Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Sterling was made in Detroit and is kind of militant about it. This card-carrying member of the Midnight Funk Association has been chasing the perfect beat across Los Angeles since the dawn of the century, with his byline appearing in publications such as Details, The Fader and Vibe. He's adamant that the late Jay Dilla is the greatest producer of all-time, and still gets starry-eyed when reminded of the time he got to go to Prince's house.