Photo by flipperman75

FRIDAY

BIG DADDY KANE: When it comes to the player character in hip-hop, Big Daddy Kane is one of the originators and possibly the best to ever do it. With tracks like “Warm It Up, Kane” and “Ain’t No Half Steppin'”, Kane ruled the late ’80s and early ’90s. He’ll be performing his hits with a live band at the Howard Theatre (620 T Street NW). $20 in advance/$25 at the door. 8 p.m.

SATURDAY

RIDE A BIKE, FREEZE YOUR ASS OFF: It’s not what you would call cycling weather, but that’s not about to stop a hearty bunch from heading out for the annual Coldest Day Of The Year Ride. Gather at Big Bear Cafe (1700 First Street NW) at 10 a.m. for a casual, easy loop around the Southeast Riverfront, Kingman Island and the National Arboretum. Free.

LEARN TO DEFEND YOURSELF: Did you know that January is National Personal Self Defense Awareness Month? Yeah, neither did we. Still, take that as a chance to learn to defend yourself with a Family Self Defense clinic today at the D.C. Self Defense Karate Association (1716 Newton Street NW). 2-4 p.m. Free with pre-registration, $10 the day of.

OPEN YOUR OWN CRAFT DISTILLERY: There’s already three breweries in D.C., but only one distillery. It’s an untapped market out there! Today the Park Hyatt Washington (M and 24th Streets NW) will host “The Catoctin Creek Distilling Workshop,” an educational seminar teaching the fundamentals of operating a craft distillery (mashing, fermentation, distillation, storage, bottling and sensory tasting.) The workshop will be led by Scott Harris, owner of Catoctin Creek Distilling Company, Northern Virginia’s first distillery since prohibition, and will cover the art and science of distillation. 3-5 p.m. Tickets are $55; call 202-419-6768 or email here.

SIPS: Join José Andrés, Joan Nathan & Alice Waters for the first part of Sips & Suppers, the annual fundraiser for Martha’s Table and the D.C. Central Kitchen. The first part, focusing on artisans and mixologists and the drinks they concoct, takes place at the Newseum (555 Pennsylvania Avenue NW) tonight. 7 p.m. Tickets range from $85-$100; buy them here.

GANGSTAGRASS: Bluegrass and hip-hop, all in one? It’s an unlikely pairing, but Gangstagrass has pulled it off and done well in the process. The mash-up band performs tonight at Artisphere (1101 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington VA) along with The Highballers. 8 p.m. $15.

SUNDAY

PREPARE FOR SUPER BOWL SUNDAY: If you’re hosting a Super Bowl gathering, get some tips from the experts at today’s “Game Day Do-It-Yourself” at Union Market (1309 5th Street NE), where vendors will offer guests ideas for DIY recipes for the big game. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free.

D.C. RECORD FAIR: Head down to Penn Social today for as much vinyl as you can drag home with you. This year’s D.C. Record Fair will be held at Penn Social (801 E Street NW) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Early bird tickets are $5 and get you in promptly at 11, while regular tickets are $2 and allow to access at noon. RSVP over on the Facebook page.

SUPPERS: You’ve had your Sips, now join José Andrés, Joan Nathan & Alice Waters for the second part of Sips & Suppers, the annual fundraiser for Martha’s Table and the D.C. Central Kitchen. Each Supper will take place at a different home; tickets and details here. 6-10 p.m., tickets range from $400 to $1,000.