DETROIT, MI, United States (UPI) — Detroit`s legendary Hip Hop Shop, where stars like Eminem, D12 and Slum Village honed their craft, has reopened its doors after eight years.
Former Detroiter and fashion designer Maurice Malone started the store in 1993 as an outlet for his urban wear clothing line. It eventually became a performance space where local rappers went head-to-head, similar to the scenes portrayed in Eminem`s “8 Mile,” the Detroit Free Press reported Thursday.
“It was like the finals of the NBA that was going on every Saturday,” producer and DJ Julius Meyers recalled.
The shop closed in 1997 and Malone relocated to New York.
A new version of the Hip Hop Shop was opened last month in the same spot by Keven “Hustle Simmons” Brown. The store sells music and clothing — and Brown will soon reincarnate the open mike sessions and maybe even discover Detroit`s next Eminem.
Copyright 2005 by United Press International