By Rian Johnson
Deidre D.S.Sense Smith, a prolific rapper from Detroit, performed at Western Michigan University’s Dorothy Dalton Recital Hall on Oct. 26, 2022. Smith is the founder of “On My Detroit Everything” and is this year’s Kresge Arts in Detroit Fellow of Live Performance Art. This fall, she is a first-time faculty at University of Michigan teaching “Ideas with a beat: Hip-hop songwriting.”
Smith shows her love for her city and humanity through her music and writing. Her LinkedIn profile sums up her vision for hip hop artistry: “The dreamer and visionary who is proactive with turning their thoughts into that which is tangible, is hopeful, and optimistic. That’s hip hop…to be hip is to be informed and to hop means to take action once you’ve been informed. It is my desire to bring this mindset into the everyday lives of the people in our community locally, nationally and internationally.”
