How the Legendary D-Nice Lit Up Instagram With His Club Quarantine Party
Just call him D-Nice. On Saturday, the legendary rapper-turned-DJ D-Nice set the internet on fire when his quarantine dance party went viral. Social-distancing during the coronavirus crisis was made a bit easier.
Everyone mingled virtually on the dancefloor as he played old-school and new-school tunes in a marathon format. If you don’t know who he is, learn about his hot Instagram party and a little bit of hip-hop history.
D-Nice’s Club Quarantine was THE place to be
Launched as a way to cope with self-isolation around the globe, DJ D-Nice’s “Home School” event first landed on Instagram days before when he hosted a nine-hour set on Wednesday on the platform.
Armed with two turntables and records for days, he spun from the comfort of his own living room, and the virtual bash saw the likes of John Legend, Common, and Big Daddy Kane stop by.
With more people on lockdown this weekend, word got around about the March 21 party and more than 100,000 hopped on D-Nice’s Instagram Live to turn up for hours.
The hashtag “#ClubQuarantine” was trending throughout the day and night as people listened and danced to hip-hop, house music, R&B, reggae, and soul classics. There was even a Kenny Rogers tribute.
As DJ D-Nice got the crowd into a groove, he was surprised to see some famous names come through, including Norman Lear, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Oprah, and Michelle Obama.
Along with everyday folks like us, the vibes also drew Rihanna, Drake, Gabrielle Union, Mark Zuckerberg, Will Smith, J.Lo, and Janet Jackson.
Seeing Jackson in the club turned DJ D-Nice into a fan, “Yo, Janet Jackson is in here! Oh my God! I’m taking it back to my favorite Janet record, let’s go.” Playing “What Have You Done For Me Lately” first, he kicked off a whole set of her songs.
Diddy took the time to thank DJ D-Nice on Twitter and according to various reports, the event set a new Instagram Live record for the number of attendees.
D-Nice is no newbie, folks
He goes by DJ D-Nice, but before that, he was taking out suckers and you didn’t know how he did it as a rapper (check the lyrics). Once part of hip-hop’s Bronx crew, Boogie Down Productions, D-Nice kicked off his rap career alongside KRS-One and DJ Scott La Rock.
In 1990, he released his debut solo album, Call Me D-Nice – which is still quotable – and followed up with a second project in 1991. After that, he became a record producer and professional photographer, working with other artists in the music business.
For a while, D-Nice was doing interviews with hip-hop legends – before Unsung and N.O.R.E.’s Drink Champs – and posting the videos online.
For at least a decade, he’s been killing it as a DJ and rocking parties for major events and celebrities. Fun fact: D-Nice deejayed Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade’s wedding.
Childish Gambino dropped new music during party
There were many highlights during the 10-hour session, but close to the end, partiers were surprised with one of Childish Gambino’s new songs.
According to Vibe, D-Nice played “19.10” during the last hour of the set, which is one of the tracks from Childish Gambino’s Donald Glover Presents project.
In this time of worldwide crisis and coming together, the party was an event many won’t soon forget. People are ready for the next one with D-Nice, but there’s no official word on whether he’ll be hosting another Club Quarantine soon. If he does, don’t miss it.
