On Friday, March 19, 2021, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. joined DJ D-Nice on Instagram live for a virtual event to proclaim the day as “Club Quarantine Day” in The Bronx, marking the anniversary of DJ D-Nice creating a virtual event to unite people through music when we were physically apart due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s no secret that The Bronx was hit hard by this pandemic, and many of us lost family members, friends and neighbors, but in the darkest of times we also saw great strength, creativity and compassion here in our borough and around the world,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “Through the creation of “Club Quarantine,” DJ D-Nice brought us all a needed outlet to come together safely and enjoy music at a time where many felt isolated. I want to thank D-Nice for holding us down in the Boogie Down Bronx, for showing the world why Hip-Hop culture has become a global art, and for bringing this to our homes during some of the hardest days. I am proud to proclaim March 19th as “Club Quarantine Day.”
“This is truly an honor,” said DJ D-Nice “When I started doing this it wasn’t about rewards. This was about finding ways for people to stay connected, for people to hear the music and to distract people from what was going on, even just for a moment.”
In March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic sent people around the world into quarantine, D-Nice created Club Quarantine. On Saturday, March 21st, D-Nice played for nearly nine hours straight. Club Quarantine drew over 100,000 viewers, including some major names such as Bun B, Rihanna, Lenny Kravitz, Roland Martin, Corey Gamble, Kris Jenner, Nile Rodgers, Snoop Dogg, Willie D, Ellen Degeneres, Missy Elliott, Steph Curry, Magic Johnson, Khole Kardashian, Lalah Hathaway, Bernie Sanders, Dwyane Wade, Janet Jackson, Fab Five Freddy, Donnie Wahlberg, Deborah Cox, Angela Bassett, Oprah, Drake, Mark Zuckerberg, Barack Obama, Diddy, Michelle Obama, J.Lo, Shawn Gee, Ava DuVernay, The Rock, Quincy Jones, Kerry Washington, Madonna, Jamie Foxx, Nile Rodgers, President Joe Biden and Sheila E. One of his goals was to unite people through music by having these virtual gathering while also raising awareness on social distancing, hand washing and more.