The Reminders
7th February 2015
The first IC event of 2015, and the first IC—Olde Club collaboration of the year, proved to be one of the most memorable experiences ever! We welcomed “The Reminders” on Saturday, the 7th of February, to grace the stage at Olde Club and share their amazing music.
The Reminders, consisting of Brussels-born emcee Big Samir and Queens-born emcee/vocalist Aja Black, have been married for over a decade. The opener for the show was Sterling Duns, a local hip-hop artist and poet who performed two acapella pieces before the duo took to the stage. While there were only a dozen people when the show started, it didn’t take long before there was a full house cheering to the music of The Reminders.
The performance was spectacular! The two emphasized the importance of sinking into positive energy and good vibes at a hip-hop concert. In the beginning, they asked who had never been to a hip-hop concert before, to which I raised my hand, and they replied by saying that the most important thing is that there has to be a positive exchange of energy. The duo interacted closely with audience members frequently asking us to sing along with them, move with them, and even ask them questions or make requests.
Their songs were emotional and personal, resonating with every Swattie in the room, touching on important issues of domestic and sexual abuse, body positivity, and loving oneself. At one point, they had everyone say, “I love me” in unison. They shared personal stories about their own childhood through a song called “I remember.” Rarely do we see such issues being tackled by mainstream rap music in the hip-hop industry. The experience was one of a kind because it fostered such a positive environment where I felt connected with everyone in that room—a powerful sense of community and belonging.
In way there was only positive energy and good vibes, just like they had promised.
