Baltimore Club Music vs. Go-Go

Baltimore and Washington, DC are close in distance but have two different kinds of music that have become popular in their perspecitive areas and have started a fad that keeps on rising.

Baltimore club music is a genre of dance and house music that originated in Baltimore, Maryland in the 1990s. It is also known as “Baltimore club,” “Bmore Club” or “Club Music. “ The music consists of repetitive vocal extracts of music.

According to Britain Gill also known as “B-Gill,” a Baltimore DJ, the music consists of repetitive vocal extracts of music, calls and chants.

“Baltimore club music is made up of beat breaks and is like a call and response,” Gill said. “The lyrics are said over and over throughout the song.”

Gill has been a DJ for three years.  He DJs for his friends’ house parties and he also does it for fun. It is mainly just a hobby.

Go-go is a local genre of funk music that originated in the area of Washington, DC in the 1970s. This form of music was originally created by singer Chuck Brown, he is known as “The Godfather” of go-go.

Mainly the percussion section makes up go-go music, the drums and congas. This genre of music became extremely popular in Washington, DC and surrounding areas such as Southern Maryland and Northern Virginia. Many young bands in these areas became inspired and did their own impression of go-go music, adding their unique style.

Top Klazz Band, is one of those many bands formed. This band consists of a group of young males. They express their love for go-go music on stage.

“I mess with go-go hard, “drummer Devon Henry said. “Being in this band is a way for us to present our talent to everybody, get more females and to just have fun. I love the music so actually playing it is even better.”

The two of these styles of music are both different and similar and in a way. They come from two completely different backgrounds but have the same goal and that is to party. They both take songs from other artists and recreate them with their own style.

All in all they are two different types of music. Most people from Baltimore do not really like go-go and people from the DC area do not like club music.

“I hate go-go,” Baltimore resident, Jasmine said. “It’s just a bunch of noise and it gives me a headache. I don’t see how people can compare club music and go-go, they are completely different. Club music is way better.”

There are mixed emotions.

D’Andre Bryant, born and raised in Prince George’s County, Md now lives in Baltimore. He is a fan of both go-go and club music.

“I like both types of music,” Bryant said. “Living in Baltimore for the past four years has changed my views on club music. I used to hate it but now I have grown accustomed to it, as long as I can party and have a good time then I’m good. I do favor go-go more over club music though, I can only listen to club music for so long before I get tired of it but I still like it.”

Both genres of music have had great success in their areas.

The two areas somewhat conflict with one another.

“Everybody always talks about the ‘beef’ (conflict) between Baltimore and PG/DC,” P.G. citizen Quanika Lewis said. “I’ve been to parties where there have been fights between people of the two areas just because. I never really understood why it was always such a problem between the two, but it is. They both talk about the way they dress and music they listen to and that just stirs up a fight. At a party, when one genre is played, people of that favor the other genre get mad and annoyed because they do not like the music.”

Map of clubs and places that Baltimore club music and go-go music is played.