I AM GO-GO™
THE MEGA WEBSITE FOR GO-GO
BYB
New-school / 1990s force • Washington, D.C.

BACKYARD
BAND

Also known as: BYB • fronted by Anwan “Big G” Glover
1990s+New SchoolLive cultureHip-hop connectionD.C.
Explore History

Artist overview

Backyard Band grew from young musicians making rhythm on buckets and improvised percussion into one of the defining younger-generation Go-Go bands. Sources differ on the exact “formation” year because the group’s neighborhood beginnings predate its established club-era identity; this page keeps those stages separate instead of forcing one date.

Neighborhood beginningsBig G described teenagers banging buckets and composing rhymes around 14th and Perry streets NW in the mid-1980s.
Early-1990s circuit arrivalA D.C. Council ceremonial resolution says Backyard first came onto the District Go-Go scene in the early 1990s.
Big GAnwan Glover became the band’s lead talker and later reached national audiences as an actor while continuing with BYB.

Music

Hood Related1990s-era recorded release associated with Backyard’s harder, hip-hop-connected Go-Go identity.
CATALOG LEAD
SkilletFrequently cited within the culture as a key Backyard recording; the public page keeps the title documented without implying an authorized on-site stream.
CATALOG LEAD
Dope Jam / live-era repertoireBackyard’s reputation is deeply tied to recurring live performance, evolving jams and adaptations rather than studio singles alone.
LIVE ARCHIVE

Live & PA archive

Backyard’s history is fundamentally live. The archive prioritizes dated PA-tape evidence, club recordings, school shows, posters and recurring weekly Go-Go dates. Exact date/venue claims stay off the public timeline until they are tied to a tape label, flyer, newspaper listing or other source.

KilimanjaroBig G recalled Chuck Brown giving Backyard an early major break at a club show in the early 1990s.
Weekly Go-Go circuitBy 1999 the Washington Post described the band playing four shows a week, including recurring club dates.
Mobile ruleLong live-show catalogs stay searchable behind this page rather than loading as one giant phone list.

Timeline

Bucket-and-rhyme beginnings
Big G later recalled the future Backyard musicians composing and playing on improvised percussion as teenagers in Northwest D.C.
Breakthrough on the Go-Go circuit
D.C. Council history places Backyard’s arrival as a city fixture in the early 1990s; Chuck Brown helped provide an early major opening opportunity.
A defining new-school band
Backyard’s harder blend of Go-Go, rap, keyboards and live crowd interaction helped define a younger-era sound.
Legacy continues
Backyard remains a major D.C. Go-Go name, with Big G and longtime members carrying the band across generations.

People & connections

Anwan “Big G” GloverLead talker, founding figure and one of Go-Go’s most recognizable voices.
Paul “Buggy” EdwardsLongtime drummer identified in public D.C. cultural programming.
Leroy “Weensey” BrandonCore vocalist named in the D.C. Council Backyard Band resolution.

Sampling & wider influence

Backyard’s influence belongs in both Go-Go and hip-hop conversations because the band helped normalize a younger, rap-heavy, harder-edged approach while preserving the live pocket and crowd dialogue. Specific sampling claims are separated into direct sample, interpolation, cover and influence categories and remain unconfirmed until the evidence supports them.

Source trail

D.C. Council — Backyard Band ceremonial resolutionOfficial resolution recognizing Backyard’s impact and early-1990s arrival on the Go-Go scene.Government source
The Washington Post — “Ga-Ga Over Go-Go”1999 feature on the band, its bucket beginnings, manager Terrance Cooper and live schedule.Newspaper source
VOA — Anwan “Big G” Glover interviewBig G describes starting young, bucket-playing roots and Chuck Brown giving Backyard an early big break.First-person interview

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Live & PA trail

Physical Audio

Follow documented live recordings, tapes, venues and dates.

Visual trail

Posters & Shows

Move from the artist into documented shows, flyers and date evidence.

Context

Go-Go History

See where the artist fits in the larger development of the sound.