If you do a Google search of "DCSuperSid", dozens of videos will pop up, recorded by one of DC hip-hop's biggest fan, Sidney Thomas. Thomas has been documenting DC's hip-hop music scene through video and photography for the past ten years, starting recently the online magazine Real News Magazine which features his photos and videos and.articles by area writers.

Thomas has changed his medium for the moment and become a historian of sorts, recently releasing one of the first books ever to document and educate the public on the emergence of DC's hip-hop music scene. 

The new book, Diamonds in the Raw, offers exclusive interviews with DC's known and unknowns in the DC hip-hop game and explosively addresses issues of payola, haters in the game and DC's slickest music secret. In the book, you get heads-up on who some of the original players in the game are and connect the dots with suggestions as to why hip-hop has still endured a steady and slow gathering of hard-hitters in a city best known for the go-go music that remains known nationally as only a delicacy offered by DC.

In the following Diamonds in the Raw interview, Thomas shares about what inspired him to write the book, how he conducted research for the book and how Tabi Bonney and Wale are helping the DMV. Part One of the interview is below, Part Two follows on Thursday:

Examiner.com: What inspired you to write the book?

Thomas: I was inspired to write this book by talking with the old-school rappers who were frustrated because they never got credit for the contributions they made to the DC hip-hop culture. Then when I talked to the younger artists, they didn't even know about the dudes that came before them. So it wasn't as if the younger cats didn't have respect for the pioneers - they just didn't know. I always wanted to write a book, and it occurred to me to write about DC rappers because it was a story that had never been told.

The history of go-go music has been detailed on many occasions. Kip Lornell and Charles Stephenson collaborated on a great book about go-go entitled The Beat, and there have been 6 or 7 documentaries made about go-go music. I've even heard about 3 more go-go documentaries that are currently in production - I was thinking how many times can you tell the same story?

Examiner.com: How did you research for the book?

Thomas: I've been going to DC rap shows since the 1980's. In the book, I discuss Frank Ski and the influence he had on the DC area. In those days I was more into go-go music. I remember the rappers like Fat Rodney or Stinky Dink used to perform with Rare Essence. I grew up in Riggs Park  in northeast, so I used to go to a lot of R.E. shows at the Metro Club. I remember one night Go-Go Nate got on the mic and literally brought the house down. Nate was interesting because if you look at him he doesn't resemble the typical "rapper".

I currently attend about 5 or 6 shows a month. The U Street area has several hip-hop shows every week. The Island Cafe in Uptown DC has a couple of nights of the week dedicated to area artists, and Dre "All Day In The Paint" always has something new going on. Going to the open mic events helps me keep up with the new artists who are just coming out. The blogs of DJ Heat and Judah  can be informative, but it's nothing like being there in person.
 

Examiner.com: Who are some of the hip-hop lyricists you feature in the book?

Thomas: They aren't household names yet, but Kingpen Slim, Pro' Verb, Whitefolkz, Southeast Slim, and Oy Boyz, are close to breaking into the Wale / Tabi level of mainstream success. It's crazy because the DMV has so much talent: Big-B, Infrared, Spice Hayes, Toney Nightmare, Ra the MC. Lyrically I'll put any of these artists up against the rappers who are currently on the Billboard charts. I could go on all day: Lady Dy, Madam Madon, King Baker, Likeblood, Lyriciss. And then you have the youngins like Tae Barz and Marky - the best is truly yet to come.

Coming Next: Part Two of the Q & A with author Sidney Thomas and his ground-breaking book "Diamond in the Raw".

The book is available now at Borders Book at the Capital Centre (Largo, MD); Howard University Bookstore (Georgia Avenue, NW); The Literary Joint Bookstore (Forestville, MD). Email Thomas at DCSuperSid@aol.com for additional information.

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