With the passing of J Dilla and Eminem keeping quiet as of late, it has been somewhat difficult searching for a ray of sunshine in Detroit. Though the celebrities have birthed careers for several artists in the motor city, artists influenced by them have had their shares of hits and misses. But don’t let Guilty Simpson know that. By all accounts, he has already made it to the big show.

Signing with hip-hop focused Stones Throw Records, it was only a matter of time before he stepped out of their shadows to reel in some highlights. His first chance comes with Ode to the Ghetto, an album filled to the brim with the everyday street hustle tactics that kept Guilty Simpson alive and (mostly) unscathed. Pulling from his raw demeanor and a passion for that hip-hop sound, Guilty Simpson is nothing short of real on the mic.

That realness can be heard thoroughly on “Robbery,” a track reminiscent of a scenario you would witness on The Wire. Gearing up for the hit, Simpson raps “Creeping on ya Cadillac truck / If you wanna live give your Cadillac up / And I mean quick and fast / Soon as I get the cash I hit the gas.”

On the title track, Simpson spreads his loyalty and respect to the controversial past that he’s grown to love. The hook signifies this poignantly as he rhymes, “I traveled the world, did this and that / Been so many places but still come back / My ode to the (ghetto) struggle, (ghetto) that hustle / I escaped through it, I relate to it.” Produced by Oh No, the beat comes off as rough and daunting to commemorate the story at hand.

Despite the relationship and work Simpson shared with J Dilla, he chose to only feature one Dilla-produced track on the album. It comes in the form of “I Must Love You,” a quirky track that mixes Simpson’s insecurities of companionship with the boom of his off-tone singing. Feeling the push and pull, Guilty is torn, as he raps “When we beef, you say it’s all my fault / Like I’m the one responsible for every time we fought / But when I’m packing up my s*** you say we need to talk / Now should I stay or walk?” Though this is not one of J Dillas’ best posthumous-produced tracks, it definitely fits the storyline.

If there’s one thing that keeps Guilty Simpson paranoid during his days in Detroit, it would be the police. Calling them out, Simpson uses “Pigs” as a testament to the sterilizing effects police enforce on the streets. “They plant drugs on us, stamp thugs on us / Put us in cuffs, shipped on a bus / To a cell that’s equivalent to hell on Earth / So the rats don’t care who they tell on first.” This is one of five productions layered down by Stones Throw label mate Madlib, who carries the bulk of the production.

Being Guilty Simpson’s debut album, it’s understandable that he did not use the feature card too often (only three tracks grab verses from artists other than Guilty). With that said, “Run” is the most compelling record on Ode to the Ghetto. The fluid transition between verses fits, and the bruising force of a production by Black Milk keeps the lyrics at a steady pace.

“The Real Me,” which is also Black Milk-produced, portrays Simpson’s take on the streets as a love-hate relationship. Simpson concludes, “Many blood stains paint the Ave / Makes you wonder what choice we have / I chose not to take that path / I ain’t tryin’ to feel the DEA’s wrath.” Though the beat by all means is a heavy banger, his flow tends to wear down throughout the track.

With very little filler (16 tracks at roughly 47 minutes), Ode to the Ghetto is a cohesive mesh of items and issues all Guilty Simpson. It would be appropriate to say that although his lyrical flow may not wow the listener overtly, his voice commands attention.

[Reach reporter Edwin Leroy Ortiz at arts@thedaily.washington.edu.]