New Jack City! Holiday Edition

Join us this Thursday for a very special New Jack City. Not only will we be dropping our latest New Jack finds (and believe me, we uncovered some tasty stuff in the past month), but we'll also be sprinkling in some sweet holiday jams to get you in the yuletide spirit. I've been scouring the .NET over the last few days seeing what kind of New Jack Holiday goodness I can find. Here's a small sampling...

New Edition rocking some sweet seasonal jackets:



Boyz II Men sing to an audience of God, and Kenny Rogers:



Nothing says Christmas like the sweet croon of R Kelly as you're sitting around the tree:



SWV lament a Christmas spent alone:



OH SNAP! Now Kenny Rogers is caroling WITH Boyz II Men!



I don't know if Kenny's presence hurts or helps this song's chances of being played at our Holiday edition of New Jack City. You'll have to stop by to find out!

New Jack City! Holiday Edition - Thursday Dec. 9
Featuring DJ Cool It Now & DJ Human Highlight Film
Langano Lounge (1435 SE Hawthorne Blvd)
9pm FREE

The Candyman can

Every time Cool It Now and I host New Jack City, it's a guessing game as to which song will ignite the dance floor. Much to my glee, during our last outing things erupted to the tune of Candyman's classic joint "Knockin' Boots".



Back in the day, when I was young and had cable television, there was a channel called The Jukebox Network. People could call in and pay a small sum of money to see their favorite music videos on demand. It was amazing, and Candyman was in heavy rotation. This song really takes me back.

New Jack City - every 2nd Thursday of the Month!

Thats November 11th for you non calendar people.

Visit New Jack City every second Thursday at Langano Lounge!

The fine folks at Langano Lounge have extended a warm invitation to host New Jack City on the second Thursday of each and every month. We're very excited to have a regular home for NJC. Please join us for the next event, Thursday October 14. DJ Cool It Now just unearthed a heaping helping of 12" singles that are sure to make you tear up the carpet!

New Jack City - Thursday Oct 14
Featuring DJ Cool It Now & DJ Human Highlight Film
Langano Lounge (1435 SE Hawthorne Blvd)
9pm FREE

Countdown to New Jack City

The debut of New Jack City is just around the corner! Sunday September 19 we'll be throwing down at Langano Lounge in SE Portland. Things kick off at 9pm pst. Expect a heaping helping of New Jack, as we transport you back to a simpler time when flat top fades were chiseled with precision, and clothes were sometimes worn backwards.

Last night me and Cool It Now made a little trip to Langano to prepare ourselves mentally and physically for the grand event. We spent hours pouring over a color-coded Excel spreadsheet as we worked to pinpoint the perfect selection of New Jack joints to deliver Sunday night. There were formulas involved, and something about Macros. Here's a sneak peek at what we came up with:


As you can see it's going to be a great night. Please join us, won't you?

New Jack City - Sunday Sept 19
Featuring DJ Cool It Now & DJ Human Highlight Film
Langano Lounge (1435 SE Hawthorne Blvd)
9pm FREE

Behold The Human Highlight Film

Whenever I'm out and about in Portland, shopping for fresh produce or what have you, people always axe me, "Hey Highlight Film, where'd you get your name?" Well folks, please direct your attention to the video below...



Please note: That's not me throwing down those dunks. It's a basketball player I liked as a kid. As far as I know, Dominique Wilkins (the real Human Highlight Film) will not be showing up at New Jack City, though the offer has been extended.

Celebrate the debut of New Jack City - September 19!

We are pleased to announce that on Sunday September 19, the wall between you and New Jack City will officially come crumbling to the ground. It promises to be quite the party, and it's all going down at Langono Lounge in SE Portland. We hope you'll be able to join us for our big debut. What can you expect during your first trip to New Jack City? Anything could happen, maybe even a visit from these guys...



New Jack City - Grand Opening Party & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Featuring DJ Cool It Now & DJ Human Highlight Film
Sunday September 19
Langano Lounge (1435 SE Hawthorne Blvd)
9pm FREE

A Force to be reckoned with

Last weekend me and my boy DJ Cool It Now did a little crate digging. As always we were on the hunt for hidden gems of the New Jack era. One group that kept popping out of the dusty bins was Full Force. I remembered the name but couldn’t quite put a sound to it. Cool It Now rolled the dice and picked up one of their albums while I decided to do some research first, using the internet. It’s pretty solid stuff, but I’m not sure how I feel about their outfits. Usually I’m of the opinion that anything goes when we’re discussing the fashion of the late 80’s and early 90’s, but in the following video Full Force is clearly tiptoeing the line between right and wrong.

Interesting side note: Wikipedia tells me Full Force actually provided backing vocals for two songs on Bob Dylan’s “Infidels” album. While those Bob Dylan songs won’t be played at a New Jack City event, I think it’s safe to say we haven’t heard the last of Full Force.

Stay Mental

Welcome to New Jack City.

These are the sounds of a lost youth. No Auto Tune needed... just pure vocal mastery. Hip Hop smoothed out on the R&B tip, with a pop feel appeal to it.

Just a little taste

...of things to come.