A child of Detroit’s east side, who grew up absorbing the city’s eclectic music, Sterling Toles isn’t just a man who makes beats…

He uses his craft as a portal into what feels like whole other realities.

For Sterling, music is more than just music…it’s memory, resistance, and an avenue to pay respect to the legends of old.

He isn’t just a reflection of Detroit’s one-of-a-kind musical DNA; he’s a beacon of it, best known for blending hip-hop with gospel, jazz, Motown, ambient, and field recordings to create a new sound entirely.

Raised on music with meaning and songs that carried the seed of both soul and struggle, Sterling went on to study journalism at Michigan State before eventually coming to terms with the fact that music would always be his true calling.

So he did the only thing that made sense.

He returned to Detroit and got to work making it.

Sterling Toles has over two decades of creating under his belt, one that spans everything from scoring films to crafting intricate gallery installations to mentoring rising artists and facilitating intense healing and growth through sound.

A man who has always placed immense value in his product over his image, he has never depended on industry support or viral internet fame to get his name out there.

Instead, he allows his hard work to speak for itself, treating his studio not just as a lab but as a sanctuary.

A 20-year masterpiece in the making, Toles released “Manger on McNichols” in 2020, a collaborative album alongside fellow Detroit great, rapper Boldy James.

However, this wasn’t just another album.

Picture a jazz opera, a memorial, and a reckoning all rolled into one.

With Boldy’s raw and unfiltered verses scored with Toles’ flawless orchestration, gospel undertones, and jazz improvisation, it’s easy to see why the album went on to be such a success in the underground.

While critics praised it, the city saw it as something truly sacred.

Toles’ work is rooted in his ability to craft rich emotional landscapes that speak to deep inner pain, all while approaching sound as not just background noise but a tool for repairing the soul and making the ancestors proud.

It’s the kind of work that defies category, and Toles’ influences are just as all over the map: think J Dilla, Octavia Butler, Motown greats, Sun Ra.

In short, Sterling Toles isn’t the kind of artist who chases validation.

He lives for the kind of truth that’s only found in vibration and the perfect note played at the perfect time.

He’s not just a producer.

He’s Detroit’s son of sound.

Victoria Jackson (Editor In Chief)

Victoria Jackson is a lifelong student and sharp-eyed documentarian of all things Detroit, from its rich musical roots and cultural icons to its shifting neighborhoods, storied architecture, and underground legends. With her finger firmly on the pulse of both the city’s vibrant past and its rapidly unfolding future, she brings a deeply personal, historically grounded lens to every piece she writes.

Published on: September 27, 2025