Change is Coming…
By Dwayne “Blue” Telesford
As a relatively young African American male who has been born and raised on the south side of DC, I guess you can say I have seen quite a bit of transformation, revitalizing and renewal of the city. Like all the new condominiums and stadiums that have reshaped the landscape of this city I love so dearly, I have witnessed the birth of two new forms of music that has revolutionized the entire music industry as well as our urban culture.
Of course, I am talking about Hip Hop and Go-Go. The musical siblings were born in different places, almost at the same time. However, one has gone on to define a generation, while the other struggles to find its identity outside of its origins.
Here in DC, the birthplace of go-go, it appears that the opposite dynamic exist. Hip Hop never seemed to have been wildly popular with native Washingtonians who adore their beloved go-go. While go-go has historically been the sound that defined the music scene in this town amongst the inhabitants of the city’s urban areas for decades. Unsuspectingly, DC hip hop has been slowly creeping from the underground into our mainstream music with artists like Wale and Tabi Bonney getting the lion’s share of the publicity outside of DC at the moment.
There have been other genres that had its fair share of notables of this city’s rich music history, such as Marvin Gaye, Roberta Flack and currently Raheem DeVaughn, Ginuwine, and newcomer J. Holiday…not to mention producers such as Chuckie Thompson (Biggie, Total, 112, Mary J. Blige) and Rich Harrison (Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Usher, Amerie) who has created hits for several national artists.
Curiously, there is this sudden interest in DCs hip hop culture nationally. As one who has grown up here and love both genres with equal love and passion, I wanted to hear from some “experts” as to what truly is the
“DC Sound” and to get some insight what’s going on in the DC music scene.
To get to the bottom of this I had a chat with two of the most influential DJs in the city, DJ Rico and DJ Heat from WPGC 95.5 FM (www.wpgc955.com). They agreed to sit down with me at the station and give their opinion. For years, the duo ruled the Sunday evening airwaves as co-hosts of the now defunct, DC HomeJamz Show. DC HomeJamz was the wildly popular radio segment that showcased songs submitted by local independent artists.
Rico and Heat would not only spin songs, they would educate the artists on what it would take to get their music to the masses. Their no nonsense approach, and sometimes brutally honest remarks, called for artists to raise the bar on their professionalism and presentation of their product. So it seemed very befitting to ask them a few questions.
Here we go…
Blue: Is there really a DC sound?
Rico: Yes there is one. To me the sound is soulful. Go-Go is a big part. R&B is also a big part of that sound. Ol’ school is too. Jazz is big part. And even for a lot of the gospel artist also. Hip Hop is becoming a big part of the sound because a lot of artists are starting to flow out of dc. Underground artists are stepping out to go-go because a lot of go-go bands are making it out of DC too.
Heat: Hip Hop-wise at some point I would say there was a particular style…because it would be real hard…people said everybody here sounded a lot like Scarface with a different type of beat. But now, just like hip hop is diverse; DC is becoming diverse. Still there are some who are influenced by the “gangsta” style like a Scarface. But you do have the types who are more conscious that they more underground and the type that try be fly and flashy. So it’s hard to pin point a sound…but you can say we do have certain kind of drawl or accent…each region have that different flair, but a sound is hard to say at this point.
Blue: What stymies the music here?
Rico: Hate! On each other…in our own city! There is a lot of hatred within the industry here. Some artist won’t perform with other artist. In the go-go community, some bands won’t play with other bands. Some DJs wont DJ with other DJs! Some promoters won’t work with other promoters, but i can see T.I. and Luda be mad at each other, then go to the studio and crank a hot track.
Heat: That could be the reason why DC hasn’t had that artist to break out because everybody wanna be that one that don’t wanna share that credit. The main thing we hear all the time is “I’m gonna put DC on the map!”
DJ Heat (pictured left) wittingly adds, “What is this map?”
Heat: The way me and Rico joke, pick up a globe…DC is on there! DC is on that map!
Rico: DC was on there before you were born. It’s been on the map forever! Let’s go there! Marvin Gaye, Roberta Flack…need I go any further! That’s why Frankie Beverly love to come here and how he would sell out in DC before he would sell out anywhere else. It’s been on the map. So when artist like Raheem DeVaughn can give props to Marvin Gaye on stage by doing Marvin Gaye-like rituals on stage, it’s because he knows where his foundation comes from. Whereas, a lot of our new artists don’t show that same respect.
Its like, we are still living in our own warped zone. That’s like a DC boxer knocking out a dude and saying he putting DC on the map! NO! Sugar Ray Leonard already did that!
Heat: I understand how the artists feel though. Because it can’t be compared to an Atlanta or a Chicago, but at the same time you have to understand it’s not like the industry doesn’t see DC. I know artists feel overlooked, but look how long it took St. Louis to blow…look how log it took a Chicago to blow up.
Rico: Certain DC artists stay in that box. Whether it’s go-go or hip hop artist.
Blue: Does go-go stymie hip hop here in DC at all?
Heat: That’s a question where a few years I might have said yes, but i have seen it grow.
Blue: No other city has go-go, so what is it then?
Heat: ok…well, Chicago has juke music. Parts of Cali had its ‘hyphy” for a long time before that blew up. So, you can’t blame the cities music. Miami had its bass music, but that didn’t stop Rick Ross from breaking mainstream. B-more has house, but you can’t blame the culture of your city from holding you back. That’s just a part of your city.
Rico: A lot of DC artists believe that NY and Atlanta artists take our artists seriously. There are some DC artists who don’t feel that way. Those are the ones who go to other cities and sell out of their trunk. They might go to the BET Music Awards or out to LA and sell their CDs. Those are the artists who are going to move our artist out of DC and from being stuck. You have people like Tabi Bonney…people like Wale…people like The Committee.
Blue: I feel honored to be here with the two of you. Rico, I remember partying to you back the day at The Oaktree over by Rivertown and the good ol’ Classics! Man, those were some serious parties. We would rock to go-go damn near the whole night. So I know you go wayyyyy back and you come from that era of DJ’ing on wax and playing go-go P.A. tapes! It didn’t matter as long as the party rocked.
Heat, I met you in an awkward way initially but have grown to love and respect your insightful views of music in general. I love your passion and support you have shown to the entire music hip hop landscape which has garnered you several homegrown DMV Entertainment and Music Awards like “Most Supportive DJ”.
(This is where Rico jumps in…I believe its best to have him have the final word, because I can on and on about DJ Heat and what she means to the DC Hip Hop scene)
Rico on Heat: She sticks to the underground as far as the radio is concerned. She don’t do just hip hop, R&B, reggae or go-go…she listens to the lyrical content…she listens to the beat content…she listens to the clarity of your words. I can see her role as voice to be reckoned with, because she has an ear that a lot of these artists need to pay attention to.
It was a lot of fun sitting down talking with these stalwarts of DC music. It appears that hip hop lives in DC, but hip hop from DC is still in its infantile stages. There is optimism that DC hip hop will be as popular in DC as go-go is to DC natives. There is hope that somehow, a homegrown hip hop sound captures the ears and hearts the same as go-go. And along the way, go-go finally grows up and out of the city into the mainstream music industry.
New hip hop artists are making a name for themselves such as Kingpin Slim, Wordsmith, XO; along with hip hop bands that are starting to take over like Konshens and his State of Mind and artists like Wale who combines his hip hop with the live element of go-go band UCB (even Tabi Bonney has been seen rocking with local go-go band Reaction lately) there is a slow moving cultural shift of how Washingtonians, as well as nationally, view DC hip hop. I see change coming as clearly as U Street before the subway system…as clearly as Chinatown before Verizon Center… just be ready DC… its coming!
