From Brand Brief to City Anthem: How Detroit’s Belle Isle Got Its Own Hip Hop Track

Plenty of branding projects include a little music. This one ended with a total banger.

While redesigning the identity for Belle Island - Detroit’s sprawling island park and one of the largest urban parks in the country - independent creative agency Lafayette American stumbled onto a detail that felt too good to ignore: the address of the island’s headquarters was 99 Pleasure Drive.

​Lafayette’s designer Meg Jannott mocked up a poster that read 'Meet Me At 99 Pleasure Drive,' tucked it into the deck, and promptly forgot about it. Once the rebrand took hold locally, garnering positive reactions from media and the public, the team started gathering assets for award shows. That’s when producer Amy Abbott came upon the poster, 'Maybe we should make that a music track.'

Immediately, Lafayette American called Detroit-based music company Assemble Sound, which connected them with celebrated local and beloved artists STOOP LEE and Curtis Roach. The brief was intentionally loose and open to interpretation: make something out of this that everyone can enjoy.

The result: 'Meet Me at 99 Pleasure Drive,' a laid-back, nostalgic track built on the artists’ own experiences of Belle Isle–summer days, city vibes, and the unique role that Belle Isle plays in the lives of Detroiters. What could have been a simple jingle turned out to be a total banger, inspiring the team to use its promotional expertise to spread the word.

“Belle Isle means a lot to us. It’s been a staple for so many Detroiters, a place of recreation and community for years. When Lafayette and assemble came to us to create this song, it was truly an honour to represent the city by reminiscing on something that’s so near and dear to us. we wanted to make something that feels like a summer day on the isle and allows anyone who hears it to tap into their own memories and nostalgia tied to belle isle,” said STOOP and Curtis.

The agency put up an outdoor board in Corktown and organised PR around the song, the singers, and the park itself. The campaign blurs the line between advertising and entertainment, with the agency effectively acting as both creative partner and promoter.

Whether 'Meet Me at 99 Pleasure Drive' becomes the song of the summer remains to be seen. But as a piece of creative ambition, it already represents something rare and beautiful: an agency project that escaped the case study and became part of the culture it was meant to celebrate. And if it does catch on, you’ll know where to find everyone this summer.

STOOP LEE

stoop lee is a Detroit-based artist creating warm, nostalgic music that blends soulful hip-hop with indie textures. Inspired by artists like Mos Def, Michael Jackson, and J Dilla, his sound can be described as reinvented nostalgia, something that feels familiar at its core, yet completely its own, refreshing and new. His work is rooted in vivid storytelling, capturing everyday moments through a lens of warmth, memory, and forward motion. Beyond music, he is also the founder of Cartoons & Stereo, a skateboarding and music festival that brings together Detroit’s creative community and emerging voices.

Curtis Roach

Curtis Roach is a Detroit artist known for his uplifting, genre-blending sound that draws from hip-hop, pop, and soul. His music has resonated widely for its honesty and feel-good energy, building a strong and engaged audience through both his releases and digital presence. His project No Distractions highlights his growth as a songwriter, with a focus on clarity, intention, and emotional connection.

Together, stoop lee and Curtis Roach (aka STOOPROACH) have developed a natural creative chemistry rooted in Detroit’s musical legacy. '99 Pleasure Drive' marks their fourth collaboration, following 'Hooptie Doo' on stoop lee’s Blue Version Tape and 'Write Brothas,' featured on Curtis Roach’s No Distractions. Their collaborations are defined by vivid storytelling and a shared ability to create music that feels warm, intentional, and reflective of the city. That approach carries into their recent work around Belle Isle, where they set out to create something that feels like a summer day in the park, allowing listeners to tap into their own memories, nostalgia, and connection to Detroit.