How Detroit's Women Claimed Their Place in the Music Scene | Living for the City Ep. 4

Every era of Detroit music has been shaped by women, even when history tried to leave them out of the story. In Episode 4 of Living for the City, host Hanif Abdurraqib explores the women who pushed past barriers, challenged expectations, and transformed Detroit's music scene in the process. DJ Minx reflects on three decades of demanding respect in spaces that weren't designed for her, and how that struggle led to Women on Wax, a collective dedicated to opening doors for the next generation. Brenda Franklin Corbett traces her journey from the choir at New Bethel Baptist Church to the stage alongside Aretha Franklin, sharing stories of the Queen of Soul that rarely make it into the history books. Don Was revisits Nick of Time, the Bonnie Raitt album that defied industry assumptions about who could succeed, while Waajeed explains why real inclusion requires more than good intentions—it requires building institutions that last. DJ LADYMONIX reflects on the dancefloor as a place of healing, belonging, and radical possibility. Together, their stories reveal that progress doesn't happen on its own. It happens because people fight for it. The episode closes with a tribute to techno pioneer K-Hand, Kelly Marie Hand, who spent her final night doing what she loved most: behind the decks. CHAPTERS 00:00 - Finding Your Way Into a Room That Wasn't Designed For You 02:07 - DJ Minx and the Making of Women on Wax 05:43 - Brenda Franklin Corbett: From New Bethel to Aretha's Stage 13:05 - Don Was, Bonnie Raitt, and What the Industry Got Wrong About Women 19:56 - The Dance Floor as Sacred Space: Lady Monx, K-Hand, and the Next Generation LINKS YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@LivingfortheCityPod Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5KYTveuTY4nydCKG8yTxjJ?si=c184740e2d9f43b5 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-for-the-city/id1895831267 Stay connected! Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecitypod/ TAGS / KEYWORDS Living for the City, Living for the City podcast, Hanif Abdurraqib, Detroit music history, women in music, women DJs Detroit, DJ Minx, Women on Wax, Brenda Franklin Corbett, Aretha Franklin, Don Was, Bonnie Raitt, Nick of Time, Waajeed, Underground Music Academy, Lady Monx, K-Hand, Kelly Marie Hand, Detroit Cobras, New Bethel Baptist, Detroit techno, Detroit dance music, women in electronic music, women in Detroit, Motor City Wine, Movement Festival, Detroit hip hop, Black women in music, inclusion in music, Detroit music scenes, DJ culture, dance floor culture, Side Stage Network, Live Nation podcast, music podcast, Detroit culture, music history podcast, Detroit musicians, 2025 podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices