242 is an artist collective based in Germantown, Maryland. Starting in 2015, 242 was initially a band at Roberto Clemente Middle School. Having been a part of the school's Rock Band program, this was the initial inspiration to jumpstart the formation of 242. Over the course of the next several years, as additional members joined, the diverse musical inspirations and backgrounds of each member merged together to transition from being a rock band to being a more genre-diverse group, with a focus on hip-hop and pop. 242 has opened for musicians such as GRAMMY-nominated Duckwrth, Smino, Jordan Ward, Joony, Maeta, and Jeremih, and has performed in venues across the DMV including DC9 Nightclub, Union Stage, Stevenson University, the UMD armory, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Art Attack, and Nyumburu Cultural Center. In 2019, 242 was a finalist in three WAMMIES categories: Best Hip Hop Group, Best Pop Album (“Life of an Empire”), and Best Hip Hop Song (“Who You Gon Tell?”). Then, in 2022, 242 was a finalist in two WAMMIES categories: Best Hip Hop Group and Best Pop Song (“Hesitate”). Powered behind a following of over 3500 people, 242 have amassed over 1000 tickets sold, 90K+ streams, five WAMMIES finalist nominations, and memorable viral social media moments including an introductory TikTok post for all 242 members which amassed over 108K views and countless new fans eagerly anticipating their next move.