February 12, 2008
This Week In Hip-Hop
For our purposes, the definition of hip-hop will be broader than it’s typically constructed, and will include R&B, soul, certain electronic, or whatever else is deemed appropriate by the author.
TUESDAY:
>> Flex Mathews plays host to several local hip-hop acts, including Verse-All, Mental Stamina of Rosetta Stoned, Sire, Cubby Bear, and Coma and the Velvet Lounge. 8 p.m., $7.
THURSDAY:
>> Trying to think up a last minute Valentine’s Day outing? Constitution Hall will feature the soulful trifecta of Rahsaan Patterson (pictured), Lalah Hathaway, and Ledisi. Ledisi is coming off a recent Grammy nomination for Best New Artist while Patterson is probably best known for his role in Kids Incorporated. Hathaway is the child of former Howard student and R&B legend, Donny Hathaway. 8 p.m., $65.
FRIDAY:
>> Formerly held on the last Saturday of the month, Rebirth now takes place on the third Friday of the month. Featuring the soulful underground house selections of DJs Curtis Lee, Divine, and Ernest Fountain, the party goes down at the Mocha Lounge inside of Mirrors at 33 New York Avenue, NE. 10 p.m., $10.
>> The soulful house vibe continues with the help of DJs Duane, FLX, and Big Sexy at Five. FLX and Big Sexy are part of the 3Degrees family of DJs based out of Chicago. 9 p.m., $10.
SUNDAY:
>> The stories and travels of both Vinx and KUKU are extensive. Vinx's transition from burn victim to Olympic-caliber athlete is fascinating but so is the fact he's worked extensively with Sting and Herbie Hancock. KUKU has had his share of life changes which have taken him from Nigeria to D.C. and from graphic designer to soul guitarist. They'll both be performing at Bohemian Caverns. 6:30 p.m./8:30 p.m., $20.
MONDAY:
DJ JahSonic of WPFW and the Soul Controllers crew hosts his weekly "The Main Ingredient" residency at Marvin. Expect hip-hop, broken beat, and anything else with a good rhythm. 9 p.m., Free.
ATTENTION:
>> On Wednesday, pre-sales on tickets begin on the "Heart of the City" tour featuring Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige. General public sales start Friday. The tour hits the Verizon Center on April 6. Prices range from $49.75-150.75. Chances are this one will sell out fast.
>> On February 21, the Red Bull Music Academy and XM Radio will be hosting "Dilla Day" at the XM Studios in D.C, 1500 Eckington Place NE. This will be a live broadcast celebrating the life and music of late producer extraordinaire, James "Jay Dee/J Dilla" Yancey. Artists slated to appear include Pete Rock and Talib Kweli. Additionally, Yancey's mother will be on hand and several local artists, including Flex Mathews, will also perform. Since space is severely limited, an RSVP must be sent and it's subject to approval by the powers that be. 6:30 p.m., Free with RSVP.
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"This Week in Non-Indie"?
"This Week in Non-Indie"?
Yeah, that works too, but the majority of the listings here are straight up hip-hop. Despite the fact that Herr Melton includes a disclaimer at the top of the column, it seems as if someone feels the need to bring this up again every week. Is the readership of DCist so flagrantly white bread that they don't realize that hip-hop is made up of four distinct elements? They are:
1. MC-ing (rapping/poetry/spoken word)
2. DJ-ing
3. Tagging (graffiti and other art)
4. Breaking (dance)
Incorporating any one of these elements makes something "hip-hop" by definition, so a performance by the Alvin Ailey Dance company or the RECOGNIZE! exhibit at the Portrait Gallery is just as hip-hop as a Jay-Z concert.
you are forgetting about the 5th Element:
5. QUESTLOVE
Hillrat--Is this a generic rant? Because I'm not following you. What did I/others "bring up"? Or was this just an excuse to educate the flagrant DCist loaves about the four pillars?
If I did offend, my apologies, Jacarl. I thought the disclaimer was new and I misread it as "since nobody else is covering all these other types of music, now they fall to me." It wasn't related to the post's content.
(And hey, weren't you going to post on The Message?)
Techne,
No offense taken.
I know people are coming on board to this at different times.
And thank you for the The Message cross-promotion!