Tabi Bonney headlines the DMVincible showcase at SXSW next week. (publicity photo)

On March 18, many of the best DMV hip-hop artists will be down in Austin, Tx.: Singer/rapper Harmony Muzik and talent manager Dre the Mayor, of 368 Music Group, have organized the first SXSW showcase exclusively featuring D.C.-area rappers and DJs. DMVincible will be held at Prague in Austin. Tabi Bonney is headlining, Raheem DeVaughn is hosting, and artists including Phil Adé, XO, Bossman, Bear Witnez, Ra the MC, and Kingpen Slim are performing.

"This is the first DMV hip-hop regional showcase at SXSW," Harmony says. "We really got heavy-hitters, artists with national buzz and accolades. Everybody on the line-up has an incredible resume."

Harmony says the showcase was organized because, while a lot of D.C. hip-hop artists make the pilgrimage down to SXSW each year, they're usually on different stages at different times on different days, which makes it hard for attendees to get a feel for the area rap scene.

"I was at SXSW last year, so were a lot of other artists, but we were scattered," Harmony says. "XO was down there, Proverb, Tabi—there were like 10 or 15 of us. But on hundreds of stages over 5 days, you can't really make that representation for your region."

Harmony says she and Dre the Mayor began working on the line-up in January. "First we looked at who has the biggest national buzz, and also who would be down there already.," she says. "Because it would be a lot of money to go down for just one show.

"And we wanted to have a good variety," she continues. "Lyrical monsters like Lyriciss, Proverb, Gods'Illa, Nike Nando. Those with great, upbeat club music like Phuture, and Bear Witnez. Great alternative [hip-hop] artists like Tabi and Kokayi, and then we have artists who really speak to the streets. And we've got Virginia, Baltimore, southern Maryland, and D.C. artists from Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Uptown--we're really giving people a nice blend. We’ve got thousands of artist in this area--we’re just giving SXSW a taste, so it has to be a good taste."

Although, obviously, every single hip-hop artists in the region can't go down to the showcase, Harmony hopes people are pleased with the group she has assembled. "I hope other artists that aren’t going with us can be supportive," she says. "We can't take everybody down, but ultimately we hope that everyone has faith in the people we are taking down to represent everyone, and can root for us."

For those who aren't going down to SXSW, Harmony says, there will be a mixtape and documentary to come out of the event, and the show itself will be broadcast live on U Stream.

"DMV Jams will be down there doing live U-Stream of the whole thing, and Cool Kids Forever are doing the documentary." Harmony says. "And DJ Money is doing a mixtape with all the artists on the bill."

In addition to overseeing the showcase, Harmony, who is readying a new mixtape, Gen X, will be "promoting singles, passing out fliers and bumper stickers, and doing a couple of other shows I'm in the process of finalizing--and probably hanging out at showcases like a vulture, in case other artists miss their flights!"

Still, her primary focus is DMVincible. "I want to have every major magazine in that building, I want to take these artists to a national platform," she says. "The SXSW stage is where people get discovered, people get signed--it's like fashion week for the music industry. And I want people to say, 'Wow, D.C. is what's going to be happening this year. I want them to be wowed by what we have to offer here."