Former inmate turned entrepreneur is moving Detroit, literally and musically

Michael Parrish is leaning on his Movin-N-Groovin box truck, talking to friend and music collaborator Trell (aka C8keboi) about beats, bars, and his hip-hop album, “Movin-N-Groovin Volume 1.”

Parrish originally envisioned the project as a soundtrack for a documentary about his life.

“I just wanted that one song, like when you hear it, you would know my documentary was about come on,” he says.

But one song turned into two, and within several months, eight songs had been recorded, working with some of Detroit’s best-known artists – Samuel Shabazz, Big Quis, Hustleman Quise, Allstar JR, Mack Nickels, Overlord Scooch, and HeadHuncho Amir. 

The album highlights his mental health journey with four short Q&A segments with his therapist, where he talks about fatherhood and leaving life in the streets behind.

“That was my producers’ idea. Those therapy sessions were actually made for the documentary, but since I’m not rapping on the album, it made sense to add those,” he says. 

Although the documentary is on hold, he moved forward and released the album on March 13 (313 Day) of this year. The album is currently streaming on YouTube.

“It’s a soundtrack, but it’s one of the most well-rounded and dynamic projects I’ve ever worked on,” says Trell, who produced six of the eight tracks for the album.

Before Parrish decided to channel his inner DJ Khaled, he was a first-time entrepreneur who reclaimed his life after serving nine years of a 20-year prison sentence.

“I had sold weed for about two years and graduated to dope, and that’s what initially got me indicted. I went in 2007 and came out in 2016,” he says.

Parish used music to make the time go by and even introduced other inmates to the same Detroit hip-hop artists he had featured on his album. Upon his release, he pursued entrepreneurship. 

“The first day I got in the halfway house, I was working minimum wage jobs,” he says. “I knew I kind of wanted to do something with trucks. I didn’t know if it was going to be a moving company or a dump truck.”

In 2019, Parrish obtained a box truck and began delivering supplies and appliances for a friend who owned a construction and remodeling business. Within a year, he added a second truck and transitioned into a full-fledged moving company based in Detroit and the Metro area. By the end of 2025, he had grown his fleet to four trucks.

“This was actually my first truck right here,” he says, pointing to his yellow box truck.  “My business actually took off during COVID. The whole world had money, and everybody was moving,” he says through a laugh.

Movin-N-Groovin offers commercial and residential moving, storage, and delivery. Parish says his company has serviced hundreds of people and he’s built a reputation for doing good business while being trustworthy and reliable. He also embraces his Michigan roots and has found ways to give back.

“I’ve contributed to the community in countless ways. I’ve sponsored families for Christmas, provided jobs, and hired felons because I know how hard it is to reenter the workforce,” he says.

Parrish recently expanded the company by adding a satellite location in Dallas, Texas.

“When people from Michigan call for an out-of-state move, there’s about a 70 percent chance they’re going to Houston or Dallas,” he says.

He isn’t sure if he’ll make another album, but he plans to continue to grow his business. Parish says going to jail saved his life, while therapy provided clarity. 

“They say when you’re in the streets, you’re going to end up in jail or dead,” he says. “You can get out of jail, but not death. That’s how I look at it.”