Detroit's Most Wanted
| Detroit's Most Wanted | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | D.M.W. |
| Origin | Detroit, Michigan |
| Genres | Gangsta Rap, Midwest Hip Hop |
| Years active | 1986-1993, 2004-Present |
| Labels | Bryant Records, Ichiban Records |
| Associated acts | A.W.O.L., Gangsta Pat, Ditch Diggers |
| Members | Motsi Ski, MC Lee, DJ Dunkin Hines |
Detroit's Most Wanted is a pioneering rap group from Detroit, Michigan that originally formed in 1986. The group was one of the first Detroit rap groups to secure a national record label deal and has sold 500,000 copies according to leading member and founder Motsi Ski. Although the group isn't remembered nationally and didn't achieve the same level of success as other Detroit rap groups like Insane Clown Posse and D12, They are considered local legends in their hometown of Detroit.
Motsi Ski met MC Lee at Cooley High School and DJ Dunkin Hines through a mutual friend. The guys originally hated each other for a little while until they were able to put their differences aside and stop competing with each other for the attention of girls. The trio would form Detroit's Most Wanted in 1986 and would be financed by a local drug dealer through the making of their debut album.
In 1990, DMW would release their debut album Tricks Of The Trades. The album was independently released on Motsi Ski's label Bryant Records and the album would become a local bestseller, even reaching #83 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart. The song City Of Boom would go on to become a local classic in the group's hometown of Detroit. DMW would sign to Ichiban Records and would secure national distribution through them some time after and would release their most successful album to date, Tricks Of The Trade, Vol. II: The Money is Made on April 6, 1992. Like their debut, The album was well received in their hometown of Detroit and would reach the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart, peaking at #58. A music video for The Money Is Made was made and was able to gain some airplay locally in Detroit and nationwide. The video was shot on location in Atlantic City, New Jersey and would be the first rap video to ever be shot in a casino. At this point, The group began gaining a cult following that went beyond their hometown of Detroit and would eventually earn the attention of then-mega selling rapper MC Hammer.
DJ Duncan Hines wanted to rap more on the group's songs but Motsi objected to this idea, Thinking that Hines should focus more on being a DJ instead of a rapper which would cause a rift in the group. Then, MC Hammer began showing interest in the group and wanted to sign them to his record label Bust It Records. However, group leader Motsi Ski turned down the offer citing a disapproval of Hammer's plans for the group which would have involved a name change and a toning down of the group's lyrical content however, this didn't stop DJ Hines and MC Lee from accepting the offer and the two would leave Detroit's Most Wanted to form Ditch Diggers on Hammer's label, Leaving Motsi as the only remaining member left in the group. On March 29, 1993, DMW would release its third album and its final one as a group, Many Faces Of Death, Vol. III. The album was not as successful as the previous two albums as it did not chart on any of the Billboard charts but the album still sold pretty well locally in the city of Detroit. It would also be the final DMW album to be released through Ichiban Records. Now a solo project, Motsi would use the DMW name for the fourth album which was called Bow The F--- Down. It would be released on May 16, 1994. In the album, Motsi would diss his former partners DJ Duncan Hines and MC Lee in a remix to Legalize It as retaliation for them leaving taunting messages on his answering machine and would also make fun of them in the album's liner notes by saying: Special shout out to them hoe niggas for going bootie i got tired of carrying yall hoes anyway bitch ass niggas. Despite this, the three always respected each other and still managed to keep in contact with each other after the break-up of the group. On November 15, 1994 a compilation entitled Early Days was released and it featured songs from DMW's first two albums. The final DMW album, Entitled Ghetto Drama, was released on January 9, 1996. Throughout the mid-90's, Motsi would begin experiencing legal troubles as he would find himself being incarcerated on separate occasions for Marijuana possession, Violating Probation, and carrying a firearm as a convicted felon. The DMW name was officially retired after Ghetto Drama and Motsi would re-surface with his own name as a solo artist in the 2000s.
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