Last summer, I did an interview with Carl Craig for the London/New York-based ‘Sup Magazine that ended up me the cover story for Issue #20. I honestly thought I lost this transcription, but it was hidden on mini-disc with an interview with Maureen Yancey. We had a lengthy chat at the Planet E office in Detroit about the socio-economical state of Detroit and its influence on our music, along with his thoughts on J. Dilla. Before we parted ways that evening, we offered up his top five favorites from Detroit. 1. Tribe – One of the greatest entities from Detroit just because they did their own shit. They didn’t give a fuck. They just made their own shit from their hands. Didn’t matter whether they were blowing instruments or making magazines or pressing records. 2. J. Dilla. 3. The Belleville Three – The mighty trinity of Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, and Juan Atkins were a major influence on me. 4. Electrifying Mojo. 5. Motown – I’d like to group in these guys. The late 60s/early 70s period of Motown right before they died a wicked death and went out to California. Norman Wittfield was doing some amazing shit. From what Norman Wittfield was doing, from what Stevie Wonder was doing, and from what Marvin Gaye did along with Leon Ware, just the sheer genius that came from what they were doing at the time. Whether it was as rebellion against the war with Marvin or rebellion against the label like Stevie Wonder or if it was just straight up getting paid like Norman Wittfield, that energy set the tone for how me made music in Detroit and how music had developed in the world. LINKS: PLANET E OFFICIAL SITE Top 5 Cosign is a regular column on The Loop Detroit that will pose the question to artists from both Detroit and outside of Detroit on what their top five favorites are from Detroit. It can be there favorite emcees, singers, albums, songs, producers, albums, or whatever (it could even be a product or building), or a combination of anything. Any genre, any era. Just their top 5 favorites from Detroit.