Valid, a mainstay in Detroit’s hip-hop scene, has been consistently making waves for his unique sound and captivating storytelling. Born Mihajlo Peric, Valid quickly gained recognition in Detroit for his skills as an emcee and lyricist, and he has since continued to hone his craft and has since become a prominent figure in the city’s vibrant musical landscape, as well as beyond. In 2019, Valid released his debut album ‘Mihajlo’, which received critical acclaim- and he followed up it with ‘The Plum Brandy EP’, which garnered attention from audiences in Eastern and Southern Europe. His collaborative spirit led him to form the duo “Bill & Isiah” with fellow Detroit emcee Stretch Money. Their joint album gained local and international recognition, further solidifying Valid as an artist to watch.
With the release of his latest album, ‘Peach Brandy’, Valid continues to showcase his versatility and growth as an artist. Combining elements of his Serbian heritage with infectious hip-hop beats and sharp lyricism, the 15-track project offers a window into Valid’s personal experiences. A musician who constantly evolves and pushes boundaries, Valid is a shining example of Detroit’s thriving hip-hop scene and a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. We sat down with Valid to discuss his beginnings in music, Detroit’s hip-hop scene, his new album ‘Peach Brandy’, and more.
Valid’s earliest introduction to music was through his Mother, who would sing in her native tongue of Serbian at the home. This, combined with an early love for Michael Jackson, first sparked Valid’s passion for music- and it was Biggie Smalls who was the first catalyst for his desire to pursue hip-hop. Growing up in Detroit, he was further influenced deeply by the city’s rich hip-hop scene, as he says he was influenced by Detroit hip-hop in “almost every way imaginable. First off, right away, Eminem, D12, Royce, Obie Trice, Trick Trick- these guys were hometown heroes when I was a teenager. Then I also fell in love with Big Herk, Rock Bottom, Chedda Boyz, Stretch Money, and the street side of Detroit hip-hop. But ultimately, J Dilla and Slum Village are who inspired me most. When I got on the scene and got more exposure to that side of Detroit hip-hop, it totally changed me. I feel it allowed me to find myself, or maybe be myself is a better way to put it”.
It was this eclectic tapestry of artists that helped shape Valid into who he is today, a diverse set of artists that are a reflection of Detroit’s versatile music tapestry. Valid has been a staple in the scene for years, but he originally got his start by “going to the local open mics. Places like Bull Frog, Suite100, Club Status, and Tropical Hut. Then I found a place called 5e Gallery that would host open mics, and that is really where I cut my teeth as an MC. At first, I had a couple cool tracks here and there that people messed with, but I needed a lot of work as an emcee. I didn’t have the basics down yet at the time, but people still gravitated to me because I think they felt I had it in me, and it just needed to come out”.
Another major aspect that shaped Valid’s career alongside Detroit hip-hop are his Serbian roots, something that he openly embraces and celebrates often in his music frequently. “My Serbian roots shaped me as a man, which by default effects my artistry”, Valid says, “in my music, I was never scared to embrace my ethnic roots. I would mention it in my bars, but then in 2020 I hooked up with the most respected DJ’s, producers, and MC’s throughout ex-Yugoslavia to make ‘The Plum Brandy’ EP, which was a concept project where I rapped over tracks made by producers from the Balkan region, who were only sampling music from the Balkan region. Which goes the same for its sequel which is the newly released album ‘Peach Brandy’”.
An integral step in Valid’s career was coming under the mentorship of Grammy-winner DJ Head, with whom he now he frequently collaborates with and shares a close working relationship with. DJ Head, who has also produced for Eminem, D12, Jay-Z, and more, has been working closely with Valid on all of his projects in recent years, as well as performing with him as a live DJ. Valid first met DJ Head “outside the 5e gallery. He heard me cyphering, and said, “you got something. It needs some work, but you got it”. I did not know at the time this was the man that did production on my favorite Eminem and Shady Records joints growing up. When someone told me the guy who just said I go it was DJ Head, I started to realize they mean the Shady Records DJ Head. I got a bit overwhelmed and nervous. I started talking to him, and he embraced me and has been working with me all these years now as something like an assistant producer on all my projects the last few years. And he’s my DJ, which is really cool, we fly out to Croatia tomorrow for my first show outside of the USA and Canada”.
Committed to staying authentic and personal throughout his discography, some of Valid’s well-received early works such as ‘Mihaljo’ and the ‘The Plum Brandy EP’ helped introduce him to a wider audience, and they gave an intimate window into Valid’s life story and creative world. These are projects that are detail-oriented and vividly personal, where you can feel the meaning behind each line and phrase in a deeper way. Regarding the inspiration behind his album ‘Mihaljo’, Valid says, ‘I was at a place where I was no longer in my 20’s, and I started to feel like I had a bit more to say, and less to prove. I wanted to truly dig deeper than I ever did before, and concern myself more with leaving my story, being as transparent as possible, and making an album for me, rather than to impress others”. Maintaining a personal and vulnerable element in his songwriting is integral to Valid, as he says, “music is only interesting to me when it sparks an emotion. Not always, but usually. I can still do the braggadocios raps and I enjoy making them, but where I truly feel that what I’m doing matters is when I say something that I feel emotionally, and hopefully someone else will too as a result”.
On his fan-favorite EP ‘The Plum Brandy EP’, Valid further payed homage to his Serbian roots as he worked with producers from the Balkan region, who sampled only from music native to the Balkans. Valid states that working with producers from the Balkans on ‘The Plum Brandy EP’ “was one of the coolest experiences of my life. Finding samples of old music from Ex-Yugoslavia, learning about it, flipping it, and just getting my mind blown to the stuff that was being made out there throughout the last 40-50 years that I never knew existed”. His newest album, ‘Peach Brandy’, acts as a sequel to ‘The Plum Brandy EP’, and it contains a similar concept and theme. “‘Peach Brandy’ is a sequel to ‘The Plum Brandy EP’, I’m re-visiting the concept of Eastern European producers only flipping records from the region. But this time, I dug deeper into the concept of brandy and liquor, where when you listen to the album, you may notice the content and beats “mature” towards the end. It “ages” like a bottle of liquor. The longer it ages, the smoother it gets”.
Along with a wide-ranging solo discography, Valid is no stranger to collaborations. His joint album with Detroit heavyweight Stretch Money garnered much acclaim, and it displays a kinetic chemistry between the two emcees as they trade charismatic verses atop dynamic, infectious production. The two rappers first “met years ago at a video shoot. From there, he would see me out and about trying to make this music shit happen. We eventually worked on one song together, then he had to disappear for a minute. Once he came back, he hit the streets hard with his new music. He had an invite to one of his music videos in 2019, and I surprised him when I pulled up and he couldn’t believe it. He then called me a week or so later saying he wanted me on his project. I was in shock. We killed it, and he ended up coming to my lab to knock out a feature for me. We both wanted to do an 80’s-themed album, and boom… long story short, ‘Bill & Isiah’ was born that day”.
Something that you can hear on ‘Bill & Isiah’ from the moment you press play is the focus and intentionality the two emcees put into the project. Valid says that the process of creating the album reflected this, as it was “very fun, but meticulous. Every skit, bar, the song order, it all mattered. We took our time with everything, we really wanted it to be a movie. For those that don’t know, the album plays like a basketball game. The first 2 songs have a distinct vibe, the next 2 songs got a distinct vibe, then the next 2 songs represented our half time show, etc”.
When it comes to approaching collaborations as opposed to his solo work, Valid notes, “I don’t think there is much of a difference because all my solo work is still collabs with the producers. I make sure I do what I do, and they’re proud of it, and I ask them what else I should do or change before putting the record out. Same thing when I do my features with other vocalists, I kick around ideas with them first instead of just coming up with ideas by myself”. Valid’s collaborations feel intentional and demonstrate a kinetic, natural chemistry between himself and other talented artists like Stretch Money, DJ Head, and others.
Valid has recently released his fourth album, the potent ‘Peach Brandy’, a 15-track project that further showcases his unique style, blending influences from his Serbian roots with infectious, dynamic hip-hop beats and focused lyrical prowess. The album takes listeners on a journey through personal narratives, while also providing engaging, braggadocios tracks full of wordplay. A highlight song is the introspective opener “Peach Slayer”, which showcases Valid’s storytelling abilities. Regarding the inspiration behind “Peach Slayer”, Valid says “I tried to touch on how crazy life has been since I did the ‘The Plum Brandy’ project. I was supposed to tour overseas in Europe in 2020, but Covid shut that down, and it broke me. Also, my on-and-off relationship with my lady throughout the years- how that effected things with my family. And linking up with Stretch Money to make ‘Bill & Isiah’, I wanted to bring the listener up to speed as if the last thing they heard from me was the ‘The Plum Brandy EP’.”
One of Valid’s favorite behind-the-scenes moments from recording ‘Peach Brandy’ was “when my home girl came in and laid the intro skit to “Places”. It was perfect. And when I played the whole track from beginning to end in the studio, I got goosebumps. It’s one of my favorite songs I ever made. Also, being in my apartment and getting the email from Koolade and opening up what he cooked up, I was blown away”. With its poignant, authentic lyricism, ‘Peach Brandy’ is an album that takes a closer look at Valid’s life story and the trials and tribulations that build him as an artist. Valid says the two songs “This Day” and “Nirdala” are two he feels especially connected to, as he “wrote those during some difficult times, and I know exactly what certain bars mean, that may be a bit unclear to listeners”. Valid says that he hopes fans will connect and relate to ‘Peach Brandy’ in terms of “embracing the good and bad and accepting the challenges around you. Stop trying to be in control all the time, and don’t run from the aging process. It’s cool to evolve, change, and grow”.
Valid is certainly an artist who continues to evolve, refusing limitations in his approach and creative process. With each release, he shows a commitment to his roots and his sound, while also demonstrating growth as he boldly treads new ground with each offering. From his ‘The Plum Brandy EP’ to his latest full-length offering ‘Peach Brandy’, Valid continues to expand his style while staying authentic, providing a dynamic listening experience with a cohesive combination of heartfelt storytelling, raw, braggadocios raps, and sleek, varied production. Give Valid’s new album ‘Peach Brandy’ a listen below and be sure to connect with him on social media while you’re at it.
