REVIEW - Northeast Groovers — Straight From the Basement at The Fillmore Silver Spring | December 19, 2025

Photo credit Maurice “GoGoMoe” Taylor

Wassup, it’s your boy Darius The Great, checking in with a review of Northeast Groovers live at The Fillmore Silver Spring, celebrating 30 years of their classic debut studio album, "Straight From the Basement".

In my opinion, Straight From the Basement is the greatest Go-Go studio album ever created and that’s not hyperbole.

If you’re from the DMV and truly hip to Go-Go, you already know the challenge: Go-Go is an experience. Translating the raw energy of a live PA recording  straight from the club, unfiltered, sweat still in the speakers  into a studio album is one of the genre’s biggest hurdles. That’s why Go-Go has always been best understood live, in the room, in the moment.

But "Straight From the Basement" connected the dots.

It sounded polished, yet still carried the crank, urgency, and grit of a live PA. Released in late ’94, I was in 7th grade at the time, and I remember it like yesterday. From ’93 to ’94, Northeast Groovers ruled the Go-Go game  the premier band in DC  and this album was the stamp.

The title "Straight From the Basement" comes directly from the band’s origins. The late Mrs. Pratt (RIP)  mother of Khari Pratt, NEG’s bass guitarist and one of the band’s founders  allowed the band to rehearse in her basement on 44th & Eads Street. I know this personally, because I lived right around the corner on 45th & Eads.

At the height of its run, the album had five singles in heavy radio rotation in the Mid Atalantic region:

• Hey Ho

• The Water

• 20 Minute Workout

• Van Damme

• Booty Call  (which is easily a top-tier Go-Go record of all time)

Fast forward to the night of the show.

I pulled up to The Fillmore around 9:15 PM, and the band was already cranking  I didn’t even realize they had started that early. I jumped straight into vlog mode, letting people know I was in the building while NEG was already in motion. They ran through their first set, then went to halftime.

During the break, I moved around, greeted folks, and felt the love heavy. A lot of people showed love and gave props on my Landover Mall series  I truly appreciate that. Full series coming soon. I also got a chance to dap up the band: Stomp Dogg, Hugg, Moe, Rappa, Chris, Mel, and the rest of the squad.

The second set kicked off strong with Hugg singing “Taking My Time” from Straight From the Basement. I had never heard it performed live before, and it sounded incredible. The vibe felt very early ’90s  Tony! Toni! Toné! Sons of Soul energy.

After the final hook, Rappa took control and let the beat ride. The pocket settled in:

Stomp locking the hi-hat tight, Smoke snapping the high conga, Kirky on woodblocks and cowbell everything perfectly synced. Sonic symmetry. No one rushing, no one overplaying. Just locked in.

Rappa shouted out Bo (lead mic from TCB), who was in the building, then told Stomp to “take the safety off the gun”  Go-Go code for opening the hi-hat. The groove opened up. The socket started moving. Chris dropped the 808, and the room shifted.

Then Rappa yelled, “Let’s take ’em to the Sugar Kane palace.”

Next thing you know, 32 and Hugg led the chant:

“Shake ’em up, shake ’em up, shake ’em up —

Roll ’em in a circle of homies and watch me break ’em 

7… 7-Eleven!”

They flipped Ice Cube’s “Today Was a Good Day” into a Go-Go groove a perfect example of how Go-Go mirrors hip-hop. Just like hip-hop flips samples into entire songs, Go-Go can turn a single verse into a chant, a groove, and a moment that lives forever.

Out of that groove, Rappa yells, “Jammin’ Jeff!”

Drum roll… drum roll… and then the socket beat kicks in.

Just like that, they took it back to 1993, straight into “Hip Hop Hooray.” The entire room moved in unison, hands waving side to side. Pure nostalgia. It felt good natural, unforced, real.

And while they were cranking all night, the star of the show for me was 32.

I was genuinely happy to see 32 back on that stage for this anniversary. Everybody knows him and Rappa are the Batman and Robin of Go-Go. When they went into “Owww Baby,” 32 handled his verse, and that’s when the show really shifted. They dropped it off, and Rappa called out:

“I need the Owww Baby beat pound for pound!”

From there, 32 stole the show off pure showmanship and energy. He ran to one side of the stage, right in front of Smoke, smacking the congos, then sprinted to the other side in front of Khari, mimicking his bass lines. Pure energy. Pure performance.

I’ve always said this: what 32 may lack in lyrical prowess, he more than makes up for in showmanship and presence. And that balance is a big part of why NEG works.

They transitioned into “Hey Ho,” which to me is one of NEG’s most definitive records. The toms and conga-infused groove always get the party going — especially the ladies. From there, they dropped it down into the congos, the clap , and that quintessential NEG 808 feel.

When it comes to socket beats, nobody does it like Northeast Groovers.

How TCB is to the bounce beat, NEG is to sockets. It’s hard to explain unless you feel it — crisp, smooth, and powerful all at once. I love all the bands, and every band brings a unique dynamic to the culture, but NEG sockets just hit different.

Then Smoke took a solo.

It’s no secret I’m a Smoke and Rocket Rob guy (Rob wasn’t present this night, but those are my two favorites). For years, Go-Go Mickey has been crowned the GOAT conga player, and rightfully so with Jungle Boogie as his predecessor.

But in the modern era?

In my opinion, Smoke is the GOAT.

If Go-Go Mickey is Joe Montana, then Smoke is Tom Brady. During his solo, Smoke showed why: the speed, the precision, the control the total package.

All in all, it was a great show. Northeast Groovers are now elder statesmen in the game, but they still perform with the youthful exuberance and hunger of their early years. And that’s something we shouldn’t take for granted.

Enjoy the greats while they’re still here.

Peace and blessings,

Darius The Great