Go-Go Live: The Musical Life and Death of a Chocolate City

by Natalie Hopkinson

Go-go is the conga-drum inflected black popular music that emerged in Washington, D.C., during the 1970s. The guitarist Chuck Brown, the "Godfather of Go-Go," created the music by mixing sounds borrowed from church and the blues with the funk and flavor that he picked up playing for a local Latino band. Born in the inner city, amid the charred ruins of the 1968 race riots, go-go generated a distinct culture and an economy of independent, almost exclusively black-owned businesses, which sold tickets to shows and performance recordings. At the peak of its popularity, in the 1980s, go-go could be heard around the capital every night of the week, on college campuses and in crumbling historic theaters, hole-in-the-wall nightclubs, back yards, and city parks.Go-Go Live is a social history of black Washington told through its go-go music and culture. Encompassing dance moves, nightclubs, and fashion, as well as the voices of artists, fans, business owners, and politicians, Natalie Hopkinson's Washington-based narrative reflects the broader history of race in urban America in the second half of the twentieth century and the early twenty-first. In the 1990s, the middle class that had left the city for the suburbs in the postwar years, began to return. Gentrification drove up property values and pushed go-go into D.C.'s suburbs. The Chocolate City is in decline, but its heart, D.C.'s distinctive go-go musical culture, continues to beat. On any given night, there's live go-go in the D.C. metro area.

Natalie Hopkinson, a contributing editor to the online magazine The Root, teaches journalism at Georgetown University and directs the Future of the Arts and Society project as a fellow of the Interactivity Foundation. A former writer and editor at the Washington Post, she is the author, with Natalie Y. Moore, of Deconstructing Tyrone: A New Look at Black Masculinity in the Hip-Hop Generation. She has contributed to the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and TheAtlantic.com and done commentary for NPR and the BBC.

"Natalie Hopkinson knows the music, the heartbeat, and the people of Washington well, but Go-Go Live: The Musical Life and Death of a Chocolate City is much more than a book about D.C.'s indigenous sound. It is a vital, lively, and ultimately inspiring look at the evolution of an American city."—George Pelecanos

"Black Washington, D.C., has a famously rich history and culture. Natalie Hopkinson has an established reputation as one of the most sophisticated commentators on contemporary black culture in the capital city. Go-Go Live is not only a fascinating account of a musical culture, but also a social and cultural history of black Washington in the post–civil rights era."—Mark Anthony Neal, author of New Black Man

"Go-Go Live is not just a fantastic read, but THE definitive study of D.C.'s most overlooked and unheralded art form. Natalie Hopkinson captures the soul of the city."—Dana Flor, codirector of The Nine Lives of Marion Barry

"Go-Go Live is a terrific and important piece of work. Music, race, and the city are three key pivot points of our society, and Natalie Hopkinson pulls them together in a unique and powerful way. I have long adored Washington, D.C.'s go-go music. This book helped me understand the history of the city and the ways that it reflects the whole experience of race and culture in our society. It puts music front and center in the analysis of our urban experience, something which has been too long in coming."—Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class and director of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History, Dc Comics, African American, Race

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Natalie Hopkinson, a contributing editor of TheRoot.com, lectures at Georgetown University and directs the Future of the Arts and Society project as a fellow of the Interactivity Foundation. She is the author, with Natalie Y. Moore, of Deconstructing Tyrone: A New Look at Black Masculinity in the Hip-Hop Generation. A former writer and editor at the Washington Post, Hopkinson has contributed to the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and TheAtlantic.com and done commentary for NPR and the BBC.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an important read and I would recommend it for all DC (and surrounding areas) residents. Although I was expecting more engaging story telling, I still enjoyed this book. It is clear that Hopkinson turned her thesis into a book (it is published by Duke press, after all) but it was not a chore to read. I did take issue with the organization of the book. It is all over the place. But overall, I think this is a must-read for any of us who claim to care about the District of Columbia.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

In and of itself, its not perfect but it is solid, worthy of time and attention. When considering that there are really no other books about contemporary DC (real DC, not Washington-as-Federal-City) culture available, none about go-go, none about early 21st century gentrification, this title is an essential one. Lots of really lovely insight about go-go's as a live experience. People talk about it as a genre that can't be recorded, but it isn't really about that, that makes it sound like go-go is deficient in some way. Go-go is just so much bigger, like theater or church, and who would listen to an audio recording of a rollicking service when you can go to one? It's all about being there, that space, the dialog between performers and audience. Anyway, Hopkinson's on the right track.

[Rhome Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want the nuts and bolts about go-go music itself, start with The Beat: Go-Go Music from Washington, D.C. That will give you a deep understanding that will make Hopkinson's book even more enjoyable. Hopkinson combines ethnography and space for DC residents to tell their own compelling stories about how this genre of music really shapes the culture of native Washingtonians. Required reading for students of black music and culture and for understanding the soul of Washington DC.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't even like go-go that much. However, this book encapsulates so much of what I love most and what depresses me most about living in the DMV for the past 11 years. Hopkinson has really captured the essence of Black DC. I couldn't put this book down and was sad to finally finish it.

[Jeremy Hornik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book immensely. The story of a city, the black people who lived there, and the music that tied them together. Now I want to hear some go-go.

[Abigail Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a whole other side of DC that I just ignore or forget about. At least I learned something about it. Very interesting read. Makes me want to leave the Georgetown Bubble more. Thanks for getting this for me, Mom.

[Lani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Go-go has never been part of my life, but as a DC resident it's been tangential to my life for years. I enjoyed reading about the history of go-go, because it's the history of DC.

The recent years of transition that Hopkinson is documenting are the years I was living in the city and working with fans of go-go. Some of the neighborhoods were areas I hung out in and watched gentrify. DC has such a rich black history and with the influx of upperclass workers (like myself now I suppose) much of that history and culture is being shoved further and further out. And regardless of how I feel about go-go, it's a good starting point for tracking these changes to the city.

The interviews, personal stories, and author observations give this book an immediacy that I liked, but will probably date it in just a few years. As others have pointed out, the book is pretty clearly a thesis with some fluff, but much of the historical and sociological analysis was what drew me in.

It's a book worth reading as a DC resident, but also valuable if you're a student of hiphop, local music, or black history.

[Amanda Vercruysse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the first half of the book. Hopkinson made great arguments and was thoughtful about her sources. It was also well written and fun to read- I pulled a lot of great quotes from here. But she begins to loose some of her clarity and argument following chapter 5. From there it devolves into storytelling without any real analysis. She regains some of her clarity and reminds the reader of her argument in chapter 8, which feels like her conclusion. However, she then includes an additional 9th chapter which feels out of place. It is also in a different format, switching from endnotes to footnotes, which I found incredibly distracting as her notes were almost a full page long. She also refers to chapter 9 in chapter 8, which makes me think that one of these chapters was not well throughout or was a rushed add-on to get it to print. Overall, an interesting take on go-go and definitely a significant contribution to the limited existing scholarship.

[Anina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really interesting whether or not you are a fan of go go music. It's really about the changes happening in DC over the past 30 years, though it also did teach me a lot about the music. I am glad to have read it because a lot of the kids I work with are really into go go and even have go go bands in their high schools, and I never really understood the culture behind it.

Some people say this book is too academic, but I though her voice was direct and clear and she was just doing a good job of crediting people. And there is a lot of action and exciting visual images which balance out the academic style.

[Washington Post · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the ’60s, when outsiders saw the nation’s capital devastated by crime, those who knew where to look could find a vibrant public sphere that moved to the blaring horns and thumping percussion of the new groove.

“As far as Chocolate Cities go, there is no more extreme case than Washington, D.C., in the second half of the twentieth century. Beyond the federal capital, Washington, lies a very black city, D.C. . . . When you happen to be born in a world designed for white people, to live in a Chocolate City is to taste an unquantifiable richness. It gives a unique angle of vision, an alternate lens to see world power. In a Chocolate City, black is normal.”

[Courtney Sieloff · Rating 3 out of 5]

While clearly this book is the result of an academic paper, it was well-researched and written in a way that is still easily accessible to those not in academia. Using qualitative research methods was actually ideal for this topic, as the personal tales and interviews seem to be critical to understanding go-go and musical culture in DC. This wasn't a topic I knew a lot about, apart from being a music fan, but I wasn't very familiar with go-go despite living in DC for ten years. That statement in itself demonstrates why it was important for me to read this book. This was a great read.

[Katrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

First Read win. Finally sat down and read the book. Not something I would usually read. I didn't really like it but I thought it was well written and interesting. I think the main thing that was good about this book was it was about music. I just love music., I also liked how it was about history. To me it was a well put together book and worth the read.

[Phil Overeem · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found Ms. Hopkinson's study of DC's go-go culture fascinating. Throughout, I kept thinking about New Orleans' similar struggles to "stay black"; also, it sent me rifling through my record collection for old records like GO GO CRANKIN' and Chuck Brown's BUSTIN' LOOSE. The book's a little thin, and too much a stretched piece of journalism, but I dug it.

[Seth D Michaels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book on DC's native-born party music; mixes sociology, personal essay, journalistic reporting to explain how go-go binds together Washington's black culture. Especially worth reading if, like me, you're a white person who moved to DC in the past decade - it's so easy to think of DC as just one thing when there's a whole other city happening.

[Sarah Mae · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those who didn't grow up in the DC Metro area, you probably have never heard of Go-Go music, or if you have it was "Da Butt" from School Daze. This is a good overview.

[Tabitha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this was clearly based on an academic paper and started as a dry read, it became more interesting when the author wrote more about the people as opposed to just the facts.

[Adam Carrico · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m ashamed it sat on my shelf unread for so long.

As an outsider that has fallen in love with this city, it’s a must read. I love go-go and music in general, but this book surpasses that and showcases the lifeblood of DC.

I mostly exist in a world outside of native DC and I’m routinely shocked at how many people don’t know anything about go-go.

It’s more than not knowing a genre; it’s not knowing your city. How can you mitigate actions as a gentrifier without knowing local culture and history?

Bonus was the transcription of the first go-go record I ever purchased. I never understood the references before, but the footnotes are super cool.

[Brook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great for lovers of the genre, OK as a primer for new people. Significant lack of structure if it was to be used as any sort of "teaching" tool. Was fun enough as a fan to hear shout-outs of past clubs I've played in and bands I've played with or seen. A book written by a WaPo writer and transplanted Howard alum (the latter same as me). Like the author, I fell in love with the music and played as much as I could, to the point where I made my living doing it in school for a while. The description of the sound itself is *very* good. As a history, it is just...meh. It is almost as much a WaPo opinion piece on Go-Go and gentrification as it is a story. Maybe a bit more so, actually.

[John Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be an excellent piece of ethnomusicology written for a lay audience. For all of us who hail from “the DMV” (DC, Maryland, Virginia), Go-Go has an influence on us even if it’s an indirect one.

[Peter Bond]

Shout out

[Duke Press]

“With the election of Barack Obama and the return of the white middle class to the urban core, Hopkinson’s beloved Chocolate City and the music it spawned may be a thing of the past. Go-Go Live is thus not just a work of scholarship but an eloquent piece of cultural partisanship, an elegy, a counter-narrative, a love letter.” --Michael Lindgren, Washington Post

“Hopkinson writes with great, sometimes astonishing, insight, and this is a work that is sorely needed. Recommended for readers interested in gentrification, nongovernmental DC, and the music that animates its culture.” --Molly McArdle, Library Journal

“Part history of, part elegy for, ‘the displacement of black communities and a slow death of the Chocolate City,’ the text is supplemented by a rich photo insert documenting both dance floor and street. . . . Her assessment of a local phenomenon offers a glimpse of a culture off the mainstream’s radar.” --Publishers Weekly

“[A] fascinating new book about go-go, D.C., and race in urban America. . . . Hopkinson’s book is also a plaint of ambivalent hopefulness that this post-Chocolate City, Barack Obama-era Washington, D.C., can begin to overcome that separate-and-unequal racial division still at the heart of America.” --Michael Corbin, Baltimore City Paper

“Natalie Hopkinson’s new book, Go-Go Live, gives the reader a great sense of this dynamic music. The book is simultaneously a history of this Washington, DC-based music and a critique of race in the United States. In addition, she provides a unique, blow-by-blow, annotated transcript of a legendary go-go concert, giving outsiders access to this musical and cultural phenomenon.” --Michael Starkey, Dominion New York

“Go-Go Live is a compelling, methodologically bold ethnographic history of a city and artistic form that have both received too little scholarly attention. And in the wake of Chuck Brown’s death, its content and style can be appreciated by academics and go-go fans alike.” --Antonio Ramirez, History News Network

“There has been a lack of good writing about a cultural force as important as go-go in a major city. Hopkinson definitely fills in some of that hole and Go-Go Live is definitely good writing. . . . Hopkinson contributes a valuable piece to the cultural history of a changing city.” --Michael Rugel, Culturemob

“Hopkinson shows the strength of the Black community in the eyes of its eventual displacement. Go-Go Live isn’t just the history of a genre of Black music; it’s the history of Black people in a certain region of America. It’s the history of Black America itself.” --Stephon Johnson, Amsterdam News

[Annie Rosenthal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fascinating look at a part of DC culture and history that tends to avoid the headlines. While it may be a bit hard for people unfamiliar with DC to grasp some of the references, it is also a great analysis of a musical genre and how it is intertwined with the city in which it resides. I'd highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in how music, race, and culture intersect or who is looking for a broader understanding of Washington.

[Chi Chi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book about a really unique and isolated musical scene. I wish there was a little more time devoted to the actual musical components, but Hopkinson devotes most of her effort on discussing the cultural space and how the community in D.C. rallies around go-go, which is plenty interesting on its own.

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was different than I expected. I was hoping for a focus on go-go bands, clubs, recordings, etc. The book instead looks at the shift of the cultural heart of go-go from DC to PG County as DC has become gentrified. Still a good read.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not what I thought it would be, but it offers several interesting insights on go-go and black Washington, DC.