The Metro: Celebrating the impact of women on hip-hop culture, design

Hip Hop Architect Michael Ford joined the show with Detroit Poet Laureate jessica Care Moore to discuss the intersection of hip-hop culture and design.

jessica Care moore is Detroit's poet laureate, a filmmaker and artist. She'll be speaking at Michael Ford’s Hip Hop Architecture Lecture Series on March 19 at the University of Detroit Mercy.

jessica Care moore is Detroit's poet laureate, a filmmaker and artist. She'll be speaking at Michael Ford’s Hip Hop Architecture Lecture Series on March 19 at the University of Detroit Mercy.

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From the way we dress, down to the food we eat, hip-hop has had an undeniable impact on the way we interact in our world today. 

But not everyone has had a seat at the table despite their significant contributions to the genre and culture. Women have often been overlooked, objectified, over-sexualized or simply excluded from the conversation altogether. 

Michael Ford’s upcoming Hip Hop Architecture Lecture Series will dig into the impact of women on hip-hop culture and design with esteemed panelists jessica Care Moore, Detroit’s poet laureate; Mama Shu of Avalon Village; hip-hop artist Mama Sōl; interdisciplinary artist Tiff Massey; and Hip Hop Architecture Fellow Asia Williams. The panel will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture and Community Development. 

Ford is known as the Hip Hop architect and has designed Hip Hop Museums in The Bronx and Memphis. He and Care moore joined The Metro on Tuesday to discuss the event.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Hear more stories from The Metro on Tuesday, March 18, 2025.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

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Authors

  • Tia Graham is a reporter and Weekend Edition Host for 101.9 WDET. She graduated from Michigan State University where she had the unique privilege of covering former President Barack Obama and his trip to Lansing in 2014.
  • The Metro