What Went Down at The Inner Circle 9
Photography by Wholesum Sykes.
The last time we spoke with O-Slice and the Inner Circle team was during a time of ingenuity for creatives. In a post-pandemic world, at the fifth installation of her annual event, O-Slice had several goals for the future of Inner Circle. Four years later, the growth and achievements are evident at Inner Circle 9. There was also something undeniably spiritual about the evening, being O-Slice’s 30th birthday. Hosted at DC’s The 507, the space was covered with warm blue lighting, glowing cloud decor, white couches and chairs, and a big, beautiful rug front and center offering an intimate setup.
At the rear of the venue, which granted plenty of space for mingling, was a merch table, a photobooth, and a bar—serving special event-tailored cocktails like “The Cloud 9.” Food was offered in partnership with nearby American Bistro restaurant, Matchbox. Attendees were able to order via QR Code with delivery straight to the venue at a designated pick-up table. This offering included no delivery fees.
Inner Circle 9 also amassed an impressive list of event sponsors including Topo Chico, Giant Food, Prince George’s Arts & Humanities Council, Great Energy Group, Vascano Tequila, and Gidi Chow Restaurant.
I felt like I was at an Auntie’s house—who just so happened to have a Michelin-star living room. As the show began, hosts Tamara B and Malpractice welcomed the audience with a run-down of the performers and some house rules, the way your cousins would before you ask if you can spend the night. Their synchrony was divinely entertaining. The event’s lineup, which boasted some NUNAR alum, included Neptune XXl, Al Hostile, Anguesomo, Matt McGhee, Adwoa, Foots X Coles, Sero, and of course, O-Slice.
Throughout the evening as I spoke with some of the artists and attendees about what Inner Circle means to them and what makes it special after nine years, there was one common theme: Community.
NeptuneXXl started the show with some contagious energy, moving through the crowd, engaging directly with the audience, and setting the tone for the rest of the night. This was her second time performing at an Inner Circle. To her, this space has been about “building in community a connection with people that is long-lasting.” She added, “Obviously [O-Slice] is doing something right for there to be nine of these.”
What stood out to Neptune was “the growth of it all, the artists that come through to support the journey, the connection, and the love from [O-Slice’s] team, from O herself, and even the community—the people that come through[….]Some people are too nervous, shy or even too cool to be in the mix. But for me, if you’re here, you’re family. It’s about being present, being in the moment.” Truly, it is hard not to be when you are made to feel like family. From Al Hostile’s sultry sound to Anguesomo taking us on a Spanish-speaking journey to her home of Equatorial Guinea, to Adwoa’s instrumental voice sharing her testimony, every artist brought a unique spirit to the night. For Adwoa, the intention behind Inner Circle aligns divinely with her album because she “wouldn’t be here without her people, her community.”
Each artist took us to church and the “sermons [O-slice was] servin” to end the night were hypnotic. Attendees said it felt like a “safe space,” a way to “honor creatives where we’re from.” Host Malpractice affirmed, “[This] space is for people to get to know their local creatives and provide an opportunity to invest in them the way we invest in celebrities.”
In talking to O-Slice about what being in her ninth year of The Inner Circle while simultaneously turning 30 meant to her, she said, “I just wanted to let people into my world. Music embodies my world. I live in it and I just wanted people to know that even at 30, you don’t have to figure it all out. You just continue, and that’s what I wanted to do.” And that, she did. In her performance, she opened up emotionally about grief and her creative journey, and graciously extended gratitude to everyone present.
As the event ended with Sero spinning, O-Slice opened up the venue to be everyone’s stage. Attendees got up to meet, talk, sing, and dance with her and the other performers–the DMV was in communion with one another. This was no inner circle, as it is defined. There was no one too cool and no space for nerves.
O-Slice’s intentions for The Inner Circle have clearly manifested. It showed in the intimate design of the space, the sponsorship, the energy of the performers, and the feeling of safety amongst everyone in attendance—sharing tables, food, and even phone chargers. The Inner Circle is the thing the DMV says it wants but is sometimes too stubborn to humble itself for. During a time when community is needed most, The Inner Circle is there for us.
