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Pgthe washington post.
friday, february 21, 2020Matt Jackson
and Avery Showell
ThfctryMatt Jackson, 29, and Avery Showell, 25,
have their ears tuned to the beating pulse of
the District’s music scene. From the lobby of
the Line hotel, the Bowie natives co-host “the
Factory” (styled thfctry), a radio show they
created as students at Salisbury University.
Since then, the two have become a resource
for local fans wanting to hear the best that
the city has to offer in hip-hop and R&B.
Their recent interview with Mavi, a rising
rapper — and Howard University student
— is a fine example of the knowledge and
curiosity they bring to what it means to be a
musician today and in the future. For the
purpose of this article, Jackson and Showell
were interviewed together and chose to
spoke as a unit.We always want to be discovering new
artists because we not only enjoy the
music but take pride i n being those people
who gave them their big break. You have
so many people across D.C., Maryland and
Virginia d oing their own s pecial thing.
For the more classic sounds, you have
Rahiem Supreme and Ankhlejohn hold-
ing it down. But i f you’re looking for a more
abstract sound, Sir E.U is that weird sci-
ence teacher you had that you had no clue
what he was talking about, but by the end
of the year, you realize he’s that cool dude
who made school go by quicker and that
you actually learned something from him.
For people who are going to blow up
and the whole country might hear about
them soon, that’s got to be Uno Hype and
Black Fortune. And we’re only starting to
see what Opal can do, even though she’s
already been heralded and was on the
soundtrack to “Insecure.”
What’s coming up, too, is house music.
We’ve got to t hrow some shout-outs t o DJs
Mista Selecta, Filet Mignon, Trilla Kay
and Domo. Even an artist like Dreamcast
uses house, R&B, among others to really
create a unique sound. The house scene is
still growing in D.C., but it’s o n the rise.
The city is changing all the time and we
just have to roll with it. As f ans and promot-
ers of shows, we’re lucky to have some new
spots turn into places that want to put on
shows. Songbyrd and Pie Shop are great
for that, because they’re willing to try
things out. One of our favorite R&B artists
in the city, Alex Vaughn, has a monthly
open mic night, AV Sessions at Pie Shop,
where people can test out new things
they’re working on.
We’re lucky to have mainstays in the
heart of the c ity. We probably hang o ut and
find artists the most at Velvet Lounge. It’s
that staple, and comfortable even if it’s a
human gumball machine. But if you can
roll and perform with a mic or speaker
going in and o ut, then that’s a great way to
get yourself ready for a bigger stage. And
of course, U Street Music Hall has been
that bigger leap for a rtists we like.
The future is going to be great as long as
we don’t chase after some homogenization
of sound. We’re always going to have go-go,
but having that base allows the city to be
more versatile in producing and consum-
ing music. We c an infuse what was hip-hop
with what was go-go, into what is now.
— as told to Hau Chutoni L. sandys/the Washington PostMatt Jackson, left, and Avery Showell, right, use “Thfctry,” their radio show to spotlight up-and-coming hip-hop artists.
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