Last Friday, D-Nice brought together a few comedian’s friends to bring some laughs to the DMV as part of his Club Quarantine Live series. However, Saturday, October 7th, was about the music as Club Quarantine Live with D-Nice and special guests turned the Kennedy Center into a full-on party.
The special guests on tonight’s bill included Camp Lo, Frédéric Yonnet, Jadakiss, Kem, Machel Montano, MC Lyte, Muni Long, Shanice, Tracie Spencer, and Vin Rock of Naughty by Nature. While I am a Hip Hop head and was aware of D-Nice’s two solo albums, like many, I witnessed his career resurgence in 2020 during the COVID-Pandemic when he began hosting Homeschool at Club Quarantine on Instagram Live from his home as a coping mechanism.
Due to scheduling obligations, I missed experiencing Club Quarantine Live, so I was anxious about this event. Upon entering the venue, attendees were dressed elegantly and ready to enjoy themselves. After some warm-up jokes by our host, Chris Spencer, D-Nice kicked off a DJ Set to get the party rocking, While D-Nice was playing the nineties classic “Hip Hop Hooray,” Vin Rock, who performed on the track, made his way to the stage as the evening’s first performer and would later remain on stage to serve as a hype man between the acts.
As for the performers, each performed two songs, and D-Nice essentially would play music. Given the impressive catalog of some of the performers, what songs would make their way into the setlists?
I won’t go into much detail about the performances, but everyone brought their A-Game. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how crisp Shanice’s vocals were on her signature song, “I Love Your Smile,” and Jadakiss’s energy on “We Gon Make It,” with the Orchestra backing him up.
Last November, D-Nice, formerly of Boogie Down Productions, made history as the first DJ and hip-hop artist to headline the Kennedy Center Opera House. As a council member of the Kennedy Center Hip Hop Culture, D-Nice has a dynamic love for the genre, incorporating turntablism, photography, and community into the genre.
Here’s hoping Club Quarantine becomes an annual event at The Kennedy Center.
Final Grade: B+
Growing up in the nineties, movies aimed at a melanin audience often featured soundtracks that had to be just as flavorful as the films themselves. This week, for Slow Jam Saturday, I want to take a trip back to 1993 and highlight one of the slow jams from the soundtrack of “Menace II Society”.
Last week marked two significant anniversaries for one of the greatest artists of all time, Mr. Prince Rogers Nelson. It’s only fitting that I show him some love for Second Listen Sunday. The first anniversary was on the 21st, commemorating nine years since his passing. The second anniversary was on the 22nd, celebrating the 40th anniversary of his seventh studio album, “Around the World in a Day.”
One of my most significant decisions late last year was to pledge to Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. At the time of this writing, I am in Atlantic City for my fraternity’s Regional Conference, where I will represent my chapter, Beta Alpha Omega. In that regard, I believe the perfect song for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday is “The Best Man I Can Be.”