By Malik Thompson, on November 9th, 2015 
Her voice is ethereal; haunting- it often bars me from sleep, leaving me staring wild-eyed into infinity and oblivion. Her croon conjures images of women from centuries past, gathering in sensual worship of the moon, shadows, stars, and all things umbra. For a self-proclaimed pop artist, Be Steady’s art exhumes a depth as vast and enveloping as an ocean.
For a self-proclaimed pop artist, Be Steady’s art exhumes a depth as vast and enveloping as an ocean.
Singer/songwriter filmmaker Be Steadwell shares her struggles and triumphs as an independent artist by This Light on Mixcloud
Before I continue on about Be Steadwell’s art, I have a confession to make; I know Be personally.
I met Be as an adrift adolescent, attempting to formulate a self in the realm of DC’s radical art and social justice scene.
The first Be Steadwell performance I witnessed left me dazed- with a microphone, a looping machine, and her own voice, Be brought magic into the room.
Afterward, I obtained a CD; the thought of endlessly have more of these sonically euphoric experiences was euphoric. Be gave me the CD for free, even though she was selling them for $5, or more, each. Which is to say, Be is nice. However, ‘nice’ has never made great art.
Be Steady began recording music in the two-person group, The Lost Bois, with childhood friend Awkward Original (a.k.a A.O). According to the groups’ Bandcamp, A.O and Be sang in the same jazz band during their teen years. While in college, the two independently continued pursuing their musical passions and, upon returning to DC in the summer of 2009, the two began collaborating to “challenge the sexist, racist, and homophobic hot-mess that is mainstream music.”.
The Lost Bois released an EP in the early summer of 2012 and, in it, one can clearly hear the earlier stages of what I would name Be Steadwell’s sonic signature; ethereal, eclectic, and layered- without pretension.
The Lost Bois no longer seem to be collaborating as frequently anymore- music was last uploaded to their SoundCloud account four years ago. The Lost Bois are still “together” in some sense though, they had a 5-year anniversary concert this past April at the Potter’s House.
However, Be has been consistently rising in her career as a solo artist- in music as well as film.
Be’s art is complex, in form as well as content. From what I understand, Be produces, writes, and performs each of her musical pieces herself. Incorporating a wide variety of sounds, drop-ins, fall-outs, and other production sleight of hands- what would easily become ambitious and amateurish in the hands of a less talented and experienced producer, Be transforms into seamlessness and silk.
In regards to content, Be often sings of love; in its various stages and manifestations. Love in murkiness and mess. Love unwanted and unrequited. Queer love between women. In her track Gilded Cage, Be sings about a relationship as pleasurable as it is stifling. Although Gilded Cage is an exemplary example of Be handling the content of her work with complexity, it is by no means an aberration.
One of Be’s most recent releases, Black Girls Who Can’t Dance, was intentionally created to convey a more nuanced portrayal of Black woman- a representation rarely often seen in media- independent and mainstream.
In Be’s work, we are allowed an intimacy that is as alluring as it is astonishing. Unlike many other independent artists, Be doesn’t seek to construct a persona behind cheap aesthetics and pretension- instead, she lets us in, without betraying her mysteriousness and privacy.
Now an artist-in-residence at the Strathmore in Strathmore, MD, Be is steadily expanding her career.
Two or three years ago, a QWoC friend of mine posted lyrics from one of Be’s songs in a Facebook status. Initially, I was shocked to know that this friend, who lives in California, had ever heard of Be. However, this friend nonchalantly replied that Be is quite well-known across the United States, especially in QPoC circles.
In the time since this Facebook exchange, Be has been on tour across the country- performing her music live, as well as screening her film, Vow of Silence, which has been screened on 4 continents, over 10 countries, and close to 25 cities to date.
Before long, Be will be touring her music internationally, and haunting other Queer folks of color across the globe with her . . . → Read More: Be Steadwell: A Voice Not To Be Missed
By Liane Scott, on May 6th, 2014 
It’s time for Grassroots DC’s spring fundraiser!!! Help Grow Grassroots DC Thursday May 8th @ 7PM 1223 Decatur Street NW
CLICK HERE to RSVP via Facebook
• Grassroots DC provides Internet access and basic computer literacy classes to the residents of Potomac Gardens Public Housing Complex, where our office is located. • We provide media production training–radio, video and digital storytelling–to those who want to use the media as a tool for community advocacy. • GrassrootsDC.org continues to be one of the very few news sites covering a range of issues that impact DC’s under-served communities, including gentrification, education, the impact of the prison industrial complex on DC’s communities, etc.
You’ll hear about all these programs on Thursday night as well as our most exciting new project Potomac Gardens Inside and Out a documentary being produced by Grassroots DC media students and producers from within the Potomac Gardens community. Those who attend the fundraiser will be treated to a performance by BE STEADWELL!!! Her performance alone is worth a donation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5fQCRKB2hM
We’re not only looking for funds, but also volunteers and partnerships. Come find out how you can get involved with Grassroots DC. If you can’t make it but want to support CLICK HERE!
By Liane Scott, on May 17th, 2012 
Out of respect for the Godfather of Go-go, I’m reposting this article from February 2011. [haiku url=”http://www.grassrootsmediaproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Chuck Breezy 1.mp3″ title=”Chuck Brown Interview”]
Godfather of Go-go, Mr. Chuck Brown
Grassroots Media Project radio producers Brenda Hayes and Be Steadwell interviewed Chuck Brown, the Godfather of Go-go, at WPFW a couple of weeks before the Grammy’s. Mr. Brown was nominated for the song LOVE featuring Jill Scott with Marcus Miller in the category Best R&B Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocals. As no one outside of the DC radius has a proper understanding of Go-go, Chuck Brown did not win. However, all you Go-go fans out there will want to hear the Hayes/Steadwell interview of Chuck Brown because as I said, he never lets us down. Chuck Brown Interview
Thank you Wikipedia for the following information:
Chuck Brown (born August 28, 1936) is a guitarist and singer who is affectionately called “The Godfather of Go-go“. Go-go is a subgenre of funk music developed in and around Washington, D.C. in the mid- and late 1970s. While its musical classification, influences, and origins are debated, Brown is regarded as the fundamental force behind the creation of go-go music.
Brown’s musical career began in the 1960s playing guitar with Jerry Butler and The Earls of Rhythm, joining Los Latinos in 1965. He still performs music today and is commonly known in the Washington, DC area. Brown’s early hits include “I Need Some Money” and “Bustin’ Loose“. “Bustin’ Loose” has been adopted by the Washington Nationals baseball team as its home run celebration song, and was interpolated by Nelly for his 2002 number one hit “Hot in Herre.” Brown also recorded go-go covers of early jazz and blues songs, such as “Go-Go Swing” Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean a Thing If Ain’t Got That Swing“, “Moody’s Mood for Love”, Johnny Mercer’s “Midnight Sun“, Louis Jordan’s “Run Joe”, and T-Bone Walker’s “Stormy Monday”.
He has influenced other go-go bands such as Big G and The Backyard Band, Rare Essence, Experience Unlimited (EU), Little Benny and the Masters, and Trouble Funk.
The song “Ashley’s Roachclip” from the Soul Searchers’ 1974 album Salt of the Earth contains a famous drum break, sampled countless times in various other tracks.[1]
In the mid-1990s, he performed the theme music of Fox‘s sitcom The Sinbad Show which later aired on The Family Channel and Disney Channel.
Brown is considered a local legend in Washington, D.C., and has appeared in television advertisements for the Washington Post and other area companies. The D.C. Lottery‘s “Rolling Cash 5” ad campaign features Chuck Brown singing his 2007 song “The Party Roll” in front of various D.C. city landmarks such as Ben’s Chili Bowl.
Brown resides in Waldorf, Maryland. His son, Nekos, was a defensive end/linebacker for the Virginia Tech football team. While his son was in college, Brown scheduled concerts and other appearances around the Hokies home schedule to ensure that he would never miss a game, and became a fixture at Lane Stadium. Following the Virginia Tech massacre, Brown was “absolutely devastated” by the tragedy, and cried every day for two weeks.[2] In shows that followed, Brown would pause for a moment in prayer for the victims and their families before beginning his performance, and dedicated several shows to their memory.
Brown was the subject of the cover article in The Washington Post Magazine on October 4, 2009, entitled Chuck Brown’s Long Dance.[3] He received his first Grammy Award nomination in 2010 for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals for “Love” (with Jill Scott and Marcus Miller), from the album We Got This.
. . . → Read More: Chuck Brown Interview from February 2011
By Binnie Katti, on June 14th, 2011 
Zami DC is a free summer creative writing workshop taught by local artists Be Steadwell and Taylor Johnson for lgbtq youth in the DC area. The workshop consists of poetry and songwriting classes, weekly features with local artists, discussions on continuing education, art in the community, and career options. The program ends with a final performance allowing students to take the stage.
The workshop will be held four blocks from Dupont Metro, and scheduling is still open.
Zami DC is featured on “This Light: Sounds for Social Change”, a radio series featuring young artists/activists who use their art to incite progressive social change. Each episode features two segments: 1) dynamic interviews with artists about their work and its relation to activism; and 2) (re)mix of artistic work (music, poetry, soundscape, etc.).
Episode 1a features Be Steadwell and Taylor Johnson, founders of Zami DC.
Episode 1b is a mix of their music and poetry.
To learn more about Zami DC, contact them at Zamidc@gmail.com or visit their facebook page.
By Liane Scott, on February 15th, 2011
Godfather of Go-go, Mr. Chuck Brown
Grassroots Media Project radio producers Brenda Hayes and Be Steadwell interviewed Chuck Brown, the Godfather of Go-go, at WPFW a couple of weeks before the Grammy’s. Mr. Brown was nominated for the song LOVE featuring Jill Scott with Marcus Miller in the category Best R&B Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocals. As no one outside of the DC radius has a proper understanding of Go-go, Chuck Brown did not win. However, all you Go-go fans out there will want to hear the Hayes/Steadwell interview of Chuck Brown because as I said, he never lets us down.
Chuck Brown Interview
Thank you Wikipedia for the following information:
Chuck Brown (born August 28, 1936) is a guitarist and singer who is affectionately called “The Godfather of Go-go“. Go-go is a subgenre of funk music developed in and around Washington, D.C. in the mid- and late 1970s. While its musical classification, influences, and origins are debated, Brown is regarded as the fundamental force behind the creation of go-go music.
Brown’s musical career began in the 1960s playing guitar with Jerry Butler and The Earls of Rhythm, joining Los Latinos in 1965. He still performs music today and is commonly known in the Washington, DC area. Brown’s early hits include “I Need Some Money” and “Bustin’ Loose“. “Bustin’ Loose” has been adopted by the Washington Nationals baseball team as its home run celebration song, and was interpolated by Nelly for his 2002 number one hit “Hot in Herre.” Brown also recorded go-go covers of early jazz and blues songs, such as “Go-Go Swing” Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean a Thing If Ain’t Got That Swing“, “Moody’s Mood for Love”, Johnny Mercer’s “Midnight Sun“, Louis Jordan’s “Run Joe”, and T-Bone Walker’s “Stormy Monday”.
He has influenced other go-go bands such as Big G and The Backyard Band, Rare Essence, Experience Unlimited (EU), Little Benny and the Masters, and Trouble Funk.
The song “Ashley’s Roachclip” from the Soul Searchers’ 1974 album Salt of the Earth contains a famous drum break, sampled countless times in various other tracks.[1]
In the mid-1990s, he performed the theme music of Fox‘s sitcom The Sinbad Show which later aired on The Family Channel and Disney Channel.
Brown is considered a local legend in Washington, D.C., and has appeared in television advertisements for the Washington Post and other area companies. The D.C. Lottery‘s “Rolling Cash 5” ad campaign features Chuck Brown singing his 2007 song “The Party Roll” in front of various D.C. city landmarks such as Ben’s Chili Bowl.
Brown resides in Waldorf, Maryland. His son, Nekos, was a defensive end/linebacker for the Virginia Tech football team. While his son was in college, Brown scheduled concerts and other appearances around the Hokies home schedule to ensure that he would never miss a game, and became a fixture at Lane Stadium. Following the Virginia Tech massacre, Brown was “absolutely devastated” by the tragedy, and cried every day for two weeks.[2] In shows that followed, Brown would pause for a moment in prayer for the victims and their families before beginning his performance, and dedicated several shows to their memory.
Brown was the subject of the cover article in The Washington Post Magazine on October 4, 2009, entitled Chuck Brown’s Long Dance.[3] He received his first Grammy Award nomination in 2010 for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals for “Love” (with Jill Scott and Marcus Miller), from the album We Got This.
. . . → Read More: Chuck Brown Never Lets Us Down
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