AMAL X THE KHAN X MOSHPXT @ ANWAR HADID'S BIRTHDAY PARTY

A recap of Anwar Hadid's birthday party during Paris Fashion Week, spearheaded by DMV creatives The Khan, Amal, and Moshpxt.

Written by: Martin Sakansong

Edited by: Amari Newman

7/16/2024

The DMV duo The Khan + Amal delivered a legendary set at Anwar Hadid's birthday celebration last month. The event took place at the Silencio Club during Paris Fashion Week, and by the looks of it, was one of the best functions of the year.  

Other DJs and artists in attendance of the sold-out event included DMV hometown-heroes Dylan Ali and Lil Dude *Trapnanana!, along with Jaxxon D Silva, Sausage Lord, and French emcee Jewel Usain.

“It was just like a big ass house party. Everyone was circled around the decks and crankin.” -Amal

Amal is one of the most exciting DJs coming out of the DMV, and sticks out to me for the versatility of his sets that travel between the realms of Electronic and Hip-hop music. 

I got the chance to connect with him over the phone to get the rundown on the event. It was put together pretty last minute, and only occurred thanks to the right people being in Paris at the same time. 

The Khan, an emcee/visionary from DC, was helping Anwar Hadid organize the party, and knew Amal would be in Paris for Fashion Week. He reached out to see if he could spin. Although this was Amal's first time at Paris Fashion Week, he’s been DJing The Khan’s live sets since they were 18, from the jump basically. So he knew the two of them would know exactly how to get Silencio Club right. 

“Bro I’m not even lying, that joint was in a movie theater. I walked downstairs, and we were in a movie theater. Joint was lit. It was Anwar's birthday so you know the homies was there, rappers that were in town for the week… Bro, there was people from highschool there that I haven't seen in a minute.”

-Amal

During Amal’s set, The Khan acted as his DJ co-pilot and hype-man. He also performed "Truest" off their joint EP KHANNERDINHO, along with an unreleased track they're sitting on. Amal explains the production on their EP was heavily influenced by the Lisbon and Angolan genre Batida (locally known as “ghetto”), which is percussive and 808 heavy. 

“[KHANNERDINHO is] our own twist on what I see as the future of Electronic music, and party music in general. The sound itself is a little rough around the edges, but that’s what gives it character. It shows that feelings and vibes can conquer technicality”

-Amal

Amal also notes frequently inviting The Khan to emcee his DJ sets whenever possible.

"It’s something that I love doing. It makes sense, it's what the OG’s were on in the 90’s. The Drum and Bass niggas always had MC’s with ‘em. So, if I can have my mans pull up and create that vibe, that's what we on.”

-Amal

When I spoke with Amal, he was traveling from Korea to China for his tour with Black Rave Culture, a collective of DMV-based electronic artists. They formed during the Pandemic, and have grown into an internationally-recognized squadron of sound-benders. After China, they plan on going to Thailand, Japan, and Germany.

I was also able to hop on a call with JayJay Thakar (AKA Moshpxt) while he was still out in Paris. Originally from Silver Spring, MD, Mosh is a videographer and creative director who's worked with the likes of Yeat, Young Thug, Slimesito, Duwap Kaine, JT, Tia Corine and many others. He recently directed the video for Cash Cobain's latest hit “Rump Punch.” 

Moshpxt was in Paris for fashion week too, and assisted with the party by sponsoring the event.

“The energy was likes that I can’t lie, that shit was fun. We’ve been to too many events where the transitions and chemistry just weren't on point. You had Dylan's set, then the transition to Amal's set… The timing is key, and it was really just a good time.”

-Moshpxt

It's interesting to see these dudes move outside the states. The Khan, Moshpxt, and Amal have linked up with artists throughout the globe in Europe, Brazil, Japan, and other non-US nations. It's one thing to collaborate with other DMV talent, but to continuously take the area's sound and style nationwide, and beyond is different.

“We just trying to move with good energy, spread good energy, and bring people together in different scenes, from different places, and different walks of life." 

-Moshpxt

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