A west side great best known for crafting the sound that redefined Detroit hip-hop in the 2010s, Helluva doesn’t just produce beats – he’s the man that gave Detroit’s new school its signature bounce, bassline, and entirely own movement.

From Joy Rd to the top of the Billboard charts, Helluva has seen it all, especially since he came up in an environment where rhythm came from more than the radio—it was found in church choirs, hood arguments, street corner ciphers, and booming from car speakers.

From that environment, Helluva’s musical DNA was born.

He got his start as a rapper, but producing is what really called his name.

He didn’t want to sound like just another Midwest rapper trying to ride the wave of whatever New York or Atlanta was doing—he wanted the world to hear Detroit for what it was.

Long before Hollywood ever cared about Detroit rap, Helluva was putting in hard work in the city’s underground, producing for rising locals like Tone Tone and Stretch Money.

There, he crafted iconic street anthems that sounded like late nights spent crowded in a Crown Vic—loud and chaotic yet also full of emotion and the kind of soul that can’t be faked.

He never waited for any opportunity.

Quite the contrary, he made the city his studio.

Helluva’s breakout moment came in 2016 with Tee Grizzley’s “First Day Out,” a beat produced by him that was full of the kind of tension Detroit music is known for: intense drums, thumping bass, piano loops.

From there, he released hit after hit, from “From the D to the A,” to “No Effort,” to “We Paid,” working with everyone from Sada Baby, to 42 Dugg to Babyface Ray.

In other words, if a song hit hard in Detroit post-2015, chances were good Helluva made it.

Helluva doesn’t just mentor artists.

He opens doors, turning basements into career launchpads and bringing strong spiritual grounding into an industry best known for chaos.

His work is built with intention.

He doesn’t just ride waves—he’s the water itself.

Not just a producer, but Detroit’s beat mastermind—steady, hard hitting, and always making sure the city marches to the beat of its own drum.

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 24, 2025