Tonight, New York’s Trouble and Bass Crew presents its monthly bass rave at U Street Music Hall. The lineup includes club music kings like Philly’s Tim Dolla and Brenmar from Brooklyn, but D.C. resident Willy Joy may be the most exciting of the bunch.

Willy Joy—-his legal name—- is a Minneapolis native, Brown University graduate, and Chicago rapper Kid Sister‘s tour mate. He’s also a top-tier DJ versed in hip-hop, cool disco, and niche sounds like Chicago juke. A recent transplant from Chicago, Joy says he “made the move for personal and professional reasons. I still have a significant following and visibility in Chicago, but D.C. has always shown me love.”

True, that: Joy has played four well-received gigs at UHall in the past year, and even participated in a Brightest Young Things-sponsored contest, “Win a Dream Date With Willy Joy.” “There’s a lot of positivity here,” he says. “I had to check with my friends—-guys like Jesse Tittsworth and Dave Nada—-to make sure this was real, that everyone knows and supports everyone’s moves—- even the smallest ones—-so openly. It’s a great atmosphere to now be a part of.”

Joy lives in near H Street NE and is intrigued by his new surroundings. “This is definitely the first time I’ve lived so far south, so it definitely has a certain Southern feel,” he says. As far as future work, he’s optimistic. He released an EP and video for his single “Woman Like Me” on Plant Music, and he’ll release his next record on another label this fall. “I’m still going to be DJing for Kid Sister,” he says. And starting tonight, hopefully playing out more on U Street. “UHall is my favorite venue to play in the country, and I can’t wait to play on that system more often.”