ARTICLE IN THE EXAMINER
Best Places around DC with Christylez Bacon
Christylez Bacon is a GRAMMY nominated progressive hip-hop artist and multi-instrumentalist that has become one of the illustrious artists, truly embodying what it means to have roots and upbringing within the Washington D.C. area. His style and music personifies that which cannot be felt outside of this region all while managing to impressively create new sounds, with fusion styles of collaborative music composition. Recently having an opportunity to speak further with Christylez Bacon about his personal interests, cultural experiences, and social life as a native Washingtonian gave direct insight on what it means to be part of the DMV (District, Maryland, and Virginia).
Having known much about the “southside” of D.C. (Southeast District corridor) many would assume that Christylez Bacon should be an artist that portrays life in a gritty or grime sort of way, but his play on story-telling and melodic harmony does completely the opposite. He mentions, “The early start of my career really came about from just exploring the era of poetry-slam spots like Pure (formerly Bar-Nun) and Teaism.” This would begin his journey to not only start really honing skills with hip-hop but at the same time bringing to life an entire world, never seen before. Christylez Bacon tells of the many subcultures existent within the social geography around the nation’s capital, that many are never truly aware of, unless they have liaisons for such underground experiences. This would further be the center of how such a talented young man, traveling from Southeast to Northwest, attending Duke Ellington School of the Arts quickly came to notice the extremities among people with his travels. The U Street area with its rich cultural history, the social epicenter around Georgia Avenue (with Ethiopian community influences), and the original location of the area’s first Bus Boys and Poets are some of his favorite places around the city.
Diving deeper into that cultural dialogue with Christylez Bacon, unveils the all-time conversation many out-of-towners have. This experience many people face happens when patronizing a local carry-out restaurant (several are across the DC Metro area) but everyone always has the same question, “What is Mumbo Sauce.” To that end, Christylez Bacon shared his personal take on the uniquely flavored condiment, found only in this area. “Everyone has their own thing. There is no real solidified recipe, some spots have a savory taste while others might be sweetened,” mentions Bacon. He further recalls that no other place compared to Yums (adjacent to the Shrimpboat – off East Capitol and Benning Road) where he would get the “broke-baller special.” In those early days of survival mode, Christylez Bacon mentions “when you really low on funds, back then you could get the large order of fries with mumbo sauce and then mix in some duck sauce, with an Arizona tea…man you’d be good to go.”
Having performed at multiple venues around D.C. some of the best experiences Christylez Bacon shared include his performance at Hamilton Live, where the restaurant actually added “District Wings.” The dish is essentially fried chicken with mumbo sauce (influenced by a song Christylez Bacon performed). He mentioned the venue was very relaxed and intimate with a setting that really personalized the audience interaction. Another favorite place would be Bus Boys & Poets where Christylez Bacon enjoys the experience and social aura that is vibrant throughout the venue.
Right now Christylez Bacon is working to complete his new EP project that will be released soon. Join the GRAMMY nominated artist for the anniversary celebration of his performance series, Washington Sound Museum next Saturday, April 28th. The series is held monthly with a performance showcase that is collaboration between the artist and his selection of distinct musical guests. When asked what’s next, Christylez Bacon mentioned “I would really enjoy being able to perform at the Howard Theatre. There is just so much historical significance there with black theatre and black performers that have graced that venue’s stage.”