DC, Maryland and Virgina (also known as the DMV) has been in the hip-hop game for a long-ass time, but it’s only been recently that the area has been getting its due shine. Now, in-demand producer (and DMV native)  JUDAH is  bringing to the big screen an awesome look into the history of the music scene behind the Capitol – check out the details below:

After a monumental photo shoot in front of the Lincoln Theatre, the still-life portrait of the DMV’s (DC, Maryland, Virginia) hip-hop generation comes to life.

On Saturday April 17th, popular DC-producer JUDAH partnered with the Historical Society of Washington, DC (in conjunction with SolSource DC/Hip Hop Cinema Cafe) to bring the district, the first of its kind, an account of the region’s own hip-hop history of the last decade and its position in the music industry. Directed by Dre of ABB Video and Sophia “The Historian” Nelson of Ordinary People Books, the collaboration with JUDAH sheds light on the journey for exposure and collectivity in rap music for DMV hip-hop artists.

Commentary from: Studio 43 artist X.O. (also of Diamond District), MCA recording artist Black Indian, 368 Music Group artist Phil Ade, radio personality DJ Heat, noted producer Kev Brown (and many others!)

For more info contact: Sasha Vann at sasha.vann@gmail.com

J Scrilla – “No Love” Ft. – K-Beta, XO, Oddisee, Ra the MC, T.E.F.L.O.N., Judah, & Wordsmith from Seannie Cameras on Vimeo.

DC fashion line DURKL marches to the beat of a different drummer by comparison to the rest of the city. But they’re not about to change. Thery’re in the process of molding the city to meet them. Having existed for three years in relative anonymity, 2009 has been the year of DURKL in the Capital City. Having moved headquarters from a top floor loft just three blocks from Union Station to a spacious showroom/headquarters/retail space near Gallery Place in the shadows of Capitol Hill, DURKL is now prepared for their most audacious step forward into branding not just themselves, but the entire city in a movement towards creating a revised culture and feel.

DURKL’s latest mix, the Survivor Series Volume One Mixtape, was feted with an amazing blowout affair at their new space at 443 I St., NW in DC on Saturday evening, an event that bridged gaps racially, culturally and socially, all in the name of local music, and yes, professional wrestling.

Produced by Judah (“on the best, sound so sweet,” as Wale would say), and mixed by DJ Maf, this latest DURKL foray into the mixtape is the most DURKL specific of them all so far (the brand has available for download two dance music mixtape creations on their website), as it involves drops from the Ultimate Warrior and the “Macho Man” Randy Savage all over the place, in reference to the “Thanksgiving tradition” of the former World Wrestling Federation (WWF), current World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The creative vision of DURKL, namely that of Will Sharp, on some level, actually has a lot to do with pro wrestling. The heroic iconography of pro wrestling fashion designs of the early 1990s have crept into numerous DURKL fashions, including Bret “The Hitman” Hart’s silver sunglasses, Hulk Hogan’s “Hulk Rules” t-shirt, posters of the Ultimate Warrior ending up on tees, and the use of absurdly bright neon graphics all owe their history to Vince McMahon’s juggernaut promotion.

Featuring a multitude of various local DMV rap acts from DC’s Tabi Bonney, Phil Ade and RA the MC to Baltimore’s Greenspan, to dance music creators Nouveau Riche’s Gavin Holland and disco mastermind Chris Burns as the “Party Bros,” the dance pop of Exactly (featuring DURKL’s Cole Sharp), Suckers’ low-fi, even the ridiculous yet thrashing hair metal of Rattler, you get a sense of the DMV’s intellect, skill and on the rap level, lyrical depth (June Lova’s “LA Sex Scandal” deserves a lot of love in the wordplay department). This compares favorably, in what we could call the “Survivor Series battle,” against the international acts on the mixtape, as Skream’s #1 International hit remix of La Roux’s “In for the Kill,” is here, alongside Sweden’s hottest emcee Adam Tensta, and Australian alt dance rockers Empire of the Sun all make appearances.

If looking for the best representation of what DC brings to the national table, this mixtape allows one to believe that DURKL is indeed on that level.

All Photos: Lady Glock and Danielle Scruggs

DC Hip-Hop with a live band at a skate shop? With Nuvo?

Yeah, the concept sounds surreal, however that didn’t deter Judah, Strange Music, and 368 Music Group (along with sponsorship by Fusicioclogy and The Couch Sessions) from dropping the He Said, She Said party on Friday night. Backed by the illustrious Sound of the City, both MCs tore it down to a capacity crowd and represented the DC Area to the fullest. Ra the MC took the fashion game a step further with her homage to Michael Jackson on the start of the King of Pop’s birthday weekend, and Phil Ade threw down with his set, taken strictly off of his Starting on JV Mixtape.

The highlight of the night, however, had to be when both Phil and Ra got on stage for the DMV rendition of Jay-Z’s “Run This Town,” proving that the DC area is proving to be a force in the musical landscape.

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