TI loves the mad mixing of influences and references going in in the KMBA flyers. Viva NY!

A great part of the myth of NY living (which I'm getting into again) is the dream of walking through the night dressed with as much freak appeal as you want to. Its about walking into a cavernous black hall with the speakers pumping a baseline so deep, it threatens to obliterate your heartbeat.You descend to the dancefloor and grinding on that pit is a multi-cultural , polysexual mixed bag of fashion students, art school drop outs, trust fund brats, club kids, drag queens, sexy babes, boy toys and uhm...models (preferably of high campaign distinction). Ruling above it all is usually a god-like figure...the legendary DJ.

Paradise Garage, an 80's dance place was said to be like that. That house was ruled by a DJ called Larry Levan, a man who other DJ's to this day fall to the floor to praise. The 90's gave us Sound Factory which resulted in the rise of Junior Vasquez, the DJ that ruled NY then . He had Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey and Madonna slumming in his deluxe DJ booth many a Sunday morning on 27th st. I used to sneak out from my very conservative household as kid and dance to exhaustion in this joint. One night I was on the dancefloor with a girlfriend by the name of Abeni Garrett who was dancing totally topless except for a thick bike chain dangling around her neck. Very Treach from Naughty by Nature. Madonna and her voguing contingent took note of the epicene beauty of Abeni prompting Miss M to declare "You're fierce but you're not working it." "Well .." said our beloved Abeni, "You're working it well but you're not fierce." Such a moment. Since I've grown up and gotten all these real jobs and responsibilities, whenever I go out in NY I feel like there is no longer the idea that you can go out dancing and get a chance to diss the superstars of your day. So much bottle service and so much...segmentation and niche markets and VIP membership cards.
And then I heard about a brilliant young DJ named Quentin Harris playing at Webster Hall at a party called Kiss My Black Ass. Now there's a bash you have to attend if only to jump in a cab and say " to Kiss My Black Ass please". When all my London pals ship in for the NY shows I'm sending them there. I've taken on the duty of being KMBA's stealth publicist/promoter to the fashion crowd.Which is not to say KMBA is a new discovery for the fashion crowd. Last fall, WWD did a massive 2 page write up on Mr Harris shouting him out as the salvation of the NY dance secene. Quentin is looming as not only the best DJ in NY but probably THE superstar DJ on the international circuit right this minute. His monthly itenaray puts mine to shame. Its very NY-Tokyo-Australia- Rio-Berlin-London. Apart from these gigs Quniten is buried in the studio re-mixing tracks for everyone! Name them...Britney..Justin..Mariah..its his Midas touch that makes the remixes sizzle. I also hear the hiss that he's doing the soundtrack for a controversial short film on the underground NY scene titled "After Hour Babies". Just having his name in this post is bound to be a google search term bounty for TI.
Before heading out on vacation, I popped by his Christmas party at his new pad. I can't tell you how surreal it is to be in a roomful of DJ's: all these legendary names that you see on legendary white labels, made flesh. Mr Harris explained that DJ-ing, even if competitive, is a fraternity. "Sometimes I go to another DJ's party and because he knows I'm in the crowd, he'll start spinning records FOR me.. directed TO me. A DJ can have a whole conversation with you just by spinning a certain sequence of songs" Amen to that! This NYFW make a pilgrimage on Sunday night to Quentin's temple. It proves that NY still has all the fuel to rule as party capital of the world. I can see Agyness and Henry and Gareth and Camille and Andre getting into the nocturnal extravaganza of it all. Only in NY kids!