The building shook, chairs were moved in opposite directions, and people seemed to move away from spots located in the middle of the room. There seemed to be strong vibrations coming from within the windows of downtown Washington DC’s Argana Lounge (off P street in the Northwestern side of town) and this all took place long after the 5.8 earthquake hit the city. However, this was a new sort of shockwave…ushered by local artists Lower Case Letters, DSCA (Dark Side Creative Arts) and DDM (of Baltimore) making huge impressions at Argana. These artists presented the showcase of talent.
Lower Case Letters is comprised of two artists, instrumentalist John and vocalist Alphie. Their sound is a mixture of John Mayer meets Jill Scott (that raspy blues-guitar John Mayer plays in songs like “Daughters”, with the belt of a voice like early Jill Scott’s “Long Walk”). When questioned by QU Magazine, we find out they met at another venue for local indie artists called The Loft. Alphie reminisces off the guitar instruction John gave her then, and the couple notes she sang for him; this gathering became the birth of Lower Case Letters, the musical dynamic duo. “Our sound is soul” states Alphie, “It’s more so a combination of some rock and we have done a hip hop track but [mostly] soul”. With a group name like Lower Case Letters, John and Alphie seek to make a statement in DC with an uppercase “S” for success. If you want to find out what they sound like please visit their website(http://www.
Ambition is one word that comes to mind when speaking with DSCA, a dynamic duo with a mission to bring the underground hip hop industry to its knees. DSCA or Dark Side Creative Arts is comprised of entrepreneurs geared towards the vast demands of the entertainment industry. Mr. M and D-Ron are two talents that not only produce and record their own music, but also have a graphic design company and clothing label. A combination somewhat like that of Gnarls Barkley, Mr. M with his business prowess and D-Ron with his gifted musical ability, these two individuals are making an impression in a big way. This isn’t the same type of force you would feel in a sci-fi action movie; however this is the Dark Side of the Creative Arts variety.
Finally, the eccentric yet daringly open homosexual rapper DDM has taken media by storm. If you were to Google “DDM” and sought to find information on “RAPPER” you would find that he makes appearances with well known rappers within the Baltimore and Washington DC region; you would also discover him in the heated underground Ciphers and Rap battles. His debut single “TV Killed the Radio Star” was 1 of the 3 songs performed this evening and many of the lyrics speak specifically on what the title says. The energy that is brought out in his performances showcases his confidence on stage and eagerness to please the crowd. He has knowledge of showmanship and makes sure that he completes his performances from beginning to end with intensity. DDM may be the wave of new artist in Hip-Hop to assist the genre to branch out to new and un-charted territory.
QU Magazine enjoyed its participation with this year’s event, proudly supporting the local artist in the DMV area along with celebrating the 3rd Annual She Scenes Entertainment event. We eagerly look forward to how She Scene’s Entertainment looks to push the envelope in their next event.
