DJ Herbert Holler Continues to Dominate New York Night Life

Mrgryndreport November 22, 2023 in EVENT, Grynd Exclusive, TGR Blog Tagged 90s, Black Sheep, CL Smooth, dance, deejay, dj, DJ Herbert, Dres, jewish, Milk Dee, nyu, party, Pete Rock, TGR MEDIA, Top - 2 Minutes

Herbert Holler’s journey from his upbringing in the Atlantic City, NJ area to his involvement in the nightlife and music scene in New York City is quite a fascinating story. His father had experience in the food and beverage industry, managing a chain of nightclubs in the Philadelphia area, specifically Duke’s, along with a couple of other restaurants. Young Herbert often tagged along with his father during these nightclub ventures, which exposed him to the world of nightlife and entertainment.

Herbert received a scholarship to attend New York University (NYU) with the intention of studying pre-med. In the late summer of 1994, he made the significant decision to move to New York City to pursue his studies at NYU.

Herbert’s journey into the New York City nightlife scene began when he arrived in the city. His first experience was at the Nuyorican Poets Café, where he witnessed Rocky LaMontagne’s “All That” event, a blend of hip-hop, poetry, and spoken word, which left a profound impression on him.

Herbert’s fascination with the nightlife continued as he explored different venues and music scenes in the city. He visited Nell’s, where he was captivated by a diverse range of music genres, including R&B, soul, funk, Latin, and hip-hop.

He also experienced some iconic nightlife events, such as Kevin Hedge and Timmy Regisford’s “Shelter” party at Vinyl, where he found himself in the hip-hop room. He also attended Junior Vasquez’s night at the Tunnel, where a then relatively unknown hip-hop DJ named Mark Ronson was spinning in the back room.

Herbert’s turning point came when he came across a poster for “Giant Step.” He attended the event and was immediately hooked. This experience ultimately led him to make a life-changing decision. On the night before his classes at NYU were scheduled to begin, Herbert had an epiphany. He decided to drop out of his pre-med program and instead pursue a future in the world of nightlife and entertainment.

This series of experiences and encounters in the New York City nightlife scene shaped Herbert’s career path and set him on a trajectory that would ultimately lead him to become a notable figure in the entertainment industry. Fast forward 20 years, Herbert is one of the most celebrated DJs in New York City, who hosts and deejays his monthly party called the Freedom Party with recent pop-up features from some of hip-hop’s most legendary rappers, coinciding with the 50th Anniversary of hip-hop:

Milk Dee