by Cyril CordorIn contrast to his imposing presence and hard thug posture comparable to rappers like Bumpy Knuckles or Big Shug, Detroit rhyme-slayer Guilty Simpson first achieved exposure on records by eccentric left-field producers like Madlib, Dabrye, Four Tet, and one of his biggest admirers, Detroit's own J Dilla. His lyrics and distinctive flow can also be found on locally released material dating back to the late '90s as a member of local hip-hop brigade Tha Almighty Dreadnaughtz, but those independently made albums and mixtapes are extremely rare outside of the Motor City. Thus, his proper debut came by way of Jay Dee, who threw him on the song "Strapped," which was recorded for Champion Sound (2003), an album Jay Dee did jointly with Madlib. Thrust into the lead of a new class of Detroit MCs in the mid- to late 2000s, Simpson was being called on to make many guest appearances for various Detroit and other Michigan artists, including ...