NEW YORK IS THE FASHION CAPITOL…BUT DC IS THE URBAN FASHION CAPITAL! Introducing DC’s Own Emore J of EMORE J COUTURE!

Home of “go-go” music, the infamous “mumbo” chicken wing sauce and yes FASHION! We all know New York is the fashion capital…but when it comes to urban fashion DC takes the cake! Go on any college campus and chances are you would be able to point out a DC girl from the others and a DC guy from the crowd. The DMV urban style has always been unique…since way back when people were rockin slouch socks. DC is also home to many independent local designers. Not many other cities can say they wear clothes from local designers. DDTP, MADNESS, ALL-DAZ, SHOOTERS GEAR, SCRAPAZ, HOBO, MUCHUNU, AJA-IMANI…all represent DC. Although many of these labels are no longer a trend, the fact remains that DC has urban fashion on lock.

DC’s fashion week served as an outlet to showcase DC’s fashion sense. The Menswear fashion show showcased a range of fashion from street gear to corporate-world attire. Each designer contributed a different element to the Menswear fashion show. Colombian native Stella Bonds described her fashion line as “old world meets new world” with a Colombian flare. Suave, debonair and just outright sexy are a few words to describe Andrew Nowell’s collection. However, one of the most eclectic fashions by far is DC’s own Emore J. Couture. Dressed in all black and gold from head to toe, Emore J mirrored his runway items. He dressed and looked as though…if-need-be, he could walk the runway and model his own clothes. Along with a fierce and distinct style Emore J has the personality to match. Caught in the midst of directing models, making last minute wardrobe changes and taking photo’s for the press; I was able to nab Emore J for a brief interview with DMV Unplugged.

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Funky Fat Tuesday! That time of the year had arrived once again. So when you were walking down the streets of the DMV and came across those shimmering face masks and strings of beads just know that you may have missed out on the celebration festivities that revolved around Mardi Gras.

In order to catch some elaborate, authentic merriment, it would have been best to check out areas like Biloxi (Miss.), (Ala.), and the ever so popular New Orleans (Lou.). Despite the recent snowfall which impeded transportation, this is one “holiday” (much like St. Patrick’s Day) which party-goers do not postpone for any reason.
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John Travolta stars with Jonathan Rhys Myers in From Paris With Love, the most recent film by director Pierre Morel. Morel directed 2008’s Taken, and its success undoubtedly put him on the radar of actors needing to beef up their action movie resumes. I typically think that action movies not released in Summer tend to be half baked, but Travolta usually puts out quality work. I do want to put this out there for the director – Morel, we get it, you’re French, but how about your next movie taking place outside of France? Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get back to the film at hand.
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Do you judge people based upon what they wear? If you don’t already do so, you should start, because people are doing the same to you.

I know you’re thinking “How superficial; to say, judge people based on appearance”; so let me clarify. What I’m referring to here mainly refers to the workplace (if you’re lucky enough to have a workplace in these rough economic times). Based on my personal experience working in small businesses with casual attire, world-renowned law firms, and high level government agencies (Headquarters of Department of Defense and Department of State) with “The Suits” day in and day out, appearances are around 47% of how you are judged. Depending on your individual industry, it can be even more vital. Your competency at fulfilling your job responsibilities is important of course, but how your employer views you is also tantamount to your success.
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In my 2009 Go-Go Awards I gave TOB the distinction of Best Up and Coming Band for the past year. This award was given to them on their constant improvement throughout the years and significant progression. Recently I had the opportunity to listen to their first CD release since this award.

Whenever I listen to TOB I have to forget about the Backyards, UCBs, and W.H.A.T.?s of the go-go world and take this band for what it is: a strictly bounce beat band. Over the course of last year I’ve seen TOB expand their repertoire and improve on their arsenal. I’m not sure how much of that I saw on this CD. This CD included an R&B cover (Drake & Lloyd – “A Night Off”) like previous CDs but I was disappointed that there was no pocket. Instead the band went straight into bounce beat immediately after the first song.
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Mother Nature’s devastating earthquake ripped through the land of Haiti claiming more than 100,000 lives and counting. The survivors of Haiti’s quake face far more damage than Mother Nature could have ever done. Haiti’s most precious jewel…its children are being stolen! Recently, 10 allegedly “Good Samaritan” Americans attempted to take a busload of undocumented Haitian children across the Haiti boarder. Thousands of innocent children that were displaced by the earthquake have not been claimed by their parents…making them a part of the 380,000 orphans that existed before the earthquake happened. There is still hope for some children that their loved ones are alive but misplaced with no form of contact. Who’s to say that the children on that bus were in fact orphans? In fact, Haiti’s Prime Minister Max Bellerive told The Associated Press “It is clear now that some of the children have live parents.” Haitian officials fear child trafficking will increase following the horrific quake.
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With urban music sale volumes experiencing monumental decreases, its a wonder why anyone would aspire to become a Hip Hop or R&B artist in 2010.

The truth of the matter is, according to last week’s Billboard charts, only two Hip Hop artist (Jay-Z & Eminem) surpassed 1 million record sales, while no R&B artist with the exception of Beyonce, reached that plateau. Even artist such as Trey Songz, Chris Brown, Rihanna and 50cent failed to reach platinum status by several hundred thousand sales.

Some may suggest that the quality of Hip Hop and R&B has declined over the past two decades, while others believe the market is over saturated with free music being leaked by artist and labels. Even social networks like Myspace, Facebook and Twitter have been blamed for the low numbers, claiming that the ease of access has detracted from the artists’ mystique, thus resulting in a decreased motivation to purchase an album. The truth is, there are many factors that led to the downfall of urban sales, but none better than the mantra used correctly by Young Jeezy “It’s a recession erybody broke,” which has also negatively impacted the purchasing patterns of urban music’s the target market.
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Missed the State of the Union Address??

Allow me to break it down for you. Passion, charisma, realness are a few words that come to mind when mentally recapping President Obama’s State of the Union speech. In the wake of the economic recession, alarming home foreclosure and unemployment rates, two wars, climate change crisis and health care reform; President Obama stood firm as he addressed the nation.
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In his latest film, Edge of Darkness, Mel Gibson stars as Thomas Craven, a vigilante cop seeking vengeance for the murder of his daughter Emma played by Bojana Novakovic. Craven trudges through Boston trying to piece together the clandestine circumstances of his daughter’s fatal shooting. He comes in contact with Jack Bennett, played by Danny Huston (The Kingdom, X-Men Origins: Wolverine), his daughter’s employer whose company has nuclear research and development projects with the government. Also involved in this whole drama is Ray Winstone (Mr. French from The Departed) as Matt Jedburg, a mysterious CIA type “fixer” who is trying to sort out not only his own life, but the mess that Emma Craven, Thomas Craven, and Bennett have stirred up. Craven uses the resources available to him and his cop smarts to find the responsible parties and take his revenge.
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Ooooh Denzel!!! I could practically hear the ladies screaming his name as I was walking into the theater. Fair warning ladies, Denzel looks a little old in this one. Denzel Washington plays the nomad Eli, who wanders a post-apocalyptic barren and scorched Earth with a book that is the only remaining one of its kind which he must fiercely protect. The first scene of the movie sets the tone as desolate and desperate. As we learn a little more about Eli, we find that he is perpetually headed “West” and it would be very wise not to get in his way. Personally, I can’t remember a movie where Denzel has had any true fight scenes (besides that scuffle with Jake in Training Day), but I’ll say it again, it would be wise not to get in his way. Denzel shows off his tough guy chops all the while maintaining the charm and polish we all have come to expect from him.
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For DMV music, 2010 is off to a great start and the DMV Helps Haiti benefit concert is living proof. The evening was organized by DMV Helps Haiti. DMV Helps Haiti is an initiative that was created out of an idea that was tweeted; it was not just a demonstration of how the DMV can organize and ban together but also bring great music and a large crowd to help people who are less fortunate, in this case the people who suffered from the tragic earthquake in Haiti. With the help of countless entrepreneurs, organizers, promoters, music artists, volunteers and staff, the event was able to go off without a hitch and it was definitely an evening of enjoyment and giving. Held at the 9:30 Club on 815 V St NW, Washington, D.C., everything from the venue, ticket sales and artists performances to the 9:30 Club’s staffs wages at the event were donated for charity to the Partners in Health Organization and Wyclef Jean’s Yéle Haiti. This was not just a good look for Haiti, but also a good look for the DMV as the concert was graced with the presence of ‘out-of-towners’ from as close as North Carolina and Pennsylvania to as far away as California and Boston.
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Ladies love Fly Gypsy.

With a sold-out LIV night club mostly composed of a throng of adoring female fans, Fly Gypsy put down a blazing performance. Fresh off performing in L.A. for New Year’s Eve and opening for Wale for his two sold out shows at the 930 club, Fly Gypsy set out to show off their headlining skills.

The show was led off by Phil Ade who performed some songs off his “Starting on JV” mixtape. While the crowd was definitely there in anticipation of Fly Gypsy, they definitely bounced with Phil Ade on songs like “Gimme That” and his DMV hit “Hollywood.” Phil Ade showed good stage presence getting the crowd involved early and also with an extended acapella chorus. Look for big things from Phil Ade in the upcoming year as a member of Raheem Devaughn’s 368 Music Group.
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Looking for an alternative to the same old night at the club? Then definitely check out the Metropolitan Muse Concert Series, Wednesdays at Layla Lounge. Each and every Wednesday, Desiree Samira Entertainment, Inc. brings some of the hottest DMV based artists to the stage to sing, rap and play some of your favorite hits and original songs in a live setting.

We at DMVUnplugged.com, got the chance to attend that last event and get to meet some of the artists including grammy nominated artist Kyonte, the soulful Midian and the ever popular singer/instrumentalist Terrence Cunningham. Check out our site over the next week to see more information on these artists.

The night started off with the up and coming artist Dyrec covering the Roots, Wale and Chrisette Michele’s song “Rising Up” then moving into three of his original songs (check out Dyrec in our audio section). Dyrec is a local guy who’s sound is a mixture of Common and Black Thought. You can also hear those influences in his lyrics as he looks to rap about issues of substance, not just your usual banter. Look for more from this artist in the feature as he puts out more music that not only talks to you but can make you dance.
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I am tired of hearing that DMV (from my recent relocation, DC) “gives no love” to their own. There are a tremendous amount of artists (not only musical) who inhabit this area and have gained a solid fan base which truly appreciates their interests and talents. From my observation it seems as though the people given the opportunity to promote/manage these artists are not doing a good job. Example, STOP HANDING ME FLIERS! How long has it been now….do you honestly think that a half naked woman, slick shades, or fonts you found on the internet that no one can read anyway is the only way to get people to come witness your clients. Approach your audience correctly please!!! You have these singers, writers, models, poets and producers doing so much. All of these upcoming artists need to start somewhere so in between actually creating there may not be time to travel and self manage. In that case, I can understand fliers as a preliminary gimmick. But when some foundation is created and management is hired please make a real effort. Explain the artist to me; point me in the right direction, or something. Yes, money is an issue so certain advertisement strategies may not be feasible. But please be creative. Prove to your anticipated audience that if this person can force you to sweat then maybe a small effort on our part is warranted.

I am just tired of these “managers” half stepping and misrepresenting the special gifts and talents these people have and are granting everyone the opportunity to experience.

Photo by Miles Lewis

After a night filled with great performances, 2010 looks to be a promising year for the DMV Hip-Hop scene. I had the opportunity to witness history in the making last night at the year’s first Beat Clash, presented by The Carry-Out Productions along side Tyrone Norris. They put together yet again another superb event. Hosting the beat clash was Stef, who did a great job keeping the crowd entertained. The cypher was DOPE as Tyrone, Stef and Lola all killed it. I had the pleasure to meet JF Coop, someone most of you know and if not, you should. JF Coop was impressive in the cypher adorning the beat with his flow. Beat Clash regular Nike Nando also did his thing, stunning everyone with his hot and heavy performance featuring Miss Lola that definitely had the crowd talking. They put on an excellent show and the chemistry and energy they brought with them was amazing. (Nando, Lola is there something we should know?? LOL) The beats were sick to say the least and DB took home his well deserved win. I had an amazing time watching all the great performances and will take with me the memories of a night overflowing with great hip-hop. If you missed out, don’t worry, there will be many more to come throughout the year so keep an eye out. After experiencing my second Beat Clash it is clear to see that The Carry-Out Productions and Tyrone are continuously challenging themselves, determined to make sure that each show is better than the last. Don’t sleep ya’ll and come out to the next Beat Clash to show your support and love to these up and coming producers and emcees.

Photo by Miles Lewis

We gon’ start wit straight shots and then pop bottles
POUR IT ON THE MODELS
SHUT UP BITCH, SWALLOW
If you can’t swallow
SHUT UP BITCH, GARGLE

Am I the only muthafucka that’s payin attention?!?! I know for a fact I’m not, but that’s certainly how it feels sometimes. If there were a song on the radio that opened up with a woman talking about pouring alcohol all over my body, I highly doubt I’d ever bother listening to the rest of what her ignorant ass had to say. I’d change the station regardless of how hot the beat is. That’s just me though. Maybe I come from a different breed, because as far back as I can remember, I’ve seen females reciting lyrics to songs, with smiles on their faces, that blatantly shit on them. Are yall delusional? Do you think these rappers are talking about every woman EXCEPT you? Before the fellas start pointing fingers, we need to realize that we’re gettin shat on left and right as well. How many times do we need to hear some rich and famous nigga tell us how easily he’ll steal, fuck and return our woman before we say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH?!?!?! PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF HUMANITY, FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO TALK ABOUT!! If you’re a person who believes that everything serves a purpose, what purpose do you think Hip Hop serves today? I’m not asking you about the reasons for why Hip-Hop was originally created, but about the purpose the art-form serves right now as we breathe. All one needs to do in order to find out is turn on the radio, ignore the catchy beats and over-produced melodies, and actually LISTEN TO THE WORDS some of these so-called “artists” dare to utter. I actually heard 50 Cent call himself an artist a month ago and I inadvertently spit milk out all over my table. Straight out of a sitcom, I know, but that shit actually happened. I couldn’t believe what I had heard. I’m not tryin to knock the man’s hustle, but come on 50. Don’t act like you don’t know you’re putting REAL artists out of business. You know, people with insight who provoke thought? Thought-provoking music is apparently a thing of the past. Or at least that’s what 30 minutes of listening to the radio would have us all believe. We’re being brainwashed everyday, and I don’t know about you, but “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!!”
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For about three months I worked for a promotional group in the DC area. For the sake of the group I will call them X. X was your typical promotion group, getting young adults to help them pass out flyers, collect email addresses and for me specifically, work the guest lists at various clubs and lounges in our area. Twice a week from 9pm to midnight I stood outside of one extremely popular and successful DC club checking off names that were on the guest list. Oh.. it was such a fun job and a great way to make some extra cash while attending college. I made great connections and got in good with the bouncers where even to this day I do not have to stand in line or pay to attend this club.
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There are few words that can describe the feeling you get when listening to a genre as innovative and unique as hip-hop. From the slow and smooth molasses-like sounds of the south to the gritty, head-bobbing beats made famous on the east coast. There is no limit to the style and creativity a song can possess. Its transition has been continuous, satisfying the musical taste of almost every listener. Although the day has not come where I hear a female’s name thrown in when Biggie, Jay-Z, and Tupac are mentioned, I eagerly await knowing that the day will come sooner than later. This industry is hard enough as it is but extra hard for my ladies. They often are overlooked because people think females can’t put words together as well as males. My advice to those that have that state of mind is WAKE UP! Listening to Lola Maxwell has confirmed that for me. However, I can’t say the hip-hop industry isn’t trying with new female artists like Nikki Minaj, but she does not do it for me (lyrics are made by Mattel Go Barbie!! LOL).
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STOP WATCHING TELEVISION

2009 is coming to an end and many of you are still begrudgingly searching for ‘The One’. Half of you will find them, the other half will find yourselves lonely for another year. Here’s why…..

Fellas:

Stop watching television! From the moment you popped out of the womb, you’ve been told that you’re a fornicating dog. You have absolutely no control over anything below your waist, and will jump on the quickest easiest piece of ass you can find at a moment’s notice. Half of you fell for this bullshit. This is the half I’m addressing. The other half are men with self-control. Having self-conrol doesn’t mean that you don’t cheat on your significant other, it just means that in the event that you decide to do so, it will be just that; a DECISION. A conscious, calculated decision. You’re told that men don’t think. Thinking’s for PUNKS! All real men care about are money, alcohol, sex, and professional sports (if you’re a black man, insert god-awful commercial rap). We’ll refer to this population as the “The Lost One’s.” The Lost One’s suppress all their emotions until one day they pop. This “pop” could manifest itself as an assault on a stranger for stepping on your shoe (my personal favorite), or bullying and beating up your wife and children. Either way you do irreparable damage to yourself and others. The Lost One’s go from woman to woman, planting seeds of fear and doubt, dominating weaker individuals so they can see themselves as strong. After being abused in countless ways, when your woman finally decides to retaliate the best way she knows, you call her a hoe. Any chance or hope of establishing a meaningful relationship is sabotaged by your own actions and then you’re off to the next victim.
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From the words of America’s greatest enemy, Al Qaeda:

“Be prepared to suffer because the killing is coming and we prepared you men who love death just as you love life. And by God’s permission, we will come to you with more things that you have never seen before because, as you kill, you will be killed and tomorrow is coming soon.”

That’s only part of the threat against our sacred America. Such a strong threat stated with conviction makes one wonder what has America done to receive such a threat? Mainstream media has reported the threats and Christmas day terror act are a direct relation to US air strikes on Al Qaeda in Yemen. Mainstream media has given us (Americans) a front row seat to view terror taking place all over the world…especially in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. We’ve seen images of other countries’ corrupt government, deadly street riots, and the devastating aftermath of suicide bombings.
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