ONCE I ARRIVED AT THE VENUE, I COULD IMMEDIATELY FEEL THE ELECTRICITY IN THE AIR OUTSIDE THE BEAUTIFUL AND STATELY HYATT REGENCY LOCATED IN CRYSTAL CITY. I DEFINITELY PUT IN MY GRIND TO ATTEND THIS HIGH-POWERED LOCAL EVENT, SO IT WAS GOOD TO SEE SUCH A STRONG PRESENCE. I STOOD OUTSIDE FOR A FEW MINUTES, JUST TO ABSORB WHAT I IMAGINED WOULD BE THE SCENE INSIDE. I ENTERED THE REVOLVING DOORS FOR THE LUXURY HOTEL, AND NOTICED MANY, MANY MEN AND WOMEN, MOSTLY OF COLOR, FRESH-DRESSED LIKE A MILLION BUCKS! IT TOOK A GOOD WHILE TO WAIT AT THE ESCALATOR TO GO DOWNSTAIRS, WHERE THE EVENT WAS TAKING PLACE INSIDE THE BALLROOM.
AFTER SECURING A WRISTBAND AND PROGRAM, I MADE MY WAY THROUGH THE TIGHT SECURITY CHECK BEFORE MAKING MY WAY TO THE RED CARPET AREA. ARTISTS FROM THE ENTIRE DMV AREA, INCLUDING BALTIMORE, WERE MAKING THEIR INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE PRESENCE FELT AT THE LIVELY RED CARPET AREA. YOU NAME IT, THERE WAS SOMEONE OF IMPORTANCE DOING IMPROMPTU INTERVIEWS AND TAKING FABULOUS PICTURES, ALL IN THE NAME OF SUPPORTING THIS REGION'S MUSICAL HERITAGE THAT IS BEING BUILT. COMP, SONNY BROWN, JAY MILLS, SI-NOTES, U.C.B., JEANNIE JONES, DIRT PLATOON. YOU NAME IT, THEY WERE MOST LIKELY IN THE HOUSE AND REPPIN' THE DMV MOVEMENT. I WAS VERY HAPPY TO SEE THE B-MORE CONTINGENCY MAKING THAT HOUR-LONG TREK TO NORTHERN VIRGINIA. THAT SHOWED A SENSE OF PURPOSE AND UNITY AND MADE A BROTHER PROUD!
DRINKS WERE FLOWING, AND ENERGY WAS GROWING BY THE MINUTE, IN ANTICIPATION OF THE EVENING'S EVENTS. THE DMV AWARDS STARTED WITHOUT ANY HITCH, WITH DRE ALLDAYINTHEPAINT HOSTING THE FESTIVITIES. A GOOD SIGN WAS REVERAND TONY LEE STARTING OFF ON A SPIRITUAL NOTE, BLESSING THE EVENING THROUGH PRAYER. THE FIRST MUSICAL OFFERING HAD A GO-GO AND HIP HOP FLAIR, WITH A GOSPEL INTERPOLATION OF DIDDY-DIRTY MONEY'S "LOVING YOU NO MORE". AFTER NOTICING QUITE A FEW MORE DC-BASED ARTISTS IN THE PLACE, IT WAS TIME FOR THE FIRST SET OF AWARDS TO BE PRESENTED. THE FIRST CATEGORY TO GET THINGS STARTED WAS BEST GOSPEL RAP ARTIST, AND THIS CATEGORY WAS WON BY OUTSPOKEN. NEXT ON THE AGENDA WAS BEST GOSPEL SINGER, WON BY Y'ANNA CRAWLEY, SEASON TWO WINNER OF "SUNDAY BEST" ON BET. BEST PROMOTOR CATEGORY WAS WON BY BALTIMORE'S BILLY LYVE. AT THIS POINT TV 21, A DC-BASED ROCK-HYBRID BAND, HIT THE LIVELY AUDIENCE WITH MUSIC THAT WAS BOTH FITTING AND AGAINST THE GRAIN FOR THE EVENING. THIS PRETTY MUCH SERVED AS THE BLUEPRINT FOR THE SHOW.
SONG OF THE YEAR CATEGORY WAS WON BY UPSTART EMCEE PHIL ADE' FEATURING KEVIN ROSS, FOR "TOAST 2 LIFE". NEXT ON THE AGENDA WAS BEST CLUB/DANCE TRACK, AND B-MORE REPRESENTATIVES DOO-DEW KIDZ (FEATURING MULLYMAN) BROUGHT HOME THE TROPHY FOR "STEP ASIDE". I LIKED THE FACT THAT DIFFERENT GENRES WERE REPRESENTED FOR THE EVENING. BEST POET/SPOKEN WORD AWARD WAS WON BY ARCHIE THE MESSENGER AND JO'RELL. UCB WAS NEXT TO WALK THE STAGE TO ACCEPT AN AWARD, AS THE RECIPIENTS OF THE BEST BAND/DUO/GROUP AWARD. BREAKOUT ARTIST OF THE YEAR WENT TO FAT TREL, A DMV FAVORITE ON EVERYONE'S RADAR.
DEMONT PEEKASO WAS IN THE VENUE, SHOWCASING HIS DOPE ARTISTIC FLAIR ON THE CEREMONY STAGE. JEANNIE JONES, KNOWN TO THE DMV RADIO COMMUNITY AS "KITTY OF THE CITY", HELPED TO PRESENT THE NEXT WAVES OF AWARDS. BEST GO-GO BAND WAS WON BY W.H.A.T. BAND, WHO HAS BEEN HOT ON THE GO-GO CIRCUIT. MOST SUPPORTIVE MEDIA PERSONALITY AWARD WENT TO PERMISS. THE NEXT CATEGORY, MOST SUPPORTIVE MEDIA OUTLET WAS WON BY 1650AM DA BEAT. THINGS WERE DEFINITELY LOOKING VERY POSITIVE AT THAT POINT, BECAUSE MANY MORE AWARDS WERE ON DECK. BEST BLOG/WEBSITE WAS SHARED BY DCMUMBOSAUCE.COM AND FORTHEDMVONLY.COM. FOR BEST OPEN MIC HIP HOP NIGHT, DMV FAVORITES GODS'ILLA BROUGHT HOME THE TROPHY FOR THEIR UAU SERIES AT LIV.
BLACK ALLEY WAS NEXT TO HIT THE STAGE WITH THEIR POWERFUL GARAGE BAND BRAND. I HAD THE CHANCE TO CONGRATULATE PERMISS, DOO-DEW KIDZ, AND ONE OF THE GODS'ILLA BRETHEN ON DESERVING VICTORIES THROUGOUT THE EVENING. JAY MCGRAW, A BUDDING B-MORE ARTIST/CEO, WAS ALSO IN THE HOUSE, SPREADING HIP HOP LOVE. NEXT CATEGORY THAT I WITNESSED WAS BEST PHOTOGRAPHER, AND THAT SLOT WAS WON BY ANWAA KONG. ALBUM OF THE YEAR HONORS WENT TO THE VERY DOPE AND DESERVING GODS'ILLA, MAKING TWO WINS THUS FAR ON THE EVENING FOR THESE THREE POSITIVE BROTHERS. DC FAVORITE SON TABI BONNEY WON FOR VIDEO OF THE YEAR FOR "NUTHIN BUT A HERO". THE VIBE WAS VERY POSITIVE, AT LEAST FOR A LITTLE WHILE LONGER, AND I HAD THE HUMBLING CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH SOME OF THE ARTISTS IN ATTENDANCE, SUCH AS THE AFOREMENTIONED GODS'ILLA, PHIL ADE', SKARR AKBAR, AND OTHERS. AT THAT POINT, I NOTICED THE ENERGIES IN THE LOBBY AREA CHANGING, AND CHANGING FOR THE WORSE. I HEARD QUITE A FEW INDIVIDUALS TALKING ABOUT A SKIRMISH THAT TOOK PLACE DURING AN INTERMISSION. I MADE MY WAS BACK INSIDE THE BALLROOM AREA AFTER SPEAKING WITH JAY MCGRAW, AND I NOTICED THAT CHAOS WAS THE NAME OF THE GAME AT THAT POINT. WHAT HAPPENED? I'M STILL NOT SURE, BUT I MADE MY WAS OVER TO THE AREA WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THE ALTERCATION TOOK PLACE. PRAYERS GO OUT TO THOSE THAT WERE INJURED DURING THE NEGATIVE TURN, BECAUSE IT WAS OBVIOUS BY THE BROKEN CHAMPAGNE BOTTLES AND PLATES THAT SOMETHING WENT TERRIBLY WRONG. AFTER A FEW MINUTES TO ATTEMPT TO RESTORE ORDER, IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT THE SHOW WOULDN'T CONTINUE, AS POLICE AND AMBULANCE WERE CALLED TO THE EVENT. AT FIRST, ATTENDEES WERE STANDING IN PLACE OR TALKING ABOUT WHAT OCCURRED, BUT ONCE THE BOYS IN BLUE EXERTED THEIR POLICE AUTHORITY, EVERYONE NOT APART OF THE HYATT STAFF WAS ESCORTED FROM NOT ONLY THE BALLROOM AND LOBBY AREAS, BUT THE ENTIRE HYATT. I MADE MY WAY TO THE OUTSIDE, TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OF WHAT OCCURRED WITHIN A FEW MINUTES SPAN. WHAT OCCURRED WAS A GOOD EVENT BEING TAINTED FOR WHATEVER IMMATURE REASONS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT SPARKED THE MELEE, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR CAN'T CONTINUE IF ANY SEMBLANCE OF RESPECT IS GIVEN TO GENRES TYPICALLY USED AS TARGET PRACTICE BY THE MEDIA. THIS POTENTIALLY GREAT EVENT NOW HAS A BLACK EYE, AND IT IS GOING TO TAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT BY ALL THOSE THAT CONSIDER THEMSELVES TO BE ARTISTS, MEDIA, AND FANS ALIKE TO CHANGE THIS NEGATIVE TRAIT. I'M NOT TRYING TO BE ON ANY TYPE OF SOAPBOX, BUT LOOK AT THE FACTS. A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY HAS NOW BEEN SQUANDERED, AND NOW WE HAVE TO WONDER, WILL THE DMV AWARDS MOVEMENT CONTINUE?
A PRESS STATEMENT WAS ISSUED BY THOSE IN CHARGE OF THE 2011 DMV AWARDS:
"The DMV Music Awards Committee would like to thank everyone who supported the program this year in the efforts to unite various communities for a night of celebration and recognition. The committee is truly saddened by the unfortunate events that took place, and most importantly, we send prayers and apologies to those who were injured last night. This program was designed to be a positive effort on behalf of various people in the local entertainment industry who were planners, judges, power player voters, artists, and fans.
We also extend a deep apology to the Hyatt Crystal City for the events that took place. These acts, by no means, represent the positive nature of the “DMV” music scene as a whole. This community is comprised of thousands from Baltimore to northern Virginia who love to make music and support the artists who do so. It was in this spirit that the DMV Music Awards were created five years ago, and in this spirit, the “DMV” will continue to move forward in the efforts to share great work with the worldwide community of music fans.
Again, thank you to supporters, fans, sponsors, vendors, voters, judges, media and artists. With a theme of “Time to Build,” The 5th Annual DMV Music Awards received support this year from various people and companies in all genres and walks of life. We hope that your faith and appreciation for talent in this region does not waiver.
A complete list of award winners will be posted shortly.
Sincerely,
2011 DMV Music Awards Committee"
I WILL POST THE FULL LISTING OF WINNERS FOR THE DMV AWARDS SHOW. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WINNERS WILL STILL BE RECOGNIZED FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO A MOVEMENT EXTENDING FROM NORTHERN VIRGINIA TO DC AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES, AND NOW INCLUDING CHARM CITY AS WELL. SALUTE TO THE WINNERS AND NOMINEES! NOW LET'S DO BETTER DMV...
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