It's been an incredible couple of months since Cherry Street Pier has opened and we moved into our Artist studios. As we embark on our full year of residency, it was only right that we opened up our space to you all to ring in the New Year. Here are my Top 5 reasons you need to be with us on Monday night for our first annual New Years Eve experience. Take a peak and grab a ticket!

4. Heated Tent, Heat Lamps & Fire Pits!
As you may or may not know, the pier is not heated, as it's an open air public space. Because we want you to be comfy through the night, there will be a large heated tent in the pier as well as fire pits and heat lamps in the garden area. Artists' studios are heated, too! Dancing and cocktails are sure to help, too! But, you should still dress for the elements.

2. Art, Art & more Art!
​Cherry Street Pier is all about Art. So it's only right that we have Art! And lot's of it! Some of our resident Artists will be on site with their doors open for you to look, chat and even purchase! Expect to visit myself, Flygirrl and Artists First in our Creative Connectors Studio, Acori Honzo, Ed Marion, Tiny Room For Elephants, Carla J Fisher and more! Plus, we have live and exhibited work by Leon Rainbow, S.O.N. Art, Flygirrl, Vincent Dorse and more!

1. SugarHouse New Year's Eve Fireworks on the Waterfront!!!!
And for our main attraction! The incredible front row view of the spectacular fireworks at midnight! There is no other place to be but under the stars and fireworks with the incredible view of the Ben Franklin Bridge and the whole waterfront. Stay toasty with the fire pits and under the heat lamps but don't forget to grab your glass of champagne first!

HOURS OF OPERATION: 
New Year’s Eve Day: Cherry Street Pier will be open to the public from 11AM-3PM. The Pier will not be open for the 6PM SugarHouse Casino New Year's Eve on the Waterfront show.
New Year at the Pier: The ticketed party will be held from 9PM-1AM
New Year’s Day: The pier will be open from 1-8PM

PLEASE NOTE: 
*Dress for the elements, the pier does not have heat, but there will be special heat stations and fire pits available on site.
*There will be no parking available for this event. We encourage guests to park in Old City, take rideshare, bike with Indego, or take public transportation for safe and easy access to the pier on New Year's Eve.

Rich and I have about a 20 year history together. As friends first but over the years we've strengthened our working relationship by doing various parties together like Tastytreats, Jump n' Funk, HOME, Lil' Ricky's Rib Shack, most recently, The Roots Picnic Afterparty and many more.  I've also held his door down for him at APT in NYC for his event, Lil' Ricky's Rib Shack for a while but only after many years of coming as a fan.

I think part of why I've always loved Lil' Ricky's/APT so much is because of it's parallel vibe to Tastytreats/Fluid. It was special. It's longevity spanned more than a decade, weekly. It's unapologetic freedom of not having to play top 40 music all night. Neither venue really had a "sign". It was the kind of place that if you knew, you knew! 

I asked Rich a few questions about what the party, the venue and it's legacy is all about. Check it out below. Then check us out this Friday, June 29th, for our 5th Friday residency at Silk City in Philadelphia. We teamed up to bring Lil' Ricky's Rib Shack to Philly. You can find Rich spinning a 4 hour set and me on the dance floor.

Flygirrl: Tell the folks what Lil Ricky's Rib Shack is all about.
Rich: LiL Ricky’s Rib Shack is all about open minded music appreciation and providing the dance community with a space to celebrate their relationship with the DJ, other dancers, and the remainder of the club community. 

F: APT. What did that venue mean to you?
RM: APT means a hell of a lot to me because despite having been a working DJ in NYC for years prior, LRRS was the DJ residency that gave me my own weekly platform and changed my career forever. 

F: How did Lil' Ricky's Rib Shack effect New York nightlife?
RM: We were a bit of an oasis in the desert to a degree. There were of course many clubs that were alive and well in NYC at the time, but none had APT’s decorum from design to management to the talent that was booked there on a daily basis for 10 years. 

F: Who was your favorite guest DJ at Lil' Ricky's Rib Shack?
RM: Shit...that’s a tough one...there were so many incredible moments there...but I would have to say the night Yasiin Bey and Q-Tip came and both freestyled impromptu for a good 45 minutes and then Q-Tip joined me on the wheels for the night, unplanned. It was spontaneous, electric, and definitely a night to remember for many people. 

F: What are 5 songs in your rotation at the moment?
RM: 
​Thundercat - Oh Sheeeit it’s X
Black Thought - TeoFifteen
Moody Man - Pitch Black City Reunion
Nas - Cop Shot The Kid
Josh Milan - Thinking About Your Body

What you go through when you're producing an event can at time be stressful. Producing an event on a rooftop when it's going to storm is another level of stress. On June 2, 2018, Vikter Duplaix and myself teamed up again for another Roots Picnic Afterparty by bringing Kiss n' Grind back to Philly. We booked Questlove, Rich Medina, Vikter and Royale to spin. Fantastic line up, was really looking forward to it.

The promotion moves forward and we did an early admission RSVP that generously grew to over 1200 people. And that was just folks that wanted to come early, lol. The day comes and it looks like it's going to rain. Like, not just rain, they are saying downpours. I often wonder if what they say will really happen but today they were spot on. We prepared by tenting half to the rooftop as the bar half of the rooftop is covered. We're still praying it's just cloudy skies or a sprinkle and it's over.

About 7:30, as our doors were opening, it began raining. We regroup because this is now a turn in events. As some time goes by we realize that it's actually getting pretty bad. Hard down pours, thunder, lightening, wind....... It was a struggle for a while because we set the DJ's up on the stage under a tent. It was pouring and at the time Vikter and Rich were spinning. It became dangerous so we decided to move Quests set up under the side with the roof. 

Next thing you know, I get a text that the Picnic was shut down and Quest wants to come spin now. It's only 10:30 and pouring. But within 30 minutes the rain stopped and the people poured in. Lots of text messages and calls asking if we were still continuing the party. So everyone made their way over.

Earlier in the day, we were told Dave Chappelle may come and we should save a table. I communicate with his team on their way over and when they arrived downstairs - to let me know. They arrive and I meet his manager at the door and we wait for a minute because Dave was in the car with TI listening to his new album. Oh. Dave AND TI. This is about to be fun. Next thing you know, I'm in the elevator with Dave, Dave's team and TI. I take them up to the party...

A little later, I was told Busta Rhymes is coming. I go downstairs to meet him. He's walking in with 9th Wonder (who had just spun the night prior at my event - Philly Loves The Soulquarians, along with DJ Mike Nyce), Raspody and their crew. Take them up to the party. Before you know, it, Brandy is there, Tessa Thomspon was there... Dave was hosting along with Yameen and Busta... TI performed when Quest intro'd a song he sampled on What You Know About That. It was legit a star studded affair. 

At the end of the night, there were lots of special moments for everyone as we hung out after the party and took shots with the staff and had cyphers of conversations in the VIP room. Taking shots with Busta, talking shit with Dave, hugging Brandy, singing with TI and dancing to Questlove, Vikter Duplaix, Rich Medina and Royale. Oh, what a night!!!!

This was a super dope night and worth every bit of stress we went through in the early moments of the night. We appreciate all of the party people that braved the forecast and knew they needed to be in the room. And thanks to all of our staff and the folks at Stratus Lounge for being a part of the night. 

Stay tuned for more Flygirrl productions by signing up on my email list!

Originally published in Scratch magazine, February 2006

“I went through that whole thing a lot cats either go through or went to,” J-Dilla, November 2005
Much like Dilla’s life, this interview was ended way too soon. Three years later I read this and think “damn, he really was saying some real spit.” You can hear just a little bit of the frustration that J-Dilla felt as a producer despite the accolades he’s been showered with since his death. He read the reviews of his work just like you all do, and while some might not want to admit it now, those reviews weren’t always positive.  Even though he’d racked up an impressive discography, he still had to cater to the artists he made beats for. And while Momma Yancey is clearly his biggest supporter, even she had some misgivings about his career choice in the beginning. So when you read this don’t just think of J-Dilla the gifted musician, remember James Dewitt Yancey the man.

​Interview by Alvin “Aqua Boogie” Blanco

Aqua: What made you choose L.A. over Miami or NYC?
J-Dilla: I thought about New York but in New York the studio would get crowded with a lot of people. In LA, you look outside it’s like palm trees, sunshine and you know a totally different feel working.

You mentioned not having a bunch of people in the studio, do you like to keep it just you and the artist in the studio?
Yeah, I like to keep it to a minimum.

What part of L.A. is it?
West Hollywood.

Do you still keep a crib in Detroit?
Yeah, I still got the crib and then actually all my equipment is out there. I’m looking for a crib now so I can ship my equipment out here.

I’m assuming you got some equipment out in L.A. right?
I got just the basics. AN MPC a couple of turntables and that’s really it.

What equipment did you start with?
I started with the SP-12 then moved to the SP-1200 and then shortly after that the MPC-60, then the MPC-62, then the MPC3000 and I’ve been on the MPC 3000 ever since then. I’ve tried other samplers but the 3000 is best for me for what I like to do.

What about it specifically?
It’s just easier for me to program and I like the node offs and mono pads. I can just do more with it. I guess cause I know it better.

As far as your records are you a big digger?
Yeah man. I’m a record shopping fanatic. I already got a nice stash here and I got a warehouse full of records in Detroit, it’s ridiculous. I lost a lot of records too. Having them in that storage paper, records was getting damp and to go back periodically and check on them is kind of hard.

What do you want to be when you grow up? Well, if you're not sure you want to do just one thing for the rest of your life, you're not alone. In this illuminating talk, writer and artist Emilie Wapnick describes the kind of people she calls "multipotentialites" -- who have a range of interests and jobs over one lifetime. Are you one? This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxBend, an independent event. 

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Emilie Wapnick · Writer, coach, artistCareer coach Emilie Wapnick celebrates the "multipotentialite" -- those of us with many interests, many jobs over a lifetime, and many interlocking potentials.

In 1998, I was managing Brave New World on 7th and Arch. That's where I met Ahmir aka Questlove. He was chilling one night, I think on Tiffany Bacon's night in the Red Room which was the smaller side of the venue. We became friends and started to hang out... Shortly after, Jam from KBA HQ (remember all of the cigarette promotions and parties?! That was KBA) came and offered me a Program Manager position. I was looking to get out of being at BNW til 3am every night so I took the job. EVERYONE worked at KBA. Sao, Jenn Bragg, Tony Allen, Wayne, Yameen and more... Me, Yameen and Ahmir started to hang out a lot together. Going to parties, going to Tower Records every Tuesday - literally every Tuesday in my VW Bug, lots of memories at The South Street diner and more. The South Street Diner is where our future was kind of born. At the time, we had been talking about how there was something missing party wise in the city and we were itching to do a party... Our friend Jack Boogi at the time was working with a new place called Filo's which was at 2nd and Pine. He offered us Saturday nights which he was running with DJ Train. So, we said yes! It was the The South St Diner in 2000, where we dreamt up Tastytreats, Jawn Tshirts, Tastykakes at parties, and a little company called Squarebiz..

At the time, I lived at 455 Fairmount, and remember us in my living room on my computer making our logo. We had no idea what was to come. We launched Tastytreats at Filo's with DJ's Questlove and Train in May 2001. And it was an instant hit. We packed that place every Saturday night for almost 2 years. Even had legends DJ Jazzy Jeff and DJ Cash Money guest DJ a few times, if you can believe that with as small as it was. One night, our great friend Oronde (RIP) came one night and could barley get through crowd it was so tight. I often would camp out in our tiny DJ section because it was so crowded. Lol. At the time, he was doing security over at Fluid. He was like, "Yo, you wanna move this shit?"  He offered us Saturday nights and we knew it was time to expand so we said yes! At the time, DJ Mike Nyce was spinning at The Palmer. I think it was Yameen that suggested we bring Mike with us for the move. We reached out to Mike and ironically, he was looking for a change so he accepted. We made the seamless transition and never looked back.

13 years later, in 2014 when Fluid closed, we looked back at a weekly event for 13 years that changed nightlife culture forever. We booked DJ's that weren't being booked in Philly and gave them a home. A home that wasn't centered around Top 40 music. They were able to come and spin the music they loved al the while folks singing all of the lyrics at them dancing the night away. No fights, no issues, just people enjoying the vibes. I'll never forget one of the times I booked Biz Markie. I booked him for being Biz. Spinning Classics, Hip-Hop, etc.... He spun a few Wu-Tang songs and the crowd, in true fashion, sang word for word and Biz was hype. So hype, that he spun nothing but Wu-Tang for his entire set! Ha! I was mad but the crowd loved it. Over the 13 years, we booked DJ's (Questlove + Mike Nyce), DJ Jazzy Jeff, Q-Tip, Premier with Guru (GangStarr), 9th Wonder, Ali Shaheed Muhammad (ATCQ), DJ Scratch (EPMD), Biz Markie, Kool Here, Luvbug Starski, Da Beatminerz, Rich Medina, Spinna, Bobbito, Pete Rock, Beverly Bond, Mr. Sonny James, Ultraviolet, lil' Dave, Afrodjiak and many more. We've even had some guest hosts like Phonte of Little Brother, GrandMaster Melle Mel, Lady Alma and more. I feel so blessed to look back and see such a legendary list of talent that really, genuinely loved what we were doing.

It's almost hard to explain how special those years were to those who were to young to remember or the folks that just never knew. But if you know, you KNOW! It was classic. It was special. It was a moment in time. It was years of memories that I will never forget and will forever feel blessed to have done what we've done, to share what we've shared and to have met so many of you. Tastytreats and Squarebiz brought folks together. There are so  many people that met at our party and continued to raise families and businesses together. Or have formed lifelong friendships. Shout out to the Squarebiz Message Boards! Haha.

So, Philly, we thank you. We thank you and invite you to come enjoy our one night reunion with us on Thanksgiving Weekend in Philadelphia on Saturday November 25, 2017 at Tastytreats with DJ's Questlove + Mike Nyce plus, host Yameen Allworld. You can find us at Mousai at Cibo on 1227 Walnut St. Doors open at 9m with drink specials plus, discounted parking above the Starbucks at 12th and Walnut Sts. 

Please tell a friend and we'll see you on the dancefloor.

Get to know one of Philly's Hottest New Soul Singers in this up-close-and-personal short documentary. This documentary was an official Selection Dever Pan African Film Festival and was created by ReelBlack. She's one of our many featured performers for our hurricane fundraiser on Saturday October 21, 2017 at Johnny Brenda's in Philadelphia. She's donating her time and talent so that we can raise money to provide for families in the USVI who have been devastated by the hurricanes. Through the Adopt a Family Program, we will purchase, pack and ship each families requests with love, from Philly. For more info and tickets please click here. 

Lady Alma’s fans run the gamut – from progressive artists like Moby, Kindred the Family Soul, India.Arie, Joan Osborne, Musiq and Les Nubians to regular working-class folk in West London clubs and West Philly barber shops. In cities everywhere from Atlanta and Amsterdam to Toronto and Tokyo, vocal sensation Alma Horton — known to her fans worldwide as LADY ALMA – has become the name to know, deemed “the heart & soul of Philadelphia’s soul scene” and heralded as “the truth in a roomful of lies” among tastemaker’s circles.

In 1997, hip-hop was enjoying a unprecedented boom. For the better part of a decade, the genre had had been growing creatively and expanding commercially. New York rap had been enjoying four year post-G-Funk resurgence that had been highlighted by acclaimed debuts from iconic acts like Wu-Tang Clan, the Notorious B.I.G., Nas, and Jay Z, as well as landmark releases from Redman, A Tribe Called Quest and Mobb Deep, among others. 1997 opened with New York’s dominance firmly re-established.
​
While the year would come to be defined by the murder of the Notorious B.I.G., and the resulting “jiggy” shift in the wake of that tragedy, the debut album from Bronx duo Camp Lo, would follow a quirkier tradition; celebrating their refreshingly underground style and even flirting with the mainstream–courtesy of one of the greatest rap singles of all time.

Rappers Sonny Cheeba and Geechi Suede hailed from the mean streets of The Bronx, and were originally separate entities. Producer Ski Beatz introduced the two; soon thereafter, Geechi Suede, who had already been working under the tutelage of Ski, would begin to bounce ideas off of Sonny Cheeba, who was attending school in Virginia at the time.

Submit your email address above to get info when it's released on creative classes with Flygirrl for her Summer Session. Classes will vary in the subjects of Art, Graphics, Event Planning, and DYI for both adults and kids. Stay tuned!

On Friday, April 21, 2017, marks 1 year since the greatest to EVER do it passed away. Prince Rogers Nelson left us but left us his magic that we can live with forever. At Philly Loves Prince, we'll celebrate him through his music, film, videos, art and so much more. I'm planning a very special night and would love for you to save the date to be in attendance. Stay tuned by signing up for my email list or by joining the Facebook event.

In the meantime, please enjoy the entire night of music from Purple Vibes - the 5 hour night we produced the night after Prince passed away. DJ's Cosmo Baker, Mr. Sonny James and Lean Wit It poured their heart and souls into that night. It was bittersweet.

Enjoy. 
​

Thank you Bilal, Ursula Rucker, Johnny Brenda's and of course, you, Philly!

Source: Centric TV

Rest in Peace and Paradise, my dear #Prince.

The countdown is on to our 4th Annual Philly Loves Dilla night! Saturday night, we gather on Dilla's 42nd birthday and the 10th anniversary of his passing. No better way to honor him than to gather and soak in all he's left us musically. DJ's Mike Nyce, Jay Ski and Mr Sonny James are spinning 3 for 3 on 4 turntables all night! With a tribute video and live and exhibited Dilla artwork by Flygirrl, Ameerah K Art, Son Art, JRuggs and Oronde Kairi Johnson. Some prints available and a portion of all proceeds will benefit The J Dilla Foundation. Doors at 9pm, $10 at the door. See you on the dance floor!

Enjoy this Dilla For Life mix by DJ Mike Nyce to get warmed up for Saturday and pass it on....
​

On January, 22nd, there's no other place to be than at Silk City in Philly... I'm bringing legendary DJ Pete Rock back to Philly for another classic night of music. Dj Lil Dave of Illvibe Collective is opening the night and getting the vibes right for Chocolate Boy Wonder to step in the booth! Doors open at 9pm with drink specials all night. See you on the dance floor!

Flygirrl presents
The Legendary DJ Pete Rock
with opening DJ Lil Dave of Illvibe Collective

Friday January 22, 2016
​9pm-2am | 21+ with id
​$10 until midnight $12 after 
Silk City 435 Spring Garden Street Philly

'Ameska' features a performance by ABT Soloist Misty Copeland with Paul Barris, Alexander Demkin, and Roman Kutskyy. The piece was choreographed by Derek Hough and featured in YAGP's 2014 'Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow' Gala. 

Every aspiring and star ballet dancer follows a path to their dream. At Youth America Grand Prix, we are proud of the fact that many of today's star ballet dancers and ballerinas, from world famous companies such as New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, the Royal Ballet and Dutch National Ballet, chose to make YAGP a part of their journey from the studio to the largest stages around the world.

​May our hearts never hold regret, rather the refusal to face the feeling of regret.

Every year around the end of December, it becomes common to reflect on the past 12 months and all too often, think about what we did wrong. To, think about what we didn't do enough of, or what we missed out on. It's a beautiful thing really, because it means we believe in the possibility for personal growth and self improvement.

We've all heard them, a million times. New Year's resolutions. 

People swear by them, that the new year will be better than the last. That goals will be met, weight will be lost, jobs will be gained, degrees will be earned, families will grow, and happiness will be achieved.

And you know what? They're right.

The whole point behind the new year, new me phenomenon is not to become an entirely new person. At best, it means to make the things we don't favor about ourselves different, and to strive for even greater greatness than we did the year before. It's a name for the epiphany we all want for the fresh start of the new year. And it isn't a bad thing. 

While I personally don't favor the term "New Year's resolution," I do believe in the idea that the new year can be revolutionary. 
We should never wait to accomplish the things we want to, but beginning in a new year isn't a bad place to start. 

2016 will be better than 2015 because the future can still be impacted. The past can't be changed, and that's the beauty of this life. What is had for us in the new year can only be an improvement on the last year because it means we are growing. The baggage and the memories we carry only get heavier and heavier as we live our lives but, the greater that weight becomes, the more you have under your belt. 

We have the opportunity to create things for ourselves, to move on from tragedy, and to pick our battles. It's a time where our choices directly alter our paths or keep us on them. Getting a chance to change the future is better than any reflection on the past. Moving on from heartache and obstacles only means we've already become stronger than we once were. Moving forward means we've made it through the past. Accepting the new year as a step towards the future means we've reached the point at which we can trust in the unknown and what is destined for us. It means we are willing to grow. 

May our hearts never hold regret, rather, the refusal to face the feeling of regret. The best we can do is work to excel in what we were once good at. It's a blank canvas to paint a story of evolution and passion on. It's a time for dreaming, learning, and living like no other. 

​2016 will be better because like the number, life only goes up from here. I have to believe that. 
Here's to a better, newer, greater year. 

Lauren MartinsBorn in Cali. Raised in Miami. Life's in Charleston. Heart's in Brazil.