Ten years have passed since queer club night ‘R & She: The Queens Of Hip Hop And R&B’ first launched in the densely sweaty, wall-to-wall packed basement of Dalston’s Vogue Fabrics for as many attendees as the venue could fit and then some.

The night was an instant success in an otherwise R&B-starved queer party circuit and for the next few years the party was a regular roadblocker at various East London venues including Tipsy, Trapeze, East Bloc and Bethnal Green Working Men’sClub.

It has appeared at festivals Mighty Hoopla, Glastonbury, The Secret Garden Party and Amsterdam’s Milkshake, adding regular dates in Berlin. It had its own radio show via Hoxton Radio and provided DJ support slots for super groups TLC and En Vogue plus special guest DJ slots by girl group, M.O, queer rapper Dai Burger, Melanie Blatt of All Saints and the legendary DJ Spinderella of iconic hip-hop group Salt-N-Pepa.

On top of this, since its 5th Birthday there have been annual R & She mega-parties at London’s massive Heaven nightclub and legendary all-day summer parties at Old Street’s Magic Roundabout, The Cause and Dalston Roof Park.

The party’s success is really down to the love both the DJs and the party goers share over the Queens Of Hip Hop And R&B. All there because they love the music and want to celebrate it together in a safe queer space. Now with R & She living at Colours in London (next date is 4th June) and also having a home at C’Mon Everybody in Brooklyn, and Akbar in Silverlake, it seems ten years long really is ten years strong.

To celebrate a decade of R & She: The Queens Of Hip Hop And R&B, there will be a 3 room extravaganza at Heaven, London this coming Bank Holiday Sunday 1st May.

The main room will feature the resident DJs playing all your favourite female R&B and Hip Hop hits from the 90s to present day and have special performances from drag artists Soroya Marchelle, Rileasa Slaves and Coco Couture. Room 2 will feature Afrobeats and Bashment DJs Chillz, Tryb and Misty B and Room 3 is a collaboration between pop club nights Frau and We Love Pop playing the best of female pop!

The comic book theme of this year’s design includes a sci-fi superhero-inspired epic front cover and a limited edition 6-page mini-comic flyer, featuring a comic strip of all your favourite Queens Of Hip Hop And R&B so grab one while you can for discount entry! Entry is £10.00 on the door – £6.00 with a flyer!

In tandem with promoting the upcoming event at Heaven, they are running a 10 Years Of R & She campaign with throwback posts, a look into our previous events and taking a moment to shine some light on the regular attendees of the party. To celebrate the loyal supporters who have kept the party going a decade strong, R & She is dedicating the week leading up to our anniversary event to them. Daily Instagram posts will feature the people who help make the party what it is, with their memories and thoughts about R & She over the years.

“I believe any successful club night or party pivots on three important things, the people who made the music, the people who play the music and the people who come to sing and dance to the music. If one of these three things is not present or not right, the whole thing falls apart. It is a collaborative experience. Artists can make as many songs as they like but if the DJs are not playing them then they won’t get the celebration they deserve. DJs can take credit for their studious dedication, collection and passion to the sound or artists they love, their technical ability to not only mix but be the best selector they can, but if they don’t have the audience to play to, or the great songs to play, they are in an empty venue playing to themselves. The attendees of any event are vital as not only do they keep the party running financially and give it longevity, but they help maintain its vibe. Each person who comes to R & She brings their unique energy and that adds to the atmosphere of the night overall. We would like to take this moment to say thank you to everyone that has come to any event R & She has been involved in and pay special recognition to those devoted attendees who have been with us throughout and those who have supported us in other ways. In particular, the familiar faces who have come event after event, underpinning the party for years. Those special people have shaped the feel of R & She, a party which often gets credited with being friendly and safe, and that is largely down to our loyal fanbase for maintaining that vibe. This is for you. You are our Queens of Hip Hop And R&B!”

QBoy

R & She – Co-Promoter & Resident DJ