Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
The gates had to be closed on the party people who came out after 1 a.m. to enjoy the Heineken Yesterday party, held at Peppers Nightclub, Upper Waterloo Road, on Saturday. The venue was jam-packed. - WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
COMING UP to 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, feet that wanted to dance at Peppers had to walk a bit first.
They had to go the distance from the space allotted for patrolled parking heading up Annette Crescent to the Upper Waterloo Road, St. Andrew, nightclub indicating the magnitude of the party.
If any other indicators were needed, a little over an hour later the selectors interrupted a string of Sizzla selections to announce that the gate was being closed as 'the place a run too tight. Big up all the people on the outside'.
It had got really tight by then, not so much so, though, that the ladies could not find space to gyrate, many planting their feet, elevated on thin, high heels, and letting the hips go.
SELECTIONS
There were selections from Mix Master Marvin and Lincoln to get the section around the hipsters rolling, as well as other body parts twitching and thrusting, as the music alternated between dancehall and hip hop, sticking true to the '90s music format.
When the selectors stepped closer to the time, with a snippet of Alozade chanting about Garden and the derisive Real McKoy, there was an extremely enthusiastic reception at Peppers.
A Bounty Killer trio of Wutless Bway, We De Gal Dem a Cry Fa and Living Dangerously, the last with Barrington Levy, preceded Vegas' Nike Air.
"De nex' tune me a play a one a de wickedes' tune from the '90s," the selector said as Roundhead intoned anywhere the Monster go the people go. And they duly filled in the uh, uh.
There was more two-syllable sound singalong as Beenie Man announced see de gal dem man and men and women alike said yah yah.
GLEE
Hip hop got its share of airtime, Beenie Man's Perogative starting the trip into the beat. The voices lifted on This Is How We Do It, and many bounced in place to Jump Around. When Supercat's voice came though chanting to the Mac Daddy there was glee inside Peppers. Bounty Killer, Junior Reid and Busta Rhymes, then Bounty Killer with the Fugees were the last yard based contributions to the run of hip hop before Biggie Small led off a series of reimports.
"We a go bless up de place. We a go start ova de party," the selector said and, in the early hours of Sunday, Buju chanted to Our Father, hands going up in the air. They stayed up as he declared only Rasta can liberate the people and Peppers exploded for Sizzla's Dem A Wonder.
The run of deejay music continued and the 'Yesterday' people jigged along, the hip hop of Gangster's Paradise signalling another change of beat as The Gleaner left, the voice of Tupac rolling over a packed party.
