Is D.C. the next Williamsburg?

Is the nation's capital soon to be another version of Williamsburg? The cultural renaissance of Washington D.C. was a hot topic on today's episode of Soundcheck. Prior to President Obama's arrival, Washington was virtually a cultural wasteland. The petroleum worshippers that inhabited the city for the past eight years are now vacating, making way for more eclectic citizens.

Rapper Wale (pronounced Wall E) was name checked as being reflective of the music which is coming out of the cities' more diverse quarters. Wale has been hailed as a musical genius due to his work with Mark Ronson, as well as The Roots. While the song "Nike Boots" is one of his more popular works, I prefer his Seinfeld inspired EP. Besides an increase in the exposure of local artists, there is a hope that having a Black president will inspire institutions like the Kennedy Center to provide programming that is more accessable to all D.C. citizens.

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Now playing: Wale - The Perfect Plan
via FoxyTunes

More discussion of this topic can be found on the Soundcheck Blog.