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Wale emerged from the talented and diverse DMV music scene, becoming one of the handful of acts from the region to make it to the major label side. Returning to his roots, Wale and his management team launched “Gifted Week” with a series of events, beginning Sunday (November 10).
Wale and his management team EQT launched Gifted Week featuring several events throughout the community and tailor-made for residents of the DMV region. Ralph Folarin recently wrapped his Every Blue Moon Tour and will play a sold-out show this Friday (November 15) at the MGM National Harbor Hotel & Casino.
Established on November 10 of last year, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared via a proclamation that the date will now be known as Wale Day annually. Following that high honor, the “Ghetto Speak” rapper says that he “wanted to do something special for home, to unite the next generation of artists and athletes.”
Among the list of events for Gifted Week, which kicked off at Northwest Stadium, sandwiched with the home NFL team Washington Commanders facing off against the Pittsburgh Steelers, there will also be a sneaker design workshop, a youth football clinic with the Commanders, a poetry jam and open mic event among other events.
Masterfully launching along with Gogo Appreciation Week, which platforms the homegrown sound that has served as a backdrop for Wale’s music, Gifted Week is sponsored by EQT, Nike, the Washington Commanders, DC OCTFME, DC Commission on Arts & Humanities, Monumental Sports, and others
Tickets for Gifted Week are free and open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis. To learn more and to RSVP for events, please click here. For convenience, we have the full schedule listed below.
SCHEDULE
Nov 10 – Wale Day / Commanders Game vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, @ Northwest Stadium
Nov 11 – Sneaker Design Workshop with Nike
Nov 12 – Youth Football Clinic with Washington Commanders
Nov 13 – DC Poetry Jam + Open Mic @ Culture DC
Nov 14 – Intersection of Music and Sports Panel @ The Gathering Spot DC
Nov 15 – Wale Live @ The Theater at MGM, Fort Washington, MD
Nov 16 – MGM Afterparty @ Felt Lounge, Fort Washington, MD
Nov 17 – Washington Wizards vs. Detroit Pistons @ Capital One Arena
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Rayful Edmond, once the most powerful drug kingpin in Washington, D.C. during the so-called “Crack Era” has been transferred from federal prison to a halfway house. According to the reports, Rayful Edmond is being held in a facility in Nashville, Tenn.
Local Washington outlet Fox 5 DC reports that Rayful Edmond, 59, was transferred on Wednesday (July 31) to the halfway house by the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Nashville Residential Reentry Management Office. The outlet added that Edmond is either under home confinement, a Residential Reentry Center, or a halfway house.
Edmond oversaw a sprawling crack cocaine in the 1980s, and his meteoric rise atop the drug lord food chain came with requisite violence which included murders carried out on his behalf that turned the streets of Washington, D.C. into a literal war zone. Edmond was also known for his lavish spending while also becoming something of a mythical and even beloved figure by some.
Ruling with fear heightened by the threat of violence from his street soldiers, Edmond commanded his drug network with the precision of a Fortune 500 company until his propensity to live out loud eventually led authorities to halt his operation. Edmond was previously serving a life sentence without parole due to his mounting federal drug charges after taking a guilty plea in 1989.
Edmond continued to deal drugs while in prison, leading to his subsequent arrest in 1994. From there, Edmond flipped on his organization and cooperated with federal investigators, a point of his life that has been documented in droves by several outlets.
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Photo: Rayful Edmond
D.C. Stadium LLC and Grand Rising Curations today announced a multi-year partnership that will expand Audi Field into a Sports & Entertainment complex primed to host concerts and festivals in the Nation’s Capital. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The deal between D.C. Stadium LLC and Grand […]
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The National Cannabis Festival, now in its eighth year, makes its triumphant return to Washington, D.C. for the upcoming 420 weekend with a pair of major headliners. Celebrated bassist Thundercat and the legendary Wu-Tang Clan alongside Redman will rock the RFK Stadium Festival Ground stages later this spring.
This year’s National Cannabis Festival lineup is the usual mix of internationally renowned stars along with local acts, while also serving as a hub of information for cannabis enthusiasts, advocates, patients, and the like. Hip-Hop Wired has attended the NCF in times past, and this is the first year that the festival will take place over two days, coupled with weeklong programming to support the NCF’s wider efforts of education and advocacy
“We’re really excited to elevate the National Cannabis Festival experience this year with our brand-new two-day format. Our core values of empowerment and education remain at the forefront, and in 2024, we’re taking things higher with an expanded lineup of exhibitors, educators, and passionate advocates championing the rights of cannabis patients and enthusiasts across the nation,” said Caroline Phillips, NCF Founder, and Executive Producer. “This year, attendees won’t just have an amazing time celebrating with the iconic Wu-Tang Clan and the incomparable Thundercat; they’ll also have the chance to dive deeper into the ever-evolving world of cannabis.”
As Phillips noted, the Festival Grounds will be packed with thousands of attendees from all walks of life, with some coming from far away to soak in the good vibes, energy, and information. The NCF team once more put together a lineup that will thrill a wide swath of listeners.
Joining the aforementioned Thundercat and Wu-Tang Clan will be local talents such as Black Alley, one of the most talented bands across any genre. Cumbia Heights, a neo-cumbia band, will also grace the stages. Noochie Live From The Front Porch, who is rising in the ranks, is on the bill, along with the talented Dior Ashley Brown & The Filthy Animals.
No cannabis festival is complete without some true culture vibes and Proverbs Reggae Band will be on hand to provide the backdrop. Local Go-Go music legends Backyard Band will be joined onstage by Devin The Dude. DJs Black Rave Culture and DJ Farrah Flosscett will provide sounds for the festival as well.
Beyond music, the festival will once more host education pavilions, six in total, which will cover the topics of Wellness, Policy, Culture, Culinary, Grower’s World, and Psychedelics. Discussions will be hosted at each pavilion to educate attendees on the medicinal uses of cannabis, news on the legal front, and speak with insiders who grow and refine the product for the masses, along with much more.
Keeping with the theme of true inclusion, the NCF will also play host to The LGBTQIA+ Lounge, the Seniors Lounge, and the Veterans Pavilion, making certain that all segments of cannabis consumers are covered, supported, and made to feel comfortable among old friends and new connections made on the grounds.
Tickets for the National Cannabis Festival start at $85 for the two-day general admission level. For Saturday (April 20) only, tickets are being sold for $55. Two-day VIP tickets start at $599 and include a gift box and entrance to NCF-connected events for the year. For VIP one-day tickets, the cost is $420.
Learn more about the festival, which also includes 420 Week, the Ultimate Weed Wedding by clicking here.
The two-day festival kicks off on April 19, 2024.
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Photo: Getty/National Cannabis Festival/NCF
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An FBI agent was a victim of a carjacking in Washington, D.C., highlighting the rising crime trend in the Nation’s Capital. From last year to now, carjacking reports have doubled and the city has issued warnings to citizens and visitors alike.
As reported by Fox 5 DC, an employee of the FBI was the victim of an armed carjacking Wednesday (November 29) afternoon according to reports. The crime happened around 3:45 local time in the city’s Northeast section. The victim says they were approached by a pair of armed assailants who took the vehicle via gunpoint before speeding off. The vehicle was located less than a mile away in the city’s Southwest section.
The two suspects, who both appeared to be in their late teens or early 20s, were seen on camera footage and a citywide search is on for the pair. The FBI and the Metropolitan Police Department are both conducting a search, and a $10,000 reward has been announced for the capture of the suspects.
The same evening of the carjacking incident, the D.C. Council held a Public Safety Committee hearing to address the rise of violent crimes across the city and the ACT Now bill aimed at extending policing procedures and eliminating open-air drug markets among other tactics.
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Rod Wave made a recent stop on his tour in Washington, D.C. and a tweet claiming that hundreds of vehicles were broken into went viral. It has since come out that there were way fewer than the reported break-ins that occurred during that night according to local police reports.
Rod Wave is currently on his 35-city Nostalgia tour and made a stop in Washington to perform at the Capital One Arena in the city’s Chinatown section this past Sunday (November 12. An X user by the name of @clothes_mindedx made an explosive claim that 232 cars were broken into in the area where the concert was being held and went viral in the process.
“[T]hey broke into 232 cars at the Rod Wave concert in DC last night… that’s nasty,” read the reply. Larger accounts like @SaycheeseDGTL picked up the tweet and shared it with their audiences, prompting a flurry of responses despite no official record coming from authorities in the region.
As seen on NewsOne, independent journalist Alan Henny took to X and shared his findings of the reported break-ins.
From Henny’s account:
Police officers are taking numerous reports of THEFTS FROM AUTOS in #DowntownDC in the past few hours.
This includes: 900 blk H St NW, 800 I St NW, 600 F St NW, 600 E St NW, 600 Mass Ave NW, 600 H St NW.
Guns were stolen from two autos.
NewsOne adds in its reporting that officials from the Metropolitan Police Department say that around 10 vehicles were broken into and no arrests have been made.
Washington has seen an uptick in break-ins and theft, along with a rise in armed and unarmed carjackings often attributed to area youth. The city is also on pace to set a record for homicides, prompting Mayor Muriel Bowser to enact emergency operations to address the crime across the city.
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Iconic Hip-Hop artists Ice-T and Public Enemy will be the headline acts at the National Celebration of Hip-Hop Festival this fall.
The festival event was announced on Wednesday (August 23). The veteran rappers who have helped shape Hip-Hop and popular culture overall were tabbed as headliners for the event, which will be held at West Potomac Park at the National Mall on October 6th and 7th. The concert in honor of Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary will be completely free to the public.
“Hip Hop is beyond, not just a musical genre,” said Chuck D in a statement. “It’s a cultural movement that has dominated art, fashion, politics, poetry, academia, film, and every corner of the world for the past 50 years. This National Celebration brings it all together in one place for the people, by the people.”
“We are honored to continue to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop against the backdrop of America’s Capitol with a free event for everyone. I can’t wait to get on stage and do our thing,” added Public Enemy co-d Flavor Flav in a statement.
Ice-T chimed in with his own statement, adding: “We are coming to the National Mall itself to bring you authentic Hip Hop for the 50th celebration!”
The festival features a star-studded lineup that includes Kurtis Blow, Kid ‘n Play, Soulsonic Force, Roxanne Shante, C.L. Smooth, Melle Mel and Scorpio, The Sugarhill Gang, Peter Gunz, DJ Kevie Kev Rockwell, Mad Skillz, MC Sha-Rock, Busy Bee, Joe Ski Love, Positive K along with other special guests to be named soon. DJ Hurricane will also be on hand to perform a tribute set to the Beastie Boys. The concert promises to be another fantastic event honoring the culture, as the F.O.R.C.E. Tour featuring LL Cool J and The Roots is currently ongoing, and the public is still buzzing over the HipHop50 Live concert event held at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx two weeks ago.
Pre-registration for tickets to the National Celebration of Hip-Hop has already begun. Those interested are advised that they are first come, first serve through the event’s website.
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Residents in the region around Washington D.C. got startled by a sonic boom, which officials state was caused by fighter jets intercepting a private plane.
On Sunday afternoon (June 4th), a loud noise that resonated across most of the area around Washington D.C. caught the attention of many residents. Officials with North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, confirmed to the press later on that night that the noise was a sonic boom, attributing it to two F-16 fighter jets that were scrambled from Joint Base Andrews in an authorized response to a Cessna Citation plane that entered restricted airspace over Virginia.
NORAD went on to state that when hailed by the F-16s, the Cessna was unresponsive, even as the jets used flares to get the pilot’s attention. The plane would later crash close to the George Washington National Forest near Montebello, Virginia close to 3:30 P.M., and they said it was not shot down.
The Federal Aviation Association issued its own statement, and stated that air traffic control attempts to reach the plane had been unsuccessful. According to tracking data, the Cessna Citation apparently left Elizabethton, Tennessee at 1:13 P.M., then reached Long Island before turning back around towards Virginia.
The sonic boom caused many to react across the region from Bowie, Maryland to Annandale Virginia, and speculate on the cause. President Joe Biden was out golfing with his brother, Jimmy close to Joint Base Andrews and reportedly heard “a faint boom”. The president was fully briefed on the situation, a spokesperson for the White House said. Police at the U.S. Capitol were briefly placed on alert, according to authorities.
The FAA said that investigators for the National Transportation and Safety Board were making their way to the crash scene, hoping to arrive there on Monday (June 5th). The private business jet was confirmed to be owned by Encore Motors of Melbourne, a Florida-based company.
John Rumpel, a 75-year-old pilot who runs Encore Motors, confirmed to the New York Times that his daughter, granddaughter, and a nanny were on the plane with the pilot returning home to East Hampton, N.Y. after visiting him in North Carolina.
In tears, Rumpel theorized that the plane might’ve lost pressurization, saying that “they all just would have gone to sleep and never woke up.” Virginia State Police would later confirm that first responders reached the site at 8 P.M. that evening, and found no survivors.
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The annual National Cannabis Festival makes its return to the Nation’s Capital next month, bringing together fans to enjoy stellar music and connect with advocates fighting for access to cannabis. Headling this year’s NCF will be 2 Chainz, Juicy J, and the Free Nationals along with other musical guests and speakers taking to the stage.
The National Cannabis Festival, co-founded by Caroline Phillips in 2015, is about much more than the consumption of cannabis and the music festival. For the seventh NCF, the entire week leading up to the festival will bring together business leaders in the cannabis space, patients, advocates, elected officials, and many more. The NCF will host a number of workshops and related activities all week long, and the festival will feature a collection of national and homegrown acts.
Local favorites and Go-Go legends Backyard Band, funk and soul band Everyday Everybody, cumbia band Cumbia Heights, DC-based production duo Foots and Cole, reggae band Nkula, and DJ Farrah Flosscett will join the aforementioned headliners onstage.
New this year, the NCF is launching 420 Food Week, patterning with area restaurants with specialized items to celebrate the event. More information on 420 Food Week and the entire National Cannabis Festival offerings will be featured below.
420 WEEK
● 420 Week begins the week leading up to the festival from April 15 – April 21. The week will include workshops, demonstrations, unique experiences, music, performing arts, comedy, and more, at venues across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. The week also debuts 420 Food Week, a new addition to festival festivities, where visitors and Washingtonians alike can enjoy special menus and special offers from participating restaurants including Jerk At Nite, Little Miner Taco, H Street Country Club, and El Sol serving the best salty and sweet munchies across the DMV. On the day of the festival, the Munchies Zone is where guests will find some of these food vendors and more during the day’s happenings.
● The National Cannabis Policy Summit’s Congressional Forum on Thursday, April 20, assembles cannabis advocates, patients, business leaders, and policy experts for an afternoon of keynote addresses and discussions featuring Members of Congress in the Capitol Visitors Center’s Auditorium. Topics of discussion include expungement, banking, social equity, and paths to federal legalization. Join us for an afternoon of conversation and questions with elected officials addressing the most pressing questions around cannabis policy reform.
EDUCATION
In addition to the concert, the festival features six education pavilions covering topics, including: Wellness, Policy, Culture, Culinary, Grower’s World, and new this year, the Psychedelics education track. The pavilions invite attendees to participate in discussions on the medicinal benefits of cannabis, learn about legislative updates from state and federal advocates, hear from farming, tech, and culture influencers, re-focus their minds with yoga sessions, and more.
LOUNGES
● LGBTQIA+ Lounge, hosted by The Washington Blade, is a place for advocates and community members to gather, network, and share experiences.
● Seniors Lounge (for NCF’s “golden buds”) and the Veterans Pavilion hosted by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and Balanced Veterans, return to serve as retreats for our special guests from the hustle and bustle of festivities.
Learn more about the National Cannabis Festival and additional programming by clicking here.
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Photo: NCF
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Karon Blake, a 13-year-old middle school student in Washington, D.C., was shot and killed over the weekend for allegedly tampering with a vehicle. This week, the school community Blake attended is attempting to process the shocking moment with others calling for justice for the arrest of the person that carried out the shooting.
As reported by local outlet NBC 4 Washington, Karon Blake was a student at Brookland Middle School in Washington’s Northeast quadrant. According to a press release from Metropolitan Police Department, the shooting took place last Saturday (Jan. 7).
From the press release:
At approximately 3:56 am, members of the Fifth District responded to the listed location for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, the members located a juvenile male victim suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene and transported the victim to an area hospital. After all life-saving efforts failed, the victim was pronounced dead.
Detectives’ investigation at the scene revealed that a male inside of a residence, at the listed location, heard noises and observed someone that appeared to be tampering with vehicles. The male resident went outside, armed with a registered firearm, to further investigate. There was an interaction between a juvenile male and the male resident. During the interaction, the male resident discharged his firearm striking the victim. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
As NBC 4 notes, members of the Brookland Middle School community are speaking out and offering support to Blake’s peers who might be affected by news of his passing. In the broader community, some are asking that criminal charges are levied against the unnamed resident who shot the firearm that ended Blake’s life. That same call has been growing across social media as well but MPD officials have yet to announce new developments regarding the investigation.
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Photo: Getty
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