On his 2018 breakout single “Jungle Baby,” Detroit upstart Sterl Gotti melodizes over the trials and tribulations of being a product of the gritty Motor City. That truth in his music has become the now 21-year-old’s trademark, as his goal is to bring the spirit of Motown back into the new wave of Hip-Hop, with heartfelt hymns about street life. With his new project Urban Hero in heavy rotation and big plans for the year ahead, Sterl Gotti is just getting warmed up. Growing up in Detroit, life was far from perfect for young Sterl, but he made it work. “Detroit wasn’t the best place, of course,” he says, “but I had my mom and dad and I played basketball.” Music was always a part of his life, having grown up just a few blocks away from the hub of Motown, Hitsville U.S.A. He also came from a musically inclined family and would immediately hum the notes on key to songs he would hear, eventually moving over to playing instruments. “In middle school I played the trumpet, drums, and bass guitar,” he remembers, but basketball was at the forefront of his career aspirations to start. Moving into 2021, Sterl Gotti plans to build upon the hard work he put forth in 2020, and continue to grow in prominence as the new voice of Detroit Hip-Hop. “My personal goal is to bring Motown music back, but the right way,” he says earnestly. “That’s what I hope to do, but above all, I’m just gonna keep God first and work hard.”