Asheru is one of the most consistently dope hip-hop artists D.C. has ever produced. The seed was planted with the group Unspoken Heard who distinguished themselves during the indie hip-hop boom of the late ’90s with a string of classic EPs and two solid long players. Since then, Asheru has created an active edutainment lane for himself, releasing albums, rocking shows, and creating language arts curricula using hip-hop as an educational tool. While building his music catalog and racking up tour miles, he earned a Masters in Education and went into D.C. public schools to reach the kids. Asheru is currently on faculty at Ballou Senior High School. You may also know him from that Adult Swim show.

Clearly I hold Asheru in high esteem. He even gave me my first international gig as Unspoken Heard’s tour DJ. So it was with excitement that I greeted the 2013 release of Asheru’s Sleepless in Soweto album, a dedication to South Africa where he found an extended fanbase and a lot of creative inspiration.

On “Funky DC,” Asheru teams up with Washington’s own The Funk Ark for an afrobeat workout that pays fond tribute to the nation’s capital. Filmed on U Street during the Funk Parade and featuring Ballou’s marching band, it’s a visual that should make any Washingtonian proud.