Cover Story
Rapper Pretty Brayah talks beef, bars, bisexuality, and being the baddest bitch in Detroit
The Wealthy Store, a metro Detroit streetwear spot, is seeing its usual flow of Wednesday evening traffic. A 30-something couple with toddlers is purchasing a set of hoodies while their children take turns shooting basketball at a small rim near the front of the store; another passerby wanders in and buys a black T-shirt with…
Detroit councilman slams colleagues for postponing vote on ShotSpotter technology
The Detroit City Council postponed a vote Tuesday to expand a controversial surveillance technology for the police department. A majority of the council members said they did not support using more than $7 million in federal pandemic relief funds on ShotSpotter, a technology that relies on a network of sensors to detect gunshots. Instead of…
‘Don’t Worry Darling’ isn’t (that) bad
Greedy for gauzy sunlit patios, candy-colored Cadillacs and clinking martinis, I expected Don’t Worry Darling to be a brilliant disaster, a faux-prestige flick worth viewing for its production design alone. I expected to enjoy the film in the same way I enjoy watching (and rewatching) narratively preposterous fragrance ads from the early ’90s (No substance?…
Former Eloise Asylum expands for second year as Halloween attraction
Westland’s former Eloise Asylum has gone from paranormal hotspot to Halloween attraction for the second year in a row. The infamous hospital was reopened as the haunted walkthrough in 2021 and is back with an expanded experience of terror for those who are brave enough to take it on. According to a press release, the…
Aaliyah’s ‘Are You That Somebody?’ named third-greatest song of the ’90s by Pitchfork
Online music mag Pitchfork just dropped its list of “The 250 Best Songs of the 1990s,” and Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody?” made the top three — clocking in behind Björk’s “Hyperballad” and Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy (Remix).” Writer Carol Cooper praises the 1998 song for its use of Aaliyah’s signature subtlety, and for its departure…
Underground cocktail bar opens in Detroit’s Milwaukee Junction neighborhood
Detroit’s Milwaukee Junction neighborhood is getting an underground cocktail bar. The Upright, located beneath Oak & Reel, a seafood-focused Italian restaurant, opens Friday at 2921 East Grand Blvd. It’s the latest concept by Jared and Abby Gadbaw, the owners of Oak & Reel. The Upright will serve craft cocktails and small plates in an intimate,…
In Netflix’s Marilyn Monroe biopic ‘Blonde,’ celebrity feels hollow
Totally singular and happy to wallow in that fact, Andrew Dominik’s new opus Blonde, adapted for Netflix from the 2000 Joyce Carol Oates novel of the same name, treats the life, mind, and persona of Marilyn Monroe as something to puzzle over exhaustively, as a monument intended to resonate beyond itself. With its depiction hinging…
Second Annual Ike Blessitt Hamtramck Baseball Classic celebrates former Detroit Tiger’s 73rd birthday
Former Detroit Tiger Ike Blessitt was born and raised in Hamtramck, and was discovered by major-league scouts in the 1960s while playing at the Hamtramck Stadium, the historic home of the Negro League Detroit Stars. That’s also where he’ll be celebrating his 73rd birthday this Sunday. The event will feature a daytime doubleheader featuring four…
‘Halloween’ actor is headed to Michigan to unveil haunted Birmingham theater attraction
There won’t be any movies at the Birmingham 8 theater this October, but it will be full of tales of murder and mayhem when it transforms into a haunted attraction. The allegedly haunted theater will fully lean into its spooky reputation as it becomes “Ghosts on the Balcony,” a haunted walkthrough including areas of the…
Sue, the queen of T. rex fossils, is visiting metro Detroit’s Cranbrook Institute of Science
Tyrannosaurus rex was one the kings of the dinosaurs, and among existing fossils, Sue is the queen. That was the name given to one of the largest and best preserved specimens of the prehistoric creature ever found, named after explorer Sue Hendrickson, who discovered the fossil in South Dakota in 1990. While the real fossil…
Fried chicken fave Chick-fil-A opens Southfield location
Fried chicken chain Chick-fil-A is continuing its expansion into metro Detroit, opening its latest restaurant on Thursday in Southfield. The new restaurant is located at 28588 Telegraph Rd., joining 10 other Chick-fil-A locations in the Detroit area. The store will offer dine-in, drive-thru, carry-out, mobile carry-out, and mobile drive-thru service. According to a press release,…
It doesn’t take a prophet to see where white Christian nationalism is leading the Republican Party
As a child, I attended a fundamentalist parochial school, one of those primarily white private schools founded in the South after the civil rights movement for reasons that, of course, had nothing to do with race; don’t be silly. The school brought in speakers to tell us, as 13-year-olds, that dinosaurs roamed Noah’s Ark, Bigfoot…
Opinion: ShotSpotter profits off fears of gun violence
Many Detroiters were shocked and appalled last Thursday when, during a community meeting, city officials and the Detroit Police Department set up cardboard tombstones as a promotional stunt to generate support for the proposed expansion of the ShotSpotter program. Every Detroiter deserves to feel safe. But this charade of security theater is not the way…
Detroit sneaker shop launches app with a portion of the proceeds going to DPSCD
The last time we spoke with Frederick Paul II, he was preparing to open his sneaker store Fahrenheit 313 on the Livernois Avenue of Fashion. Paul’s grand opening was March 13, 2020, the same day Governor Whitmer announced the closure of K-12 schools and three days before businesses began to close due to the COVID-19…
Lincoln Tap will let you pour your own beer in Royal Oak
Come October, get ready to pour yourself a round in Royal Oak. Lincoln Tap, a new venture by Eastern Market Brewing Co., will be the first of its kind in Michigan, following legislation allowing self-serve booze at bars and restaurants in July. An exact opening date for Lincoln Tap hasn’t been announced, but a press…
GOP candidate Tudor Dixon jokes about kidnapping plot against Gov. Whitmer
Too soon? Republican candidate for governor Tudor Dixon made a joke about the kidnapping and murder plot against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at a campaign event on Friday — which, of course, Whitmer’s office did not find funny. Dixon, who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, made the remarks during a campaign event at…
ShotSpotter surveillance tech sought by Detroit police is unreliable, invasive, and discriminatory, critics say
Racial justice advocates are pushing back on the city of Detroit’s proposal to use more than $8 million in federal pandemic relief funds on a controversial surveillance technology for the police department. Mayor Mike Duggan’s administration wants to expand the city’s use of ShotSpotter, a technology that relies on a network of sensors to detect…
Best THC Detox Kits Of 2022: Know How To Detox Your Body From Weed!
You might be a weed lover, but some working positions might get you exposed to drug testing. It might be hard to give up on weed, but it might be a better option than losing your job. The human body has a detoxification system, but detoxing from THC cleanse is a little longer process. So,…
Pretty girls make rap music: The top 10 Metro Times headlines
This week, our readers were most interested in GOP Attorney General candidate Matthew DePerno’s statements about his plan to ban the Plan B contraceptive pill. Rapper Pretty Brayah was this week’s Metro Times cover girl, and our readers were interested in learning more about her and her music. All of that and a little more.…
Cannabis company Bloom City Club opens Ypsilanti dispensary
Ann Arbor’s Bloom City Club dispensary has opened a new location in Ypsi. The new spot is located at 121 E. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti, and opened earlier this month. “Our flagship location is nearby in Ann Arbor so it just makes sense to bring the Bloom experience to our neighboring community,” says Ypsilanti location general…
Detroit diner Rose’s Fine Food and Wine is for sale
Yet another beloved Detroit restaurant is up for grabs. Eastside Detroit diner Rose’s Fine Food and Wine was listed for sale at $600,000 Thursday. A future buyer would inherit the property and business, including all kitchen equipment and its liquor license. O’Connor Real Estate, who is handling the sale, posted the listing on social media,…
Questlove is making a J Dilla doc
The story of the late, influential Detroit hip-hop producer J Dilla is getting the documentary treatment, and some big names have signed on to the project. The Hollywood Reporter reported Thursday that Roots drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, who earned an Oscar for his 2021 documentary Summer of Soul, is leading the project, called Dilla Time.…
Babyface Ray to face Larry June in a bicoastal ‘clash’ for Red Bull
It might be fair to say that 2022 is the year of Babyface Ray. While he’s been rapping for well over a decade, this year his hard work seems to be paying off. He released his critically acclaimed album FACE at the beginning of this year and earned a spot as a part of XXL…
Southwest Detroit Restaurant Week returns for Hispanic Heritage Month this October
Southwest Detroit is one of Detroit’s most culturally rich neighborhoods, full of Mexican, Honduran, and Venezuelan cuisine. The area will showcase its diverse (and delicious) culture during Southwest Detroit Restaurant Week from Sept. 30 to Oct. 9, coinciding with Hispanic Heritage Month. Twenty-one participating restaurants will join the event’s return for its third installment after…
Detroit’s Good Cakes & Bakes expands into former abandoned building
When April Anderson realized that she had outgrown her small bakery on Detroit’s Westside, she thought adding a simple wall could resolve the problem. That project soon grew into an expansion of the business that will see Good Cakes & Bakes open a second location inside a nearby 5,600-square-foot formerly abandoned building. “I was resistant…
Multiple brawls at football games prompted two Flint-area schools to limit spectators
Two Flint-area schools are taking extraordinary steps to keep the peace at high school football games. The next two home games for the Flint Jaguars football team will be invite-only, Flint Community Schools announced this week. At Beecher High School in Mount Morris, students are prohibited from attending Friday night’s game against Flint’s Hamady High…
Detroit ‘Dilla Fest’ to celebrate late hip-hop hero J Dilla at the Russell Industrial Center in November
The life and legacy of the influential hip-hop producer and beatmaker J Dilla will be celebrated in his hometown of Detroit with an upcoming event dubbed Dilla Fest. The touring event, which was just announced, makes its Motor City stop on Friday, Nov. 4 at the Russell Industrial Center. Tickets go on sale at 10…
How harassment and politicized issues help push Michigan teachers out of the classroom
Jake Gless worked for Lakewood Public Schools as a middle-school art teacher for about two years and six weeks before he took down the rainbow flag that was hanging on the wall of his classroom, packed his boxes of paints and papers and never walked foot into the school building again. It wasn’t because he…
Third annual Detroit Black Film Festival kicks off at Charles H. Wright Museum with ‘Lady Sings the Blues’ screening
Motown star Diana Ross made her film debut in 1972 as Bille Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues. That was 50 years ago. To celebrate, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History will screen the film to open the Detroit Black Film Festival. Now in its third year, the festival will feature 86…
Gospel stars David and Tamela Mann make Detroit tour stop
Gospel singer Tamela Mann and her comedian husband David Mann are headed to Detroit for their “Overcomer Mann Family Tour.” The family affair also features son David Mann Jr. and daughters La’Tia Mann and Tiffany Mann. The show, which will be held at Detroit’s historic Second Ebenezer Church, will feature a performance of Tamela’s biggest…
Cannabis companies teamed up to commission LGBTQ+ mural in Ferndale
A vibrant, interactive mural celebrating the LGBTQ+ community in Michigan has enlivened the side of a brick building in downtown Ferndale. The 40-foot by 25-foot mural, titled Polychromatic Super You, was conceptualized and installed by metro Detroit-based LGBTQ+ artist Joey Salamon, whose hypnotic work often features a rainbow color palette and three-dimensional geometric shapes. JARS…
Detroit’s Freya made New York Times restaurant list
It may not look like much from the outside, but inside Freya’s got it going on. The new-ish Detroit restaurant made The New York Times list of “50 places in America we’re most excited about right now.” Located at 2929 E. Grand Blvd., the Milwaukee Junction joint serves a fixed-price, five-course tasting menu with pescatarian,…
‘The pandemic is over.’ But, is it?
It’s been more than two and a half years since the first COVID-19 lockdowns swept the world. Two and half years of lost parents and spouses, lovers and friends. Two and a half years of lost wages and opportunities, economic strife and frustration. Two and a half years of downs and ups, surges and ebbs.…
DePerno seeks to outlaw Plan B emergency contraceptive in Michigan, compares it to fentanyl
The man who is running to be Michigan’s next attorney general says the Plan B contraceptive pill should be banned. As reported by Heartland Signal, at an event last month, GOP attorney general nominee Matthew DePerno initially didn’t appear to know what Plan B is when asked about his position. It’s an emergency contraceptive pill…
L.A.’s Dirty Honey keeps the momentum going after making history as an unsigned band
For Dirty Honey, the COVID pandemic came at a particularly inconvenient point. The group, in 2019, released a self-titled EP that included a history-making single, “When I’m Gone.” With that song, Dirty Honey became the first-ever unsigned, independent band to have a Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs No. 1 single. The band was heading into a…
Kids who watch porn, naked husbands, listening to NPR during sex, and more quickies
There is more to this week’s Savage Love. To read the entire column, go to Savage.Love. At a party recently I was chatting with a parent who mentioned that he lets his (elementary school age) kids look at porn. He had a laissez-faire attitude about the whole thing, but I found it disturbing. Am I…
Free Will Astrology (Sept. 21-27)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Even when your courage has a touch of foolhardiness, even when your quest for adventure makes you a bit reckless, you can be resourceful enough to avoid dicey consequences. Maybe more than any other sign of the zodiac, you periodically outfox karma. But in the coming weeks, I will nevertheless counsel…
Brush Park’s Bar Pigalle has fun playing with Detroit’s French connection
Gentrifying Brush Park has a stunning new eatery to match its recent condo developments, proving that if you build it, they (the restaurants) will come. The décor of Bar Pigalle, on the ground floor of the Carlton Lofts, is simple, with uncovered tables and uncomplicated furnishings. It’s the food that lifts it way out of…
Stranded while war in Ukraine drags on, Kyiv City Ballet raises funds with performance at Detroit’s Music Hall
The blue-and-yellow flags have been folded and put away, for the most part. When Vladimir Putin shocked the world by invading the independent nation of Ukraine on Feb. 24, outrage and anger erupted like bile in the mouths of millions. Americans rallied to the cause with fundraising, supplies, and a host of other humanitarian efforts…
