Hometown Sounds

The era of branding millennials as self-obsessed narcissists seems to have given way to a focus on self-care in the era of our narcissist-in-chief. Singer and MC Tarica June rebrands the ubiquitous “Selfie” as a message of positivity and happiness with our own bodies, as her lyrics extol the beauty of dark skin and kinky hair. The self-directed music video is impossible not to love, featuring young black girls dancing and singing along to June’s catchy anthem. Head to June’s Facebook page to post your own video for the song using the hashtag #TaricaJuneSelfieChallenge.

Rapper Tarica June is unafraid to share her daily life struggles with the world. Her bare honesty about making ends meet and getting ahead as both lawyer and musician on her single “4-Unit (My Life)” stands in stark contrast with the braggadocio of her male counterparts in DC. The video was shot by Oleskii Osyka and edited by June herself, and comes from June’s free 5 song EP
Stream of Consciousness Vol. 1​.​5.

Tarica June does double duty as Howard University-trained lawyer and rising MC. Both she & her family are from DC, so the changes that money and gentrification have brought to the city are both troubling and musically inspiring to her. Her single “But Anyway”, originally on her free 2014 mixtape S​.​O​.​C. Mixtape Vol. 1 and also the new re-juggled EP Stream of Consciousness Vol. 1​.​5, absolutely blew up the internet a few months ago with the release of the music video, directed by June herself. The unmistakeable 90s era samples from Suzanne Vega and Eric B & Rakim instantly hook you, allowing June to spin rapid fire lyrics about nostalgia and disruptive change, before the backdrop of her neighborhood Petworth. Sometimes it seems that nothing can stop rich newcomers from gutting the city’s character, but Tarica June’s hopeful message resonates in cities all over the country.