We start today off by spinning bright and dreamy melodies from The Marías, Wolf Alice, Kurt Vile and Divorce before easing into a run of Latin music from Rubén Blades, Willie Bobo, Orquesta Akokán, and Gabriel Rios. 

Along the way, award-winning author, poet, and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib joins us live in the studio for a conversation. We also weave in a few of his personal selections, including Detroit-rooted favorites from Slum Village and J Dilla, alongside tracks from Fireworks, Detroit techno pioneer K. Hand, and Amp Fiddler. 

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above. 

In The Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper playlist for May 19, 2026 

• “Jealous Boy” – The Bug Club 

• “Julie’s Place” – Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever 

• “Zoom 97” – Kurt Vile 

• “If You Were The Woman, And I Was The Man (Live)” – Cowboy Junkies 

• “I’LL BE YOUR FRIEND” – Ruti 

• “Hush” – The Marías 

• “Hit My Head All Day” – Dry Cleaning 

• “Angles Mortz” – Nightbus 

• “Enough” – PVA 

• “My Room” – Divorce 

• “White Horses” – Wolf Alice 

• “All My Freaks” – Divorce 

• “I Will Follow” – U2 

• “Zodiac Shit” – Flying Lotus 

• “Déjà Vu” – Ryan Porter 

• “Bunny” – Ashley Henry & The RE: Ensemble 

• “La Vie En Rose” – Grace Jones 

• “Pedro Navaja” – Ruben Blades 

• “Fried Neck Bones and Some Homefries” – Willie Bobo 

• “Con Altura” – Orquesta Akokán 

• “El diablo” – Gabriel Rios 

• “La torre (feat. Devendra Banhart)” – Gabriel Rios 

• “Coeur” – PPJ 

• “Spellbinder” – Gabor Szabo 

• “Reunion” – Slum Village & J Dilla 

• “I Want to Start a Religion With You” – Fireworks 

• “Work That Body” – K. Hand 

• “Dreamin’ (Radio Version)” – Amp Fiddler 

Listen to In the Groove with host Ryan Patrick Hooper weekdays from noon-3 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org.