The Silent Night that Rocked New York City

By Moe Olivier

     There’s an old saying that goes, “There is nothing new under the Sun” and while that may be true, there is clearly more to see out here.  So this week I was invited to a silent 90’s party.  That’s right I said, “a silent 90’s party.” Located @SantosPartyHaus, 96 Lafayette St, New York, NY, folks came out in traditional 1990s hip hop gear, from adidas track suits with the headband to match to the classic basketball jersey.  I even saw some ladies who broke out the high waisted old acid wash jeans and midriff tank tops.  Honestly the way fashion trends are now the whole #90s look wasn’t really that nostalgic.  The party was just very reminiscent of gentrified #Brooklyn minus the hipsters, specifically referring to Bushwick and Bed Stuy or should I say East Williamsburg and Stuyvesant Heights. What I’ve learned was that this was called a day-party.  Something new that I’ve heard has been popping up around the NYC area.  The party started at 4pm and lasted until a little past 10pm.  At first I thought, “who the hell wants to start partying at 4 o’clock in the afternoon.  They buggin, ain’t nobody gonna even show up.”  I was even reluctant to go.  However, I’m forced to eat my words.  The party was ram packed with mofos ready to do the cabbage patch and the harlem shake, and I mean the real one.  Not that White boy bullshit that went viral on Youtube.  

Now don’t get it twisted, there was music involved, in what I thought was gonna be a party for mimes!  Apparently, there is a new thing happening on the party scene, some creative folks decided to have a DJ battle using, what had to be, a whole collection of wifi headphones.  The scene inside the party was kinda dope though.  There were two Djs playing at the same time, Dj Jynn and DJ Blackout.  All the party goers had on a set of phones with three channels.  One for DJ Jynn which lit up blue when tuned into his set and the other for DJ Blackout which lit up green on his.  The third channel was red.  It did not have a DJ connected to it but I used it anyway from time to time when both DJs were playing shit I couldn’t  fuck with. In other words, I’d rather listen to white noise than hear some of that garbage hip hop circulating the airwaves.  Anyway, the colors created a picturesque atmosphere in Santos while cats were busting the moves on the dance floor.  

The weirdest part of the evening was when I took off the headphones to  take in the musicless space.  It looked like all the crazies who would sing at that the top of their lungs with their ipod on, in the subway had gathered in the same location. It was like I had awaken from hypnosis and became one of those sophisticated type riding the A train for the first time and appalled at the young people for being obnoxiously lost inside the music playing loudly in their headphones.  Then, when I put my headphones back on, they did not seem that crazy anymore and I became one of them.  However, thinking to myself while enjoying my own style of the milly rock.  “How crazy do I look to folks who have now taken off their headphone?”  

My last commentary about the 90s silent night party has to do with the showcase of the featured artist on the flyer, @HollywoodYSA.  Now, I would not be true to myself if I didn’t have at least one negative thing to say about this event so here it goes. Remember this event started about 4pm and is slated to end at 10.  By 8pm there still was no performance or even any mention of when it was gonna happen.  Instead, at approximately 8:30pm these mofos are singing happy birthday to someone who I’m assuming was the promoter.  Don’t get me wrong, singing happy birthday is cool, however, why does that have to supercede the artist’s showcase? And, they didn’t even informing the people who came to see the artist when this shit is supposed to go down!  That just seem like some narcissistic shit.  I mean let’s be clear.  You got me to come out because of what was promoted on the flyer.  I don’t know why other folks came out but that’s why i did!  The flyer said #90s.  If y’all don’t know yet, I was created by #90s culture.  The flyer also said Live performance by YSA.  I heard the boy spit before and he got bars so I came for that too.  I didn’t come to celebrate some unknowns birthday.  I was ready leave and so was a few other folks who actually left before me.  To be fair, I’m not sure why they left, but imma add them to my bandwagon, fuck it!   

Anyway, by 9:30 YSA is into his set.  I gotta admit,  dope shit!  I wanna even say it was worth the wait but I can’t because I didn’t wait.  I did however catch it later on video and yes I still caught goose bumps off the boy’s flow.  I love the call and response hiphop that evokes the crowds participation.  The performances added another unique element to the entire event.  The artist in the blue headphones.  The crowd in blue and green ones created and electrifying ambiance, while  reciting the lyrics during YSA’s performance.  “Roll that up light that up….SMOKE IT!!!!  Its great to see young emcees recreating what the essence of this music really is. In the end the #90s Silent party was far from quiet but a head on collision with dopeness!

Recap of @lbanksdabossy "90's Silent Party" #PinnacleAndOj never gets old! …#itsBEcomingNOrmal

A video posted by Y.S.A (@hollywoodysa) on Apr 6, 2016 at 5:57pm PDT