The irony in this post is the fact I literally haven’t heard this 313 classic since iPods or YouTube came into existence. While chumming it up with the homie yesterday, I began flipping through a dusty, old CD book that was buried in his basement, when I came across an almost two-decade-old copy of Dice’s Black Monday. The best album from the sometimes-satanic, always-gangsta, neighborhood sh*t talker was not only an extremely rare find Read the rest of this entry »

If anyone was going to redeem Nickelback after the mere thought of their Thanksgiving performance got panned by the general public, it’s Funny Or Die! Yes, the website built from Ron Burgundy’s ashes has enlisted the Alberta, Canada band and that squirelly fellow from The League to come up with ideas that will uphold the Motor City’s high standards. Read the rest of this entry »

The common assertion is outsiders point and laugh at Detroit, unfairly choosing the historic city as an object of ridicule. The idea’s false for me because I view the city as a microcosm of what’s happening in other large cities, states and, more specifically, urban districts. Watching equal parts The Wire and WSHH come to life could never be considered a joke. Read the rest of this entry »

Good Education:

“Financial mismanagement and declining enrollment are ringing a death knell for Detroit’s schools. According to Detroit Public School Emergency Manager Robert Bobb, to close a $327 million budget deficit, he’ll need to shut half of the city’s campuses over the next two years.

“Under the plan, the 142 current schools in the district would be reduced to 72 by the 2012-13 school year. What will happen to the students attending those schools? Read the rest of this entry »

It seems Detroit makes the news more and more frequently these days. Chris Hansen — the Motor City native who carved his infamy with Dateline‘s “To Catch A Predator” series — recently reminded the world that not everyone in the Motor City is putting back brews with Kid Rock. Now my main man from Maryland hit me up, hootin’ and hollerin’ about how I needed to turn on National Geographic (or “Nat Geo” as he so trendily put it) because there was a show on, about cops dealing with the grimiest of grime, called Detroit Gang Squads.

Nothing too surprising there. But what did stand out to me was the show’s use of a music video from Joy Rd.’s native son Deezy. As in damn near every D-Boy’s favorite rapper, K-Doe AKA K-Deezy AKA the man who officially turned Joy Rd. into simply “Exit 9.”

This specific street anthem finds Deezy spitting some sixteens alongside a recycled version of the line that made him hood famous. But regardless, I applaud National Geographic — the cable television channel that brought you “The Dog Whisperer” — for playing a music video that drew zero interest outside of YouTube and the local late-night rap rundown.

Download — K-Deezy – “In My Hood”

Download — Jesse James Feat. K-Deezy & T-Woody – “I’m From Joy Rd”

Unless you’re from Detroit, you’re probably not too familiar with Nametag. Shit, I am from there, and just discovered dude. I don’t get around as much I’d like to though, which makes it hard to keep up on the scene at times.

Anyways, my Rokits have been blasting this kid’s scorching hot new single, “The Product” for the past 20 minutes or so and I’m thoroughly impressed. Hoverboarding over Black Bethoven’s menacing mold of melodic chants and hangover-heavy claps, the 24-year-old shows his veteran status on the mic by effortlessly spewing out enunciated, inter-syllabic punchlines that would make Joe Lewis proud.

“My catalog got wack artists pissed off/ like the Klan knowing the President is Black…” What I like most, however, is that instead of sticking to the typical, D-Boy ‘get money’ shtick or some overused Dilla affiliation, Tag is spraying his name up, down and around the Motor City by simply keeping his bars above par and his grind steady.

If you’re interested in hearing more from this new breed of Detroit MC, check out Nametag’s blog and Myspace to catch up on his catalog.

Then, you can download The Soul System EP when it drops in February.

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Download — Nametag – “The Product” (Prod. By Black Bethoven)

Courtney Starrburst, Busting Out

5 Reasons Google Is the New Evil Empire [Coed]

Detroit Facing Corpse Surplus [The Onion]

Aubrey O’Day Is Obviously Still Upset About Those Nude Photos
[Don Chavez]

Life After Print: URB Magazine 2.0 [Huff Po]

Rhapsody Passes 200k iPhone Downloads In 20 Days [Music Ally]

CNN Does Nas Dirty [Hood Nerd]

Field Mob’s Shawn Jay Arrested After Missing Court Date [TBB]

Superhero Facebook Status Updates [CA]

Adios, Juan and Juanita: Latin Names Trend Down [Time]

Mickey Factz On Alexa Chung [GFCNY]

10 Examples Of Reporters Getting Interrupted [Uncouched]

Spiritual Women Have The Most Sex [Asylum]

Ballroom.

I don’t know what you call it in your metro area, but I’m sure you have a two-step as smooth as Ballroom in Detroit. It’s the dance that makes all your white friends say “What is THAT? Can you teach me?!?” I was that white girl at some point long ago in yesteryear. Now I teach the rhythmically disinclined at weddings. My pop always said “See one, Do one, Teach one,” but I’m fairly confident this joint would have you stepping into the brisk morning hours without my instruction. Read the rest of this entry »

Once upon a time, on the banks of the Red Cedar, former MSU football phenom Plaxico Burress shot himself in New York. If you’ve ever seen 300, you know Spartans are willing to lose an eye and keep fighting, so we needn’t worry about Plaxico’s future. He plead guilty to a weapons charge and will serve two years in the clink, so we may as well close the chapter on this book of Michigan-affiliated numbskullery now. What we really need to look at is why a 12-year-old shot and killed a woman in Detroit. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo: Luke Price

“…Obviously/ I be out for presidents to represent me.”

It’s like cutting off a finger.

Every time an emcee from the D falls or even moves away it’s like cutting off a finger. It hurts. It’s painful. And everyone outside of Detroit sees it as bad but it’s just a finger, right? Just one. You got a whole hand of them remaining.

But you cut off enough fingers and you have nothing left to make a fist. Nothing to fight with. Nothing to grab onto. You’re rendered useless and the outside world looks at you like how pathetic and sad — you can’t help yourself, but you’re expected to stop complaining and deal with the proverbial hand you’re dealt. Read the rest of this entry »

R.I.P. to Baatin of Slum Village fame and condolences go out to his family and friends.  More details when they become available.

I’ll let Joey take over from here:

Just read Dwele’s tweet that Baatin of Slum Village has passed away. This is a sad day. T3 is the last living member of the original Slum Village, a group that has always loomed large in my life. SV is greater than it’s music. The group is emblematic of a sound and a region, yet even that isn’t enough. For me, Slum Village has long represented a strain of music, and a particular attitude about making rap records, that eschews so much of the bullshit which passes as music culture. Read the rest of this entry »

Unfortunately, it’s just too easy. Read the rest of this entry »

You might not be able to tell from his girth, but Fatt Father is actually a pretty funny guy Read the rest of this entry »

You’ve been formally introduced, so just consider this a harbinger for their future endeavors.  Black Milk, Sean P & Guilty Simpson do some audio rabble rousing Read the rest of this entry »

By now you should be familiar with that chain-smoking titan from Detroit that calls himself DJ House Shoes. If you’re not, this would be a perfect time to get familiar with the man.

It’s very easy to sleep on this record, although it’s really not advisable. Especially if you’re a Dilla fan. Read the rest of this entry »