Vanguard // ‘van•gärd (n) : a group of people leading the way in new development or ideas. Leader.

Detroit artistry extends beyond Motown. Detroit is soul, Detroit is techno, Detroit is rap and Detroit is art. When it comes to the women in Detroit’s music scenes, they are bold in a different way. They are flashy, they are raunchy, they are emotional and every bit of the streets they are from. The presence of a Detroit woman is as large as her voice and she refuses to be ignored. Hear Detroit women.

Detour and The Blend curated a playlist of some of our favorite music from Detroit women of color right now, working across pop, R&B, hip hop and more, featuring stars like Dej Loaf, stalwarts like Miz Korona and artists who are on the come-up like Siena Liggins.

While you’re listening, you can read a story about a group that carved out space and created community for women in Detroit’s hip hop scene — and then hear a wide-ranging interview with Piper Carter on the Culture 2 Culture podcast, co-hosted by Detour reporting intern Zaria Phillips.

Alex Washington is the community manager at Detour Detroit. She is a Detroit-based freelance lifestyle/entertainment journalist, blogger and podcast host. When she’s not dissecting rap lyrics, she’s probably baking something – and tweeting about it. Follow her on Twitter: @alex_washington.