ROX-TV takes a look at “LYTE’S OUT 5”, coming to The Crofoot in Pontiac on August 19th. The lineup is deep, the venue is dope, don’t miss it!

Welcome back to the ROX-TV website. As always, we are happy to have the returning readers back for another round of good times and music. The door is always open here and there is no closing time. Stay as long as you like and dig on the content. If you have more time than money, get comfortable and cruise through some of the older articles. Over the last year or so, I’ve been working overtime to bring unique and interesting pieces to life.

As of today, there are over 250 articles penned by me and available. All you have to do is scroll backwards or click on the kidvicious810 tag on the left side of the main menu (some are there, others have to be found manually). So anyways…the countdown has begun for yet another concert kicking off in the Murder Mitten. Pontiac to be exact, at the classy Crofoot (Located at 1 S. Saginaw Street, Pontiac Michigan 48342).

Tonight, we will be kicking around a little history on the building and the city, as well as talking about the lineup for “LYTE’S OUT 5” going down August 19th at The Crofoot. So, roll up some smoke, grab your favorite drink, fire up the NOS tower…here we go…

(Author’s Note: If you are familiar with my articles, often times when applicable, I will toss in some history along the way. History is important, especially in relation to where things are headed. If you know the past, are aware of the present, most of the time you can see what the future holds, whether we are talking music or anything else)

History of Pontiac and the Chief

A little back story on The Crofoot. The building was erected in 1830 smack dab in the business district, which was flourishing at the time. The City of Pontiac was established in 1818 and named after a famous Chief of the Ottawa Indians, Chief Pontiac (Obwaandi’eyaag). Chief Pontiac is best known for leading Native Americans in war against the British in the Great Lakes region because of their unhappiness with British policies in Michigan…remember.

The War began in May of 1763 when Chief Pontiac attacked Fort Detroit with three hundred supporters. During the siege of Fort Detroit, Chief Pontiac was assisted by almost a thousand fighters from six area Indian Tribes. When word spread of the uprising against the British in Michigan, the conflicts spread beyond the territory. The attempt to take Fort Detroit failed but Chief Pontiac was successful at defeating British forces in July of 1763 in an area of Detroit known today as the “Eastside Historic Cemetery District”.

That victory was known to history as the “Battle of Bloody Run”. Chief Pontiac’s efforts forced the BRITISH CROWN to issue a proclamation in 1763, forbidding settlements to be built west of a line drawn around the Appalachian Mountains. AS THE LEGEND GOES, this would anger settlers and eventually contribute to the Colonies aka THE BRITISH COLONIES aka THE AMERICAN COLONIES fighting the American Revolution later in the coming decade or so the story goes. NEVER FORGET WHO FOUNDED AMERICA, IT WAS THE BRITISH (ENGLAND) and everything that goes with that! There are certain overtones of history here, but I will leave that to the readers to identify if they so choose. Know your history, know who walked the ground before you, remember.…..Ok, that’s enough history today.

The Crofoot

The building once housed a slew of barbers, saloons, meat markets and all sorts of other vendors and shops. In 1882 the building was renovated by Michael E. Crofoot (former Probate Judge of Oakland County from 1849-1856). Today the building is considered the oldest building in Oakland County and was Pontiac’s first corner. In 2005 the City of Pontiac condemned the property, and it was scheduled to be demolished. Luckily for us, The Crofoot Presents saved the building and re-opened it in 2007, becoming a hub for music and the arts.

I attended a rap show at The Crofoot last year for R.A. The Rugged Man and got a chance to enjoy the beauty of the place up close and personal. I couldn’t think of a better place to have a show and look forward to this Friday for the “LYTE’S OUT 5” concert. Historical buildings hold a lot of magic and time, and The Crofoot is the perfect example of this.

My first personal encounter with LYTE

I was working on the “Forever in the Jects” book with Project Born back in late 2020/2021. We were progressing along and arrived at a point where Project Born wanted to have me speak with some of the friends and family of the group, to be included in book. I got a call from Polk D and Frank Nitty one day and they said that LYTE was coming through and would be available for an interview.

I was thrilled at the chance to talk with LYTE about Project Born, and we settled in on a time and day. When that time finally came, I drove over to Frank Nitty’s house. I was constantly interviewing and took some time to ask Frank Nitty about the history of the group. A writer needs to collect as much data as possible for a project to be effective and I was packing a recorder and camera for the event.

A short time later, LYTE arrived, and we all got comfortable in the basement. I was very impressed by LYTE’s articulation, and he gave me some very memorable content to add to the final product. We talked about some of the earlier times in his career, when things were just starting out. He shared how he and Project Born met in the studio, and the amazing friendship that developed along the way. Ultimately everything we talked about made it into “Forever in the Jects” and I was very thankful that he contributed.

Time keeps moving

As the days and months slowly rolled by, I stayed busy working at ROX-TV, cranking out articles for the website, hitting shows, and trying to record as much music history as I could in the name of the underground scene. The “Forever in the Jects” book dropped in mid 2021, and I kept rolling. Another book was coming and a full schedule that would carry on through December of 2021.

Around February 2022, I got a call from the homies Wiked Wood. They told me that they were heading to Detroit to film a music video for their dope new track called “New Sh!t” featuring LYTE and Project Born. The group had rented some time in a studio near E. Grand Boulevard in Detroit. They invited ROX-TV to come down and sit in on the session. I was honored and told them I would be there.

The day of the shoot, I met up with Bob Roxxx and we waited for Wiked Wood and LYTE to arrive. I remember it was blistering cold that day. It was the type of chill that tore through your clothes and coat with ease. It was so fucking cold on the street, it was impossible to finish half a cigarette outside before saying “fuck this” and heading for sanctuary. The artists arrived (PJB was dealing with Covid and couldn’t make it down) and we headed inside for the filming.

The Lineup

The Lineup for “LYTE’S OUT 5” is jam fucking packed with artists that have some serious name recognition in the underground music scene. My homies Project Born will be in the house and you already know how they get down. Every time I’ve ever seen them perform, its nothing but top shelf delivery and showmanship. PJB are Legends in the Flint Town rap scene and that’s a fact. I recently caught a show with PJB, Dayton Family, Ant G, and others at the Diesel Lounge and it was Grade-A Dope.

SCUM is also a brother, and he is set to be in the house as well. It will be good seeing him perform again. The last time I caught the LSP G was out in Denver at the ROXY Theatre (located in the 5 Points Neighborhood) for the “Death By Denver” show. SCUM knows how to rock the crowd and will surely be one not to miss.

Skitzo will be representing the Kalamazoo Scene with his unique style of what I like to call “smart” music. I’ve been working closely with Skitzo over the last six months on a book and you can bet that his set will be talked about in one of the chapters. History in action is some of my favorite kind, and my eyes will be wide open for his set, taking it in for all time.

Ant G is on the roster and I must say that he has a swagger that is hard to match. There is something about his unique sound that I really dig. I could pick his voice out of a lineup of ten thousand with my eyes closed. I first caught Ant G live at the Medikal Records show at Hot Rocks in Warren (which has a deep history in its own right as a venue for local rap acts, sadly the place closed down) back in April of 2021. I’ve since run into him many times as I traversed the underground. I last caught him at the Diesel Lounge and it was a good one. I’m always looking for what Ant G has to bring to the stage.

DJ Clay is someone I’ve witnessed rock the stage many times. He needs no introduction, the skills that he brings to the table are documented. I’ve caught Big Hoodoo in the past as well and that’s another set not to be missed. ABK, Blaze, Boondox, and Trilogy make up the rest of the roster, including my old school homie from way back…AO. I’ve known AO since the 1990’s and I can’t wait to see him rock the stage. Do not miss this show. Smash the piggy bank, dig into the couches, take back the beer and pop cans…whatever it takes to get that ticket, because it will be a night to remember. The party will be hosted by Str8Jaket.

Bonus Flash Song

Artists: Str8Jaket x Skitzo x LYTE

Track: Summer Vibes

Run Time: 4 minutes and 46 seconds

YouTube Release: August 4th, 2022

Signing Off,

Mike Shepard

ROX-TV Head Writer

shepard2909@hotmail.com