Taking it back to the days when high tops
fades and the Fresh Prince rules the pack,
1992 celebrates a golden year in hip hop.

1992 was a very good year. Andre Agassi rules the world of professional
tennis with a style and flare never before seen, the Stadium series, and
Redman presented the first of a classic trilogy of LP's, Whut? Thee Album.
So when Va$htie and Oscar aka O-skee first came up with the idea of
throwing a series of 90's themed parties, 1992 seemed the most fitting
of years.

Va$htie, often referred to as "downtown's sweetheart" because of her
numerous affiliations with taste-makers of lower Manhattan, made her
mark in the retail scene, while studying film and visual arts. "There's always
that really well-known girl, who everyone feels comfortable with," Va$htie
says "I took the nickname, just in fun, because I kind of represent that for
downtown" The party culture of the Lower East Side gave this daughter of
Trinidadian parents an outlet to explore her own creativity and discover a
community of like-minded scenesters. After some travel, and signing with
a small production company as a director, Va$htie was offered a gig in Def
Jam's creative service department, finding favor with the industry, but still
maintaining strong ties with her beloved downtown set. Va$htie met Oscar
through an ex-boyfriend who also happened to be a b-boy. "Me and my
boyfriend broke up and i won Oscar in the settlement," she says, jokingly.

Oscar, a Dominican break-dancer from East New York, wears many
hats (literally and figuratively). With a background in graphic design (check
for his colorful party flyers, featuring icons of hip hop's golden era), and a
decade of perfecting the b-boy aesthetic, Oscar boasts a sick collection of
crowns - "I was the first one rockin' the Sherlock Holmes hat!" - and an
even sicker collection of dance moves. "Even as a little kid, my father was
like 'Every time you dance I'll give you a dollar' and i made $8 that night! So
from that point my fear of dancing in front of people was taken care of...now
I just had to find a scene of people who actually wanted to go out there
and dance."

Now, much more than a series of parties, 1992 presents a cross
section of cultures, contributing to a common movement. A 1992 party list
reads like a who's who of the downtown street fashion and music scenes,
but you can expect to rub shoulders with a diverse range of characters.
"I wanted to be able to invite just random kids, and make them feel
comfortable. I didn't want to be like ego-tripping," says Oscar. Va$htie
echoes the sentiment. "We know such an array of people. Yuppies come to
our parties with button ups and Dockers, and they just like the vibe. It just
naturally mixes up, because we know so many people and invite everybody.
I think because of the vibe, we could eventually flip 1992 into something
else, and not just be about the parties." For now, if you want a monthly
fix of 90's hip hop, reggae, house, and pop keep an eye out for the next
1992 venue.

- Devin "PAN" Barret