Chuck Brown’s first Grammy nomination, announced yesterday, for his collaboration with Jill Scott on “Love,” was a long time coming. Brown, a jazz guitarist and singer who has been performing since the 1960s, is one of the most important figures in Washington’s go-go scene, a variation of funk that’s indigenous to DC. “Love” is a good song, a conversation between Brown and Scott with a bright throwback horn section:
But if Brown is going to get an it’s-about-damn-time golden gramophone, I wish the voters could go back and honor him for the 1978 track “Bustin’ Loose (Part 1),” a song that’s made its way both into hip-hop’s vocabulary and Washington culture. The song itself isn’t terribly high-concept: It’s really just a party track, a call to “gimme the beat, y’all.” By that measure, though, it excels: The chanted choruses are in perfect syncopation for foot-stomping, the horns for hip-swinging:“Bustin’ Loose” has had surprising resonance. In 1990, Eric B. and Rakim sampled the song for “Eric B. Made My Day,” scratching records over the horn section:Four years later, Public Enemy sampled the track for “I Ain’t Mad at All” and turned “Bustin’ Loose” from a party reference into a wish to break out of police custody:
In 2002, Nelly borrowed from “Bustin’ Loose” for “Hot in Herre,” turning the song back to its party roots, declaring, “I feel like bustin’ loose / And I feel like touching you,” a sweet line in a debauched, silly track:
And when the Nationals came back to Washington, they put songs for key game moments up to a vote. More than 11,000 people weighed in and picked “Bustin’ Loose” as the home team’s home-run music.
Maybe with that legacy, members of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences will consider “Bustin’ Loose” for a Grammy Hall of Fame Award, a special prize for recordings of lasting significance that are at least 25 years old. If not, Washington will do what the city has always done: recognize the value of go-go even when no one else does.
The Godfather Goes to the Grammys
Chuck Brown finally gets a nomination, but only by collaborating with Jill Scott
Chuck Brown’s first Grammy nomination, announced yesterday, for his collaboration with Jill Scott on “Love,” was a long time coming. Brown, a jazz guitarist and singer who has been performing since the 1960s, is one of the most important figures in Washington’s go-go scene, a variation of funk that’s indigenous to DC. “Love” is a good song, a conversation between Brown and Scott with a bright throwback horn section:
But if Brown is going to get an it’s-about-damn-time golden gramophone, I wish the voters could go back and honor him for the 1978 track “Bustin’ Loose (Part 1),” a song that’s made its way both into hip-hop’s vocabulary and Washington culture. The song itself isn’t terribly high-concept: It’s really just a party track, a call to “gimme the beat, y’all.” By that measure, though, it excels: The chanted choruses are in perfect syncopation for foot-stomping, the horns for hip-swinging:“Bustin’ Loose” has had surprising resonance. In 1990, Eric B. and Rakim sampled the song for “Eric B. Made My Day,” scratching records over the horn section:Four years later, Public Enemy sampled the track for “I Ain’t Mad at All” and turned “Bustin’ Loose” from a party reference into a wish to break out of police custody:
In 2002, Nelly borrowed from “Bustin’ Loose” for “Hot in Herre,” turning the song back to its party roots, declaring, “I feel like bustin’ loose / And I feel like touching you,” a sweet line in a debauched, silly track:
And when the Nationals came back to Washington, they put songs for key game moments up to a vote. More than 11,000 people weighed in and picked “Bustin’ Loose” as the home team’s home-run music.
Maybe with that legacy, members of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences will consider “Bustin’ Loose” for a Grammy Hall of Fame Award, a special prize for recordings of lasting significance that are at least 25 years old. If not, Washington will do what the city has always done: recognize the value of go-go even when no one else does.
Subscribe to Washingtonian
Follow Washingtonian on Twitter
More>> Capital Comment Blog | News & Politics | Party Photos
Most Popular in News & Politics
What It Felt Like for a Virginia Marching Band to Win Metallica’s Contest
Meet the 2023 Washingtonians of the Year
What’s IN and OUT in DC Restaurant Trends for 2024
Introducing 8 of DC’s Most Stylish
Washingtonian Magazine
April 2024: Great Places to Live
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
13 Major Concerts and Music Festivals in the DC Area This Spring
Mary Timony on Her Emotional New Album, “Untame the Tiger”
The Beatles in DC: A New Exhibit in Maryland Looks Back on Early Beatlemania
Northern Virginia High School Wins Metallica’s Marching Band Competition
More from News & Politics
You Can Still Get Tickets to See Caitlin Clark Play in DC
The Capital Pride Parade Won’t Go Through Dupont Circle This Year
Why Did WAMU Close DCist?
Botox In Your Twenties? More People Under 30 Are Getting Cosmetic Treatments
Did Eugene Vindman Pose With a Confederate Flag?
Want to See Caitlin Clark Play in DC? Prepare to Shell Out Some $$$.
Hozier and Laufey Will Headline This Year’s All Things Go Festival
Move Over, Pennsylvania Avenue: Study Says Wharf Area Is DC’s Priciest Real Estate