How Detroit's hip-hop scene is impacting local economy for the better

With nearly 3 dozen hip-hop artists signed to major record labels or contracted to major distribution deals, Detroit’s hip-hop scene is on fire. Even artists who are fully independent enjoy strong followings with national exposure. Icon’s like Eminem, Royce da 5”9 have long been mainstays while Skilla Baby and Babyface Ray have emerged to the forefront of Detroit's latest wave (sparked by Tee Grizley in 2016).  This has resulted in music streams in the billions, gold plaques, and national magazine covers. But locally it’s financially benefited hundreds of small businesses and entrepreneurs. 

Roland Coit has been a favorite of Detroit’s hip-hop community for 17 years.  A rapper himself, he opened his streetwear and sneaker store Burn Rubber in Royal Oak in 2007, followed by Two 18 in Eastern Market in 2013. Many of Detroit’s most notable emcees have visited the storefronts to purchase outfits for performances, music videos, and have brought out of state artists to the stores as well. 

“When we first opened it was mainly the Detroit hip-hop community and some of my first supporters were Marv One, Big Sean, and Mike Posener. Those were the first 3 people that I remember buying a Burn Rubber hat[...]Now it’s the Babytrons, you look at Peezy, Doughboyz Cashout. Everybody has kind of come through,” Coit says.

Coit has witnessed the influence that Detroit’s hip-hop artists can bring to other businesses as well. Whether an artist is showing patronage or posting the business on social media, the impact is beneficial .  

“I see it every day.  You see it with Tee Grizley pulling up on Hoodbachi food truck and I’m sure they’re numbers go up. And that's what it's all about, every artist that comes in town also has to pull up to District 7,” Coit adds.

There’s a diverse number of caterers, mobile bartenders, restaurants, barbers, beauticians, stylists, photographers, videographers, graphic designers, music video directors, DJs, managers, clubspodcasters, and promoters who are all benefiting from Detroit’s new hip-hop renaissance. 

“It reminds me of the mid 70s 80s, you had a very vibrant black middle class. You had a workforce that was able to thrive because of automotive companies,” says Lamonte Hayes, a record industry veteran and founder of BWP Marketing. “You would have a nail salon, you would have an independent dry cleaner, you would have a party store, you would have all these other things that benefited the person that worked at the automotive plant.”

Hayes also points out that Detroit’s musical powered ecosystem has been constant even after the departure of Motown Records in 1972.

“There has always been movement. From a gospel basis you got to remember that Detroit has always been a hotbed of gospel whether it be musicians, preformacers, or recording,” adds Hayes.

“More than half of my money always comes from my city. Just based upon I’m so attuned and in touch with my city. I’m working with people you don’t know, people you do know, and people who come in and out of town,” says videographer and photographer Melton Crudup.

Crudup (who also goes by PeepOnTheScene) has been a cameraman since 2018. He’s worked with local favorites like Snap Dogg, Payroll Giovanni, and Tay- B along with national hip-hop acts like Boosie Badazz.  He believes the number of aspiring photographers has quadrupled over the last 4 years. 

“After the pandemic a lot of people got into it and wanted to create their own business, LLCs, and stuff like that. And for the artists, I  think a lot of them started seeing the value of having a cameraman. ” he adds.

Crudup states most artists have a preferred cameraman they used for concerts, album artwork, and behind the scenes footage during music video shoots. Hourly rates for a cameraman range from 100 to 300 an hour and the cost for music videos can range between $5,000 to $60,0000.   Artists on limited budgets opt for event spaces, multi-use studios, or inexpensive locations available on website Peerspace. But artists with bigger financial backing tend to seek out high end Airbnb’s. 

“I did the location scout for YNJ, paid for a half a mansion and it was a playboy style. I believe we gave him $800 for 4 to 6 hours,” Crudup adds.

It's not just about small businesses and the gig economy. Chanel Dominique, the longtime manager of artist Icewear Vezzo, owner of the CDM Collective, and a board member of the city of Detroit Entertainment Commission has seen an influx of big businesses willing to work with Detroit hip-hop artists. 

“I don’t think people realize the amount of corporate dollars or corporate partners that feel comfortable investing in Detroit,” Dominique says. 

In 2022  Domonique started “313-Day,” a concert that featured over 25 Detroit hip-hop artists. That next year she collaborated with Youtube and Spotify to create “313-Day Weekend.” The partnership allowed her to add a day full of panel discussions aimed towards aspiring artists, a fashion show, and a celebrity basketball game.   

“Whether its events, whether its product activation, whether it's collaborating with currations on the ground here to create things - the birth of the music industry is here. They see there is talent, talent that is influential, talent that will buy a product, or buy into a brand and that's valuable to these corporations,” she adds.

Dominique believes the influence of Detroit hip-hop culture still hasn’t reached its full potential. In 2022, she invested in that culture herself by starting We Eatin’, a snackfood company that sells rapper themed potato chips.  There’s Vezzo Hotz, Peezy’s Cheese, and Baby’s BBQ. Dominique is restricting the company’s logistics and gearing up for a relaunch for the brand.
 
“It's a matter of configuring the right distribution channels for it. When I first got into it, it was just thriving and doing really well and then I launched more flavors…we're creating an internal distribution,” she says.

The artists themselves are proprietors of businesses that employ others as well as provide a valuable service. Skilla Baby has proudly purchased several residences on the west of Detroit that he’s rehabilitating. Icewear Vezzo’s wife owns Fresh & Pressed Juice bar in Troy, and Royce da 5 '9’s Haven Studios has become a go-to place for recording sessions for local emcees and out of towners alike. 

“We’ve seen when the artists thrive, they’re in a position to hire people to support their dream and supplement their dream. And in lieu of that, that's building another lineage of professionals out of the city who are being employed by artists and are helping boost the economy”, Dominique says.

There are no statistics to show how important Detroit hip-hop has been to small black businesses.  There are numbers to identify the amount entrepreneurs making an income from Detroit hip-hop. But if you pay attention the influence is all around. The Icewear Vezzo mural in midtown, the Tiff Massey exhibit at the DIA, the Detroit Tigers commercial featuring Valid, Stretch Money, PL, and GMAC Cash,  the “What up doe” spilling out the mouths of people you don’t expect to say “What up doe.” The influence is tied to the economy and that exists in plain sight. 

“There is no data but we use that to our advantage because we don’t have the big corporate monster in our business and we can allow the small independent vendors to have some sort of commerce,” says Hayes.

“Its impact. That's the thing about culture. You can’t put a number on it. it's impossible,” adds Coit.