Quarantine is seemingly coming to an end as states begin to reopen. We should recap all the content that has come out of this period. In the three months we’ve been inside, black creatives stepped to the plate and provided the culture with some much-needed relief. Who knew Instagram live would save the day? With the barriers broken down, we found this common ground amongst people. The entire culture took advantage of this opportunity. Some content even took on a life of its own. Quarantine Radio, Club Quarantine, and Verzuz all managed to bloom this dark Spring from the comfort of our homes.
How are you staying corona free? Live from 305, Tory Lanez and crew threw the livest and safest parties of quarantine. Prime objective: get drunk, which Tory made sure we did every time. It was always shot o’clock with a chaser of Drake. With regular appearances from the ultimate light skins Wiz Khalifa and Tyga, it was the place to be. Nobody can forget the time his evil twin Megan the Stallion came through. Tory’s energy was so infectious! His human soundboard also added the extra spice everyone needed. He used Quarantine Radio to market his latest project, ‘The New Toronto 3’. “Do the Most” and “Stupid Again” were both premiered during the twerk-a-thon. Tory did for himself what the strip clubs and radio would’ve done under normal circumstances. After a few more weeks of Almond Milk, baby oil, and that one girl who used wax; Quarantine Radio has ended. Tory thinks it’s best to leave on a high note but if you know you know…shhhhh!
In family-friendly news, Verzuz has been the place to be every weekend. It started as an impromptu celebration between two greats Swizz Beatz and Timberland. It’s turned into a history class for the youth, a walk down memory lane for the 20 & 30 somethings, and pure nostalgia for everyone else. Although it is a celebration, it’s still also battle even if 85% of the time the culture wins. Fan favorites include Ne-Yo vs Johnta Austin, DJ Premier vs RZA, T-Pain vs Lil’ Jon, Jill Scott vs Erykah Badu, and most recently Bounty Killa vs Beenie Man. The most cringe-worthy performance has to go to Sean Garrett who still stands by his claims of being completely sober. Of course, we can’t forget the technical difficulties that overshadowed Teddy Riley vs Babyface. Yesterday a healing celebration was held with Bishop T.D. Jakes, Kirk Franklin, and Fred Hammond. Swizz and Tim created something so freeing that you forget we’re living in a pandemic. Quarantine may be ending; however, Swizz and Tim are far from finished. Follow Verzuz on Instagram for updates on the battle.
Last and certainly not least, D-Nice’s Club Quarantine is the gift that keeps on giving. On Saturday, March 22nd, D-Nice shook the internet. He played everything from “Give Me the Night” by George Benson to “Salt Shaker” by Ying Yang Twins. Out of the 193 songs, maybe 3 of them came out in the last 7 years. Talk about range! In 24 hours, he went from having a few hundred thousand followers to over a million live viewers. Michelle Obama even came through the party. D-Nice has saved the day on more than one occasion. When Teddy had technical difficulties, D-Nice hosted an impromptu Club Quarantine playing the hits we were looking for. It is beautiful to see one of the greats get some well-deserved recognition. Make sure you follow D-Nice on Instagram so that you don’t miss the next one!
The quarantine content All Stars are definitely those three. Below is a list of content you can still keep up with:
Tidal Check In hosted by Elliot Wilson on Tidal
Art of Facts hosted by B. Dot
The Fat Joe Show hosted by Fat Joe
HRDList created by Danyel Smith
TheMotto created by Elliot Wilson
Quarantine Champs by N.O.R.E & DJ EFN
