Esham Interview

By now everyone in Hip-Hop knows Esham as the purveyor of the "wicked shit." On August 26th he'll be supplying his fans with even more of that wickedness with the release of Sacrificial Lambz, his 12th full length studio album. This week RapReviews caught up with the Detroit legend to find out more about the album, why he feels he should be mentioned alongside Jay-Z and Nas, how the beef with D-12 was squashed, and why Britney Spears is at the top of his list of artists he wants to work with.


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Adam Bernard: Let's start by talking about the album. The image on the back cover of Sacrificial Lambz, which is a lamb's head with the skin peeled off, I'm guessing that's not a statement about vegetarianism, right?
Esham: Nah, not at all. Actually it was just a statement about being a sacrificial lamb. Throughout my entire career I feel like I've sacrificed styles for the industry and we get to this point, which is Sacrificial Lambz, and it's more of a gift from me to the consumer, from me to the industry, to show em basically what to do again. After I do something then it becomes accepted by the mainstream. The mainstream always looks to the underground for their ideas and for new ways of doing things and I feel like we've been the nucleus of the underground for so long that this is another gift to the industry. And there's nothing more cute than a couple little lambs anyway… and them not knowing what's about to come.

AB: This is your 12th studio album, so content-wise what's different for you this time around?
E: Content is still the wicked shit, but we tackle some political and social views, as well. Songs like "Zeitgeist" which is actually a Russian word that means the spirit of the age, that's what this is all about, we feel like we're the spirit of the age, we're that driving theme out there right now. Songs like "Garbage" are about the garbage that the industry is putting out. I want people to recognize your boy Esham is one of the greatest and I consider everything that they're doing garbage. When it comes to lyrical content you got Jay-Z, you got Nas, people claim that they're the greatest lyricists out there, but I feel like my lyrics are on the same level if not better than those guys' lyrics. That's where the whole "Garbage" theme comes from, my frustration with the industry putting out so much crap.

AB: So what is it about the Jay-Z's and the Nas' that makes them mainstream and how come you're not right there with them?
E: Well, take someone like Nas, for instance, I'm not trying to discredit him or nothing, but I can basically put out what I want, that's the beauty of being an independent and being your own boss. Nas couldn't release the Nigger tape. He released it, but he gave it away for free. The record company that he was on, there was no way they were going to put that out. So right there, there's a difference, nobody is actually censoring what I do.

AB: So why do you think he has the rep of being such a great artist if he's being censored?
E: I just think that's a part of the bureaucracy that is Hip-Hop. People claim they got their ear to the streets, they claim they're so in touch with Hip-Hop, but they really aren't because you see the same faces on magazines, you hear the same stories, they don't want to necessarily get nothing new out there until you got somebody like Esham kicking down doors and basically putting it in your face.

"My fan base is more personal with the records, they feel like this is THEIR music."


AB: What is it about your work that you feel connects with people?
E: People feel empowered by my work; they feel like when I make something I actually make it for them. My fan base is more personal with the records, they feel like this is THEIR music.

AB: A handful of years ago you got into it with D12. Have you squashed your differences? Are you all cool now?
E: Yeah, we're all cool. Actually I think everybody from the city gets it now. Before Proof passed away I had went to his birthday party and we kicked it and basically we both were like, man, we were acting real childish. Proof actually said to me, "man, it's kind of crazy how we lost so much time just bickering and fighting amongst each other when we could have worked together." Unfortunately he passed away before we could actually do something, but we squashed all that, everything was pretty good. I haven't spoke to Eminem at all, but I figure if Jay-Z and Nas can make up Eminem and Esham should be able to make up, but maybe he's just on some whole other, you know what I mean?

AB: So you're open to squashing your differences with him?
E: It's all squashed. It's not even no big deal. Actually I wish Eminem would come aboard and just help more out with the Detroit Hip-Hop scene which he claims he loves so much, but he doesn't help anybody around here. But that's why you got a guy like Esham, cuz I open doors, I don't close doors. Everybody that's in the city that's into Hip-Hop, I feel like I've opened doors for them, I've never closed them, I've never locked them behind me, and even though they might not support me, they being the Hip-Hop community and all the backpackers and what not, I still support them and wish them well and much success.

AB: What are some of the more memorable moments for you of your career so far?
E: There are several and they're constantly happening, but just being the first artist from Detroit to sell out the State Theater, the first independent artist to headline his own tour, stuff like that is memorable for me. Having the so-called greatest rapper in the world compare himself to me… I think that's the shit.

AB: You mentioned before that the mainstream looks to the underground for ideas. That being said, how do you feel you've influenced the industry?
E: People used to sit on records for two or three years before putting them out, but when we came into the game we started putting out records every other month, which in turn put turbo into the industry and now people drop two and three records a year. Also, the whole game now has changed to wicked shit. Everybody wears shirts with skulls on them and to me that's just a lower form of what we were doing back in the day until now.

"I'm really shooting for a platinum record. Really, I'm trying to go diamond."



AB: Having done so much, what else would you like to accomplish in your career?
E: I'm really shooting for a platinum record. Really, I'm trying to go diamond, that's why I threw "Ringtone" on there. If I can go diamond I'll be happy. Until then I'ma just keep grindin. I see everybody doing what I do so I know if this was football they're reading out of my playbook, they're running my O plays. I can't stop because we do everything ourselves. We got no handouts from the industry. I don't even have no industry friends, not even some famous person where I could be like "yeah, I'm cool with him." These people are morbidly scared of me and for no other reason than I kick the wicked shit. They want to put me in a box and be like you're anti-religion, or you're a devil worshipper, and it has nothing to do with that. I listen to some of the music they play on the radio today and I'm thinking to myself, that's not gospel, they're talking about selling dope and killing each other. It's a funny thing, they try to act like because they wear a cross on their neck that they're holy and it's just the opposite of that, they're the most evilest people on the planet. It's camouflage. They're the wolf in sheep's clothing.

AB: So you're just a simple man who wants to go diamond.
E: I want to go diamond. I want Kid Rock to stop wearing the rebel flag. Wow, lemme stop.

AB: What are some of the wildest rumors you've heard about yourself?
E: I've heard I was insane. I heard I got Meagan Good pregnant. They said Wendy Williams was my momma. I've heard that I've died several times, too.

AB: Well, I think we say with some authority that you're alive. Now I have one final question for you today. After 20+ years rapping, who would you like to work with that you haven't worked with already?
E: I'm actually looking for Britney Spears, I want to see if I can hook up with her and do a track.

AB: Are you serious?
E:I like Britney Spears' shit. I think she's great. I was at the American Music Awards one time walking the red carpet and she was right behind me. I should have tackled her just her to say hi. But I like Britney Spears, I think she's the shit. There's a lot of people I want to do tracks with but she's one that I'm really trying to get in touch with, so Britney, if you're reading this, I'm on you baby!

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Check out Esham at AcidRap.com or myspace.com/theeshamhomepage.

IT'S COLD IN THE D, Pt. 4: Guilty Simpson

When Detroit-bred lyrical assassin Guilty Simpson walks down his block there are no flashing lights from cameras or gawking hysterical fans. Simpson isn’t ordinarily bombarded with ball points to sign his name upon articles of clothing, CD’s, nor body parts. But that is cool, because if it were up to him, the industry can take fame and fortune and literally, shove it where the Sun don't shine.

Relative anonymity hasn’t stopped the late J Dilla christened MC from hitting the booth hard for his hood. After releasing his 2008 solo debut Ode to the Ghetto, and being featured on numerous track listings like the Kidz In The Hall Mid West scorcher “Middle of the Map Pt. 2,” Simpson has cemented his footprint at the forefront of a creative surge for the Detroit Hip-Hop scene. The studio addict is set to pump out various collabos with Sean Price, Black Milk and is featured on Madlib’s upcoming BBE Records album. Nonetheless his hustle is proven exemplary to the solid yet still fledgling Hip-Hop movement brewing on the rugged streets of the Motor city.


AllHipHop.com: What do you bring different to the table as an artist?

Guilty Simpson: I bring that balance, able to straddle the line to do whatever. Guilty is one of the few artists from Detroit that can do a song with T.I. or Young Jeezy, and in the same day do a session with Common or Black Thought. I think I am one of the artists some people don’t really know how to classify me, some of the Hip-Hop heads are like “he’s too hood” and some n****s in the hood will be like “he’s a little too lyrical, I don’t want to think when I hear this n***a rapping.” I think I am able to do both. I had an A Tribe Called Quest album and an NWA album at the same time, and nobody made me choose which side I would be on.

AllHipHop.com: So if Britney Spears was calling you up to do a collabo, you’d be down?

Guilty Simpson: Hell yeah, I would pop that s**t out. But I’m going to bring her to the hood. My s**t is going to be hood, I’m not going to be on that b***h smiling and dancing.

Guilty Simpson "Beast (Live)" Video






AllHipHop.com: What type of response do you feel you received from Ode to the Ghetto and were you satisfied with it?

Guilty Simpson: I think the main thing is regardless of sales the record is doing pretty well. Projections with Stones Throw they are pretty satisfied with it and keep in mind that it was leaked three months in advance before my record even dropped. I’ve always considered Ode to the Ghetto, a setup record to basically give my fan base something. It is just an introduction to what is going on, but me, I’m only scratching the surface with where I want to go with it.

In this game you’ve got to have short memory, whether it is highs or lows. The record came out, that’s great, I’ve been working the record, doing the things necessary to make it successful. But I’m in the lab everyday, I’m anxious to move onto my next thing because I am an artist above everything. I really want to get this music out, and let this music take care of itself. Even if it has to age and people can’t appreciate it for five years, I don’t care.

AllHiphop.com: Where do you think Detroit is as a Hip-Hop musical movement in gaining national exposure?

Guilty Simpson: Besides talking and dudes getting along we have basically accomplished that. Now that is a whole different animal when your talking about recognition because it is only a small percentage of people who recognize Detroit for what we contribute to the music industry. Mainly those are Hip-Hop purists, people who are really into the underground following. But as in a household name with the exception of Eminem and D12, a lot of people don’t even have Royce Da 5’ 9’’ as a household name.

I think as a movement we are good, the thing is now that we have this unity we have to take it to that next level, where everybody is established as a household name. When I mean household name, I don’t mean 106 & Park and TRL, but legitimate s**t that is being placed on the radio, stuff that levels the playing field. I might hear my song twice a week, and I might hear The Dream, a T-Pain song, or “Lollipop” three times in an hour. It’s hard for me to become a household name when the playing field is not level






AllHipHop.com: Are you worried at all about the state of the industry once your name grows into becoming a household name?

Guilty Simpson: No, I like that industry and all, but I just really want to find my lane. I want to do the music but I don’t really care about the fame. I want to consistently make my money and do my thing. So when I look at the industry, I want to be a part of it because I want my album to come out. But I really don’t want everything that fame entails, no privacy, motherf***ers all in your business, Mediatakeout. Basically your not able to do anything, they can keep that.

My dream is to of course have a fanbase to where I can eat but I want to work out of home. I want to be judged by my music. I don’t want someone to be like “I talked to somebody in Detroit, that n***a is hood for real, he be fighting and shooting.” Even though that was my lifestyle, I don’t care about that, I’m not glorifying that, judge me as an MC. Playing a person’s record that has been shot 55 times, just because you support him being shot. But when your making excuses for supporting these artists and it has nothing to do with the music, your basically grasping for straws finding a reason to support them.






AllHipHop.com: Many people see that cats from Detroit are not up on the movement happening in their own city as much as outsiders or purists. Why do you think this is?

Guilty Simpson: I definitely don’t want to s**t on Detroit as fans, but we can get into well-known fact. Detroit is a testers market for records. From what I understand talking to different people in radio, if a song is hot in a certain region, they feel confident that no matter what that song is, they can bring it to Detroit and it will create a brush-fire. The music industry doesn’t really consider Detroit, Michigan to be a great place to break a record, because they look at the fan base as kind of fickle. You have to think about it, being in Detroit, you have some people that rock with the Hip Hop stuff, people that rock with the South stuff, some with the West Coast stuff, so when you thought about Detroit as a whole you really don’t have a common found stamped as a Detroit sound. Our listeners have a broad ear to where they like different stuff, but when it comes down to really standing behind an artist and really break them, Eminem was the biggest star in the world but it’s a fact Detroit didn’t break his records. It’s like we’re not really taking pride in our own.

Guilty Simpson "Baby (Live)" (produced by J Dilla) Video






AllHiphop.com: Which producers you’ve been working with, do you feel captures the same essence of your sonic chemistry with J Dilla?

Guilty Simpson: Mr. Porter, that’s my dude right there. Even when Dilla was alive, when I was going to do my record called “The Verdict,” Mr. Porter was going to have half and Dilla would have half. I definitely think his production exemplifies what I want to do, whether it is a grimey beat or a soulful beat. We definitely have that chemistry, “Ode to the Ghetto” was basically a small portion of it. Dilla taught Mr. Porter how to work an MP, so Mr. Porter is an extension of Dilla, but he is his own person in his own right. He embodies everything I try to do musically, but I can’t go wrong with a Black Milk or a Madlib either. I’m just thankful these dudes want to work with me, his clientele and schedule is so busy. He sells beats to 50 and Game and for him to take the time out to even work with me, made me instill pride in what I am doing. Because I am well aware he could be doing other things that make him multi-thousands of dollars within an hours time. Instead he was dedicating four and fives hours to work with me, and I didn’t have anything to give him. He doesn’t even smoke weed so I couldn’t even twist one and pass it to him.

IT'S COLD IN THE D, Pt. 3: Street Mode

We’re back with Part Three for all the comments about those who were left out…don’t worry, we got you.








In Detroit, there is Detroit Hip-Hop, a circle of purists who almost all emerged from the Detroit Hip-Hop Shop, a now-defunct, but ever immortalized clothing store where Proof hosted legendary open mic’s. The Detroit Hip-Hop crowd is full of most of the artists who were mentioned in Part One, and all of the artists mentioned in Part Two. Then, there is the Detroit Street Hip-Hop scene. These are the artists who are almost never mentioned in national publications, unless it’s FEDS or Don Diva. They are the crowd that might have slanged a little something, and will definitely bang a little something. In the show of unity, we are reaching across the aisles to Detroit artists who deserve their just due. We are also highlighting some solo superstars who hold the city down around the world.


Esham

According to his Wikipedia page, Esham has released twelve studio albums, five EP’s, and three compilation albums. Those in the D may have seen him rolling around Metro Detroit in a Bentley before most people knew what a Bentley was. He was born in Long Island but grew up on the East side of Detroit. Esham is known for pioneering acid rap and has influenced numerous artists from Insane Clown Posse to Limp Bizkit to Korn to Eminem. His group, NATAS, which is what you think it is spelled backwards, formed with Mastamind and TNT experienced success after their debut in 1993. In the last decade and a half, Esham has been the picture of success on the independent level. His new album, Sacrifical Lambz was just released on Aug. 26th.

Esham "Detroit Stand Up" Video






Rock Bottom

Rock Bottom Entertainment was founded in 1997, their debut Alligator City was released in 2000 and is reported to be the best-selling independent album in Detroit history. The album produced the classic Detroit anthem, “Gatored Up” (“Stink pink gators, my Detroit players” —Notorious BIG “Hypnotize”). The song and the album immortalized the side Detroit that doesn’t get as much attention. The current Rock Bottom roster includes Tango & Cash, Blackface, J-Nutty, and Screwface; as well as the Thug Division which features another five rappers. Rock Bottom is also where Detroit’s Big Herk arose from.


Royce Da 5’9”

One of the illest MCs from any city, Royce Nickel Nine is the pride of the city. After personal drama (jail time for drunk driving), career drama (being released from two major recording contracts), beef drama (his well-publicized squabble with D12 or the equally publicized but less personal rift with Mistah F.A.B.), and just plain drama, drama (breaking his arm wrestling a fan in Denmark). Royce was fortunately able to emerge baptized by the fire. He has squashed all of his beefs and is now the picture of diplomacy.

Royce records and work with rappers on both sides of Detroit’s aisles, the street rappers and the Hip-Hop purists; and he gets love from both. Lyrically gifted and a genuinely good person, Royce is slowly taking a position of leadership in Detroit, which this time he is actually ready for. His new mixtape, Bar Exam 3 will be a free download available on September 9th.

Royce Da 5’9” f/ Eminem "Rock City" Video"






One.Be.Lo

One.Be.Lo is a well-respected alternative rap artist. A native of Pontiac, an urban center 30 minutes north of Detroit, One Be Lo was known as OneManArmy when he was half of Binary Star with Senim Silla. He changed his name, discovered Islam and has since taken a higher path when it comes to creating music. His new album, The R.E.B.I.R.T.H. (Real Emcees Bring Intelligent Rhymes To Hip-Hop) was released in 2007.


Made West

Founded in 2001, Made West Entertainment is one of the hot rap crews in the Dirty District. Featuring Dutch Maddog, Dirty, Helluva, and Gunsmoke, Made West throws numerous parties in Detroit and their music is supported by DJ’s. Their first album, We Here Now! Vol. 1, a compilation features numerous local and national artists.

Made West f/ Daz Dillinger "I Need My Doe"






The Eastside Chedda Boyz

The Chedda Boy name is one of the most confusing disputes in Detroit hip hop history. The Eastside Chedda Boyz, Malik, Tuff Tone, Lil’ Dre, Lil’ Baby, and Wipeout, their leader who was murdered along with an innocent bystander outside a Detroit night club in 2004. Two days later, Blade Icewood a leader of the Street Lord Chedda Boys was shot, and paralyzed, he was fatally shot again seven months later. The beef and the claim to the “Chedda Boy” name was a difficult time in Detroit Hip-Hop. The loss of two important local artists and the resulting crippling of their once-popular crews only reinforced the fact that violence is never the answer.


Al Nuke

One of the first Detroit artists to make serious inroads promoting his music in Windsor, Ontario, Al Nuke is a promotional genius. He is well respected for very often making the right move first and always doing the next big thing. As a film director, actor, and producer he co-wrote and produced 17000 Block, a DVD docu-drama that featured numerous Detroit artists, selling over 300,000 copies across the world. He is also the host of the popular local video and interview show, Nuke at Night.

Al Nuke: 17000 The Movie Trailer






Elzhi

There are dope lyricists and then, there is Elzhi. Added to Slum Village in 2001 but that was not where his career began, he released his own EP in 1998, Out of Focus, it was re-released with new material in 2004 as Witness My Growth, a double CD. As a member of SV, replacing J Dilla, he shined on Trinity and Detroit Deli. El has also been a member of The Breakfast Club, a short-lived but influential local rap group. Elzhi is also a partner in Libido Sounds, a record label founded with Nick Speed. Elzhi has performed on tracks for many, many artists both domestic and international. His lyrical prowess is unquestionable. He has a hit song out called, “Motown 25” with Royce da 5’9”, a fusion project called Cold Steel in the works with Phat Kat, and a brand new solo album The Preface which was just released on Fat Beats.

Elzhi "Motown 25" & "That’s The One (LIVE)" Video

IT'S COLD IN THE D, Pt. 2: Motown's Future Finest

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt once called the city of Detroit “the great arsenal of democracy” during World War II, when the notorious automotive manufacturing was used to create wartime weaponry. This same city birthed an iconic revolution on the streets of West Grand Blvd known as Motown, blazing the path for modern-day urban sounds. Despite contemporary expansion from revered residents like Elzhi, Phat Kat and and Miz Korona, Detroit’s Hip-Hop landscape has yet to garner more attention than its text-messaging mayor. Now a newer school of Detroiters are locking and loading this historic arsenal and rising from the ashes.


Black Milk

For the sake of Detroit Hip-Hop, producer/MC Black Milk brings the same essential vitamins needed to restore sound on the streets of Motown. Following the 2006 structure-breaking loss of J Dilla and Proof (D12), the city was left in mourning. However, since Black’s inception on Slum Village’s Dirty District mixtape, he has established truck-knocking beats with funky soul evocative of Dilla’s trailblazing legacy. Along with fellow beat-maker Young RJ and lyricist Fat Ray, the production group B.R. Gunna was formed. Holding their own along-side Dilla and Kanye West, the team created all but two tracks on Slum Village’s third LP Detroit Deli.

Consistently, Black has exhibited the crème de la crème lyrically with beats to match, since his 2005 debut Sound of the City, Vol.1. Black’s production credits also include names like Canibus, Phat Kat, Lloyd Banks and Pharoahe Monch. With his 2007 sophomore cut “Popular Demand” and 2008’s collaboration with Fat Ray The Set Up – Black is putting cheesy rappers and pseudo-gangsters out to pasture. His slated projects with artists like Sean Price and Royce the 5’ 9", will ensure he leaves a memorable impression. Muscling true Hip-Hop’s rise toward the top, Black Milk is skimming excess curd from the game.

Black Milk "Sound The Alarm" Video




Guilty Simpson

Guilty Simpson is Hip-Hop, in every thuggishly browbeaten bar, he spits. Having a co-signer like the legendary J Dilla attesting to your dopeness can only mean colossal things popping for the Detroit-bred lyricist. As a member of the Almighty Dreadnaughtz crew, Guilty first emerged on the 2003 Jaylib track “Strapped.” Even before signing to indie label Stones Throw Records in 2006, he has contributed countless guest appearances like the label’ s infamous collaboration with Adult Swim Chrome Children Vol. 1 & 2 and Dilla’s The Shining.

When it comes to microphone checks, he is truly the hood’s elephant in the room, discharging stellar performances like Hollywood has DUI arrests. With enough strong-arming swagger to mount the tip-top of Detroit’s Renaissance Center skyscrapers, Guilty Simpson is proven guilty on counts being sicker than your average. His 2008 critically acclaimed Stones Throw debut Ode to the Ghetto solidifies Guilty past protégé-status toward a heavy-hitter in his own right. Guilty notably smashes the competition like a courtroom gavel amid boss-like production by Madlib, Dilla, Black Milk and Mr. Porter (D12). His gritty brand emanates representation of the everything rugged about the Murder-Mitten city.

Guilty Simpson "Get Riches" Video






Waajeed

In Arabic the name, “Waajeed” means finder or seeker. Therefore, it is no surprise the Detroit-bred experimentalist and producer, with the same name usually finds samples, rummaging through discount crates at record stores for wack-sounding vinyl. This innovative beatsmith is not a music miser nor does he enjoy listening to crap, but he digs transforming dull rocks into a polished gems. “I really want to do something fresh,” he said. “Doing that challenges you a little more to do something outstanding.”

Hailing from Detroit’s eastside community of Conant Gardens, Waajeed was one of the founding members of the group Slum Village, before their mass notoriety began. As an aspiring producer, Waajeed quickly went from designing the cover of Slum Village’s 2000 disc Fantastic, Vol. 2 to producing numerous tracks on their 2002 album Trinity (Past, Present and Future). Yet as a true artist, he still finds ways to create colorful art, with audible tints as vivid as Pharrell’s Ice Creams. One half of the rap/R&B collective the Platinum Pied Pipers, Waajeed understands the brilliance in the intact and obscure, like only a progressive artist can. He basks in the culture, pushing Detroit Hip-Hop to the forefront with bling47, a comprehensive website and online community reserved for what is musically popping in the D. Using turntables and switchboards like a painting canvas, Waajeed’s mark may be difficult to pin but draws listeners in like a Venus Fly Trap.






Invincible

Don’t let the bra strap get it twisted, Invincible is one of the illest up-and-coming lyricists that have ever touched a pen. “I’m striving to be one of the best period, not just one of the best with breasts and a period,” Invincible said. Never-mind that she basks in the silky-soulful ambience of Detroit’s musical history and culture. Sneaking into 21-and-up open-mics at the ripe age of 15, Invincible was fiending to spit, like a pack-a-day habit. The next year she began organizing her own all-age shows, collaborating with Michigan artists like One.Be.Lo and Athletic Mic League.

Debuting with ShapeShifters, on her own label EMERGENCE, Invincible wants to destroy all conventions and stereotypes associated with female rappers, using the mic as the sledgehammer. Invincible’s attraction has nothing to do with curves or what fills skin-tight clothing. “Females are not just one-sided,” she says. “The industry is lazy and doesn’t know how to market females as the multi dimensional people they are.” A part of the all-women Hip-Hop collective ANOMOLIES, she has held her own beside names like Waajeed, Talib Kweli, MC Lyte, Pharoahe Monch, The Roots and Bahamadia. These connections sparked interest which led Invincible to a spot as a lyrical sketch writer for the MTV’s Lyricist Lounge show. Invincible is not all about wrecking the mic. She is an avid activist, advocating youth, social change, injustice and police brutality.

Invincible "Sledgehammer" Video






Paradime

Detroit has brewed DJ/rapper Paradime like a fine ale or lager. Doubling as a turntable wrecker and supporting MC for Motown favorite Kid Rock and solo artist. Paradime has been instilling the Hip-Hop in the rap-rocker’s shows since Uncle Kracker left in the early 2000’s. Co-writing country fried rap hits like “Cowboy,” “Hillbilly Stomp” and “Cocky,” the Hip-Hop cowboy has hailed him as next in line for emerging D-town talent. Forming his own label Beats at Will Records, in 1998 and exploding with his first major album “Paragraphs,” Paradime has been a critically acclaimed artist with Detroit media for years. Yet many may have never heard of him outside scratching and mixing for local artists such as Guilty Simpson, D12 and F.O.S. Sweeping up numerous nominations and awards at the annual Detroit Hip-Hop awards, Paradime has made a name for himself in the city. Spouting off humorous rhymes and wordplay, Paradime sticks his raspy unapologetic stamp on Detroit Hip-Hop.

Paradime "The Reaper" Video







Fat Ray

When you’re the typical fat kid in the hood, you are definitely no stranger to defending your territory. This is what makes, west side Detroit MC Fat Ray an ideal emissary for the Motor City. He may not be defending his stature in games of the dozens as much anymore. Instead, the phat lyricist is dispersing his witty exchange via Hip-Hop beats, clobbering the competition. With the cocky swagger of an MC twice his size, Fat Ray leaves garbage reckless in the dust.

Spouting his lyrical chest-beatings beside J Dilla, Phat Kat and Trick Trick, he also shed words on the B.R. Gunna street anthem All I Need, featuring the legendary soul group the Dramatics. His raw braggadocio and clever delivery gave way to bringing the championship belt on BET’s 106 & Park home to the D. But Fat Ray is not just sitting idly on Motown’s Hip-Hop waiting list on the rise, releasing 2008’s The Set Up, a critically acclaimed joint banger with rapper/producer Black Milk. Thanks to his big personality and presence on the microphone, Fat Ray can now reserve his ’yo mama’ clowning for devouring wack MC’s.

Fat Ray & Black Milk "Can You Picture This" Video






Alpha-Bet (producer)

From A to Z, if you need beats to satisfy the gutter-talking rapper, fresh-to-death lyricist, or television jump-off, look no further than Detroit producer Alpha-Bet, bringing the noise. The C.E.O of Bang on the Table Productions, Alpha-Bet has paved his own lane in Detroit Hip-Hop. With an ability to mold his sound to fit any type of rapper, Bet has constructed scorchers for talent ranging from Bizarre (D-12) to MC Lazarus, hailed as next on the menu by FM98 WLJB Detroit.

Though he is a vet in the Detroit Hip-Hop game, Bet has flown under the radar with fire, now emerging as one of the city’s hottest, most versatile beat-makers. So much so, he doesn’t even wait for Hip-Hop to cut him his checks, producing music for MTV, Speed Channel, USA Network, and Cingular/AT&T. Bet’s ventures with making music for television led to creating the tunes behind the original Discovery Channel documentary, "The Real 8 Mile.” He is not just a run-of-the-mill Hip-Hop producer, but more like a multi-faceted innovator which granted him the nomination of "Detroit Producer of the Year" in 2006 & 2007 at the annual Detroit Hip-Hop awards. Bet is also on schedule to produce tracks for Young Jeezy’s USDA label and Def Jam and Koch Records to extend this cat’s already extensive resume.




Finale

In respect to Motor City lyricist Finale, he brings the best of the city on wax, with an old school mindset and plenty of originality to match. Finale does what the name suggests, providing hard-hitting wit, optimal word play and nimble ability to ride a beat like a Yamaha. Performing next to some of the dopest MC's in the biz, he has rocked shows with everyone from Invincible, Dilla and Black Milk to Camp Lo, Phat Kat, One.Be.Lo and Decompoze from Binary Star.

Due to this strong network and real street knowledge, Finale carries all of Detroit Hip-Hop on his back and not letting the pressure faze him. "I want to sound like my city," says Finale. "I'm just a broke rapper from the east side of Detroit trying to make it. But I want to set myself a part, I don't want to sound like a typical Detroit rapper." Finale said the median lies in his music embodying the struggles, resilience and creativity of Detroit. Producing his upcoming solo album entitled Pipedream and a Promise, this aspiring Hip-Hop talent displays his hard knock hustle through passion for the game.

For many Detroit artists, drawing from the influence of the Temptations, Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye is inevitable. But Finale like other Detroit cats have also found Hip-Hop camaraderie with globally circulated artists like Lingwistiks Crew out of Amsterdam and Paragon hailed from London, embracing the culture outside of Detroit, Michigan’s river walk and Great Lake boundaries. But Finale is no closing credits MC, with more albums in the works than time on the clock. This dude is certainly the climax of rap at its best.




Honorable Mentions

Buff 1 and the Athletic Mic League
Octane and Illite
Nametag
La Famiglia
F.O.S
MC Lazarus
Marvwon
Quest MCODY
Danny Brown

IT'S COLD IN THE D, Pt. 1: Detroit Rap City

The story of the Hip-Hop scene in my hometown is not 8 Mile. While most people love the film, which starred Eminem, as well as the money, opportunity and attention it brought to Detroit. We can almost all agree that it only captures the city in a small way.

Yes, we had The Detroit Hip-Hop Shop and we are a notorious battle city. We have challenged battle rappers around the world and in many instances we have won. However, battle rapping does not define our city. It does in some ways define our sound, because the essence of Detroit Hip-Hop is lyricism. So the clever wit that is required for punchlines that TKO an opponent in a battle scenario is still very present on our songs. See any Eminem verse for illustration.

The most important thing that the City of Detroit would love to express to the world as it relates to Hip-Hop music and culture is that our scene is not just a scene, it is a movement. Detroit is a very musical city, as everyone knows. There is of course Motown Records, which is the archetypal Black music company. But, there is also rock music including Bob Seger, Kid Rock and The White Stripes. There is also Gospel with the Winans and Clark families.

Then there is the Rap scene. Detroit artists have always been an undercurrent in the entertainment industry. Phat Kat and J Dilla were once label mates with a young Jay-Z on a label called Pay Day. Detroit’s Most Wanted were one of the first rap groups to really talk about gangster issues and flash a lot of money in a music video. Awesome Dre and the Hardcore Committee was one of the first successful Detroit artists to gain national exposure. We are still making good music here; in our big little town. Called “The Poorest City in America”, and even, “The Most Miserable City in America”, yet, most rap artists that I know from Detroit have no plans to leave it. We just throw our middle fingers in the air and keeping screaming, “Detroit, What?!”


The Usual Suspects: Eminem and D12

The signing of Eminem to Aftermath/Interscope Records has generated over 100 million albums sold. The rapper himself has 70 million, and then there is the Chronic 2001, and 50 Cent and G-Unit. Devil’s Night went double platinum, and the group that declared that they were not his band, are still his closest friends. Despite their loss, they persist; recently releasing a mixtape, The Return of the Dozen.

Eminem "Stan" Video




The Lost Boys: Proof and J Dilla, and Blade Icewood

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Eph-Cee was the name of their group. It stood for Funky Cowboys. They were close friends, and they both earned international success and acclaim. They were each also 32 years old when they died within two months of each other in 2006. The loss of these two giants of Detroit Hip-Hop defines the new Detroit scene.


Slum Village "Climax"






The Godfather: Trick Trick

Trick Trick’s debut album, The People Vs. was released in 2005 on Motown Records. Despite the irony of the label signing and the support of his close friend, Eminem, the album did not sell. The album based on his real life crime drama, having been indicted but not convicted of murder, twice. He is an imposing figure in Detroit, and epitomizes tall, dark, and handsome. His reputation is the stuff of legends; he is rumored to have stomped out numerous celebrities who have disrespected Detroit or Detroit artists. Trick Trick has a new album coming out this year on Koch.




These Three Kings: Stretch Money, K-Deezy and Tone-Tone

Detroit radio is a difficult nut to crack. Despite international success by Guilty Simpson, his songs don’t really get airplay. But, these three Detroiters stay in heavy rotation. Stretch Money debuted with “It Takes Money to Make Money” with an album by the same name; the single blew up, making him a local household name. K-Deezy’s first single, “In My Hood”, explained that you could get shot or stabbed in his hood. His music is for the grimy and it works. With a unique voice and delivery, Tone-Tone is damn near a sex symbol. His small stature, chiseled body and adorable face make him popular with the young female set. However, his lyrical agility makes him a Detroit favorite; he is the reigning king of local airwaves.

Tone Tone "Waddup Doe" Video






Girl, Interrupted: Cha-Cha, Miz Korona, Invincible and Monica Blaire

Cha-Cha had a major record deal, a song with Nas, and hot beats; however, her debut album, Dear Diary on Sony in 1999 tanked due mostly to lack of promotion. She is preparing a new album and has been working with her close friend Royce Da 5’9” for years. Miz Korona is lyrically a monster. She has yet to debut a full-length album but her name is legendary in Detroit and her feature appearances and shows are stellar. Invincible has performed internationally for 10 years, yet just released her first full-length solo album, Shapeshifters, this year. Monica Blaire is the songstress of the city of Detroit. Her vocal talent and range is incomparable.






The Producers: Black Milk, Nick Speed, Young RJ, Mr. Porter

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Crafting the new Detroit sound, all of these beatsmiths learned a lot from J Dilla. Young RJ grew up at his elbow, and Black Milk was one of his new favorites. As a producer and solo rapper, Black is one of Detroit’s biggest success stories. Nick Speed made tracks for G-Unit but was lost in the shuffle when Sha Money left the label. However, he has taken to developing artists and still creating some of the hottest tracks. Mr. Porter, member of D12, he has crafted hits for some of the best, including 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg and Pharoahe Monch. He is filling his time lately working on Dr. Dre’s Detox.

Black Milk f/ Guilty Simpson "Sound The Alarm"






A League of their Own: Marvwon, Quest MCODY, Danny Brown

Marvwon is currently working on a project with Mr. Porter. His lyrical prowess has earned him recognition all over the world. One Detroiter said, “I have never heard a bad song that Marv was on.” Quest MCODY was named one of the “51 Hottest Unsigned Emcees” by Vibe Magazine; he is releasing his solo debut, Light Project in August. Danny Brown is one of the dopest rappers from Detroit, period. His debut album, Hot Soup, is a banger from start to finish.

Marvwon and Quest MCODY "Jump off a Bridge" Video






This article could be a book. In fact, a book chronicling the history of Detroit Hip-Hop is currently in development. There are so many incredible artists from Detroit both new and familiar. Like:The In-Crowd: Slum Village, Magestik Legend, Finale, Guilty Simpson, Fat Ray, and Royce Da 5’9. All of these artists have garnered international acclaim for their lyrical prowess and they are still making incredible music. There are also those who are just breaking out of Detroit. Like: Marquise Porter, Black Lagoon, Street Justice, and dozens and dozens of others.

If you want to know more about Detroit Hip-Hop, visit the websites: www.DetroitHipHop.com, www.DetroitRap.com, and www.localluv.com or you can take a trip and visit us in the Motor City. We’ll leave a light on for you.

EXCLUSIVE: Trick Trick Speaks on Yung Berg Robbery

In light of Yung Berg’s recent public beating and robbery at the Plan B Nightclub in Detroit, rapper and club co-owner Trick Trick is maintaining that the incident had nothing to do with him.



In an exclusive interview with AllHipHop.com, Trick Trick detailed the specifics behind the assault that left Berg bruised and stripped of his flashy Transformer chain.



“First of all I ain’t no jack n***a . I don’t need to jack nann [any] n***a to get what I gotta get,” Trick clarified to AllHipHop.com. “Karma’s a motherf**ker so I’m not taking no n***a’s s**t. I earn mine. I don’t need that piece of s**t ass aluminum foil chain the b**ch had on no way.”



Rumors have circulated that Trick Trick orchestrated the attack in retaliation for previous comments Yung Berg made, disparaging the Detroit native as an MC and Detroit’s rap scene as a whole.



While Trick admits it was members on his entourage who carried out the attack, he claims to have broken up the assault and argues Yung Berg should have cleared his appearance beforehand.



“My lil n***as got him. The label called and told me he wasn’t coming, so I wasn’t expecting him. So there was no need for me to tell the lil homies that ‘aye, the n***a’s straight,’ because he wasn’t coming,” Trick reasoned. “I saved that n***a’s life. He would probably be dead right now or in a coma if I hadn’t ran over there and pushed the lil homies back so they could quit stomping this n***a.”



The bludgeoning left Berg visibly bruised and forced the 23-year-old MC to cancel a scheduled high profile performance at Hot 102.7’s Summer Jam.



Also, a brazen picture of an unidentified man sporting Berg’s chain leaked onto the internet yesterday.



Trick Trick feels unsympathetic to Berg’s situation, feeling the Chicago native brought the beatdown on himself.



“You can’t be saying ‘f**k Trick Trick’ and you don’t like dark skin women,” Trick sneered. “I was gonna school the little n***a to the ropes of the game! If you gonna take some notes, take notes from an OG. The lil homies got that trophy [the chain], I don’t want that s**t. I don’t have any problems with the little n***a. I [just] don’t like him.”



Yung Berg is still promoting his new album Look What You Made Me, which debuted at #20 2 weeks ago on Billboard’s Top 200.



Trick Trick is finishing work on his sophomore album The Villian, which will feature appearances from Eminem, Kid Rock, Esham, and Proof.



At press time, Yung Berg and the Detroit Police Department could not be reached for comment.

Classic Tribe produced by the Legendary J-Dilla "R.I.P." 1 of my favorite

Black Milk - Artist of the Week

Vintage E.C F'n W!!!!!!!!!!

DX to Release Royce's "Bar Exam 2"

HipHopDX started off the year with an exclusive download to Killer Mike’s unreleased sophomore album, Ghetto Extraordinary [click to read]. And now we are back with another, teaming up with Royce Da 5’9” to present the world with the exclusive download of his upcoming Bar Exam 2 mixtape for a September 9th release.
“I’m looking forward to working exclusively with DX to release my latest installment of the Bar Exam series, ‘Bar Exam 2’ as a free digital download. The reason we decided to do this as a free digital download is because I wanted to give the fans an opportunity to see where I am as an artist and what to expect from me in the near future,” Royce reveals to HipHopDX.
While fans we’re expecting the highly anticipated mixtape to drop this week, plans changed as Royce and company wanted to get an honorable host lined up.
“We wanted to get a host who could carry the torch behind the incredible job of Statik Selektah and DJ Premier. DJ Green Lantern was the obvious choice but due to our hectic schedules we didn’t know if it would work out. Green has been on the road the entire Summer with Rock the Bells, DJing for Nas and releasing mix CDs with other artists; but we finally found a date and time that would work best for both of us and now we’re able to bring the fans a ‘worth the wait’ follow up,” Royce continues.
Bar Exam 2 will feature artists mainly from Detroit. Kid Vishis, June, Marv Won, Guilty Simpson, Stretch Money, Obie Trice, Trick Trick, Elzhi, Black Milk, D12 and others all make appearances.
“My main focus was to work with artists from the ‘D’ to further expand what was started by Shady with me and D12 almost 10 years ago. These are artists that I not only respect but who are creating and building a huge buzz in and for our city”, Royce explains.
Be sure to visit HipHopDX on September 9th for the exclusive download of Bar Exam 2 from Royce Da 5’9”. And expect Bar Exam 2: The Album in stores on November 1st (MIC/Traffic).
“Look out for the Bar Exam 2 exclusively on DX, Happy Bar Exam 2 Bitches, it’s a holiday!”

Black Milk Announces Tronic Tracklist

October 28th release date on Fat Beats.

Tronic Tracklist:
1. Long Story Short ft. Dwele
2. Bounce
3. Give the Drummer Sum
4. Without U ft. Colin Munroe
5. Hold it Down
6. Losen Out ft. Royce 5′9
7. Hell Yeah
8. Repin for U ft. AB
9. Overdose
10. The Matrix ft. Pharoahe Monch, Sean Price, Dj Premiere
11. Try
12. Tronic Summer
13. Bond 4 Life (Music) ft. Melanie Rutherford
14. Elec (Outro)

[via PP]

Another 1.. Plot to Kill Obama: Shoot From High Vantage Point

Denver's U.S. attorney is expected to speak on Tuesday afternoon about the arrests of four people suspected in a possible plot to shoot Barack Obama at his Thursday night acceptance speech in Denver. All are being held on either drug or weapons charges.

One of those suspects spoke exclusively to CBS4 investigative reporter Brian Maass from inside the Denver City Jail late Monday night and said his friends had discussed killing Obama.

"So your friends were saying threatening things about Obama?" Maass asked.

"Yeah," Nathan Johnson replied.

"It sounded like they didn't want him to be president?"

"Well, no," Johnson said.

Maass reported earlier Monday that one of the suspects told authorities they were "going to shoot Obama from a high vantage point using a ... rifle ... sighted at 750 yards."

Law enforcement sources told Maass that one of the suspects "was directly asked if they had come to Denver to kill Obama. He responded in the affirmative."

The story began emerging Sunday morning when Aurora police arrested Tharin Gartrell, 28. He was driving a rented pickup truck in an erratic manner, according to sources.

Sources told CBS4 police found two high-powered, scoped rifles in the car along with camouflage clothing, walkie-talkies, wigs, a bulletproof vest, a spotting scope, licenses in the names of other people and 44 grams of methamphetamine. One of the rifles is listed as stolen from Kansas.

Aurora police alerted federal officials because of heightened security surrounding the Democratic convention, Aurora police Det. Marcus Dudley said.

"Clearly we feel that there are federal implications -- otherwise we would not have notified those agencies," Dudley said Monday night. "The weapons clearly would cause great concern."

Subsequently authorities went to the Cherry Creek Hotel in Glendale to contact an associate of Gartrell's. But that man, identified as Shawn Robert Adolph, 33, who was wanted on numerous warrants, jumped out of a sixth floor hotel window. Law enforcement sources say Adolph broke an ankle in the fall and was captured moments later. Sources say he had a handcuff ring and was wearing a swastika, and is thought to have ties to white supremacist organizations.

Nathan Johnson, 32, an associate of Gartrell and Adolph, was also arrested Sunday morning. He told authorities that the two men had "planned to kill Barack Obama at his acceptance speech."

"He don't belong in political office. Blacks don't belong in political office. He ought to be shot," Johnson told Maass.

"Do you think they were really plotting to kill Obama?" Maass asked.

"I don't want to say yes, but I don't want to say no," he said.

Johnson's girlfriend Natasha Gromek is also under arrest on drug charges.

The Secret Service, FBI, ATF and the joint terrorism task force are all investigating the alleged plot. Dudley didn't say what tied the men together but said more arrests were possible.

Officials with the U.S. Attorney's office in Denver said they do not believe there is a credible threat to Obama or the convention.

"It's premature to say that it was a valid threat or that these folks have the ability to carry it out," said a U.S. government official familiar with the investigation. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

U.S. Attorney Troy Eid said the case was under investigation.

"We're absolutely confident there is no credible threat to the candidate, the Democratic National Convention, or the people of Colorado," Eid said in a prepared statement.

Gartrell, who has no known address, was being held at the Arapahoe County jail on $50,000 bail on drug and weapons charges. The jail said he was due in court Thursday.

Don't Bring That Hoe Shit 2 Detroit..Yung Berg got stomped by Trick Trick

Update: This is supposedly the dude who jacked Yung Berg for his “Transformers” chain this weekend in Detroit. Yung Berg got his ass kicked last night by local Detroit rapper Trick Trick his local know rival. Yung Berg went to Detroit Friday for a Saturday night performance at 102.7’s annual Summer Jamz concert. They say Berg and his boys went out Friday night and crossed paths with Trick Trick, the same Trick Trick who beat Miami rapper Trick Daddy’s and Styles P ass in Detroit few years ago. Now, I don’t know the reasons why, but they say Trick Trick and ‘nem stomped Yung Berg out and took his Transformer chain. Both Trick and Yung Berg are scheduled to play Summer Jamz.

TrackbackHipHopBlogSpot Said in August 25th, 2008 @http://www.HipHopBandWagon.com- Trick Trick’s Brother Diesel is sporting Yung Berg’s $70,000 TransFormer Chain, It has been noted that Diesel is known Club Bouncer and Jack boy, (at Plan B Night Club in Detroit). Employed by Peter Arabo. He is also a rapper under Trick Trick’s Goon Squad. We hear from inside sources in Detroit that Diesel sells small amounts cocaine around Detroit and known for jackmoves. Kind of funnie but Diesel is also sewing the Detroit Police Department for apperntly shooting him.. Real Street NIGGA Taking The Police To Court. The funnie thing is the police never even shot his ass. Some random guy on the street infront of Envy Night Club In Detroit was firing shots.

UPDATE TRICK TRICK ATTACKS YOUNG BERG
NOT ONLY DID YUNG BERG GET ROBBED FOR HIS $70,000 TRANSFORMER CHAIN HE ALSO GOT ROBBED FOR HIS 7 ROW BRACLET, AND HIS POCKETS WERE RAN BY TRICK TRICK AND HIS GOON SQUAD. SOURCES SAY THAT PETER ARABO OWNER OF PLAN B NIGHTCLUB STILL HAS THE CHAIN IN HIS POSSESSION. WE ALSO KNOW THAT YUNG BERG GOT PUNCHED OVER 20 TIMES, AND GOT THE NEXT FLIGHT FROM DETROIT TO CHICAGO BACK. HE DID NOT PREFORM AT THE HOT 102.7 SUMMER JAMZ. INSIDE SOURCES TELL US THAT BOW WOW CALLED TRICK TRICK AND SAID THANKED HIM FOR DOING IT AND SAID “IT WAS ABOUT TIME”. THERE IS ALSO A RUMOR GOING AROUND THAT YUNG BERG SPITED ON TRICK TRICK IN CHICAGO AWHILE AGO. THAT RUMOR IS FALSE. THIS WAS THE FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH TRICK TRICK AND YUNG BERG. IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT YUNG BERG WAS SENT OUTSIDE PLAN B NIGHT CLUB IN HIS BOXERS. BEING STRIPED OF ALL HIS CLOTHES & JEWELERY

Man held in Fla. for threatening Obama's life, Suspect held without bail Thursday after a brief court hearing

MIAMI - A man who authorities said was keeping weapons and military-style gear in his hotel room and car appeared in court Thursday on charges he threatened to assassinate Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Raymond Hunter Geisel, 22, was arrested by the Secret Service on Saturday in Miami and was ordered held at Miami's downtown detention center without bail Thursday by a federal magistrate.

A Secret Service affidavit charges that Geisel made the threat during a training class for bail bondsmen in Miami in late July. According to someone else in the 48-member class, Geisel allegedly referred to Obama with a racial epithet and continued, "If he gets elected, I'll assassinate him myself."

Obama was most recently in Florida on Aug. 1-2 but did not visit the South Florida area.

Another person in the class quoted Geisel as saying that "he hated George W. Bush and that he wanted to put a bullet in the president's head," according to the Secret Service.

Geisel denied in a written statement to a Secret Service agent that he ever made those threats, and the documents don't indicate that he ever took steps to carry out any assassination. He was charged only with threatening Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, but not for any threat against President Bush.

Geisel's court-appointed attorney declined comment.

In the interview with a Secret Service agent, Geisel said "if he wanted to kill Senator Obama he simply would shoot him with a sniper rifle, but then he claimed that he was just joking," according to court documents.


A search of Geisel's 1998 Ford Explorer and hotel room in Miami uncovered a loaded 9mm handgun, knives, dozens of rounds of ammunition including armor-piercing types, body armor, military-style fatigues and a machete. The SUV was wired with flashing red and yellow emergency lights.

Geisel told the Secret Service he was originally from Bangor, Maine, and had been living recently in a houseboat in the Florida Keys town of Marathon, according to court documents. He said he used the handgun for training for the bail bondsman class, had the knives for protection and used the machete to cut brush in Maine.

In the affidavit, the Secret Service said Geisel told agents that he suffered from psychiatric problems including post-traumatic stress disorder, but he couldn't provide the names of any facilities where he sought treatment.

Bernie Mac dies at 50... Very Sad, R.I.P.

CHICAGO - Bernie Mac, the actor and comedian who teamed up in the casino heist caper "Ocean's Eleven" and gained a prestigious Peabody Award for his sitcom "The Bernie Mac Show," died Saturday at age 50.

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"Actor/comedian Bernie Mac passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital," his publicist, Danica Smith, said in a statement from Los Angeles.

She said no other details were available and asked that his family's privacy be respected.

The comedian suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the body's organs, but had said the condition went into remission in 2005. He recently was hospitalized and treated for pneumonia, which his publicist said was not related to the disease.

Recently, Mac's brand of comedy caught him flack when he was heckled during a surprise appearance at a July fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate and fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama.

Toward the end of a 10-minute standup routine, Mac joked about menopause, sexual infidelity and promiscuity, and used occasional crude language. The performance earned him a rebuke from Obama's campaign.

But despite controversy or difficulties, in his words, Mac was always a performer.

"Wherever I am, I have to play," he said in 2002. "I have to put on a good show."

Mac worked his way to Hollywood success from an impoverished upbringing on Chicago's South Side. He began doing standup as a child, and his film career started with a small role as a club doorman in the Damon Wayans comedy "Mo' Money" in 1992. In 1996, he appeared in the Spike Lee drama "Get on the Bus."

He was one of "The Original Kings of Comedy" in the 2000 documentary of that title that brought a new generation of black standup comedy stars to a wider audience.

"The majority of his core fan base will remember that when they paid their money to see Bernie Mac ... he gave them their money's worth," Steve Harvey, one of his co-stars in "Original Kings," told CNN on Saturday.

Mac went on to star in the hugely popular "Ocean's Eleven" franchise with Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

His turn with Ashton Kutcher in 2005's "Guess Who" topped the box office. It was a comedy remake of the classic Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn drama "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" — with Mac as the black dad who's shocked that his daughter is marrying a white man.

Mac also had starring roles in "Bad Santa," "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and "Transformers."

In the late 1990s, he had a recurring role in "Moesha," the UPN network comedy starring pop star Brandy.

The comedian drew critical and popular acclaim with his Fox television series "The Bernie Mac Show," which aired more than 100 episodes from 2001 to 2006.

The series about a man's adventures raising his sister's three children, won a Peabody Award in 2002. At the time, judges wrote they chose the sitcom for transcending "race and class while lifting viewers with laughter, compassion — and cool."

The show garnered Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for Mac.

"But television handcuffs you, man," he said in a 2001 Associated Press interview. "Now everyone telling me what I CAN'T do, what I CAN say, what I SHOULD do, and asking, `Are blacks gonna be mad at you? Are whites gonna accept you?'"

He also was nominated for a Grammy award for best comedy album in 2001 along with his "The Original Kings of Comedy" co-stars, Harvey, D.L. Hughley and Cedric The Entertainer.

Chicago music producer Carolyn Albritton said she was Bernie Mac's first manager, having met him in 1991 at Chicago's Cotton Club where she hosted an open-mike night. He was an immediate hit, Albritton said Saturday, and he asked her to help guide his career.

"From very early on I thought he was destined for success," Albritton said. "He never lost track of where he came from, and he'd often use real life experiences, his family, his friends, in his routine. After he made it, he stayed a very humble man. His family was the most important thing in the world to him."

In 2007, Mac told David Letterman on CBS' "Late Show" that he planned to retire soon.

"I'm going to still do my producing, my films, but I want to enjoy my life a little bit," Mac told Letterman. "I missed a lot of things, you know. I was a street performer for two years. I went into clubs in 1977."

Mac was born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough on Oct. 5, 1957, in Chicago. He grew up on the city's South Side, living with his mother and grandparents. His grandfather was the deacon of a Baptist church.

In his 2004 memoir, "Maybe You Never Cry Again," Mac wrote about having a poor childhood — eating bologna for dinner — and a strict, no-nonsense upbringing.

"I came from a place where there wasn't a lot of joy," Mac told the AP in 2001. "I decided to try to make other people laugh when there wasn't a lot of things to laugh about."

Mac's mother died of cancer when he was 16. In his book, Mac said she was a support for him and told him he would surprise everyone when he grew up.

"Woman believed in me," he wrote. "She believed in me long before I believed."