[ Music ] >> Welcome to "DMV: The Beat" -- performances from some of the DMV's biggest talent.

Hip hop and go go pioneer, legendary party starter, always reppin' his city, this is D.J.

Kool.

>> I'm the legendary D.J.

Kool.

I'm from Washington, D.C. That's my main man, D.J.

Thrill.

He's from Washington, D.C. And, Thrill, let's take it back to 1996 like this.

Hey, yo, Thrill, hit me with the horns, man.

Let's go.

Let's go.

Let's go.

We live, you all.

Everybody jump.

Jump.

Jump.

Jump.

Jump.

Jump.

That's it.

Everybody jump.

Jump.

Jump.

Jump.

Jump.

Jump.

Now listen.

Some of you all might know this.

Some of you all don't.

Get the hands up.

Some of you all might be with me.

Some of you all won't.

But listen.

♪ Let me clear my throat ♪ ♪ Get your hands up ♪ ♪ Come on ♪ ♪ Get your hands up ♪ ♪ Have mercy, babe ♪ ♪ I hope you don't mind ♪ ♪ Let me clear my throat ♪ ♪ Get your hands in the air ♪ ♪ Let's go ♪ ♪ Get your hands in the air ♪ ♪ Let's go ♪ ♪ It might look something like this ♪ ♪ Now you all want to party like we do ♪ ♪ You all want to party like this ♪ ♪ Let me here you say "Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah" ♪ >> ♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah ♪ >> ♪ You all want to party like we do ♪ ♪ You all want to party like us ♪ ♪ Let me hear you say, "Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah" ♪ >> ♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah ♪ >> ♪ When I say uh, you say, "Ah."

♪ Uh, uh ♪ >> ♪ Ah, ah ♪ >> ♪ When I say, "Hey" ♪ ♪ You say, "Ha" ♪ ♪ Hey, hey ♪ >> ♪ Ha, ha ♪ >> ♪ When I say, "Hey," you say, "Yo" ♪ ♪ Hey, hey ♪ >> ♪ Yo, yo ♪ >> ♪ When I say, "Stop," you say, "Go" ♪ ♪ Stop, stop ♪ >> ♪ Go, go ♪ >> ♪ When I say freeze, you just freeze one time ♪ ♪ When I say freeze, stop on a dime ♪ ♪ When I say freeze, you just freeze one time ♪ ♪ When I say freeze, stop on a dime ♪ ♪ Freeze ♪ [ Cheers and applause ] For all the ladies in the place, you got real hair, real eyes, real fingernails.

You got a job.

You going to school.

You're a good mother.

And you don't need nobody to help you handle your business.

Independent ladies, make some noise.

[ Cheers and applause ] So check the flavor of the rhythm I wrote.

And while I got a chance here, let me clear my throat.

♪ Oh, let's go, you all ♪ ♪ Have mercy, babe ♪ ♪ Ha, I hope you don't mind ♪ ♪ Let me clear my throat ♪ ♪ Get your hands in the air, let's go ♪ ♪ Get your hands in the air, let's go, come on ♪ ♪ It's a little something like this ♪ [ Indistinct ] Yeah.

Ah ha.

Somebody, anybody, everybody in this joint, make some noise in this joint, man.

[ Cheers and applause ] Hit me with your horns, man.

D.J.

Kool.

Uno, dos, tres, come on.

Hands up.

Come on.

Everybody in the club, hands up.

Come on.

♪ Don't stop, let's go, hands up, come on ♪ ♪ Somebody say ho, yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ I heard there was a party going on ♪ ♪ If a party going on in here, let me hear you say ♪ ♪ "Yeah, yeah ♪ >> ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ >> ♪ Where the party at, y'all?

♪ ♪ Hey, I heard there was a party going on ♪ ♪ If a party going on in here, let me hear you say ♪ ♪ "Oh, yeah" ♪ >> ♪ Oh yeah ♪ >> ♪ Now scream, come on ♪ ♪ Now if you all come to rock ♪ ♪ And you know that you want to rock right now ♪ ♪ Somebody say, "We want to rock right now" ♪ ♪ Come on, you all ♪ >> ♪ We want to rock right now ♪ >> ♪ I said if you all come to rock and you know ♪ ♪ That you want to rock right now ♪ ♪ Let me hear you say, "We want to rock right now" ♪ ♪ Come on, you all ♪ >> ♪ We want to rock right now ♪ >> ♪ Somebody say, "Party over here ♪ ♪ Ain't nothing over there" ♪ >> ♪ Party over here, ain't nothing over there ♪ >> ♪ Say "Party over here" ♪ >> Soulful vocalists whose artistry explores and delivers the healing essence of music.

This is Tamara Wellons.

>> This song is called "You Are."

And I wrote it because I was experiencing this real big void in my life and I wanted to fill it with something beautiful.

And that happened to be a person.

And sometimes you can't always fill a void in your life with a person, but it felt so good and you know music comes from those good feeling places.

So I wrote this song, "You Are."

[ Beginning of "You Are" ] [ Humming ] ♪ I fell into a kind of love so powerful it was ♪ ♪ Until we started acting out love ♪ ♪ And I forgot that I liked you ♪ ♪ We took the long route home ♪ ♪ Going for the unknown ♪ ♪ Our yellow lights turned green ♪ ♪ We hung on to our song ♪ ♪ And no, it's not perfect, the time or the season ♪ ♪ But it's so perfect you gave me the reason ♪ ♪ And I'm following you, love ♪ ♪ I'll wait for you, love ♪ ♪ No mistake about you, love ♪ ♪ I learned from you, love ♪ ♪ I like ♪ ♪ The way ♪ ♪ You are ♪ ♪ You are ♪ ♪ I like ♪ ♪ The way ♪ ♪ You are ♪ ♪ You are ♪ ♪ Take it slow, take it slow, take it slow ♪ ♪ Let it grow, let it grow ♪ ♪ Let us grow ♪ ♪ We have nowhere to go ♪ ♪ Just know that no one could ever give me what you gave me ♪ ♪ That connection, yeah ♪ ♪ Complete satisfaction, yeah ♪ ♪ It saved me ♪ ♪ It saved me ♪ ♪ Yeah, you are the reason I sing ♪ ♪ Gave my heart fire and dreams ♪ ♪ My soul's revival ♪ ♪ Forever you'll be in my mind ♪ ♪ And I'm following you, love ♪ ♪ I wait for you, love ♪ ♪ No mistake about you, love ♪ ♪ I learned from you, love ♪ ♪ Oh, whoa ♪ ♪ You are, you are ♪ ♪ You, you, you, you ♪ ♪ I like ♪ ♪ The way you are ♪ ♪ You are ♪ ♪ You are ♪ ♪ You are ♪ ♪ Yeah, oh ♪ ♪ I, I ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ You, you, you, you ♪ ♪ You ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ [ Vocalizing ] ♪ You, yeah ♪ ♪ Oh, I ♪ ♪ You ♪ ♪ You ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ I like you ♪ ♪ You ♪ [ Vocalizing ] Whoo!

[ Playing "Ritual" ] ♪ They are a dance ♪ ♪ So when I touch the ground ♪ ♪ And when I plant my feet ♪ ♪ And when I call their name ♪ ♪ I feel strong just like my daddy ♪ ♪ And I recall the joy of being free... ♪ >> From violinists to drummers to rappers and everything in between with a go go symphonic infusion, this is Go Go Symphony.

[ Playing "Space Odyssey" ] [ Man vocalizing ] [ Man vocalizing ] >> Once again we are D.C. Strings and Go Go Symphony.

We're about to do it classically.

You all ain't ever seen it done quite like this!

Quite like this!

Quite like this!

Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

[ Playing "Space Odyssey" ] What?

what?

Rock!

Rock!

Rock!

We got all possible musicians out here today.

I seen you, bro.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

[ Playing "Space Odyssey" ] What?

What?

What?

What?

What?

What?

What you working with?

What you working with?

[ Playing "Space Odyssey" ] Once again, all classical trained musicians up here.

We do it for the kids.

We do it for the public school system.

We love you all.

[ Playing "Space Odyssey" ] ♪ You ain't never seen a party like this ♪ [ Playing "Space Odyssey" ] Hey, hey, hey!

♪ You ain't never seen a party like this ♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey!

♪ You ain't never seen a party like this ♪ [ Playing "Space Odyssey" ] What?

What?

What?

What?

What you working with?

Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

[ Playing "Space Odyssey" ] What you working with?

What?

What?

You all show some love.

[ Cheers and applause ] [ Playing "Go Go Symphony Movement Two" ] Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

[ Playing "Go Go Symphony Movement Two" ] You all want these violins, all these strings, in the front line.

[ Playing "Go Go Symphony Movement Two" ] What?

What?

What?

>> Hailing from Prince George's County, Maryland, she has emerged as one of R&B's voices on the rise.

This is Alex Vaughn.

>> So this song I'm about to play for you is called "So Be It."

It's about a best friend break up and just making peace with letting go.

I didn't want to end the relationship in shambles even though I felt like I was in shambles.

I wanted to end it in a place of peace for the sake of myself, for the sake of the other person.

Just for the sake of our futures and the sake of maybe us rekindling and being cool again.

So yeah.

This is "So Be It."

[ Beginning of "So Be It" ] ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Say that I don't miss you, but I do ♪ ♪ Say that I don't care ♪ ♪ That's not the truth ♪ ♪ Ignore my intuition once again ♪ ♪ All for me to say you're still my friend ♪ ♪ Seems like everybody knows but me ♪ ♪ Didn't even know you moved right up the street ♪ ♪ All the things you said we wouldn't be ♪ ♪ So be it ♪ ♪ It's been a hard time adjusting ♪ ♪ Instead of letting me know, you kept secrets ♪ ♪ But if I cut you this deep, you'd be in pieces ♪ ♪ If that's how you really feel, then so be it ♪ ♪ So be it ♪ ♪ If that's who you are, then so be it ♪ ♪ So be it ♪ ♪ So be it ♪ ♪ So be it ♪ ♪ That night when we linked up on the east side ♪ ♪ Rolled one, never would have thought ♪ ♪ That'd be the last time ♪ ♪ Tried to reassure you ♪ ♪ Lord knows I tried ♪ ♪ Is the distance the reason that I'm the bad guy?

♪ ♪ Don't give a... how it's affecting me ♪ ♪ I'm not your enemy ♪ ♪ Making decisions off feelings ♪ ♪ I can't make you see the way I do ♪ ♪ All is for nothing ♪ ♪ All I can say is so be it ♪ ♪ It's been a hard time adjusting ♪ ♪ Instead of letting me know, you kept secrets ♪ ♪ But if I cut you this deep you'd be in ♪ ♪ You'd be in pieces ♪ ♪ Even if I did, you would be the last up on that list ♪ ♪ I still can't believe you did that ♪ ♪ But in my heart I still want to forgive ♪ ♪ Came to terms that we may never get ♪ ♪ Back to what we used to be ♪ ♪ Everything's still new to me ♪ ♪ It won't be no love lost ♪ ♪ So be it ♪ ♪ It's been a hard time adjusting ♪ ♪ So be it ♪ ♪ Instead of letting me know, you kept secrets ♪ ♪ But if I cut you this deep you'd be in pieces ♪ ♪ If that's how you really feel, then so be it ♪ ♪ So be it ♪ ♪ If that's who you are, then so be it ♪ ♪ So be it ♪ ♪ So be it ♪ [ Music ] ♪ I'm not sure what you're feeling ♪ ♪ But I know what you're going through ♪ ♪ The things that have happened to you ♪ ♪ Ain't only happened to you ♪ ♪ And pain can have much power or it can have none at all ♪ ♪ The time you find yourself you find it after you fall ♪ ♪ So don't you ♪ ♪ Don't think about it ♪ ♪ Don't think of ending because it just ♪ ♪ Just might be a new beginning ♪ ♪ Each day you wake up you know there's tomorrow ♪ ♪ So won't you open your eyes, open your eyes ♪ ♪ Good morning ♪ >> Creators of rock, hip hop, and go go, genre bending sound called "Hood Rock," this is Black Alley.

>> So this first song that we're going to do, Black Alley original, it's entitled "Kemosabe."

It was written and created during the height of the don't mute D.C movement when they were trying to shut go go music down.

But no way.

Long live go go.

Let's get it.

[ Playing "Kemosabe" ] ♪ I could spot you haters about a mile away ♪ ♪ All that talking down, I just let karma pay ♪ ♪ Talking go go when you're not from around the way ♪ ♪ Fresh up out of the water, you going to drown today ♪ ♪ Listen, you cannot just mute D.C., no ♪ ♪ Wasn't shooting in the gym with me, so watch me ball ♪ ♪ I deserve a refund, we built this city ♪ ♪ Now you're all taxing us like we dumb ♪ ♪ They want a fight, I'll give you a reason ♪ ♪ Look, I ain't ask you for no threesome ♪ ♪ Please, honey, always trying to freak some ♪ ♪ Get money, make you stick to your stomach ♪ ♪ We got free tums ♪ ♪ And you know the party isn't over ♪ ♪ Until about three something ♪ ♪ That means it isn't over until we're done ♪ ♪ You say there's too much noise in the streets ♪ ♪ Huh?

These out of towners calling the police ♪ ♪ Huh?

They're like, oh, yeah, that's the ticket ♪ ♪ Don't make me carry one, that's division ♪ ♪ Black Alley take you to the light ♪ ♪ Yeah, that's a vision ♪ ♪ What we're cruising is impossible ♪ ♪ That's a mission, that's the mission ♪ ♪ Listen, why you tripping?

We been balling ♪ ♪ They been missing ♪ ♪ Our shit is dope like water whipping ♪ ♪ Like how you hating on the kitchen?

♪ ♪ And you know the party isn't over ♪ ♪ Until about three something ♪ ♪ That means it isn't over until we're done ♪ ♪ You say there's too much noise in the streets ♪ ♪ Huh?

These out of towners calling the police ♪ ♪ Huh?

Like whoa, kemosabe, whoa, whoa ♪ ♪ Like no, kemosabe, like whoa, kemosabe ♪ ♪ Whoa, whoa, you got to go, kemosabe ♪ ♪ Go, go, go, go ♪ ♪ Like whoa, whoa, whoa, go, go, go, go ♪ ♪ You got to go, kemosabe, like you got to go, kemosabe ♪ ♪ Whoa, whoa, oh, no ♪ ♪ I could see you haters from the backyard ♪ ♪ Smiling in my face, then you act fraud ♪ ♪ My essence too rare for the back and forth ♪ ♪ My essence too rare for the back and forth ♪ ♪ Crank it until it sound like a junkyard ♪ ♪ Book the what band in the front yard ♪ ♪ You all don't want to listen so forget you all ♪ ♪ That's the new impression of the funk, you all ♪ ♪ And you know the party isn't over ♪ ♪ Until about three something ♪ ♪ That means it isn't over until we done ♪ ♪ You say there's too much noise in the streets ♪ ♪ Huh?

These out of towners calling the police ♪ ♪ Huh?

Like whoa, kemosabe, whoa, whoa ♪ ♪ Like no, kemosabe, like whoa, kemosabe ♪ ♪ Whoa, whoa, you got to go, kemosabe ♪ ♪ Go, go, like whoa, kemosabe, whoa ♪ ♪ Whoa, like no, kemosabe, you got to go, kemosabe ♪ ♪ Whoa, whoa, oh, no ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ Hey, you got to go, kemosabe ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ Oh, no, let's get it ♪ [ Playing "Kemosabe" ] ♪ Yeah ♪ [ Playing "Kemosabe" ] Shout out to whole D.C., yeah.

You can never mute us.

♪ You got to go, kemosabe ♪ ♪ Whoa ♪ ♪ Run, oh, no ♪ [ Playing "Kemosabe" ] [ Playing "Turn Me Up" ] ♪ We going to air it out like a semiautomatic ♪ ♪ We can make the crowd get bowed, it's a habit ♪ ♪ Grab another round before we get this thing cranking ♪ ♪ Cranking for love, yeah ♪ ♪ We keep it, we keep it ♪ ♪ Pop, popping in the party ♪ ♪ Everybody rocking ♪ ♪ Can't control the body when we put it in a pocket ♪ ♪ All my fellas, do your thing ♪ ♪ You got plenty options ♪ ♪ Ladies, pump it like there ain't nobody watching ♪ [ Singing indistinctly ] ♪ Gloves on, got them laced up, like a fighter in a ring ♪ ♪ Murder scene, yeah, we killing it ♪ ♪ Party rocking, know you're feeling it ♪ ♪ So put your hands up ♪ ♪ Put your hands up ♪ ♪ Turn me up ♪ >> And the beat goes on.

Thank you for watching.

>> ♪ Turn, turn, turn me up ♪ >> This program was produced by WHUT and made possible by contributions from viewers like you.

For more information on this program or any other program, please visit our website at whut.org.

Thank you.