House Shoes' crucial role in the development of Detroit hip-hop was fully understood only by those who closely witnessed the DJ/producer's activities. From the mid-'90s through the early 2000s, House Shoes (Michael Buchanan) was a DJ at Detroit's St. Andrew's Hall. Slowly but surely, he racked up production credits for Common Ground, Proof, and Elzhi. Through House Shoes Recordings, he issued Phat Kat's J Dilla-produced "Dedication to the Suckers," a compilation of rare Dilla titled Jay Dee Unreleased, and The House Shoes Collection, Vol. 1: I Got Next. House Shoes, who eventually relocated to Los Angeles, was never one to flood the market, though his output increased around 2010-2012. This culminated in an album, Let It Go, issued in 2012. ~ Andy Kellman