Derrick Parks' Birthday Celebration
Cranberries, 5740 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, MD 20747

This was the birthday celebration for Derrick Parks, the owner of Cranberries.

I arrived at around 9:30. Googie was in the parking lot when I parked. There was a pickup truck with a trailer that had rotating spotlights pointed skyward. There was also a tent setup outside; it was connected to the side exit of Cranberries. When I was inside, I saw that it had tables, it was a VIP room. There was DJ music in the VIP room.

Mia took the covers when I walked in. Sherray (Always Showtime!!) was tending bar.

Whop-N-Em
Whop said that they were short handed. He said they would play for thirty minutes, and then Familiar Faces would play for an hour.
The line up had changed a lot since I last saw them: Whop (vocals and Sax), Tony Blunt (rapper), a female vocalist, a double keyboard (left), bass player, drummer, a conga player, and a timbale player.
Whop said they would perform some originals.
1) Whop-led Rick Ross' Everyday I'm Hustling - Whop said, "We've never play this joint before", it cranked, Whop stopped it due to mic distortion / Percussion solo - Tony freestyled
2) Whop-led 50 Cent's Have a Party - it cranked even more
3) Whop-led Purple Ribbon All-Stars' Kryptonite - Tony freestyled / Slick Rick's La Di Da Di (tease) - Tony kept saying, "This is not a rock band"
4) Whop-led Sunglasses - Whop played his Sax, a second keyboard player arrived and brought his keyboard, Tony freestyled
5) Whop-led "I wanna see your body wet work that let me see you drip sweat, don't play with me"
6) Whop talked about NORE's I'm a G, about people performing it and not being a G / Whop-led "Game tight" - the back stage lights came on
Whop mentioned they would be playing afterward at the Louisiana Bar & Grill. Female bartenders kept walking back and forth in front of the stage throughout the performance. There were about thirty people there in the audience. This was much better than the last time I saw them. This time, they were clearly a GoGo band and cranked.

Familiar Faces
Familiar Faces had a different line up: there was no second percussion, neither the instruments (timbales, cowbell, etc.), nor the person.
The instrument set up was basically the same as with Whop-N-Em, Doc was on the left, Dwayne on the right.
Tony was there.
Donnell said that the tent was a VIP room; he said he believed it was $20, free drinks all night.

Sound Check
1) Donnell acapella Rare Essence's I'm Getting Ready (tease)
2) Donnell acapella Tyrese's Sweet Lady (tease)

Set
1) Halima-led Mary Blige's Be Without You - Halima sang on the dance floor, fans put their hands up at the appropriate time in the lyrics / (Jamie Foxx's) Mother's Finest's Love Changes - Halima went back onstage
2) Sean-led Eric Benet's I Wanna Be Loved - Sean said, "Sometimes you got to go back", Sean went on the dance floor, Sean said, "Sometimes you got to go further back" / Teddy Pendergrass' Love TKO (tease) Donnell said, "My man Kal'el and my baby Halima. I think we're going to have her get a mi with a cord, I don't like all that moving around. A short cord."
3) Alternating Percussion solo - Donnell said, "You got to head bob" and demonstrated / Sean-led Gerald Levert's Funny - Donnell said, "Not since the 501" about Shaquita, Sean went to the edge of the monitors, Sean rapped, Dwayne went on the dance floor
Mama Chelle was there.
4) Alternating Halima-led Floetry's Supastar - it cranked, Donnell said, "Erica, damn the skirt, you know how to shake a leg", Halima went on the dance floor and walked over by the buffet, Donnell said, "Come on back", Donnell said, "Hey Googie, turn her off", Halima said, "Just another hate crime" / Donnell-led Rare Essence's "Going to Hollywood" - Some guy was talking to Smoke while he played
TT was there.
5) Alternating Donnell-led "__ Is in the House" / "Party, party, everybody"
March was there.
6) Sean-led Ne-Yo's So Sick / Percussion solo - Donnell said, "Right there Doc, make it real good" repeatedly, Donnell said, "Get with him Lee" repeatedly
7) Alternating Donnell-led Trillville's Some Cut - Sean sang / Notorious BIG's Warning - Dwayne went on the dance floor / Keith Murray's Call My Name (tease) / "Wait a minute" echoes
RE Angie was there.
8) Donnell-led "___ on the Floor" / NORE's I'm a G - Sean rapped, it cranked
9) Halima-led Mariah Carey's It's Like That - Donnell made fun of Halima's "ooh hoo"
Jessica was there.
10) Donnell & Halima-led It Is What It Is / Halima & Sean-led Luther Vandross' So Amazing (tease)
Donnell said, "Happy birthday to my man Big Derrick, Derrick Parks." Donnell said, "Where my man Benny at? He said he had something special, some dance steps." The audience had grown to over fifty by the end of their set.

Lil One said, "Are you on TMOTT?" to me, when I walked by her booth.

I said hello to Little Benny in the parking lot on my way to Tradewinds. I decided to leave despite the fact that Natural Soul with Little Benny, L!ssen Da Grew^P, and Publicity Band would be performing.