Ra The MC – Dreams

Download – Ra The MC – Heart of A Champion

Who says female MCs can’t rock? Everybody around these parts know that DC artist and He Said She Said/All Killer No Filler alum Ra The MC is one of the illest MCs around right now. HOWEVER, with this release Heart of a Champion, it’s solidified. On the 13 tracks, Ms. Ra GOES IN, dropping some of the best hip-hop I’ve heard all year. Add to that is AB the Producer who’s production style is on par with everybody in the game. Check it.

Tracklist

01. Pretend
02. The Grind
03. Intoxicated
04. One Shot
05. Dreams
06. One Life
07. Change
08. Pricey (ft. Ihsan Bilal)
09. Lights
10. Smile
11. Heart of a Champion
12. Good Friends (ft. AB the Pro)
13. Gone So Long (ft. XO)

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.

All Killer No Filler Trailer

Ra The MC Interview

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.

Photos by Sexy Fitsum/iLLIMETER and Lady Glock/Lady Glock Photography. Please Support.

Words by Chris Kelly of True Genius Requires Insanity

When I first moved to Washington, I heard plenty about “the two DCs:” two disparate cultures, ostensibly with transient denizens of the Capitol Hill-K Street-Georgetown axis on one hand and native Washingtonians on the other. The separation was cultural and economic, with racial undertones. The reality, as with all generalizations, is much more complicated.

DC is a creative class city. Even the Wall Street Journal knows that. With residents of every national and international origin, DC has developed a multitude of cultures. As a whole, the District rejects homogeneity and is all the better for it (the same can’t be said for some of its parts, i.e. the aforementioned Capitol Hill-K Street-Georgetown axis, but I digress). And while this fragmentation has let scenes develop for every individual taste, pigeonholing not seen since high school lunch tables keeps apart people who should be socializing, communicating, and most importantly, partying.

It may be ambitious, but the new monthly getdown All Killer No Filler aims to end this, at least partially, by bridging the gap between the urban and alternative dance scenes, whose aesthetic and musical tastes have more in common than not.

Joint Chiefs, the cultural Voltron of Winston Ford of The Couch Sessions, Sonya Collins of The Glass House and Marcus Dowling of True Genius Requires Insanity, three of DC’s leading tastemakers and trend-spotters, planned, executed and hosted the inaugural All Killer No Filler on Thursday, October 1 at Liv Nightclub (2001 11^th Street NW).

The evening began with two of DCs finest DJs on the turntables, spinning tunes guaranteed to get the crowd of early-adopters ready for an exciting night. First up was DJ Cam Jus, whose inventive mixes and eclectic musical tastes make him a perfect fit for everyone in this crowd. This is a selector on the rise: check out his excellent edits of Nike Boots and Bang for a taste of his style. Next up, the ever-present DC DJ Trevor Martin (Sneakers in the Club /$weat$hop), spinning hip-hop hits from ’89 to ’09. These tunes are tried and true – who doesn’t sing along when “Juicy” comes on?

Just as Liv’s bar and dance floor started to fill up, it was time for the night’s featured performer: up-and-comer RAtheMC (Strange Music). Here’s an artist who truly embodies All Killer No Filler’s ideals: a rapper-slash-singer whose skills on the mic are undeniable, who still tries to push things forward with fashion and style. Ra, backed by live drums and keys, wasted no time, rapping over “Uptown” and “D.O.A” before performing her own songs.

Any female musician who brings a combination of rapping and singing will be unfairly compared to Lauryn Hill (see: Estelle, every article about). Luckily, this doesn’t discourage Ra, whose re-working of Ms. Hill’s “Lost Ones” is a highlight of her set. Ra definitely takes the MC part of moniker seriously, engaging the crowd every second she’s on stage. And as someone who had braces, I can’t imagine rapping with that much metal in your mouth (okay, so it’s no “Through the Wire” accomplishment, but nothing to sneer at). Her new mixtape, the Twitter-inspired “Trending Topics,” drops on October 6 and features production by Mick Boogie and DC’s own Judah (on the beat).

Accompanying Ra was frequent collaborator Mz. Mimz, whose mixtape “Thoughts While Getting Dressed” introduced DC to its newest soul chanteuse. Her sound reminds me of another DC R&B singer, Wayna. Hopefully, All Killer introduced the audience to another Next Big Thing.

Closing out the night were two of DC’s most in-demand DJs, Steve Starks and Nacey, who wasted no time in dropping the hottest in club/electro/dance bangers guaranteed to keep the crowd’s energy up. From their own songs (“Lose Your Love”) to brand new tracks (Duck Sauce’s “aNYway”) to the classics (Ghost City DJs’ “My Boo”), these are songs that if you’re not dancing, you may be broken.

Anyone who’s spent some time in the District knows there are more than just “two DCs:” there are countless subcultures and scenes, with something for everyone. But between the promotion the Joint Chiefs are known for, and the word-of-mouth growth similar events have garnered, All Killer No Filler is sure to change that, for the better.

Upset you missed one hell of a party? See you on November 5 for an All Killer No Filler guaranteed to push the limits of what a DC party can be.

Ra The MC – Spaceships

If you didn’t know, Ra The MC is headlinining our All Killer, No Filler event this Thursday at Liv, and to whet your appetite, Ra and her producer Judah (aka Mr. Inhighdemand) sent this tasty little track to my inbox yesterday. Spaceships is off of the beautifully named Trending Topics Mixtape which drops on October 6th.

Flyer Design by Brian Akpa of Citizen Design. Big up for the 24 Hour Turnaround as well!

If you’ve been following @couchsessions @theglasshousedc or @marcuskdowling (aka the Joint Chiefs) on Twitter, then you already know that ALL KILLER, NO FILLER will be taking over Liv Nightclub this Thursday, October 1st!! ALL KLLER is a monthly event curated for the purpose of uniting the urban and alternative dance and social communities, bringing musical talent from all over the city together in the same room, to celebrate the musical diversity within this city.

Join us, on Thursday, October 1st, for the kickoff for this 18+ Montly Event.

RSVP ON FACEBOOK

Special Headlining Performer: RA The MC (with Live Band!)

DJ Sets By:

Cam Jus

Trevor Martin

Starks and Nacey

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.

Full Gallery

Last Thursday, rising hip-hop star Greenspan celebrated the release of his mixtape When The Sky Turns Green at the Gap store in downtown Baltimore. The setup completely flipped the script on the hip-hop performance, and is only the beginning of many good things for the dude. Ra the MC and Shyvonne also joined Greenspan for the event. Our newest photographic contributor Boney Starks of 714 Images was in Bmore to catch the action.

On Friday, August 28th, the DMV will host He Said, She Said, showcasing two of the best male and female rappers of the DMV’s new hip-hop class. 368 Music Group along with Strange Music, Fusicology, and The Couch Sessions will present this unique FREE opportunity at Palace Five Skate Shop.

If you didn’t already know, Phil Ade is next in line to take fill the shoes of Wale and Tabi Bonney. With a flow that compares to Lupe Fiasco and the backing of Raheem DeVaughn’s 368 Music Group, Ade is ready to shine. Since the release of his Starting on JV Mixtape, Ade has also opened for The Clipse and is currently on a tour of the Southeastern United States with Raheem.

Phil Ade Interview from Couch Sessions on Vimeo.

Ra the MC is holding it down for the females in the DMV. The MC made waves with her mixtapes, Are You Not Entertained and The Mixtape About Something. Ra has been featured on several collaborations and is set to make waves in 2009, representing the ladies of the DMV.

More info will be dropping closer to the date. EVERYBODY SHOULD COME THRU!!

Palace Five
2216 14th St NW,
Washington, DC?

ALL AGES | FREE

The Paxtons - Just Tonight

So this track is over a week old, which in this new “blog” era is an eternity, so I guess you can say that I’ve been sleeping on this track.

Even though I complain that a lot of DC hip-hop (outside of the groundbreaking sounds of Wale and Tabi) sounds like it was produed in 1994, and this track is no exception. The collaboration between DC group The Paxtons and female upstart Ra the MC sounds like the early 90s hip-hop/R&B collabos from back in the day, and flips “My Boo” from the Ghost Town DJs (one of my favorite tracks evar), on tis laid back track that’s perfect for the summer.

Cakes and Kisses – April ’09 Mixtape

Most of y’all know that the Cakes and Kisses parties during the first week of April is the look. The party, thrown at Asylum, seamlessly throws together open mic hip-hop with cake. And you didn’t think those could go together did you?

Their mixtape that just dropped is one of the finest examples of local hip-hop that Ive heard in a while. Higlighted by Ra The MC’s “Nicky Boy,” (produced by Judah whom I met down at SXSW), which has become one of my favorite tracks this week and is hand made for radio airplay. The other tracks on this set are equally as viable, making this month’s party a good look for DC. Check out the Cakes and Kisses party TOMORROW at Asylum.

Tracklisting

1. Rosetta Stoned – “Witchcraft (Cubbiebear Remix)”
2. AB the Producer – “Go Hard” ft. XO, Lyriciss, & Pro’ Verb
3. RAtheMC – “Nicky Boy” (Produced by Judah)
4. The Five One – “R3valulion”
5. G5 Clive – “Neva Can Say Goodbye” ft. TeeThree (Produced by Banquo Bangs)