"We Talkin' About Survival and Brothers and Sisters:" Guilty Simpson Takes Fans on a Gritty Walking Tour Throughout "The D" (Stones Throw)

"If my mother knew I was in show business now, she would worry herself just sick... she thinks I'm in Philadelphia sellin' dope," reads a comical Richard Pryor-esque bit from an unknown comic; it acts as the spoken-word intro to Guilty Simpson's "Blunts In The Air," which dually serves as an unofficial mantra throughout Guilty's hard-as-nails Katalyst-produced Detroit's Son. Guilty & Katalyst first met during the recording sessions that would ultimately yield Geoff Barrow's 35-member Hip-Hop collective Quakers' self-titled Stones Throw debut (2012). Detroit's Son's introductory track, "R.I.P." is actually a vocal version of Katalyst's "R.I.P." instrumental lifted from Quakers, which seamlessly ties the two projects together right off the bat. Although it was initially billed as a "Guilty Simpson x Quakers" project upon the release of THE SIMPSON TAPE, Detroit's Son was solely produced by Katalyst, with beat-making partner Geoff Barrow acting more along the lines of a mentor and sonic advisor; "Geoff is always there to give me his honest opinion about the music. One of the hardest things as an artist is finding someone whose opinion you really value and them giving you honest feedback about your work. I can always rely on Geoff to give me that feedback," Katalyst recently revealed during our Detroit's Son-centric interview.


"I'm thinking August will actually be when it's released. I won't put out a mixtape, but there will be unreleased songs coming out that aren't on the album. My album features Steve Spacek, Cysion, Elzhi, Phat Kat, and Fat Ray. I will definitely have visuals for quite a few songs on the album," Guilty Simpson replied when asked about his then still untitled album Detroit's Son. He was of course, alluding to ruthless non-album tracks "Vanguard Organization" and "Animal," which were slowly leaked out leading up to the album's impending September 11th release. Although "Fractured" was unveiled in conjunction with Stones Throw's initial album announcement, and if you ask me, has single written all over it, Peanut Butter Wolf and company decided to enlist Newport Beach-based photographer Eric Coleman to direct a stark music video to go along with Guilty & Katalyst's "The D." Coleman's simple, no frills video treatment presents viewers with a unique cinematic, yet gut-wrenchingly realistic, look into Detroit's uncharacteristically beautiful landmarks and local hot spots that most outsiders don't ever get a chance to see. Luckily, our sharp-tongued tour guide, Guilty Simpson takes us on a virtual walking tour throughout "The D," passing by recognizable landmarks like: The Hitsville USA Motown Museum, Philip A. Hart Plaza, MotorCity Casino Hotel, "DANGER! REALITY ahead" bridge-top tagging, The Monument to Joe Louis aka "The Fist," graffiti artwork featuring J Dilla's iconic Donuts hat, and countless areas of authentic suburban disarray.