The Capital Hip Hop Soul Festival is at it again with more local talent who serve hip-hop with a twist. The high-energy festival debated in the nation's capital last year in the historic Marvin Gaye Park and included a full roster of hip-hop artists including Mello-D & the Rados, Cool CEe Brown, national recording artist Rogiers and songstress Afi Soul.

The all-day outdoor music festival had two music stages and a demonstration stage featuring local dance groups, an excerpt from the play "The 70% Club" and a poetry event, "Flowin by the Riverside.

After all of that excitement, the creative minds behind the festival, founder of Liberated Muse Productions and co-organizer of the Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest, Khadijah Ali-Coleman and co-organizer, Maceo Thomas, quickly committed to another year.

The hosts of the 2009 fest, which takes place July 25 at Marvin Gaye Park, are hip-hop rock artist Head-Roc and Def Poetry Jam poet Bassey Ikpi.

Head-Roc, a musical icon in Washington, D.C., is known for his political activism and will host the main stage for the early part of the festival. Closing out the fest is Ikpi.

Baltimore-based poet Michelle "LOVE" Nelson will host the Crystal Lounge stage, which will be located inside of the Riverside Center. The center, once called the Crystal Lounge, staged soul legend Marvin Gaye's first performance.

One of this year's feature performances will be provided by Baltimore-based rap duo own, The 5th L.

The 5th L is a nationally traveled spoken-word, hip-hop soul group with members David "Native Son" Ross and Femi "The Dri Fish" Lawal.

"I have been a writer my whole life, but it wasn't until I got to college that I really began to expose myself to the world by performing hip hop," said Ross. "When I began to do poetry and people began to respond positively to my work, I kept going and I walked out of college being a full time artist."

Lawal had a different approach.

"I started performing after high school, I used to draw and I would write stuff next to the pictures but never full-on writing," he said. "Then, a few years later I would go to venues and start sharing some of my work and no matter if I got a good reception or not I just kept moving with it."

The duo describe themselves as an action-packed poetry experience that delivers spoken word with the skilled theatries of a Broadway show and the high-energy performance a rap concert. However, both artists maintain the poetic integrity of Langston Hughes and look to entertain and enlighten their audiences.