Much like his Detroit counterpart Danny Brown, Curtis Cross, aka Black Milk, is a rapper and producer proving that age does not matter. Now 30, the man has been rapping and producing since 2002, collaborating with the likes of the late J. Dilla, Elzhi, Royce da 5’9”, and Pharoahe Monch. Raised on the “golden age” vibes of A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul, his production work has led many to compare him to Dilla and producer/MC Madlib.
Black Milk’s career took flight when he was invited by fellow Detroit hip-hop outfit Slum Village to produce a track for both their 2002 mixtape Dirty District and full-length Trinity (Past, Present and Future). Not long after, he teamed up with Young RJ (RJ Rice Jr.) under the name B.R. Gunna to handle production 11 of 13 tracks on Slum Village’s 2004 Detroit Deli (A Taste of Detroit).
2005 saw a solo self-release from Black Milk, titled Sound of the City. Catching the ear of hip-hop label Fat Beats, he was promptly signed in 2006, and had his official debut record Popular Demand released the following year. His latest effort, No Poison No Paradise, has already turned heads within the world of hip-hop music, with Consequence of Sound calling it a “well-produced” effort, while AllMusic.com believed it to be “deeper, and artistically more filling” when compared to his other releases.
For the hip-hop heads out there, we have a chance for you to win a copy of No Poison No Paradise, pressed to stunning purple marbled vinyl. All you have to do is leave a comment telling us your favorite hip-hop producer. Mine would have to be J. Dilla—the man heard music differently than everyone else, continuing to inspire hip-hop producers to this day.
A winner with a North American mailing address will be chosen a week from today, on Thursday, December 12. Don’t want to chance it? The gatefold double LP is available via Fat Beats.
