NO LONG TALKING.
I've been a party promoter as long as I've been designing flyers.
I hosted sleepovers in elementary school, house parties in high school and big backyard parties in my 20s. By 2002, I knew I wasn't going to be a famous rapper but I did know for sure that whatever I was going to do, it would be in the field of entertainment.
My portfolio was expanding with Magnum, Whaddat.com and RETV all locked in as brand leaders of their respective categories. I had the urge to work that same magic on a pay party :) It would have to be a 90s event so I hit up an icon of the Jamaican 90s party scene who hadn't played in Jamaica in years: Timmy from HMV Disco. All that flyer needed was the iconic HMV logo on it and the party would surely sell off. He was all for it but we sat on it.
One night later that year around Christmas time, I got a call from my friend Scott Dunn wanting to meet. Him and Philip "PP" Palmer wanted to discuss bringing me on their 2 man team to start a big 90s party.
Coincidence? No. I call that FATE.
Scott & PP were way ahead of me in the "PAY party" game. Both of them each had and were actively having success with various uptown events. They knew all the sponsors and how to make a pitch, had their favourite bar service, party rental place & sound operator. They were still learning all the ins & outs but they both knew this was just the beginning for them. They were ready to branch out and go big. They must have caught wind of that Quizz magic!
What I brought to the table was a totally different type of energy that was on a whole other level. If party was a person, it would be me! Yay! Plus I had WHADDAT, the party Bible AND RETV, sandwiched between the two national TV networks for top 3 viewership on the island. No shortage of eyeballs there. Most importantly for this mission, I had a mutually beneficial, respectful and respected relationship with demographics they couldn't effectively reach on their own. That included Jamaica's heavyweight artists and DJs. All of them.
Scott & PP knew exactly what they were doing when they invited me on board. Of course, I agreed and YUSH was born!
As with the rest of the brands in my portfolio, I designed the logo first. Sans serif. Bold. All caps. Check. The theme was already set with the name YUSH being the title of Dancehall artist Mad Cobra's 1991 bad man banger. We wanted the name to speak for the party concept itself. The theme, the music, the vibe.. YUSH. Best party name ever (Scott's idea. Great call). The title sponsor, Appleton was secured, date locked in and DJs booked. Which DJs? HMV Disco, of course! The flyers were printed with YUSH and the date on one side and, you guessed it, only the iconic HMV logo on the other. We started working the parties and promotion was underway. The radio ads were always my favourite part of any event I was involved with. Normally, I voice them but not this time! I called the only person I saw fit for this job. Press trigga! I'll never forget the look on Scott & PP's faces when they walked into Renaissance studio and saw Mad Cobra getting ready to voice the very first ad for YUSH. Disbelief followed by the widest smiles. Good job, Quizzie.
It was all set. YUSH was to debut on Friday, June 6, 2003. *Errrrrrks* Until it wasn't -_- As fate -yup, fate- would have it, I was the passenger in a near fatal car accident while en route to Dancehall Night at Asylum to shoot something or another for RETV. Against the odds, the driver and I both survived but I was in critical condition and unconscious when Scott and PP came to the hospital the next day. It was the morning of YUSH and they told my mother they thought it would be best to cancel it, out of respect of course.
The story goes that my mother grabbed Scott by the ear and pulled him in reeeeal close. "No. It is not." That's not really how it happened but that's how I've always pictured it :) The truth is, everybody knew the hospital bills would be astronomical whether I lived through the day or not so it was decided..
YUSH premiered that night as planned at a small venue, packed to capacity with about 500 people who paid 500 bucks each for free rum and great music. It was a resounding success! My hospital bills were paid and both YUSH and I lived to see another day!
YUSH # 2 took place in November that year and another 2 or 3 times a year after that until this very day, 22 years later. It was a party for the ages if there ever was one, just like we had planned.
How Mad Cobra’s ‘Yush’ Inspired One Of The Biggest Party Series In The Caribbean
The story doesn't end there.
In 2009, 10 of the biggest teams of promoters of the island's most popular events -including YUSH- partnered up to create a dream team; THE Dream Team. The first Jamaica Dream Weekend kicked off in Negril over Independence weekend that same year. After 5 years, I opted out to concentrate on Tea Tree but the Dream continued and today is the most attended Jamaican festival on the planet with branded versions being held annually in half a dozen countries, with YUSH on the ticket and Scott as Group Managing Director. That's Dreamwork, baby!
History of Dream Weekend
jamaicaobserver.com/2016/07/12/history-of-dream-weekend/