>> Who will we be without D.C.?

Like, literally, like, we draw from this place so much that we would not exist without it.

And that's just the end of it all.

I think the love that we get is also representative of the love that we have for our city, as well.

♪♪ ♪♪ >> Welcome to "DMV: The Beat."

Creators of a rock, hip-hop, and go-go genre-bending sound called hood rock, this is the story of Black Alley.

>> ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ Southside, always on a ride ♪ ♪ Say he-e-e-y, yeah ♪ ♪♪ ♪ He-e-e-y, yeah ♪ ♪♪ ♪ And bring it, and bring a credit to me ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Animal, Beedy ♪ ♪ He-e-e-y, yeah ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Hey!

♪ ♪♪ ♪ Yeah!

♪ ♪♪ >> I grew up in Maryland.

I went to school in Maryland.

I was raised in church.

That's where I got my start in playing the drums.

My talent is a gift, and I don't take it lightly, so I still play drums in church.

My mom was my first music director.

I went to elementary school, middle school, high school.

Frederick Douglass, what's up?

And I started playing in the band when I was 18, as soon as I graduated from high school.

It's a situation that happened.

I got the opportunity to play, and it was no turning back since.

>> I'm from Richmond, Virginia.

Of course, probably like every musician, I started in church, as well, but I actually started on drums.

And I was just playing drums, probably from like 5 to, like, 12, 13.

And I was nice at 13.

I was doing chops and rolls that a lot of 13-year-olds weren't doing.

But at my church, everybody wanted to play drums.

All, everybody, every teenager that was my age -- they just wanted to play drums.

So, people encouraged me to play the bass, and I'm like, "Eh, I don't want to play the bass.

I just want to play the drums."

I was like, "Huh?"

So, one day, I picked it up and started just playing, and I fell in love with it, just the things you can do creatively and the places you can go, the stories you can tell through the bass.

I just fell in love with that, so I've just been playing ever since.

So I say I've been playing since I was about 14, and it's been a journey.

>> My childhood was really, really great.

My parents valued education, but they also felt it was important that I was a well-rounded individual.

So I was a busy kid, you know, like Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

I had something to do after school -- dance lessons, piano lessons, choir rehearsal, acting lessons, swimming lessons.

You know, we had something to do.

We were not bored -- Me and my sister.

I'm talking about me and my sister.

I have a little sister -- well, younger.

I'm not supposed to say little anymore.

But we were not bored kids.

We didn't sit around the house and twiddle our thumbs.

We had a schedule.

I think that's why I... That's why schedules and being on time and things like that are really something that is just ingrained in me.

I get anxiety if I'm late or if I feel like I'm missing something.

But, you know, that's just the kind of, you know, kids we were.

We had things to do and places to be.

I grew up in church.

I started to sing in church.

My grandmother put me in the choir when I was 3, maybe.

And it was a, you know, down South home church here in Washington, D.C. And, you know, that's where I really started to, I guess, develop my voice, or I really found the passion in music and singing that I did.

But, then, also, in kindergarten, I was the star of my play.

While other kids were crying onstage, I was doing the thing.

So, you know, like, I've always loved to be entertaining, you know?

I didn't have a stage fright, per se.

You know, I like being in front of people and singing, whether it be singing or acting or dancing or whatever.

Like, the stage has always felt like home to me.

♪ Black Alley got the club going crazy ♪ Hey!

♪♪ ♪♪ Wait, wait, wait, wait.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

My bad.

You know what?

I got too excited.

We're not ready for that yet.

I don't think... >> I did have other jobs.

I got fired from them because I couldn't stop tapping.

I know that once I was younger, I was about... maybe 12.

I saw my mom.

Like I said, she was a really big influence in my musical life.

And she would go to these workshops and these clinics and these different churches.

And one day, I saw them pass her this white envelope.

And I said, "What's that?"

And it was a check in there.

And I said, "You get paid for this, for the work that you do?"

She said, "Yes, son.

I get paid."

I said, "I ain't never get no job, like, ever.

Like, what's -- I'll just play drums forever."

Like, but I wound up, you know, getting other jobs, and, you know, it wasn't for me at the time, so drums was the only thing I did.

I made it my career, my profession.

As much as possible, I played drums everywhere, for anybody.

It doesn't matter.

Now, time made things a little bit different, so I play drums with my band and I'm at church And wherever else needs a drummer sometimes, I fill in.

But mainly for Black Alley and my church.

>> I'm from Richmond, Virginia, and I moved to D.C. in '09.

And I was just on Craigslist at the time, I think.

Yeah.

Craigslist, just searching for, like, little gigs and events and stuff to play for.

And I came across a guy that was from I think like North Carolina or something like that.

And he was a guitar player, and he just also moved to D.C.

So he hit me up one day and was like, "Yo, there's this audition.

Let's go do it.

Let's take over D.C. Me and you both here.

Let's do it."

I was like, "Bet."

Came, scooped me.

Came, went to the audition.

And it was actually an audition for Black Alley.

I had no idea who Black Alley was or what was going on.

I just knew I was auditioning for something.

About two days later, I get a call I think from Omar, and he was like, "Yeah.

We want to give you a shot, but we want to use your man as a backup."

So I was like, "Okay."

I called my man.

I was like, "Yo, they just called me.

They said they want to give me a shot, and they want to use you -- you know what I'm saying?

-- as a backup guitar."

He was like, "Man, if I ain't first, I ain't nothing, man.

Go ahead.

Take that opportunity, man.

That's all you, bro.

Go."

So I was like, "Alright.

I'm gonna take it."

And I had no idea it was gonna, like, change my life the way it has.

It's just been super dope ever since that moment.

So I'm really grateful for my man Chuck bringing me to the audition.

>> So, a friend of mine was a friend of Omar Kashif, who was the first manager of Black Alley.

And he had mentioned to her that he was looking to do something different in the band.

And he asked her if she knew any singers, and she was like, "Oh, yeah.

My friend Casey sings.

I think she would do it.

She'd be cool."

And I had never really thought about singing in a band.

Like I said, I was in a wedding band, but, you know, that was just to get a little extra money out.

You know, first couple of years out of college aren't that great.

[ Laughs ] So I met with Omar.

He said, "Why don't you just come?"

And the band plays at this club every -- I think it was Wednesday night at that time.

And I think they usually had people, like, come up and, you know, sing.

It was an open mic.

And not really -- I just, you know, like to sing.

So it wasn't a -- There was no pressure.

I didn't feel like this is my time, you know, like, I didn't have that feeling.

I just like to sing and thought it would be fun to do with the band.

So, I can't remember what song I sang.

I think it was a Beyoncé song.

Eh, it escapes me.

But I sang one song.

It felt really good.

Like, I liked the feeling of being -- You know, having a band behind me.

I had done wedding gigs, but, you know, those aren't really -- It's not really our music, the way we want to play it and sing it.

So it felt really good to, like, feel that energy behind me.

Yeah.

So, I got the phone call, but I kind of wasn't sure if I would be able to commit totally to this, I mean, I think... At the time, you know, I wasn't really sure what to expect.

There was no, you know, real, like, in-depth discussion about what was gonna be required of me.

All I knew is it was a band.

At the time that I auditioned, it was, you know, a go-go band.

I wasn't sure, you know, if that was my lane or not, or whether or not I would be accepted you know, into that world, just from what I had been singing in before.

So I kind of put it off for a couple months, and I didn't respond right away.

[ Laughs ] And then I think it was just something that clicked in me.

I think I had a gig.

Like, I did a show with another D.C. artist, and Animal happened to have been playing the drums.

And we kind of connected there, and I, you know, started talking to him a little bit more about the opportunity.

And I think that relationship is the thing that, you know, made me say, "Oh, this might be really cool.

I might be able to do this for real."

So, this first song that we're gonna 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.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ I can spot you haters 'bout a mile away ♪ ♪ All that talkin' down, I just let karma pay ♪ ♪ Talkin' go-go when you not from 'round the way ♪ ♪ Fresh up out the water, you gon' drown today ♪ ♪ Oh, 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 y'all taxing us like we dumb ♪ ♪ They, they wanna fight, I'll give you a reason ♪ ♪ Look, I ain't ask you for no threesome, please, honey ♪ ♪ Always tryin' to freak somethin', get money ♪ ♪ Make you sick to your stomach, we got free Tums ♪ ♪ And you know the party isn't over till 'bout 3:00-something ♪ ♪ That mean it isn't over till we done ♪ ♪ You say there's too much noise in the streets, huh?

♪ ♪ These out-of-towners calling the police, huh?

♪ ♪ They like, "Oh, yeah, that's the ticket ♪ [ Microphone cutting out ] ♪ Black Alley take you to the light ♪ ♪ Yeah, that's the vision ♪ ♪ What we cruisin' is impossible ♪ ♪ That's the mission, that' the miss, mission ♪ ♪ Why you trip, trip, trippin'?

♪ ♪ We been, we been ballin' ♪ ♪ They been missin' ♪ ♪ Our shit is dope ♪ >> ♪ Shit is dope ♪ >> ♪ Like water whippin' ♪ >> ♪ Like water whippin' ♪ >> ♪ Like, how you, how you ♪ ♪ How you hatin' on the kitchen?

♪ ♪ And you know the party isn't over till 'bout 3:00-something ♪ ♪ That mean 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, hey ♪ ♪ Like, whoa, Kemosabe, whoa, no ♪ ♪ You got to go, Kemosabe ♪ ♪ Go, go, go, go ♪ ♪ Like, whoa, whoa, whoa ♪ ♪ Go, go, go, go ♪ ♪ You gotta go, Kemosabe, like... ♪ ♪ You gotta go, Kemosabe, whoa, whoa ♪ ♪ Oh, no ♪ ♪ I can 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 till it sound like a junkyard ♪ ♪ Book the what band in the front yard ♪ ♪ Y'all don't wanna listen, so forget y'all ♪ ♪ That's the new impression of the funk, y'all ♪ ♪ And you know the party isn't over till 'bout 3:00-something ♪ ♪ That mean 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 ♪ >> The synergy of Black Alley is just -- It's super dope.

I mean, you have Animal on the drums, who is just steeped in the love of go-go.

You got Josh on Bass, who is, you know, the youngest in the band, and he brings that young, fly energy.

He's an amazing bass player and just really helps to make sure, you know, we incorporate, you know, current sounds into what we do.

I told Smiles -- Smiles is our keyboard player.

He's traditionally trained, classical.

I told him once that he was the perfect blue note to, you know, the chaos -- the dope chaos that Black Alley is.

And my man Pooh -- Pooh is, you know, fresh, young on the Congos.

And it just adds that flavor and really, really keeps it -- just really keeps it rooted in that go-go sound, along with Animal and of course Kacey.

She's just this dynamo of a performer.

She just channels that inner Tina Turner, rest her soul.

And, you know, just all of the wonderful Black women entertainers and performers that came before, she channels that into this small package that's just so brilliant and energetic and dynamic.

And she can turn it on just like that.

What's unique about Black Alley is our sound.

You know, we came up with the sound, hood rock, which is a mix of trap, rock, and go-go.

And we want to incorporate those sounds just to move the culture forward.

We like to say we are rooted in -- you know, rooted in go-go, but not imprisoned by it.

You know, we wanted to try new sounds.

And we really, you know, use jazz as sort of the inspiration.

Like, yeah, there's a genre, jazz, but then, you know, you had the big bands and then that moved into hard bop and the bebop, and, you know, there's just an evolution.

There's always these musical pioneers, you know, really working to stay rooted in the tradition, but at the same time push it forward.

And that's what Black Alley does.

We're unique, because not only do we want to preserve that authentic sound, but we want to advance the music and advance the culture and move it forward.

>> You know, I don't -- I know I'm the only one that's singing, but I don't ever feel like I'm doing this alone.

Yes, the band is behind me.

They don't get to say or speak or sing to the crowd, but I always feel like it's, like, a whole party.

Like, everybody is together.

I've never felt like all eyes are just on me.

If that sounds weird, I'm sorry.

But I just feel like we all partying together.

Like, it's a communal event.

You know, I have never felt, like, a spotlight.

So I think that's probably why I'm able to just do and let go.

I don't know the faces that I make.

I don't know the dance moves that I do.

You know, I can't remember every single moment of a show, because it's like... we are doing this all together.

There definitely was a time when I first started in the band that I didn't move and I was pretty stiff, and, you know, like, I had to...

But that was when I was nervous, because I felt like everybody was looking at me.

And while I know that yes, I'm on a stage.

People are probably looking at me.

But, you know, it's not just about me.

You know, I'm doing this so that we can all have the experience.

So, you know, when I'm onstage, that's what I feel.

I feel like we're all having an experience together.

>> I don't think I can name just one.

>> That's hard.

>> Man, that's difficult, because we've done a lot of dope things.

If I was to... Every time I would think to name one, I would think that there's something else that was greater.

So after I started at one of our first big things...

Memorable moments -- one of our first big shows, we got a standing ovation at the Crampton Auditorium playing in front of Chrisette Michele.

That had never happened.

It was really awesome.

We played at the White House, and we've met Barack Obama.

>> We've won the battle of the bands.

>> Won the battle of the bands at Prince's house.

We've traveled.

We've gone to Ghana.

We've gone to Uganda.

>> Tanzania.

>> We've gone to Tanzania.

>> Armenia.

>> Armenia.

That was extremely awesome.

>> Man, that was dope.

>> Lebanon, where we work with an orchestra and a choir.

Memorable -- Most memorable?

Difficult to say just one, 'cause -- >> All those are dope.

>> All of them.

>> And we will never forget any of those shows.

>> Yeah.

You can't.

How can -- >> Or tours or -- >> Yeah.

The people that we met and all of the smiling faces that was able to -- all the people that had the smiling faces on due to our music and us playing and the energy and...

Some things you just can't forget.

You know what I mean?

Little things.

Little things like playing in Prince's... >> Actual house.

>> ...house.

And while you're playing, you see this big Prince sign in the back of the room.

Like, little things.

I can't say just one memorable or most memorable thing, because there's been too many.

♪♪ >> ♪ We gonna air it out like a semiautomatic ♪ ♪ We can make the crowd get bowed, it's a habit ♪ ♪ Grab another round 'fore we get this thing crankin' ♪ ♪ Crankin' for the love, yeah ♪ ♪ We keep it, we keep it puh, puh ♪ ♪ Poppin' in the party, everybody rockin' ♪ ♪ Can't control the body when we put it in a pocket ♪ ♪ All my fellas do your thing ♪ ♪ You got plenty options ♪ ♪ Ladies poppin' like it ain't nobody watching ♪ ♪ Make a move with the team ♪ ♪ Money maker, we supreme ♪ ♪ Gloves on, got 'em laced up ♪ ♪ Like a fighter in the ring ♪ ♪ Murder scene, yeah, we killing it ♪ ♪ Party rockin', know you're feeling it ♪ ♪ So put your hands up, put your hands up ♪ ♪ Turn me up ♪ ♪ Turn, turn, turn me up ♪ ♪ Turn me up ♪ ♪ Turn, turn, turn me up ♪ ♪ She gonna turn me up ♪ ♪ He gonna turn me up ♪ ♪ They gonna turn me up ♪ ♪ We gonna turn it up ♪ ♪ Turn me up ♪ ♪ We gonna give you what you want ♪ ♪ Turn me up ♪ [ Echoing ] Yeah.

♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ Bustin' on the flow ♪ ♪ Everybody knows when we come ♪ ♪ We kill it on the stage ♪ ♪ Leave it all in flames, ha ♪ ♪ Like tamales... yeah, we bulletproof ♪ ♪ Energy a millie on the scene, do it all with ease ♪ ♪ Booked up, and we hired a man ♪ ♪ Locked it for the love of the fans ♪ ♪ Bang, bang, and we hit it from the floor to the ceiling ♪ ♪ Whole crowd like a wave ♪ ♪ It's a vibe, it's a feeling ♪ ♪ It's a vibe, and we in it ♪ ♪ Too strong, and we winnin' ♪ ♪♪ ♪ All the haters try to kill the vibe ♪ ♪ Then we push a line into them ♪ ♪ Murder scene, yeah, we killin' it ♪ ♪ Highly rockin', know you're feelin' it ♪ ♪ So put your hands up, put your hands up ♪ ♪ Turn me up ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Turn me up ♪ ♪♪ ♪ She gonna turn me up ♪ ♪ He gonna turn me up ♪ ♪ They gonna turn me up ♪ ♪ We gonna turn it up ♪ ♪ Turn me up ♪ ♪ We gonna give you what you want ♪ ♪ Turn me up ♪ ♪ Hey!

♪ ♪ Turn me up ♪ ♪ Hey!

♪ ♪♪ ♪ Turn me up ♪ ♪ Hey!

♪ ♪ We're gonna turn it up, we're gonna turn it up, yeah ♪ I'm proud that we've been able to stick together.

I'm proud of our ability to handle challenges, because after all of these years, you can imagine the amount of challenges that we have had to surpass.

And I'm just really proud that we, you know, can just, at the end of the day, come back together as brothers and sister and make it happen.

You know, like, a lot of bands can't say that, especially after all the time that we have spent together and all of the, you know, disagreements, 'cause they are there.

But our love for what we're doing is a thing that has pushed us to where we are now.

So I'm really proud that we've been able to, like, just maintain this working relationship.

>> It's been a blessing to take our music and our culture in a very real and authentic way and share it with the world.

But it's just nothing like rocking for our fans right here.

I mean, this is where it started.

This is what it is.

You know, in my humble opinion, you know, people have said, "Well, why didn't -- Go-go and hip hop came along at the same time.

Why didn't go-go take off the way hip-hop did?"

And in my humble opinion, I think it's because you cannot export go-go music.

You have to export go-go.

So what we have done is not try to export go-go music.

We've tried to export the experience of going to the go-go.

And that, even when you take it all around the world, there's still just nothing like the go-go experience right here in the DMV, in D.C., in the DMV where it all started.

>> I just want to thank, you know, the DMV for their support.

Please continue to pray for our advancement and encourage us.

Please know that we know exactly where we came from.

We know exactly how we got here and who put us here, and those who have supported us from the beginning.

We recognize you, we appreciate you, we thank you, and we will not let you down.

♪ Don't test me, boy, a woman with a broken heart ♪ ♪ I've been played by you ♪ ♪ I slipped on your game, but now I'm broken ♪ ♪ It's time for you to feel the same thing ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Some of them want to be used by you ♪ ♪ Hey!

♪ ♪ Some of them want to be used by you ♪ ♪ I give back, uh ♪ ♪ I pay back, yeah, I get back ♪ >> And the beat goes on.

Thank you for watching.

>> ♪ I pay back ♪ ♪ Yeah, I give back ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Now, don't be mistaken, boy ♪ ♪ Know that I am over you ♪ ♪ The love is gone ♪ ♪ I know that you and me are through ♪ ♪ I just got some things that I got to get off ♪ >> 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.