The G.O.V. AKA The Govament

The Campaign by The Govament

The Govament's campaign completely sheds preconceived notions of D.C. music being strictly go-go and off centered, centrally located on the east coast off "95" G.O.V. politics over ten original tracks varying in topics but remains steadily focused as the trio lobbies for votes.

This branch of Govament is uniquely formed by The Mayor, Intrigue and Jay The Gov-Na who combine to bring another dimension to the game as artist on the come up by launching their own clothing line "G.O.V. Fashion Statement" as well as the groups recording studio "G.O.V. Studios" in which proved instrumental in spreading their sound throughout their D.C. stomping ground and abroad.

The hard and edgy "Hustle Backwards", "All I Really Want" and slow winding "The Pole" featuring B. Wright offers glimpses of the squads diversity and ability to create songs pleasing to the streets and club without loosing themselves or compromising their respective artistry.

Driven to succeed and give a face to the D.C. hip-hop scene The Govament's moment can further be tracked on their myspace page at www.myspace.com/gamegov for further information and upcoming projects.


Reviewed by Peavy, Mr. Young Black & Gifted - Drahma Magazine

Grassroots Campaign
Nile “The Mayor” Nu’man
By Rhonda Richardson

“If I can’t get my Streetz interview, I’ll just do it myself,” says DC rapper Nile “The Mayor” Nu’Man. Since 1998, The Mayor has been pushing mix tapes and CDs out of his home studio in hopes of making it big and getting an interview from one of the best Hip-Hop publications in the area. Needless to say, he got his wish. But before this moment of triumph, the phrase ‘I answer to no one but myself’ was taken in its most literal sense.

In 2004, Nu’Man started peddling pseudo-interviews via email, in which he both asked and answered all his own questions. “It’s another way to market myself,” says Nu’Man. This marketing technique seemed to be effective as it attracted the attention of the Washington City Paper, and eventually this magazine. However, the self-proclaimed mayor of the Middle East (D.C., Maryland and Virginia) believes that his musical endeavors, not his marketing tactics, should be the main reason that people are taking notice. The Northwest DC native says the big record labels weren’t noticing him fast enough and that prompted him to start his own record label, Grown Ass Man Entertainment (G.A.M.E.) “I’m the franchise artist. I don’t have to answer to anyone because I’m the boss. I’m in charge,” says the G.A.M.E. CEO.

This take-charge attitude has resulted in a few mix-tape and independent album releases and a couple chance meetings with people whom the Mayor hopes can help take his career to the next level. “I talked to Russell Simmons and he gave me a couple of things he wanted me to do. And I’m doing them right now.” Nu’Man says he is also in talks with Chamillionaire to do a mix tape that he hopes will get his name known in the Houston area. The Mayor is showing the Middle East how to run a campaign without a budget. He says that his latest album, “Politically Incorrect,” which is slated to drop the summer of 2006, is his finest work to date. Let’s just see if the public votes for him.
- Streetz Magazine

Mayoral Fixation
Petworth rapper Nile “the Mayor” Nu’Man does his own damn interviews.
By Sarah Godfrey
But Enough About Me: Nu'Man and the other members of the G.O.V.(Photo by Charles Steck)
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SIDEBAR
The Mayor on the Mayor
Nile “the Mayor” Nu’Man circumvents reporters with his special brand of self-interrogation. “You have to read it to believe it,” he says.

Hip-hop journalists can be dicks, especially where independent rap artists are concerned. It’s difficult to get us to listen to your albums or cover your shows, and when you do manage to convince one of us to stick a tape recorder in your face for a few hours, the resulting article is rarely the piece you envisioned. We don’t focus on the things you find important, don’t shout out your various labelmates and team members, and refuse to include your e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, and Web sites in our text.

But the 20-something Petworth rapper Nile “the Mayor” Nu’Man, who has been releasing albums and mix tapes since 1998, doesn’t need reporters: He does his own damn interviews, both administering and answering the questions.

“It separates me as an artist. Some people spend all their money trying to buy their way into the game; some may kill somebody—whatever people do to get famous. I interview myself,” he says. “It’s something different, it’s me, and you get to know [me] on a personal level.”

A couple of times each month, Nu’Man sends out these interviews to the thousands of people in his e-mail address book. The pieces discuss his upcoming projects and performances, as well as whatever else happens to be on his mind, such as in this entry from March: “Q. Are you getting burned out? A. Hell NO. I just wanna get on hot 97 in NYC. I wanna hit other markets. Im independant not local, no point in just being here.”

Nu’Man started the self-interrogations in 2004, after a couple of articles focusing on him, his Grown A$$ Man Entertainment label (aka GAME), and the group of artists he’s affiliated with, the G.O.V., were killed by a local magazine.

“We had like a Benzino/Eminem thing,” he says. “The writers wanted it published, but one head guy never let it out. After that point, I interviewed myself about the dispute—I didn’t wanna just say, ‘Fuck this magazine,’ so I said, ‘I heard you did an interview with a magazine—what happened?’ And I answered.

“It didn’t come out as biased as I thought it would,” he adds. “It was almost objective.”

Another interview session took place a few months later, after what Nu’Man says was an e-mail campaign driven by people—“Mayor Haters”—who were “attempting to assassinate my character.” “Instead of being an Internet gangsta, I interviewed myself about it,” Nu’Man says. “I asked ‘Why people hatin’ on you?’ then said, ‘It doesn’t upset me. I know who I am, you know who I am—it’s insignificant.’ ”

From there, distribution took off. “There were funny ones—I did one where I got into a beef with 50 Cent and interviewed myself,” he says. “It became a marketing tool. Not everyone will read an eight-page e-mail about what we’re doing, but they’ll read the interviews.”

Nu’Man says the e-mails are one component of the grind that has enabled him to push 25,000 albums in the past eight years, including Nu’Man’s My Life, My Way, which has been re-pressed in several different iterations since its 2004 release. But the interviews are only one component in a large arsenal of guerilla tactics the rapper employs to generate buzz.

Nu’Man and crew have done everything from crashing the studio audiences of video shows like BET’s 106 and Park and MTV’s Direct Effect to setting up camp outside of Hillcrest Heights’ Iverson Mall every day to sell CDs. Nu’Man also made an impression on Texas rapper Chamillionaire during a recent meeting by taking a cockier approach to the typical “please listen to my demo.”

“He was at Iverson Mall signing CDs, and I was there selling CDs,” Nu’Man says. “I walked up to him and gave him a poster and a CD. And I said, ‘That’ll be $10.’ It tickled him—he had to buy it. And he’ll remember that.”

This year Nu’Man is hoping to release his next CD, Politically Incorrect (Keep It P.I.), featuring himself and fellow G.O.V. artists such as Jay the Gov-Na and singer Nina Ross. It’ll come out, he says, on either his own label or through Russell Simmons Music Group—the rapper met the mogul in March and now has his sights set on a major deal.

Although Nu’Man contends that a lot of rappers try to get by on slipping their work to major artists, selling CDs out of their trunks, or politicking with hip-hop impresarios, he says the one arena without competition is his Q&A. “Nobody else can interview themselves,” he says. “No one else has that gift.” CP - DC City Paper

The industry is talking about The G.O.V. see what they
are saying:


Russell Simmons( hip hop impresario):”This is really
good(Cd’s and DVD package) and I appreciate the work
you are doing in the community.

Sarah O’Connor former music director for WPGC 95.5
“What’s Inyo Cup is the first local song I have added
into rotation in 3 years.”

LaLa from MTV ”I love you guys energy, y’all doin’ it
real big”

Daryl Brooks Manager and promoter of acts like Mya,
Gang Star, Public Enemey and Salt & Pepa “ I think
you could be raps next great story teller for the next
5 years”

Big G. Aka Slim Charles of The Wire TV Show:”You aint
playin’ wit’ em huh man’? I love y'all grind
homie...y'all really out here sellin’ CD’s on
Thanksgiving.

Rane ½ of WPGC 95.5's Home Team:”The Mayor is more
than just an artist he comes out to all community
events and makes songs about having pride in yourself
and in your city. He really is our mayor out here.

DJ Flexx,1/2 of WPGC 95.5's Home Team:”We are
witnessing The Mayor’s E true hollywood story.

2Face The Wild Boy (Host of radio show on WKYS
93.9):”I think the music is pretty good, keep me
updated..” He played our single the same day he got it.


Mya R&B singer:”I love the CD I keep it with me all
the time.
- G.O.V. Publishing

Northwest DC collective The G.O.V., is trying to move up in the DC music stratosphere. They've utilized a shameless grassroots promotions blitz of online blasts and local shows to push themselves beyond their fanbase and into the pages of the Washington City Paper and Stretzmag.com. The trio which consists of The Mayor, Jay The Gov-Na & Intrigue, recently released their new album Dollartic$ and their album-titled single has been getting some recent burn on WPGC. The G.O.V. recently aired their new Hip Hop roundtable show The G.O.V. Report on Comcast.

- Pharoh Talib(ptalib@gmail.com) - Pharoh Talib