Hush

Many observers are realizing that Detroit's hip-hop landscape extends well beyond Eminem, ICP, Esham, and Kid Rock. Primarily identified as the cradle of techno and the longtime base for Motown, the city actually supports a modest yet active rap community shaped by a tight circle of technically focused MCs who deliberately reject the showmanship that carried those four local figures to mainstream prominence. Among the city's lesser-known talents, Hush ranks as one of the strongest. Drawing particular inspiration from the trailblazing approaches of Big Daddy Kane and Ice-T, he entered Detroit's fledgling rap circles in the mid-'90s, an era when acts such as Slum Village, Paradime, Eminem, and D12 often struggled to draw crowds to neighborhood venues. Recognized today as both a producer and an MC, the Detroit native first gained attention as a member of the Da Ruckus collective before stepping out on his own. Bulletproof marked his arrival as a solo artist in 2005.