For an activist who advocates for people living with HIV, having the privilege to come to Munich, Germany to attend the IAS Conference is huge. It’s an opportunity that is not easily attained by many. Once again, this year, several activists who live in the Global South did not have their visas issued in time for them to come, in spite of having applied on time. Several of them were supposed to be part of panel presentations. As in Montréal two years ago, this meant that important voices from HIV work were silenced. If IAS truly wants to “Put People First”, it needs to ensure that any country that is successful in being chosen to organise this biannual conference also commits to ensure:
* timely processing of visas for attendees, particularly people living with HIV from the Global South and from other low-income countries.
* provide full scholarships for people living with HIV so they are able to participate fully, instead of scrambling to find sponsorship.
Myself and several colleagues living with HIV received partial scholarships to the conference. They covered our flights and conference registration. Many people living with HIV live in poverty. Many of us do not have jobs. We are volunteers. So when we are given a scholarship that only covers our flights and registration, we have to figure out how to pay for food and accommodation. One colleague had to do a GoFundMe, even though he was able to find partial support from his local HIV organization. Myself and another colleague were able to find support from our local HIV organization, HIV Edmonton. At the IAS conference in 2022, in Montreal, in several sessions, I called on HIV organizations to ensure that if they were sending people to the conference, especially as panel members, that they send at least one person living with HIV. Our organization really stepped up at this conference. They made it possible for more than one person living with HIV to attend. We were able to do several panel presentations on aging with HIV and living with Hepatitis C co-infection. HIV Edmonton demonstrated true leadership in meaningful engagement of people living with HIV. It is possible for other HIV organizations to do the same. They just have to have the willingness to make it happen.
Here are a few of the sessions I attended: on the first and second day I attended the Living 2024, people living with HIV pre-conference. It was co-organised by the Prevention Access
Campaign (PAC) and the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP +). The opening panel gave insight into the work being done by activists around the globe. Then PAC discussed the launch of U=U University. This is the next phase of U=U. Ensuring that activists in countries around the world have access to the tools they need to scale up education on U=U.
Davina Connor, an activist from the US, Florence Riako Anam (from GNP+, Kenya), Bruce Richman (from the United States and founder of PAC) talked about “how can we use this remarkable science-based fact (U=U) to strengthen our advocacy for universal access to treatment and care, including our rights-based approaches to advocacy?”
Then Juan Michael Porter II (United States) talked about “How can the U=U science be used to support advocacy to end discriminatory laws, policies and practices, including criminalization?” Juan had me in tears. His message of ensuring that no one is left behind was powerful.
There was a group discussion about how the “U=U movement must be led by and for the global community of people living with HIV in all our diversity. How can we ensure and
support a decolonized vision and leadership?” I came away from this pre-conference feeling invigorated and renewed in my hope for taking the U=U message forward.
On the opening day of the conference, the U=U University was launched. We heard from several countries that have successfully implemented country-wide U=U campaign that have had significant impact. Asia Nguyen from Vietnam talked about one of the most inspiring and successful U=U campaigns. I first heard about their work in 2022 and this year they talked about how they’ve continued to scale up their reach.
Tuesday I was part of a panel on HIV and aging for the International Labour Organization. We talked about the care needs for people living with HIV as we age. Then I attended a dinner put on by ViiV It was great seeing other activists and meeting people doing work around the globe. But I was disappointed that it was basically a catered focus group. Note to ViiV: next time invite us to a two hour focus group, feed us and pay us honoraria for our time.
Wednesday day I was part of a panel presentation put on by the Canadian Positive People Network (CPPN) on HIV and Aging for REALIZE in their Silver Zone. Our moderator was Martin McIntosh from the Regional HIV Connection in London, Ontario. Marlo Cottrell stepped up to fill in for a colleague who was unable to attend due to illness. Gord Asmus from AIDS Committee of Ottawa was also part of the panel. We had a great discussion, led by Martin, about the life course realities of aging with HIV. An audience member came up and said he was struck by how we didn’t whine about co-morbidity and instead talked about our sex lives. It was awesome!
Thursday was a CPPN session in the Canada Pavilion in the Exhibition Hall. We all were wearing t-shirts that said different phrases like: “Ask me about aging.” “Ask me about HIV HCV Co-infection.” “Ask me about Love Positive Women.” “Ask me about Women’s Health Equity.” etc Then people came up to us to talk one on one about the various topics. It went really well, I thought. We had some great discussions.
We went to the Positive Lounge almost every day. Kudos to the organizers and the volunteers. Yes, some people living with HIV who did not receive full scholarships went there to eat but they all stayed for the camaraderie. It’s an opportunity to meet people from all over and talk about what living with HIV looks like for us. To share ideas, uplift one another and some days just relax.
Friday was the closing to an informative and uplifting conference. The IAS conference is an opportunity to meet activists from around the world who are doing inspiring work. I come away from the conference not only feeling inspired, but also re-invigorated for the work. I’ve met people who are passionate about the work they do. I’ve met people who want to change the world for the better for people living with HIV. I can hardly wait for the next one in two years to see what all these great people are up to!
In May 1995, I landed my first job in New York City. I was nervous because I was dealing with many life challenges. One day, one of my coworkers approached me and asked if I needed help. Whew! Trust and believe me, I did! He was an openly gay Puerto Rican man and fellow dancer. We became the best of friends. As the weeks turned into months, he disclosed to me that his mother was HIV positive, and he was taking care of his three younger siblings (all girls). I can still remember my shocked facial expression that I didn't even think to control, respectfully. He assured me he wasn't offended, and I offered to do whatever I could to help him. I never broke his trust by telling any other coworkers. Many days, I would attempt to travel from Newark (I was still living in New Jersey at the time) to Brooklyn to meet her, and each time, he would take her to the hospital because she was getting worse.
Unfortunately, I never met her because she passed away that Winter. It was a freezing snowy day when I traveled to the Bronx for her funeral. My coworker didn't know I was coming but was shocked to see me walk into the funeral services. He said something t hat caught me off guard: "Aron, you came!" Confused by that, he explained that I was the only one of his friends (i.e., fellow dancers and club kids) to come to his mother's funeral. Not even his longtime best friend attended. I made him laugh by letting him know I had almost fallen on some ice because black ice was on parts of the street in front of the funeral home. He introduced me to his maternal grandmother, who spoke no English, and my Spanish could have been better even though I have Spanish-speaking family members. The family was grateful, regardless. It was vital for me to be a true friend!!!!
I can only imagine how challenging it is to be an HIV+ employee in a work environment in which you want to share your status with a trusted fellow employee or some employees. Creating an emotional and trustful safe space for HIV+ employees and those who are caregiving for others who are is essential. Your employer is not required to know that you are
HIV positive, and they are only permitted to inquire about your status in certain limited circumstances. You can ask an employer, manager, or other coworker to provide the reason for the question if you are unsure if what they are asking is legal. You could be looking for advice as an HR specialist or employer on how to give employees with HIV a happy and productive work environment. Fear can trigger undesirable actions. People who
lack appropriate information may fear those who are HIV positive or whom they believe to be HIV positive, as well as the friends and family of those who are HIV positive. All personnel, including management, have obligations when they reveal that they are HIV positive. To create a productive and encouraging work environment for employees with HIV and other illnesses, leadership is crucial. This can entail dealing with stigma, which has the potential to cause discrimination and impair productivity at work. One of the leading causes of stigma in the workplace is a lack of proper knowledge about HIV. The stigma around HIV can be emotionally taxing. Even though many individuals with HIV do an excellent job at their employment, workplace performance may be impacted by the stress and anxiety brought on by HIV-related stigma. As an employer, you may support the development of a work environment where every person gives their utmost. As a supervisor, you can inform yourself and your staff about HIV. You can study HIV-related employment laws, including reasonable accommodations, handicaps, and medical confidentiality. You should be aware of any workplace regulations, including the one regarding HIV, and any HIV education initiatives that may be in place. Being competent in handling HIV will convey that your organization has established guidelines and expectations about HIV that everyone must abide by. Encouraging a secure atmosphere will boost output.
About the author,
Aron Prince is a New York City-based spoken word recording artist and writer.
Instagram: @aron. prince / iTunes: Aron Prince
Financial Empowerment for Healthy Aging with HIV
A Research Study
Are you someone who is aging with HIV (age 50+)?
Do you worry about making informed financial decisions?
Do you have questions about the benefits available to you as you age?
Do you have the support of a knowledgeable financial planner? The information gathered may help community-based
Consider taking this SURVEY independently (online) or with support from a Research Coordinator
You will be compensated for your time (45-60 minutes in total). Your information will be kept confidential.
tailor
to
the financial information and support needs of people aging with HIV across Ontario. To complete the study pre-screening online, visit: https://www.realizecanada.org/our-work/hiv-andaging/financial-empowerment-for-healthy-aging-withhiv-a-research-study/ or contact the Research Coordinator by phone 416-513-0440 ext. 234 or email* clessels@realizecanada.org
So, a few months back I was looking through Instagram and came across a profile of a gentlemen who was sharing his journey of being HIV+ and getting healthy. I think the thing that struck me about him was his care in explaining what everything means about HIV and its transmission. As I watched more of his videos, I found out that he's a Christian, into fitness and has a good family life. I wanted to know more about him and his story, so I reached out and he wasn't taken back by a drag queen writing him from Canada.
I look forward to introducing you to Mr. Peter Crabb.
JE: Peter… thank you so much for doing this interview. I wasn’t sure that you would respond when I wrote to you through Instagram but I found your posts very inspiring and wanted to share your story with our readers. How are you today?
PC: Hi Jade, thanks for making contact, I really appreciate you contacting me and taking such an interest in my story. I’ve just got back from the gym after a really good session and feel amazing.
JE: Hopefully, you’ve had a chance to check out some of our past issues to get an idea of how the interviews normally go. We normally start with asking about where you are from and your background. Would you mind sharing a little about your start in life.
PC: I live in a medium sized town in the UK called Rugby (where the Rugby school and the football game was started), with about 120,000 population and growing. By the time this is published I will be 45 years old, married for 22 years (to a Canadian girl) with five children, most of them grown up now.
Growing up, it was soon discovered that I was struggling with dyslexia, which attracted quite a lot of bullying. Unfortunately, in those days there wasn’t much help for people like me. My parents did manage to get me some private help through our church, but this was limited. On top of the bullying, at a very young age of around 6, I was sexually abused by two different people, on different occasions. It wasn’t until I reached my early teens that I began to realise what had happened to me and how wrong it was, and the effects it was having in my life. I could not talk about it to anyone at the time, this led me to eventually beginning to seek some solace through drugs. I feel now that my pain was manifesting through my subsequent addictions which lasted a good 25 years.
JE: Besides your inspiring posts, the other reason I wanted to share your story is that we don’t get to often hear from our bi-sexual counterparts of the HIV+ community. Most publications and studies are usually with gay men and very few women. Is it okay to ask about how and when you were infected with the virus?
PC: My wife and I were in a bad place and were both going through a period of infidelity. We were really struggling in lots of things which led to this. It would be fair to say it was a really dark time for both of us. In discovering we were both being unfaithful and ostensibly living separate lives, it brought us to a place of hitting rock bottom. For me, this happened one night on discovering that not only I but also my wife was being unfaithful. I felt hopeless and in struggling with my own sexuality for many years I guess it was all staring to come to a head. I was extremely depressed and actually at times did not want to go on any longer. The pressure was incredible. I knew that I could not, in fairness, be angry with my wife, as I was equally being unfaithful and had been for some time. I realised it was time not only for change, but through my brokenness it was time to be honest with her and tell her everything.
It’s hard to describe what that first meeting was like, we were both, for the first time, completely honest and open with one another about everything. I shared with her about my struggles with my sexuality, all that had happened to me in my younger years and how it had all contributed in causing so much agony in my life. I already knew much of my wife’s past and her struggles, I guess we knew at the outset of our marriage that we were both carrying a lot of unresolved trauma. Naively we thought we’d be ok.
We both felt it was wise to get tested due to our joint infidelity, by that time I was experiencing many symptoms that were related to HIV which at that time I was unaware of. After testing, in October of 2021, after receiving our test results it was discovered that mine had detected HIV.
JE: What was it like to get that diagnosis?
PC: I received my diagnosis over the telephone which wasn’t, looking back, the ideal way to receive it. My initial feeling was absolute numbness, I couldn’t believe what I had just heard, I thought it meant I was going to die, that this was a death sentence. I instantly thought of my wife and children imagining them growing up without me. After what felt like an eternity which in fact was a few seconds the nurse told me, “You’re going to be ok, this is now easily manageable.” It’s hard to list all of the emotional responses that I was feeling at that point, it took some time for me to accept that I was going to be ok. I grew up in the generation when HIV was in fact a death sentence, so being told I was going to be ok took me a while to accept.
JE: I’m curious…what made you decide to share your story on social media?
PC: After getting used to my diagnosis, and researching myself about HIV and its accompanying stigma, which angered me and filled me with indignation and sadness that people should be treated so horrifically for having a virus, I felt compelled to show the realities of living with HIV. This began to manifest through my determination to show that having HIV does not limit you physically, mentally, socially or spiritually. I took this decision on world aids day 2023 which is when I started to become active in speaking in the HIV community about it. I wanted to help others and show that you can be fit and strong and healthy living with HIV. I have a strong conviction that HIV does not define me in any way, I have a virus, that is living in me, that thankfully through the drug I take keeps it at an undetectable level in my body, this means I cannot transmit HIV to anyone. People that are living with HIV are often regarded as weak and sickly, hopefully I am showing that is completely false, you can thrive with HIV. I’ve always had a strong conviction to push back against any kind of bullying or what I see as social stigmatising of individuals or groups, I think I developed this through my own experience of being bullied.
JE: From your posts, it looks like you have a wonderful family life. Could you share a little about them? You don’t have to name names but I’m sure some of our readers would like to know that they too can have a family and live a healthy life.
PC: My children range in age from 25 to 8, I have four girls and one boy (who is the youngest). Of course it was my family who I first shared the diagnosis with and it stayed that way until December 2023 when I began to share more publicly. I was advised by my father to share with my family and to reassure them over what this meant, I also visited all of my extended family personally and spoke to each member face to face - it would be fair to say that they were all brilliant in their responses and nothing but supportive. I think it’s fair to say that most, if not all of them, knew about my addiction journey and were all pleased that I was getting my life sorted out. I realise of course that not everyone has such a positive
reaction with their families, it is so sad that is the case which is another of the reasons that I seek to help and encourage others where I can in keeping strong. Some of the stories I have heard are so horrific and my heart goes out to those who struggle alone with their diagnosis. Some feel they have to isolate themselves, so what you guys are doing in your magazine is brilliant, the more we can educate and support the better.
JE: I personally am not that religious but was raised a Southern Baptist in the US. I believe Christianity plays a big part In your journey to being healthy. Could you talk a little about that?
PC: I was born and raised in a Christian home; my parents led the Church that I was brought up in. I have many happy memories and some not so happy in church life which I guess is normal. However, there were many challenges in being a minister’s son and many expectations, on top of this I was struggling with my sexuality and eventually drugs. Keeping all of this secret up until my diagnosis was so painful and isolating. I tried to live the expected Christian life, and I have come to realise that I was not so much living my own journey, but rather, the expected one. Just before my diagnosis I had reached out to God in my own way, which I guess it would be fair to say was a challenge to Him to do something and help me. I had no idea that the very next day things were to come to a head, and although painful, the healing process began that very day. I could never have imagined the intimacy that would develop between my wife and myself and my extended family and especially and most importantly, from that day - with God. I believe that this is the primary
reason I feel so Free and Fearless in my HIV activism, I have never felt so completely Free and for once happy and satisfied that I am now the authentic Peter Crabb unashamed with who I am and what I believe.
JE: And before I let you go…one last question. What advice would you give to a Bi person who has been newly diagnosed?
PC: Realise first of all that you are not alone, you are part of a large community of wonderful poz people all living and thriving in their own unique journeys. Don’t be afraid to reach out, educate yourself about the condition that you have, don’t suffer in silence, there are many organisations out there that are set up to help people with HIV no matter your sexuality.
My socials are: Instagram @peterc106 YouTube Peter,c106. Tik Tok Peter.c106
PC: Thank you for giving me this opportunity to share my story. Through my HIV journey, I am developing a real sense of purpose, already doors are beginning to open to me. I have a purpose to work with others whether it be through addiction issues or sexuality issues or HIV diagnosis. I see PEOPLE not CONDITIONS, we are more than what happens to us, what happens to us should not define whether or not we are loved and cared for. I have a
virus because I had sex, that does not and will never define me, I am now learning who I really am, I have been criticised and vilified, however, at least I am being honest, open and transparent in my journey, in the hope of reaching and touching others who are struggling. God bless you all and once again, thank you to POZPLANET
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It’s the dead of summer and the song “What A Di*erence A Day Makes” by Dinah Washington keeps ringing in my head. From the disastrous presidential debate for Joe Biden to his decision to drop out of the race to let Kamala Harris run instead…July was a day to day a=air! We’ve got twenty-five tracks to talk about that run the gamut from Hip Hop to Reggae to Pop to Afro Beat to Soca House to Latin Club and more!
So, let’s get started shall we?
So, the war of words between Drake and Kendrick Lamar (to me) has been one sucker punch after another one. I think that Aubrey should sit this one out for a while. Because Kendrick’s “Not Like Us” is the definitive diss track. He released it and shut Drake down. Then to rub salt into the wound, Mr. Lamar shot a video for it. Now he’s traveling back up the charts. And here’s where our August EAR CANDY starts. As a DJ, I am conflicted on whether to any Drake records in my sets at all. I noticed he didn’t attend the BET Awards this year…even though he was nominated a couple of times. Shortly after I did this month’s mix Camila Cabello dropped a track with Drake. I’ll check it out and review it next time.
Up second is the Enaye Remix of “Red Light” by Kid Ink. It’s been a while since I have heard a Hip Hop track that made me wanna dance. For me, this one is a banga! It has all the right elements to get a downtempo set jumpin’
For some of our readers they may not know that every August in Toronto there is a Caribbean festival that happens called CARIBANA. And every year when it happens, most of the white folks who can leave the city do. Part of the reason I believe that I have not crossed over for the Black Community here is because I am an American. My roots as a DJ are based in U.S. Black Culture (R&B, Jazz, Hip Hop, House,etc). And since I am not well versed in Soca & Reggae I don’t spin a lot of it. Ever since learning what “Chi Chi Mon” meant I decided that anything considered Murder Music was not going into my sets (especially since I cannot decipher most of what the lyrics are because of the accents). This caused me a lot of grief when I first moved to Toronto. And since I didn’t play much of these genre(s) I was labeled as a sellout.
After being here for a while I have learned to listen carefully and now hand pick a few tracks that I would play. And our third selection is “Miss Fatty” by Million Stylez. As with much of the Hip Hop tracks I come across, most of the Reggae tracks are usually about how fast a girl can whine dat fatty…commercials for how good it would be to have sex with this one.
Adult situations are fine in the right context. But when I think of CARIBANA and I see young children poppin’ their asses and grindin’ on each other to these tracks I think it’s wrong. If I were to do a Reggae set this would be a good one in the right setting.
I know that I am not going to get booked for any gigs during this festival, but to show that I am a versatile DJ I do listen and program some Reggae & Soca House into my sets. And “Gen Z Jezebel” by Jada Kingdom has some elements of Afro Beat that gives it a more commercial sound (which seems to be the trend since Afro Beat & Afro House are the new darlings on the charts). Like her counterparts in Hip Hop, Jada is talking about what a man can do for her.
A four years ago, Roddy Ricch popped on the scene as was the next big thang. Even won ten Grammys. Well, he’s back with a new track called “911”. Will it be a big hit? It’s aaaight! But I don’t feel like it’s gonna make a dent in the charts.
You know, when “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons came out I liked it, but it never found a place on my dance floor…even with all the remixes that followed. But I’ve watch them go from a Rock Alternative Rap to a more Pop sound in the most recent years. And lead singer, Dan Reynolds has discovered that sex appeal sells more records. And after reading an article from 2018 (https://www.vulture.com/2018/11/why-imagine- dragons-is-fighting-forlgbtq-rights.html) I found out that he is an advocate for LGBT Rights. I definitely started working their songs into my video sets. So, our sixth selection is their recent o=ering of “Wake Up” which is around 108 BPMs with a funky groove plus a sound of the alarm to start paying attention. This is definitely a message needed right now. For the U.S. this Project 2025 is something that we all need to be aware of. And we need all the help getting people the information they need in order to vote accordingly. And I know every election they say “vote as if your life depends on it” but this time it’s the truth!
And I gotta give props to Taraji P. Henson for her stopping her hosting gig for the BET Awards to warn the Black Community to educate themselves on the issues that we face in the upcoming U.S. election. And the phone call with Kamala Harris was right on time!
So, it seems that Afro Beats are the new Black Music for the summer of 2024. It is smooth enough for just listening but has a hypnotic rhythm that gets the hips moving. I personally find some Reggae Riddims to be repetitive and even annoying in their production. It’s kinda like when New Jack when it came in. Everything had a New Jack production. So, I’m sure Afro Beat will go down the same path if it continues to trend as it has been since last December.
Our seventh selection is “Visa” by Steve Aoki & Major League DJz featuring Mannywellz. I imagine this being the soundtrack for a one of those boat cruises around the island or bay where a group of e=luent black socialites are all dressed in white attire sipping drinks. I’ve spun for a=airs like this, and this track would be perfect for a sunset on the water.
Another Afro Beat meets Reggae banga is the Ape Drums Remix of “Sweat” by Prolexx Definitely something I would drop in a set this summer.
“Big Big Things” by Young John featuring Kizz Daniel & Seii Vibez would be another one for that sunset boat ride.
I think I enjoy the female artists more when it comes to Afro Beat. Our tenth is actually my homegirl from my hometown of Tampa, Florida. Doechii is an R&B artist but this Afro production really suits her vocals on “Rocket”.
Now you know I love when a big hit gets re-imagined and the Even Steve Funk Edit of “Turn Me On” by Kevin Lyttle is perfect. This Pop Reggae/Soca hit from 2003 sounds amazing with an 80s Funk production behind it. This remix has made me want to play this again.
Our twelfth selection is one that is near my heart. I believe I met this artist, vocalist and storyteller about eight years ago at an HIV/AIDS event at Toronto’s LGBTQ2+ center. The 519. I knew immediately that this was someone that I wanted to work with, and we have many times for live events. She goes by Sistah Lois. She has a voice that could work in many settings, but I chose to ask her to do her first o=icial single for a Soca inspired Tropical House track that she lyrically wrote and the track was produced by Erik Elias for my second iUnderground Pride E.P. called “Get Ya Fire”. This E P was released on June 18th, 2024 in the middle of Pride Month. This was my first time being an executive producer on this type of track. We actually have plans to release this as a single with remixes, but for now I think this is a great start for Sistah.
And you know I always try to support our LGBT Artists as much as I can. One of our local recording artists here is a man that I have worked with over the past decade for online TV shows like On The Couch and The Queer Bunch. I’ve also honored him with a POZ-TO Award for his work and dedication to our community. His goes by el Hashem and his
latest single is a duet with Toronto vocalist Shelly-Ann Skinner on a Pride inspired Pop Soca track called “We Are Dancing Together” Just in time for Caribana! Now, for me, the original version is nice and radio friendly, but it needed to be kicked up a notch for a dance floor. So, I took some Masters At Work beats and revamped it into the Relentlessly Pumped Mix that you will see in the video mix.
So, it was really kinda painful to watch all of the major Democrats push Joe Biden out of the race after his abysmal performance at that debate. The man has given his heart and soul to fix and change as many things as he could in the U.S. government. His handling of the pandemic and the economy is historic. And yes…he didn’t do enough in the Israel/Hamas conflict, but he was prepared to go toe to toe with Plump. And although he has dropped out of the race and passed the baton to Kamala Harris, I believe he has cemented his legacy as one of the most progressive presidents to ever hold the o=ice. Now he gets to go down as one of the great ones who not only did a phenomenal job but also gave us a candidate that really represents the change that America needs to grow. He is that bridge he said he would be. Now all we have to do is show up and vote in November.
Our fourteenth track has had a pretty bumpy start. Katy Perry’s “Woman’s World” did not chart very high upon its entrance. And then the gays started ripping it apart by comparing it to Cher’s “A Woman’s World”. But now that Kamala is the candidate I’m hoping this will give
Katy the bump she needs. I remember when she did “Rise” to endorse Hillary Clinton, and I was so hopeful. But the Republicans pulled that stunt of the investigation into her emails right before the election. So, hopefully “Woman’s World” can be an anthem for Miss Harris.
Okay…there is a huge buzz about Chappell Roan and I have listened to many singles and remixes. For me, she’s one of those artists that I don’t get it. Her vocals range from Lady GaGa to Kate Bush on some recordings. That seems to be interesting. But she just hasn’t released anything that has made me want to play her material. If I get a request…I’m prepared but I’m not rushing to program her in my preferred sets. I always say that a good DJ plays for his room not himself. So, I picked a track to talk about. For this month’s mix I chose Mickey’s Magician Club Mixshow Edit of “Red Wine Supernova”. From the video and lyrics, it seems like a young person’s approach to a fluid sexuality. Okay…cool.
I am a little conflicted about our sixteenth selection. I’m conflicted because I started o= really liking Post Malone. He was a good mix of Pop and Alternative Hip Hop. Thought he would probably be cuter without all the ink all over his face. But songs like “Rockstar” really hooked me. But as the shift in the U.S. started looking like Plump was going to definitely be the Republican candidate, I kinda noticed some white Pop artists leaning into the Country genre. And on top of that he partnered with Morgan Wallen whose known for a few racist comments. And “I Had Some Help” has charted pretty high with plenty of
remixes. This would be another one of those tracks that I’m not rushing to program this one in my sets. The new Machine Gun Kelly is a rewrite of John Denver’s “Country Road” with Jelly Roll. It’s funny how the Conservatives had a fit about Beyonce doing a Country Pop hit but these white rappers can do whatever they want and have big hits doin’ it. This is where I have a problem.
“Honey Boy” by Nile Rodgers & Purple Disco Machine featuring Shenseea & Benjamin Ingrosso is a return to some good ol’ fun Disco. From the music video to its catchy hook, “Honey Boy” is definitely something that I would program for my floor.
Sometimes these video pools and remix services take it upon themselves to rename tracks and I don’t know why. Our eighteenth selection is a mashup of “Buss It” by Erica Banks and “Sweet Dreams” by the Eurythmics. When I downloaded the video it was labeled “Wet Dreams”. Anyhoo…this is a hot track! I prefer it to Erica’s original. And at my last gig it really got the floor jumpin’.
I guess the “Texas Hold ‘Em” e=ect has spilled over into the Reggae scene. The new Spice featuring Busta Rhymes has a Country Cowboy music video for “Round Round”. At 125 BPMs it is not your typical Spice Reggae flava. But it is a fun little diddy.
Let’s shift gears to a Latin Club track by a couple of LGBT artists. “Soy Peor” by DJ Foxy featuring Alexis Mvglar is FIYA! Definitely will keep a gay Latin crowd on the floor! Plus I don’t think I have ever had a Trans Latin Tribal track to serve the kids. And I love how unapologetic they are in the music video.
The twenty-first track in our mix is one that I missed a little while ago, but I thought I’d add it this time because it features Usher. And after watching his speech as he received the BET Lifetime Achievement Award, this would give me an opportunity to talk about how ghetto he really came across. I mean…I know it is Black Entertainment Television but for Christ sakes his mother was sitting there, and he had a lot of cursing and inappropriate things to say about the business. So inappropriate that the actual broadcast was censored for the majority of it.
But I digressed. The DJ Allan House Mix of “Dientes” by J Balvin, Usher & DJ Khaled is a great Latin Club track that pays homages to Usher’s “Yeah”.
Ever since I got introduced to “Latch” by Disclosure, I have been a fan. Their track with Mary J Blige, “F For You” was a straight up banga! And now their new one, “She’s Gone Dance On” is definitely going into heavy rotation for my floor this summer.
So, after Tove Lo & SG Lewis blessed us with “Heat” they immediately partnered with Nelly Furtado to bring us “Love Bites”. It seems it’s a sexy summer of Club hits coming down the pike. And suggested sexual themes are very popular right now Images of sweaty bodies grinding on the dancefloor comes to mind when listening to this one.
Our twenty-fourth selection is actually a mashup of a meme from TikTok called “Man In Finance” by Girl On Couch (aka Megan Boni) and “I’m Good” by David Guetta & BeBe Rexha. These days these internet sensations grab their fifteen seconds of fame very quickly (because no one get fifteen minutes anymore).
And our final track is "Rockstar" is a song by Thai rapper and singer Lisa. It was released through Lloud and RCA Records on June 28, 2024. It marked her first solo single in three years and her first release under Lloud and RCA since departing from YG Entertainment and Interscope Records in 2023. Now, to be honest, I’m not gonna play this track unless someone asks for it. I actually slowed the Argonaut x Joel Corry Remix down to work for this set. It’s too fast and Hi NRG for my taste.
