Of Unknown Origin

The lack of a regular flow of successful hip-hop acts to come out of D.C. remains a long-standing mystery. Most large cities (Philly, New York, Atlanta, New Orleans, L.A., Detroit, Oakland, etc.) have fostered an impressive roster of rappers and hip-hoppers. D.C.? Not so much. That's not to say there aren't enormous talents out there. Storm the Unpredictable, Priest and our own Rhome Anderson's Poem-Cees are all imaginative artists who probably deserve a shot at the big time. O.U.O (Of Unknown Origin) is another local group -- veteran D.C. MCs Dumi Right and Pep -- that makes smart, stripped-down hip-hop loaded with captivating beats and enterprising lyrics. If history is a guide, then O.U.O is stuck in a hip-hop neverland. Sometimes, though, history is just a wink, and with any luck, the fabulous O.U.O can break the D.C. curse. Help them along the way when they perform at a CD-release party for their self-titled debut effort on Friday at Casablanca in Old Town Alexandria. The show begins at 10 p.m. O.U.O will probably go on a little after 11.

-- Joe

Listen to O.U.O on washingtonpost.com's MP3 page.