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An occasional feature in which esteemed D.C. rapper Head-Roc shares what’s on his mind.
It’s official! A respected and seasoned D.C. hip-hop community laureate has thrown his hat into the ring to be one of D.C.’s at-large councilmembers. Alan Page is his government name.
Those of us in the community know him as Spirit Equality—-Spirit for short. From Amphibians Crew and Freestlyle Union, in the role as manager and agent for local D.C. hip-hop heavyweights The Package, to being a lawyer and seasoned author who just signed a publishing deal, Spirit is a successful 20-year vet of the D.C. arts community. I say and mean that with reverence to the brother. I personally know Spirit to be a bricklayer in the foundation of what a D.C. hip-hop MC is; an accomplished freestyle battler and brawler, Spirit Equality is fearless. I’ve never seen him back down from a challenge, and on this one, to become an at-large D.C. councilmember, Spirit Equality is staying true to form. Thank Goddess!
For clarity purposes, announcing the news that our very own Alan “Spirit” Page is officially running for high public office does not come from some rant copied off his Facebook page, nor is it the fodder of loose gossip on the streets. The news that Spirit is running is not just overheard shit-talk in a living-room gathering of friends enjoying wine. The news—-and there it was in an e-mail blast sent by Bill O’Field to the “The Mail”, the e-mail list of DC Watch, under the heading “Special Election for At-Large Member of the DC City Council, April 26”—-read:
According to the DCBOEE web site, at http://www.dcboee.org, thirteen candidates have picked up nominating petitions to qualify for ballot access for the Special Election. They are Ward 1 Democrats Stanley Mayes and Dottie Love Wade; Ward 4 Democrats Leo Alexander, Sekou Biddle, Calvin Gurley, and Joshua Lopez; Ward 5 Independent George Jackson; Ward 5 Democrat Vincent Orange; Ward 6 Independent Arkan Haile; Ward 6 Independent Alan Page; Ward 6 Democrat Kelvin Robinson; Ward 7 Democrat Dorothy Douglas; and Ward 8 Democrat Jacque Patterson.
To my knowledge, this is the first time that an authentic down-by-law member of the D.C. Hip-Hop community has taken the courageous steps to put themselves out there and officially run for office. I consider this is huge news that should be lifted, praised, and pushed through the D.C. music community—-by the gatekeepers, and tastemakers of D.C. entertainment in radio, TV, and print. Local E-zines, social networkers, radio programmers/on- air personalities, columnists, bloggers—-all in information-dispersion positions covering the local scene—-I challenge these entities to show the home team some love by interviewing and publishing stories on the political vision and social solutions Alan “Spirit” Page has for Chocolate City.
There is a lot of discussion and opinion on the state, sustainability, and future of the D.C. hip-hop scene. If we did things in a way that supported the accomplishments and undertakings of the accomplished here in the Chocolate City Arts scene it would thrive. As a test case with Spirit officially running for high local office—-everyone should be talking about it. Right now, there should be some DJ making the “DC Hip-Hop At-Large” playlist comprised of local artists with songs that touch on the challenges we face in the city to assist in the popularizing of this historic occasion. Yes, I said historic. I believe in, and am very proud of what we have done, what we do, and what is to come, D.C. hip-Hip.