Ryan Patrick Hooper is the award-winning host and producer of CultureShift 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.

It Takes Two: Guitar Duo Russo & Kelly Reflect On Their Busking Career

The instrumental guitar duo of Joey Russo and Nick Kelly, who go by Russo and Kelly for short and currently hosting...

Detroit Pistons Return To The Motor City After Nearly 40 Years Away

Last night at the Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit, the Detroit Pistons played their first home game in their...

Detroit’s Own Cye Pie & Ya Homies Performs Live at WDET Studios

Cye Pie & Ya Homies is one of the latest exports from Detroit with a sound that is equal parts...

Eminem Creates Media “Storm” With Rap Attack on President Trump

Laura Weber-Davis/WDET Eminem's arrival on the music scene in 1999 was met with lots of shock and awe. This week, it...

In The Groove With Soul Singer Mayer Hawthorne

Photo by Jake Michaels Ann Arbor born and raised DJ turned soul singer Mayer Hawthorne has become known for smooth...

Is The Golden Age of Video Arcades Returning to Detroit?

Ryan Patrick Hooper/ WDET In 1982, over 10,000 arcades operated in the United States. 100 of those arcades were right here...

In The Groove with MC5 Guitarist Wayne Kramer

In The Groove features musicians, politicians and everybody in between talking about three formative songs from three formative years of their life....

John Cleese Brings Monty Python to Detroit

A comedic legend will land in Detroit this week. John Cleese (Monty Python, "A Fish Called Wanda") will be screening...

Dlectricity Lights Up Detroit Design Festival

Dlectricity In 2015, Detroit was selected as a "City of Design" by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization...

Comedian Jim Breuer Brings Reflective Comedy to Detroit

Photo Courtesy of the Artist Comedian Jim Breuer made a name for himself as a cast member on Saturday Night...

Torch with a Twist Keeps 1930s Aesthetics Alive

Photo Courtesy of the Artist   While burlesque dancing, fire breathing, and 1930's aesthetics are generally a thing of the past,...

What Will Detroit Look Like In Five Years? New Design Exhibition Aims to Envision the Future of Detroit Development

The City of Detroit and real estate company Bedrock have teamed up for the Detroit Design 139 architecture exhibition.  ...