Cover Story
Sada Baby’s wild ride
It’s a festive scene on Detroit’s east side near Van Dyke and the I-94 freeway. The aroma of cannabis can be smelled all the way to Connor as Detroit rapper Sada Baby and about 25 friends and family are having an impromptu summer block party. Dressed in a long-sleeve Rokit T-shirt, black stonewashed jeans, and…
Rep. Tlaib takes on streaming music services, calls for mandatory royalty payments to musicians
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib has built a reputation fighting for civil rights, climate justice, and universal health care. Now the Detroit Democrat is using her influence to support musicians. Tlaib plans to introduce a bill that would create a new mandatory streaming royalty that would be paid directly to musicians. The resolution calls on the…
Jerry Garcia-branded cannabis launches in Michigan next month
A cannabis brand inspired by musician Jerry Garcia is set to launch in the Michigan market next month, corresponding with what would be the late Grateful Dead co-founder’s 80th birthday. The Garcia Hand Picked line will launch in Michigan on Friday, Aug. 5 at Liberty Cannabis dispensaries in Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Madison Heights. Garcia…
Why Democrats are helping a far-right candidate defeat Rep. Meijer in West Michigan primary
National Democrats are meddling in a Republican congressional primary race featuring moderate incumbent U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer and a far-right conspiracy theorist endorsed by former President Donald Trump. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is spending at least $425,000 to run TV ads in the Grand Rapids area that promote Republican John Gibbs as a tough-on-immigration,…
‘Pray for Us’ exhibit at Norwest Gallery of Art is a celebration of women and the divine feminine
Black women adorned in extravagant tulle dresses dance across lush fields and beach sunsets in undisturbed joy. As the striking visuals, vibrant costumes, and rainbow of brown skin flash across the screen, a woman’s soft and impassioned voice speaks. “Beauty comes from a place where we connect with God, and God connects with us,” the…
Detroit bar PJ’s Lager House moves to sell to James Oliver Coffee Co. building owner
Long-standing Corktown rock ’n’ roll bar PJ’s Lager House is moving to sell its building and business to the owner of the next-door building that houses the James Oliver Coffee Co., Metro Times has learned. That’s according to bar owner PJ Ryder, who listed the building at 1254 Michigan Ave. for sale for $2.2 million…
Gucci shuts down unofficial Twitter account that tweeted about homeless man in Detroit
Update: This post was updated with additional information from Gucci, who says the “@Gucci_Detroit” Twitter account is “not authentic and not associated with the Gucci store.” The account was deleted after the company contacted Twitter, according to a spokesperson. Luxury fashion retailer Gucci surprised many when it announced in January it would open a new…
Motor City Nightmares returns to metro Detroit
Who says you have to wait until Halloween to be spooked? Since 2008, Motor City Nightmares Expo and Film Festival has been Michigan’s destination for all things horror, and this weekend, the convention will bring the Mitten’s horror fans together for a weekend of thrills. Alice Krige, known for her role as Borg Queen in…
The O’Jays bring the ‘Love Train’ to Detroit’s Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre this weekend
People all over Detroit, join hands. Legendary R&B and soul group the O’Jays are bringing their farewell tour to Detroit this weekend. “The Last Stop on the Love Train” tour will be pulling into the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre on Friday, July 29. The trio announced the tour back in May. Lead singer Eddie Levert told…
In ‘Nope,’ film history and a great cast messily collide
Since delivering an instant hit with 2017’s Get Out, a fine-tuned horror-satire whose sense of ease and artistic surety proved so palpable that its direction almost felt offhand, Jordan Peele has struggled to recapture that same almost-casual air in his artistic labors. Ambitious and inventive as he is fascinated by the past, the writer-director has…
State agency charges Grand Rapids Police Department with racial discrimination in two cases
The Michigan Department of Civil Rights filed two racial discrimination charges against the Grand Rapids Police Department for separate incidents. The charges stem from two complaints filed against the Grand Rapids Police Department. In one case, police are accused of mistreating Melissa Mason because she’s Black on Jan. 20, 2020. Mason was driving in a…
U.S. Senate bill would legalize marijuana for first time in 50+ years
More than 50 years after Congress made marijuana illegal, the U.S. Senate has introduced a new bill to legalize pot. The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act would decriminalize marijuana and enable states to create their own weed laws. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced the bill on Thursday, giving hope that decades of cannabis prohibition…
How attacks on drag queens in Howell foreshadowed the right’s national anti-LGBTQ+ push
A seemingly impromptu objection to a scheduled drag queen performance in Howell nearly a year ago has spurred proposed GOP legislation seeking to bar schools from hosting such performances and allowing parents to sue if they do. In early July 2021, Livingston County Republican Party Chair Meghan Reckling posted on Facebook that it was “disappointing”…
The Peterboro restaurant in Detroit closes for the summer
Detroit’s Cass Corridor is losing another dining option for the rest of the summer. The Peterboro, which has been serving contemporary Chinese American fare for the past seven years, is closing its doors for the next few months. General Manager for Detroit Optimist Society Adam Russell said in an email the goal is to reopen…
Stevie Nicks and Vanessa Carlton announce Pine Knob date
Rock ‘n’ roll icon Stevie Nicks is heading to metro Detroit’s Pine Knob amphitheater in September. The Fleetwood Mac singer will perform at the outdoor venue on Tuesday, Sept. 13 with singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton as support. Promoters announced on Monday that it’s the 50th show announced for the 50th anniversary season of the venue, which…
With focus on climate and abortion, Elizabeth Warren stumps for Andy Levin
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) kicked off the final nine-day stretch until the Democratic primary in Michigan’s new 11th Congressional District, rallying on Sunday for U.S. Rep. Andy Levin (D-Bloomfield Twp.) in his race against fellow incumbent Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Rochester Hills). Warren, who previously worked with Levin (D-Bloomfield Twp.) on the Build Green Act,…
Local Starbucks workers strike and Sada Baby talks about his career: The top 10 Metro Times headlines of the week
This week, our readers did a whole lotta clicking on this week’s cover story about Detroit rapper Sada Baby. Another Midtown staple permanently closing after three decades serving the area, and our readers clicked to find out more. Our readers were also interested in a large medical insurance company that faced backlash for donating to…
Oak House Deli to open second location in Pontiac
Oak House Deli will be bringing its vegan pastrami and Reubens to Pontiac starting Monday, July 25. The Royal Oak deli known for both its vegan and non-vegan sammies will be opening its second location inside the Crofoot concert venue. Hours will be 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Seeing as several vegan-friendly…
Little Liberia wins $100,000 Comerica Hatch Detroit contest
African fusion pop-up Little Liberia is the winner of this year’s Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest. With a $100,000 grand prize in tow, Little Liberia is hoping to open a brick-and-mortar location in either Midtown, Corktown, or Greektown in Detroit. Little Liberia started as a pop-up in 2016 combining African, Caribbean, and Antebellum-South African American flavors…
Wayne County hosts expungement fair to remove past convictions from public record
More than 2,000 people with criminal records are hoping for a second chance at an expungement fair hosted by the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday. The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Fellowship Chapel at 7707 Outer Drive in Detroit. Pre-registration has closed, but walk-ins are welcome. The expungements of…
Boblo Boat documentary to hit select metro Detroit theaters in September
The fabled Boblo Island holds fond memories for older generations of Detroiters that are being told in a documentary about the amusement park’s ferries. Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale will have a limited two-week run in select Detroit theatres starting Sept. 16, producers announced. The doc was first screened at the 2021 Freep Festival…
Suspected insurrectionist Ryan Kelley can’t be removed from ballot, Michigan Court of Appeals rules
The Michigan Court of Appeals on Thursday rejected a lawsuit that sought to boot suspected insurrectionist Ryan Kelley from the general election ballot if he wins the primary next month. The three-judge panel said the lawsuit was filed too close to the Aug. 2 primary election to remove Kelley, one of five Republican candidates vying…
Stephanie Mills and George Benson to headline the 25th Annual Jazz on the River
There’s nothing like the smooth and soothing sounds of jazz played live in a park. Wayne County Parks brings its annual event Jazz on the River back to Trenton’s Elizabeth Park. This year’s event will feature singer Stephanie Mills on Saturday, August 6 and George Benson on Sunday, August 7. Other performers include violinist Kym…
ProDentim Reviews – Shocking Facts About This Probiotic Candy, Ingredients, Complaints & Cost!
ProDentim Real Reviews – Is Pro Dentim safe? Any complaints about podentim probiotic softchews candy? Added ingredients are safe? Introducing ProDentim – With 3.5 billion probiotic strains ProDentim, an advanced oral probiotic supplement, is the best solution for your oral health. With 30 soft tablets in every container, a bottle of ProDentim candy lasts a…
‘Hastings Street’ musical centered around Detroit’s Black Bottom opens this week
Detroit’s Black Bottom was a bustling predominantly Black neighborhood in the 1940s until it was razed to make way for the I-375 highway and Lafayette Park housing development. A new musical explores the storied history of this neighborhood filled with music, culture, and Black-owned businesses and its dismantling to make way for white residents. Hastings…
Whitmer urges FDA to remove barriers to medication abortion
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called on the Federal Food and Drug Administration on Thursday to remove “burdensome restrictions” on the abortion medication mifepristone. Pills that terminate pregnancies have taken on more urgency after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that legalized abortion nationwide. “Americans deserve control over their own bodies and…
Immersive King Tut exhibit headed for Detroit
Lighthouse Immersive is at it again with an Immersive King Tut exhibit that’s headed for Detroit this November. They’re the same folks behind the Immersive Van Gogh projection mapping show that was delayed at least three times but seemingly went off without a hitch in May once a venue was finally announced. King Tut: Boy.…
Another Starbucks store in Michigan petitions to unionize as the labor movement grows statewide
The movement among Starbucks employees to unionize continues to spread across Michigan. A Starbucks store at 5655 Pickard St. in Mount Pleasant petitioned to form a union early Thursday morning. A vast majority of store’s employees signed union authorization cards, according to Workers United. If employees are successful, the store would become the 11th in…
Whitmer signs general budget, vetoes anti-abortion items
With a stroke of her pen Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the rest of the state’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget and vetoed line items that directed money to anti-abortion pregnancy resource centers. The $76 billion budget, which has garnered bipartisan support, focuses on investments in the economy, Michigan’s workforce, public health, and public safety. …
Detroiter goes from being homeless to working on Jordan Peele’s film ‘Nope’
Jordan Peele’s much-anticipated horror comedy Nope has a small Detroit connection behind the scenes. Detroit native Robert McTyre Jr. worked as a set lighting technician on the film, a fancy way of saying he did lighting setup and takedown. It may seem like a small role, but considering McTyre was once homeless after dropping everything…
Michigan Democrats call on DOJ to investigate GOP colleagues for ‘seditious conspiracy’
Democratic state lawmakers introduced a bill Wednesday that urges the Department of Justice to investigate their Republican colleagues for attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election. “An essential element of being a legislator is accepting the peaceful transition of power when the people choose different leaders, and these members failed to faithfully discharge the duties…
Blue Cross Blue Shield slammed for donating to Michigan lawmakers who push election lies, voting restrictions
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has come under fire for continuing to donate to the campaigns of lawmakers who are pushing voting restrictions and lies about widespread election fraud. The Defend Black Voters Coalition identified $329,000 in contributions from BCBSM to politicians who have pushed “Jim Crow-style voter suppression in Michigan” since 2016. During…
Free Will Astrology (July 20-26)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): You are entering the Season of Love’s Renewal. To celebrate, I offer you a poem by eighth-century Tamil poet Andal. Whatever gender you may be, I invite you to visualize yourself as the “Snakewaist woman” she addresses. Here’s Andal, bringing a fiery splash of exclamation points: “Arouse, Snakewaist woman! Strut your…
How to fix the U.S. Supreme Court
“Judicial supremacy” is the construct that the Supreme Court is the final arbiter of the constitution — that its authority in interpreting the Constitution supersedes the other branches of government. Like so many aspects of modern government, we ascribe judicial supremacy a certain ahistorical concreteness, as if because it came before us, it must be…
Gâteaux Pâtisserie sweetens west Dearborn
Gâteaux Pâtisserie is the kind of boutique pastry shop that forces one to make an almost overwhelming decision among dozens of elegant, elaborate, rich Parisian desserts like eclairs, macarons, mille-feuille, mousse, Saint Honoré cake, and so much more, lined in neat and colorful rows. While there’s not really a wrong turn to be made, perhaps…
