Ryan Patrick Hooper is the award-winning host of "In the Groove" on 101.9 WDET-FM Detroit’s NPR station. Hooper has covered stories for the New York Times, NPR, Detroit Free Press, Hour Detroit, SPIN and Paste magazine.

Hooper grew up reading the Sunday paper with his dad. That’s where he learned the basics of writing while dreaming of one day writing the stories himself. At 16, he knocked on the door of his hometown paper and asked for a job as a reporter. Since then, he's written extensively for the Detroit Free Press -- the same paper he grew up reading.

Since joining WDET in 2017, Hooper has expanded the station’s arts and culture coverage and received numerous awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasting along the way. Nationally, Hooper was awarded a 2020 RTDNA Regional Edward R. Murrow award for feature reporting for his story “Would You Rent a Stray Dog From the City of Detroit?“ In 2018, Hooper was named the Associated Press Michigan Editors Broadcast Rising Star in broadcast journalism. He received the prestigious Crain’s Detroit Business “20 In Their 20s” award in 2014. His commitment to volunteerism was recognized by the State of Michigan in 2007.

His juggalo-inspired I.C.Pizza costume was selected by the Huffington Post as one of the best Halloween costumes of 2014.

In The Groove Pick of the Week: ‘Renegade’ by Doves

I first fell in love with Doves when their video for "Catch The Sun" was in regular rotation on MTV2....

In The Groove: Rainy day mix with MATTERS UNKNOWN, Aja Monet, nimino

Thank you to everyone that hung out underneath the sonic umbrella today for a rainy day mix on In The...

In The Groove: Revisiting Talking Heads’ ’77,’ plus new music from Squid, Theodor + more

Always a good day when you get to start off with a trio of Talking Heads songs in a row....

In The Groove: Celebrating Patrick Cowley, new music from Eddie Chacon, Joe Webb, Pet Shop Boys

I got an email from a listener today. They wrote: “way to get a grown man to cry at work...

In The Groove: Doves go ‘Renegade,’ Fiona Apple + Mitski celebrate album anniversaries

Back into the mix on a moody Monday that brings together shoegaze and post-punk from Mount Kimbie, Mogwai and Fleeting...

In The Groove: A farewell to Quincy Jones, an introduction to Cleo Sol

Coming into this week with a heavy heart as we say goodbye to Quincy Jones, a musician so massive in...

In The Groove: New music Friday with Samora Pinderhughes, Cleo Sol, High Vis + more

The first new music Friday of November with fresh cuts from Samora Pinderhughes, High Vis, Friko, Machinedrum, Leifur James and...

In The Groove: Songs that feel like Halloween without being Halloween songs

The first ever Halloween special on In The Groove! And we did it together — your voicemails and picks on...

In The Groove: Mary Jane Dunphe, Tamar Aphek, Zamrock mixtape + your Halloween picks!

The term “devil’s night” has been dead in Detroit for some years… but I do reference it because it went...

In The Groove: A beautiful Tuesday calls for Lighting Bug, Geordie Greep, Molchat Doma

Fresh and first spins from Lighting Bug, Geordie Greep, Los Bitchos, SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE and Molchat Doma. Plus, throwbacks...

In The Groove: New music from DARKSIDE, LCD Soundsystem, James Tillman

Feels so good to be back to discovering music with you on a Monday. Hot, fresh stuff right from the...

In The Groove: Sade releases new solo single, “Young Lion,” plus new music from Laura Marling, Rosie Lowe

I’ll take any excuse to play Sade Adu.  When she releases her first solo track in nearly seven years, you...