“The club” has long been coded as a site of empowerment and resistance—bodies coming together off the clock for participatory expression, shared social space, vibe. And as far as club nights go, Baltimore’s Kahlon goes the fuck off, and now there’s even a mini-doc to prove it. A bimonthly party held at the Crown, curated and hosted by Abdu Ali, Kahlon aims to transcend genre-specific events, hosting artists such as Princess Nokia, Dan Deacon, Chiffon, Junglepussy, and Juliana Huxtable, and consequently bringing together diverse crowds from across Baltimore. “Doing these parties made me realize how much responsibility I had,” says Ali, “not just me–I feel like a lot of people have a responsibility to keep things moving or cultivate things, support another, create platforms especially for a city like Baltimore where we don’t have too many heroes or platforms that elevate the musicians here.” The mini-doc, made by BMORE HUSH, brings you right to The Crown, flashing footage of sweaty bodies, performers and partygoers alike, giving a glimpse of some of the action going on as the club is going up.
To coincide with the doc, Ali released his first ever live DJ mix. Intended to highlight the diaspora of black sound, the mix includes tracks from Nina Simone, Cakes Da Killa, Rizzla, Joey Labeija, Tinashe, Blaqstarr, Shakira, Princess Nokia, and, of course, “Trap Queen”.
