Rare Essence

{{Short description|American go-go band based in Washington, DC, formed in 1976}} {{More citations needed|date=April 2018}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Rare Essence | image = | caption = | image_size = | background = group_or_band | origin = Washington, D.C., United States | genre = {{hlist| Go-go | funk | hip hop }} | years_active = 1976–present | label = {{hlist| Groove | PolyGram | Uptown | MCA | Sounds of the Capital | Rare One }} | website = {{URL|https://www.rareessence.com/}} | current_members = Andre "Whiteboy" Johnson James "Jas.Funk" Thomas Earl Vincent Leroy "RB" Battle Jr Michael Baker Calvin "Killa Cal" Henry Brion "BJ" Scott Samuel "GoGo Smoke" Dews Tabria Lampkin Darrell "Blue eye" Arrington Tony "Tony T" Chase Michael Arnold | past_members = Quentin "Footz"Donnell Floyd Davidson<ref>{{Cite news |last=Jeter |first=Jon |title=Go-Go music pioneer Footz Davidson is found shot to death on P.G. road |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/72284743.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Sep+20%2C+1994&author=Jon+Jeter&desc=Go-Go+Music+Pioneer+Footz+Davidson+Is+Found+Shot+to+Death+on+P.G.+Road |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102112643/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/72284743.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Sep+20,+1994&author=Jon+Jeter&desc=Go-Go+Music+Pioneer+Footz+Davidson+Is+Found+Shot+to+Death+on+P.G.+Road |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 2, 2012 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=September 20, 1994 |page=b.04 |access-date=2010-06-01}}</ref> Meshell Ndegeocello<ref name="washingtonpost">{{cite news |last=Wiltz |first=Teresa |title=Meshell Ndegeocello Breaks Step With Pop |newspaper=The Washington Post |pages=N01 |date=2005-06-19 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/17/AR2005061700715_pf.html }}.</ref> Anthony "Little Benny" Harley Byron "B.J." Jackson<ref name="B.J.">{{cite news |first=Trice |last=Edney |title=Go-Go Community Mourns Byron "BJ" Jackson |date=September 13, 2016|url=http://www.afro.com/go-go-community-mourns-byron-bj-jackson/|newspaper=AFRO |access-date = 15 September 2016}}</ref> }}

'''Rare Essence''' is a Washington, D.C.–based go-go band formed in 1976.<ref name="ThirdEar">{{cite book |last1=Thompson |first1=Dave |author-link1=Dave Thompson (author) |year=2001 |chapter=Part Four: ''The New School'' |title=FUNK: Third Ear - ''The Essential Listening Companion'' |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RIEjkWXZdrMC |edition=1st |location=San Francisco |publisher=BackBeat Books |pages=297–299 |isbn=0-87930-629-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Rare Essence biography |url=http://www.wamadc.com/wama/rareessencebio.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060321041632/http://www.wamadc.com/wama/rareessencebio.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=March 21, 2006 |publisher=WAMA DC|access-date=2 December 2016}}</ref> Rare Essence has been amongst the most prominent musicians of the D.C. music scene, producing numerous hit songs in the local D.C. market and several hits nationwide, including the charting hit "Work the Walls".

==History== ===Beginnings=== Rare Essence was started in 1976 after childhood friends Quentin "Footz" Davidson, Andre "Whiteboy" Johnson, Michael "Funky Ned" Neal, and John Jones decided to form a band. After school, the band gathered in their basements to play Top 40 hits from such influential funk bands as Parliament-Funkadelic, Cameo, and Con Funk Shun in practice sessions.<ref name="TheBeat1stEd">{{cite book |last1=Lornell |first1=Kip |last2=Stephenson Jr. |first2=Charles C. |date=2001 |title=The Beat: Go-Go's Fusion of Funk and Hip-Hop |publisher=Billboard Books |page=[https://archive.org/details/beatgogosfusion00lorn/page/252 252] |isbn=0-8230-7727-6 }}</ref><ref name="TheBeat2ndEd">{{cite book|last1=Lornell |first1=Kip |last2=Stephenson Jr. |first2=Charles C. |date=2009 |title=The Beat! Go-Go Music from Washington, D.C. |publisher=University Press of Mississippi |pages=221–224 |isbn=978-1-60473-241-2}}</ref><ref name=Kojo>{{cite episode|title=The Past, Present and Future of Go-Go Music |url=http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2011-05-05/past-present-and-future-go-go-music |access-date=2 December 2016 |series=The Kojo Nnamdi Show |last1=Nnamdi |first1=Kojo |author-link=Kojo Nnamdi |station=WAMU |date=May 5, 2011 |transcript=(transcript) |transcript-url=http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2011-05-05/past-present-and-future-go-go-music#transcript |language=en}}</ref>

Eventually, the band recruited more players and conformed to the go-go style and sound, which gained recognition in the mid-70s. Although the go-go beat was originated by Chuck Brown, Rare Essence originated the characteristic four-congo style played by all subsequent bands.

Once the direction of the band was settled, Rare Essence along with Chuck Brown, Trouble Funk and Experience Unlimited formed the basis for the emerging go-go scene. By 1979, their ability to draw consistent local crowds was well-established. As was the wide dispersal of bootleg tapes.{{citation needed|date=April 2018}}

Many of the band's original members contributed to the D.C. style. One would be one of the most dynamic and influential performers on the go scene. Anthony Harley "Lil Benny" was on the way home from his weekly trumpet lesson when he heard the sound of a band coming from a nearby apartment building. After a brief audition, in which he performed the introduction to Kool & the Gang's "Hollywood Swinging", he was asked to join on the spot. Soon after, the band called on the assistance of Quentin's mother, Annie Mack, who became the band's first manager.

===Present formation=== Today, the band consists of twelve musicians who play a variety of instruments, from the timbales to the bass guitar. They perform up to six nights a week and travel throughout the country.

Rare Essence accomplished noteworthy successful hits as "Body Moves", the hit albums ''Live at Breeze's Metro Club'', and ''Live at Celebrity Hall''. In 1991, Rare Essence was offered a record deal by hip-hop producer Sean Combs and Andre Harrell (founder of Uptown Records), which resulted in the production of the single "Lock-It", which was featured on the soundtrack to the 1991 film Strictly Business. The band's most successful single, "Work the Walls", was released in 1992 and reached #68 in the US ''Billboard'' R&B chart.

In 1999, Rare Essence had some controversy regarding their song "Overnight Scenario", which was allegedly copied by Jay-Z in the song "Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)" and was the first single from his album, ''Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter''. There is an hour-to-hour account in the song "Overnight Scenario", and "Do It Again" follows the same concept.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://the411online.com|title=The 411 Online|website=The411online.com|access-date=24 April 2018}}</ref> For example, Rare Essence's line was "Three in the Morning the Pancake House" while Jay-Z said "4 AM at the Waffle House". The question was whether or not the problem should be called plagiarism or just a similar concept. The group had been performing the song for most of the late 1990s and was concerned about the copyright infringement that seemingly took place. Jay–Z's defense was that go-go music is a remake of other artists' songs.{{citation needed|date=April 2018}}

In 2009, Rare Essence performed at one of the inaugural balls. In 2012, the group collaborated with the Soul Rebels Brass Band during a Tribute to Chuck Brown on June 21, 2012, in Washington, D.C., at the historic Howard Theatre which is re-opened in April 2012. Slick Rick was also on the tribute show.<ref name="Howard Theatre">{{cite web |title=Soul Rebels at the Howard Theatre |date=June 21, 2012 |url=http://thehowardtheatre.com/show/2012/06/21/slick-rick/ |publisher=Howard Theatre |access-date=7 April 2012 |archive-date=7 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807041927/http://thehowardtheatre.com/show/2012/06/21/slick-rick/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2018, Rare Essence collaborated with Ethiopian American singer Kelela, contributing a remix of her song "Take Me Apart" to her album ''Take Me a_Part, the Remixes''.

===Past members=== Former drummer Quentin "Footz" Davidson was murdered on September 17, 1994, at the age of 33. Former band member Anthony Harley (Little Benny) died on May 30, 2010, in Washington, D.C., at the age of 46.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thedeadrockstarsclub.com/2010.html|title=The Dead Rock Stars Club January to June 2010|last=Charlie|website=Thedeadrockstarsclub.com|access-date=24 April 2018}}</ref> Byron "B.J." Jackson died of cancer on September 4, 2016, at the age of 52.<ref name="B.J." /> Former saxophonist Rory "DC" Felton was murdered on April 21, 2018, at the age of 57.

==Discography== ===Studio albums=== * ''Work the Walls'' (1992) * ''So What You Want?'' (1995) * ''Let's Go Go Christmas'' (1995) * ''Body Snatchers'' (1996) * ''We Go On and On'' (1998) * ''RE-2000'' (1999) * ''Turn It Up'' (2016)

===Mixtape albums=== * ''Mixtape, Vol. 1'', Hosted by DJ Dirty Rico (2012) * ''Mixtape, Vol. 2'', Hosted by DJ Dirty Rico (2013)

===Live albums=== * ''Live at Breeze's Metro Club'' (1986) * ''Go Go Live at the Capital Centre'' (1987) * ''Live at Celebrity Hall / Live at the Metro Club'' (1987) * ''Get Your Freak On'' (1995) * ''Doin' It Old School Live at Club U'' (2001) * ''Live PA #4 (Back at The Classics)'' (2002) * ''Live at Club U, vol. 2'' (featuring Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew) (2003) * ''Live in 2004'' (2004) * ''Live PA #6 Back at the Tradewinds'' (2004) * ''Live PA #9 Live @ the Tradewinds'' (2007) * ''Live PA #11 Live @ the Zanzibar'' (2009) * ''Live PA #12 Live @ the D.C. Star'' (2010) * ''Live PA #14 Live @ the Tradewinds'' (2011) * ''Live PA #16 Live @ the Tradewinds'' (2013) * ''The Reunion (Live at the Hyatt Regency)'' (2015)

===Compilation albums=== *''Greatest Hits, Vol. 1'' (1995)

===Singles=== * "Body Moves" (1981) * "Back Up Against the Wall" (1983) * "Shoo-Be-Do-Wop" (1984) * "Give It Here" (1986) * "Flipside" (1986) * "Hey Now" (1988) * "Lock It" (1991) * "Work The Walls" (1992) * "Must Be Like That" (1993) * "Brothers / Comeback" (1993) * "So What U Want?" (1994) * "No Bang No More " (1996) * "Body Snatchers" (1996) * "Player Hater" (1997) * "We Push" (featuring Redman) (1999) * "Pieces of Me" (2004) * "Turn It Up" (2016)

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{Official website|http://www.rareessence.com}} *[http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll Rare Essence]{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} at Allmusic.com

Category:1976 establishments in Washington, D.C. Category:African-American musical groups Category:American funk musical groups Category:American dance music groups Category:Go-go musical groups Category:Musical groups established in 1976 Category:Musical groups from Washington, D.C.