Ashley Cook and E-Man Bates
January 16, 2026
Sussex Smooth The Selector, @smooththeselctor @2smoothradio, Detroit, MI
About one week ago, the “King of the West Side”—aka DJ Sussex Smooth The Selector—joined WeeGee Tha Hustla, DJ Culinary, and Street Certified DJs to throw the Paid Artist Showcase Winter Bash featuring over 25 artists from Detroit and around the USA. Sloppy Chops is a restaurant on the westside that frequently transforms into a performance venue for community members and emerging artists to demonstrate their creative skills and share their work. DJ Culinary, Weegee The Hustla, and Sussex Smooth have been doing the Paid Artist Showcase for five years now, and this event was the first of 2026, also serving as Sussex Smooth’s 35th birthday party. A bunch of folks came through to celebrate and enjoy food, drinks and goods sponsored by Exotic Pop based out of Houston, Texas. The range of styles on stage that night was as exciting as the support coming from the crowd, with each artist channeling their most authentic voice with confidence. Showcases like this are a staple in cities around the country, functioning as essential grassroots platforms on which artists can practice and develop their unique contribution to the hip-hop and rap scene locally, nationally and even internationally.
Check out images from the Paid Artist Showcase Winter Bash at Sloppy Chops on January 10, 2026.
Sussex Smooth The Selector, @smooththeselctor @2smoothradio (Detroit, MI) & DJ Culinary, @iamdjculinary (Detroit, MI & Atlanta, GA)
DJ Clutch, @clutch_ya_pearlz, Detroit, MI
Left to Right: Sussex Smooth The Selector @smooththeselector (Detroit, MI), Jay White @810_jaywhite (Flint, MI), Millz Tha Difference @MillzThaDifference (Flint, MI), DJ Eternal @DJEternal (Detroit, MI), & DJ Clutch @clutch_ya_pearlz (Detroit, MI)
YoungKing YoungScoop, @kingscoop18, Detroit, MI
Big Jake @bigjakefromda478, Middle GA.
Rae Luvv, @luvv_rae02, Flint, MI
Millz Tha Difference, @MillzThaDifference, Flint, MI
Kwick “Turnt Up Shawty”, @myniggarick_, Baton Rouge, LA
1amar, @m_clai2, Illinois
Josie G., @theejosieg, Ann Arbor, MI
Weegee Tha Hustla, @weegee_tha_hustla, Detroit, MI
Asaka The Renegade (Nappy Boy Entertainment), @asakatherenegade, Detroit, MI
Xarma Sutra, @xarmasutraofficial, Toledo, OH
A.K.A Dimples, @_aka_dimplesss_, and J-Lovae, Flint, MI
Brkilla, Brandon Reddick (Facebook), Detroit, MI
Mia Yana, @miayana822, Toledo, OH
Hollygrove Redd, @hollygroveredd_17, New Orleans, LA
J-Roca, @jrocamusic, Detroit, MI
Create With Kee, @createwithkee, Detroit, MI
P. Reed, @p.reed7, Detroit, MI
Gio Zan, @_giozan, Detroit, MI
Netty, @thereal.netty, Detroit, MI (To her left, Kwick “Turnt Up Shawty”, @myniggarick_, Baton Rouge, Louisiana & to her right, A.K.A Dimples, @_aka_dimples, Flint, MI)
The Paid Artist Showcase @thepaidartistshowcase
Stay tuned for a Valentine’s Day mix by Sussex Smooth to be published by Runner Magazine on February 14th, 2026 along with an interview with Sussex Smooth conducted by E-Man Bates.
All images by E-Man Bates
To learn more about Paid Artist Showcase and the artists behind the platform,
follow @thepaidartistshowcase on IG or Facebook,
DJ Sussex Smooth The Selector @smooththeselector,
Weegee Tha Hustla @weegee_tha_hustla,
& DJ Culinary @iamdjculinary of Street Certified DJs @streetcertifieddjs
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