Entertainment
Celebrating Women in GoGo
THE AFRO — The live performance review and GoGo honorarium, “The First Ladies of GoGo,” took place Sept. 19 on the rooftop of Eaton Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C. Featuring female pioneers in the GoGo music genre, the event was one of many GoGo themed events put up this year by music activist group “DontMuteDC.”
By Nyame-kye Kondo
The live performance review and GoGo honorarium, “The First Ladies of GoGo,” took place Sept. 19 on the rooftop of Eaton Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C. Featuring female pioneers in the GoGo music genre, the event was one of many GoGo themed events put up this year by music activist group “DontMuteDC.”
Backed by the GoGo band Sirius and Company for the entirety of the night, “The First Ladies of GoGo” featured live performances by a handful of important female singers within the genre, including a rousing performance by Chrystian B, of GoGo band TCB, who sang a medley of ballads by D.C. native Ari Lennox. GoGo pioneer, Maiesha Rashad, lead singer of 90’s GoGo band Maiesha and the Hip-huggers was honored for the role she played in carving out a space for women in a male-dominated genre, where there had been none. The Hip-huggers started out as an old school cover band comprised of the legendary Sugarbear, Ju Ju House, and Sweet Cherie Mitchell.
Providing middle aged GoGo lovers with an outlet, and women with a new voice, Rashad was affectionately titled, “First Lady of GoGo,” and the GoGo subgenre she and her band created was called “Grown and Sexy.”
Sitting at the front of the stage, Rashad jammed to the performances and humbly accepted her praise.
KK Baby, the daughter of Chuck Brown, and one of the current members of “The Chuck Brown Band’ performed her fathers 2006 hit, “Chuck Baby” all the while memorializing Lil Benny, of Little Benny and The Masters. Continuously uttering the refrain “We still cranking,” KK Baby, made it a point to talk about Rashad bringing her feminine energy to the often times misogynistic Go-Go scene. “I appreciate your courage, your example, your feminine energy you brought to Go-Go culture,” KK Baby said.
Recently undergoing knee replacement surgery, and having limited mobility as a result, Rashad performed a brief but lively snippet of her band’s rendition of The Jackson Five’s, “I want you back.”
Facing the audience, her bright, red hair shining vibrantly before the audience, Rashad’s voice resonated raspy and strong as she used call and response on the audience, “D.C, I want you back! Lil Benny, I want you back!, Chuck Brown, I want you back!”
This article originally appeared in The Afro.
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Oakland Post: Week of June 18 – 24, 2025
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IN MEMORIAM: Legendary Funk Pioneer Sly Stone Dies at 82
Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.

By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Newswire
Sylvester “Sly” Stewart—known to the world as Sly Stone, frontman of the groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone—has died at the age of 82.
His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home surrounded by loved ones, after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health complications.
Born March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, Stone moved with his family to Vallejo, California, as a child. He began recording gospel music at age 8 with his siblings in a group called the Stewart Four. By his teenage years, he had mastered multiple instruments and was already pioneering racial integration in music—an ethos that would define his career.
In 1966, Sly and his brother Freddie merged their bands to form Sly and the Family Stone, complete with a revolutionary interracial, mixed-gender lineup.
The band quickly became a commercial and cultural force with hits such as “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—all penned by Stone himself.
Their album “Stand!” (1969) and live performances—most notably at Woodstock—cemented their reputation, blending soul, funk, rock, gospel, and psychedelia to reflect the optimism and turmoil of their era.
Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.
As the 1970s progressed, Stone confronted personal demons. His desire to use music as a response to war, racism, and societal change culminated in the intense album “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” (1971). But drug dependency began to undermine both his health and professional life, leading to erratic behavior and band decline through the early 1980s.
Withdrawn from the public eye for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Stone staged occasional comebacks. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2017, and captured public attention following the 2023 release of his memoir “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—published under Questlove’s imprint. He also completed a biographical screenplay and was featured in Questlove’s documentary “Sly Lives!” earlier this year.
His influence endured across generations. Critics and historians repeatedly credit him with perfecting funk and creating a “progressive soul,” shaping a path for racial integration both onstage and in the broader culture.
“Rest in beats Sly Stone,” legendary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D posted on social media with an illustrative drawing of the artist. “We should thank Questlove of the Roots for keeping his fire blazing in this century.”
Emmy-winning entertainment publicist Danny Deraney also paid homage. “Rest easy Sly Stone,” Deraney posted. “You changed music (and me) forever. The time he won over Ed Sullivan’s audience in 1968. Simply magical. Freelance music publicist and Sirius XM host Eric Alper also offered a tribute.
“The funk pioneer who made the world dance, think, and get higher,” Alper wrote of Sly Stone. “His music changed everything—and it still does.”
Sly Stone is survived by three children.
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