Maiesha Rashad, known as the first lady of go-go music, died Monday due to complications with stomach cancer. WUSA9 was first to report the story that she died in hospice care. She led a go-go band during the late 1990s called Maiesha Rashad and the Hip Huggers, donning afro wigs and bell bottoms to sing throwback ’70s tunes at Takoma Station in Northwest D.C. Rashad soon teamed with Sugar Bear and Ju-Ju of Experience Unlimited, who were famous for the go-go hit “Da Butt,” the hit track off Spike Lee’s film “School Daze.” They performed together around the city in several venues, including Howard Theatre, DAR Constitution Hall and RFK Stadium. In later years, she formed the nine-piece soul and jazz orchestra called Chak Rah.
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Born in Indiana, Rashad moved to D.C. to study broadcast management at American and Howard universities. Rashad was diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer in February. Friends and family set up a GoFundMe page in March to help with medical expenses. Rashad had completed three chemotherapy treatments, according to the campaign. WTOP’s Jason Fraley contributed to this report.
