Features

The Herbert Hollar

Word To Herbert
First, a moment of silence for Ol' Dirty Bastard.

Now. I have to voice my deep digust and embarassment regarding Thursday's NY Post headline: "Arafat Dead ... And He Won't Be Missed." It gave me the same sick feeling I got when I saw footage of anti-Americans in the Middle East jumping for joy when they heard of the World Trade Center's destruction. Except I got more nauseous, because this time it was me. Us. You and I. A voice of America. And WE call those people oversees "animals." "Bastards," the "terrorists" that warrant (and rightfully so) total hatred and unabashed animosity from the world community.

What's the difference, then?

We watch Channel 1 news and sip our freshly squeezed orange juice, squirming in our seats, cringing at the sight of these ... Muslim fundamentalist barbarians who party till dawn at the first drop of American blood, like a pack of Great Whites that swim for miles towards one of your open wounds. And then, on our way to work, or after school, or on a simple leisurely walk enjoying the freedoms we are lucky to own, we pick up a copy of a newspaper, read its headline, and continue on. We watch horrendous behaviour and say nothing. It is horrendous indeed.

I'm not anti-America. You've seen me say time and time again how I love this dang country. How I do not take for granted my freedoms. I'm not anti-Israel. I have first cousins who live there, who've fought in the army (and who would tell you an ENTIRELY different story about the crisis than what our media corporations lead us to believe). I am Jewish, I'm proud of it (except the ignoramuses that give my people a bad name), and not only that, my grandmother ... my "bubby" ... was the Vice President of Hadassah, a huge charity benefiting Israel and Jews worldwide. And, of couse, I do not condone terrorism. Intentionally murdering innocent people is ... so ... messed up beyond belief. What I do condone is understanding and knowledge. I believe that "terrorism" is the army of the underpriviledged. What would we do if we were attacked and didn't have fighter jets and nukes and armies and powerful media companies? How would we defend ourselves? How would we get the attention of other nations when our mothers, sisters and daughters were being blown away from their homes on a weekly basis?

I believe the folks at the Post wrongfully represented what will be understood as New York City sentiment. I am not "happy" about the death of Yassir Arafat. He may have been the "Father of Modern Terrorism." He may have been an idiot, a piece of cow dung that put money in his own pocket instead of helping build a strong nation for the Palestinian people, the people he loved. He may have been a murder, a devil, complete scum, but I don't know for SURE what he didn't or didn't do, because I don't trust the media at all. I am, however, absolutely convinced and very sure about my emotions at the present time. I am DISGUSTED and PISSED OFF that this headline was published. If you feel the same way, feel free to send in your comments: letters@nypost.com. Now, I realize I may lose some of you who staunchly oppose, or who simply don't wanna be bothered with political crap cramming up your inboxes. This is why I basically never talk about elections, politics and the like. But you know me. If it moves me, you'll read about it. I apologize and hope you understand its purpose.

Now. Onto more important things like PARTIES and BEER.

Freedom's been rocking hard as expected. And Social Club, of course, is bananas. Umbrella is working it's way up there, as far as numbers are concerned. What started as 1/4 of a fresh, old school-like warehouse club has now grown and takes up the whole dang thing. I properly smashed it last week, and last night the same. 'Nuff reggae-ton and hip-hop to go 'round, yah mean? Not-to-mention a little dance competition when I dropped some old school house. I also gotta thank the "Fuel for Truth" boys, Craig Dershowitz and Joe Richards, for the enlightening function I spun at last night, an Israel-awareness event at the UJA. Thank you very much. (What other deejay do you know rocks a Jewish thing and then shoot straight uptown to Washington Heights and rock a Dominican thing? I mean, I'm not tryin' a blow myself up, but ... but ... I got 105.9 asking what my schedule looks like???)

Oh yeah! Big shout out to Dantana, Troy Kristoff, Carey, Paulette, DMK Ent. And Club Show for hiring me once again for "Carnival," this ill "Choreographer's Ball" where all the biggest names in hip-hop videos from all over North America get together to showcase new work. There were some serious dancers in there, fo sho. Of course, New York is a little stuck on themselves, so leave it up to Toronto to really bring the down the house. Canada gave us a little slap on the tuchis with some seriously tight work. Except the Amount Boyz. The Amount Boyz are ridiculous. They win first place.

Also, big shout out to Funk Flex for allowing people to air him out. That was very entertaining, whether or not he really took it like a man. But whatever. Respect. You should've seen Herbert stomping around the house when he heard that one girl call up, pissed off because Flex didn't give her boyfriend and his "rap group" time to play their demo. AHHHH! Yo! For real? This is how it is. If a deejay is spinning at a party, he's focused, concentrating, always caught up in the mix, trying to figure out what to play next, trying to avoid disaster--losing the crowd. He can't talk! That's Number 1! No time for conversation. I'm busy. Make your request, then BEAT IT! Number 2: DJ cannot take the time to listen to your CD or your demo or whatever song you'd like to play, unless it's at the end of the night and the dancefloor has dwindled and security is kicking people out. Otherwise, BEAT IT! Furthermore, DJ will not play your song in between Fat Joe and Snoop Dogg and whatever other song is #1 on the charts, because DJ doesn't wanna lose his crowd to some song that may not be good, that nobody ever heard before. BEAT IT! Even furthermore, what kind of reaction are you looking for? What kind of feedback are you gonna get from people singing "Snooooop" if I slip your unsigned, unheard, unedited song in? Use your head! BEAT IT!!

(Unless you got money. And even then, it's at least $100. And it should be more. It should be the cost of the gig, because if I play your track and lose my dance floor, I might get a call from the promoters saying "We're going to rotate some other talent in next week because you dun fu*ked up and played some stupid sh*t and ruined our party.")

I heard two more Nas songs off his latest album. CRAZEEEE. I've never been a huge Nas fan, or really got into the Jay-Z/Nas beef--my favorite rapper is still Thirstin' Howl III. But Nas? He's hip-hop. Plain and simple. It's not business, it's not money, it's not fame, fortune, fashion, shiny suits. Nah. It's music. It's hip-hop. That's it. I can't f-ing wait to get his album. It'll be the first WHOLE album I've listened to since ... since ... "God's Son."

(And Jay-Z's "The Black Album.")

Now how about that Destiny's Child song? It grew on me, for sure. But the video? It's funny. Really funny. You got this dance competition, except it's really only between the Destiny ladies. Problem is, they aren't really good dancers. It's kind of like ... kind of like ... it reminded me of my Bar Mitzvah, when my boys for some reason or other thought they should form a circle and have a dance battle but none of them could keep a beat and they ended up doing weird spastic moves and humping the floor and stuff. Or the last wedding I deejayed when the mom and dad formed a soul train line and they came through doing ... I can't even tell you. It looked like they were swatting flies around their head or something.

Peace, love, light, knowledge, understanding and good health,

DJ Herbert

Herbert's Hot Picks
wed(17): umbrella - herbert - hiphop/r&b/reggae/80s/reggae-ton
wed(17): apt - rich medina - old school/soul/funk/afrobeat/80s
wed(17): table 50 - cucumber slice/op one/servi - soul/hiphop - 7:30 to 9:30
wed(17): the door - g brown - hiphop/r&b/reggae - mazel tov, ra the rugged man!!!!
wed(17): green room - the legendary d nice - old school/classics/soul
wed(17): bOb - rholi rho/5th platoon - hiphop/r&b/reggae/80s
wed(17): madame x - jon oliver - soul/rock/rare grooves/hiphop - 8pm to 1am
wed(17): cielo - kevin hedge/louie vega/kenny dope gonzalez - soulful house
wed(17): cherry lounge - camillo/sussone/black moon live - hiphop/r&b/reggae
wed(17): lotus - ani quinn/soul (rotate) - hiphop/r&b/80s/rock
wed(17): belmont lounge - obah - funk/soul/80s/good hiphop/r&b/afrobeat/brazilian
wed(17): duke + duchess - omi/wolf - hiphop/r&b/reggae/house - happy b-day, omi!
wed(17): suede - degree/noble - hiphop/r&b/reggae/80s/rock - HAPPY B-DAY, DAMON!!
wed(17): blvd - dub gabriel/zakhm/ray velasquez - brazilian - gilberto afterparty
wed(17): remote lounge - absuloot live - 8pm - new hiphop for your tired toosh
wed(17): baraza - eric rodriguez/steve martin - classics
wed(17): joe's pub - lord have mercy/wordsworth/pumpkinhead/guests - indie rap
wed(17): afterwork/rumor - snatch 1/kaos/self - hiphop/r&b/reggae/classics

thu(18): guernica - blessed productive/selly/qool marv - house/old school/soul
thu(18): table 50 - q tip/mark ronson/guests - hiphop/rock/soul/funk/classics
thu(18): tribe - red rokk - hiphop/rock/80s/reggae
thu(18): 6s + 8s - grandmaster caz/guests - 70s + 80s rock, funk, electro + reggae
thu(18): ruby falls - soul/stretch armstrong/am (rotate) - hiphop/r&b/rock/80s
thu(18): black betty/bk - monk one/emskee - soul/funk/classics
thu(18): cielo - osunlade/henrik schwarz/yoruba soul - soulful, deep house
thu(18): discotheque - tony humphries/kevin hedge/guests - house/classics
thu(18): social club - self/will - hiphop/r&b/reggae/classics
thu(18): apt - language/lindsey/duane - classics/80s/old school breaks/funk
thu(18): 9 1/2 - big ben - hiphop/rock/reggae/classics
thu(18): crobar - larry t/jon jon battles/guests - disco/punk/new wave/electro/pop
thu(18): cherry lounge - dj wreck (97.9) - hiphop/r&b/reggae/house/freestyle/latin
thu(18): quo - crooked/fuse entertainment - house/hiphop/reggae/rock/80s
thu(18): gallery - snatch one - hiphop/r&b/reggae/classics
thu(18): CUNY/149th st - papo vazquez' pirates - brilliant latin jazz - 7185184455
thu(18): happy ending - rok one/jdh/miss jaclyn - hiphop/soul/rock/funk
thu(18): na - stretch armstrong/mateo/exacta/jus ske - hiphop/soul/rock/80s/house
thu(18): afterwork/viscaya - dj cosi - neosoul/classics/hiphop/house - 6 to 10
thu(18): afterwork/kanvas - dj sweets - hiphop/70s/80s - 6PM
thu(18): afterwork/suede - k.o./rahlo - hiphop/r&b/reggae - 6pm - free buffet

fri(19): starfoods - thank god it's freedom - the illest - see gigs above!
fri(19): lot 61 - dj soul/guests - hiphop/r&b/reggae/classics
fri(19): table 50 - qool marv - house/soul/international/classics/funk/olskool
fri(19): triple crown/bk - emskee - soul/rare groove/hiphop/good ish
fri(19): sin sin - red rokk - hiphop/r&b/reggae/80s
fri(19): hiro - van jee - house/80s/rock
fri(19): social club - jimmy ponzio/guests - old school/house/hiphop/reggae
fri(19): joe's pub - kaos - hiphop/r&b/reggae/classics/olskool
fri(19): delancey - small change/guests - rare records/funked up sh*t/rock/soul
fri(19): cellar bar - paolo mojo/dirtyhertz/jason jollins - house
fri(19): blvd - dj true/miller cruz/special guest - neo brasilian fuse/live drums
fri(19): supper club - kulcha/dj will - hiphop/r&b/reggae/classics
fri(19): na - stretch armstrong/jus-ske/lee kalt - hiphop/r&b/rock/80s/house
fri(19): mission - stimulus/gant - hiphop/r&b/reggae/classics
fri(19): coral room - mada/finesse - hiphop/rock/house/classics
fri(19): union square ballroom - marlon d/jellybean benitez/mr. v - house/classics
fri(19): canal room - big ben/danny o - hiphop/r&b/reggae/80s/rock/house
fri(19): crobar - doc martin/donald glaude - house
fri(19): moe's/bk - obah/guess- funk/soul/80s/good hiphop/r&b/afrobeat/reggae
fri(19): livre lounge/bk - dj desire/guests - hiphop/r&b/reggae/classics/soul
fri(19): etoile - snatch one - hiphop/r&b/reggae/classics
fri(19): the city - camillo - hiphop/r&b/reggae/classics/latin/reggae-ton
fri(19): eugene - kulcha - hiphop/r&b/reggae/classics
fri(19): blvd - rholi rho/dj eleven/guests - hiphop/r&b/reggae/80s/house
fri(19): jazz gallery - claudia acuna quartet - http://jazzgallery.org
fri(19): select - ettienne/fabrizio brienza - house/sexy stuff/fashion funk
fri(19): spirit - ivano bellini - house
fri(19): quo - disciple/dove (rotation)/guests - house/live percussion/hiphop
fri(19): laila lounge/bk - daddy dog/synapse/icue/jedi/dope unsigned hype - hiphop
fri(19): ikon - big ben/lucho + shadee/jcny - hiphop/r&b/reggae/house/oldskool
fri(19): luahn - guest djs - hiphop/r&b/reggae/house/soul/classics
fri(19): afterwork/vue - tijeras/jinx/RUPEE LIVE - hiphop/reggae/late night latin!
fri(19): afterwork/room 123 - supa e-kim/guests - hiphop/r&b/reggae/classics - 6pm
fri(19): afterwork/the city - guest djs - reggae/soca/r&b/hiphop/salsa - 6pm till

sat(20): social club - herbert/slinkee/cel - hiphop/r&b/reggae/80s/rock/old school
sat(20): eugene's - jcny - hiphop/r&b/reggae/80s/rock - HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAMON!!!
sat(20): mission - stormin normin - hiphop/r&b/reggae/classics
sat(20): hammerstein - charlie cassanova/merrit/big ben - palladium reunion!
sat(20): etoile - goldfinger/precise - hiphop/r&b/reggae/classics
sat(20): shelter - timmy regisford - soulful soulful soulful soulful (deep) house
sat(20): sullivan room - francis harris/david hollands/guests - house
sat(20): starfoods - osiris/guests - soul/afrobeat/funk
sat(20): viscaya - ani quinn/aphrodita - hiphop/r&b/reggae/80s/rock
sat(20): spirit - ski hi/jonathan peters - house/hiphop/r&b/reggae/reggae-ton
sat(20): route 85a - redlox/fuddy knight - soul/funk/r&b/hiphop/reggae/80s/rare
sat(20): joe's pub - dj eleven/guests - hiphop/r&b/reggae/soul/80s/old school
sat(20): octagon - dj self - hiphop/r&b/reggae/classics
sat(20): na - mark ronson/q tip/vanjee/massi voto - hiphop/classics/house/olskool
sat(20): crobar - david waxman - house
sat(20): southside lounge/bk - jon oliver/peter gnn - 70s funk/soul/disco
sat(20): underbar/w hotel union square - jvc - mix of everything (ill deejay!!!)
sat(20): nublu - mkl - soul/breaks/future jazz/afro
sat(20): satalla - guest djs - world music dance party - www.satalla.com
sat(20): copacabana - dj chris love - old school/classics/r&b/reggae/grown+sexy
sat(20): arshile - mano/liftkid/hiro - hiphop/r&b/reggae/house/live percussion
sat(20): m1-5 - live okay player unsigned talent - guest djs - hiphop/soul
sat(20): strata - big ben - hiphop/r&b/reggae/house/latin/rock/80s

sun(21): fez uptown - marc smooth/dallas green/dan.ce - classics/hiphop/r&b/reggae
sun(21): 1073 atlantic b/w franklin + classon/bk - ruben toro - house + classics
sun(21): flow - big ben/guests - hiphop/r&b/reggae/80s/rock/house
sun(21): piano's - scratch famous/selector JD/guests - reggae/reggae
sun(21): lq - envy/self - hiphop/r&b/reggae/classics/reggae-ton
sun(21): pravda - obah - old school/soul/funk/afrobeat/80s
sun(21): cielo - rekha - bollywood disco/live visuals
sun(21): deep - danny krivit - house - 7pm till ... (till the party below?)
sun(21): deep - camillo/guests - hiphop/r&b/reggae/latin
sun(21): 203 lounge - smooth c - roots-rockers-dub-dancehall/(reggae)

mon(22): cielo - francois k/guests - future dub/space vibes/house/anything soul
mon(22): apt - eli escobar/bobbitto/spinna (rotation) - soul/funk/disco/olskool
mon(22): sway - soul/guests - hiphop/rock/soul - some real nyc ish/starts around 1
mon(22): 46 grand - dj o - old school sh*t/bboy battles/bamboo earrings?
mon(22): 9 1/2 - sussone/mos/guests - hiphop/r&b/reggae/classics
mon(22): le souk - guest djs - house/trendy shmendy
mon(22): afterwork/justin's - sussone - hiphop/r&b/soul/reggae - football - 6pm

tue(23): joe's pub - djs/live soul performances - soul/classic/hiphop
tue(23): union square lounge/coffee shop - emskee skittles - soul/funk/old school
tue(23): hudson hotel - dj obah - funk/soul/rock/hiphop/brazilian/afrobeat/house
tue(23): sapphire - eman/lola - deep house - happy b-day, miss boogie!
tue(23): lobby - self/will from da bronx - hiphop/r&b/reggae/classics
tue(23): spirit - rupee live!/nina sky live!/cipha sounds/tony touch/dj e.m.
tue(23): vela - crooked - old school hiphop/new school hiphop/reggae/rock/80s
tue(23): afterwork/aubette - snatch 1 - hiphop/r&b/reggae/soul/classics

Herbert's Heard! (Now in order of hotness!)
1. "Drop It Like It's Hot (Hurricane Remix)" -- Kardinall Offishall
2. "No Bligh" -- Sean Paul
3. "Kopa Dance" -- Beenie Man
4. "Safety Dance" -- Men Without Hats
5. "1,2 Step" -- Ciara (We almost there, people.)
6. "Only U" -- Ashanti (Barely. An amazing instrumental.)

Herbert's Gigs
every wednesday - umbrella new york - 440 w. 202nd (10th ave)
you gotta come uptown! these cats know how to have some fun!!
hip-hop/r&b/reggae/reggaeton by dj herbertowitz all night long!
free!!!!! - new hot venue!!! - rsvp djherbert@earthlink.net

every friday - freedom - starfoods (64 e. 1st b/w 1st+2nd aves)
#1 funnest friday night dance party in nyc, son-n-n-n!
classic hiphop/soul/dancehall/80s/house/classic r&b/funk
$6 peach punch - food till 2am - dancing - come as you are!!
$5 before 2am, $7 after - rsvp djherbert@earthlink.net

every saturday - social club (14 e. 27th st b/w 5th + madison)
the HOT HOT HOT new saturday weekly - party people from all walks!
hiphop/r&b/reggae/80s/rock/house/classics by me - main floor
a mix of the same sort of music downstairs by slynkee and cel
look sharp - ladies free b4 12 - $15 - rsvp djherbert@earthlink.net

tuesday - november 17 - jury duty (60 centre street/room 452)
the party's just begun! it's gonna be live! the roof is on fire!
delinquents/criminals/civilians losing money to report for duty
8:45am till they say - free - rsvp: djherbert@earthlink.net

DJ Herbert

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