Maiesha Rashad the first lady of Go-Go music has passed away after a long battle with stomach cancer. Rashad was lovingly known by fans as the First Lady of Go-Go. Last month, Rashad’s bandmates, The Hip Huggers, family and go-go music’s heavy hitters spoke with WUSA9 about Rashad’s life and musical legacy.
While go-go was known for drawing younger crowds, during the 1990s, Maiesha Rashad and The Hip Huggers brought the seasoned crew out of the house to enjoy their hometown music. The Hip Huggers usually started the night with sounds that conjured up good vibes like The Stylistics “Betcha by Golly Wow,” Phyllis Hyman’s “Meet Me on the Moon” and the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back.”
They mixed these favorites with go-go flavors, before hopping on the party train with EU Experience Unlimited classics, like the Grammy nominated Da Butt and current jams. The crew rocked afros and bell bottoms and played to packed houses (that stood in line for hours) especially Northwest D.C.’s Takoma Station. Bandmate and EU frontman Gregory “Sugar Bear” Elliot credits Rashad with reviving the go-go scene. 
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