Kato Hammond’s journey is the pure story of Go-Go culture, untarnished by media sensationalizing or outsiders’ calculations. Here, we see the truth of how a young Black community’s self-motivation and peer mentoring, as well as constructive civic programs and arts education, were components of a compelling musical movement. This story is fundamental to American culture, authentic, and antithetical to the usual narrative of how Black men come of age, mature, and make their own dreams come true. The Godfather of Go-Go Media’s artful voice is relentlessly resilient, and his lens picks up the extraordinary in the everyday. While musical genres from rock n’ roll, to hip hop, to go-go have been vilified for their influence on youth, Take Me Out to the Go-Go demonstrates how music and entertainment can be anyone’s saving grace at any stage in life. Presented by a guy who cut his teeth performing theatre and go-go music in the streets of Marion Barry’s Washington, D.C., this must-read is the roadmap of a truly entertaining human experience.
