Cover Story
Bakpak Durden, BLKOUT Walls, and Black figurative art in Detroit
It is common knowledge that body language can say a lot about our day-to-day emotional state. But the body is also an archive; it stores scars and trauma and talks about the life we have lived to this point. In I Feel Like I’ve Been Here Before, a solo exhibition currently showing at Playground Detroit…
Get a Legitimate ESA Letter Online
Emotional support animals help provide support to anyone suffering from mental and emotional disabilities like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, mental illness, and others. These animals are more than just a pet and can help to improve mental health. There are specific rules and regulations to follow before you can own an emotional support animal. You…
Real HGH for Sale: 4 Brands & Best Place to Buy HGH Online
HGH was called a miracle drug for a reason. The benefits of human growth hormone are numerous — gaining lean muscle mass, fat loss, improvement of skin quality, joint protection, anti-aging properties, human growth hormone HGH replacement therapy. No wonder that HGH usage has broadened from its initial scope of treatment for kids’ growth hormone…
Rapper 42 Dugg will give away turkeys to children with incarcerated parents
Whether you enjoy it fried, smoked, or baked, Thanksgiving just isn’t Thanksgiving without a turkey. Rapper 42 Dugg and the Pure Heart Foundation are making sure the children of incarcerated parents will have the chance to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Through the partnership, the “We Paid” rapper will provide over 90 turkeys to families…
Massive marijuana recall in Michigan leads to lawsuit from testing lab
A Michigan marijuana testing lab is suing state regulators over a massive cannabis recall that forced more than 400 dispensaries to remove thousands of pounds of pot from their shelves last week. Viridis Laboratories claims in a lawsuit filed in the Michigan Court of Claims on Monday that the Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) recall was…
DJ Sky Jetta takes off on Black Friday with ‘Late Night Flight’ at Deluxx Fluxx
What do Kanye West and Detroit-bred DJ Sky Jetta have in common? They both have an interest in fashion, both dropped out of the same Chicago university, and ultimately began careers in music. For Sky Jetta, the art of DJing was something that she had always been around, and even though her father was a…
Detroit won’t institute vaccine mandate for cops, first responders as COVID-19 surges
As Mayor Mike Duggan urged Detroiters on Tuesday to get vaccinated for COVID-19, he said he has no plans to require vaccines for municipal employees, including police, firefighters, and other workers who have close contact with residents. “There [are] absolutely no conversations about vaccines for union or civil service employees,” Duggan said. “I made an…
Detroit Institute of Arts to host traveling exhibition spotlighting emerging contemporary Black photographers
When U.S. Olympic gymnast Simone Biles graced the cover of Vogue in August 2020, people were very vocal about disliking it. Not because of Biles, but because the four-time gold medalist was photographed by Annie Leibovitz, a white photographer. Critics slammed the lighting as being unflattering against Biles’s skin tone, which appeared dull and muted,…
Black-owned The Lobster Food Truck thrives, opens storefront in Dearborn
Metro Detroit may be far from the ocean, but a local food truck has been serving popular worth-the-wait oceanic delicacies. As of last week, they’ve moved into a brick-and-mortar storefront in Dearborn. The Lobster Food Truck, owned and operated by Nick Wilson and his aunt Kathryn Wilson, opened in 2018. Since then, fans of lobster…
The Detroit Lions suck but Big Sean and Ne-Yo might save the day as performers during Thanksgiving game
Though we’re not surprised that the Detroit Lions have zero wins under their belt this season — they’re the only team in the NFL this season to accomplish such an, um, accomplishment and, if they lose again, they’ll make history — the team will have a stellar score during their annual Thanksgiving Day game —…
Fans react to news that veteran Detroit radio DJ John O’Leary was found stabbed to death at Highland Park home
An arrest has been made in connection to the murder of a beloved veteran Detroit disc jockey, who was discovered dead at his Highland Park home on Sunday. After spending four decades on Detroit rock radio, manning the mic at stations like WWWW-FM, WLLZ-FM, WABX-FM, and classic rock station WCSX-FM, where he worked from 2002-2013…
COVID-19 hospitalizations reach alarming rate as new cases soar in Michigan
As Michigan continues to lead the country in new COVID-19 cases, hospitals are reaching or exceeding capacity at an alarming rate. In the past week, Michigan reported 53,575 new cases, the highest number since the pandemic began in March 2020. As of Sunday, the number of COVID-19 patients in the hospital reached 3,785, including 784…
Sparrow Hospital caregivers approve strike authorization
Updated Nov. 22, 2021, 5:42 p.m. with information about Sparrow’s proposed contract that was presented to the union on Monday and the union’s response. Members of a union representing thousands of caregivers at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing voted to authorize a strike should union leaders determine it’s necessary during ongoing contract negotiations, the Michigan Nurses…
Lady Gaga shines in Ridley Scott’s ‘House of Gucci,’ which otherwise falls short of fabulousness
A lot of people in my life seem to need House of Gucci pretty badly in theirs. More than most new releases of late (and certainly more than acclaimed director Ridley Scott’s last and largely slept-on The Last Duel), Gucci, based on the family behind the high-end Italian fashion brand, has been met with a…
Detroit’s Movement electronic music festival announces 2022 return to Hart Plaza
After taking a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, Detroit’s Movement electronic music festival is back on. Festival organizers Paxahau announced Movement’s return to its longstanding time and place, Memorial Day Weekend (May 28-30 next year) at downtown Detroit’s Hart Plaza. The company made the announcement on social media Monday. Of course, with the pandemic…
What the Rittenhouse verdict portends about the future of American democracy
For those who recall the grotesque circus of George Zimmerman’s 2013 trial, Kyle Rittenhouse’s acquittal felt painfully familiar. Like Zimmerman, the self-appointed neighborhood watchman who stalked and shot a Black teenager, Rittenhouse claimed self-defense after provoking a confrontation. Rittenhouse, a white teenager, took an assault rifle to “defend” Kenosha, Wisc. — a city 45 minutes…
Michigan redistricting commission should not have met in private, AG says
The Independent Redistricting Commission likely violated the state’s Open Meetings Act by gathering behind closed doors to discuss voting rights and the history of discrimination in Michigan in October, Attorney General Dana Nessel said Monday. The commission, which has come under fire for proposing new maps that would eradicate all 17 majority-Black legislative districts, gathered…
The ‘skyscraper curse’ is totally real in Detroit
If you’ve been downtown recently, you’ve probably noticed that progress is being made on Dan Gilbert’s new tower, a project that was to build what would be Michigan’s tallest skyscraper on the site of Detroit’s former J.L. Hudson Co. department store. That progress has been slow, however. Construction projects like this typically take about four…
Businessman Kevin Rinke launches campaign of fear and paranoia for governor of Michigan
Millionaire businessman and Republican Kevin Rinke officially launched his campaign for Michigan governor on Monday, pledging to spend at least $10 million of his own money. Rinke joins a crowded field of Republicans vying for a chance to take on Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the 2022 general election. Like many of the Republicans in…
‘This surge is seemingly unending’: Hospitals are at breaking point with unvaccinated patients
Dr. Rob Davidson had just finished his shift as an emergency room physician in West Michigan on Wednesday when he sank into the front seat of his car and hit record on his phone. “The COVID numbers are putting us over the top, beyond capacity, everywhere,” Davidson, who also serves as the executive director of…
The state set a vaccination goal of 70%. Then came the Delta variant.
Last winter, as COVID-19 vaccines were first being rolled out, a number of states set a 70% vaccination goal for people ages 16 years or older, including Michigan. President Joe Biden and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention set the same goal for the nation in May, which was reached in early August. This…
Pee, bullets, the Rolling Stones, and a disturbing report about Michigan’s country music festival: the top Detroit Metro Times headlines this week
Urine for a treat, as a lot happened this week: the good, the bad, and the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world. Appropriately, or, uh, inappropriately (depending on what side of the stream you find yourself on), our No. 1 story this week was about, well, No. 1. Sophia Urista, a Detroit native,…
Investing in Comics! A Fun Way to Make Money
If you’re a comic book fan, you already know how valuable comics can be. They are a great object for investments and a fun way to make money. Thinking about investing in comics? Here’s all you need to know. If you’re thinking about investing your money in something, comics are not a bad choice. If…
Mask advisory in full-effect for Michigan as we approach our second pandemic holiday season
It’s scarf, hat, and puffy coat weather in Michigan, and according to a new advisory from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, there’s another accessory that is, hopefully, going to get us through the holiday season. On Friday, following the Food and Drug Administration’s official authorization of COVID-19 booster shots for all adults,…
Black student files $150M racial discrimination suit against Bloomfield Hills School District
A Black student at Bloomfield Hills High School filed a federal class-action lawsuit on Thursday, accusing the administration of all but ignoring racial discrimination. The $150 million suit filed in U.S. District Court by an unidentified 15-year-old comes a week after students walked out of school following a series of racist incidents, including “Kill all…
Kid Rock really likes guns, compares himself to Brad Pitt, and rides a phallic middle-finger rocket in new music video
Like the bullshit cowboy he has claimed to be since 1998, Kid Rock beats many a dead horse in his latest “song” and companion video in which the aging bigot recycles tired imagery, Fox News verbiage, and sports a pair of eagle’s wings whilst straddling a phallic middle finger “Kid Rock-it” on a trip to…
Kellogg strike stretches into 6 weeks as company’s ‘last best final offer’ has expired
The Kellogg strike encompassing about 1,400 union workers at four cereal plants around the country, including in Battle Creek, is continuing into mid-November after the company’s “last best final offer” to the union expired without a vote and Kellogg says it is seeking new workers. Workers at the company’s four cereal plants in Michigan, Pennsylvania,…
FDA authorizes COVID-19 booster shots for all adults as Michigan becomes No. 1 hotspot in nation
On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration officially authorized COVID-19 booster shots for all adults. For Michigan, the timing couldn’t be more urgent. The approval comes just as Michigan reached the dubious achievement earlier this week of becoming the No. 1 hotspot for the virus in the nation, breaking previous records for case rates and…
Thousands of pounds of marijuana forced off shelves in Michigan’s largest cannabis recall
Tens of millions of dollars worth of marijuana was recalled from more than 400 dispensaries in Michigan because the lab that tested the cannabis produced inaccurate or unreliable results, according to the state’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA). It’s the largest recall in state history and involves thousands of pounds of flower and edibles tested by…
Cannabis dispensary made out of shipping containers opens in Michigan
A new dispensary in Muskegon claims to be the first in Michigan to be made from repurposed shipping containers. Named Grassy Knoll, the dispensary will have a grand opening from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20. Co-owner Janet Tombre says they chose to build it out of shipping containers because her stepson’s construction company…
Eaze expands recreational cannabis delivery to Detroit
Eaze gives a different meaning to special delivery. The San Francisco-based company allows consumers to order cannabis and have it delivered right to their doorstep. The company’s initial Michigan expansion earlier this year only included deliveries to Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor, but through a partnership with Pleasantrees, delivery will now be expanded to Detroit.…
State regulators turn up heat on Stellantis over nauseating odor at Jeep plant
Michigan environmental regulators are taking “escalated enforcement” action against Stellantis for failing to adequately address a months-long nauseating odor wafting from its year-old Jeep assembly plant in Detroit. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) said Thursday that it will fine Stellantis and establish a compliance plan to eliminate the stench in…
New Detroit ordinance allows food trucks in neighborhoods
A new food truck ordinance approved this week allows food trucks to operate in Detroit’s neighborhoods. Proposed by outgoing City Councilwoman Raquel Castañeda-Lopez and approved Tuesday, the new ordinance was intended to help bring fresh food to underserved communities. Typically, food trucks are found in certain areas of the city, like downtown, near Campus Martius…
Health officials worried that flu outbreak at University of Michigan is just the beginning
As COVID-19 cases continue to surge in Michigan, health officials reported the state’s first flu outbreak of the season, prompting concerns that hospitals will become overwhelmed. More than 525 University of Michigan students have come down with influenza A (H3N2), and 77% of them were not vaccinated against the flu, the university said in a…
Top local chefs will provide free Thanksgiving meals to the needy at the Detroit Shipping Co.
Those in need can get free Thanksgiving meals prepared by some of the most acclaimed chefs in Detroit. The fourth annual Full Plates, Full Hearts event expects to provide up to 450 meals on Monday, Nov. 22 at the Detroit Shipping Co. food hall. The boxed meals will include grilled turkey legs and roasted turkey…
Biden toasts new infrastructure law at GM electric vehicle plant opening in Detroit
President Joe Biden traveled to Detroit Wednesday to tout the new $1.2 trillion infrastructure package he signed into law on Monday while helping to celebrate the opening of General Motors new electric vehicle assembly plant. The Democrat was given a tour of the Factory ZERO Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center along with the chance to take an…
Whitmer pushes COVID-19 boosters, anticipating FDA approval, but plenty of people in Michigan can get one now
As expected (we totally saw this coming), COVID-19 is surging in Michigan as the weather grows colder and people gather indoors more. On Wednesday, the state became the No. 1 COVID-19 hotspot in the nation, with record-high cases and hospitals pushed to capacity — a problem that could get worse with Thanksgiving just one week…
A new mural will cover the whales on Detroit’s Broderick Tower — for now
It’s going to be a minute before you see the whales on Broderick Tower while you’re in Downtown Detroit. Now, before you plug your blowhole, the mural has been temporarily covered by a new mural full of color and happy faces. Rocket Companies tapped local artist Phillip Simpson to bring his signature colorful smiles to…
Danny Brown’s annual blowout party Bruiser Thanksgiving is coming to the Russell Industrial Center
In Detroit, we’re lucky to have several annual events that are hype AF and have us counting the calendar days until the next time we get to wild out. There’s festivals, parties, creepy immersive experiences (we miss you, Theatre Bizarre!), and then there’s our eccentric hometown hip-hop hero, all around goofball (and future stand-up comedy…
Detroit Zoo welcomes the return of dazzling and festive Wild Lights event
We may be divided on many things, be it political lines, social issues, and whether the world really needs a Tiger King sequel (answer: we don’t), but there is one thing we think is pretty universal: lights are friggin’ cool. Thanks to Thomas Edison and, well, the Detroit Zoological Society, metro Detroiters can, once again,…
Olivia O’Brien will bring her pop prowess to Saint Andrew’s Hall in Detroit
It’s been one hell of a year for Gen Z pop stars named Olivia. For 21-year-old Olivia O’Brien, the R&B-steeped Stevie Nicks-obsessed pop singer with more than 8 million monthly listeners on Spotify who regrets the nose job she got at 16, it’s always the Olivia O’Brien Show — and it’s getting picked up for…
Detroit rock ‘n’ roll photographer Leni Sinclair and late poster artist Gary Grimshaw honored with dual exhibition in Royal Oak
When we last spoke with iconic Detroit photographer and activist Leni Sinclair, 81, she told us that, of her 100,000 or so negatives (a number she estimates as being higher but says she lost count), her favorite photo isn’t one of rock stars like Iggy Pop, Aretha Franklin, the MC5, Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones,…
Former City of Detroit social media director curates showcase and coworking events for creatives
Amber Lewis is a woman of many hats, she’s an influencer, content curator, marketing and social media strategist, former director of digital and social media for the City of Detroit, and the “playlist princess.” It was nearly a year ago when the Detroit native said goodbye to the city to head south to New Orleans.…
Retired Detroit cop convicted in bribery scheme involving towing companies
A retired Detroit cop pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in federal court in Detroit on Tuesday, becoming the second person to be convicted in a broadening towing scandal. Alonzo Jones, 55, of Detroit, faces up 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he’s sentenced on March 15. Jones, who resigned in 2009 after…
Whiskey in the Winter returns to Detroit Shipping Co. with booze, tunes, and food
It’s pitch black at 4:45 p.m., the temps are dropping, our families are freaking out about what the vegans will eat at Thanksgiving dinner, and radio stations have already pivoted to playing nonstop Christmas music. That could only mean one thing: it’s time for whiskey — all of the whiskey. Not to, you know, toot…
Ballot measure aims to allow Michigan prisoners to earn time off jail sentence with good behavior
Criminal-justice reform advocates are preparing to collect signatures to launch a ballot initiative that would enable Michigan prisoners to reduce their sentences through good behavior. The initiative is aimed at repealing Michigan’s 23-year-old Truth in Sentencing law, which requires inmates to serve their entire minimum sentence before being paroled and bars inmates from earning time…
Mongers’ Provisions expands to Berkley from Detroit’s Midtown
Cheese, chocolate, and charcuterie are coming to Berkley. Mongers’ Provisions, which opened a storefront in Detroit’s Midtown a few years ago, is expanding with a second location in the suburbs. The new 2,800 square-foot store is nearly three times as big as its Midtown store, and will be located at 3127 W. 12 Mile Rd.,…
Well Done Goods is moving to a bigger space in Eastern Market, now boasts Detroit’s largest selection of crystals
Well Done Goods, a longtime retailer in Eastern Market run by artist Bethany Shorb known for its funky screen-printed ties, T-shirts, jewelry, and other Detroit-themed goodies, is moving — but not very far. The store is relocating to a larger space in the Eastern Market district that will allow it to manufacture its wares in…
How Common Citizen is aiming to be an uncommon cannabis company
“Cannabis for humanity” is the motto of the Common Citizen marijuana business operating in Detroit, Flint, Hazel Park, Battle Creek, and Marshall, where the business’s grow facility is located. It’s one of the largest operators in the state, and the folks there seem to take that motto seriously. For instance, the grow facility uses the…
Free Will Astrology (Nov. 17-23)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries poet and philosopher Friedrich Hölderlin (1770–1843) had many ups and downs. He was one of Germany’s greatest poets and philosophers, but he also endured more emotional distress than most people. His biographer wrote, “Sometimes this genius goes dark and sinks down into the bitter well of his heart, but mostly…
The Medicare disadvantage: How corporate insurers are nickel-and-diming seniors and taxpayers
Have you noticed that you’re getting a lot more ads for insurance plans right now? I know I have. Turn on a college football game, start a new show on Hulu, or tune in to CNN and there they are: “See if you qualify for a plan with additional benefits today!” Chief among the deluge…
Does Motor City Brewing Works’ Avenue of Fashion menu beat the pub fare blahs?
Despite that Motor City Brewing Works has described the kitchen at its Midtown taproom as “an afterthought,” it managed to make a name for itself with its awesome brick oven pizzas topped with items like pear, fig, and gorgonzola. For some, the pizza is the main reason to visit, and the beer is merely the…
Indie rock band Habibi on the future, sisterhood, and ‘The Sopranos’
After nearly 11 years, Lenny Lynch says she finally feels as though Habibi is home — and there’s no end in sight. Habibi, a Detroit-via-Brooklyn, New York and, now, -upstate New York band known for mixing lo-fi bedroom rock, garage rock, Farsi, and Dick Dale’s surf rock with girl group harmonies and hooks, formed over…
In ‘Spencer,’ the People’s Princess drives a Ferrari
Promising a “fable from a true tragedy” in its opening title card, Pablo Larraín’s newest glimpse into the life of a single character in Princess Diana — following the similarly named Neruda, Jackie, and a less on-brand aesthetic experiment in the purer fiction Ema — tips its hand right then. Chasing the gravity (and material)…
