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IT'S COLD IN THE D, Pt. 4: Guilty Simpson 
Published Saturday, August 30, 2008 12:30 PM
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    By Brandon M. Dunlap
    When Detroit-bred lyrical assassin Guilty Simpson walks down his block there are no flashing lights from cameras or gawking hysterical fans. Simpson isn’t ordinarily bombarded with ball points to sign his name upon articles of clothing, CD’s, nor body parts. But that is cool, because if it were up to him, the industry can take fame and fortune and literally, shove it where the Sun don't shine.

    Relative anonymity hasn’t stopped the late J Dilla christened MC from hitting the booth hard for his hood. After releasing his 2008 solo debut Ode to the Ghetto, and being featured on numerous track listings like the Kidz In The Hall Mid West scorcher “Middle of the Map Pt. 2,” Simpson has cemented his footprint at the forefront of a creative surge for the Detroit Hip-Hop scene. The studio addict is set to pump out various collabos with Sean Price, Black Milk and is featured on Madlib’s upcoming BBE Records album. Nonetheless his hustle is proven exemplary to the solid yet still fledgling Hip-Hop movement brewing on the rugged streets of the Motor city.
     

    AllHipHop.com: What do you bring different to the table as an artist?

    Guilty Simpson: I bring that balance, able to straddle the line to do whatever. Guilty is one of the few artists from Detroit that can do a song with T.I. or Young Jeezy, and in the same day do a session with Common or Black Thought. I think I am one of the artists some people don’t really know how to classify me, some of the Hip-Hop heads are like “he’s too hood” and some n****s in the hood will be like “he’s a little too lyrical, I don’t want to think when I hear this n***a rapping.” I think I am able to do both. I had an A Tribe Called Quest album and an NWA album at the same time, and nobody made me choose which side I would be on.  
        
    AllHipHop.com: So if Britney Spears was calling you up to do a collabo, you’d be down?

    Guilty Simpson: Hell yeah, I would pop that s**t out. But I’m going to bring her to the hood. My s**t is going to be hood, I’m not going to be on that b***h smiling and dancing.

    Guilty Simpson "Beast (Live)" Video





    AllHipHop.com: What type of response do you feel you received from Ode to the Ghetto and were you satisfied with it?

    Guilty Simpson: I think the main thing is regardless of sales the record is doing pretty well. Projections with Stones Throw they are pretty satisfied with it and keep in mind that it was leaked three months in advance before my record even dropped. I’ve always considered Ode to the Ghetto, a setup record to basically give my fan base something. It is just an introduction to what is going on, but me, I’m only scratching the surface with where I want to go with it.

    In this game you’ve got to have short memory, whether it is highs or lows. The record came out, that’s great, I’ve been working the record, doing the things necessary to make it successful. But I’m in the lab everyday, I’m anxious to move onto my next thing because I am an artist above everything. I really want to get this music out, and let this music take care of itself. Even if it has to age and people can’t appreciate it for five years, I don’t care.
     
    AllHiphop.com: Where do you think Detroit is as a Hip-Hop musical movement in gaining national exposure?

    Guilty Simpson:  Besides talking and dudes getting along we have basically accomplished that. Now that is a whole different animal when your talking about recognition because it is only a small percentage of people who recognize Detroit for what we contribute to the music industry. Mainly those are Hip-Hop purists, people who are really into the underground following. But as in a household name with the exception of Eminem and D12, a lot of people don’t even have Royce Da 5’ 9’’ as a household name.

    I think as a movement we are good, the thing is now that we have this unity we have to take it to that next level, where everybody is established as a household name. When I mean household name, I don’t mean 106 & Park and TRL, but legitimate s**t that is being placed on the radio, stuff that levels the playing field. I might hear my song twice a week, and I might hear The Dream, a T-Pain song, or “Lollipop” three times in an hour. It’s hard for me to become a household name when the playing field is not level

    Black Milk f/ Guilty Simpson "Sound the Alarm" Video




    AllHipHop.com: Are you worried at all about the state of the industry once your name grows into becoming a household name?

    Guilty Simpson: No, I like that industry and all, but I just really want to find my lane. I want to do the music but I don’t really care about the fame. I want to consistently make my money and do my thing. So when I look at the industry, I want to be a part of it because I want my album to come out. But I really don’t want everything that fame entails, no privacy, motherf***ers all in your business, Mediatakeout. Basically your not able to do anything, they can keep that.

    My dream is to of course have a fanbase to where I can eat but I want to work out of home. I want to be judged by my music. I don’t want someone to be like “I talked to somebody in Detroit, that n***a is hood for real, he be fighting and shooting.” Even though that was my lifestyle, I don’t care about that, I’m not glorifying that, judge me as an MC. Playing a person’s record that has been shot 55 times, just because you support him being shot. But when your making excuses for supporting these artists and it has nothing to do with the music, your basically grasping for straws finding a reason to support them.

    Guilty Simpson "Get Riches" Video




    AllHipHop.com: Many people see that cats from Detroit are not up on the movement happening in their own city as much as outsiders or purists. Why do you think this is?

    Guilty Simpson: I definitely don’t want to s**t on Detroit as fans, but we can get into well-known fact. Detroit is a testers market for records. From what I understand talking to different people in radio, if a song is hot in a certain region, they feel confident that no matter what that song is, they can bring it to Detroit and it will create a brush-fire. The music industry doesn’t really consider Detroit, Michigan to be a great place to break a record, because they look at the fan base as kind of fickle. You have to think about it, being in Detroit, you have some people that rock with the Hip Hop stuff, people that rock with the South stuff, some with the West Coast stuff, so when you thought about Detroit as a whole you really don’t have a common found stamped as a Detroit sound. Our listeners have a broad ear to where they like different stuff, but when it comes down to really standing behind an artist and really break them, Eminem was the biggest star in the world but it’s a fact Detroit didn’t break his records. It’s like we’re not really taking pride in our own.

    Guilty Simpson "Baby (Live)" (produced by J Dilla) Video





    AllHiphop.com: Which producers you’ve been working with, do you feel captures the same essence of your sonic chemistry with J Dilla?

    Guilty Simpson: Mr. Porter, that’s my dude right there. Even when Dilla was alive, when I was going to do my record called “The Verdict,” Mr. Porter was going to have half and Dilla would have half. I definitely think his production exemplifies what I want to do, whether it is a grimey beat or a soulful beat. We definitely have that chemistry, “Ode to the Ghetto” was basically a small portion of it. Dilla taught Mr. Porter how to work an MP, so Mr. Porter is an extension of Dilla, but he is his own person in his own right. He embodies everything I try to do musically, but I can’t go wrong with a Black Milk or a Madlib either. I’m just thankful these dudes want to work with me, his clientele and schedule is so busy. He sells beats to 50 and Game and for him to take the time out to even work with me, made me instill pride in what I am doing. Because I am well aware he could be doing other things that make him multi-thousands of dollars within an hours time. Instead he was dedicating four and fives hours to work with me, and I didn’t have anything to give him. He doesn’t even smoke weed so I couldn’t even twist one and pass it to him.


    Comments

     

    Pilly Da Kid said:

    First Bitches!
    August 30, 2008 12:41 PM
     

    Kappagem said:

    This dude goes hard....real talk.

    Definitely feelin' that vibe homey bringing...his voice sounds eerily similar to this one cat that be out in the Bay...I can't remember the name right now, but dayum...

    Anyhow...he go hard...

    But I'm tired of seeing "It's So Cold In The D Pt" and ish...

    Focus on something else now...
    August 30, 2008 12:48 PM
     

    shine*kingdom said:

    AHH..... could you hop off guilty's sack one time....
    August 30, 2008 1:41 PM
     

    HipHop4Eternity said:

    Guilty Simpson don't play around.
    August 30, 2008 1:48 PM
     

    DJ TEKNISION said:

    Guilty got a real hot album!!  but I guess no one cares because he don't have a guest spots from LIL WEAZER on it. HIP HOP IS EVERYWHERE PLEASE GO SEARCH FOR IT!!!


    http://djteknision.podOmatic.com
    MIXES 4 EVERYONE!!
    August 30, 2008 2:03 PM
     

    SPATE Magazine All Day said:

    Thats whats up

    http://www.spatemag.com
    SPATE MAGAZINE WAS HERE

    MaddMann Wins Most Original Artist At UMA's
    http://www.imeem.com/maddmannmusic
    http://www.maddmannfans.ning.com
    http://www.myspace.com/madmanhiphop
    August 30, 2008 2:16 PM
     

    Redd-i said:

    Black Milk is nice too
    August 30, 2008 2:16 PM
     

    gorgan said:

    why are there not more emcees in this GuIltys  calibre  getting a lil push from these labels to balance out the hiphop game , Back in the dizzy a radio rap shoe would and could play a NWA track next to a Delasoul track and not lose a BEAT . Because the real hiphop heads appreciated the diversity that the genre offered . The question needs to be asked is their a conspiracy to dilute the music so these corperate suits can control  and profit from putting out disposable bubblegum music and call hiphop terms like urban , nowadays a major record label will only give out deals where they can get a peice from not only the royalyties and ringtone monies, but they want a peice from the artists tours and shows , television and films , clothing and merchandising deals , this is due to the drop in cd sales bought about by illegal downloads , emcees like Guilty don't really go for the [look how buff my arms look or  look at how much bling i've got approach] they just spit hot shit on some gutta ass beats and seen as the game has gone so far away from these basic ethics i have to co sign what    DJ TEKNISION said HIP HOP IS EVERYWHERE PLEASE GO SEARCH FOR IT!!!

    August 30, 2008 3:05 PM
     

    HipHop4Eternity said:

    Anthony Garth did a great job on that "Sound the Alarm" video.
    August 30, 2008 3:31 PM
     

    MoonchyldTwy said:

    see the ahh community don't even wanna check cats out like him  most of thge people on this site are a bunch of fake ass fans of hip hop. peace to the Stones Throw fam! Guilty is da shit love his track on Dilla's Shining album
    August 30, 2008 3:32 PM
     

    Doobies Ashtray said:

    good luck guilty..  seems like hes the type of artist hip hop needs right now
    August 30, 2008 3:36 PM
     

    MidWest Petey Green said:

    Almighty!!!!!!

    Dont Forget The D.J.'s!!!!!!!!

    Download New Joints Right Here:

    http://rapidshare.com/files/141384562/Blowing_up_da_Block_pt._2_by__D.J._Vicious_Vic___D.J._Detroit_Redd.zip.html

    or

    [url=http://www.divshare.com/download/5093554-5f9]DivShare File - Midwest Petey Green _ D_J_ Detroit Redd.zip[/url]
    August 30, 2008 7:42 PM
     

    MidWest Petey Green said:

    The 'D' is in Here Forever:

    Dont Forget The D.J.'s!!!!!!!

    Download the Free Mix C.D.'s right Here!!!!!!!!!!

    [url=http://www.divshare.com/download/4002927-0e6]DivShare File - Late Night In the D  pt_ 3.zip[/url]

    [url=http://www.divshare.com/download/4090926-d73]DivShare File - Late Night in the D  pt_ 2.zip[/url]

    or

    Download New Mixtape:

    click here for free download!!!!!!!!

    [url=http://www.divshare.com/download/5093554-5f9]DivShare File - Midwest Petey Green _ D_J_ Detroit Redd.zip[/url]

    or
    [url=http://www.divshare.com/download/4090364-e3c]DivShare File - National Treasure Mixtape.zip[/url]

    [url=http://www.divshare.com/download/4215273-995]DivShare File - King of da Airwaves pt_  11.zip[/url]

    And


    http://rapidshare.com/files/141384562/Blowing_up_da_Block_pt._2_by__D.J._Vicious_Vic___D.J._Detroit_Redd.zip.html
    August 30, 2008 7:51 PM
     

    TXMON3 said:

    theres nothing tight about being the first to comment on something... when did that become a thing to brag about?
    August 30, 2008 8:30 PM
     

    MidWest Petey Green said:

    @
      DJ TEKNISION

    Real D.J.'s Run the Streets in the "D"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    http://rapidshare.com/files/141384562/Blowing_up_da_Block_pt._2_by__D.J._Vicious_Vic___D.J._Detroit_Redd.zip.html
    August 30, 2008 8:35 PM
     

    Neven said:

    I have to co sign with gorgan and dj teknision that  HIP HOP IS EVERYWHERE PLEASE GO SEARCH FOR IT!!! there are too many followers these days every mc has to match and hang bling from the neck it seems that if your not on the MTV rooster then you can't be accepted but in truth these fcuking Video artist are really robbing the underground and making it go pop.  we need more mc's like Guilty that love the art more than the money.

    GZA-Pro tools  if don't have it then cop it. best album out this year
    August 30, 2008 9:00 PM
     

    PreciseChi said:

    Guilty is that Throwback hard lyric driven emcee. I appreciate his talent. Now that Yung Berg geeting served got the D so much shine...ya'll need to do the same for the Chi.

    Adult Hip Hop
    http://www.myspace.com/precisesoundz

    http://precisechiblog.blogspot.com/
    August 30, 2008 10:08 PM
     

    JunesFlow said:

    AHH.com has just leaped into the negative 4 spot on my favorite Hip-Hop sites list. (That's higher than number 1, for all the "special" peeps)
    Way to show love to Guilty Simpson!
    He's paid dues and the shine is definitely well deserved.


    Shout to:
    BUGGZ (R.I.P.)
    Big Proof (R.I.P.)
    J. Dilla (R.I.P.)
    Blade (R.I.P.)
    Sho' Boat (R.I.P.)
    Dalvin Bundles (R.I.P.)
    The entire M.I.C.!!! (Waaaaaallstreeeeeet)
    Juan
    Eminem
    D12
    Trick-Trick
    Purple-Gang
    Y.B.I.
    Fat Killaz
    DNA
    Phat Kat
    B-Flat
    FUZZ
    Quest M.C.O.D.Y.
    BoBack
    Ill Uno
    Supa Emcee
    Ill Breed
    Tone-Tone
    Mz. Korona
    N'Jeri
    Redbone
    Billy Nix
    Azazal
    Tre Little
    Fat Ray
    Young Brasc
    Big Herk
    K. Deezy
    Westside Hussain
    Eastside Hussain
    Hauss Dooley
    G-NINE
    SuckaFree
    Obie Trice
    Dogmatic
    Dev White
    La Costa Nostra
    Slick Onez
    Killa Black
    Team Truly
    Peruvian Flake
    Wolfpack
    Street Team
    Yung Rel
    Yung I
    Prophecy
    Paradime
    Made West
    Stretch Money
    Raw Collection
    Brilliance
    Lou Dobbs
    Key Diego
    Tez Green
    Hush
    M. Porter
    J. Hill
    Black Milk
    Guilty Simpson
    Al Nuke
    Wesley Valentine
    Whizkid
    Strike
    5 Elements
    Almighty Dreadnaughtz
    Da' Clinic
    DJ Babe
    DJ Mase
    DJ Butter
    DJ DDT
    DJ Mark Da Spark
    SHOOOOOOOOOOOOOES!
    DJ DEZ
    DJ Don Q.



    and a shit load more of DETROIT peeps with a story to tell!



    FREE RASHAUN PEEL!
    FREE CASH!
    August 31, 2008 1:37 AM
     

    Detroit Goon said:

    How can yall possibly be covering the D without mentioning the nigga with the most requested song in the city for 21 straight weeks on Serchlite Saturday. That shows how irrelevent the radio is, yall need to bump that Ron Dobbs, im sure some of yall heard the single called "What" with Stretch on the hook. We got the biggest dudes in the D cosigning us ya dig, including Obie, Royce, and all the radio personalities. We've been on the radio live with Serch and the single has been poppin for a while, how is the name not out there cause we got the whole Eastside on lock.

    Here is the myspace page

    http://www.myspace.com/dobbsdetroit

    Here is the youtube footage when we were on 102.7 with Serch

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BhCwcLNg5w <Interview

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4zgMunPi7o  <Freestyle

    Heres the single that has been most requested for 21 weeks on Serchlite Saturday

    http://www.zshare.net/audio/16875175d7476a2a/


    I see it like this, MC Serch discovered Nas and a lot of Queens rappers, the nigga got a ear for talent. We got him giving us all the props in the world so if you aint supporting Dobbs as the nigga to put the D on the map, you dont want to see the city come up on this hip hop shit, for real.


    EAST WARREN IN THIS BITCH
    August 31, 2008 5:12 AM
     

    CESS said:

    i asked this on the other page too but got no answer, but i wanna know..

    CESS said:
    A QUESTION FOR MY DETROIT PEOPLE HERE:

    HOW MANY OF Y'ALL GOT "PROOF - SEARCHING FOR JERRY GARCIA"?
    AND WHAT WERE THE THOUGHTS? I PERSONALLY LOVED THIS ALBUM, AND IT INTODUCED ME TO SOME DETROIT TALENT I MAY NOT HAVE HEARD OF YET OTHERWISE, LIKE PURPLE GANG, 1ST BORN ETC.

    JUST CURIOUS WHAT THE FEELINGS WERE ON THIS ALBUM....
    August 31, 2008 1:43 PM
     

    affliCted said:

    Keep pushin it Guilt! Its your time to shine! See you back in cuz basement when your back it the D! You got next on Madden!
    August 31, 2008 2:34 PM
     

    gorgan said:

    CESS said:
    i asked this on the other page too but got no answer, but i wanna know..

    CESS said:
    A QUESTION FOR MY DETROIT PEOPLE HERE:

    HOW MANY OF Y'ALL GOT "PROOF - SEARCHING FOR JERRY GARCIA"?
    AND WHAT WERE THE THOUGHTS? I PERSONALLY LOVED THIS ALBUM, AND IT                 delirious44 said:  i'm not from the D BUT I COPPED THAT PROOF JOINT IT'S HOT, I THINK HE WAS THE NICEST IN D 12 , THE BILBOAS THEME , PIMPLIKENESS , 72 AND CENTRAL AND CLAP WIT ME  WAS MY SHITS OFF THE DISC
    August 31, 2008 4:16 PM
     

    Doobie Ashtrayz said:

    @CESS

    i turned it into a weed plate..
    August 31, 2008 4:49 PM
     

    Ten $ Shades said:


    Guilty.
    August 31, 2008 7:18 PM
     

    CESS said:

    AT DOOBIE & GORGAN...

    i copped it here in canada and it cost me 37$ since i came out on a small label... and i thought it was DOPE... i will admit that some of the beats may have been a lil suspect, but over-all i thought it was great... fun songs, real songs, rippin it songs... had a lil of everything for me..  i thought it was dope to hear what proof can do when its him n him only... and as famous as he got, dude is STILL slept on to me...

    but, to each his own...
    August 31, 2008 7:21 PM
     

    HIPHOPHEAD74 said:

    all them vids are weak to me and his raps are weak to me and boring.
    August 31, 2008 7:37 PM
     

    absurdproductions said:

    this dude needs to blow up, in the chi we got beats, guilty holla at your boy!!!!

    myspace.com/theshortbusinitiative

    myspace.com/absurd99

    myspace.com/braids21stcenturyh2

    myspace.com/jointlogistics

    myspace.com/blaccrage21stcenturyhiphop
    September 1, 2008 2:16 AM
     

    Ferno said:

    Detroit producer Chanes need to be on this fuckin list!

    He produced for damn there all these artist that has been listed.

    http://myspace.com/chchanes  
    September 1, 2008 2:21 AM
     

    Doobie Ashtrayz said:

    @cess

    the skits were amazing
    September 1, 2008 9:04 AM
     

    Water Ur Seeds said:

    'ode to the ghetto' and nas 'untitled' best albums ov 08 i think, 3rd world was a lil disapointing compared to 'revolutionary' vol's 1 & 2
    September 1, 2008 9:18 AM
     

    mrjack1980 said:

    Much Love go out to all Detroit Artists. Check out this lil young dude from Detroit name DOLLAH JONES. He look like that other Dolla from ATL.

    www.dollahjones.com
    www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv9WVZY4ZiY
    www.ourstage.com/epk/dollahjones
    September 1, 2008 3:51 PM
     

    odeiseltheone said:

    i liek guilty simpson. best name in the last 5 years.
    September 2, 2008 9:17 AM
     

    raynestizzy said:

    *******FREE ALBUM DOWNLOAD*******
    Rayne Storm - The Unkrowned King (Remastered Edition)HERE!
    HTTP://WWW.MEDIAFIRE.COM/?E9GMWELIJFI

    HTTP://WWW.RAYNESTORMMUSIC.COM
    HTTP://WWW.MYSPACE.COM/RAYNESTORMMUSIC
    September 2, 2008 3:03 PM
     

    QBoogieSSP said:

    Guilty we got some heat for you over at http://www.myspace.com/sspsoundz
    September 2, 2008 9:33 PM
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