As you guys know The Hip Hop Head and 7th Boro did a merge a few months back. Prior to that I had started an editorial series hoping to highlight underground emcees that deserved some shine other than their local scene. Right now I am working on the second edition of that featuring some dope artists from… Kentucky! I figured I would repost the first of the series. So while I get the Kentucky piece together peep some dope artists from Michigan, the subject of #1. And of course hit me up and let me know what Spotlight #3 should be. I’m open to suggestions. Check it out!
Spotlight: Michigan
There’s a lot of people that are always screaming that hip-hop is dead. Nah hip-hop is not dead and as long as there are still those living the culture it will never die. What has happened to hip-hop unfortunately is that wack music accompanied by a dope bass line has infiltrated and been masquerading as hip-hop. There are some underground emcees who you need to listen to but you need to go in search of the real. That’s why outlets such as ours are so important. We bring you real underground hip-hop at its best. One of the best things about writing for our site is the amount of dope music we get in our inbox daily. Recently I got some dope music in my inbox from several artists from Michigan and I have to say I was extremely impressed. This is why we do what we do. We don’t get involved in the politics of North vs. South vs. West etc. We just want to promote dope music and bring it to those who live the culture. We are an alternative to bullshit radio, giving shine to emcees that are known in their cities but don’t get the exposure they deserve. We’re claiming it back. If you don’t know where hip-hop lives, let me tell you. It lives on street corners and basement cyphers, it lives off of the airwaves, and it lives in the heart of music lovers across the globe. Oh and it apparently also lives in Michigan.
When people think of Detroit hip-hop the first emcee to come to mind is Em. Then the more obvious underground artists like Guilty Simpson and Elzhi (two emcees we admire and have featured before on our site) but there are many other dope emcees that call Detroit home.
I’m digging this track from B-Side featuring Aztek the Barfly, Dagda & Foul Mouth. That sample at the end!!
I love this solo track by Mr. Cliffnote, one half of the duo Sidenote (Along with B-Side)
Dopeness from Phillie and Lord Jessiah Allah. Check it out
Do yourself a favor and cop this album, but in the meantime enjoy Moonshine from Aztec The Barfly off his album The 16 Chapel.
This Posse cut goes hard!!!
An older joint from Smoke The Black Cal Ripken but this is dope!
Alius Pnukkl teams up with producer Mike Lamb on Footsteps.
Detroit also breeds dope producers. Emcee Dagada collaborates with producer Chanes. Peep this track Judgment Day ft. Jypsy off their project “The Black Irish EP”
Another dope producer/ emcee team. Producer JMAC and emcee Valid are Beyond Physics. Check their visual for their track U&I
Dopeness from Valid ft. 7 The General, SupaEmcee, & Mr. CliffNote
I love this song by B-Side ft. DJ Illogik plus you know how I love my scratches.
Nolan the Ninja. First off who doesn’t love ninjas? Second off he’s dope. Third the visual is sic, I’m loving the intro.
Grayscale Rmx Ft. Leaf Erikson, C-Rayz Walz, Mixo, Philosophy Cole & B-Side (Prod. by Nate OG) This song is so dope. This is the hip-hop I love.
Dope track by Insite The Riot.
Bareda aka Mr. Wrong featuring Phatt Chance. Check it out.
An Ode to Detroit, Josef Coney Island brings us D.F.W. Check it out.
Detroit Producer Black Beethoven kills it on the beats. Peep this track off his album “Heat”, Catastrophic ft. Christopher Young & Gratiot Jones.
J.F.K., the trio comprised of Jake Knew, Foulmouth and King Juke go hard on Filth over a Pig Pen beat.
The beat on this!! Faze Blue le’goon Space Banana Halo!!
A banger from Leaf Erikson
I really wish I could post more music by some of these dope Michigan artists but if you want any info about any of them hit me up, leave a comment. This may just be Michigan Volume I because I heard some crazy dope music going through these submissions and there are tons more. If you’re from Michigan and you think you should have made this list, then send me your music.
We want to do more spotlights on dope emcees from all over the globe. If you want your hood highlighted, well you know what to do. Hit your girl up!! Peace!
