Happy Birthday, Chuck Brown!

And who said that Kim Kardashian's wedding was the event of the week? For those of you who don't know who Chuck Brown is, I suggest that you resolidify your affiliation to the District, because the father of go-go music has turned 75-years-old today. As a subgenre of funk that came about in DC in the early 70's, go-go is a genre of music mainly popular in the Mid-Atlantic that combines street drums, electric guitars, and horns, AKA the type of music that can be heard on 95.5 around rush hour (and is blasted constantly in my Chinatown neighborhood). Though I've heard through the grapevine that the majority of hip-hop affiliated clubs in DC no longer allow go-go concerts because of the violence that the crowds who attend typically bring, it still remains prominent in DC, thanks to Mr. Chuck Brown, the guy who originated it all. And while you won't catch me with too much go-go on my iPod, for those of you who have an inkling of curiosity about what it sounds like, check out the "Pieces of Me" cover by Rare Essence- probably my favorite of all go-go tracks! And thank Chuck Brown, the godfather of go-go, for giving DC its own genre of music that's still celebrated by hip-hop crowds today.