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)” VideoAllHipHop.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 levelBlack Milk f/ Guilty Simpson “Sound the Alarm” VideoAllHipHop.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. Guilty Simpson “Get Riches” VideoAllHipHop.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) VideoAllHiphop.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.

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. EshamAccording 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 “American Psycho” Video Rock BottomRock 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 2 will be a free download available on September 9th. Royce Da 5’9” f/ Eminem “Rock City” Video”One.Be.LoOne.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 WestFounded 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 BoyzThe 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 NukeOne 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 TrailerElzhiThere 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

This interview went down before Lawrence Parker “welcomed” Soulja Boy Tell’Em to Hip-Hop. That’s cool and all, but the jury is still out for most rap listeners and Hip-Hop fans. Well, maybe not the three million that copped, and all that danced, to his “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” single.But no matter where you stand on the Soulja Boy as legit artist argument, the young lad handles his business. He insists his as yet untitled follow up to his 2007 proper debut, souljaboytellem.com, is going to “kill.” Then there’s his deal with Yums shoes for Soulja Boy designed kicks, a cartoon called, wait for it, Soulja Boy Tell’Em and whatever else he has his enterprising sights on (film, clothing). Besides the too typical rap as a means to get paid ambition, there is also that let’s say, riff, with Ice-T over the OGs comments on Soulja Boy killing Hip-Hop. While both sides of the Soulja Boy as Hip-Hop Murderer debate rage on, what is undeniable is the now 18 year old’s confidence. Either way, only time—and more hits—will tell whether DeAndre Cortez “ Soulja Boy” Way will leave a lasting imprint in the rap game or be relegated to footnote status. Read how he tells it.  AllHipHop.com: Tell me about this deal with Yum Shoes, how did it come together?Soulja Boy: I was on tour earlier this year with Chris Brown and Bow Wow, we was doing the UPC tour and we had a show in Dallas, Texas. You know I did the “My Dougie Remix” with Lil Will and when we was down there they were rocking the Yums and I ain’t know the Yum company was a Dallas based company. So I was like, Man can you get me in contact with one of the dudes…so got in contact with the owner and two weeks later the deal was done and we’re getting in crazy orders for them man. Finish Line, Jimmy Jazz everyone, and basically that’s how that whole situation came about.Lil Will f/ Soulja Boy Tell’Em “My Dougie” VideoAllHipHop.com: And how’s the shoe gonna work, are you designing?Soulja Boy: Actually I already designed both of my shoes the first year I designed was the Soulja boy shoe, the next shoe I designed was the S.B Money shoe and the Soulja Boy shoe is releasing in November, the S.B shoe releases early in 2009 like January, February and both of the shoes is crazy though. I just went in and processed this crazy shoe like what would I buy if I went inside of a sneaker shop, you know what I’m saying, and that was it.AllHipHop.com: Now, what’s up with this cartoon you got coming in November how’s that coming together?Soulja Boy: I was thinking to myself like I always wanted to do a video game or do a TV show and actually I didn’t want to do no reality show. I had a lot of offers for reality shows, I turned them down. I was like I wanna do a cartoon. I’d went to label and talked to Jimmy [Iovine] and he’s like well let’s make it happen let’s see if the idea for it so the first one we did was like the Lebron James just to check it out and we showed it to Jimmy he liked it, he got a good response so we got the creators and they’re working on it – the animators. I told them how I want it to look, when it comes out it’s gonna be stupid. I ain’t just want another regular cartoon, actually what this cartoon is this cartoon’s living inside of the real world so it’s gon’ be different, it’s gon’ be cartoons talking to real people, you know you don’t see that on TV I think we’re the first ones doing this so we’ll see how it turns out.AllHipHop.com: Does the cartoon have a title yet?Soulja Boy: Well I’m aiming for Soulja Boy Tell’em. We had two different ideas first I wanted to call it Bad Little Homies then I wanted to call it Soulja Boy Tell’em so I think we’re gonna stick with Soulja Boy Tell’em.AllHipHop.com: What’s going on with your next album, how far along are you?Soulja Boy: I got a record [“Donk”]. I got that in the streets right now, I just shot a video for it, got it on MTV. And I just did that to help me boil over into the second album which is my new project and it’s gonna be crazy, I went in with Polow for the first single so the first single is bananas. Like I don’t really wanna give it out but once it comes out it’s gon’ be stupid.Soulja Boy “Donk” VideoAllHipHop.com: Do you have a title?Soulja Boy: Nah, nah. [Laughs]. But it’s gonna be crazy, it’s like once it comes out it’s gonna take over just remember what I told you on this interview.AllHipHop.com: How involved is [Mr.] Collipark have in the recording/creation of the album?Soulja Boy: I ain’t work with Collipark yet. I got like 35 tracks, I just gotta pick the top ones but this album I really did myself, he wasn’t really in on this album. I went in and did the record with Polow myself and that was a crazy record, the first single, and then on all the other records I went out with different producers. The first album I did 90 percent [of the] production and this album I said I would look out. I produced Bow Wow’s first single [“Marco Polo”] so I told him hop on my album, I went and got that, I got Sean Kingston, Arab he on the first album so basically it’s just like the first album, I did what I did and I turn it in.Bow Wow f/ Soulja Boy Tell’Em “Marco Polo” VideoAllHipHop.com: Is there any update as far as your tiff or situation with Ice-T?Soulja Boy: Oh, yeah yeah, the situation with Ice-T. Comments were made and opinions were stated and basically I put out a video with me replying to everything and then that was it basically. After that I guess it was over with. AllHipHop.com: Kanye West came out and supported you…Soulja Boy: Yeah, yeah Kanye came to my defense I was like that’s what’s up, good looking out you know what I’m saying ‘cause Soulja Boy Tell’em is misunderstood by some people. I’m just gonna do my thing and I’ma just let me do me and whoever don’t like it, do y’all. Leave me out of y’all’s mouth.  AllHipHop.com: Now Kanye even went as far to compare you to Nas, what’d you think of that?Soulja Boy: Comparing me to Nas…nah. I don’t think I’m anything like Nas. I don’t think Soulja Boy and Nas need to be in the same sentence so I’m totally different from Nas. I guess what he was trying to say is he was trying to break it down in a different way. Some people didn’t understand, you know, there it is again being misunderstood, so I don’t know. But if he talking about music wise or rap wise or whatever, nah I ain’t nothing like Nas.AllHipHop.com: Obviously, people always start to say you hear the talk oh he’s a one hit wonder or he’s talking rap music how do you deal with that on a day to day? Does it really bother you or you zone it out?Soulja Boy: Man, I be busy you know what I’m saying… I be cutting checks, I be cashing checks. I’m working man; stuff like that, it really don’t get to me. At this level I couldn’t ask for more. One year ago I was nowhere now where I’m at now man if you were in my shoes those kind of comments when you wouldn’t even fear none of that. Once you get on a certain level all the hate is irrelevant, it goes away with what you have. The power that I got is amazing. You think of stuff that you probably never thought you’d see in life once you get to a certain level, a lot of stuff changes a whole lot of stuff changes especially last year.AllHipHop.com: I guess as far as the sound I haven’t heard anything but with this new album is there any change to your method?Soulja Boy: Man, I’ma go head and tell you know this new album is gonna kill. The numbers that I put up the first album, you know I went platinum three times, platinum on “Crank That” like five million ringtones…this album is just to kill ‘em. I’m comin’ back and I know the number one question is, What is Soulja Boy gonna do next, how he ‘gon come back? And when I drop they’re gonna be like, Man he did it again. A lot of people are gonna be like, damn!AllHipHop.com: You sound like you’re a confident dude were you this confident before “Crank That” took off, or was it like you saw what you could do and built it up or was it already in you?Soulja Boy: I mean I ain’t cocky or nothing like that I just look at it as doing it. I look at it as doing it for the right reasons, if you do it for the wrong reasons. This is what I do. So like before I got signed before “Crank That” came out I was doing shows all around the United States, I was getting like ten stacks a show before I got on. Once I got on radio shows I was like I’ma do it for free; I started doing promotional shows but like I been knew that I could do it ’cause I have talent and because of all the fans I had and I wasn’t even signed. I just took it to the next level and now I’m doing it on a whole ‘nother level like I’m going to London, going to Paris, copping shoe deals; this is what I love to do and I’ma do it until I accomplish everything that’s on my list of goals to accomplish.AllHipHop.com: What’s on that list?Soulja Boy: On that list.I still ain’t did the movie yet, I still ain’t did the video game yet. I’m doing the cartoon, I did the shoe deal, I ain’t did the clothing line yet and it’s a couple more things on there. I got my platinum plaque, I’m trying to go platinum in every country man, I’m tryna do it big. I’m just trying to take over everything man and I think one day I’ma see if they realize once I’ve done everything it’s gonna be an achievement.