Seven Questions With HUSH.

May 11

Catapult through memory lane...it's the late 90's and the Detroit scene is bursting with soon to be legends. Unaware of what the future held, a killer combination forms between two talented souls and one of Detroit's most legendary underground rap groups is born. Enter Da Ruckus, a combination between talented rappers HUSH & UNCLE ILL. The year is 1997 and on "We Shine' you can hear the duo trade verses with another younger friend & rapper Eminem. From there no one could've predicted what was about to unfold. Major record deals, fame, & experiences to last of lifetime drenched on top a catalog of classic Detroit hip hop. Fast forward and the year is 2018 and HUSH is still here unleashing his passion for all ears to soak in. To top it off, a couple weeks back he teased a collaboration with T3 of Slum Village and a new song "Let's Get Back 2 Us". Luckily it's no longer a tease, "Let's Get Back 2 Us" dropped at midnight streaming on all major outlets and you can grab your first listen below! In honor of the new release I reached out to HUSH and asked him 7 QUESTIONS as part of my ongoing interview series here at DetroitRap.com so let's get started....

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH HUSH

COMMI$$ION: You have a new single on the way featuring T3 of Slum Village, how did the collaboration come about & have you two ever worked before in the past?

HUSH: T3 and I go way back. We both were products of the “Hip-Hop Shop” era, and have been friends since at least 1996. Later, we found out we actually grew up in Conant Gardens together, along with J Dilla, and various mutual friends like Mark Mixx. I did a record with him and Baatin back in 2001, and then we collaborated together with Dwele for a track called “Bad Boys” off my album Danny Boy: The Life & Times of a Kid in the D.

COMMI$$ION: Speaking of collaborations. Detroit and beyond, what emcee’s in the game besides yourself would you be open to collaborating with for the first time if the link came together?

HUSH:I’m so focused on “Era” rap, rather than the present, so my dream collabs consist of people like Pete Rock, Erick Sermon, Q-Tip, and a few more. I’m really listening to anything in between 1986 & 1994. To me that’s my golden era, so to collar with anyone from that time would be special.

COMMI$$ION: It’s been about four years now since your last album Danny Boy: The Life & Times Of A Kid In The D came out. With the new single soon, is this a preview of more to come - can fans expect a new HUSH album soon?

HUSH: Honestly, I’m just enjoying the music right now. I’m working on a new album with a new retro Hip-Hop group called Def By Stereo. It consists of 3 other emcees, Bohemyth, Dirty White, & Powerdise. All no stranger to the Detroit music scene. We are working on a real fun album that I’m producing called “Fresh Never Dies”. As far as anything solo, I’m just having fun doing what I love. Spoiler alert also, be looking for a single from Da Ruckus this summer!

COMMI$$ION: Hopping in a time machine back to the days of Da Ruckus, what was your most memorable moment in the earliest days of your career & was there anything in particular that shaped you as an artist going forward?

HUSH: Man, there was a lot. Memorable, probably opening up for Usher at The Palladium in 1998 with Royce Da 5’ 9” & his group Wallstreet, the night that became immortalized in Royce’s song “Tabernacle”. Various particular moments that shaped me as an artist, was Proof crashing on my couch on so many occasions and helping me shape my writing on songs like 150 MC’s, or If The Beef. To add on to that time, Eminem & I would drive around freestyling, and trading verses, crafting songs, and that helped pave the route that I wanted to take as a lyricist.

COMMI$$ION: Outside of rap you co-founded & were a part of Detroit Dog Rescue a few years back. Do you ever see yourself being involved or contributing to something similar in the future, or is there another cause you would like to help with?

HUSH: Yes. I’ve always felt that artists should be more responsible and stay grounded to the community that raised them, and do their part to help in whatever fashion that may be. Right now, I’m looking at many opportunities to contribute, it’s just a matter of finding the time again in between my projects and also my personal life as a single Dad.

COMMI$$ION: Back to the rap realm, what was the first album you ever purchased growing up and what do you remember most about it?

HUSH: First album I purchased was The Fat Boys self titled debut. I just remember how fun that album was, and trying to recreate the beatboxing. I remember my parents telling me on the daily to “stop making those damn noises” with my mouth.

COMMI$$ION: Lastly, you’ve recently have teamed up with Supa Emcee for the D-Cyphered Podcast. What made the two of you decide to start up the podcast & will it be strictly interviews or will you be debuting music as well?

HUSH: I’ve had the idea of doing a podcast for 10 years. Between timing, and ideas, it just never came to fruition. After being a part of the D-Cyphered exhibit, I was looking for a co-host to be a part of it. I took around 6 months vetting locations, co-hosts, DJ’s, etc. After talking to Supa it was a no brainer. Him & I agreed to put this tighter, and he went to Jenny Risher to ask for permission for the name, and blessing. After that we decided to focus not only on all things Hip-Hop, but have a special focus on Detroit artists, those that were in the exhibit, as well as those that were not. It’s a true Detroit Hip-Hop radio show, it’s very honest, and definitely gonna be juicy. Might cause controversy at times, but that nothing Supa & I can’t handle. We are going to have an interview format, as well as a DJ spotlight, and hopefully be followed up with a performance. We’ve been entertaining the idea of it actually being a Hip-Hop night. Everything is still in the works, but nothing is off the table. It’s gonna be a lot of fun.