Jahad Muhammand

Please welcome Wali B to the 2023 Weequahic Park House Music Festival

DJ Wali B started as a DJ in 1978. As a young lad, he played at house parties, High School Dances, small outdoor events, and Hip Hop DJ Battles. In about 1988, Wali B started doing small production with the likes of Chill Rob Gee, Latee, Double J of the Flavor Unit, Bobby Cheeks, The Guns, and Divine Soul, who is mostly part of The Group Hi-Five, to name a. In 2000, he started his own management company and managed House, Hip Hop, and R&B groups. In 1998 Wali B created his first record (label Urban Music Group). He established his first Major Record deal with Warner Bros. Records out of New York, produced the album with a military Hip-Hop artist Bobby Cheeks, and sold over 50k units. Then he met a young lady named Viola Sykes, a House music Artist out of Plainfield, NJ, who changed his direction to House Music and signed her to his management company! Her smashed hit (Little Girls) changed the direction of his company, and he has not looked back since. He has worked with some of the greats in the house music industry, Such as Kenny Bobien, Barbara Tucker, Viola Sykes, Dawn Tallman, Stephanie Cook, Koffee the Floe Tresses, Tiger Wilson, Keith Washington, Kimara Love Lace, and Dawn Souluvn Williams. He looks forward to September 9, 2023, as we approach the festival. 

Join us as the Weequahic Park House Music Festival gives a special tribute to our brother, Newark's very own Hippie Torrales https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=741615959 for 50 years in the industry. September 9, 2023, Be sure to attend this event.

Hippie Torrales began DJing at the age of 15. He came into recognition in NJ and NY after opening “Docks” with co-partner Nelson “Butchie” Nieves. After establishing himself as an innovative and creative jock, Hippie was recognized and hired to work at Abe’s Disco, which was the forerunner for Club Zanzibar. On Friday, August 29, 1979, opening night at Club Zanzibar – Hippie became the resident DJ and opening jock for the club.

During his tenure at Club Zanzibar, Hippie won the prestigious Billboard Disco Forum 8 Award for the best disc jockey in the State of New Jersey – in the same year Larry Levan won the award for New York. It was the last time those Billboard Awards were held. After his resident at Club Zanzibar, Hippie went on to play all the Jersey Shore night clubs. In addition to the club gigs, Hippie worked on music production and remixing. Some of his most notable mixes of that period were Jimmy Ross’ – “Fall Into A Trance” and The Clark Sister’s – “You Brought The Sunshine”, which garnered them a 1 record of New York’s local radio station WBLS and also garnered them a Grammy nomination that year for Best Gospel.

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DJ Hippie Torrales

RUFUS I. JOHNSON of Newark was elected to his first term as a Commissioner At-Large in November of 2008 and re-elected in 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2020. He served as Chief of Staff for State Senator Ronald L. Rice from 1998 to 2014, having previously served as his Aide during Councilman Rice’s 16-year tenure on the Newark Municipal Council.

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He also served as an Aide to Newark Councilman Joe McCallum. Commissioner Johnson has a long history of community activism, especially involving young people. He was a co-founder and coach of both the Newark Optimist Club Little League and Newark Pop Warner Football League, and he coached the Our Lady of Good Counsel High School Basketball Team. He held the position of President of the Newark West Ward Young Democrats and served on the Board of Habitat for Humanity. Additionally, for the past 9 years, he has advocated for the House Music Concert in Weequahic Park in Newark.

Commissioner Johnson was educated in Newark Public Schools, and went on to attend both Essex County College and Wilberforce University in Ohio.

Commissioner Rufus I Johnson

Karizma grew up in Baltimore, United States, and he began to DJ for fashion shows and college parties at age of 13.

Karizma and DJ Spen worked on a music production project with a record label, Jasper Street Company, and joined the house-music production group the Basement Boys, and worked on remixes for musicians such as Mary J. Blige, Bob Sinclar, and Lenny Kravitz.

In October 1999, Karizma released his first solo work, "The Power E.P." from Black Vinyl Records, while he belong to the Basement Boys.

In 2006, Karizma distributed his unreleased track, "Twyst this" to a few contacts including Gilles Peterson. Gilles Peterson introduced it on his radio program, Worldwide on BBC Radio 1, and this track got chart in on top 14 in spite of it being on a white label record.