Northeast Groovers (also referred to as NEG and as N.E.G.) is a

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

-based

go-go Go-go is a music subgenre, subgenre of funk music with an emphasis on specific rhythmic patterns, and live audience Call and response (music), call and response. Go-go was originated by African-American musicians in the Washington, D.C. area du ...

band formed in 1985. Northeast Groovers have been active in the

Washington metropolitan area The Washington metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the National Capital Region, is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C. The metropolitan area includes all of Washington, D.C. and parts of the states of Maryland, Virgin ...

, producing numerous songs in the Washington music scene and several hits nationwide, including the singles "The Water", "Van Damme" and "Booty Call".

History

Beginnings

Northeast Groovers was formed in 1985 in Northeast, Washington, D.C., consisting of nine members:

bass player A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboard bass or a low bra ...

Khari Pratt,

keyboardist A keyboardist or keyboard player is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instr ...

Lamond "Maestro" Perkins, keyboardist Ronald "88" Utley, Leonard "Daddy-O" Huggins, Ronald "Dig-Dug" Dixon, Larry "Stomp Dogg" Atwater, Samuel "Smoke" Dews playing

conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...

s, and

drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one mem ...

"Jammin" Jeff Warren. The group began playing

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...

and hip-hop songs infused with

-rhythms at bowling alleys and nightclubs throughout the

(including the Ibex, Breeze's Metro Club, and the Celebrity Hall), and at

music venues A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from a small coffeehouse for folk music shows, an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. ...

nationally. N.E.G. released their debut

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

"Van Damme" in September 1993. "The Water" (which samples Aqua Boogie by

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

) and "Twenty Minute Workout" were follow-up singles released in the same year. All three singles were included in the group's 1994 debut album ''Straight from the Basement''. N.E.G. released the album ''N.E.G Jams'' in 1995, which received positive reviews from ''

Billboard Magazine ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...

'' and ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

''. In 1996, N.E.G. released the single "Goosebumps!" which became a hit within the D.C. music scene. The follow-up albums ''

Northeast Coming ''Northeast Coming'' is a double studio album released in 1999 by the Washington, D.C.-based go-go band Northeast Groovers. Track listing Personnel *Khari Pratt – bass guitar *Lamond "Maestro" Perkins – keyboards *Ronald "88" Utley – ...

'' and ''

Northeast on Fire ''Northeast on Fire'' is the third and final studio album by American go-go band Northeast Groovers. It was released in 1999. Track listing Personnel *Christian Black - Lead Vocals *Khari Pratt – bass guitar *Lamond "Maestro" Perkins – key ...

'' were released in 1999.

Present formation

N.E.G. released the single "Dukes Up" in 2014, and is pioneering a new era in

music hoping to move the genre in a direction where it will take its rightful place in the realm of music. D.C.-based hip-hop artists such as Wale and

Tabi Bonney Tabiabuè Bonney, better known as Tabi Bonney, is a Togo-born, Washington, D.C.-based rapper. He is the son of Itadi Bonney, an afro-funk musician popular during the 1970s in Togo and West Africa. Bonney achieved recognition in the Washingt ...

have sampled songs by N.E.G., including Wale's for his 2006 song "Dig Dug (Shake It)" which sampled "Off Da Muscle". N.E.G. also provides

social awareness Social consciousness or social awareness, is collective consciousness shared by individuals within a society.AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

and

inner city The term ''inner city'' has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Sociologists some ...

violence in the Washington metropolitan region.

Discography

Albums

*''

Straight from the Basement ''Straight from the Basement'' (also titled as ''Straight from the Northeast'') is a studio album released in 1994 by the Washington, D.C.-based go-go band Northeast Groovers. The consist of thirteen tracks, including the singles "Booty Call", "T ...

'', (Future Records & Tapes, 1994) *'' N.E.G. Jams'', (Future Records & Tapes, 1995) *''

'', (Listen Up Records & Tapes, 1999) *''

'', (A Future Sound Production, 1999)

Singles

*"The ''Water''" (1993) *"Van Damme" (1993) *"The Twenty Minute Workout" (1993) *"24-7-365" (1994) *"Booty Call" (1994) *"Goosebumps" (1996) *"Dukes Up" (2014)

References

External links

Northeast Groovers
at

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

{{Authority control 1985 establishments in Washington, D.C. African-American musical groups American funk musical groups Go-go musical groups Musical groups established in 1985 Musical groups from Washington, D.C.