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Doughboyz Cashout: Detroit’s hottest street rap group plots a comeback
The amenities in Club Plays inside downtown’s newly renovated Town Residences feel like they came out of a Detroit rapper’s fever dream. There’s the stripper pole that greets you as soon as you walk in, a fully stocked bar, DJ booth, a 70-inch flat screen TV, and a walk-out patio with clear views of the…
From Gummies to Brownies: The Best Weed Edibles for Every Occasion
THC edibles are popular because of their exceptional psychological and physical benefits. Problems like stress, soreness, pain in the body, anxiety, restlessness, and discomfort have become pretty standard due to busy schedules and chaotic life. Fortunately, weed edibles can help you improve your health and well-being. The cannabis industry is growing rapidly. A quick search…
Detroit’s Movement announces initial 2022 lineup with Jeff Mills, LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, the Blessed Madonna, and more
One of the world’s longest-running electronic music festivals is plotting a 2022 return to Detroit, with Movement organizers announcing a partial lineup on Wednesday. Headliners announced include techno pioneer Jeff Mills (perhaps better known as “The Wizard” from WDRQ and WJLB to Detroiters of a certain age), Richie Hawtin, and Swedish producer Adam Beyer. “Of…
The New Frontier of Cannabinoids Research: THCV Shown to Give Users Hyper Focus While Suppressing Appetite
As the COVID-19 pandemic is reshaping our lives, mental health and wellbeing have become the top priorities for many people this year. Amid the desire to search for a stress-free life, cannabis offers many products to enhance our health, both from the medical perspective and our daily lives. While CBD is shining now more than…
Gatsby Cannbis Co. aims to open dispensary across from Royal Oak school amid opposition
Gatsby Cannabis Co. plans to open up a nearly 13,000-square-foot marijuana processing, growing, and retail facility in Royal Oak. Sounds pretty boss — except that the company’s targeted location is at 5130 Meijer Dr., right across the street from Oakland Schools Technical Campus. The proposed facility’s proximity to the vocational school, which serves students in…
Up to 20 inches of snow could fall in Michigan this week, making travel ‘impossible’
Michigan officials are bracing for a winter storm that could see up to 20 inches of snowfall in the Lower Peninsula on Wednesday and Thursday — so you might want to hit up the store on Tuesday and get ready to hunker down for a few days. According to a warning issued by Michigan State…
Detroit’s Le Culture Cafe closes downtown location and opens sister restaurant, Culture Soul
While some might consider the times we’re in “post-pandemic,” many businesses are still suffering. The latest to feel those effects is Le Culture Cafe, an upscale soul food restaurant that was located at 1452 Brush St., within walking distance to Ford Field and Comerica Park. Early in January, the popular eatery announced on social media…
Winter Blast Royal Oak announces lineup, activities
The Winter Blast festival is plowing ahead with its move from Detroit to Royal Oak, bringing many of the activities the fest has been known for with it since it debuted downtown in 2005. Organizers of the retooled event, now known as Winter Blast Royal Oak presented by the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, announced…
Millionaire gubernatorial candidate Kevin Rinke leads pack of Republicans in campaign cash
Millionaire metro Detroit businessman Kevin Rinke has the largest campaign war chest among Republicans running for governor. Nearly all of Rinke’s $2 million in campaign funds are from his own pocket, according to campaign finance records from Oct. 21 to Dec. 31. Rinke, of Bloomfield Township, has pledged to spend at least $10 million of…
Taste the Diaspora Detroit teams up with local chefs for healthy lunches during Black History Month
Sharing food is one of the best ways to honor and experience culture. So, for Black History Month, Taste the Diaspora Detroit will be selling healthy “shoebox lunches” to celebrate Black contributions to the culinary world. A different menu for each week of February will be prepared by Black chefs and restaurant owners around Detroit.…
How the NBA’s John Salley gave Detroit hip-hop producer J Dilla his first big break
A new book — Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, the Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm, out now on MCD/Farrar, Straus, Giroux — chronicles the life and legacy of James DeWitt Yancey, the influential rapper and producer from Detroit whose promising career was cut short when he died in 2006 at age…
Ballot proposal launched to protect voting access in Michigan
Voting rights advocates launched a ballot initiative Monday that would create a constitutional amendment to protect and extend access to the polls. The goal is to collect enough signatures to place Promote the Vote on the November ballot. The initiative comes as Republicans collect signatures on a competing petition drive that election officials and voting-rights…
Detroit’s Taqueria El Rey launches GoFundMe after fire closes restaurant
Over the weekend, Taqueria El Rey, a Southwest Detroit staple, was forced to close after the family-owned restaurant was destroyed in a fire. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help the small taqueria repair damages and support its employees during this time. According to Eater, on Jan. 29, a fire started in the restaurant’s…
Perennial losing candidate John James announces bid for Congress in battleground district
Two-time losing Senate candidate John James is giving politics another go — this time for a seat in Congress. The 40-year-old businessman and military veteran is running for the newly drawn 10 District, which covers Warren, Sterling Heights, Clinton Township, and Shelby Township in Macomb County and Rochester and Rochester Hills in Oakland County. James…
Icewear Vezzo releases new video, plans to be first rapper with a metaverse
Icewear Vezzo’s flair for crafting street anthems continues with his new track, “Richer Than My Opps.” The Rich off Pints rapper is dressed in a red puffer jacket surrounded by an equal amount of stacks of cash and homeboys. Just like his 2021 video “Up the Score,” the cut has an infectious hook that repeats…
AMERICA’S TOP DIRECT LENDER FOR BAD CREDIT LOANS AND PAYDAY LOANS | QUICK CASH ADVANCES AND EMERGENCY LOANS FOR PEOPLE WITH BAD CREDIT IN 2022
What are payday loans and bad credit loans? Americans can acquire these loans everyday. If you have a bad credit score and are in search of an emergency loan, you are in the right place. In this extensive review, we will talk about one of America’s excellent bad credit loan providers. This company is the…
Racial slurs in Grosse Pointe, The Dirty Show returns, and Kid Rock is back: The top ten Metro Times headlines
While racial slurs hurled during a Grosse Pointe school board meeting had our readers checking for details, it was a Michigan State Police trooper’s lawsuit that our readers were most interested in. The Dirty Show returns next month and our readers were interested in one of its featured artists, Tristan Eaton. That wasn’t all our…
New book dives into Detroit’s bygone tiki bar era
Especially on a cold, gray day of a typical Michigan winter, it’s easy to understand why Detroit would have once had an impressive tiki bar culture. But if you weren’t around for its heyday, it’s just as easy to forget just how special Detroit’s tiki scene actually was. Its crown jewels are long gone, like…
Another ‘out-of-touch’ rich Republican enters race for Michigan governor
Bloomfield Hills businessman Perry Johnson announced Thursday he’s running for governor, joining 12 other Republicans vying to unseat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Perry Johnson, 74, who calls himself a “quality guru,” said he’s running to improve state services. “Michiganders deserve better, demand better, and with an emphasis on quality, would have a much better government,” Johnson…
The cast of Netflix’s ‘Cheer’ will bring live show to Detroit this summer
Breakout the pom-poms and practice your overhead clasp, because the cast of the hit Netflix series Cheer is going on tour and will be landing at the Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre this summer. On June 28, Cheer Live will bring together the fan favorites from the Emmy award-winning docuseries including 14-time National Champion coach Monica Aldama,…
‘Immersive Van Gogh Detroit’ is delayed again and people are not happy
The Immersive Van Gogh Detroit exhibit that was supposed to happen in 2021 has been pushed back once again. After moving to open this month, the event, which uses projection mapping technology to create immersive environments using the art of Vincent Van Gogh, is now scheduled for May 12 and will run until Sept. 5.…
Highland Park detective convicted of dealing fentanyl-laced heroin while on duty
A Highland Park detective pleaded guilty Thursday to dealing fentanyl-laced heroin while on duty. Tiffany Lipkovitch, 46, faces up to 40 years in prison. Prosecutors say Lipkovitch sold drugs in Wayne and Oakland counties in 2018 and was finally brought down after setting up a drug deal with a confidential FBI source. The FBI recorded…
Michigan Starbucks workers join unionization wave
Workers at four Michigan Starbucks locations announced Friday that they are moving to unionize, joining other Starbucks workers across the country. According to a press release, the workers are organizing with the Workers United International union that helped Starbucks workers successfully unionize the chain’s first company-owned store in Buffalo, New York in December. “We believe…
New documentary explores devastating impact of human sex trafficking industry in metro Detroit
A new documentary shines a light on the toll of the human sex trafficking industry in metro Detroit. Men Who Buy Sex – Everyone Pays explores the physical and emotional impact of human trafficking and features women who were forced into the cruel industry. One of the survivors is Theresa Flores, who was trafficked at…
Smith and Co. is finally reopening in Detroit after nearly two year closure
Midtown Detroit Restaurant Smith and Co. laid off its staff and closed down in March 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, they are preparing to reopen. “It’s on Midtown! Our reopening is scheduled for February 10th,” the restaurant announced in an Instagram post. The restaurant will open its doors at 4 p.m.…
Former Michigan judge goes from welfare to successful business owner
Tiffany Cartwright never thought she’d go from working as a judge to collecting unemployment and relying on a Bridge Card for food. Or that being on welfare would lead her to start a successful business with products on shelves at Target, Walmart, and Meijer. But the universe had a strange way of humbling her, by…
Longtime drummer Johnny ‘Bee’ Badanjek releases first album of original songs
For his time-honored music compilation Big Beat: Conversations With Rock’s Greatest Drummers, Max Weinberg, legendary percussionist for Bruce Springsteen, could have been forgiven for putting himself on the cover. Instead, the artist he chose to adorn the front of his book, and place at the top of the list of featured drummers, was one “Johnny…
Parents sue Oxford High School officials, Crumbleys over deadly shooting
The parents of four Oxford High School students filed a lawsuit Thursday against school officials and a shooting suspect’s parents following the massacre that killed four students and wounded six other students and a teacher on Nov. 30. The lawsuit, filed in Oakland County Circuit Court, alleges intentional, reckless, and negligent conduct by 15-year-old Ethan…
As pandemic rages on, Michigan is giving us all one (1) free disposable KN95 mask
While the vaccine-resistant omicron variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 continues to spread, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services will distribute 10 million free KN95 masks to residents. “We have the tools and we know what works as we face down the omicron variant of COVID-19,” Whitmer…
Canabis-infused ‘wine’ is coming to Michigan
Add wine to the long list of cannabis-infused treats you can find in Michigan. Well, technically “wine,” because it doesn’t actually have any alcohol in it. Napa Valley’s luxury brand House of Saka has partnered with Carbidex to bring their alcohol-free cannabis-infused wine to The Botanical Co. dispensary. Look for it at the dispensary’s Lansing…
Whitmer proposes cutting taxes, insulin costs in 4th State of the State address
Taxes, health care, including lowering insulin costs and increasing access to mental health resources, and growing Michigan’s electric vehicle industry were among the highlights Gov. Gretchen Whitmer tackled in her State of the State address Wednesday night. Speaking live from the Detroit Diesel manufacturing floor, Whitmer delivered her second fully virtual State of the State…
Detroit artist Olayami Dabls honored with Kresge Eminent Artist award
Real Detroiters know about the Dabls MBAD African Bead Museum. It’s hard to miss the collection of buildings encompassing two blocks at Grand River Avenue and W. Grand Boulevard, plastered with colorful African motifs and mirrors. Now, after decades of being a cultural destination and vibrant staple in the neighborhood, museum founder and owner Olayami Dabls is…
Opinion: EGLE must make Stellantis pay
On Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022 at 6 p.m. the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) will host a Community Update Meeting on Stellantis’ Detroit Assembly Complex. According to the announcement, the meeting will discuss EGLE inspections, compliance, and information on air sampling activities from both the Michigan Dept. of Health and Human…
Pleasantrees opens Lincoln Park’s first recreational cannabis dispensary
Pleasantrees will open Lincoln Park’s first recreational cannabis dispensary on Friday, Jan. 28. The medical and adult-use dispensary will be the fourth Pleasantrees location, joining shops in Hamtramck, Houghton Lake, and East Lansing. New customers will get 30% off their purchase. This is one of many firsts in Pleasantrees’ run since the company launched in…
Grosse Pointe mom hurled N-word at school board meeting after son was kicked out for using the same racial slur
A Grosse Pointe mother caused an uproar this week after using a racial slur during a school board meeting. The woman was complaining during the public comment period of a school board meeting Monday about her son being kicked out of Grosse Pointe South High School for four to 10 days for saying the N-word…
Jam band kings Umphrey’s McGee to play back-to-back shows at Detroit’s Fillmore
Umphrey’s McGee, the seemingly ever-touring, long-running Midwest jam band, is back in the Motor City with a pair of back-to-back performances. The band is known for virtuosic playing, massive catalog, and inventive cover mash-ups — like, for instance, Beck’s “Loser” into Radiohead’s “National Anthem” to Phil Collins’s “In the Air Tonight,” or “Electric Avenue to…
Jimmy Doom to host The Old Miami Barfly Awards
Now this sounds like some good, clean fun at one of Detroit’s diviest bars. The Old Miami is hosting a comedy roast of some of its best customers — “the people that have kept us open 42 years!” the venue says, adding, “Guaranteed to be one of the most talked-about events of the year.” The…
Sugar Factory to open first Michigan location in Downtown Detroit
Downtown Detroit just got a whole lot sweeter. Sugar Factory, a chain most notable for its candy-colored fishbowl style drinks, is coming to downtown Detroit. “We are excited to bring our decadent dishes, sweets and treats to the Detroit community, which have been enjoyed by guests around the world for over a decade,” shared owner…
Federal prosecutors are investigating fake electors in Michigan, six other states
The Justice Department is investigating Republicans in Michigan and six other battleground states for posing as presidential electors and falsely declaring that Donald Trump won the election. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel referred the case to the Justice Department and said last week that there’s “absolutely” enough evidence to warrant charges against the 16 Michigan…
Stylish eyeglass store Warby Parker opening Twelve Oaks Mall location
New York-based eyeglass retailer Warby Parker is opening its latest location in Novi’s Twelve Oaks Mall. The store, the company’s fourth in Michigan, opens on Saturday. The company also has locations in Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Troy’s Somerset Mall. The new store will offer eye exams, as well as a selection of stylish frames. Unique…
Ballot petition seeks to add abortion rights to Michigan constitution
A coalition of advocates for reproductive freedom has filed a ballot proposal to affirm that every Michigan resident will have reproductive rights, free from government interference. That includes the right to an abortion, birth control, prenatal care. and care when giving birth. As a Supreme Court decision looms on Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973…
The omicron paradox
If you were to chart, by country, the number of confirmed COVID deaths per million on one axis and GDP per capita on the other (below), there is no other country with as high a GDP with as many deaths; America has, pound for pound, fared worse throughout this pandemic than any other country on…
Babyface Ray, The Old Miami Barfly Awards, Umphrey’s McGee, and more things to do in metro Detroit this week
Select events happening in metro Detroit this week. Submit your events to metrotimes.com/calendar. Be sure to check venue websites for COVID-19 policies. Babyface Ray Thursday, Jan. 27: Along with 42 Dugg, Babyface Ray is right up there as quite possibly the hottest new rapper from Detroit. And now, Ray’s about to drop a new album,…
The Congregation turns a Detroit church into a neighborhood coffee spot
Listen to congregants sing the praises of The Congregation: “It’s our de facto community center. It’s a good representation of the neighborhood. It’s nice inside without being precious.” The neighborhood in question is just south of Boston-Edison, across the street from a historical marker noting the touch-off of the 1967 Rebellion. I don’t usually write…
Savage Love: Is it possible to like prostate stimulation too much?
I’m a heterosexual cisgender male who loves prostate stimulation. I discovered it later in life, but it’s been a staple for the last fifteen years. I’m worried I’m pushing the envelope too much and need your advice. Lately, the last six months or so, I will have an orgasm that’s so intense I have pain…
Free Will Astrology (Jan. 26-Feb. 1)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Author Helen Hunt Jackson said that one component of happiness is “a little less time than you want.” Why? Because you always “have so many things you want to see, to have, and to do” and “no day is quite long enough for all you would like to get done before…
Biden promised to return the country to normal. There is no longer a normal to return to.
This will be a bad year for Democrats. It was always going to be a bad year for Democrats. Midterms often are for the president’s party. Midterms always are when the president’s approval ratings are in the toilet, his base is demoralized, and the party is suffering from a series of self-inflicted wounds that prevent…
Babyface Ray, one of Detroit’s hottest new rappers, will debut his new record at Saint Andrew’s Hall
Along with 42 Dugg, Babyface Ray is right up there as quite possibly the hottest new rapper from Detroit. And now, Ray’s about to drop a new album, Face, that could push him over the top. Over the past six months, the “Unfuckwitable” rapper has released songs with Mozzy, Icewear Vezzo, Pusha T, Trippie Red,…
The Dead Kennedys’ Klaus Flouride: It’s a Holiday in Detroit!
For many people, the Dead Kennedys are the embodiment of Californian punk. Led by Jello Biafra (who was interviewed in last week’s issue), the DK’s actually had something to say while, all around them, bands like the Germs were wallowing in drug-fuelled nihilism. Less well-known is the fact that DK’s bassist Klaus Flouride, real name…
