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Detroit’s musical legacy has left an undeniable mark on the industry. The city gave the world Motown and icons like Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin — artists who reshaped modern music. And we can’t forget Detroit’s role in the rise of techno, born from the basements of Belleville and stretched across the globe.

But no one flipped the game quite like producer and artist James Dewitt Yancey — best known as J Dilla.

Dilla wasn’t just a producer, he was a visionary whose beat-making style redefined hip-hop and R&B. With his MPC3000, he crafted soulful, off-kilter rhythms that broke the rules — and built new ones. 

His touch can be felt in the music of Common, The Roots, Erykah Badu, A Tribe Called Quest, and Detroit’s own Slum Village, the group he helped form. Tracks like “The Light” by Common and “Runnin’” by The Pharcyde showcase his genius. And even now, nearly two decades after his passing, artists and producers still study his sound.

J Dilla died from lupus in 2006 at just 32 years old. Still, his sound lives on. From Detroit to Tokyo, Dilla’s music continues to inspire. 

Feb. 7 — Yancey’s birthday — was recently designated “Dilla Day” by the city of Detroit. The city also renamed a street in his honor at the corner of Nevada and Charest. And this Thursday, Pershing High School — his alma mater — is hosting an event to celebrate his life and raise awareness about lupus.

Dilla is survived by his two daughters, Ja’Mya Yancey and Ty-Monae Whitlow.

Joylette Hunter, Ja’Mya’s mother and public relations developer for the James Dewitt Yancey Estate, and hip-hop educator Quan Neloms joined The Metro on Wednesday to discuss the event and reflect on Dilla’s legacy.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More stories from The Metro on Wednesday, April 16:

• Labor professor says Trump tariffs’ impact on autoworkers ‘will be very painful’ to watch
• Former US Attorney Barb McQuade on Trump’s defiance of court orders
• Nonprofit aims to conserve bird habitats in metro Detroit

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

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They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that beauty is more than skin deep. Your presentation, build, attire and demeanor shapes how others perceive who you are and what you care about. 

The people we surround ourselves with influence our taste which forms our opinion on what we deem as cool or beautiful. The media we consume is powerful too; the mind is a really powerful thing. It encourages us to change the way we look to fit the latest fashion and beauty trends. 

Two guests joined The Metro on Thursday to help us better understand the pressure of America’s beauty standards and their effect on women.

Rokeshia Ashley is a professor of health communication at Florida International University and a researcher focusing on body image, body modification and maternal health.

Dr. Alexandra Sowa is an obesity and internal medicine physician and the author of the book, “The Ozempic Revolution.”

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More stories from The Metro on Thursday, April 10:

• Celebrate Earth Day with events, activities at Detroit parks
• Navigating an uncertain stock market
• Ryan Patrick Hooper talks Record Store Day, WDET member drawing

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

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The city of Detroit has long been a hotbed for jazz. In fact, many musicians would say Motown would not be what it is if not for the musical genre. 

Jazz legends like Marcus Belgrave, Kenny Burrell and Marion Hayden are just a few of the city’s prominent jazz musicians that helped shape the city’s music scene. But while jazz is still relevant in today’s music industry, it’s not a genre that most people associate with younger generations.

Robin Wilson, owner of Vesey Lane Goods in Detroit, is hoping to change that with her new children’s book, “Jazz-A-Bet: An Original Jazz Alphabet.” 

She joined The Metro on Tuesday to share more about her book — a bilingual flip book with one side printed in English and the other printed in Portuguese — and to discuss the importance of exposing kids to music at an early age.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More stories from The Metro on Tuesday, April 8:

• Detroit’s oldest choir has a new director
• Investigation probes unprecedented number of journalists killed in Gaza
• Fighting food waste with composting in metro Detroit

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

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Bill “the dean of Detroit photography” Rauhauser left a lasting impact on both the photography community and cultural history of Detroit.

He documented Detroit through his lens from the 1940s until his death in 2017, presenting to the world the city he knew and loved. He was able to capture the human experience in the city during rapid change and racial divisions.

Not only was he nationally recognized for his work, he helped uplift a generation of photographers, teaching as a professor at the College for Creative Studies for more than 30 years, and a guest lecturer at Wayne State University and the University of Michigan. 

Coup D’état, a boutique store in Detroit’s East English Village neighborhood, will be hosting an exhibit of Rauhauser’s work, titled “Bill Rauhauser: A Retrospective,” beginning at 5 p.m. this Saturday, March 29. The exhibition is a partnership between Coup D’état and Hill Gallery in Birmingham.

Angela Wisniewski-Cobbina, owner of Coup D’état, joined The Metro this week to discuss the exhibit, which will feature 23 of Rauhauser’s pieces that showcase his dedication to capturing raw, authentic moments and everyday life in Detroit.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More stories from The Metro on Thursday, March 27, 2025.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

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The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) has approved a rate hike for Consumers Energy, allowing the utility to collect an additional $154 million in revenue.

This amount is significantly lower than the $325 million originally requested by the company. Starting in April, the average monthly bill for Consumers Energy customers will increase by $2.78.

This approval comes after rate hikes for both DTE and Consumers Energy were granted in the past year. According to a report by the Center for Biological Diversity, DTE now has some of the highest energy costs in the Great Lakes region. The report also raised concerns about the need for rate increases, especially after it was revealed that DTE earned $1.1 billion in net income in the first nine months of 2024.

Today on The Metro Katherine Peretick, a member of the Michigan Public Service Commission, spoke about the commission’s decision-making process. She explained that utilities must submit detailed cases, which are reviewed by interveners and the commission. If a decision isn’t reached within 10 months, the utility automatically receives the requested rate increase. Peretick emphasized that commission decisions must be based on technical evidence, not personal opinions.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More stories from The Metro on Thursday, March 27, 2025.

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Student loan debt is massive in the U.S., totaling $1.7 trillion. There are over 42 million student borrowers with federal loan debt, and the cost of tuition keeps going up. 

Since 2010, the cost of attending college has gone up more than 35%. After adjusting for inflation, college tuition has increased nearly 200% since 1963.

Trump promised to dismantle the Department of Education when he was elected, and has since followed through. He cut the department’s workforce in half and signed an executive order to shut it down, saying education should be entirely in control of the states, not the federal government. Last week, Trump announced that the administration of federal student loans would now be the responsibility of the Small Business Administration.

The Department of Education’s primary functions included administering federal student loans and payment plans for college students and graduates, making college accessible for students of all income levels. 

Today on The Metro, we talk about recent administrative changes with Michelle Zampini, the senior director of college affordability for The Institute of College Access & Success. The federal financial aid system is raising concerns about potential processing delays, legal challenges, and impacts on access to loans and grants.

The importance of programs like Pell Grants and income-driven repayment plans was emphasized, along with concerns that administrative breakdowns could hinder their availability.

More stories from The Metro on Wednesday, March 26, 2025.

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Detroiters will elect their next mayor later this year, and the stakes are high. The government should reflect the communities in which it plans to represent, and race is expected to play a role in the election. 

Throughout most of the city’s history, Detroit had white mayors. Coleman A. Young became Detroit’s first Black mayor in 1973, which changed the trajectory of the city. Current mayor Mike Duggan — the first white mayor of Detroit since Roman Gribbs 1970-’74 — inherited a city with bankruptcy and significant leadership instability, being the fourth mayor in five years. During his tenure, Detroit has witnessed noteworthy economic growth, a slight population increase after years of decline, and a reduction in crime rates. 

However, Duggan’s leadership also raises concerns about reinforcing the misleading notion that white leadership results in economic prosperity, while Black leadership is associated with turmoil.

Today on The Metro, we want to explore how the race of Detroit’s mayor impacts residents and how their efforts could continue to shape the city’s perception as a whole. 

Guests: 

• Jeff Horner: Professor of Teaching at Wayne State University.
• Kandia Milton: Chairman of the Black Slate (Detroit), associate pastor at the Shrine of the Black Madonna, and national policy director for the Justice program at Dream.org.
• Sam Robinson: Reporter covering the city of Detroit and author of the Substack Detroit one million.

We also asked listeners:

“Should Detroit’s next mayor be Black? And how vital is the race for Detroit’s next mayor?”

Listener Mama Jo said: “We should want somebody, I don’t care if they are purple, with gold and green stripes, we should want somebody that’s going to finish the job that Mike Duggan started.”

Use the media player above to listen to the full conversation.

More headlines from The Metro on Feb. 25, 2025: 

• Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell represents Michigan’s 6th Congressional District and has been sounding the alarm about cuts to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Dingell joined the show to discuss.

• Former Michigan Senator Curtis Hertel Jr. has been named the new chair of the Michigan Democratic Party. He joined The Metro to discuss Democrats’ overall goals and the lessons learned by the party in 2024.

• Angela Hanks is the former associate director of external affairs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). She was a Biden-Harris appointee and left the CFPB as part of normal administration transitions. Hanks joined the show to discuss what will happen if the nation’s consumer watchdog agency is gutted by mass layoffs. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.