Move-Ments Artist: DJ 2-Tone Jones.

Since touching down in the nation’s capitol in 2001 via Atlanta, GA, DJ 2-Tone Jones has slowly and steadily been carving out his own niche in the D.C. area hip-hop scene. A true fundamentals DJ, 2-Tone speaks with his hands as in the tradition of a Pete Rock or E-Swift, and through his bottomless crates has rocked parties from LA to NY on down to the A-Town and even out in Europe. But 2-Tone is not your one dimensional party and bullsh*t DJ. His list of current gigs and artists with whom he has spun with is as diverse as the musical genres within his crates (and crates) of records, which is a sonic collage of dusty groove Funk, Soul, Afro-Beat, Jazz, Roots Reggae/Dancehall, mainstream Rap/R&B, Go-Go (can’t forget that), Hip-Hop, Lounge/Deep House and 70’s & 80’s Rock.

On the performance side 2-Tone has spun with, and alongside, the likes of Biz Markie, Kool Herc, Melle Mel, Floetry, J Period, Goapele, Mista Sinista, Raheem DeVaughn, Mr. Lif, Ras Kass, Grand Wizard Theodore, Sugarhill Gang, Sy Smith, and even Dick Gregory just to name a few. He was also the DJ-in-residence for Shaman Work Recordings, an independent Hip-Hop music label whose roster included CL Smooth, Wale Oyejide, John Robinson, Scienz of Life, and others.

Currently 2-Tone can be found most nights of the week at a number of venues around the D.C. area and on the airwaves. On Monday nights from 11pm to midnight 2-Tone is the resident DJ, engineer, and co-host for a progressive hip-hop radio show, Ill Street Grooves, part of the Decipher hip-hop strip on DC’s own WPFW 89.3 FM/Pacifica Radio. Once a month at Mayorga Lounge in Columbia Heights, 2-Tone and crew host Artz$Craftz, an intimate arts exhibition where artists exhibit and create work while the music spins. Also, every Thursday night at the Historic Bohemian Caverns 2-Tone performs as a member of Sound of the City (SOTC).

As his notoriety grows, 2-Tone is not one to just sit back and watch. Along with a handful of D.C.’s most talented visual artists, Mr. Jones is a member of a cutting-edge art troupe/marketing group known as AM Radio: Artwork Mbilashaka. During the day he serves as Assistant Director of the Urban Arts Academy for Words.Beats.Life, Inc.; a hip-hop, non-profit organization that uses hip-hop culture as a means to transform individuals and their communities. Some of his responsibilities as Assistant Director include teaching kids how to DJ and play chess. So be on the listen-out for 2-Tone Jones thru a speaker near you.