Freestyle music, Hot 97, VIP TV, acting, entrepreneurship—and yes, male stripping. Jayquan has lived more than a few lives in entertainment. On this episode of We Tawk Funny, Sharon Pfeiffer and Joe Rubo sit down with longtime friend and entertainer Jayquan, best known as a member of the freestyle group Nasty Boys, to look back at a career spanning decades. Jayquan shares the unlikely story of how working as an exotic male dancer in the 1980s eventually led to forming the Nasty Boys. After getting their music played during Hot 97’s “Hot or Not,” the group took off quickly, performing around the country and sometimes doing an unbelievable seven, ten, or even more shows in a single day. The conversation dives into the rise, fall and resurgence of freestyle music, what happened when the genre temporarily disappeared, and why artists from that era are once again performing for packed crowds. Jaquan also reflects on classic Nasty Boys songs including “Intimate Strangers,” “The Search” and “What I’m Feeling.” But Jayquan didn’t stop at performing. He made a point of learning the business behind the music—royalties, promotion, management and record labels—which eventually led him to launch JC Entertainment and expand into television, hosting, commercials and film. The crew also gets into music licensing for movies, Jaquan’s newest single “Rise and Shine,” his interest in experimenting with new musical styles, memories from the VIP TV days, and what could be next for his solo career. As always, expect plenty of stories, jokes, unexpected detours and classic Sharon-and-Joe chaos along the way. Subscribe to We Tawk Funny for more conversations about entertainment, comedy, music, film, celebrity and South Florida culture.
