DJ D-Nice stays busy enough under normal circumstances, gigging at all the events he can handle, and even putting his photographer’s eye to good use with an album cover or scenic vista that touches his artistic fancy. The present times under the national public health emergency under the COVID-19 pandemic are hardly normal, and desperate times call for everyone to be human in the best way that every person can possibly be. DJ D-Nice had an epiphany that the sheltered and shut-in world could use more than a song or some exercise. The DJ and successful rapper decided that a virtual dance party was the perfect solution, and Gayle King of “CBS This Morning” was one of his delighted celebrity quests.

The “CBS This Morning” co-anchor chatted this morning, March 23, with D-Nice, and King made no effort to contain the exuberance or joyful release derived from a few hours of groovin’ and movin’ in her pajamas provided on Saturday night. ABC 7 in Chicago also covered the action, which drew a truly gargantuan gaggle of celebrity friends. One of them was Gayle's best friend, Oprah.

D-Nice has become everyone’s favorite DJ

“Hi, Derrick Jones!” Gayle King greeted D-Nice this morning. King, like the others on the growing list of invitees to the DJ’s “Homeschoolin’ at #ClubQuarantine” (as the rapper has dubbed his apartment), feels more comfortable on a first-name basis with the artist now. She spent several hours of her Saturday night with him.

“I literally got out of my bed and I was dancin’ around my room in my PJs,” Gayle joyfully confirmed. Her co-anchor and colleague, Anthony Mason, poked fun, asking, “Why don’t we have a video of that?”

A who’s who among the music and celebrity world started to heed the call of D-Nice. Donnie Wahlberg dropped in, along with Jennifer Lopez, Common, and of course, Queen O, who called the occasion “the best party of 1 and 100K I ever been to!”

A former first lady shows up for D-Nice

DJ D-Nice has earned his genuine credibility in the music world.

Beginning in the 1980s with his native Bronx hip-hop group, BDP, the artist made an imprint. He earned worthy chart positions with albums “Call Me D-Nice” and the 1991 “To Tha Rescue.” D-Nice was also active in the “Stop the Violence” movement of the 1980s, being one of the producers of the seminal song, “Self Destruction.”

Themes of unity resonated beyond what the coveted DJ could have ever imagined over the weekend.

There were several thousand dancing through the Friday night festivities, but by the time word got out Saturday, the beginning 50,000 grew to 100,000 by the end of the night. There were more than 160,000 taking part in the cyber party by the end of nine hours on Sunday.

D-Nice is not a no-name to former president Barack Obama and first lady, Michelle Obama. The DJ was the chosen beat master at the after-party for the last musical event of the Obama White House in 2016.

“We're bringing the whole world together tonight,” echoed DJ D-Nice when the tally was at 105,000. Soon, he was calling out Mary J Blige and “Michelle Obama in the house,” along with the former vice president and current Democratic front-runner, Joe Biden.

Higher connections always help, but what really moves D-Nice is the difference he made from simply “missing my family” in self-isolation literally opening of the world, at least for a few hours.

Gayle King commented that she noticed a particular excitement in the DJ when Mark Zuckerberg checked in, but no one moved his heart more than Michelle Obama. “When she popped in, I just froze,” remarked D-Nice.

His delight was so immense that music ideas for the former first lady momentarily escaped him until he recalled her affection for Beyoncé. That set the playlist right for the night, so anyone who remembers the 80s to the present could find the perfect jam. The hat changes added to the ambiance, too.

Divine inspiration struck D-Nice

DJ D-Nice described how his inspiration for the virtual dance party struck at about four in the morning. One BET opinion columnist declared that the DJ “Did God's Work During His ‘Homeschoolin’ Sets and We're All The Better For It” in the title of his March 23rd entry.

Dustin Siebert credited that “the interface brought moguls like Oprah to the same level as the out-of-work bar hand, who is no longer sure how he or she will make rent on April 1.” That simple reality check reiterates the priceless value of music to remind us of our common humanity, and the devastation of this COVID-19 crisis.

One of the joiners at the event insisted that the sense of connection at the event was so great that DJ D- Nice “might save the planet” if he hosted a dance party every week.

Only the artist himself knows if that can happen, but this morning, he did promise that another “Homeschoolin’” is on tonight at his Instagram Live #ClubQuarantine, so that's a decent start. A day with some music-- just like a dash of levity from morning TV Shows-- is always better.
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