Ear To The Street
K Michelle Loses Stock In DC
Many top celebrities have come to the Nation's Capital to perform for the D.C. market. Washington D.C. is one of the largest radio markets in the nation. It is actually the hardest market to break into because of the Go-Go Culture that exists. That trend is starting to change a bit because of the preferences of the new generation, but Go-Go is still the beloved genre of Washington D.C. music lovers, whether they will admit it or not.
Since Chuck Brown's death, there has been a push by several bands and their leadership to assume the role of being the top band in the city. Backyard featuring Big G is clearly the band that has attracted the most consistent number of follower over the longest period of time and is always sure to provide a respectable number of party participants to any event they headline. However, Familiar Faces behind the leadership of Donnell Floyd is undoubtedly the number one band in the city at this time.
Donnell has a laundry list of super star performers that have graced his
stage, and he has a CD compilation for sale on the Familiar Faces website to prove it. His very special guest list includes Ledisi, Fantasia, Celo Green, R. Kelly, Raheem Devaughn, David Hollister and more. A long time friend and ally of the Go-Go sound is Doug E. Fresh, and yes, he is on the CD too. This is just a very important thing to do for stars that have come to D.C. over the years. When these stars do this, they are effectively placing themselves in the hearts of the fans who love Go-Go.
Occasionally, there are singers who come along that don't understand this and feel that a guest appearance on a Go-Go band's stage 
is something to be planned and compensated for whether they are in the house or not. K. Michelle is one of those performers who exercised her right to cameo an event but not take the stage to give the people a treat unless she was adequately compensated. She did nothing wrong, but the people don't understand it that way, thus she has lost stock.
After the audience literally watched as Donnell called for her to come to the stage, while she completely ignored him and spoke to whoever it was next to her as if she didn't even hear him calling out to her, they had no choice but to see this as blatant disrespect towards someone who has earned a position of legendary status. That's not opinion, it's a fact, and this reporter is not ashamed to state it in biased indignation. At the very least, she could have taken the mic and thank the people for having her, or even lied and told them how much she loves them, but not what she did. It was a bad business decision.
The only reason she was invited as a paid guest celebrity in the first place was because she was a beloved star in the eyes of much of the Go-Go community. One of her songs is a regular crowd favorite that Familiar Faces plays as a cover at their multiple weekly shows. As they began to play the song, she was asked to come up and give the crowd a treat, but she demanded she be paid her price for such a performance. The promoters refused to pay 30K for her to perform a mere song, so the band just played the song as they always do. There was no hard feeling from Donnell and his management, nor were the promoters Brutherly Love Ent., Phat Cat Ent., or Big L Ent. upset with K. Michelle's decision, but the large crowd didn't want to hear it. They were hot, especially the women.
The next day, the internet was aflame with party-goers dragging K. Michelle's name through the mud. The difference between what she got paid for doing a walk through and what she stands to lose in the aftermath of her refusing to become a "very" special guest remains to be seen, but a star can only benefit themselves by coming to D.C. and connecting with the hardest market in the world to penetrate. K. Michelle failed to take advantage of an opportunity to immortalize herself in D.C. and is officially an enemy of the Go-Go fan base, a position that only Jay-Z has been able to reverse. She's not Jay-Z.
The good news is the "Real K. Michelle", Miss Kim stepped in and let her have it. She shocked the whole band with her lyrical tirade to the point that D. Floyd just watched in amazement at how our lady represented. Somebody should have warned K. Michelle.
Related Articles
Promoter Accused of Starting WarFilling the Chuck Brown Void
Chuck Brown Passes the Torch
Curvy Curves Are In Vogue
Will Go-Go Ever Go Mainstream
Battle of the Bands at the Howard Theatre
Familiar Faces & Wisdom Speeks
Buggs Gets His First Honor
Share on Facebook
Related Articles
The Prince or the King...Which one Rules?
Mark Too Sharp, Pound for Pound Titan
The Decade of DC Boxing Champions
Violence in DC is Escalating
Anwan "Big G" Glover Gets Stabbed?
Will Go-Go Ever Go Mainstream
TICKETS TO THE BIG SHOW
Town Hall Meeting
This Saturday there will be a meeting to address the youth violence that has cause quite a stir in Ward 4. Come out and hear what the community is going to do to address the issue.
