The mayor of my hometown was there! The City of Highland Park's Mayor DeAndre Windom attending my Hip Hop Architecture lecture at the University of Detroit Mercy during the 2014 Detroit Design Festival. I appreciate the time that Mayor Windom has taken from his busy schedule to show me support over the years. He has a vested interest in hip hop, as he is married to one of the dopest female MCs to ever touch a mic, Yolanda Whitaker (YO-YO).
Read MoreDetroit Hip Hop Artist Joins Mike Ford's Hip Hop Architecture Movement
During the preparations for my Hip Hop Inspired Architecture exhibit at the AIA Convention, I worked with professionals including hip hop artist, architects and photographers from all around the country to put on a successful show. The commonality amongst these professionals is the love of hip hop. I must say that their love for hip hop is deeper than the superficial infatuation with pop culture, these professionals, just as I, can easily profess "I AM HIP HOP"! Check out my post about GB Cortez.
Read MoreHighland Park, Michigan Underground Pedestrian Tunnels - Then vs Now
As a youngster growing up in Highland Park, Michigan I was always baffled by the barren, dilapidated concrete structures which sat at the corner of my elementary school. The mystery was heightened when I was I child, because the structures remained covered by metal shutters for obvious security issues. The metal shutters used to cover the stairs were frequently used as an impromptu instrument as students stood atop and stomped repeatedly to make as much noise as possible during the walk to school or at the end of classes. The reverberating noise created by the metal panels over a voided structure was soul satisfying for some odd reason. I can also remember those loud thunderous noises being the soundtrack to various childhood fights I witnessed. Standing atop these structures were the best seat at the intersecting corners where skirmishes would frequently occur. It was not clear to us as children that these concrete structures were actually stairs which lead children to underground passages.
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