Detroit is Different

  • Latest episode: “My Father’s House, Our Community’s Future: John Conyers III Speaks”
  • Latest episode: ““His Story Had to Be Told”: Shushanna Shakur on Chokwe Lumumba, Family, and Revolutionary Memory”
  • Latest episode: “I Remembered I Wanted to Be a Teacher — Mama Nozibele on Love, Legacy, and Black Education”

  • Latest episode: “My Father’s House, Our Community’s Future: John Conyers III Speaks”
  • Latest episode: ““His Story Had to Be Told”: Shushanna Shakur on Chokwe Lumumba, Family, and Revolutionary Memory”
  • Latest episode: “I Remembered I Wanted to Be a Teacher — Mama Nozibele on Love, Legacy, and Black Education”

“Man, I was selling football cards out front of my mama’s house before I even knew what entrepreneurship was.” From hustling mixtapes and vintage football cards to building District 81, one of Detroit’s most iconic streetwear brands, Ty’s story is a testament to the grit and creativity that fuel Black Detroit’s legacy. In this Detroit Is Different episode, Ty sits down with Khary Frazier to chart his journey from Inkster block parties to national fashion floors, from designing for Fairlane’s elite shops to co-owning restaurants, nightclubs, and now producing films like My Man, My Man, My Man. Through it all, Ty keeps circling back to the spirit that defines Detroit hustle: family, resilience, and vision. “The streets always hiring,” Khary reminds him—and Ty shows what it means to flip that same survival instinct into generational business. Their conversation connects Detroit’s past—the migration from Mississippi, the rise and fall of factory jobs, the pulse of 90s hip-hop—with its future in fashion, film, and food. This episode is a masterclass in how Legacy Black Detroit keeps reinventing itself, always with love, risk, and rhythm at the center.