CANDICE NICOLE'S REVIEW OF "CAN'T STOP, WON'T STOP!!!

So, I totally had to miss this great event that I sponosred :o(, because I had to accompany a client to Fashion Week that weekend. I reached out to Twitter (my BFF) lol and asked who would be interested in covering the event and @TheDMVHistorian reach out. She is a dope writer and has shown me love ever since she has started to follow me! :o) Check out her recap of the event! Enjoy!



“Salt-N-Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine/hangin pictures on my wall/every Saturday Rap Attack, Mr. Magic, Marley Marl, “(Notorious B.I.G., Juicy). Only, this past Saturday—September 12th, 2009, the images on the walls of Dahlak Restaurant & Bar, located at 1771 U Street NW Washington DC, were DMV music artists in action.

Inner Loop Records on-staff photographer and ”Can’t Stop, Won’t f/Stop” event curator, Chapi D, called on area photographers: Overok, Seannie Cameras, Q. Ledbetter, Lady Glock, David Fahrali, LaVan Anderson and Gabi Brutus, to exhibit their shots of DMV music artists. He explained that, “With so much going on in the music scene, it would only be right to showcase the talent through a different medium.” The displayed images of DMV music artists K-Beta, XO, DJ Alizay, Ra The MC, Judah, DJ ID, Phil Ade, Lyriciss, Laelo Hood, The Paxton’s and others, express just as much about the artist’s as your favorite clip on YouTube.

Owner, Daniel Nesiseni, explained that Dahlak is named after his birthplace on the Eritrean Island, Dahlak Archipelago. So, it’s easy to expect an island-bred restaurateur to host artists that would likely rent a booth at DC Caribbean Carnival rather than artists that would likely buy a bottle at area nightclubs. Nesiseni, who has spent three satisfying yet grilling years as owner and operator of Dahlak, welcomes a variety of DMV artists to showcase their work in his establishment, simply because he enjoys their artistry.

On the Technics that evening, directing the “Can’t Stop, Won’t f/Stop” event score, was host, Inner Loop Records’ executive and photographer, Overok. The event score consisted of soulful R&B and old school Hop-Hop. Songs that were quite reminiscent of the sounds you’d hear at a family reunion, and what a family Inner Loop Records www.innerlooprecords.com has. The kinship possessed by the entire Inner Loops Records family, matched with the love of their actual family members, serve as a model of the support system needed to develop a successful business. As Inner Loop Record’s Event Coordinator, Chris ‘ML’ Bates, explained “….there is no competition within Inner Loop Records…..only positive energy.”

All age groups and nationalities entered the comfortably lit, brown hued Dahlak, for the unveiling of the “Can’t Stop, Won’t f/Stop” exhibit, which will be on display thru September 30th, 2009. Supporter, Jabari Magid, selected G5 Clive Stop Sign, shot by Gabrielle Brutus www.gabriellebrutus.com, as his favorite image. He explained that it was the stop war message in the picture that he connected with the most. Brutus, who has shot images of well-known DMV brands such as, Wale and Commonwealth apparel, explained she really didn’t want to take a picture of a stop sign because it is so cliché. But, when she developed the stop sign image, taken under the encouragement of emcee G5 Clive, Brutus saw it as one of the best pictures she’s ever produced with her eye, hands, soul and camera lens.

Recently signed, Inner Loop Records emcee, Lyriciss selected DJ Alizay & K-Beta, 89-09 Shoot, shot by Inner Loop Records visionary, Overok, as his favorite. In the black and white picture, both DJ Alizay and K-Beta give each other hand gestures of approval. It looks as though their saying, “This guy….no this guy. He’s the one….no he’s the one.” Which once again falls back on Chris ‘ML’ Bates statement about one of Inner Loop Record’s ethics, “….there is no completion within Inner Loop Records….only positive energy.”

It’ll take a keen eye to recognize the psychedelic gift in, Seannie Cameras’ Flex Matthews, which is a shot of emcee Flex Matthews. It’ll take an experienced photographer to understand the science behind producing such an image. Seannie Cameras’ explained how he took a 1-second exposure then he, “…flipped (inverted) the camera as the lens was open, and captured the second image of the subject.” Seannie Cameras’ creativity and knowledge of photography, is what likely enabled him to become a contributing visual designer at vimby. Log onto, www.vimby.com, to see Seannie Cameras’ quality video work of DMV brands, including XO, Marky, Stussy, Soulstice and Oddisee.

Lady Glock, who received her first camera at the age of seven and spent her youth taking photos in historic Washington DC neighborhoods, took it to the streets with Mean Mug.

The pic, which is currently being used as 93.9 WKYS @djalizay twitter default picture, is dominated by Dj Alizay’s buddy with an under bite, Phife Dawg. Lady Glock’s Mean Mug was taken on a day of a music video shoot, as was Chapi D’s Hip Hop Kids, GNB No Love Video Shoot. This may be the most historical shot on display as it features K-Beta, Lyriciss, Benji, Ra the MC, Laelohood, and XO.

“Can’t Stop, Won’t f/Stop” was an event so well produced event that it undoubtedly left its sponsors: Clockwise Clothing, Candice Nicole PR, Fusicology, Studio 43 and I Got it For Free, feeling like that was a sponsorship well invested. I Got It For Free visionary, Byrd, expressed that, “this is something no one has done before.” So if you too, have an appreciation for DMV music artists, then it will likely be time well invested for you to stop past Dahlak and experience the artists in another realm.

…..and please don’t stop there. Be sure to Google these photographers, sponsors and music artists to see what else they have going on and how you can support this historical DMV movement. It is up to you to decide which of them will go down in the books.

-The Historian

VIA - http://candicenicoleinthecity.com/