Detroit emcee iLLite considers himself a pupil in the Hip Hop game, whether it be from hard lessons taught on the streets or listening to other artists spit bars. Collaborating with a who’s who list of Michigan Hip Hop vets and up-and-comers like One Be Lo, Decompoze and Magestik Legend, only makes him stronger, growing through association. One half of the rap duo Octane and iLLite, there is nothing this west-side Detroit native won’t try, including stepping out on his own. Following last year’s The Forgotten…Chosen bookmarking of the chemistry between the duo, iLLite felt it was time to put his own schooling to the test, with the release of his solo debut Crème de la Crème. In an interview with MichiganHipHop.com, iLLite talks about what he brings to the table, his chemistry with Octane and his place in the Michigan Hip Hop movement. Continue reading →

Detroit emcee Danny Brown has already gone through the whole “Visit New York to find a record deal” drill. After catching the attention of a Roc-A-Fella A&R in 2003, he went to the East Coast and recorded several mixtapes—his famed Detroit State of Mind trilogy—on other artists’ studio time, with beats from the likes of 9^th Wonder and Kanye West handed to him. But the Roc’s untimely demise, along with Brown’s lack of chemistry with the crew’s already-established brand, landed him back in the Motor City.

But Danny’s glad to be home. From Motown to The White Stripes to the birth of the techno music scene, Detroit boasts a rich multi-genre musical history. It is against this colorfully chorded backdrop that Danny and producer Nick Speed (Elzhi, 50 Cent, Talib Kweli) have released Hot Soup, an album dedicated to the city’s melodic legacy. And if they keep up their engaging, meticulously-arranged yet blissfully simple brand of Hip Hop, they leave the door open for themselves to continually add their own pages to Detroit’s blue-noted archives. In an interview with MichiganHipHop,com, Danny Brown talks about his time out East, his chemistry with Nick Speed, and why he and the Stripes’ Jack White should collaborate. Continue reading →

DJ Young Mase is essentially the heart of the Detroit street Hip Hop scene’s circulatory system—as much as everyone else works independently, they’re still connected to him. .After studying the game while working radio at Clear Channel for seven years, Mase left to build his own empire. And these days, that empire is fully intact: between being a member of The Aphilliates Music Group team with heavyweights like DJ Drama and DJ Don Cannon, serving as Obie Trice’s official DJ, and crafting street classics for everyone from D12 to Quest M.C.O.D.Y., he keeps a busy schedule. Last week, he started his Operation Young Mase campaign, in which he plans to release new music from some of the aforementioned artists every week. Fortunately, he had the time to sit down with MichiganHipHop to go into detail about his success, give advice on how the state’s Hip Hop scene can expand, and react to Jermaine Dupri’s “The DJ is dead” comments. Continue reading →

Dwele’s not exactly an emcee, but he’s as Hip Hop as they come. The Detroit soul singer got his start by working with the likes of J Dilla, Slum Village and Bahamadia, and the past couple years have seen him contribute hooks to superstars Common and Kanye West. Last year’s Grammy Awards serve as a perfect example of Dwele’s dual citizenship between Hip Hop and R&B: both his interpretation of Earth, Wind & Fire’s “That’s the Way of the World” and his collaboration with Kanye, “Flashing Lights,” were nominated for awards. Dwele hopes to capitalize off of his newfound exposure with Sketches of a Man—his upcoming LP that he says is more Hip Hop than his previous two releases. In an interview with MichiganHipHop, Dwele talks about smoky sound sessions with Dilla; revisits the storied Breakfast Club with Elzhi (of Slum Village), Lacks (currently known as Ta’Raach), Hodge Podge (currently known as Big Tone) and 87; and how he would organize his ideal album with no strings attached. Continue reading →

MC Serch is living proof that success in Hip Hop outside of the booth is possible—and it doesn’t have to be a clothing line. After a successful rap career both as a soloist and with the group 3rd Bass, the Queens, NY native founded Serchlite Music. As head of the company, he helped prime the careers of rap legends like Nas and O.C., helping craft their classic Illmatic and Word…Life LPs. He also discovered Non Phixion, who would go on to be staples of the underground rap scene.

But Serch’s career didn’t stop with the actual music industry. In 2003 he moved to Detroit, where he hosted Serch In The AM on WJLB; though he got fired three years later, 2008 has seen him back on the airwaves with a show on Hot 102.7, The Saturday Night Serchlite. He’s also been successful on the silver screen, hosting two successful reality series on Vh1: “Ego Trip’s The White Rapper Show” and “Ego Trip’s Miss Rap Supreme.” Homie has been making his way through every facet of the game, knocking out one area at a time. And oh, yeah—he has a clothing line, too.

In an interview with MichiganHipHop.com, MC Serch talks about working on the radio, staying true to Hip Hop in an industry that dilutes it, and how wifey’s eye for talent defeats his.
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Invincible is releasing her first album this year, but don’t get it twisted: the Detroit emcee has been reppin’ the mitten for years. Moving to Ann Arbor from Palestine when she was seven years old, she learned English through Hip Hop by writing down lyrics to her favorite songs and looking up the words. The rest is history: earning a rep in open mics and ciphers led to her working with Michigan all-stars like J Dilla and Dabrye, and to thriving in New York as a member of the all-female Anomolies crew and a writer/performer of MTV’s defunct Lyricist Lounge Show. She’s also been deeply involved with Detroit Summer, an organization that develops youth leadership and addresses community issues. Anyone who really knows the history of Michigan’s Hip Hop scene doesn’t have a choice but to respect her longevity and her grind.

It looks like all of her hard work is starting to pay off. ShapeShifters finally sees her on the solo stage, where her talented cohorts—Wordsworth, Buff1 and Finale on the mic with Black Milk, Waajeed and HouseShoes on the boards—are adding to her vision instead of the other way around. A large facet of this vision is independence: studying Waajeed’s operation of The Bling47 Group has helped her develop the know-how to release her album through her own label, EMERGENCE Media, with distribution from Fat Beats. In an in-depth interview with MichiganHipHop, Invincible talks about her album, being “an A&R’s worst nightmare,” and what it means to be a ShapeShifter. Continue reading →

During his entire career, producer Young RJ has consistently stepped up to the plate when the opportunity or obligation arise. As half of the production duo B.R. Gunna, he helped construct a new sound for Slum Village after group mastermind J Dilla left to pursue a solo career. When Black Milk was busy pursuing his own projects, Young RJ produced the third installment of Gunna’s Dirty District series on his own. And when he was given the chance to work with G-Unit emcees Lloyd Banks and Young Buck, he rep’d the D by producing bangers that landed on their respective albums.

Now, Young RJ is set to face a couple more challenges. His Concert Hall EP project with Frank Nitty (of Frank-N-Dank) is on iTunes now (click here for the project’s single, “Automatic,” and a rundown of the song by Frank), and he’s currently working on The Recipe, an album with Rapper Big Pooh, the slept-on half of North Carolina’s indie mainstay Little Brother, and Dirty District Vol. 4. In an interview with MichiganHipHop.com, Young RJ talks about a family-first policy, impending projects, and the status of B.R. Gunna. Continue reading →

During his interview with MichiganHipHop, Fat Ray talked extensively about Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and the sex scandal that’s saturated the news. Follow the jump to see what he said. What you read may surprise you… Continue reading →

Chances are you’ve been a Fat Ray fan for a long time, even if you didn’t realize it. The 7 Mile veteran has rep’d the D proudly since the days of the Hip Hop Shop, whether it’s with fellow Detroiters like Black Milk and Young RJ as the trio of B.R. Gunna, or in the national spotlight as a contestant on 106 & Park’s Freestyle Friday. But this year, you’ll know who you’re hearing: after enjoying breakout success in 2007, Black Milk has started his own label, Music House. The label’s first release is The Set Up, an LP that features him behind the boards and Fat Ray on the mic. The album has garnered critical acclaim, putting it at the forefront in what many have dubbed as the year that The Mitten finally gets the attention it deserves: a destination that Fat Ray has been working toward for years. As he says in the interview below, “When it’s your time to shine, and the camera lights turn on, you gotta be ready.”

Follow the jump to read MichiganHipHop.com’s conversation with Ray. From beats & rhymes, to talking about the times, the way Fat Ray amazes is amazing… Continue reading →

When hip-hop heads buzz about the renaissance of Detroit’s rap scene, Guilty Simpson is universally recognized as one of its most important components. Widely known as a protégé to the late J Dilla, the Guilty showcased his gritty, throaty vocals on albums like Jaylib’s Champion Sound and Dilla’s The Shining before signing to indie powerhouse Stones Throw Records through his old friend. Under the LA label, 2007 would see him release the mixtape Stray Bullets and his debut album Ode To the Ghetto, the latter featuring production from the likes of ST breadwinner Madlib, fellow Detroit heavyweights Black Milk and Mr. Porter, and one beat from Dilla Dog himself.

Along with pushing February 08’s Ode, Guilty is also working on an album with Black and underground emcee du jour Sean Price—together, the trio of Random Axe—for a fourth quarter release. In MichiganHipHop’s debut interview, Guilty talks extensively about Dilla, Random Axe and hoops. Continue reading →