While PHZ-Sicks' previous single was a greasy ode to summery themes, "Your Way" finds the Drexel University student strutting with a boastfulness that would make Lil' Wayne blush. "Stacking paper, green mile, original wit style/You need an idea of fresh, then I guess I'm the poster child," PHZ-Sicks raps.

And it sounds like someone really pissed him off. His second stanza, after a rapid-fire verse from Greggs, references "haters" who can summersault off his, uh, private region. The beat, crafted by Mev of The Renegades, also boasts the shattering bass and trunk-rattling gloss that typifies recent hip-hop songs.

This track ultimately slid off my back. Luckily, you can go here and listen yourself. PHZ-Sicks performs with RA The MC, Lyriciss, Devin White, and others at 8 p.m. Saturday at Everlasting Life Cafe. The cafe is located at 2928 Georgia Ave. NW. Admission is $5.

And that's not to knock aspiring MCs and producers; in fact, that stubborn zeal makes the city tick. Strangely, though I'll come across the occasional pop artist, it's rare to find an aspiring pop star.

So how about a pop artist with a stage show that includes 11 dancers and a choreographed dance routine? That can't happen in D.C., can it? Tell that to Devin White.

"I'm just big on theatrics," said White, 21, a graduate of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. "I feel like pop allows you to do that—to get that big sound and all of that big imagery. I try my best to create music in general that people will respond to."

Until now, White's electro-pop projects have garnered only modest support. Most recently, the Virginia Beach native released his debut album, iCRed, through his website. He also plans to release the album through iTunes, Amazon, and other digital outlets.

White said Wednesday that it's tough being a pop act in a hip-hop city. He'll earn more stripes on Nov. 6, as he performs at Everlasting Life Cafe with RA The MC, PHZ-Sicks, Lyriciss, and several others. Everlasting Life Cafe is located at 2928 Georgia Ave., NW. Admission is $5.

If it seems like it's been a quiet month for DC area rap, that's only because every last rapper in the city was waiting until today to drop their tape. First up is Kingpen Slim's long awaited The Beam Up 2. Slim has the best (and most Districty) rap voice in the District and so far this is sounding like his most consistent tape to date, mostly sticking close to the sort of triumphant soul beats that he sounds most comfortable on. Also dropping today: a new outing from underground female favorite RA The MC as well as solo tapes from up and comers Fat Trel and Black Cobain, both of Wale's Board Administration. I haven't had a chance to listen to those three yet because I am not a machine. But, yes, all indicators point to them being mixtapes.

While the recording industry is busy lamenting the death of their business model at the hands of the Internet, a number of local hip-hop artists have found a way turn this market threat into an opportunity. Free download mixtapes (which are neither mixed nor on tape, discuss...) have been catapulting artists such as Wale, Ra the MC, Marky, XO and others into the upper reaches of internets stardom. No more standing on U Street peddling burnt CDs, the free download is the new strategy to burst onto the scene and connect with a new generation of listeners. Its like the indy punk zine for D.C. hip-hop.

Judah, one of the producers behind Wale, Ra the MC, XO and others, summed it like this: "Who cares about the radio, we know that radio doesn't make or break artists. With the internet, the fans gonna find you." Here's some free downloads worth finding:

Ra the MC – A Mixtape About Something. One of DCs finest female MCs shows the boys in the industry she doesn't play!

Marky – The Drive Thru. Theres something about a 19 year old DC MC rocking over a Citizen Cope track that's worth checking.

The DMV Mixtape – August 08. Get ready for September's edition with this fresh installment of the monthly mixtape from the DMV Music Blog Cartel.

XO – The Takeover. We wrote this up a few months back – get a late pass!

Wale – 100 Miles and Running. This is like the OG of the DMV free mixtape ish!