Uptown Cypher to the Main Stage, Supporting Medhane, Wifigawd & Odd Mojo

A curious hotel guest listens to the first Uptown Cypher of 2020. Polaroid by Maxwell Young, The LINE Hotel, 1/29/20

‘Uptown Cypher to the main stage. Uptown Cypher to the main stage, it’s showtime,’ a sound engineer’s Walkie-talkie growls under the stirring crowd as stage crews prepare for opening curtain. At least, this is how I imagine Saturday’s show at Comet Ping Pong; the Cypher sharing the spotlight with boisterous ambassadors of D.C.’s rap conglomerate in Wifigawd and Odd Mojo, while Medhane’s shooting star passes through District limits. Hip hop in its most instinctive and communal moments juxtaposed with the more compositional and performative elements of the genre—this is an experiment controlled by Angelie Benn, founder and lead events director of Capitol Sound D.C.

“Including interactive performances at [Capitol Sound] events has been on my agenda since last year, but I rarely ever saw an opportunity to do so where it made sense,” Benn said over email. “Now, with the Uptown Cypher a part of this lineup, it furthers our mission of building the bridge between local and national acts…”

Throughout 14 episodes broadcast via the home base of Full Service Radio, the Uptown Cypher has served as a public service announcement, amplifying the myriad of sonic pockets evident in the DMV’s hip hop community: the street sense of MARTYHEEMCHERRY, Fleetwood Deville, Paydroo and SQ; the esoteric consciousness of Mavi, Thraxx King, NAPPYNAPPA and Nate G; the head cranking brought to you by Discipline 99, Johnny Caravaggio, Mfundishi, Supa Statiq, Suede Moccasins and Magnus Andretti; contemporary bops by Cozi Bob, Mesenfants Infinity, Tedy Brewski, Odd Mojo, Khan and Toothchoir; fundamental soul from legends YU, Fat Kneel and Thrty Smthng; the effervescent Greenss; backpack licks from Flex Matthews, Rafael, Nate Jackson Kills Niggas and Paris; the brand name presence from THFCTRY and Sir E.U—Andrew of ROOMHAUS and his necessary warmup mixes. More than 60 locally-based vocalists, emcees and producers have taken the pilgrimage to The LINE Hotel to expand the reach of the DMV sound. For hip hop heads young and old, for the rookies and the veterans, the Uptown Cypher is a platform for artists to hone their skills live and direct, on air. Ultimately, it’s an archive of the District’s musical ecosystem.

Thanks to the one-night triumvirate between InTheRough, Capitol Sound D.C. and Uptown Arthouse, we are proud to present a sampling of the Uptown Cypher program. While we invite all willing wordsmiths and beat-makers to participate, Saturday’s session will be kicked off by longtime friends of the Uptown Cypher, including Nate G, Greenss, Thraxx King, MARTYHEEMCHERRY and Master of Ceremony Jamal Gray. Tickets to this weekend’s show are available here.

The Uptown Cypher is broadcast live via FullServiceRadio.org from 7-9 PM, EST on the last Wednesday of every month. Listen to the one-year anniversary Cypher or the first Cypher of 2020 below.

Uptown cypher

March 7, 2020

10pm-1am

5037 Connecticut Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C., 20008

Carousel images from the one year anniversary episode of the Uptown Cypher, courtesy of Diana N.

Deej: The Next Star To Come From Pittsburgh

Deej | Photographs by Alex Young

The snapshot of Pittsburgh culture the last two years at times was bleak. People died. People key to the development of arts, entertainment, creativity, and ultimately progress in the city are gone. After his death, the artist known as Yung Mulatto left a legacy through his illustrations that showed how he championed familiar hip-hop communities in The ‘Burgh. Jimmy Wopo, another local rap legend, was on the brink of takeoff— stardom. Worldwide notoriety was soon to be his, but senseless gun violence killed him. Mac Miller, a beacon of Pittsburgh pride and musicality, died from an accidental drug overdose. Cap Jazzo, a participant in the local hip-hop scene with the group Glasshead passed on too. Within a year and a half, Pittsburgh lost some of its greatest artists and minds. East Pittsburgh Police officer Michael Rosfeld also killed an unarmed black teen named Antwon Rose shooting him in the back three times during that same period, and a white supremacist killed 11 Jews in their synagogue in Squirrel Hill.

Communities here remain hopeful and productive, though.

A legendary author walks among us snagging press in the New York Times, Time magazine, Washington Post, and more for his debut book, What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker by Damon Young. Rappers who came up in the local culture performing at functions like First Friday have gotten signed and hit the road for national tours. Benji., a talented musician and performer opens up for popular rap group EarthGang. Coincidence— Benji.’s older brother, Christo, is a trusted DJ and chart-topping producer in the music industry, especially with Dreamville’s J.I.D. Meanwhile, another Pittsburgh player, Zeke Nicholson co-runs the management firm Since the 80s backing EarthGang and J.I.D, along with 21 Savage and other popular hip-hop acts. My Favorite Color, the rapper originally from Los Angeles who moved to Pittsburgh during adolescence through young adulthood, signed with Rostrum Records upon his return home to L.A. Now, Taylor Gang prepares to make a bigger impact in the city upon the release of their compilation mixtape featuring select artists from here in Pittsburgh.

One of those artists on the mixtape will be Deej, a superstar apparent who can rap, sing, and hold your eye.

Once she opened the door and walked in Klavon’s ice cream parlor in the Strip District, the sun from outside behind her peeking through the closing door made Deej glow. Her colorful pink ensemble kept her in the spotlight. A soft, fluffy long pink coat matched her patent leather pink boots. The skirt she wore was teal leather paired with a big teal belt and buckle. The whole thing was groovy and mixed well with fun and playfulness in the ice cream parlor.

“Pittsburgh artists are doing great,” Deej said. “We’re dope people.”

Michael Carroll, Deej’s manager, mentioned Deej’s placement on the Taylor Gang mixtape and began talking about the contemporary culture as it pertains to the history of Pittsburgh’s music scene. There’s two sides: the left side talking about enjoying life and the right side talking about drugs and killing each other. 31-year-old Carroll claims the left side has had better success furthering their careers and getting signed. He references 2008 when Wiz Khalifa was coming up out of the ’Burgh along with other artists like S. Money. It was the same narrative with the left and right side. Wiz became a household name whereas S. Money wound up in jail.

On the other hand, the 22-year-old rapper-songstress Deej fits into any music community well, although admittedly, she’s “a little different” from others. She’s into mermaids, fairies and aliens as a self-described loner. Deej’s ability forces her to pop out because her voice is too good to keep to herself. “I won’t say I’m this talented person, but I am,” Deej said. She’s soft-spoken, but, as you see, the Pittsburgh native can break into her bag and boast when it comes to her music.

“You know I run it.”

— Deej in "#Bykwri"

Impressively, how Deej transitions from rap flow to singing listeners like. “Everything she does is effortlessly,” Carroll said. Her R&B vocals became prominent in her January 2019 debut album called “Unikorn Black.” Tracks on the record like the sultry “Good Wood” and “On$ight,” which samples Ginuwine’s hit song “Differences,” shine as complements with the bars Deej bites off rapping in “#Bykwri.” She said, “I just create art. Some people call me a rapper. Some people call me an R&B singer. I guess I’m both,” classifying her skillsets.

The mood board for Deej takes inspo from Nicki Minaj “Super Bass.” Deej smiles thinking about that time in her life. “I wore Chinese Bangs in highlighted colors all the time. I did my own hair… You know that was that era it was lit swear.”

As an artist, Deej gains traction due to her product and promotion. She’s performed as the opener for Young M.A. The “Unikorn Black” album released first, and now Deej drops periodic music videos to keep the songs fresh. Both “Pri$tine” and “Space$hip” are next to receive visuals. She also credits her team thanks to her mother and Carroll for helping with her success. “Being isolated is cool and all, but really you need other people around you to learn,” Deej said.

Through it all, Deej has learned her process is “about trust.” Trusting herself, trusting her management, and trusting her message is true. “A good environment and good headspace, you’ll be good. You just gotta want it. Get up and go.”

Read the full transcript from the Deej interview below.

---

Deej: Is it homemade ice cream?

InTheRough: I’m not sure, but it is good.

Deej: I kinda want a shirt— a Klavon’s shirt.

ITR: Cool. So, you’re 21-years-old now. How long have you been making music?

Deej: Since I was 17, so four years.

ITR: Where you are now musically— your catalog and your brand— did you imagine that four years ago?

Deej: I prayed for it. “Pray I get there.” I’m a manifest-er. I make it happen.

ITR: Do you feel like you are where you need to be?

Deej: For now.

ITR: Where do you want to go?

Deej: The impossible.

ITR: Now, “Unikorn Black” is what brought me here. The song “Peter Pan” is my favorite song on that album.

Deej: Period.

ITR: I noticed you can have songs like “Peter Pan” or “Space$hip” where your singing steals the show. You can also drop bars. How do you go between those moods?

Deej: I just vibe out. I won’t say I’m this talented person, but I am. If I want to rap, then I’m gonna rap. If I want to sing, then I’ll sing.

ITR: How do you classify yourself?

Deej: I’m an artist. I just create art. Some people call me a rapper. Some people call me a R&B singer. I guess I’m both.

ITR: How do you fit in to the culture here in Pittsburgh musically? Do you even care about it?

Deej: I care a lot about it. It’s actually dope. We had an event yesterday with Taylor Gang. I loved it. We’re doing great things. Pittsburgh artists are doing great. I fit in very well. I’m a little different.

ITR: In what ways?

Deej: The work ethic. The creativity. I’m a little different like I said, but we definitely have similarities, like the swag. It’s dope. We’re dope people.

ITR: Yeah, I saw you Tweeted you met Wiz Khalifa for the first time at the TGOD event.

Deej: Yes, and I was drunk as fuck, but it was lovely. He was like, “Oh, hey, Deej.” I’m like, “Oh, what’s up. I’m drunk as hell, but what’s good?”

ITR: [laughs] I say that not for the fact of meeting Wiz, but for the fact that there’s a lot of hip-hop artists with roots in Pittsburgh who are good and who are making moves. Artists from the ‘Burgh sign deals. I’m curious. How does it feel to be part of that community? How do you feel when other artists make it from Pittsburgh when you’re next to do that?

Deej: It gives me hope. If they can do it, I can do it. I’m as good. We all dope. It just makes sense. Everything takes time and I’m just waiting for my time. That’s all.

ITR: Is there a specific artist out there who gave you that inspiration?

Deej: Honestly, I just stayed in my own lane. I’m a very isolated person. I didn’t really know people in Pittsburgh. I finally popped out now, so I never really compared myself to them. Be myself and I’ll be good.

ITR: Where did you go to high school?

Deej: Moon Township and Upper St. Clair.

ITR: Where were you born?

Deej: I’m from the West Side of Pittsburgh.

ITR: Gotcha. I noticed you’re very colorful. Not just how you dress, but your personality too. Explain your style.

Deej: I was always this colorful person even before I did music. In middle school, I would dress different. I would wear the colorful skinny jeans with the Chuck Taylors. My hair would be different colors. I would say Nicki Minaj. I loved her when I was younger. I wore Chinese Bangs in highlighted colors all the time. I did my own hair. She inspired me. “Super Bass” that was that shit. You know that was that era it was lit swear.

ITR: Yeah, your style is very bubbly. That’s why I picked here at Klavon’s to interview.

Deej: Nice and I love it. That’s why I’m dressed like strawberry ice cream.

ITR: What is your favorite song on “Unikorn Black”?

Deej: I would say “Space$hip” and “Pri$tine.”

ITR: Why those two?

Deej: They sound really pretty. They’re vibe-y. It’s a mood. It’s a couple things. We’ll see in the videos.

ITR: Oh, you’re making music videos for both songs?

Deej: Yes, I’m excited.

ITR: Why do you prefer having money over being famous?

Deej: Because people are terrible. The world isn’t terrible, but the people in it are. People will bring you down so bad. If we get more consistent with love, the world will be better. Fame is not going to be my thing. I’m gonna be ‘over it’ like Summer Walker. Money is okay because I can help other people and expand. Money is kind of important.

ITR: Yeah, it’s important.

Deej: Honestly… I talk my bullshit on Twitter. I do not want my Twitter to be viral. I talk my shit.

ITR: [laughs] That’s why I’m asking some of these questions because I read your Twitter.

Deej: Now I’m going to watch.

ITR: That’s what it’s for though…

Deej: Twitter is for talking shit. People have their moments. People go through things. Just learn how to control emotions. I think you’ll be great once you master that.

ITR: I feel that. My therapist says you have to balance your emotional side with your rational side in order to be the best person you can be.

Deej: Right.

ITR: How important is your mental health to you?

Deej: Very important, that’s why I’m such a spiritual person. I like to meditate. I like to study spiritual things like crystals. I’m really learning it now. Horoscopes too. Mermaids, fairies, aliens, and everything.

ITR: [laughs] That was the perfect description of yourself— mermaids, fairies, aliens— thank you.

So, I was listening to “Good Wood.” I think people are naturally distrusting. When you talk about the female/male dynamic when it comes to love and relationships, females are extra distrusting because some males are dogs. In the chorus of “Good Wood,” I think you’re saying, “Is he a dog or a counterfeit?”

Deej: “Is he a dub or a counterfeit.” Is he a 10/10 or is he fake? Is he really fucking with me or is he fake? Do you want me to sing the hook to you?

ITR: [smirks] Okay, sure.

Deej sings the hook of “Good Wood.”

ITR: You seem genuine and positive. It does suck when people betray you. What advice would you give to younger you or young girls out there to protect themselves in love?

Deej: Just be single and love yourself. I know relationships can teach a person, but trust me be single. Learn to love. Be genuine and open. Be very confident. Take risks. Love could wait. Friendships are important, but love could wait.

I say friendships because people can teach you how to adapt to different environments. They can teach you different traits and how to cope with things. Being isolated is cool and all, but really you need other people around you to learn. Me being a loner I was really weird. I just had to pop out and get to vibe with all the people. I was really shy, but I’m getting better.

ITR: It’s always interesting with entertainers. Like you walked in here fashionably late and all the attention was on you with your pink coat and pink boots to match. You took over the room. I’m like, “Oh, shit. She already is a star.” So, how can you be shy? In a way, your job has become entertaining other people. I feel like entertainers lose parts of themselves that way.

Deej: Honestly, I’m just getting started so we’ll see. Just be pure. Be true to yourself, honestly, that’s really what it is. The universe knows the truth. What you speak and what you live is your truth for sure. If you’re back stabbing and you’re fake, karma is a bitch.

ITR: When you’re making music and you get critique, how do you not take it personally?

Deej: As long as that person knows what they’re doing. You just gotta know what you’re doing and I’ll trust you. It’s all about trust for real.

ITR: What are you working on now?

Deej: Building my content for IG. I’m not an Internet person. I’m still an isolated person, so it’s kind of hard, but I’m getting the hang of it. Plus, I’m a naturally poppin’ person, so it is what it is [laughs]. I’m definitely working on music.

ITR: How do you plan to followup “Unikorn Black”?

Deej: I get better all the time. I have no worries. No worries [laughs]. Either a new project or we’re just going to keep dropping videos. Videos first and then a new project. I feel like “Unikorn Black” needs to be pushed a little more with the videos.

ITR: I like when artists drop an album then delay the release of the music videos. It keeps the project fresh.

Deej: I agree. At first, I was like, “Damn, we haven’t done shit for these.” But, no. Time tells.

ITR: You let the music breathe first then you give people more.

Deej: Right. Time is always right for sure. Stay tuned. I’m excited.

ITR: All of your videos are well done. The storylines everything.

Deej: I agree. They actually were dope. They’ve gotten better. Michael (Deej’s manager), he helps me bring them to life. I am really blessed to have the people I have in my life. You have to have a great team. Great support. My mom is very helpful. A good environment and good head space, you’ll be good. You just gotta want it. Get up and go.

ITR: Michael and I were talking before you arrived about the difference between all the artists in Pittsburgh and those who are finding success is the team around them. What advice would you give to up and coming artists for their path to make it?

Deej: Stay original. Stay pure. Count your blessings.

[Interview conversation on Nov. 12, 2019]

InTheRough Presents Franchise Players: Sounds from the Gridiron

Art meets entertainment. Entertainment meets art. Or maybe they were always intertwined.

Flyer designed by Rob Stokes.

Sunday, September 8 begins an unorthodox spectating experience at Dangerously Delicious Pies in Washington, D.C. Part football game, part art piece, part game within itself—InTheRough presents Franchise Players: Sounds from the Gridiron—an audiovisual performance mashing together the 2019 NFL kickoff, music, food and art.

Football is America’s game, omnipresent during fall months, and although not everyone agrees with its gladiatorial competition or politics, it is an efficient geographical identifier. Of course, this is one way to delineate participants in a cultural community like D.C. that is transient and increasingly informed by non-natives. With the primetime matchup between the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers as the focal point, Sounds from the Gridiron will bridge the gap between sports fanatics and artists with kindred creative experiences.

During the live television broadcast of the game, two performing acts will each represent the Patriots and Steelers cohorts. By way of Connecticut, underground rapper Tedy Brewski and master blender/producer Greenss will be the sonic backdrop for the New England contingency, while Pittsburgh-based band Jack Swing and quintet October ‘71—who’s reinterpreting the soot and smog of a vintage Steel City—will amplify Steelers Nation. Beginning with the traditional coin toss and decided by possession of the ball, each band will take the stage with their respective team’s offense. At any given moment, however, performances will interchange due to turnovers (interceptions, fumbles & 3-and-outs) and score conversions. This will be monitored and officiated by referee Sir E.U as the game is projected onto the performers. Think the visual hodge-podge of Andy Warhol’s Exploding Plastic Inevitable with the sounds of The Velvet Underground, but reoriented for football and contemporary tunes—it’s chaos.

On the sidelines of the show, Pittsburgh-inspired eats from the Pie Shop reinforce the fact that Steelers fandom extends beyond the three rivers and across the nation. Tedy Brewski along with Pittsburgh-based artist Quaishawn Whitlock will also showcase their latest 2-d works regarding sports history and popular culture.

Tickets for the event are available for purchase here. Until then, listen to a brief playlist of the acts below.

An unorthodox spectating experience... Pittsburgh (October '71 & Jack Swing) vs. New England (Tedy Brewski & Greenss) -- Sunday, September 8 @ Dangerously Delicious Pies, Washington D.C. (1339 H St. NE) Each "team" will be represented by two performing acts. Beginning with the traditional coin toss, each performer takes the stage during their team's offensive possessions. At any given moment, possessions may switch due to turnovers and score conversions. This will be monitored by the live broadcast of the game projected onto the stage. The game will be monitored by an official referee. 7pm until end of game

Franchise Players: Sounds from the Gridiron

Sunday, September 8

Dangerously Delicious Pies

1339 H St. NE

Washington, D.C. 20002

7pm — End of game

The EFFA Collection by Ebbets Field Flannels

Ebbets Field Flannels, the heritage brand conserving mid-century athletic garments, debuted its fist-ever women’s line, honoring the women and girls who forged their own positions within America’s favorite pastime.

The EFFA Collection—named after Effa Manley—the co-owner of the 1946 Negro League champion Newark Eagles and only woman to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, encapsulates a time period when female executives, ballplayers, umpires, and teams were viewed as interlopers in the world of sport. Racial and gender divides attempted to exclude women from baseball, but the tenacity of trailblazers like the eponymous heroine of the collection erased stigmas and broke barriers for women to continue building their shared history in the game.

A civil rights leader, Manley set a precedent negotiating fair compensation for the rights of her players as they transitioned to Major League baseball once Jackie Robinson broke the color line, signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. She earned the respect of fellow Negro League owners and white executives within the majors due to her astute knowledge of business and sports marketing. Promotional games propping up attendance in the Major League, including the businessman’s special or “Disco Demolition Night,” are extensions of Manley’s genius. She instituted free entry for WWII veterans and sponsored an anti-lynching game, intersecting sports with socio-political conversations. “Effa is part of a much larger history,” said Lisa Cooper, Vice President of Ebbets Field Flannels on Late Bloom Radio in May—our co-produced show with Uptown Art House.

Women have been in baseball since the mid-1800s, forming teams at Vassar, Smith and Wellesley colleges, with the first recorded professional team, the Philadelphia Dolly Vardens, playing men’s teams in 1867. The collection immortalizes prominent figures from the early barnstorming days when women were tokenized for their pioneering contributions to baseball. Authentic jerseys pay homage to icons like Amanda Clement who, at 16 years old, became the first woman paid to umpire men’s baseball games and Edith Houghton, a ten year old shortstop sensation for the Philadelphia Bobbies and a couple of decades later the first (and last) female scout in the history of Major League Baseball. We can’t forget about Toni Stone, either. The first African American woman to play professional baseball with the Negro League’s comedic, showboating Indianapolis Clowns, Stone’s life-and-times defeating discrimination and sexism has been further amplified this year in a critically acclaimed off-Broadway production by play-write Lydia R. Diamond.

Although the materials and fabric are authentic to what players actually wore, the retro knits, satin jackets and hats, along with the graphic tees are a spin on what existed in history. “For a lot of the designs, all we’re going off is the team name,” Cooper said. “We can’t even find photos; there’s a nice freedom and playfulness to it.”

Channeling the legacy of crossover within baseball’s past—women creating opportunities for themselves in a men’s game—the collection’s designer Eric Johnson wanted to create a range of clothes that were non-conforming. “It was more about the quality of the designs. I didn’t go into this thinking about making this for women,” the Maryland-based creative said. “I thought about making really good shirts women would be interested in, making sure the border was non-binary.

Designer Eric Johnson at Late Bloom Radio broadcast via Full Service Radio at The Line Hotel. Polaroid by Maxwell Young

Johnson and Cooper worked within a truncated timespan, executing the line over four months, when most collections can take up to one and a half years to develop. It’s a testament to their collaborative relationship, as the duo first started working with each other while Johnson was a creative lead in A$AP Mob. With hip hop being the introduction for the two and holding such a strong emphasis in vintage wear, Johnson and Cooper’s partnership has come full-circle. However, it’s the intention behind the collection that makes the project cohesive.

“The racial aspect of it, especially regarding the Negro Leagues…[The EFFA Collection] is how to have that conversation and take it away from race,” Cooper said.

For 31 years, Ebbets has served a niche clientele researching and re-producing the authentic apparel worn by athletic clubs we learn about through sports lore. Teams from Japanese baseball, the Pacific Coast League, The Negro Leagues, and now the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League and National Girls Baseball League are tangible constructs in the 21st-century, thanks to Ebbets. The heavy, wool fabrics that adorned actors in Jackie Robinson’s biopic, 42, were made by the Ebbets team. Their mandate is uncompromising the quality, beauty, and craftsmanship of vintage athletic apparel to convey the context stitched through it. Such intention circumvents exploitation and facilitates transparent discussions of unknown histories in a public way. 

“I’m a white lady in Seattle and my business partner is white, so it comes up: ‘Why are you guys doing this?’ It’s an automatic distrust, but they don’t know the backstory. And the backstory is that we were the very first ones to bring about the history of [the Negro Leagues] and the awareness of it.”

The current offering of The EFFA Collection is merely an initial snapshot of the vast history of women in sports. Future iterations of the line will touch other heritage, such as that of hockey and Canadian women’s rightful place in the sports pantheon. Shop The EFFA Collection here and listen to the full radio interview below for an exclusive glimpse into Ebbets’ upcoming NFL capsule.

It's Never Too Late to Have a Quinceañera, Especially in the Name of Art

Ashley Llanes’ self-portraits will be on view today at the Human Rights Campaign headquarters.

Photographer Ashley Llanes abhorred the idea of a Quinceañera, but eight years later it became the inspiration to her thesis project. Polaroids by Maxwell Young

La Quinceañera—a coming of age celebration in Latin American culture when a young woman turns fifteen, transitioning to a mujercita. The extravagant ball along with the pomp-and-circumstance is akin to Judaism’s Bat Mitzvah ceremonies, except closely aligned with Catholicism.

Eight years ago, Ashley Llanes rejected her Quinceañera opportunity. A Cuban-American growing up in Miami, Florida, she was surrounded by the tradition and the lineage of women in her family who embarked on the ceremony. Portraits of her mother, grandmother, and great grandmother adorned her living room while her older sisters, who each elected to have Quinceañeras, memorialized their rite of passages, too. Through the task of being a mujercita, there are cultural and gender expectations that Llanes felt misrepresented herself. Wearing makeup and shaving was counter to the girl with the pixie haircut, challenging stereotypes.

“I wasn’t interested in conserving my culture,” the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design alumnus reflected back to her 15-year-old self.

At 23-years-old, however, the D.C.-based photographer has made peace with her “punk-ass” adolescence, and her self-portrait series, La Quinceañera, is a retrospective take on the aesthetics of the tradition. “Now is when I’ve been able to appreciate the tradition and the actual priviledge,” her hindsight is 20-20. “You don’t do this unless you want to look back at your ancestors and say, ‘They did this. Why not me?’”

Personifying the conservative ideals of the celebration and the femininity her parents wanted to see, Llanes’ portraits emulate stereotypical Quinceañera photoshoots. There’s the casual beach shoot and the studio shoot, everything mindful of the cultural notions. I stopped by one of these photoshoots in February to find her hair slicked in a bun, secured by a plentitude of bobby-pins and an encrusted tiara that accentuated her cinderella dress—she was quintessential Quince.

“I shaved everything for this. I became hyper aware of body hair, which was such a weird thing, and for months because I did this project for a year,” Llanes spoke to the vulnerability in the level of vanity she forced herself to maintain; a type of method acting she endured as she considers each of her self portraits performance pieces. “It was torturous because I subscribed to this character for so long.”

Relieved to return to her edginess, septum piercing and all, there is a stark contrast between the Ashley we see in the images and the Ashley who will share her work today at the Human Rights Campaign headquarters for The Latino GLBT History Project’s Voices of Pride exhibition. Come and view her series and stay for the artist talk to learn more about her work with identity.

Voices of Pride

5-9pm (Artist Talk 7:30pm)

1640 Rhode Island Ave, NW

Washington, D.C.