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.

Cass Tech Student, Local Artist Team Up For Global Climate Strike

Ryan Patrick Hooper Starting Friday around the globe, the Global Climate Strike will bring activists together to protest environmental injustice....

Detroit v. Mercedes? The Copyright Case that Could Affect Public Art Globally

It’s a court case out of Detroit that has the art world at-large paying attention. Earlier this year in March,...

New Exhibit Shows Off the Visual Art of Detroit Musicians like Niagara, Chris Turner

Mark Arminski For many in Detroit’s creative community, visual and musical art are the same. Creativity is expression — no...

“America You Kill Me” Documents the Legacy of Gay Rights Activist, Jeffrey Montgomery

The year was 1984, Jeffrey Montgomery and his partner were outside of a gay bar in Detroit, when shots let...

A Documentary Showing in Detroit Highlights Gospel’s Rebellious Legacy

Detroit Film Theatre The late Thomas A. Dorsey is considered the godfather of modern gospel music today, but his injection...

In The Groove with Temptations Founding Member Otis Williams

On this edition of "In The Groove," WDET's Quinn Klinefelter speaks with Otis Williams, the founding member of the Temptations who...

Iconic Photojournalist Lawrence Schiller Brings JFK Exhibit to Michigan

Lawrence Schiller / Getty Images Lawrence Schiller received his first camera when he was 12-years-old from his father, it was a...

In The Groove With 16-Time Grammy Award Winner David Foster

In The Groove is CultureShift’s award-winning series that talks with creatives from all walks of life about the music that...

Grandma Techno Parties Harder Than You

Stephen Bondio Courtesy of Patricia Lay-Dorsey Click the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. CultureShift airs weekdays...

In The Groove With Ghostly International’s Sam Valenti IV

Ghostly International Click the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. CultureShift airs weekdays from 12 p.m. to...

New Art Exhibit Inspired By Curtis Mayfield’s Music Explores Race and Identity

UHURU Click the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. CultureShift airs weekdays from 12 p.m. to 2...

Mother’s Day Mixtape: Listeners share musical memories of their moms

Courtesy of Alejandro "Alix" Lemus Alejandro "Alix" Lemus doesn't have any memories of his parents together. He was too young...