United States

Washington, D.C.

Born out of a mission to amplify the influence and celebrate the legacy of Black dance music, Black Rave Culture brings together the talents of Amal, James Bangura, and Nativesun.

's underground music scene— draws inspiration from Black music movements that extend far beyond their city. With a genre-defying blend of house, techno, footwork, two-step, dub and baile funk, Black Rave Culture celebrates Black identity and breathes new life into cultural history with every beat. As champions of both music and community, they have put together a guide showcasing their favourite spots in D.C., offering you a glimpse into the city that drives their sound and spirit.

Howard China is one of the many neighbourhood staples we call carryouts in DC. Located on the intersection of Georgia ave and Gresham pl, it’s the common ground between Howard university students and the people who live in the neighbourhood. Honourable mention by Obama during his commencement speech at Howard university.

This spot is staple in DC and definitely was a consistent place we would hit up before heading to James' old apartment to work on tracks. With their selections of vegan made soul food, you can’t go wrong.

Another spot that really sticks out for us is “Heat Da Spot”. Located on Georgia Ave, it’s a family owned restaurant that specialises in Ethiopian breakfast and lunch dishes. It’s closed on Mondays but the rest of the week, their doors are open to the public. If you hadn’t noticed yet, we really like to eat and over the years this place has been a constant for us.

Located in NE in Union Market and one of the, if not oldest, deli spots in Washington D.C. They specialize in fresh deli meats, cheese, bread pasta and rare selects from Italy. The bread is always fresh and you can pick up a proper sub sandwich and a cannoli any day of the week.

Wonderland Ballroom or for the regulars “Wondy”, we would come here after writing sessions to talk about the future and really find solace in each other’s company. Wonderland Ballroom has been around for decades and always has an eclectic crowd that varies from artists, musicians, college kids, government folks and families.  

This is another homie spot that acts as a record store and vintage clothing. Not only can you find the latest cuts in house, techno and bass music 12” but they also have an extensive inventory of jazz, funk, soul boogie, disco and everything in between. It’s also a treat to go check out the latest hauls from the store because you’re bound to run into a homie there on a dig as well.

With the original location in Virginia Beach, VA, Commonwealth has become synonymous with DC streetwear. You can always count on them to carry the latest DC staples, like New Balance 990s all the way to Int’l brands like WTAPS, Engineered Garments, and Commes Des Garcons. They also carry their own in-house “Commonwealth” in-house brand.

OG mom and pop breakfast spot that only takes cash. Super small space but some of the best food on that side of town. They close at 1:30pm so don’t get caught slipping. We take all the homies there whenever they’re in town.   

Murry & Pauls

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