DC musician and activist Justin “Yaddiya” Johnson will host a pop-up shop and record release party on Saturday, March 15 to celebrate the drop of his new album, HOYA$. The celebration will start at 4PM at Yaddiya’s Georgetown art space, 1223 Potomac Gallery, and will feature art, music, and Georgetown-themed streetwear.
The new album, performed by Yaddiya and DMV rapper Big Don Bino, pays tribute to Georgetown University’s basketball team of the ’80s. Those unapologetically Black teams were coached by John Thompson Jr., the first Black coach to win an NCAA championship. Alongside the album, Yaddiya has also organized an art exhibit called “Hoya Paranoia: Black America’s Team”, which features paintings by Jermaine “jET” Carter and Corey Ramon Gibson and photography by Krown Aim. “I look at the music as a soundtrack to the exhibit, but then the reciprocal as well. I look at the exhibit as a depiction of the music,” Yaddiya says.
At the pop-up, guests will have the chance to experience the album while they peruse the artwork. There will also be drinks, projections of classic Georgetown basketball games, and streetwear designed by Paste Clothing and Rebirth for sale. “It’s something that looks somewhat traditional, but does have a twist on it,” Yaddiya says. “They’re like spinoffs of Georgetown. We kinda use the dog, but we’re using our own rendition of the dog, and we’re using ‘G-town’ as the moniker.”
Yaddiya is excited to finally present his work on the Hoyas in its entirety at the release celebration. “This is a movement of the arts, not just something that’s based around music strictly. I really want to show the lifestyle of everything surrounding it as well,” he says. “I want to give people clothes that they actually will like to wear, music, like something fresh and new. And to just pay homage to the Black history in Georgetown.”
