Michigan Boy GOATs

I don't usually start out this way, nor do I particularly care to focus on rappers' deaths in these newsletters, but we lost three notable artists over the past few days. R.I.P. to Jemini The Gifted One, a "Brooklyn Kid" who made an indie rap masterpiece with Danger Mouse; Young Scooter, a pivotal trap figure in 1017 Brick Squad and Freebandz; and Sauce Familia's own Sayso P, gone far too soon.

To these ears, no regional rap scene in the United States is contributing to hip-hop today in as robust and invigorating way as the ones in Michigan.

Though it sometimes gets overlooked in the proverbial conversation, the historically musical city of Detroit established itself long ago as a center of hip-hop greatness. Originating with homegrown talents like Esham and his group Natas, the city exploded into the American mainstream in the late '90s with crossover moments by Insane Clown Posse and Eminem. Even before those latter two broke through, J Dilla was already making his indelible mark with East Coast rap as part of The Ummah while concurrently building with Slum Village. The 2000s produced a wider talent pool, from hometown heroes (Eastside Chedda Boyz) to indie emcees (Guilty Simpson, Royce Da 5'9"), before getting another ubiquitous star for the 2010s in Big Sean.

This is, admittedly, an oversimplification of Detroit's rap story for the sake of time and contextualization. Assuredly those closer to this history than I am (or physically to Wayne and Genesee counties) have scrupulously scanned these preceding lines like a meticulous fact checker and deemed me unworthy of even speaking on its hip-hop legacy. But, to be fair, this piece isn't about Michigan's storied past, but rather its present.

While not specifically trap music, many of the artists currently representing Detroit and Northwest neighboring Flint an hour-or-so's drive away nonetheless give off 2010s Atlanta vibes, more so than the admittedly exceptional sounds coming from Southern hip-hop hubs like Hhttps://youtu.be/42wUZg3YMpI?si=_rvZlO5Sy5izljFSouston and Memphis. The volume of new Michigan-made rap music might not be as copious as what Datpiff or LiveMixtapes facilitated back in the day, but the steady stream of projects offers all of us a clear view of a creatively thriving community.

CABBAGES readers are already well versed in the works of Boldy James, a Griselda affiliate currently on a prodigious run. After January's Permanent Ink, recorded in Detroit with Roger Goodman of Royal House, he dropped yet another hyperlocal project this past Friday called Homage through EMPIRE. A sonic contrast with the rapper's lush efforts alongside Quebecois producer Nicholas Craven or Kansas City's Conductor Williams, this eleven-track effort gets its booming instrumentals from Antt Beatz. Even those who don't recognize that name may have heard his beats for 42 Dugg, Icewear Vezzo, and Tee Grizzley, to name a few. Together, the two not only reflect the awesome might of the modern Motor City sound, but helps to position James in a more mainstream context. Songs like "Brick James" and "Tetris" blur the underground with the foreground, a virtual bridge that in future could lead to sizable commercial gains for them both.

One of the standout cuts off Hommage, "Off The Richter" pairs James with another key Detroit figure, Baby Money. Just last month, the onetime Quality Control Music artist dropped Motivational Purposes Only (conspicuously via his pre-QC label Thrd Eye Ent with distribution by Stem), an aesthetically, authentically local offering with guest spots by Payroll Giovanni and G.T. as well as beats by 1800 It, BamOnDaBeat, and Marc Boomin, among others. While his delivery lacks James' menacing croak, it more than makes up for it in terms of infectiously hooky refrains and streetwise subject matter. Choruses matter in a major way throughout the album, giving added buoyancy to songs like "Activated," "D.B. Cooper," and the mesmeric "Bounce Back."

Also featured on Motivational Purposes is Babyfxce E, a rapper out of Flint currently signed with Atlantic. A repeat collaborator of Baby Money's, they've appeared together on tracks like "9 O'clock" and for their respective projects. His just-released M Block follows last year's major label bow Real Striker Music, which included the now-signature single "PTP." Reflecting his reach, this new project remixes that choice cut with a fresh verse from Monaleo out of Houston, coupled with features elsewhere from nationally diverse names like Mello Buckzz and locals like YN Jay. The music comes from a number of producers, including Michigan go-to CrownedStevoBeatz, but his willingness to work with beatmakers outside of the scene certainly doesn't hurt his overall prospects.

So, while interconnectedness certainly factors into Michigan's success, uniformity should by no means be assumed. Take, for instance, Lelo, a 10k Projects signee trying a somewhat different sonic tack than most other Detroiters. Arriving a year after his label debut Nightingale, and relatively hot on the heels of last December's When It's Over, his recent single "Pot Of Greed" boasts production from New York's own Tony Seltzer, whose delightfully boorish Hey Tony! tag previously graced tracks by the likes of MIKE, Princess Nokia, and Wiki.

PremRock, Did You Enjoy Your Time Here...?

(buy it / stream it)

Rappers? Dime a dozen. Emcees? We got ‘em in bulk. Poets? More than enough copies to pulp. But a writer—a real deal writer—in this hip-hop economy? I liken encountering a PremRock album to discovering a yellowing mass market paperback gem from what soon becomes your favorite novelist. This, however, hardly marks my first grammar rodeo with the ShrapKnel member’s solo discography. Did You Enjoy Your Time Here…? might prove his "Breakfast Of Champions" or "Portnoy’s Complaint," whomever your proffered author be. Here the NYC denizen comes as close to crafting the Great American Novel as book-on-tape as any. He’s practically rapping in paragraphs on “California Sober,” a swinging Blockhead production over which he expounds upon the signs of aging and a not-too-distant past. You can tell by the twisty narrative paths and literary acrobatics of "Doubt Mountain" and "Potemkin Village Voice" that he's lived, and is living, an interesting life, which explains why he jibes so well with abstract storyteller billy woods on the stunning two-hander "Receipts."

Che' Noir & Superior, Seeds In Babylon

(buy it / stream it)

Griselda put a lot more eyes on Buffalo, NY rappers than ever before, which helped give rise to adjacent underground talent like Che' Noir. Her 2020s records like the Apollo Brown-helmed As God Intended and last year's The Lotus Child showcase a profound lyrical lexicon executed with precision and grace. Almost needless to say, her latest project Seeds In Babylon, made in tandem with producer Superior, maintains that high quality from start to finish. From the razor sharp straight talk of "Revelation" to the shrewd moves unspooled for "Sovereignty," this concise outing centers her unapologetic rhyme skills. "Destiny Rose," a meditation on motherhood, broaches themes rarely amplified in rap while exuding a warmth that reminds of her genuine disposition. One of only two vocal guests, a boisterous ICECOLDBISHOP slaps the soul-kissed "Midnight" with his gutsy imprimatur, drawing confluent energy from Noir herself.

Three new tracks to snack on...

Niontay, "mumbleman"

AMILES, "Think I Cried Enough"

Henny L.O. & ewonee, "White Vette"