I’m excited to share the lead single from a very unique yet still effective introduction to some of the most creative, and often quirky minds embedded in Detroit’s hip-hop scene. Producer and emcee Eddie Logix is the self-effacing nexus, if by default for his literal and figurative engineering, for a new compilation being released this week entitled, Portrait of a Prince, featuring contributions from local hip-hop artists such as Mister, SelfSays, 2 Planes, Doc Waffles and more.

Stream “Breeze of Darkness” by #CoOwnaz

Unlike the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you won’t need to know the deep lore and twisty backstory of this genuinely endearing community of emcees known informally as #CoOwnaz, which essentially comprises the full lineup of artists featured on Portrait of a Prince. Suffice to say, they forged their own Laurel Canyon-style close knit network more than 15 years ago and have not only performed together at several shows around the region, but have recorded several tracks together over the years, including 2014’s Portrait of a Gentleman. There are prevailing in-jokes or catchphrases that they lean on, but they aren’t so obtuse — even the name and hashtag, #CoOwnaz, is a celebration of DIY empowerment.

“Once again we were commissioned by a higher power to perform a high definition study of greatness in action,” Logix said. “Portrait of a Prince is not a sequel to Portrait of a Gentleman, but they hang side by side in our museum, next to the cash machine.”

Again, no need to know the lore, but this is greatness in action when it comes to a sampling of the local hip-hop scene.

The album will be streaming everywhere on Aug. 26, but the official bandcamp and vinyl release via the CoOwnaz record label, Snow Global Recordings, happens Saturday with a release party and Snow Global record pop-up at The Duck Pen in Corktown from 3-9p.m.

The album is currently available for preorder on bandcamp.

This week on MI Local, I premiere a new track from Detroit-based alt rock supergroup Television City called “Lost In Arkansas,” as well as a recent release by local Americana outfit Bonny Doon, “Clock Keeps Ticking,” which was recently named one of the top songs of the summer for 2024 by The Guardian.

The big focus this week is an exciting rundown of tracks by all five artists performing at this Thursday’s Sounds Like Detroit concert, happening at New Center Park. You can still get tickets at wdet.org/events.

Later in the show I take a look at Fuzz Fest, a three-day event happening at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor next weekend. Fuzz Fest features more than two dozen local rock bands, including Ypsilanti’s Virga.

We also heard new releases by Double Winter, 800cc and Madi Destroy.

The episode is capped off with a preview of Frontier Ruckus’ Live on WDET session recorded at our Studio A. The full session will premiere on Tuesday, Aug. 27, during MI Local and on WDET’s YouTube channel — make sure to subscribe!

MI Local Playlist for Aug. 13, 2024

• “Lost In Arkansas” – Television City
• “Jelly Donut” – Double Winter
• “Coming Along” – Three Spoke Wheel
• “Clock Keeps Ticking” – Bonny Doon
• “Girlfriend” – Wild Shape
• “Dizzy” – Isis Damil
• “Dance By The Moon” – Chris Lanard
• “Ambition” – Elspeth Tremblay & the Treatment
• “Games” – C3theartist
• “Life Ain’t So Bad” – Drey Skonie
• “Color of Water” – 800cc
• “Haunted” – Madi Destroy
• “Bierstadt” – Virga
• “Dizzy Seas” – Chris Bathgate
• “Everywhere But Beside You (Live on WDET session)” – Frontier Ruckus

This week on MI Local, I premiered exciting new tracks from Detroit-based artists The Doozers (danceable indie-pop), Danny VanZandt (quirky, surrealist-indie-rock), and Jackamo (harmony-heavy Americana-folk). We also checked in with the UP (Farm Block Fest) and featured artists from Kalamazoo (Lucy Lowis), Grand Rapids (Molly) and Marquette (Sea Hounds).

My guest this week was singer-songwriter and filmmaker Ronny Tibbs, who not only sings and plays guitar with a full band, but also oversees the metro Detroit-based commercial film production company known as Tibbs Inc.

Tibbs premiered a brand new song on the show titled “Too Late,” while we discussed his new album, Shorthand, blending his two creative worlds of music and film. Shorthand will be an 8-song album, humbly described by Tibbs as “an abbreviation of what a record might be.

“Each song will have an accompanying short film. They could stand alone,” Tibbs said, “but there’s a narrative web that connects them. Think The Who’s Tommy or Pink Floyd’s The Wall…sort of like a rock opera, but I don’t know if I can be talked about in that scale.”

Tibbs said that he and his closest collaborator and co-producer, Ryan Castle, “sifted through many songs over the last few years, and found that these might be the best stand-alone singles. And we were able to weave them together with films that make a larger picture in the end.”

Tibbs recorded much of Shorthand in El Paso, Texas with several Michigan-bred artists, like Pete Ballard, Aaron Jonah Lewis and producer Ben Collins, among many other talented artists and collaborators. The album took up to two years to complete, with some work done in Van Nuys, Calif. and Detroit. After releasing two tracks, each subsequent month will see another song paired with a music video.

Listen to the episode on-demand for two weeks using the media player at the top.