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Preface to 2009 Edition Kip Lornell and Charles C. Stephenson, Jr. November 10, 2008 Much has changed in Washington, D.C.,since Billboard Books published The Beat! Go-Go's Fusion of Funk and Hip-Hop in the summer of 2001. Nationally , the reelection of President George Bush in 2004, the Iraq War, the tandem mortgage and credit crises, and Barack Obama's election as president of the United States clearly top the list. Locally, "Chocolate City" is less so. While Washington, D.C., remains majorityAfrican American, the immigration of various people to D.C.has resulted in greater diversity. In 2006 the city elected a new youthful mayor—Adrian Fenty—who is firmly rooted in Washington, D.C., and understands the go-go culture. Washington, D.C., sports a new National League baseball team, and inApril 2008 Nationals Stadium "second-to-none" home opened along the waterfront, providing the Nats with a venue that sits next to the Anacostia River at the foot of Capitol Hill. Downtown is vibrant and at times resembles neighborhoods in New York City, with snarling traffic, trendy restaurants, and crowds of people flocking to and from basketball games or cultural events. Parts of Southeast Washington, particularly along Southern Avenue, have the feel of the bedroom communities in the surrounding counties of Prince George, Montgomery, and Fairfax, and have attracted young families. There is an increasing sense that Washington, D.C.,has become the preferred home for young professionals of varied hues and religions, who are committed to raising families in the city. D.C., in short, has evolved mightily over the past eight years. Despite all of these changes go-go remains the dominant local musical form in a city that, despite its demographic evolution, remains predominately African American. As go-go enters its fourth decade, it is noteworthy that the music's popularity has not waned and much has happened within the go-go community. The passage of time and these important changes necessitate this new edition of The Beat! Although the acknowledgments are dated January 5, 2001, we finished writing The Beat! late in the fall of 2000. The Beat! Go-Go Musicfrom Washington, D.C. reprints the original manuscript published by Billboard Books in 2001. The cover, however, is totally redesigned, and the new title helps to identify go-go's epicenter. We have also added many new photographs and a lengthy Epilogue that brings the music and culture into the twenty-first century. xiv The Beat For this new edition we'd like to thank Thomas Sayers Ellis (aka TSE), in particular, for his generosity in providing several dozen new images for this book as well as his pungent observations about the current scene. Likewise we need to extend our appreciation to Malachi, Kato, Tom Goldfogle, John Mercer, Emily Abt, Dene Mitchell, Maurice Shorter, and Lindsay Christian, among others , for helping us to bring The Beat! up to date. We also appreciate American Made Music series editor David Evans's belief that a new version of the book deserves to remain in print as well as the hard work of Craig Gill and the staff of the University Press of Mississippi. We send a shout out to Brandon Stephenson, who shares his father's go-go past and passion for its history. Finally, we need to acknowledge the love and support of our spouses (Kim Gandy and Judith Burrell) as well as our teenage daughters—Cady, Max, and Zora, who were too young to understand go-go when the first edition was published in 2001. Now they know. ...

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