Since the inception of his career, Detroit rap pioneer Esham has shunned conventional industry rules while carving an unprecedented career for himself and spawning an entire sub-genre that influenced the careers of many of Detroit's most notorious acts. His label, Reel Life Productions (RLP), was the biggest selling independent hip hop label in Michigan throughout the 1990s and had been home to a number of other artists, including NATAS, Dice, Mastamind, T-N-T, Kool Keith and The Dayton Family. Esham's resume includes over 50 solo and collaborative projects and nationwide tours with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Westside Connection, Kool Keith, Ice-T, and the Vans Warped Tour.