Mainstream hip-hop might spotlight vapid depictions of materialism and shallow morals, but anomalies exist. Take, for instance, two representatives from the DMV: Virgina Beach duo Clipse and D.C.-born, Maryland-raised MC Wale. Clipse are as entrepreneurial as other Top 40 hotshots, but Malice and Pusha T elaborate their cocaine-fueled dedication with frigid ease, coolly dissecting the pedestals and pitfalls that accompany their relentless street hustle. Wale has a similar lyrical gift, but his approach has more in common with the backpackers than the gangstas. At 23, he’s still a fresh face in hip-hop, but his nimble wordplay has rapidly been gaining ground, turning heads from Kanye to Mark Ronson.

CLIPSE, WALE, CONSEQUENCE, AND SOUTHEAST SLIM PERFORM AT 7:30 P.M. AT UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND’S STAMP STUDENT UNION, 7309 BALTIMORE AVE., COLLEGE PARK. $12. (301) 314-8498.