Prada Leary‘s presence as an artist has always been somewhat of an enigma. Throughout the years he came up in Detroit’s rap scene, making plays and high-profile connections despite releasing music on a sporadic (yet remarkable) basis. A trip to LA in 2018 turned into an extended stay, where he continued to build his network and connect with artists of all disciplines to create his forthcoming masterpiece, Deep Purple (you can check out an extended timeline of Prada’s progression that we did in 2018 here).
In proper celebratory fashion, Prada will take over Thomas McGee’s in Eastern Market on 12/27 with the help of close friend and collaborator Nick Speed for “Detroit is Purple,” an event that hosts an incredible cast of friends and colleagues from Prada’s many years in Detroit’s rap and creative arts scenes. Hosted on the final Friday of the 2010’s, the event is meant to be more than just a release party, and instead will be a moment of celebration and acknowledgement of all that has happened in the past ten years; the triumphs, the tragedies, and everything in between, not only for Prada but for everyone involved.
In addition to the lens of reflection on the past, Prada sees “Detroit is Purple” as a chance to look forward as well. It will be an opportunity for artists and attendees to close a chapter of their lives and begin anew in 2020, with Prada’s release and performance building on the aura that he has so carefully crafted and enhancing the vision and possibilities for himself and everyone in his orbit. Participants are encouraged to reminisce on who they’ve been, internalize who they are, and imagine who that want to be in order to manifest their most potent future as we communally progress into a new era.
The lineup will feature performances by Rage Riot, Obie Iyoha, Paramaxx, Daniel Eugene, Farro, and Nvdeem + Coast Wilde. Nick Speed, Dre the Gremlin, Broccoli, and Ooze will be handling the decks for the night, and vendors will be selling exclusive merch for the event based on collaborations with Prada and various talented designers. Last, but certainly not least, Saus Detroit will present a CD of Prada’s unreleased music, titled Free NRG, that will be exclusively released at the show as a testament to Prada’s progression as an artist and as a time capsule of the past existing as an art piece and a relic of what has been in the context of what will be.
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“Detroit is Purple” will happen on Friday, December 27th from 9pm-2am at Thomas McGee’s in Eastern Market; 18+, $5 for guys and ladies get in free! We hope to see you there.
