While artists can build entire discographies about their lives before entertainment, many of them spend years running away from their past in one way or another. They’re either busy trying to live up to the accolades from their debut albums, or they’re stashing away records from their formative years. But Obie Trice realizes that to know where you’re going, you have to know where you’ve been. So after with two solid major label albums under his belt and his junior album Bottom’s Up on the horizon, Obie teamed up with his previous go-to producer MoSS (now signed with DJ Premier’s Works Of Mart) to release Special Reserve, a collection of songs the duo recorded between 1997 and 2000 before Obie got his deal with Shady Records. In a trip down memory lane with MichiganHipHop.com that’s equal parts funny and moving, Obie Trice talks about his working relationship with MoSS, growing pains with women and lost friends, and drinking do’s and don’t’s.

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eLZhi decided to share some brief stories behind each of the tracks from his “Leftovers Unmixedtape.” In this part (1 of 3) eLZhi talks about his songs “The Great,” “Deep,” “Red, Black and Green” and “Dream.”   Part 2 will be posted next week. Here’s what eLZhi had to say:

The Great
I linked up with Oh No, and recorded “The Great” a long time ago. It’s like five or six years old. Oh No sent me a beat CD, and that was one of the beats I chose. I recorded it to the track, I let him check it out, and he thought it was dope. We were planning to work on an entire album, but our schedules didn’t allow for it at the time. Originally “The Great” was leaked on a fan made mix around 2006.  I know it didn’t really get out to the people how I wanted it to, so I brought it back here, for the “Leftovers”. Continue reading →

While the title of Stretch Money’s The Punishment mixtape refers to his retribution of inferior emcees, it’s a reward to Michigan rap fans. Since his runaway hit “Takes Money To Make Money” and album of the same title, the East Side Detroiter has been saturating the streets with his witty bars and nasally, accented flow. Stretch’s rhymes even caught the attention of Detroit heavyweight Royce Da 5’9”, who used “Rebuild,” from his lauded Bar Exam 2 mixtape, to hand the young’n the torch of Detroit Hip Hop. After a break while his friend and label owner served a prison bid, but his partner back in action, Stretch is back with his partner to show his Detroit comrades and competition how it’s done. In an interview with MichiganHipHop, Stretch Money talks about his latest project, his friendship with Crane, and respect in the city.

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Young Jeezy made a single encouraging listeners to “put on” for their city, but Ro Spit has done so in literal terms. The sneaker boutique he co-owns, Burn Rubber, has gotten attention in lauded publications like COMPLEX magazine, and its gear is on the backs, feet and heads of national rap stars such as Mos Def, Big Sean and Clipse. “Renaissance State of Mind” (click here to listen/download), his Monica Blaire-assisted remake of Jay-Z’s hit single, has given Detroit Hip Hop fans a new self-love anthem. And along with showcasing his own talents, his new solo release The Oh S#!t Project (click here to download) serves as a who’s who of what Michigan Hip Hop has to offer. For a more detailed breakdown of Ro Spit’s career, click here to read MichiganHipHop Managing Editor William E. Ketchum III’s feature in Metro Times.

But in a contest sponsored by CNN (click here to vote), Ro has the opportunity to represent Detroit in a brand new way. Check under the cut to hear Ro briefly break down how he and ad agency Campbell-Ewald plan to infuse energy in the area’s art scene. Continue reading →

“Phenomenal Hip-Hop Individual Living Through His Years.”

The name says it all. P.H.I.L.T.H.Y, born name James Gardin, can fight the AIDS epidemic, lead Bible study, do a fashion shoot, create an awesome EP, and still have time to jump on stage for a performance before the day is done.

After the mixtape Young Black Hope Vol. 1 and the album Save Us All (Click Here to Buy on iTunes), the 24-year-old has released the EP Love Songs for Losers & Ballads for Ballers (Download and Listen Here), which showcases his talent for laying lucid lyrics over the touching soundbeds to make a universally appealing listen. And don’t let the EP title fool you; this project encases a diverse topic line-up, covering  awareness, love, respect and more.

The 24-year-old Lansing emcee knows how to keep balance in his life and in his music, making him admirable to fans, fellow hip-hoppers and strangers he meets in the streets. In the interview below, P.H.I.L.T.H.Y. lets MichiganHipHop.com in on the secret to how he became a phenom without losing himself in the process.

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“It’s time for you to start comparing me to the greats now,” Royce Da 5′9″ said in his last interview with MichiganHipHop.com (click to read). “I  got a classic album on my hands, and I can do it on that level.” It’s been years since plans for the DJ Premier-executive produced Street Hop were announced, but after hold-ups from bootlegs, mixtape releases and supergroup formations, the disc finally hit stores on October 20.  Hailed as Royce’s best project to date, the album further certified Royce as one of the most formidable emcees in the industry. Under the cut, Nickel Nine gives insight to the creative process behind songs from his masterpiece.

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Mr. Porter has compiled quite the discography for himself since Dr. Dre gave him his first check for a beat (click here). His catalog isn’t only admirable because of the heavyweight names that it includes, but because of its balance—multiplatinum-selling superstars like 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg have found the Detroiter’s production just as valuable as area staples like Monica Blaire and Guilty Simpson have. Add that to Mr. Porter’s partnership with Open Labs, a company that makes music production equipment, and you may think twice the next time you say it’s impossible to be in several places at once. In the final part of his interview with MichiganHipHop, Mr. Porter talks about how he balances his many musical lanes, executive producing future projects by Pharaohe Monch and Royce Da 5’9”, and the prospect of new music from D12.

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An old adage says that it takes a village to raise a child, and Detroit producer Mr. Porter has had a supporting cast that Hip Hop heads would die for. Legendary producer Dr. Dre, hometown hero and game-changing producer/emcee J Dilla, GOAT emcee candidate Eminem, and superstar/rap mogul 50 Cent have all lent their expertise to Porter, who is on his way to becoming a legend in his own right with his solid discography (Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Royce Da 5′9″) and budding business savvy (working with music equipment company Open Labs). In Part 2 of his interview with MichiganHipHop, Mr. Porter talks about selling his first beat to Dr. Dre, and recounts lessons learned from his Hip Hop mentors.

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[via MTV News]