11 episodes

For many Latinx kids in the ‘00s, the party crew scene was a safe space to express themselves as they came of age in the grit and glitter of Los Angeles. A space to make friends, forget about your problems and dance the night away. But the scene wasn’t always physically safe. There were shootings and police raids. Many adults saw the scene as gang-adjacent and the media fueled negative stereotypes of kids who were out of control. One of the teens who got caught in that easy narrative was Emmery Muñoz, after she was murdered in 2006.

Host Janice Llamoca goes on a Y2K-filled journey back in time to her own party crew days to find out what this scene meant for teens like her and Emmery, and why – to this day – Emmery’s case remains unsolved. From iHeart, VICE, and LAist Studios in partnership with My Cultura Podcast Network

Party Crews: The Untold Story My Cultura Network

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.3 • 148 Ratings

For many Latinx kids in the ‘00s, the party crew scene was a safe space to express themselves as they came of age in the grit and glitter of Los Angeles. A space to make friends, forget about your problems and dance the night away. But the scene wasn’t always physically safe. There were shootings and police raids. Many adults saw the scene as gang-adjacent and the media fueled negative stereotypes of kids who were out of control. One of the teens who got caught in that easy narrative was Emmery Muñoz, after she was murdered in 2006.

Host Janice Llamoca goes on a Y2K-filled journey back in time to her own party crew days to find out what this scene meant for teens like her and Emmery, and why – to this day – Emmery’s case remains unsolved. From iHeart, VICE, and LAist Studios in partnership with My Cultura Podcast Network

    Ep. 1 Emmery

    Ep. 1 Emmery

    Janice Llamoca was one of the hundreds of mostly Latinx kids that made up LA’s underground party crew scene in the 2000s. But as an adult, she thought she had left all that behind. Until one day when she learns of the unsolved case of Emmery Muñoz, a 14-year-old high school student whose body was found in a warehouse that authorities claimed was used for throwing parties. And Janice gets pulled back in.  

    Additional special thanks for this episode to Marlon Bishop, Nadia Reiman and Maria Garcia.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 37 min
    Ep. 2 Welcome to the Party

    Ep. 2 Welcome to the Party

    Growing up in the San Gabriel Valley, Janice saw the party crew scene as a little slice of freedom, a place to let loose, and a break from her religious, immigrant household. But the scene was also complicated for her and holds painful memories.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 26 min
    Ep. 3 The Investigation

    Ep. 3 The Investigation

    Emmery was last seen on a Friday afternoon in January of 2006. In this episode, we delve into the investigation into Emmery’s unsolved murder. Emmery’s link to the party crew world was part of why her killing got a lot of media attention. But what evidence was there that her murder was tied to party crews? And why is her case still unsolved?

    A warning that this episode gets graphic and talks in detail about a violent death.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 37 min
    Ep. 4 Anatomy of a Party

    Ep. 4 Anatomy of a Party

    We go behind-the-scenes in the making of a mid-2000s flier party with an entrepreneurial teen party crew promoter from South Central to understand how parties were major money makers, but more importantly how they were created by kids who wanted to be the architects of their own worlds. Consider this your official invite to a ~*flier party*~. 
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 34 min
    Ep. 5 Cat & Mouse

    Ep. 5 Cat & Mouse

    A year after Emmery’s death, a now-notorious Los Angeles City Council member became interested in her unsolved case and led a rallying cry for LA to crack down on party crews. But the battle between the city and party crews wasn’t new. In this episode, we learn of LAPD’s strategies in the 2000s to police party crews and attempt a citywide crackdown. For the kids, dealing with the cops was just part of being in the scene.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 32 min
    Ep. 6 Searching for Digital Traces

    Ep. 6 Searching for Digital Traces

    Before TikTok, Instagram and even – MySpace, party crew teens found ways to create communities online. One of these early social media sites was called Techno4.us — where Janice and Emmery both had profiles once upon a time. In T4’s heyday, party crew kids all over LA and beyond would connect through colorful and chaotic digital profiles where teens were showing their lives uncensored and on their own terms. 
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 32 min

Customer Reviews

4.3 out of 5
148 Ratings

148 Ratings

nadi624 ,

Insightful and Nuanced

I really appreciate this podcast exists. Not too many nuanced analysis of complex environments of POC communities, particularly humble Latino families and teens. I grew up in the 90s in an LA suburb one cop on the podcast called “the party crew capital” and while I had nothing to do with that scene, I saw how it lured kids that I went to school with. My main bone to pick with this generally solid podcast is that it tries to depict the party crew scene as a safe space (for some), while also acknowledging it wasn’t. It had a hard time reconciling that, perhaps that was the point. Janice seemed offended that they tried to tie this scene to Emery’s death but sadly doesn’t seem like it can be ruled out just yet. Who knows. No doubt our community is over policed and hearing those undercover TV reports made me cringe. But, at the end of the day this scene could be violent environments where young people were killed, had access to drugs, and at least in my neck of the woods was a gateway to gangs. There should be better options for us than there were/are. Thanks for doing this reporting, and I sincerely hope Emery’s family gets justice.

PS could’ve done w/o that website ep and maybe a little less about the host discovering how her body moves…otherwise, kudos!

56577Gud ,

Too many ads

This is a great show!! I’m loving it but I just started episode 5 and after the show title intro and alllllllllllllll the commercials, the story doesn’t begin again until nearly minute 7. That’s 20% of the 35 minute episode in ads alone and I don’t want pay attention anymore to this extreme annoyance.

glendy :-) ,

Stop using LatinX

It’s such a derogatory term that strips away Latin American culture.

Top Podcasts In Society & Culture

This American Life
This American Life
Stuff You Should Know
iHeartPodcasts
MeSsy with Christina Applegate & Jamie-Lynn Sigler
Wishbone Production
The Viall Files
Nick Viall
Shawn Ryan Show
Shawn Ryan | Cumulus Podcast Network
Freakonomics Radio
Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

You Might Also Like

How To Destroy Everything
HTDE
Something Was Wrong
Broken Cycle Media | Wondery
This Is Actually Happening
Wondery
Cover Up: The Anthrax Threat
Sony Music Entertainment
TAGGED
Somethin' Else / Sony Music Entertainment
Scamfluencers
Wondery