Music
House Shoes
· hip-hop DJ and producer
The Detroit hip-hop scene's signature DJ, resident at Saint Andrew's Hall from 1994 to 2004, champion of J Dilla and producer for Elzhi, Phat Kat and Danny Brown.
- Birth name
- Michael Griffith Buchanan
- Also known as
- DJ House Shoes
- Detroit years
- 1970s–2000s
- Field
- Music
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Michael Buchanan grew up in Lathrup Village, a small city surrounded by Southfield, and attended Southfield-Lathrup High School and Eastern Michigan University. As House Shoes he became the resident DJ at Saint Andrew's Hall from 1994 to 2004, the decade when the downtown hall was the center of Detroit hip-hop; he was known for smashing bad records against the wall to cheers and jeers. He worked at record stores including Melodies & Memories and Street Corner Music and later managed a Fat Beats store. An early and tireless promoter of J Dilla, he also produced for Phat Kat, Proof, Elzhi, Marv Won, Danny Brown and Quelle Chris, and recorded Elzhi's first EP in 1998. A young Sam Valenti IV, later founder of Ghostly International, carried his records to sneak into clubs. Shoes won the Detroit Music Award for Outstanding Hip-Hop DJ three years running (2005–2007) before moving to Los Angeles, and he founded Street Corner Music in 2013.
Highlights
- Resident DJ at Saint Andrew's Hall, 1994–2004.
- Three-time Detroit Music Award winner for Outstanding Hip-Hop DJ (2005–2007).
- Produced for Phat Kat, Proof, Elzhi, J Dilla, Danny Brown and Quelle Chris.
- Founded the label Street Corner Music in 2013.
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 3
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Performed here · 1994–2004
Saint Andrew’s Hall
His decade-long DJ residency at the hub of Detroit hip-hop.
Studied here · late 1980s–early 1990s
Southfield-Lathrup High School (former)
Closed · 1967–2016
His high school, known for its music program; it closed in 2016 and the campus now houses University High School Academy.
Worked here · 1990s
Melodies & Memories (record store)
Status being checked
One of the record stores where he worked.