When it comes down to it, no matter how many times people try to throw stones at Detroit or put us in a bad light, we are a very helpful breed of people. An example of this comes from Detroit natives Niles Heron (now in Los Angeles) and Sarah Steckel (now in Boston). The two executive produced a project titled Notes For Haiti, a hip-hop compilation digitally available online with a “pay-what-you-what” price format with all proceeds going to Oxfam America’s ongoing Haiti relief efforts. The lineup for Notes For Haiti, for the most part, shows the modern link between the Detroit and Los Angeles hip-hop scenes, mostly since Niles Heron is a Detroit to Los Angeles transplant himself. They grabbed contributions from Detroiters such as HouseShoes, Elzhi, and Invincible, along with staples of the L.A. scene like Aloe Blacc, Blu, and Fashawn. There’s even a song from the Michigan/L.A. duo of Buff1 and DJ Rhettmatic known as Crown Royale. For more information and to purchase Notes For Haiti: NotesForHaiti.bandcamp.com.