HOW DO WE SUPPORT BLACK WOMEN IN AN HIV ARENA ONCE RUN BY GAY WHITE MEN?
In the early days of the AIDS crisis, as a young gay white man finding my way in the emerging HIV arena, I was King of the Mountain even if I wasn’t conscious of it. I worked with people who looked like me, on behalf of people like me, at organizations founded and led by people like me. I operated in the same blithe state of privilege afforded me my entire life.
Working with other gay white men meant we behaved in ways that today would give nightmares to human resources personnel. We were sassy and sexual and entitled and inappropriate. Above all, we ran the show. Sure, there were others –Black men and women, people of trans experience – working alongside us, but it was the gay white men who sucked all of the air out of the room. Our privilege was abetted by intense media interest in the AIDS crisis that centered us in every interview and photo.
Our GWM sense of entitlement became so deeply embedded that, when the HIV organization in Los Angeles I worked for was interviewing applicants for a new executive director in the late 1980s (our retiring founder was, naturally, a gay man), we were skeptical toward a finalist for the job who was – gasp! – a white woman.
“Are you sure you are comfortable working with gay men?” we asked her during a group interview with staff. She said yes. We asked her again, as if adapting to us was some kind of dare. “Yes,” she answered again. “I am comfortable with honoring the experience and contributions of people unlike myself,” and then added, as she surveyed us with a raised eyebrow, “but you do make me wonder…,” skillfully tossing our gay fragility right back in our faces.
That woman was Sue Crumpton, a supremely gifted candidate with a background in services for battered women, and she was hired. She taught me about feminism. She taught me about systemic racism in a way my white ears could understand. She served the organization with great distinction for the next decade.
But as years passed, white gay men got what we came for – the research and the services and the almighty medications – and then a lot of our rank-and-file abandoned the field, leaving behind everyone else to fend for themselves.
While this has contributed to the ascension of Black women in the HIV landscape, they aren’t simply filling a vacuum. That would unfairly diminish their resolute efforts to be seen and heard. They have fought for every inch of ground, every word of acknowledgment, every paid position.
The valuable dividends of diversity in our organizations should be obvious, but Waheedah Shabazz-El, Director of Community Engagement for The Reunion Project, has a simple explanation. “Anything you give a black woman, she multiplies it,” Waheedah told me. “It’s her nature. Give her groceries, she’ll give you meals. Give her a path, she’ll lay out a highway. Give her a seat at the table, she’ll give you solutions. Give her aggravation – that’ll also be multiplied.”
Waheedah also wants to make something clear about Black women in positions of leadership: “We are not interested in leaving white men behind,” she said. “When you serve Black women you are serving everyone. When you heal Black women, you are healing everyone.”
The practical result of this shift, through my work on various committees and planning groups, has been that the little zoom boxes on my laptop are largely populated by Black women. They’ve been patient teachers, gently guiding me away from my deeply rooted expectation to be in charge. They listen with empathy and intention and expect the same. I have learned, from more than one case of trial and error, the meaning of the acronym WAIT, meaning, “Why Am I Talking?” And when we’re together in person – and I will risk making a generalization here – Black women give the best hugs.
The most striking example of this demographic evolution can be found at the United States Conference on HIV/AIDS (USCHA), the gathering place each year for public health workers, community-based agencies, activists and people living with HIV/AIDS. I’ve been attending this conference since it was the Skills Building Conference in the 1990s, during an era when gay white men like me attended workshops led primarily by, you guessed it, other gay white men.
Not anymore, and not for many years. More than half of the registrants at USCHA in 2022 were Black women, a reality reflected in everything from workshop presenters to the faces on the plenary stage. The USCHA theme this year, “A Love Letter to Black Women,” will celebrate and honor their stories and contributions.
This will not be a celebration of ending racial disparity. According to the results of a Racial Justice Index produced by AIDS United recently, plenty of work remains, such as real opportunities for people of color within the HIV field, and the lack of commitment shown by organizations to move beyond lip service and provide executive trainings and competitive salaries for Black and brown employees. Many of the Black women being celebrated at USCHA this year will return to communities in which their contributions aren’t valued in the form of career advancement or wages on par with the guy who held the job before them. They will need the support of allies to change that.
And speaking of allyship, here’s a message for white folks who are still active in the HIV community, or new ones who are joining this movement, for whom this is an uncomfortable conversation:
If you are not centered it doesn’t mean you are not invited. Check yourself. Have the humility and professional curiosity to show respect for the Black woman at the front of
the room. Consider her your mentor as you navigate a world with evolving racial and gender dynamics.
If you’re not sure how to make this change in your perspective, educate yourself. Listen. A lot. Do the work. Yes, it might mean, as Olivia G. Ford of The Well Project once told me, “lifting the rocks of our own history and taking a hard look at what lies beneath.” Do it anyway.
I still make mistakes and try to remain teachable. It’s the sincerity of the effort that will be noticed and build goodwill.
Black men and women labored for years in this movement without being centered. They contributed anyway. The real test, my friends, has always been if we are just as fiercely committed when someone else steps into the spotlight.
Film Feature: Walking In These Shoes Screening at aluCine Latin Film and Media Arts Festival 2023
PRESS RELEASE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT FILM
We hope that you will consider veiwing our award-winning Viral Interventions short documentary for and by Poz (HIV+) BIPOC activists for your festivals. Our film will be screened at the aluCine Latin Film and Media Arts Festival here in Toronto on Friday October 6th, 2023, at 6 p.m. at Spadina Theatre (pay what you can). We hope we will see you there!
“Walking in These Shoes” is a celebration and tribute to the legacy of the late Trinidadian-Chinese settler HIV/AIDS activist Derek Yee, who passed alone at home during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, Easter 2021. Secondly, the film is a call to
action at the world's only HIV+ specialty hospital to ensure it will work with the community and stakeholders, including AIDS service organizations, and to ascertain that Poz BIPOC people can have coordinated access to the hospital services 24/7/365
As proud supporters of Casey House Toronto, we have lent our faces to their successful #SmashStigma campaigns in previous years. However, we made the difficult decision to speak up against injustice as the institution has failed to serve the needs of the Poz BIPOC community despite the glitzy marketing fundraising gimmicks which the institution seemed to have perfected with pro-bono PR and marketing firms blasting media with highly curated and branded events such as “#ArtWithHeart #awh30”.
"Walking In These Shoes" has been a work of love for and by the Poz BIPOC community residing on the Dish with One Spoon Territory, Turtle Island/Toronto, Canada. We have intentionally consulted community and family and interviewed Poz BIPOC's chosen family members of the late Derek Yee to provide an account of a preventable tragedy as experienced by them through the lens of Annie Sakkab
Derek Yee (Photo by Keith Wong)We are honoured to showcase locally with festivals such as Alucine, and several community events where the film has been invited. Derek’s family liked the film and have joined us in screenings and in our advocacy work unconditionally.
For all those who have eagerly awaited to watch the multi award-winning (Best Film award, Sivar En Cortos 2022; Best Environmental/Social Political/Justice Award 2023; Finalist, Latino and Native American Film Festival 2023; Finalist, Best Super Short Film, Student World Impact Film Festival 2023, Finalist - ALP International Film Festival), Viral Interventions (John Greyson and Sarah Flicker, York University) commissioned Poz BIPOC documentary “Walking In These Shoes”.
Here is your opportunity to attend this Latin Canadian program screening at aluCine Latin Film & Media Arts Festival 2023!!! (https://www.alucinefestival.com/latin-canadianprogram)
“Walking In These Shoes” is a social-justice inspired post-mortem tribute to the late Trinidadian-Chinese AIDS activist, Derek Yee, a long-time volunteer of Casey House, who was denied admission to the HIV-specialty hospital during his end of life and died alone at home due to gaps in policies in the spring of 2021.
Hui noted, “I received a call from Derek four days before his death. He was seemingly fuming when I picked up the phone before noon on the Thursday before the Easter long weekend in 2021. It turned out that he was upset Casey House would not admit him until after the long weekend. Unfortunately, Derek died alone on his couch at home on Easter Monday. Derek was a seasoned HIV activist who once called Casey House his favourite institution in the community and had volunteered there as a long-time advisory member. He also knew how to navigate the AIDS service organization system. Besides his own advocacy, I had reached out to several AIDS services organizations to advocate for speedier admission for Derek to no avail.”
“I co-directed ‘Walking In These Shoes’, after Christian telling me about the commissioned research grants from Viral Interventions to create a short film about hiv/aids. We were mourning the death of Derek Yee, our dear friend, activist, and mentor. It was very fresh. The main purpose of the film was to hear from others what they thought about his last days of life. We found out that Derek died at home waiting for a bed at the only HIV specialty hospital in the world, located in Toronto, Ontario. In my personal experience, I felt overwhelmed by the story and yet I felt inspired by the words of those we interviewed. There is disappointment, shock, surprise, and even anger being expressed by Derek's friends and service providers in the film. Creating this short at York University, helped me deal with the pain I experienced after Derek's death,” Lopez shared.
“Derek Yee did not have to die or die alone at home, where he could have passed in a dignified way, on one of the three empty beds at Casey House where he had volunteered for more than a decade” his friend Elise stated
“What angers me the most is that when Derek’s sister, members of Derek’s chosen family (cast of “Walking in These Shoes”), along with a number of concerned AIDS service organizations met with Casey House Senior Management to discuss what happened and requested for a collective sectoral response to address the systemic gap facing Poz BIPOC in the community, Joanne Simons, the CEO of Casey House, noted the hospital would not have the resources or capacity to take a lead on addressing the gap, and then gaslit the group by stating that she felt unsafe, that we needed to change our tone, and if we are to meet again, she would need to determine whom she would feel comfortable meeting with. What she said shocked us and displayed how problematic the leadership at Casey House is, causing serious harms to the people living with HIV community, mostly after experiencing death” noted with exasperation by Hui.
Neel Shaz (another s3ll from “Walking In These Shoes”)
Thandeka (another s3ll from “Walking In These Shoes”)
The acclaimed documentary features cinematography by acclaimed PalestinianJordanian filmmaker Annie Sakkab, original music by Edgardo Moreno. sound mix by Scott McCroire, and sound design by Alex Mine. With shoes serving as a unifying theme, our film features slow-motion action shots of shoes as they are walked throughout the film. Metaphorically, the footsteps represent the lived and living experiences, as well as hopes and aspirations, of the film's Poz BIPOC subjects.
Comments from experts of the Student World Impact Film Festival 2022 include the following: “Walking in These Shoes” was well received by all of our judges at SWIFF, and we were highly impressed with your work. Judges comments: One juror offered the film with high praise: "A mesmerizing fusion of visuals and narrative, shaped by the directors visionary creativity and artistic sensibilities." Another juror noted: "The film's visual sequences are breathtaking, filled with inspiring moments that leave you in awe." "The film is an extraordinary achievement, pushing the boundaries of the medium and leaving a lasting impact on the landscape of cinema."
Join us to celebrate his legacy at the screening and email Casey House CEO and Board at jsimons@caseyhouse.ca that the HIV community requires something more than glitzy marketing gimmicks and fund extraction from wealthy donors. We are calling them to demonstrate how they are truly living up to their values of “Unequivocal Compassion, Informed, Client-Driven Care, Deliberate Inclusivity, Creative, Mindful Collaboration, Courageous Advocacy, Responsive Innovation” beyond words.
ABOUT THE CO-DIRECTORS:
Christian Hui, MSW, PhD(c) (Director and Producer; He/They; Undetectable) is a queer, poz BIPOC settler HIV/AIDS activist, a Vanier Scholar, and a #ViralInterventions resident artist. When Christian shared his experience as an Asian living with HIV with intersecting key priority population identities, he was approached by a community-driven creative collective Rice Roll Productions (Vince Ha and Mezart Daulet) to star in an
auto-biographical "Empty Nest: Gay Short Film". As a community mobilizer, Christian co-founded Ontario Positive Asians and the Canadian Positive People Network, and was one of the HIV-positive chefs featured in the HBO documentary "June's". Christian is currently a Senior Global Community Advisor at Prevention Access Campaign (Undetectable=Untransmittable), a UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board NGO Delegate, and a delegate on the Communities Delegation to the UNITAID Board. “Walking In These Shoes“ is Christian's documentary directorial debut. Work in development includes the Toronto Metropolitan University Canada Excellence in Research Chair commissioned #WhereWeStand Indigenous-settler co-created “Kintohpatatin (Justice) - Chéng 誠(Honesty): Status-Neutral Love: Call for A Standing Restoration” and the Duemila30 commissioned “Kokum’s Love (Indigenous Grandmother’s Love”.)
Samuel López (Director and Producer) is a Nonualco Pipil First Nation born in El Salvador. He left with his family during the civil war of the 1980s and settled in Montreal. Samuel is a professional translator and an HIV+ AIDS activist and mobilizer. He is one of the founding members of the Grupo Latino HOLA in Toronto. HIV has been a theme of interest in his work and in his life as a community activist long before he tested positive. In 1993, Samuel made his directorial debut with Jorge Lozano in the documentary "Samuel & Samantha," an autobiographical documentary about his life as a Latino drag queen. In 1996, while at the University of Toronto, Samuel wrote the screenplay “L’Histoire d’Henri” (“Henry’s Story”). In 2008, Samuel directed and produced the short documentary “Our Faces, Our Stories” for the group Latinos
Positivos (HIV+ Latinos). He has directed several short documentary videos for Latinos
Positivos Toronto and the Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE). He completed the feature documentary “The Sugarcane” (2013) that premièred at the Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano in La Habana, Cuba and was awarded best local emerging filmmaker at Alucine 2014. His most recent work is “Johnny Vaya con Dios” (2022) filmed in El Salvador.
Chris?an Hui & Samuel Lopez (photo by Annie Sakkab)
Well...today we are going rectify that! Today I am pleased to introduce you to Izzy Negrillo!
AK: Izzy...you and I have been Facebook friends for a while but unfortunately that came after I moved to Canada. Otherwise, I think we would have been great friends and probably would have ran in the same DJ circles. How are you today?
IN: Hello Alphonso and thank you for having me on this Interview. I am good and blessed to see another day.
AK: I know a lot about you from our exchanges and your posts but why don't you tell our readers about yourself. Where are you from? What's your background?
IN: I come from an old school Spanish family. My dad is from Lima Peru and my mother is from Arecibo Puerto Rico. I was born and raised in Queens NY. I grew up in Jamaica Queens for almost 32 years and now I live in East NY Brooklyn.
AK: It is customary to ask about how long have you been HIV+ and what was your experience when you were diagnosed?
IN: I been diagnosed with HIV for almost 17 years. Nov 2, 2006 was the day I was diagnosed and that day I was speechless, scared and alone.
AK: It must have been very hard being diagnosed at such a young age. I found out at 23 myself. Now...I know from following you online that you have had some struggles with addiction. Could you please talk a little about how your addiction started and are you in recovery now?
IN: I started my addiction shortly after I was diagnosed with HIV. It’s a very hard struggle when you battle with crystal meth. It’s very scary and you don't know what to expect from other addicts. Im in the progress in fighting from this addiction because I know that is not who I am.
AK: I don't know about you, but I can honestly say that music saved my life. There is nothing more therapeutic for me than expressing myself in mix. Is it that way for you as a DJ? And how did you start spinning?
IN: I always had a passion in music growing up. My mom’s younger brother was a DJ and threw lots of parties when he used to live in the Bronx on the Grand Concourse. My dad used to be in the band back in the day and only made two Spanish albums. He introduced me to very old Latin music from the 1930s till the late 80s but not just only Spanish music, watching the 3 stooges, Marx Brothers, I love Lucy and so on with him as a child got me loving their music also. It was a great experienced to listen to different types of genres. My mom and father love Motown, classic Rock n Roll like Little Richard, Richie Valnes you name it. I remember having an 8-track player and a phonograph with 4 speeds (16,33,45 and 78). My mom was a Disco, Freestyle, Motown, Salsa, Merengue girl. My dad doesn’t like Disco but he loves Teddy Pendergrass, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding etc.. Latin Jazz, old Afro, Peruvian music and Talk Radio shows like Howard Stern. What can I say I was a kid and those times were amazing. My grandmother (dad’s mom) used to love to dance. When I was little, my grandmother always danced with me. I thank God every day for them teaching me the great sound of music. I started DJ-ing when I was 18 years old and collected records as far back as I can remember. I was spinning only Hip Hop, Reggae and 70s/80s 90s/ Spanish music
at that time. When I was the DJ for ACQC (AIDS Center of Queens County) when it was located at the LeFrak building in Rego Park, Queens NY. I remember one of the kids handed me a CD and when I played the track he requested that’s when I saw Vogue for the first time It was a little more dramatic than when I heard it from my Aunt Diana. (mom’s sister) My aunt was a club kid in her days. She’d tell stories about the Village on Christopher St, Paradise Garage, Escuelita, Roxy, etc. She asked me one time if I know how to Vogue. I said, No. What is Vogue? So, she told the story about kids in her time voguing but it was old way. She used to call me like every 10 minutes and ask me to record classics like “Love Is The Message”, “Break 4 Love”, etc. My first Ball was in August of 2012 and I heard a variety of House Music. I really enjoyed myself.
AK: So, I think I saw a few posts of you DJ-ing at The Cotton Club for a few drag shows. You know...I produced a show called "The Illusions" that played The Cotton Club back in the 90s. And at that time there had not been a drag show in Harlem since The Jewel Box Revue. It is so good to see the shows return to Harlem. What were those shows and will you be doing more?
IN: I always dream to go inside the Cotton Club when I was a kid. Watching Harlem Nights with Eddie Murphey, Richard Pryor and the rest of the cast were amazing especially watching old black and white movies. So many great Jazz artist played in that club back in the day. Cab Calloway, Billie Hoilday, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzergarld, Fats Wallers, Nat King Cole. Their voices and their tunes were so different then the Jazz now.
AK: I really appreciate you taking time to do this interview. Thank you so much. Before I let you go...one more question. What advice would you give to someone who recently found out they were HIV+?
IN: Alphonso you're amazing and thank you again for this interview. My advice to all: You're not alone with this virus. Learn how to eat right, go out and have fun with positive vibes. Take your meds normally, work out and if you feel something aint right call your doctor ASAP. Dont listen to those who dont take care of themselves. Self love and happiness is the key. Only you can make yourself happy no matter how alone you are. God and your love ones will always be by your side spiritually.
We are sexual beings and should not be ashamed of that. Harness your pride, your sexuality and take control of your sexual health to help build a generation free of HIV and stigma. Get tested. Know your status . Get PrEP or the meds you need to be healthy. More info here:
https://mybodymyhealth.org/sex-positivity
Listen to the mix here: https://www.mixcloud.com/djrelentlessny/ear-candy-october-2023
Download your free video of this mix here:https://krakenfiles.com/view/6mhewr9HI4/file.html
Check out DJ Relentless’ Mixcloud page: https://www.mixcloud.com/djrelentlessny
Check out DJ Relentless’ HearThis page: https://hearthis.at/djrelentlesstoronto
Damn...where did the year go? We're already in October and there's tons of new music out. There are twenty-five selec?ons for your listening pleasure. Doja Cat and a new ar?st named Doechii make two appearances in this month's mix while there should be something for everyone to enjoy. From Hip Hop to Country to Pop to Club and House...I think I gotcha covered this ?me.
There’s a lot of territory to cover so let’s get started shall we…
Now anyone who knows me knows that I am kinda over most Hip Hop tracks today. From the misogyny, overuse of the n-word, heterosexual chest pounding and sexual themes, it just seems there’s nothing to rap about anymore. And as I say about most social media thing…if everybody is doing the same thing then there’s nothing special about it.
So, the only way to stand out in this genre is to do something crea?ve with your music video. And Offset did exactly that. His video for “FAN” is a tribute to the legendary Michael Jackson I’m not sure how this concept goes with the lyrics of his song but it definitely caught my aOen?on. While I found the lyrics a liOle abrasive, the imagery is great. So, I chose to start our mix here.
I oPen talk about the volume of music that comes out every week and how easy it is to miss some ar?sts. Well, I am definitely late to the party on our next ar?st. Doechii dropped “What It Is (Block Boy)” featuring Kodak Black back in April. So, I decided to give her two spots in this
month’s mix. I knew nothing about her…so I looked her up. She’s from my hometown of Tampa, Florida and her birthday is three days before mine. Apparently, she is a TikTok discovery from 2021. So good to see a fellow Leo going places. Spread your wings and fly my Nubian Princess.
So, I’m sure that if you have been reading my reviews over the past few months you probably think that I hate Country music and believe that most of the ar?sts are “45” supporters. Well, that’s not true. I actually listen to a wide variety of genre(s). And our third selec?on is “Livin’ Ain’t Killed Me Yet” by Naomi Cooke. It’s a sassy diddy celebra?ng living life to the fullest.
One of the things I actually appreciate about Country music is the story-telling. And our fourth song is “One Beer” by Hardy featuring Lauren Alaina & Devin Dawson. Last month we heard about “One Margarita” and this month we find out what happens aPer one beer.
I felt bad when I heard that Paul Reubens (aka Pee Wee Herman) died back in July. So, I found DJ Hope Partybreak Mix of “Tequila” by The Champs in my old library and edited the bar scene from “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” to make a video. It’s important to honour our ar?sts and personali?es that helped shape our Pop Culture. And Pee Wee was a big part of my youth.
And keeping with this alcohol theme our sixth selec?on is “Shot-O-ClocK” by SaweeSe. I guess with all that is happening in the world a few songs about drinking won’t hurt. I personally don’t drink at all. But I think I am addicted to music and mixing. I probably like this single because I recognize the melody and delivery of lyrics in the style of “Tom’s Diner” by Suzanne Vega.
You know…I have to give it to Iggy Azalea for not giving up. I am actually roo?ng for her to have another major hit like “Fancy”. APer being read by black female ar?sts for her “black-cent” I was certain that she would have packed in. But she’s been servin’ up some bangaz in my opinion. And why “I Am The Stripclub” wasn’t a bigger hit is beyond me. But her latest single, “Money Come” has all the elements of a hit. From her great flow and wordplay to the use of “Come Baby Come” by K7…I’ii definitely be including this in my sets! And she turnt the music video with its overtones of Barbie imagery.
Another new rapper that I want to shine a spotlight on is A.R. The Mermaid as an out lesbian recording ar?st. Her new single, “WaX We Doingg” is unapologe?c in its content about picking up another woman. This comes on the heels of Janelle Mone’s “LipsSck Lover”. All I can say is “You go girls!” I’m sure because straight men have fantasies about two women in bed together there will be a good fan base for your music.
A couple months back I reviewed a mashup of Beyonce’s “Cozy” with “100% Pure Love” by Crystal Waters. But when I heard “Cozy” mashed up with another 90s Pop hit, I had to include it in this month’s mix. This ?me Beyonce has been perfectly set to “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” by C+C Music Factory. It works so well! I hope other DJs are spinning this.
So, let’s get back to Doechii…I give you the Funkymix of “Persausive”. I love when R&B / Hip Hop ar?sts aren’t afraid of a good House track. And as my adopted gay brother, Anthony would say “She did that one for me!” Loving this track. Can’t wait to work it into a set for a dance floor.
Our tenth track is the latest from Pop Princess, Selena Gomez. I just recently saw a TikTok video of her saying “Hey you guys…guess who has a new boyfriend??? Not me!!!” Not sure if this was a promo?on for her new release “Single Soon” or not but the DJ Tassio Duante Remix definitely got my aOen?on. At 120 BPMs (to me) sounds so much beOer than the original version.
I have to be honest…I was a liOle sad to hear that Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner were gecng divorced. It must be really difficult to be in a celebrity marriage with all the world watching and trying to keep it all together. I hope for their sake (and their child) that this will be the best thing for all involved.
Now, when I first downloaded The Goodfellas Edit of “Do It Like That” from my video pool and scanned it, I only saw The Jonas Brothers. It wasn’t un?l I actually played it on my weekly VIDEODROME mixshow on MIxcloud that I realized that there were some extra guys in it. And those extra guys were TOMORROW x TOGETHER (commonly known as TXT). I knew nothing about them but quickly learned that they are a K-Pop band formed by Big Hit Entertainment. I am s?ll trying to understand what qualifies as K-Pop but this par?cular collabora?on is cute.
So, just as I was finishing the mix for last month, the TJKZ Remix of “Paint The Town Red” by Doja Cat dropped. The song itself had been out for a liOle while but it was a liOle too slow for my programming. So, I definitely appreciate a House version that is a liOle more DJ accessible. I remember seeing Dionne Warwick doing TwiXer posts about this release because it sampled her version of “Walk On By”. It’s kinda funny to see her endorse a Hip Hop record aPer learning that back in the 90s she called Snoop Dogg and Suge Knight to her house for a 7 AM mee?ng where she demanded that they call her some of the words they used in their songs. Snoop says that he and Suge were the most gangsta in the world but that day she out gangsta-ed us.
Our fourteenth selec?on is kind of a wish come true for me. I am baffled that there aren’t more James Brown remixes. I know the acapella(s) are out there…and if they aren’t there are definitely many programs out there that can liP them from the recordings. And while Block & Crown’s “Get Up Off That Thing” featuring Sean Finn is not the original vocal, it is a great music video using James’ footage and the vocal impersona?on is not bad.
I have been wai?ng with bated breath for the next Cardi B / Megan Thee Stallion collabora?on. “W.A.P.” was such a huge hit and game changer for female Hip Hop So, when I heard “Bongos” I said…ya’ll got another hit on your hands. And the video is quite colorful. It’s a shame that this came during the fall season. It has “hot girl summer” wriOen all over it.
And I guess our sixteenth selec?on is another example of female empowerment. It’s “SUCK” by COBRAH. It’s a lovely liOle House track about licking her clit. Hey…if I can review LiXle Big’s “Big Dick” I can write about a woman demanding that you service her for a change. It’s a hot track!
And keeping in our sexual vibe, our seventeenth track is “Freak” by Tujamo x AZteck x Inna “Love me like a freak”…preOy much says it all! Next sexually driven event I spin for…this is gonna be the soundtrack.
I listened to the original version of “Deli” by Ice Spice and I get it. It’s that bounce and her flow that sells it. But when I heard the Danny Diggz Bootleg that mashes it up with “No Puede” by DMNDS, Usai & Charlie Ray I really got it! This is another banga for Miss Spice!
A few months back I introduced you to The Blessed Madonna. Well, their latest track is “Mercy” featuring Jacob Lusk. I found the Glove DJ ReTouch Mix for my set. Like I said before, their produc?on reminds me of my early days in NYC and dancing in The Limelight or The Tunnel. Great energy and Jacob’s vocals are on point. His American Idol days are long behind him.
During the pandemic, Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” hit hard. I tried to like it, but it just wasn’t relatable to me. And there seems to be a wave of waif-like vocalists popping up on the charts. And Olivia has had a few singles since winning her Grammy, but none of them caught my aOen?on. However, the Jyvhouse Bass Edit of “Bad Idea, Right?” did. The original is too fast and to Pop for my playlist, but this remix is just right! And the premise of the song reminds me of all the ?me I spent chasing the wrong kind of guys in my youth.
The twenty-first selec?on is my Relentlessly Touched Vocal of “Angry” by The Rolling Stones. When I saw the music video, I fell in love with it. It was a clever idea to use their old footage but digitally make them lip sync their new single. And because of that, I decided to give it a liOle makeover and make it more dance floor friendly.
Not sure what Miley Cyrus is going through but her last few singles have been kind of reflec?ve. And her latest, “Used To Be Young” definitely is about looking back over her career and life. There’s a lot of remixes of this one, but I chose the Kiszin’ MarSn Mixshow Edit for this par?cular set. I do like when ar?sts grow and learn as they go. I sure wish that Britney Spears could do the same. Someone needs to intervene on her behalf. Maybe she moved too soon
Apparently, Laverne Cox dropped a TripHopera version of “SummerSme” back in July. With all the Pride fes?vi?es and Summer shenanigans going on I must have missed it. I applaud her for being the first transwoman to do such a project. Taking a standard and transforming it into a Trip Hop concept is interes?ng. I just wish the video would have been of her performing the song instead of the disconnected fashion show. I mean…if you’re gonna sell the song, sell it. And I am wondering who this recording was for. Did she think that the format would draw a younger audience? Was this a vanity project? What was the mo?va?on for this project?
Fortunately, Adam Joseph did a phenomenal job on the Tilapia Remix. I listen to the Jace M & Toy Armada Remix and felt assaulted. This is not the kind of song to take to a Circuit Party. Adam used the vocals and content properly to give it a Club feel.
And I didn’t forget that Halloween is coming up. So, I dusted off my Club To Twerk Mix of “Thriller” by Michael Jackson. This was a true labour of love Robert Thomson did the video edit for this one and I have to say that he did an amazing job. I wanted to create a version that DJs could use a s a bridge to drop in BPMS or jump to a Club set.
Our final track is my Relentless Fired Up Club Mix of Doja Cat’s “Demons”. This video definitely has Halloween wriOen all over it. And with The Exorcist:Believer coming to movie theaters on October 5th, I felt this was a great opportunity for me to do another remix and video for the season. I basically kept the original produc?on but set it to the drums of “Fired Up” by Funky Green Dogs. The original is around 70 BPMs.
Don’t forget to download your FREE video mix in the links at the beginning of this ar?cle. And be sure to check me out every weekend for VIDEODROME Saturdays & SUNDAY TEA DANCE
3-5 PM (EST) on Mixcloud here: www.mixcloud.com/live/djrelentlessny
