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The future of hip hop?

Pique talks shop with Black Milk, a musician on the front lines of the modern hip hop movement
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Who: Black Milk

When: Thursday, Nov. 11, 9 p.m.

Where: Moe Joe's

Cost: $10

Curtis Cross is better known to legions of hip hop fans as Black Milk, a major emerging force on the 21 st century underground scene. Hailing from Detroit, the 26-year-old musician has earned his stripes through his work with Slum Village and has become a go-to beats producer in the process, working with Kidz in the Hall, Guilty Simpson, Strange Fruit Project and Genius/GZA, as well as major label artists like Pharoahe Monch, Kardinal Offishall and Busta Rhymes.

But he's also been busy making his own music, releasing his latest project, Album of the Year , in September 2010. He's currently touring on that album, and is set to roll into Whistler for a show at Moe Joe's on Thursday, Nov. 11. Pique caught up with him in Europe via e-mail for a quick Q&A. Here's what he had to say:

Pique : How is the whole European tour going, so far?

C.C.: The crowds were great everywhere, but probably the most memorable shows were in Jazz Cafe in London and Elysee Montmartre in Paris. Those are historic venues that I played for the first time and we had packed houses in both of those spots.

Pique : Do you find that European audiences respond in a different way to your sound and lyrical content?

C.C.: The European audiences have a deep appreciation for American hip hop, so they're enthusiastic to see me perform. When they see the show that I'm bringing with AB and Daru Jones, their appreciation and enthusiasm is that much stronger.

Pique : You're from Detroit, a city that has such strong roots in the world of hip hop. Do you think your culture and environment have helped to fundamentally shape your musicality?

C.C.: I'm proud that I'm from the city with one of the richest music histories in the world. There were all the great soul artists on Motown, and then with the hip hop scene with artists like Eminem and Slum Village. There's a lot of different vibes around here, too, because it's such a blue-collar city. It's not like New York or LA or those major markets at all. It's kinda grey, kinda grimy. That naturally brings the dirty element to the music.

Pique : It also sounds like you have had some incredible mentors that have helped you get into the profession, like Baatin of Slum Village. What influence have people like Baatin had on your approach to the industry and the music you make?

C.C.: As far as the industry goes, Baatin had such a good heart, and I feel like a lot of industry cats took advantage of that a little bit. This is the kind of industry where people are out to take advantage of you, and watching his career taught me a lot about how to insulate myself by keeping my circle tight with people I can trust.

Musically, Baatin was a big influence on me. When it comes to styles and flows and patterns and just making the most of the potential of your voice as an instrument, Baatin was an original. A lot of rappers think in terms of just rhyming on top of beats and they can overlook style and delivery.

Pique: It sounds like you started out doing a lot of production work with Slum Village, then you dropped your first solo project, Sound of the City , in 2005. What made you decide the time was right to start doing your own thing?

C.C.: I had done a lot of recording with my group BR Gunna, and an album we recorded was shelved. I just wanted to keep my career moving.

Pique : That project resulted in a record deal with Fat Beats, and you released your second album back in '07, Popular Demand , which seemed to solidify your status in the underground realm. Then came the 2008 project, Tronic . Things seemed to be going really well; had you just hit your stride, creatively?

C.C.: I'm definitely proud of Tronic , but I feel like I hit my stride creatively more with recording this new album. I feel like the new music sounds a little bit more original from a creative standpoint, and I haven't really heard any other hip hop artist put production and arrangements together musically like how me and my team did for this album.

Pique : It sounds like you started to introduce more live instrumentation into the process, asking artists to bring in their own composition and influences - why? How has that changed the end product?

C.C.: After touring Europe with my mans AB and Daru in the summer of '09, I knew that I had to include them more into the recording process. Seeing the way the crowd responded to the musicianship made me inspired to bring more of that to my recording. I was actually composing a lot of the pieces that you hear played on the album, but the individual talents of those guys definitely comes through and they played a big part in the album.

Pique : You brought in a lot of collaborators on this project: your own live band (AB and Daru), plus including vocalist Melanie Rutherford, bassist Tim Shellaberger, horn player and string arranger Sam Beaubien, and guest raps from Royce Da 5'9″, Elzhi, and Danny Brown. What made you want to include these artists, specifically?

C.C.: I'm always gonna rep Detroit, and I wanted to keep it homegrown and work with the people that I have the strongest relationships with. There really wasn't much thought into it. Some of the most talented people I know are, of course, from Detroit.

Pique: How do you feel about the end result, the finished album?

C.C.: I'm more than satisfied with the end result of the album. I feel fortunate that the music that my team and I created for the album puts the project in a place where it can kind of naturally live up to its title. Even though me and my team made something that I feel was pretty innovative and fresh for a hip hop album, I feel like it's just the start of something bigger. I've felt that way after all my projects, really - like I'm just getting started. Even though I enjoy the album, I still have a long way to go as a musician and as an artist. I can't wait to see what's next.

Pique: What can people expect from your live show?

C.C.: They can expect a lot of energy. Hip hop, a little bit of rock, a little bit of R&B. A lot more musicianship than you're used to in a hip hop show, definitely. They can expect to hear tracks from all of my albums. And even though my band with AB and Daru is small, they make it feel like there is a five-piece band on stage.