SOUNDSPOT: BLACK MILK
Most people when they think of Detroit, don't automatically think about hip-hop music. I know I wouldn't! Artists like Eminem, Slum Village, Jay-Dee, Esham, D-12, Phat Kat, Royce Da 5'9 & ICP have put the city on the hip-hop map, but it seems like the respect for the true talents that dwell here is non-existent. Who's to blame for that? It really depends on who you ask. Detroit's independent hip-hop scene is no different than any other when it comes to following typical lyrical content such as phat booties, gun talk, drug selling, expensive jewelry & drinking the best liquors. It seems like those are the only topics that will get any radio spins these days? Hip-Hop music is not all about radio spins anyway, right? Dare to be different. Challenge the powers that be. Not many are willing to, but there are a few that are still about the art of music and not just about making a dollar.
There is one of the local katz reppin' Detroit that i'm diggin' who is making his way through the hip-hop music trenches with his Timberlands laced tight, and his beat machine in hand. His name is Black Milk. He's not only a beat maker, but he's an emcee as well. Black got his big break producing a some tracks for Slum Village back in 2002 on the "Dirty District: Mixtape Session" and the "Trinity (Past, Present and Future)" album. Soon after that, Black Milk found musical chemistry with another up and comer named Young RJ, and they joined forces creating the group BR Gunna. As BR Gunna they released the "Dirty District 3 Mixtape" showcasing there production skills. Soon after the release of the DD3 Mixtape, Slum Village dropped their third album entitled, "Detroit Deli" that featured production from BR Gunna on 11 of the 13 tracks of the album. Needless to say that people outside of Detroit began to notice BR Gunna's talent, and were requesting beats for their upcoming projects.
In 2005, Slum Village released their fourth album and it featured production from not only BR Gunna, but some solo production efforts from Black Milk. The "EZ Up" track from this album became an instant hit around the world, which obviously influenced Chevrolet to license the track and use it in nationally televised commercials to promote their 2006 automobiles. Black Milk has production credits on the last Canibus and Lloyd Banks albums, as well as the upcoming Pharoahe Monch joint "Desire" that will be dropping this year.
Black Milk has already released an independent solo album back in 2005 entitled, "Sound of The City" that I personally thought was pretty good. Not many folks knew about the project when it dropped due to no advertisement, but it still made some noise locally. Just recently he released an EP entitled, "Broken Wax" that has eight solid tracks. I like this chumpy! After listening to a few Black Milk's tracks, I really get the feeling that this kat really enjoys and appreciates not only hip-hop, but music in general. Not many young katz in the business today seems to give a dayum about the music, so it's refreshing to see someone that does. Another reason why I like Black Milk is that he stays on his grind. Constantly making moves to improve his craft and develop his career. Just recently he signed a deal with Fat Beats Records, and he set to drop his second solo joint "Popular Demand" on March 13, 2007. Keep your eyes out on this dude. He's going to be doing great things in the future!
Checkout his MySpace site as well:
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