Bound To Be Bold / Cover Story  0%

Chaz French

D.C.

Chaz French spent most of his early years in D.C. before his family moved to Texas. After his parents split, his mom moved back to D.C. while French stuck around Texas, going through bouts of homelessness until eventually returning to D.C. as well. Things have gone his way since, dropping his debut, Happy Belated, in 2014, followed by These Things Take Time in 2015. He recently moved to Hanover, Md., though D.C. is always home. "The rap scene is growing," he says. "Give us five years and we'll be like Atlanta, New York, or L.A."

Chaz French

Venue

French didn't hit many shows when he was younger, but now his favorite local venue is the 9:30 Club. The live music spot in Northwest Washington fits about 1,200 people during its mostly all-ages shows and accommodates patrons with four full bars and a kitchen that preps snacks and sandwiches. French has played the 9:30 Club a couple of times, but he says that one of his goals is to grace the stage as a headliner.

Chaz French

Destination

Looking for a bar? Head to U Street, where French swears you will find a ton of options. If you get tired of that area and are looking for something different, go to Policy Restaurant and Lounge on 14th Street. "It's like all different types of people there," he says. "They just come there to have fun. Nobody's there to look cool. Everybody's just dancing. And they play all types of music." Any time is a good time for Policy, but French suggests stopping in on a Friday night.

Chaz French

Dining Out

French has a lot of stops along his D.C. food tour. There's Oohh's and Aahh's for soul food, a taco truck around H Street, and the Capital Grille if you are in the mood for a steak. Or you could skip all of those and head straight for Ben's Chili Bowl. The historic D.C. staple sells chili-dogs, milkshakes, cheese fries, burgers, and other items guaranteed to make you drool.