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As people were stuck indoors amidst the Coronavirus outbreak, DJ D-Nice, brought music lovers together by hosting Club Quarantine on Instagram. March 17th, he hosted a live stream attended by 200 friends where he discussed his career and music. Buzz surrounding his DJ and storytelling sessions traveled rapidly, and on March 20th, over 25,000 people tuned into his live stream. Just a week later, 100,000 people, including Rihanna, Oprah, Michelle Obama watched as D-Nice spun some of his favorite Hip Hop and R&B records for nearly nine hours.
9th Wonder, Just Blaze, Talib Kweli and Hip Hop founder DJ Kool Herc launched their own weekly DJ sets via Instagram live. The success of D-Nice’s live streams proved music’s power as a coping mechanism and a way to keep people connected. As elected officials bickered over stimulus bills, Hip Hop rolled up its sleeves and provided free relief.
Soon Swizz Beatz and Timbaland collaborated to create VERZUZ, a platform to host song battles between top Hip Hop and R&B artists. Most notably DJ Premier vs. RZA, Jill Scott vs. Erykah Badu, and Mannie Fresh vs. Scott Storch participated in song battles. These virtual battles served as an assuring taste of nostalgia for the over 30 crowd and introduced the younger crowds to accomplished, respected artists.
