invented the genre. Serato has brought every amateur out of the Pioneer Speakers. Rappers can and do play live shows from CDs. Computer production […]
| Detroit Stand Up: Michigan’s New Class | April 12, 2012 |
I’ve never been to Detroit but I grew up in Toronto, with Michigan just across the lake. Between Chicago and Detroit, the Midwest is having a moment right now. The cities are exploding with promising young rappers and overlooked local legends, Bandcamp, Twitter and YouTube providing the crucial arteries to broker homegrown talent to the […]
