[ Dramatic music ] >> Welcome to DMV, The Beat -- performances from some of the DMV's biggest talent.

She took the rap world by storm with her Billboard chart single "5 O'Clock."

This is Nonchalant.

[ Instrumental music ] >> Rap these lyrics with me.

Rap them with me if you know them.

It's a real time right now.

♪ It's really real when I feel the way ♪ ♪ That I do right now ♪ ♪ I see all my brothers underground pushing up daisies ♪ ♪ Man, it amazes me that you can't see what you gonna be ♪ ♪ A statistic ♪ ♪ Everybody's gone cold ballistic ♪ ♪ If you had a good day, damn, I must have missed it ♪ ♪ 'Cause you mad at the universe ♪ ♪ Go to hell with everybody else ♪ ♪ 'Cause you want your own first ♪ >> ♪ Yeah ♪ >> ♪ I got the urge ♪ ♪ To let you in on a little secret ♪ ♪ 'Cause you keep dying if I keep it ♪ ♪ All the killing that you're feeling is from within ♪ ♪ For the copper, check the color of your skin ♪ ♪ Why lie?

♪ ♪ I couldn't try even if I had to ♪ ♪ Born with the bullet-proof vest when I had you ♪ ♪ A Black woman trying to get through to a few ♪ ♪ So you can lead the next crew ♪ ♪ Five o'clock in the morning ♪ ♪ Where you gonna be?

♪ >> ♪ Outside on the corner ♪ >> ♪ You better get yourself together while you're wasting ♪ ♪ All your time right along with your mind ♪ ♪ Five o'clock in the morning ♪ ♪ Where you gonna be?

♪ >> ♪ Outside on the corner ♪ >> ♪ You better get yourself together while you're wasting ♪ ♪ All your time right along with your mind ♪ >> ♪ Why should I do right and suffer?

♪ ♪ I'd rather do wrong making that loop, being that hustler ♪ ♪ Instead of hotdogs ♪ ♪ I'm eating pork chops and they smothered ♪ ♪ Keep a gang of loot up in the safe up in the cover ♪ ♪ On top of all that, I push a big fat Lex ♪ ♪ I put holes in the floorboard just in case I feel ♪ ♪ Like flexing, so I must ask, for real, though, who are you?

♪ ♪ See, I'm a big man ♪ >> ♪ Yeah, you know he's a big man, check it ♪ ♪ I went through 12 years of school ♪ ♪ They never could reach me ♪ ♪ The knowledge of my hood ♪ ♪ Is something they can never teach me ♪ ♪ I never start a step, but kept up with the Joneses ♪ ♪ Having Rolls, a little pinky ring ♪ ♪ I did a lot of kinky things ♪ ♪ The girls knew it, flock to it ♪ ♪ I'm about my own way ♪ ♪ Yeah, they still want to do it ♪ ♪ It's not about the clothes that you got on your back ♪ ♪ But that money in your pocket if you down like that ♪ >> ♪ Come on ♪ >> ♪ Five o'clock in the morning ♪ ♪ Where you gonna be?

♪ >> ♪ Outside on the corner ♪ >> ♪ You better get yourself together while you're wasting ♪ ♪ All your time right along with your mind ♪ ♪ Five o'clock in the morning ♪ ♪ Where you gonna be?

♪ >> ♪ Outside on the corner ♪ >> ♪ You better get yourself together while you're wasting ♪ ♪ All your time right along with your mind ♪ ♪ Five o'clock, five o'clock, five o'clock ♪ ♪ Put your fives up ♪ ♪ Put your fives up ♪ ♪ Put your fives up ♪ ♪ Put your fives up ♪ ♪ Put your fives up ♪ ♪ Put your fives up ♪ ♪ Put your fives up ♪ ♪ Put your fives up ♪ ♪ Put your fives up ♪ ♪ Put your fives up ♪ ♪ Put your fives up ♪ ♪ Put your fives up ♪ ♪ Come on ♪ [ Instrumental music ] Thank you so much.

Thank you so much, DMV, The Beat, for having me.

We appreciate all the love and support you've given me over all the years.

D.C., DMV, thank you so much for all the love because there's nothing like love from home.

Choppy Chop, DJ RBI Hands of God, and we out.

[ Instrumental music ] ♪ Five o'clock ♪ >> ♪ Hey ♪ >> ♪ Pop, pop ♪ >> ♪ Five o'clock ♪ >> ♪ Pop, pop, pop ♪ >> ♪ Five o'clock ♪ >> ♪ Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop ♪ Oh, God.

Whoo!

Come on!

[ Instrumental music ] You got faith.

You ever felt something you never felt before?

That's what he does for me.

We're going to start this thing like this.

He always rocking with me.

We're going to start this thing like this.

DMV, The Beat, right now.

Hey!

♪ I never knew, I never knew, I never knew, I never knew ♪ Nah, come on!

>> [ Indistinct singing ] >> Let that feel real for me one more time while I be out.

Let that go there.

Whoo!

Come on.

I never...

If you rocking with me, put your hands up, if you ain't never felt a love like God's love.

Come on.

Whoo!

Whoo!

Let me tell you a little something.

Let me tell you a little something.

♪ Heavenly Father, sometimes I wonder why... ♪ >> Powerful, proud, and unapologetically raw Black rock.

This is Uncle Mary.

[ Rock music ] >> [ Screaming ] [ Screaming ] >> ♪ Don't tell me I don't belong ♪ ♪ What you don't know, you'll never know ♪ ♪ Is it your destiny to kill my heart ♪ ♪ Kill all my fantasies from the start?

♪ ♪ Leave me inside, leave me inside ♪ ♪ I love the mazes I have in my mind ♪ ♪ If I stop dreaming, will I survive?

♪ ♪ If I stop living for me, I will die ♪ ♪ It's not for you to understand ♪ ♪ Darkness in me is my best friend ♪ ♪ Your contagious pessimist vibes ♪ ♪ Out on the prowl for my brilliant mind ♪ >> ♪ Destroy the puppet master, he only brings disaster ♪ ♪ Destroy the puppet master, he only brings disaster ♪ >> ♪ Leave me inside, leave me inside ♪ ♪ I love the mazes I have in my mind ♪ ♪ If I stop dreaming, will I survive?

♪ ♪ If I stop living for me, I will die ♪ [ Rock music ] ♪ You can't take me ♪ ♪ Can't take me from all my dreams and who I am to me ♪ ♪ You can't take me ♪ ♪ You can't take me ♪ ♪ You can't take me from all my dreams and who I am to me ♪ >> ♪ Destroy the puppet master, he only brings disaster ♪ >> ♪ I love the mazes I have in my mind ♪ ♪ If I stop dreaming, will I survive?

♪ ♪ If I stop living for me, I will die ♪ ♪ Oooh ♪ ♪ Oooh ♪ ♪ Aaah ♪ This next song is on the lighter side.

It's called "Impossible."

It's about being with love with somebody, and it's so strong and it's so real that it inspires you to honestly dream the way you've never dreamt before and shoot for the stars the way you've never, you know, shot before, and it's the love that makes you feel like you could do and be anything.

So this is called "Impossible."

[ Guitar music ] One, two, three, go.

[ Rock music ] ♪ Up is down, my world's no frown when I'm with you... ♪ >> R&B singer, songwriter, blazing his own sweet path to success.

This is Kevin Ross.

>> One, two, three, four.

[ Guitar music ] ♪ Hey, doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo ♪ ♪ Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo ♪ This song is called "Sweet Release."

So here's what I need for y'all to do.

♪ Just sit back and let it play, yeah ♪ ♪ Put that drive to what we play, yay, yay, yay, yes ♪ ♪ [inaudible] those two ♪ ♪ Yeah, go curbside fine, yeah ♪ ♪ Read between the lines ♪ ♪ Got pennies for your thoughts ♪ ♪ Pay millions for your mind ♪ ♪ I know that's what you like ♪ ♪ Baby, pass and recline ♪ ♪ Girl, you got the light ♪ ♪ Diamonds dance in the night ♪ ♪ And it's feeling like we on a vibe ♪ ♪ Tryna turn the day into a lucky night ♪ ♪ You know I love it when we kiss and ride ♪ ♪ It's automatic like a .45 ♪ ♪ Put the dash on coast ♪ ♪ You know anything goes ♪ ♪ Stress won't hold once we hit the road ♪ ♪ Don't you worry about a hair on your pretty little head ♪ ♪ Let it go, go ♪ ♪ Just come and get you a little sweet release ♪ ♪ Give me a shot, whipping the pot, never miss ♪ ♪ Girl, I got ♪ ♪ Give me a time to put you in for a sweet release ♪ ♪ Soon as you come, I'll change the way that you feel ♪ ♪ Make it sweet, sweet, sweet, ay, bring it in, same team ♪ ♪ Who we up against for the win ♪ ♪ Co-star to your main event, evident ♪ ♪ I'm better than ♪ ♪ You're sugar binge, insulin ♪ ♪ I go crazy for you ♪ ♪ I get militant, rounds off ♪ ♪ I know they're waitin' to see your downfall ♪ ♪ but we still kickin' it like a ground ball ♪ ♪ Whenever you need it, you know I'm on call ♪ ♪ You better believe it ♪ ♪ Put the dash on coast ♪ ♪ You know anything goes ♪ ♪ Stress won't hold once we hit the road ♪ ♪ Don't you worry about a hair on your pretty little head ♪ ♪ Let it go, go ♪ ♪ And come and get you a little sweet release ♪ ♪ Give me a shot, whipping the pot, never miss ♪ ♪ Girl, I got ♪ ♪ Give me a time to put you in for a sweet release ♪ ♪ Soon as you come, I'll change the way that you feel ♪ ♪ Make it sweet, sweet, sweet, ay ♪ We keep playing.

♪ Sweet ♪ ♪ Sweet ♪ ♪ Sweet, sweet release ♪ This is one of my favorite songs that went top 10.

No big deal.

You know what I mean?

R&B or whatnot.

But the really cool thing is that this record really solidified me at radio.

I'm the first indie R&B artist to have two top 20 records at Billboard Radio in history, and we didn't really set out to make history, but that's what we did.

And so what I want to establish as far as within D.C. is that somebody like me can set the bar, but that bar is meant to be a springboard and jumped off of to go even higher.

So for those who are listening right now, all of the young aspiring artists, please use this as motivation.

Anything is possible.

I wouldn't have never imagined in a million years to have records on radio let alone to be singing publicly, so I'm grateful.

I thank you guys for all of the love, for all of the encouragement.

It's a sweet feeling, no pun intended.

So thank you.

I appreciate you.

[ Guitar music ] One, two, three, four.

[ Guitar music ] Hello, allow me to introduce myself.

My name is Kevin Ross, singer, songwriter, producer, label owner of Our Society Music Group, but most importantly, I'm a Washingtonian.

That's right, I'm born and raised here in Washington, D.C.

I went to school of the arts.

No big deal.

You know what I'm saying?

But this segment of this show is called "In the Raw," uncut, unadulterated, unfiltered.

And since y'all are locked in, I don't want y'all to go nowhere.

Is that all right?

Is that all right?

Here we go.

Hey.

♪ Oh, now why you gotta go and come climb on top of me ♪ ♪ Babe?

♪ ♪ We goin' to mess around and won't find the time to sleep ♪ ♪ Babe ♪ ♪ Can't refuse it ♪ ♪ How you do it?

♪ >> Grandfather's legacy, mother's greatest gift, newest saxophonist making a name for himself.

This is TC on Sax.

>> Let's go left.

[ Mid-tempo music playing ] [ Saxophone playing ] ♪ Have you ever had a friend ♪ ♪ One you could talk to and would listen to the end ♪ ♪ Showed you love, shared your pain ♪ ♪ The daily lesson was it's not a game ♪ ♪ Stood strong with you in places ♪ ♪ Talked you off the shelf when you was crazy ♪ ♪ One thing I know for sure, I had a friend in Moe ♪ [ Saxophone music ] ♪ We're bros for life, that's how we said it ♪ ♪ Family first at the end of the day ♪ ♪ Things will get tough ♪ ♪ Just pray when you can ♪ ♪ Then stand up strong and stick to the plan ♪ ♪ Stood strong with you in places ♪ ♪ Talked you off the shelf when you was crazy ♪ ♪ One thing I know for sure, I had a friend in Moe ♪ ♪ Ha-ha!

♪ ♪ I had a friend in Moe for sho ♪ [ Saxophone music ] Come on, let's go!

[ Saxophone music ] Whoo!

Ha-ha, let's go!

It's time, y'all.

Here we're in the pocket now.

What?

Put it all in that pocket, y'all, put them all in the pocket for me one time, ha!

[ Saxophone music ] Ha-ha-ha!

Run it down, run it down, run it down.

[ Saxophone music ] ♪ Wrote this song about cameraman Moe ♪ ♪ He rode around the city in his shotgun show ♪ ♪ You might have seen him on the setup, HBO ♪ ♪ Or run a touchdown with ultra cinco ♪ Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh!

All right, ha-ha!

My man, Moe, ha-ha!

[ Saxophone music ] Whoo!

Well, all right now.

We'd like to dedicate this song to all those folks out there who turned on that TV set and saw my main man Moe because he's shy no more.

My main man Moe.

[inaudible] fix that.

That was an edit trick.

Ha-ha, hey, ha-ha!

[ Saxophone music ] [ Instrumental music ] [ Saxophone music ] ♪ I love it, how we flowing with this love ♪ ♪ Can't resist your... ♪ >> Their sound has everybody saying "Welcome to D.C." This is Mambo Sauce.

[ Instrumental music ] >> ♪ Hey, welcome to D.C. ♪ ♪ You know where you're at, the U.S.A. cap ♪ ♪ You're taking this lightly ♪ ♪ Stop taking this lightly ♪ ♪ Now, how you gonna act ♪ ♪ Oh, we gon', be right back ♪ ♪ Well, we gon' be right here ♪ ♪ We gon' be right here ♪ ♪ We ain't going nowhere ♪ ♪ Welcome to D.C. ♪ >> ♪ Yo, D.C., the home of Chuck Brown ♪ ♪ Oh, you don't know the sound?

♪ ♪ Well, let me break it down ♪ ♪ The G-O, the G-O, the M-A-M-B-O ♪ ♪ See, though, we been pumping crank since an embryo ♪ ♪ Really, though, it's the city ♪ ♪ Where the people hold the power ♪ ♪ You can see nine dimes every half an hour ♪ ♪ Where lunching and Jo is the lingo ♪ ♪ And brothers rob, so ain't nobody rocking mink coats ♪ ♪ Take ya back to the madness hats ♪ ♪ Or how the city renamed cigarettes jacks ♪ ♪ Or how even the mayor had a run-in with crack ♪ ♪ But we all kept it real and we voted him back ♪ ♪ But we got no stars that spit on bars ♪ ♪ Like BET wasn't birthed in our backyard, so our N-E-G ♪ ♪ Our Essence in our backyard, y'all, y'all ♪ ♪ Y'all, y'all, hey ♪ ♪ You know where you're at, the U.S.A. cap ♪ ♪ You're taking this lightly ♪ ♪ Stop taking this lightly ♪ ♪ Now, how you gonna act?

♪ ♪ Oh, you gon', be right back ♪ ♪ Well, we gon' be right here ♪ ♪ We gon' be right here ♪ ♪ We ain't going nowhere ♪ ♪ Welcome to D.C. ♪ >> ♪ Look, I'm from the city, the district, I own up to it ♪ ♪ But right now I gotta real big bone to pick ♪ ♪ When this industry gon' let us get some ownership?

♪ ♪ We gotta take it, huh?

♪ ♪ Well, we doin' it, then ♪ ♪ This ain't a hit and run ♪ ♪ No, we're not an accident, more like a hit and hold ♪ ♪ Sorta like we tackling ♪ ♪ And we crank so hard 'cause we be practicing ♪ ♪ And this I just the beginning, Slim, we just scrimmaging ♪ ♪ So lace up ya Nike boots and pass with the Timberlands ♪ ♪ Wear them brothers off the boat like they Gilligan ♪ ♪ What a condition that we living in ♪ ♪ Got us fighting over land that ain't ours ♪ ♪ Like Cowboys and Indians ♪ ♪ So football, Cowboys and Indians ♪ ♪ And politics, cowboys and idiots ♪ ♪ But much love to the DMV, DMV, DMV ♪ ♪ Hey!

You know where you're at, the U.S.A. cap ♪ ♪ You're taking this lightly ♪ ♪ Stop taking this lightly ♪ ♪ Now, how you gonna act?

♪ ♪ Oh, you gon', be right back ♪ ♪ Well, we gon' be right here ♪ ♪ We gon' be right here ♪ ♪ You know where you're at, the U.S.A. cap ♪ ♪ You're taking this lightly ♪ ♪ Stop taking this lightly ♪ ♪ Now, how you gon' act?

♪ ♪ Oh, you gon' be right back ♪ ♪ Well, we gon' be right here ♪ ♪ We gon' be right here ♪ ♪ We ain't going nowhere ♪ ♪ Welcome to D.C. ♪ ♪ Look, we ain't going nowhere ♪ ♪ Welcome to D.C. ♪ >> ♪ Truth is, this here is proof ♪ ♪ There's room to take it up a few gears ♪ ♪ Give us a few years ♪ ♪ Let us test some ears ♪ ♪ We'll be a brand-new best of theirs ♪ ♪ Scoring a hundred on ya questionnaires ♪ ♪ 'Cause if the question is, "is we the truth?"

♪ ♪ Then check the "yeah," 'cause if you check the "no" ♪ ♪ Somebody better check the air or check the water ♪ ♪ 'Cause there's something in it ♪ ♪ We can't afford to be bush ♪ ♪ There's only one in the district ♪ >> ♪ We ain't going nowhere ♪ ♪ We ain't going nowhere ♪ >> ♪ Nowhere ♪ >> ♪ We gon' be right here ♪ >> ♪ Right here ♪ >> ♪ We ain't going nowhere ♪ >> ♪ Nowhere ♪ ♪ Right here ♪ >> ♪ We ain't going nowhere ♪ >> ♪ Nowhere ♪ >> ♪ We gon' be right here ♪ ♪ We ain't going nowhere ♪ >> ♪ Yo, welcome to D.C. ♪ >> So look, this was the first song that we released that was number one on all local radio, but then it went national.

It charted on the Billboards.

This song really put us on the map here in our hometown and beyond.

It's called "Miracles."

Do you believe?

Yeah.

>> ♪ Do you believe in miracles?

♪ ♪ Maybe we can change the world ♪ >> ♪ Change the world ♪ >> ♪ Maybe we can make a better life ♪ ♪ Can you see the light?

♪ >> ♪ Hey, you gotta go forward, go forward ♪ ♪ Man, in life you gotta go forward, go through it ♪ ♪ No matter what you go through to get through it ♪ ♪ you gotta get to it ♪ ♪ Hey, they say that we can't do ♪ ♪ The impossible, and I'm like, damn, why can't I try?

♪ ♪ The only thing capable of stoppin' you is your pride ♪ ♪ Is your pride, hey, hey ♪ >> ♪ It's your rhythm, it's your effort ♪ ♪ It's your drive to make it work ♪ ♪ It's persistence, it's resilience ♪ ♪ It's desire to be first ♪ >> ♪ What else?

♪ >> ♪ It's your hunger, it's your thirst ♪ >> ♪ What else?

♪ >> ♪ Unless we milk it for what it's worth ♪ ♪ I see the light, I see the light, I see the light, yeah ♪ ♪ Do you believe in miracles?

♪ ♪ Maybe we can change the world ♪ ♪ Maybe we can make a better life ♪ ♪ Can you see the light?

♪ >> ♪ Hey, hey, hey, I see the light now ♪ ♪ Hey, hey, hey, I see the light now ♪ ♪ Hey, hey, hey, I see the light now ♪ >> And the beat goes on.

Thank you for watching.

>> ♪ I see the light now ♪ ♪ Hey, hey, hey, I see the light now ♪ >> This program was produced by WHUT and made possible by contributions from viewers like you.

For more information on this program or any other program, please visit our website at whut.org.

Thank you.