Ask anyone in the industry about go-go music and they’ll tell you the same thing: it plays exclusively to the the greater DC area. This new series is an attempt to refute that claim by presenting hard evidence of Go-Go’s influence throughout the music world. It’d be hypocritical to complain about biting since most of the great bands are essentially cover bands, but it’s still worth noting that there is sometimes a two way street of influence. Read More “Go-Go Bites #1: Overbite Scenario” »

IllRoots.com has the just released artwork from DC’S GREAT RAP HOPE’s Interscope debut Attention Deficit. It reminds me of Videodrome. The album now now has an official release date as well: October 20th.

And for those of you less concerned with music than trivialities, several prominent gossip blogs have spotted Wale spending time with Beyonce’s little sis Solange Knowles. In a park, no less. The seediest of these sites, Media Take Out, has announced that they are, in fact, dating. But that site is so seedy that they sometimes just make things up so take that with a grain of salt. On your seed. At the very least the duo has recorded together before – last year Wale jumped on a remix to Solange’s “Fuck The Industry.”

Ah love and rebellion and Videodrome. To be young again.

Related: Wale Watch: Go-Go Out, Perez Hilton Raps In

An occasional feature in which esteemed D.C. rapper Head-Roc shares what’s on his mind.

Some months ago at my man Peace Justice Universal’s crib, I had bit of an Alpha male moment with a brother named Mental Stamina of the D.C. hip-hop group Rosetta Stoned. Rather than tell you the details of how it got started, or even how it ended, I’m gonna tell you about how much I fucks with this rising star and brilliant D.C. music and arts community organizer.

Having had the extreme pleasure of hanging out with Brother Tyrone Norris (A.K.A. Mental Stamina) last week, I was excited to learn more about the philosophies surrounding the music and party events he promotes— all of which are well attended by a fresh, young, attractive, receptive, and energetic crowd.

The first one I heard about on the scene was Cakes and Kisses, a monthly jam session at Asylum which takes place the first Thursday of every month.

Read More “Head-Roc’s Mouth” »

Whining about invisible haters has become an empty cliche but when Insane Clown Posse calls themselves “the most hated band” it’s hard to argue. On a critical level ICP might genuinely be the most loathed musical act of our generation. I don’t even think Tom Breihan likes them. Which is odd because they’ve always struck me as simply inoffensive and serviceable rock-rappers who found an incredibly loyal audience and catered directly to them. There’s no fault in that, really. But self proclaimed smart people hate them in the purest sense of the world. This is mostly because they and their very loyal fans are guilty of being poor and wearing face paint and building a community and all those other anti-intellectual and unironic fun things that bands used to do with/for their fans BPF*. Basically they are the Kiss of today, it’s just that the demographic that is willing to buy into that type of world has narrowed dramatically. I blame the internet.

ICP’s tenth studio album, Bang! Pow! Boom!** dropped on Tuesday and it warranted further investigation for a couple reasons. One, their recent festival turned internet meme The Gathering of the Juggalos seemed like the greatest place on earth, despite ill informed derision from certain poverty demonizing stuff white people like type elitists. (If drinking cheap soda and listening to is Scarface is wrong then I don’t want to be right.) But, perhaps more interesting than that was the wikipedia claim that Violent J “listened to music by the psychedelic rock band Gong for inspiration” while making this album. Which means he has better taste in music than Jay-Z.

Hit the jump for some quick thoughts on my first ICP full length. Woop woop! Read More “Posse On Clownway: ICP Reviewed” »

For those of you who don’t have nice enough shoes to get into Love but still want to see rapps tomorrow night ex-Cash Money Millionaire and lifelong Hot Boy B.G. will be holding down DC Star along side Backyard, UCB and Reaction. Check out some classic B Gizzle clips after the jump. Read More “Saturday: B.G. @ DC Star” »

Congrats to Capitol Heights’ own Don Juan, who has just inked a deal with Jive Records via Nu Entertainment/Battery on the strength of his hit “Looky Lookie.” Some of his material leans more in the pop/dance craze direction than some of his DMV peers, but he’s still a more forceful rapper than say, a Soulja Boy. Hopefully this deal will get him the audience he deserves.

For a taste, grab the Big Tigger hosted Looky Lookie mixtape over at Dat Piff or check Don live on Saturday, performing alongside Wale & Tabi Bonney at Love. Hit the jump for the flyer as well as youtube footage of white girls dancing to “Looky Lookie” (which is the true measure of success in 2009, eff a record deal). Read More “Don Juan signs to Jive” »

This week the acclaimed funk monthly Moneytown is expanding from its regular Dahlek location as to better accommodate one of the legends of hip hop production – Papa Prince Paul. The Dew Doo Man will join regular DJ Nightkrawler on Saturday to crank out a string of classic and/or impossibly rare funk jams. Proceeds from the event will go towards Paul’s still lingering debt from that Turtles lawsuit.

Rap-Up Mag has a sneak peek at Wale’s much anticipated (and indefinitely delayed) Attention: Deficit. First, off bad news for go-go fans – the Backyard sampling, Gucci Mane collab “Pretty Girls” “is the only record on the album that features the signature go-go sound.”

Beyond that the review is predictably gushing (”remember the Folgers coffee slogan? Well, the best part of waking up will be playing this record.” uhh…) as is often the case when critics are granted exclusive first listens. It’s informative nonetheless. The tracklisting boasts production from Mark Ronson, local boys Best Kept Secret, Cool & Dre, American Gangster architects Sean C & LV and TV on The Radio’s Dave Sitek. Guest spots are a mixed bag, featuring Rihanna, Bun B, Jazmine Sullivan, Phantom Planet’s Alex Greenwald, Blink 182’s Travis Barker and Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry. Also there is a song called “90210″ that Ronson simply describes a ““The Perez Hilton angle.”

So basically don’t get your hopes up, DC.

Just a quick heads up that WRGW’s Funkadelic Freestlyes returns to web radio tonight. In the past few years the weekly GWU show has evolved into a minor hotbed for the city’s burgeoning underground rap scene. Raheem Devaughn signee Phil Ade will be stopping by for tonight’s premiere. Tune in at 8 PM EST. WRGW still does’t have an actual radio signal but you can listen live online at GWRadio.com. (Really though radio waves are so passe.) Read More “The Return of Funkadelic Freestyles” »

50 Cent has been forcing interviewers to listen to him yammer on about Robert Greene’s book, The 48 Laws of Power, for years. Now, he has taken his obsession with Greene’s guide to crushing foes and annihilating people one step further.

50 has written a book with Greene called The 50th Law, and he’s just announced that he’ll stop off at Howard University on September 9 to plug it.

Read More “50 Does H.U.” »