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Jersey club

Jersey club (originally called Brick City club[1]) is a style of electronic club music that originated in Newark, New Jersey in the early 2000s. It was pioneered by DJ Tameil and other members of the Brick Bandits crew, who were inspired by Baltimore club's uptempo hybrid of house and hip hop. Other young producers also pushed for the progression of this style of music in the late 2000s.[2]

Not to be confused with New Jersey sound.

Jersey club

Brick City club

Early 2000s, Newark, New Jersey, United States

Similarly to its Baltimore influences, Jersey club is an aggressive style defined by its fast, “bouncy” groove at tempos near 130–140 BPM,[2] but more prominent use of staccato, chopped samples and heavy triplet kick patterns.[3] The style often consists of remixes of rap and R&B tracks.[3] It is often accompanied by frenetic, competitive dances which have gained global popularity through viral videos.[1]

Style and characteristics[edit]

Jersey club has been described as a "fast and aggressive dance music" with roots in the Baltimore club scene's fusion of house music and hip hop.[2] By comparison with the Baltimore style, Jersey producers prioritize harder kick sounds and more extensively chopped samples.[3] The distinctive "bounciness" of the style is a result of its triplet percussive pattern, often derived from the beat of Tapp's "Dikkontrol."[4] 808 bass sounds and sampled breakbeats from Lyn Collins' "Think (About It)" are commonly employed, as well as varied pop culture references.[4] Common audio programs used are Sony Acid Pro and FL Studio.[1]


Producers make use of "big kick drum triplets and vocal clips that call out dances, or chopped samples from top rap and R&B tracks," and construct the tracks on "anything from jog shuttle MP3 controllers to turntables and Serato."[1] Brick Bandits member Dirty South Joe noted that "vocals are chopped, fragmented and layered over heavy bass kicks to deconstruct the source material, and rework it for the dance floor."[4] He called it "aggressive, yet melodic and sexy."[4] Billboard described it as "repetitive and loud [..] It lands somewhere between New York's vogue and Chicago's juke with a little bit of that nasty from Miami bass."[5] DJ Sliink summarized it as "a more urban take to dance music with chopped vocals and breaks."[4]

History[edit]

Origins: 1999–2002[edit]

Chicago house was popular in Newark's 1990s club scene, where it was referred to generically by some as "club music."[1] Other styles such as urban club and juke were also played.[2] By 1999, Baltimore house records such as Tapp's "Shake Dat Ass" and "Dikkontrol" were influential, and DJs such as Nix In The Mix, Mustafah, Torry T and Mista Quietman helped to introduce this sound to New Jersey.[1] DJ Tameil, who became known for his Chicago house mixtapes as a teenager, later established connections with the Baltimore scene through Bernie Rabinowitz of the Music Liberated record store; he was subsequently introduced to Baltimore stars such as DJ Technics and Rod Lee.[1] Tameil did not put artist names on his mixes, making it difficult for other Jersey producers to identify his sources.[1] He began playing Baltimore records at teen parties and clubs in the downtown Newark area.[2]

Jersey club rap

Jersey club drill; Jersey drill

late 2010s, New Jersey

Dance culture[edit]

Strong emphasis on dance accompaniment is a major element in Jersey club culture, as evidenced by performances at Jersey club-centric events, including Essex County's Highlights Festival held annually in the summer.[49]


The 2016 Running Man Challenge, a viral meme in which participants filmed and shared short clips of themselves performing a dance resembling running to the 1996 song "My Boo," was based on well-known Jersey club moves. The original videos were posted on Vine by high school students in Newark-adjacent Hillside.[50]

Baltimore club

Deconstructed club

(1980s era house music with influences from Newark gospel and dance music)

New Jersey sound

(Newark music festival)

North to Shore Festival

(Newark music festival)

James Moody Jazz Festival

Halsey Street