From 1930 all the way up to 2000, Detroit was an urban center that boasted at least a million people inside the city limits despite the affairs and status of major declining industries like car production. As of today, there are little more than 700,000 people still there and over 70,000 abandoned homes – whose total cost to demolish is somewhere around $8,500 USD per abode. The remnants of The Motor City stand – crumbling and beaten like a 12th round fighter – whose only reprieve from the 5,000 arsons a year may be the new generation of people moving in rather than out.

MOCAtv caught up with REVOK and Chicago’s POSE as they discussed what brought them to the Motor City – ultimately using the cityscape as a visual tribute to NEKST who passed away in 2012. Featuring works from REVOK, POSE, OMENS, VIZIE, SCREW, DONT, ASKEW, RIME, RISK, FLYING FORTRESS, NYCHOS, and DECOLONIZE, “Building Detroit” is one part critique on the current status of the city, and equal parts an apropos palette to pay respects to a fallen artist.

From someone who is on the outside looking in, it’s nice to know that the city that boasts Joe Louis’ fist still has a punchers chance thanks to a group of people who won’t let a city fade away because they’ve made it a permanent tribute to a friend.