Kid Rock isn't from Detroit.

**Pushtina** · August-31-10, 01:07 PM

Can he just admit his thoughts on the world come through the lens of Romeo, Michigan?

http://www.freep.com/article/2010083...-Detroit-roots

**rb336** · August-31-10, 01:09 PM

And yet he is still the biggest Detroit Booster out there

**mikefmich** · August-31-10, 01:11 PM

Is your point some breed of sour grapes?

**artds** · August-31-10, 01:17 PM

Christ. Not ANOTHER one of these "metro Detroit is not Detroit" threads.

**Detroitnerd** · August-31-10, 01:24 PM

Kid Rock is a redneck knucklehead, in many ways symbolic of all the worst about redneck knuckleheads. I think he should be put on a podium, wrapped in the Confederate flag, given an award and then get shot through the head.

**Pushtina** · August-31-10, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by artds

Christ. Not ANOTHER one of these "metro Detroit is not Detroit" threads.

I'm not sure Romeo is even part of Metro Detroit.

**jcole** · August-31-10, 01:29 PM

Originally Posted by Pushtina

I'm not sure Romeo is even part of Metro Detroit.

Romeo is in Macomb County. It's part of the Tri-County area and part of metro Detroit.

**artds** · August-31-10, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

Romeo is in Macomb County. It's part of the Tri-County area and part of metro Detroit.

Don't even bother. People like Pushtina are part of the reason there's no regional cooperation in this area. This region is so fucked that Detroiters actually take offense when people associate the city with its suburban neighbors, and people in the suburbs take offense when their city or township is associated with Detroit.

Regions in the US that thrive do so in no small part because they don't have to deal with this kind of stupid bullshit on the scale that Detroit does.

LodgeDodger · August-31-10, 02:13 PM

It's infinitely better than those who are from Detroit and have embarrassed us all.

Whether or not you're from Detroit, we're all lumped together...

**Pushtina** · August-31-10, 02:16 PM

Originally Posted by artds

Don't even bother. People like Pushtina are part of the reason there's no regional cooperation in this area. This region is so fucked that Detroiters actually take offense when people associate the city with its suburban neighbors, and people in the suburbs take offense when their city or township is associated with Detroit.

Regions in the US that thrive do so in no small part because they don't have to deal with this kind of stupid bullshit on the scale that Detroit does.

I didn't know my opinion on a musician dragging our city's name through the mud had anything to do with regional politics. It means something to me that Detroit music is the best in the world.

**xphillipjrx** · September-01-10, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by artds

Regions in the US that thrive do so in no small part because they don't have to deal with this kind of stupid bullshit on the scale that Detroit does.

People in Chicago may make fun of Schaumburg or Naperville, but nobody every questions suburbanites if they claim Chicago. It's sad more than anything because people outside of Detroit are LOL about it.

**313WX** · August-31-10, 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by Pushtina

I'm not sure Romeo is even part of Metro Detroit.

It's about as much a part of Metro Detroit as Brighton, Ypsilanti or New Baltimore.

**marcwigle** · August-31-10, 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

It's about as much a part of Metro Detroit as Brighton, Ypsilanti or New Baltimore.

You forgot Windsor.

**Pushtina** · August-31-10, 01:24 PM

Kid Rock uses "being from" Detroit as means to concoct authenticity. His boosting does more to harm than help the city by just perpetuating stereotypes. It's a lot easier to say "I'm from Detroit. I'm hard. I'm a badass" than "I'm from Detroit, and I'm raising a family here" but where's the glamour in that? I don't know how much boosting the city gets from having some redneck run around continuously getting arrested for assault, but if he really wanted to be a part of Detroit, he'd build his house here, not on Lake Charlevoix.

**daddeeo** · August-31-10, 01:27 PM

Beggars can't be choosers. Whoever can bring a favorable light to
the city should be embraced.

DetroitPole · August-31-10, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by Pushtina

Kid Rock uses "being from" Detroit as means to concoct authenticity. His boosting does more to harm than help the city by just perpetuating stereotypes. It's a lot easier to say "I'm from Detroit. I'm hard. I'm a badass" than "I'm from Detroit, and I'm raising a family here" but where's the glamour in that? I don't know how much boosting the city gets from having some redneck run around continuously getting arrested for assault, but if he really wanted to be a part of Detroit, he'd build his house here, not on Lake Charlevoix.

I think this is what annoys a lot of people and I agree with it. Kid Rock isn't "from Detroit" as a means of geography, but as a means of selling whatever "badass" image he is going for. And while one could argue that Romeo is part of Metro Detroit, there is nothing "badass"[[in the sense he is going for) about Romeo, so he should drop the schtick.

I think Eminem is a better example. He did live in Detroit for a while as a youth, though he spent most of his years in Warren, which is unquestionably part of Metro Detroit. He is accepted in large part by the Detroit rap and social scene, and has a large following in both the suburbs and the city. He sings about Detroit a lot, but he doesn't really go around bragging about how he is from Detroit like Kid Rock.

I never really understood why people like Kid Rock. It seems like all he ever does is sing about himself.

**Gistok** · August-31-10, 01:48 PM

I have 2 words for this thread.... "Diana Ross"

Now doesn't that make this Kid Rock debate seem rather insignificant??

bartock · September-02-10, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPole

I think this is what annoys a lot of people and I agree with it. Kid Rock isn't "from Detroit" as a means of geography, but as a means of selling whatever "badass" image he is going for. And while one could argue that Romeo is part of Metro Detroit, there is nothing "badass"[[in the sense he is going for) about Romeo, so he should drop the schtick.

I think Eminem is a better example. He did live in Detroit for a while as a youth, though he spent most of his years in Warren, which is unquestionably part of Metro Detroit. He is accepted in large part by the Detroit rap and social scene, and has a large following in both the suburbs and the city. He sings about Detroit a lot, but he doesn't really go around bragging about how he is from Detroit like Kid Rock.

I never really understood why people like Kid Rock. It seems like all he ever does is sing about himself.

Here is how ridiculous these arguments get.

Eminem grew up in Missouri and didn't move to Warren until he was in his mid-teens. Moved across 8 Mile with a bunch of buddies as a young adult. He went to the rap battles and worked as a dishwasher in the suburbs, including Gibert's in St. Clair Shores.

Ritchie grew up [[as the son of a wealthy car dealership owner) in Romeo - even today, still the "sticks," was fascinated with Detroit, working parties in the city and suburbs and ultimately living several years in Detroit, perhaps longer than Eminem, but who knows for sure. Despite his upbringing, he unquestionably paid his dues during those years, and spent most of his time in Detroit.

Growing up outside the city, moving to the city and living there for a while, then moving back out again. Sounds like some people on this board, including myself.

So...how do you keep score?

Personally, I don't care for the music of either one. Purely a matter of taste, they are both talented in what they do. Both are international stars, and both carry the flag of the region [[which, is what the rest of the world considers "Detroit"), and still live in the suburbs, whether people want to consider their gated areas suburbs or not. I think that is a good thing.

The "real Detroiter" stuff is complete garbage. I was born at Providence Hospital. Had my mother decided to go down the street to Sinai or Grace, would I have "Detroit" credentials? Have I permanently precluded my children from saying they are from Detroit because we chose to have our children delivered at WBH instead of down the street at St. John's? If I lived in Detroit now, but wasn't born there, am I a Detroiter? If I don't live in Detroit now, but was raised there, am I a Detroiter? If I wasn't born there, lived my formidible years there, but no longer live there, am I a....whatever.

**Hypestyles** · August-31-10, 01:45 PM

I still want him to do an all-rap album again.. alas, he still wants to be Bob Seger...

**menckensghost** · August-31-10, 02:21 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

I still want him to do an all-rap album again.. alas, he still wants to be Bob Seger...

Years ago I ran around with a kid in Mt. Clemens called Bob Ritchie. He dj'd at a teen club there called Danceopolis. All he ever talked about was being a rock star. Lost touch with him when I went away to college in the fall of '89.

Turns out he became a rock star. He took a dream and made it a reality. Now, I am not an admirer of his image or his music. But I do admire his success, and I would much rather people associate Kid Rock with Detroit than, say, Kwame Kilpatrick.

**detmsp** · August-31-10, 02:33 PM

The guy grew up in Romeo and also lived in Detroit for a while. In his songs he talks about being from both places. What's so wrong with that?

**Meddle** · August-31-10, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

I still want him to do an all-rap album again.. alas, he still wants to be Bob Seger...

Don't know anything about this guy or what he does, but rap sucks. ALL rap. Pure garbage. Period.

**Magnatomicflux** · August-31-10, 06:18 PM

Originally Posted by Meddle

Don't know anything about this guy or what he does, but rap sucks. ALL rap. Pure garbage. Period.

Older stuff is good. Today the majority of it just goes on about money, cars, and women. There's 80 guys on the same stage, everyone of them gets a mic. There's alot of good beats still in today's rap, but the lyrics and the message for the most part are meaningless.

**ejames01** · September-01-10, 11:34 AM

The 60,000 people going to the Eminem/Jay-Z concerts would disagree with you!

Originally Posted by Meddle

Don't know anything about this guy or what he does, but rap sucks. ALL rap. Pure garbage. Period.

**downtownguy** · August-31-10, 01:48 PM

Anybody else appreciate the irony that when Kid Rock bought the clothing label Made in Detroit, he pulled it out of the city and relocated in Clarkston? What -- Made in Clarkston doesn't have enough cache?