Don’t worry. This is not another monthly dirty hipster dance party. We’re off that.
Instead, THE MYSTERY METHOD is what it is. Yes, it’s a guide to pick up women. Absolutely. I’ll guarantee that if you’re a single man in need of lust and love, the melodies being laid down by DJs Cold Case and Obeyah will absolutely solve your problems.
The night itself is a mystery as well. We’re not going to shove club music, electro, minimal, techno, hip hop, house, and yes, our beloved moombahton down your throat. We’re instead going to let the night guide us, and take us on a journey. Some nights I envision the party will be hard, some other nights, smooth. I perceive some nights may lead us into the rabbit hole of deep house, yet others will be all about the air being filled with the bubblegum dreams of pop music. There was once a time where open genre dance parties actually meant open genres. Now, it’s a cute catch all to mean that if you have ironic facial hair and awkward social sense, or have a double sleeve of tattoos, gladiator sandals, horn rimmed glasses and a purple t-shirt and pink jeans, you won’t get hated on. But again, we’re off that.
This is a dance night. Plain, honest and simple. Walk in, pay no money, and get your ass on the floor. Malik Starx, likely one of the city’s dopest emcees is the host. He might rap, he might be a hypeman. He might just shake your hand amd chop it up with you for a bit. He brings an undeniable sense of cool and a definite fun vibe to the event for sure.
The Mystery Method is indeed a mystery. What you know gets you into the door, and what you don’t, well, it will make you stay.
DEEPER. HARDER. STRONGER. INTRIGUE. SEX. MUSIC.
The Mystery Method is all you ever needed. And more.
DJ COLD CASE. DJ OBEYAH. HOSTED BY MALIK STARX. 8/7 LIV 10-CLOSE FREE 21+
2010’s breakout stars of DC’s hip hop community are indeed Malik Starx and Mr. Clif, the Dark Planet Records affiliated Roll Wit Us All Stars. In the midst of an aggressive touring schedule locally with plans of East coast expansion in the offing, the duo, like American Express has proven to be “everywhere you want to be.” It’s just not enough to be stalwarts of the social scene however, the group has absurd talent as well. This talent has been noticed by the likes of Tittsworth, Starks and Nacey, DJ Lemz and James Nasty, and with two EPs prepared for release, the future looks bright for the pair.
Dominant at flowing over the electro that dominates the airwaves, as well as having an affinity for west coast styled g-funk and pretty much any other genre that has achieved any modicum of popularity in hip hop, Malik and Clif’s exuberance about their careers is pretty much infectious, and in this interview, it’s fairly difficult to not get a sense that the duo legitimately enjoys the art of hip hop. This pride in craft extends to their appreciationof music in general, which portends greatly for their diverse interests and future in the industry.
Definitely sit down, relax and take a listen to what the future of hip hop in the Mid-Atlantic, and if you believe them, worldwide, will sound like. Visit http://www.rollwit.us/ for more information!
True Genius Requires Insanity takes the first in what are necessary steps the site feels in identifying artists that we feel are on the cusp of what’s next in music on all levels. The “STAMPED” program will note DJs, producers, bands, and individuals we feel are on the cusp of being dominant musical forces to be reckoned with locally, nationally, and internationally in all genres. The program will be an ongoing and neverending search for music and musicians we feel are consistently on point, and defining of a constant level of musical excellence. The artists, their music, and events will be perpetually featured on the site, and the site will endeavor to be the first stop for all information regarding these talented individuals.
TGRIOnline.com “STAMPED” Artists (from clockwise): DC/Bmore DJ Andrew Jaye, Israeli dance pop act Terry Poison, DC rap duo the Roll Wit Us All-Stars, Baltimore club music producer and DJ James Nasty
Simply click the highlighted names of the performer for an updated list of the TGRIOnline.com features on the artists.
Andrew Jaye (Local DJ STAMP) is a Pittsburgh native now with roots in the DC Metropolitan area. A weekly fixture on the DC and Baltimore party scene, Andrew is quietly known by many as possibly one of the best “opening” DJs on the East coast, as his encyclopedic knowledge of all music and devotion to moving a crowd instead of pushing a musical agenda makes him a true DJ in an era of individual superstars deeming themselves more important than the crowd in the EDM genre. Having spun at nearly every top underground venue in the area, Andrew was always been underrated, and with this honor, we bring his talents to the forefront and encourage anyone that sees his name on the bill to know that if opening, closing or just playing in general, Jaye is a kingpin selector who absolutely has ALL the grooves to make you move, no matter the time, space or place. Jaye can be found at the 12 LB Sound party on the third Fridays of every month at his two residencies at DC’s 9:30 Club Backbar, as well as at the Feedback Dance Party at DC9 on the second Saturday of the month.
Terry Poison (International STAMP)are quite simply the future of mainstream international dance pop. The Israeli quintet owe as much of their fame to their sound as their style, the international party starters on the cusp of VERY big things stateside to match their overseas renown. With a vibe that screams “NOW” on the North American pop stage, it’s not a matter of if, but when the group will blow up! Visit terrypoison.com for more information!
Roll Wit Us All Stars (Local STAMP) are unequivocally the top underground group in the DC area. Combining a sensibility for blending the worlds of club and dance with hip hop, and recalling the party rap era of the early 90s with skill and excellence, the duo’s radio friendly jams like “Girl You Know What’s Up” are filled with pop hooks and razor sharp flows. Dreadlocked Malik Starx is a wordsmith extraordinaire with an old school flavor, while Mr. Clif’s polysyllabic smackdowns are highly entertaining. With a background that includes being produced by superstar DJ Jesse Tittsworth, and performing with the likes of Rass Kass and Souls of Mischief, the group has the pedigree and aptitude for greatness. Visit myspace.com/rollwitusallstars
James Nasty (Baltimore Club Producer)is the answer to the statement “If there was ever a man who’d be the first person to play club music on the moon, it would be this producer and DJ.” A DC native, James Nasty is a believer in the healing effects of classic Baltimore club music. Having played the My Crew Be Unruly party in 2009 w/ on again off again collaborator in the 1.21 Jiggawatt Soundsystem, Andrew Jaye, and having released a very successful Good Times EP, James is on the cusp of much bigger things. With a style reminiscent of legendary B-more selectors Rod Lee, Diamond K and KW Griff, he overwhelms partygoers with effusive glee through music. As of recently, he has produced tracks for Brooklyn hipster faves Maggie Horn, Menya and Ninjasonik. For more information check http://bln.kr/-JamesNasty
Monthly, weekly, or one-off, DC has plenty of DJ nights and dance parties. If you attend as many as the crew here at TGRI, they mostly start to blend together. This was not the case on Saturday, for a very special pre-Valentine’s Day edition of Feedback Dance Party at DC9. Turns out we gave it the Seal of Approval for a reason.
Taking over for Feedback host Stereo Faith (who had his hands full across town at Sutra) were kindred spirits and frequent collaborators James Nasty, Andrew Jaye, and Trevor Martin. Collectively known as the 1.21 Jiggawatt Soundsystem, Nasty and Jaye started the night with truly classic jams guaranteed to get the floor moving. Feedback is fast becoming a dance party where you can drop the pretension and bullshit of going out, and say, “Yes, I will be dancing to Marky Mark and Right Said Fred. So what?”
After double teaming the decks for a bit, Trevor Martin joined the fun, doing what he does best, mixing everything from Modest Mouse to Biggie to Miley Cyrus (yes, Miley Cyrus). At some point, somebody played Ke$ha and Lady Gaga back-to-back, and the crowd ate it up (with a few exceptions).
Feedback is known for combining top DJs with amazing live performers, and Saturday was no exception, with DC’s Roll Wit Us All-Stars dropping a killer set. The mission of Malik Starx and Mr. Cliff is right there in the name: the duo is determined to get the party moving, whether rapping over club beats by Tittsworth or G-funk cuts brought back from a recent trip to the City of Angels. A highlight of the set was a freestyle cypher with fellow DC rapper Ardamus. Don’t sleep on the Roll Wit Us All-Stars: their combination of lyrical prowess with a party-friendly attitude portends big things in 2010.
The night evolved – or devolved, if you prefer – into pure madness when James Nasty started playing Baltimore club, from classics (“Doo Doo Brown”) to exclusives (“Let me c wat you got”). If you still haven’t seen this man do his thing, you either need to get on 95 and hit the Ottobar for his Moustache Dance Party or wait until he returns to DC. Or better yet, both.
I recently had the wonderful opportunity to speak with the bright and engaging Malik Starx of DC’s latest up and coming, rising hip hop duo the Roll Wit Us All-Stars. The group has been on quite the winning streak as of late in garnering support on a local and national level with their hip hop sound spliced with club, breaks and other dance music influences. Malik teams with Mr. Clif (Clif Alexander) in the tandem whose chemistry and live performances make them surefire stars on DC’s underground. Given hip hop’s recent turn toward a more electro friendly mindset from the success of those like Pitbull, Kid Cudi and Dizzee Rascal, it’s not surprising to see them get their time in the spotlight at this moment.
Starx and his partner in rhyme met as undergraduates at Howard University, and things were initially not smooth for the duo. Starx states regarding Mr. Clif, “We didn’t really get along at first. But, if you see the guy at the Souls of Mischief show, and at the Ghostface show, and also at the Mos Def show, he can’t really be that bad of a guy.” Starx also recalls a tale of playing wingman for Cliff with some coeds over a winter break as a key moment of development of a friendship as well. Malik had previous background as an emcee with roots in California, nearly being signed to a record deal in high school, so as a fan of Cliff’s talents, the need for the two to come together was apparent and obvious as they spent much of their college careers appearing on each other’s EP projects and garnering support for their stylings. Starx had decided to quit his emcee career prior to his time at Howard, but in Cliff, he found a rhyme partner that rekindled his desire to embark upon a rap career.
Starx comes from a musical family with deep and varied inspirations, however, it was his love of his brother’s hip hop collection, and namely the work of Slick Rick and Rakim that made him want to be a rapper. “The ability to craft a story and make your words into movies is lost in hip hop today” says Starx, who embodies that old school ideal in his rhymes. The influences do not stop there, as the All-Stars are often seen around town showing support to not just the rap community, but the underground electronic dance music scene as well. Starx speaks humorously of the days when he classified all EDM as “techno,” but now, with the aid of Roll Wit Us producer EQ, the group now has a deep understanding and appreciation of all musical styles which bleeds into their most unique sound.
The group’s love of electronic music even led to their biggest break locally through the infamous DC underground Crunk parties thrown by then local stars Tittsworth and Dave Nada, as in 2005, through knowing the doorman at the party’s venue, Mr. Cliff and Malik were able to get on a bill, and even when pressured by Tittsworth to “absolutely bring a crowd,” they loaded in their own stage and effects, “totally rocked the house,” and the rest is history. The relationship with the now internationally famed hard break and heavy bass DC kingpin has had him include the duo on his 12 Steps debut in 2008, and also as the key catalyst producer on the All-Stars’ upcoming EP, as his track “Girl You Know What’s Up” is expected to be the initial single. Other prodution credits on the EP are expected to be to west coast producer EQ, as well as Baltimore’s rising party maestro James Nasty.
The Roll Wit Us All-Stars are not just your typical crossover though. They have held their own on concert bills with Ras Kass, the Souls of Mischief and other vaunted members of the hip hop establishment. Their flexibility is a bonus which has kept them very busy as of late, and gaining praise. “It keeps growing bigger and bigger, daily it seems,” says Starx of Roll Wit Us’ phenomenal expansion locally, and all would appear to be in line for an exemplary 2010. Starx just returned from a trip to the Grammys and his California roots, again, making the necessary connections and taking the necessary steps to be a success in the hip hop game. The Roll With Us All Stars always seem to have a knack of being in the right place at the right time and always being successful in their calculated aims. Kudos to the duo, and there is definitely an expectation of their move to the next level of stardom not being categorized by if, but by when.
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