Crank Juice
Wale
By Rhonda Richardson

When thinking of talented rappers, D.C. doesn’t usually come to the forefront of most people’s mind. You might get your occasional questions like “Isn’t Dave Chappelle from there?” Or maybe something like, “Y’all do that Go-Go sh-t right?” But Hip-Hop? Nah, that ain’t even D.C. With his new song “Shake it” holding down the top spot in almost every area DJ’s play list DC rapper Wale silences all nay-sayers.  Ever since he can remember, this 20-something has had a flare for flowing. It wasn’t until Wale hooked up with his manager DJ Alizay, that his career started to take flight. DJ Alizay, a well-known radio and club DJ, helped Wale hone his skills. With Alizay’s help, Wale’s records were getting a lot of radio play in the D.C. area. One song in particular, Rhyme of the Century, captured the attention of a Source magazine executive, culminating in Wale being named Source’s unsigned hype.  Shortly after, former Roc-A-Fella records VP and co-owner of the upscale clothing line RyanKenny, Kenny Burns, signed Wale to his new record label Studio 43. Burns has helped the careers of leading artists such as Kanye West, Akon and Monica. With his new CD Love Day on the way, Wale is well on his way to being in the ranks of Burn’s previous stars.

Streetz (S):  How’d you get hooked up with Kenny Burns?
Wale (W): He and [famed producer] Chucky Thompson came to D.C. to hold a talent search where he made me do an impromptu rhyme. I didn’t disappoint. He inked me a couple months after.

S: Do you feel that it’s harder to get into the game coming from D.C. due to lack of talent here?
W: It’s a lot of talent out here. You got One Way, Kingpin Slim, EMP, Gabby Moe and Hump Deville. It’s just hard. And I’m praying for everybody. I’m hoping somebody could just knock down the door and get us all in. Right now it looks like I might be the one.

S: What made you use the Northeast Groovers beat in your new song “Shake It?”

W: I’ve been flipping Go-Go songs and rapping over them for a while. It’s what we like to call crank music. We trying to get our own music style in DC. I wrote the song in between commercials of an Ed, Edd and Eddy episode. We’ll have to see if Crank music would be the thing to take D.C. rap mainstream.

S: I hear your new CD Love Day has a special meaning.

W: Love Day is the whole movement that Studio 43 is about right now. You know D.C. has the whole crabs-in-a-barrel mentality. We just want to get everybody off this hate trip that they’ve been on for so long. You should look for the album to drop in late fall.

S: Where do you see Wale in the next year?

W: Capital M-A-J-O-R!  I’m making sure that other people get on and other people eat. I want to make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to do it get on. I’m not going to be stingy with my success.

Grassroots Campaign
Nile “The Mayor” Nu’man
By Rhonda Richardson

“If I can’t get my Streetz interview, I’ll just do it myself,” says DC rapper Nile “The Mayor” Nu’Man. Since 1998, The Mayor has been pushing mix tapes and CDs out of his home studio in hopes of making it big and getting an interview from one of the best Hip-Hop publications in the area. Needless to say, he got his wish. But before this moment of triumph, the phrase ‘I answer to no one but myself’ was taken in its most literal sense.

In 2004, Nu’Man started peddling pseudo-interviews via email, in which he both asked and answered all his own questions. “It’s another way to market myself,” says Nu’Man. This marketing technique seemed to be effective as it attracted the attention of the Washington City Paper, and eventually this magazine. However, the self-proclaimed mayor of the Middle East (D.C., Maryland and Virginia) believes that his musical endeavors, not his marketing tactics, should be the main reason that people are taking notice. The Northwest DC native says the big record labels weren’t noticing him fast enough and that prompted him to start his own record label, Grown Ass Man Entertainment (G.A.M.E.) “I’m the franchise artist. I don’t have to answer to anyone because I’m the boss. I’m in charge,” says the G.A.M.E. CEO.

This take-charge attitude has resulted in a few mix-tape and independent album releases and a couple chance meetings with people whom the Mayor hopes can help take his career to the next level. “I talked to Russell Simmons and he gave me a couple of things he wanted me to do. And I’m doing them right now.” Nu’Man says he is also in talks with Chamillionaire to do a mix tape that he hopes will get his name known in the Houston area. The Mayor is showing the Middle East how to run a campaign without a budget. He says that his latest album, “Politically Incorrect,” which is slated to drop the summer of 2006, is his finest work to date. Let’s just see if the public votes for him.