Welcome to Unpacked, America 250, a mini series celebrating the music, art, food, and more that makes America, America—in honor of our nation's upcoming 250th anniversary. The mini series is part of Afar's "⁠52 Places to Travel in the U.S. This Year"⁠ package, and in this second episode, host Aislyn Greene takes us to Washington, D.C. to explore go-go music—the uniquely American sound that's been moving communities for fifty years.

From Chuck Brown's groundbreaking fusion of funk, hip-hop, and Latin rhythms in the 1970s to today's global collaborations, this episode shares how a local D.C. music scene survived criminalization, gentrification, and decades of attacks to become the official music of the nation's capital.

On this episode you'll learn:

Featured Guest: Dr. Natalie Hopkinson, chief curator of the Go-Go Museum and Café, associate professor at American University, and author of multiple books on go-go culture

Songs featured in this episode

Chuck Brown: "Bustin' Loose"

Parliament: "Chocolate City"
Nelly: "Hot In Herre"

Black Alley: "Noochie’s Live From The Front Porch"

Michelle Blackwell: "Enjoy Myself"

CCB: "All I Want For Christmas Is You"

Chuck Brown: "Chuck Baby"

Musicians featured in this episode

Chuck Brown

Black Alley

Michelle Blackwell

The Experience Band & Show

Rare Essence

Backyard Band

CCB (Critical Condition Band)

Pock3t

Or kick things off with this go-go playlist. And read the transcript.

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