Rare Essence has been cranking in the District of Columbia for quite some time now, performing with everyone from Aretha Franklin to Ludacris. Now they are hitting 2009 with their own material. We recently sat down with Andre 'Whiteboy' Johnson to bring everyone who isn't from the DMV up to speed on the Go-Go sound and how it has, for years, influenced Hip-Hop in so many levels. With the emergence of such rappers as Wale in the past year, we felt it only fitting to get to the heart of DC and go straight to the bands.illRoots.com: Explain what Go-Go music means to you personally?
Whiteboy: The music is one thing, and the culture another. The sound has dominated the DC music scene for decades.
illRoots.com: Recently the DC music scene has been magnified and put under the microscope with the emergence of Wale into the mainstream. What contributions in the past should be marked down as a contribution from the local scene in DC?
WB: Wale is definitely representing DC and proving that there is a lot of talent in this city. But DC has always represented. Before hip-hop exploded and crossed over, the major labels like Def Jam and others were looking to DC for acts that were on the rise. Most of the well-known Go-Go acts at the time were signed to a label – they recognized that Go-Go was music that could have a national appeal. Over the years, you started seeing Go-Go beats infused in hip-hop and R&B. Plus, you had producers like Chucky Thompson, who was influencing Hip-Hop heavily, producing hits for Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. and Faith. His background is rooted in Go-Go. And you can't forget that some of the biggest legends in soul, like Marvin Gaye and Donnie Hathaway, hail from DC.
illRoots.com: Define Rare Essence.
WB: Come to one of our shows.
illRoots.com: Your new downloadable single 'Rock with RE' is now available. Why should I download this over any other song out right now?
WB: The single is not just a hot track, but it is bringing together what fans like about classic Go-Go and a modern hip-hop sound. We are musicians first. We know how to move the crowd.
illRoots.com: After I go to one of your shows what should I walk away with?
WB:An experience. There is something to be said about the chemistry between the band and the audience. Our music is live and every show is different. Our songs are not in heavy rotation on mainstream radio, but our fans know every word to every song. It’s something about the percussion's that captures even non-suspecting bodies – it’s tribal.
illRoots.com: Explain how Rare Essence came about.
WB: The band evolved from a relationship between four childhood friends. I played the lead guitar, Funky Ned the bass, Footz on drums and John Jones on the trombone. Over the years, we have been fortunate to work with some of the most skilled musicians and reinvent our sound. We have the best fans in the world – and there are generations of them.
illRoots.com: What Go-Go bands should people look for that you feel are on the come up?WB: I don’t think it’s fair for me to name one because the bands today have taken go-go to another level. There different styles and ways of playing the music. It’s great to see it grow.
illRoots.com: With all this being said do you feel that the overall magnification of the DC area is due to the actual music and that this mainstream look was inevitable or is this in direct correlation with the pop culture approval and overzealous acceptance of Barack Obama?
WB: Washington is a political town, without a doubt, but some of the greatest musicians hail from the Chocolate City – Marvin Gaye, Donnie Hathaway, Meshell Ndegeocello, Johnny Gill, Chucky Thompson, Tank, Chuck Brown and Raheem DeVaughn. It’s our turn.
illRoots.com: Give me a hidden Gem of the DC area. A spot that if I am traveling to the District for the first time and I don't see this spot that I have missed out.
WB: Zanzibar on the Waterfront, on a Wednesday night --
illRoots.com: Explain how you got your name 'Whiteboy'? As well for people who aren't familiar with the music sound, what exactly does this 'sound' encompass?
WB: The go-go sound is a combination of heavy percussion, call and response hooks, a jazz-like improv and a party energy that never stops.
illRoots.com: Rare Essence is _______.
WB: More than a band - its an evolving sound, a brand, a lifestyle.
illRoots.com: What should we look forward from RE in the future?
WB: RE's future is in bringing the band and Go-Go to audiences in a bigger way. Fans everywhere are going to be able to download or access the music in multiple formats. The single is already set to hit radio, satellite and even cable in ways we never did before. And we are doing more shows across the country, to bring what we are known best for - an unforgettable live show. And when you hear the single - you can hear the new musical direction we are going in; it’s more youthful - a greater appeal to a national audience.
