Today, Washington City Paper debuted its first People Issue, a special edition of the paper dedicated to the folks who help make life in D.C. the creative, noisy, well-fed, funny, drunk, vibrant, (occasionally) nude, and ever-changing place it is.

We talked to a whole bunch of notable folks in the art world, all of whom you should get to know right now:

• Up-and-coming performance artist chukwumaa
• Stand-up comic (and one-time porn star) Jenn Tisdale
• Hemphill Gallery owner George Hemphill
• R&B veteran Little Royal
• Promising D.C. rapper Shy Glizzy
• Priests and Chain & the Gang singer Katie Alice Greer
• Dramaturg Hannah Hessel Ratner
• Synetic Theater movement artist (and naked-dancing enthusiast) Brynn Tucker
• Tavern and rock-club magnate Joe Englert
• PEN/Faulkner Foundation Executive Director Emma Snyder
• Jeff Stacey, founder of the U Street Jam Session

That’s not even the whole package. Browse the entire issue (complete with Darrow Montgomery‘s elegant portraits) right here, and pick up a fresh copy in boxes today.