The Jubilee Interview on Canal Street Dreams *FREE SUBSTACK PREVIEW*

Summary

Canal Street Dreams: The Jubilee Interview – Episode Summary

Release Date: May 23, 2025

In this engaging episode of Canal Street Dreams, hosts Eddie Huang and Natashia Perrotti delve into an insightful and nostalgic conversation with Jessica, a creative deeply entrenched in the vibrant worlds of perfume marketing and the Florida Breaks music scene. This summary captures the essence of their discussion, highlighting key topics, memorable quotes, and the dynamic flow of their interaction.

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1. Early Careers and Experiences in the Perfume Industry

Jessica opens the conversation by reminiscing about her early career overseeing high-profile perfume accounts.

• Eddie astutely remarks, “Flushing mall used to be wild too. Just like wild. It was like Shine before Shine.” (00:41)

• Jessica shares, “One of my first jobs here was I oversaw Paris Hilton's perfume... And another was for Ed Hardy.” (02:59)

Natasha adds perspective on the impact of celebrity perfumes, stating, “She kind of invented being like a celebrity perfume girl... it just prints money for people.” (02:10)

This segment underscores the effortless success and cultural impact of celebrity-endorsed fragrances in the early 2000s.

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2. Personal Memories and Nostalgia

The hosts and guest delve into personal anecdotes that reflect their shared history and experiences.

• Eddie reminisces about high school experiences, saying, “My first high school paper I ever wrote was on No Effects.” (17:44)

• Jessica recalls her time in London, noting, “The Hard Rock Hotel... they were pumping [their scent] in the hallways.” (06:57)

These stories highlight the intersection of personal growth with broader cultural movements in music and lifestyle.

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3. The Florida Breaks Music Scene

A significant portion of the conversation focuses on the Florida Breaks music scene—a unique genre blending elements of breakbeat and electronic music that originated in Florida.

• Natasha asks, “How would you encapsulate [Florida Breaks] for people who have no idea?” (20:03)

• Jessica responds, “Florida Breaks was, like, 'Better Off Alone' by DJ Alex... but cooler.” (20:40)

• Eddie contributes, “Everyone I played breaks for is like, what the is this?” (19:33)

Jessica elaborates on the distinctiveness of Florida Breaks compared to other regional scenes, emphasizing its trance-like, trancy vibes that perfectly complemented the rave culture.

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4. Club Culture and Rave Experiences

The trio shares vivid memories of clubbing and rave culture, particularly focusing on venues like Cyber Zone and Riverfront.

• Jessica describes Cyber Zone: “It felt like going to a house party because you just bring your bottle of choice and everybody else brought their bottle.” (21:55)

• Eddie adds humorously, “I accidentally pissed on somebody... running out of the club.” (13:50)

These anecdotes paint a lively picture of the immersive and sometimes chaotic nature of rave scenes, highlighting both the camaraderie and the unpredictable moments that define such environments.

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5. Drug Culture and Its Impact

The discussion candidly touches upon the role of drugs in the rave scene, exploring both personal experiences and broader implications.

• Jessica shares a harrowing experience with a boyfriend involved in selling fake acid, saying, “He sold them a fake sheet of acid... I didn't know he did that.” (28:37)

• Eddie reflects on drug prevalence: “There was a lot of fake acid. There were a lot of fake pills in the era.” (29:20)

Natasha emphasizes the deep connection between scent and memory, stating, “Scent is like the biggest trigger for memory.” (06:16)

This segment underscores the complex relationship between drug use and the music scene, highlighting both the allure and the risks associated with it.

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6. Evolution of Relationships and Friendships

As the conversation progresses, the hosts and Jessica discuss the evolution of their friendships and connections within the scene.

• Jessica recounts reading Eddie's book and realizing their shared histories: “Halfway through the book, I was like, am I Eddie?” (23:03)

• Eddie humorously notes the exclusivity of their connection: “Cyber Zone was this hilarious, decrepit club... only a few people saw.” (23:43)

Their shared experiences foster a sense of deep camaraderie, illustrating how intertwined their personal and professional lives have become through their mutual passions.

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7. Reflections on Change and Legacy

Towards the end, the trio reflects on how various cultural elements have evolved or dissipated over time.

• Eddie muses, “Cyber Zone... felt like going into a house party.” (21:55)

• Jessica laments the shifts in the scene, noting, “The after-hours club...” (24:10)

These reflections highlight the transient nature of cultural movements and the lasting impact they leave on those who experienced them firsthand.

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Memorable Quotes

• Eddie: “If you gotta be there, you just gotta be there.” (00:30)

• Jessica: “The first pill I ever bought was a double stacked E. It was a, et cetera.” (29:41)

• Natasha: “Scent is like the biggest trigger for memory.” (06:16)

These quotes encapsulate the essence of their discussions, emphasizing dedication, personal experiences, and the profound connections forged through shared memories.

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Conclusion

This episode of Canal Street Dreams offers a rich tapestry of personal anecdotes, cultural reflections, and insightful discussions about the perfume industry and the Florida Breaks music scene. Through the candid exchanges between Eddie, Natashia, and Jessica, listeners gain a deeper understanding of the nuanced interplay between creativity, personal growth, and the ever-evolving landscape of artistic communities.

For the full, in-depth conversation, including more anecdotes and detailed discussions, subscribers can access the FULL version available on Substack.

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Note: Timestamps in parentheses correspond to the points in the transcript where the quotes were mentioned.

Transcript

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[Eddie]

If you gotta be there, you just gotta be there.

[Jessica]

Also, his mom's in Corona.

[Eddie]

Yeah, yeah. So yeah.

[Jessica]

Also my parents are weirdly from Queens. So like.

[Natasha]

Oh yeah.

[Jessica]

Not like I ever like was here when they lived there.

[Eddie]

I fuck with Queens. Cause it just does its own thing and it's not trying to really compete with the rest of the New York shit.

[Jessica]

That's why I like it.

[Eddie]

Yeah, it's just doing its thing. I fuck with Queens.

[Jessica]

But we saw this girl outside the Citi Field stadium and she was wearing, she had white, she was white and had colored dreads and was wearing on sneakers. And I was like, this is like everything insane. And Nigel was like, yeah, that girl's single handedly keeping the rent down.

[Natasha]

She was shuffling. She was for sure shuffling, you know.

[Jessica]

I was just like, man, this girl's going in on everything awful.

[Eddie]

Flushing. Flushing mall used to be wild too. Just like wild. It was like Shine before Shine. Like you could go buy the shit you're buying on Shine now.

[Jessica]

But like, oh totally. When I first. Are we recording? Because when I first.

[Eddie]

Oh yeah, we're recording. Yeah.

[Jessica]

One of my first jobs here was I oversaw Paris Hilton's perfume.

[Eddie]

Oh wow.

[Jessica]

And one of my accounts was the Flushing mainstream Macy's.

[Eddie]

Was Paris popping out there in the Flushing Macy's.

[Natasha]

Her perfume was everything.

[Jessica]

It was the easiest.

[Natasha]

I can smell it right now when you're talking about it. I was obsessed with it. And Britney Spears Curious perfume. Those were the two hot girls perfumes of the early aughts.

[Jessica]

No, totally. And that was like I didn't have to do anything. No, it sold, it just sold itself.

[Natasha]

She kind of invented being like a celebrity perfume girl.

[Jessica]

Yeah.

[Eddie]

Oh really?

[Natasha]

Yeah, she was the first one. I think I might be wrong, but I think she was the first celebrity to come out with a perfume and like it's been the blue blueprint since because it's inexpensive, like it's Kind of for, like, a celebrity to do it, and it just pays for itself. Like, it prints money for people.

[Jessica]

It was crazy.

[Natasha]

Everyone had a perfume. Like, there was a hot minute where it was like, if you're. If you have a feeling.

[Jessica]

JLO came out with one after her.

[Natasha]

Britney Spears had one. Like, big celebrities were doing this.

[Eddie]

Ben Affleck really should come out with a troll one for, like, the Axe body spray. Dude, that's like, flavors of Dunkin Donuts.

[Jessica]

Why has he not done that?

[Eddie]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like. Like the almond iced coffee. Ben Affleck, cologne Cop.

[Natasha]

I could see the Old Spice version of that. Like the deodorant.

[Eddie]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. The town Spice.

[Natasha]

The Town Spice. That's really good.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Natasha]

Okay, so you're overseeing Paris Hilton's perfume?

[Jessica]

Yeah, I had to, like, check in all the malls in New York. Oh, wow. Like, I had, like, normally I would have to be there for a long time, but because it was selling so well, I would just, like, pop in and just be like, how's everything going? And it was like, at the time, I'm sure this is still a thing where, like, perfume had, like, a gift set. Like, if you buy this.

[Eddie]

The polo sport bag.

[Natasha]

This is crazy.

[Jessica]

So my. My mom, like, had the suitcase last time I was in la, and I was like, you know what this is, right?

[Natasha]

She's using it.

[Jessica]

And that was my job, like, for, like, two years. And then, like, I love talking about this because it's so ridiculous. The person, like, left that company and then started his own. Took me on, and then I was the perfume person for Ed Hardy.

[Eddie]

Oh, wow. Wow. What did that smell like?

[Jessica]

The same.

[Natasha]

I remember the bottle, though.

[Jessica]

Yeah, the bottle was sick. And so I also had all those accounts, including Flushing Main street, which was the only thing I couldn't drive to because the traffic and the parking was so. So insane there that I would just have to, like, take the train and, like, take the seven. And I didn't really know my way around.

[Eddie]

Okay, first perfumes. What. What was your guys for, like, the first one you copped?

[Jessica]

Angel.

[Natasha]

Oh, my first perfume that I got. Honestly, I don't remember the first one that I got myself. It may have been curious by Britney Spears, but I do remember my mom was a Ralph Lauren romance girly, and I would always, like, go in her room and spray it on me. So that is, like, super nostalgic for me, but I think it was Britney.

[Eddie]

That's crazy. The creative writing class I took in high school, they had us. The teacher was, like, ill he would, like, do acid in class and shit. And he was like, yeah, Mr. Richmond. Incredible. And he told us this one time, all right, everybody take an ad out of a magazine and then create a fantasy poem writing about it.

[Jessica]

That's sick.

[Eddie]

So I saw the photo of Ralph Lauren Romance, and my buddy Justin was in the class, but also his sister Chrissy was in the class also. So I wrote a poem to Chrissy just to. With Justin, based on the Ralph rule.

[Natasha]

And was there a horse in the ad?

[Eddie]

Yes.

[Natasha]

I think I know. Yeah. I, like, can envision it.

[Eddie]

Yeah. And it was like, yo, I want to ride Chrissy like a horse. And Justin was.

[Natasha]

I was gonna kill you.

[Eddie]

I'm gonna kill you.

[Natasha]

And your teacher was, like, something, like, acceptable.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Natasha]

I was like, yeah, yeah.

[Eddie]

This teacher was incredible. One time I got so drunk at school that it got around like, yo, Eddie's drunk at school. And the administrators were looking for me, and he hid me in the back of the class.

[Natasha]

What year is this? Like, what.

[Eddie]

What year of school, Dr. Phillips, high school, 1998, baby.

[Natasha]

Okay, okay. High school.

[Jessica]

I just remembered. My actual first perfume was Cool Water for Women.

[Eddie]

Mine was Cool Water for Men. David Water.

[Natasha]

Sometimes he puts cool water on when we're fighting, and then, like, he's like, it's like a olive branch to be. He's like, are you thinking of your father? And I'm like, I am. Let's f. Yeah.

[Eddie]

You know, sometimes when we. I put the. The cool. I'll put Hugo Boss on and just be, what up, though?

[Jessica]

Yeah. She's like, okay.

[Natasha]

The cool water. It's like a bath signal. I'm like, oh, okay.

[Eddie]

Yeah. The. The. The things I can do when we're beef wellingtoning is, like, scratching her back or just put on, like, an ancient cologne. I'm like, you want to your dad?

[Natasha]

I mean, well, that's the thing. Scent is like the. What is it? The biggest trigger for memory. It's like, truly abuse. I remember I smelled somebody wearing cool water on the train, and it, like, tripped. Like, I was like, oh, my God. My childhood trauma was bubbling. I was like, I have to get off and cry.

[Eddie]

This is a Johnson powder and cool water cologne. Like, everybody.

[Jessica]

That's. That's what did it.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

I had to do this two weeks in London, and the Hard Rock Hotel put me up in London, and Nigel, my boyfriend, came with me. And Hard Rock has this shout out, Nigel. Shout out, Nigel, who's hiding in the back as usual. They have their own scent, and they were pumping it in the hallways of the Hard Rock Hotel. This was like, what, two years ago.

[Eddie]

Was it Smell like Dizza. Shout out to.

[Jessica]

I wonder what cologne dissolves. I'm gonna ask him.

[Eddie]

Probably Draca Noir.

[Jessica]

I mean, yeah.

[Eddie]

And, like, we'll ask Erica. We'll ask Erica. Shout out Erica.

[Jessica]

I'm so used to that smell. Like, to the point where, like, every once in a while, we'll be at a club in, like, a club bath, and Nigel will be, like, in the bathroom or something, and he'll text me, like, I smell someone in here. Is, like, wearing Hard Rock. And I'm like, damn, that worked.

[Eddie]

That's like, how the public hotel just bodied Le Labo. Remember where they were just pumping. Yeah. That was the end of La Labo was the public hotel.

[Jessica]

That was public hotel. Was the end of a lot of things.

[Eddie]

The end of the Lower east side, the end of escalators, the end of escalades. Oh, actually, though, yo, we should introduce you at this point. You know, world famous DJ Jubilee Government. Should we drop the government name? Because I didn't know it till last night.

[Jessica]

Jessica.

[Eddie]

Genteel, right? Is. You know, the best part was I was researching for. For this episode last night, and I was trying to find Florida Breaks articles for Natasha, and I read this article from Vice in 2014, and there's a part in it where it's like, the Orlando break scene was more trans and the Miami scene was more, like, freestyle, which is, like, very complimentary to Miami and slightly to Orlando. But I was like, wait, someone has. I was like, jubilee said this? And then I sent it to you, and you're like, dude, that's me. That's my government name, you idiot.

[Jessica]

I did write that article.

[Eddie]

It's a fire. It's actually the foremost article on Florida Breaks.

[Jessica]

That's the thing. If you. That is, like, what's crazy about that article is, like, if you look up Florida Breaks, that's the only. Like, why is that the only thing there?

[Eddie]

Yo, when I sold the show to Showtime about, like, the Florida Breaks drug scene, whatever, we're still working on it. That was the only article I could send. I was like, why has no nerd studied this? And I'm glad they have it. Like, they just can't even get on it.

[Jessica]

I know. I'm just like, is that going to. We all know this. Is it going to still be there soon? I feel like going on with Vice.

[Eddie]

I feel like you need to open the Museum of Florida Breaks, like, next to the Museum of Ice Cream.

[Natasha]

Oh, my God.

[Eddie]

So it's like she could say Senna.

[Natasha]

And then I could say Senna, go to ice cream.

[Jessica]

Literally. Yeah. I actually, like, cited this one really weird blog post from that. And the guy found me after I wrote the article and was like, can you, like, credit me in this? And I didn't credit him because, like, he didn't even really have his name on it.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

And then we wound up becoming friends, and then he wound up writing a book about the Fever. Fever?

[Eddie]

Yeah. That's the only other person that's written about this shit. Guida somebody.

[Jessica]

Humberto.

[Eddie]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jessica]

So, like, at first he got really mad at me, and then he, like, apologized. And then I played in LA and he came out and brought me the.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

And I read the book. But in true Florida fashion, like, I tried to buy that book for a friend of mine who's also from Florida that relates to us. And, like, it never got sent from, like, whatever. And I was like, nobody's ever gonna read this book.

[Eddie]

Yeah. I got it in the mail one day. Fire. And on it, it just said. Cause I think they announced the show, right? And then I got this book in the mail and there was a post that just said, HC Guida. But it looked like Guido. I'm like, what is this? What is this book? And I looked. I was like, oh, it's the Fever Crew. Shit. So that book is, like, the only other thing about Florida breaks besides that.

[Jessica]

And I was like, that was like, within my timeline. Like, that book. I didn't know all that stuff. Like, it was basically about how, like, the rave scene started, all plural and happy. And then, like, drugs got involved and drug dealers got involved. Tales, oldest time. And then it got really dark. Like, that's basically what the book was about. And I was, like, there in that exact timeline. But I didn't know, like, it. You could feel it when I was there. But, like, I didn't know the, like, people or anything. So.

[Eddie]

Yeah, we were children. But, like, I want. I want to get into it. It's like. So when did you come to Orlando?

[Jessica]

I was like, a raver in Miami. I lived in Fort Lauderdale, but I would go to Miami, like, literally every night, like, three nights a week. And then when I graduated school, I.

[Eddie]

I would go to those shitty clubs in Fort Lauderdale on the Riviera. Voodoo. Was it called Voodoo? Yeah. Riverfront, bro.

[Jessica]

Iguana Cafe. Ig.

[Eddie]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Older broads would take me there. It was so. This is like 20 years. You weren't even born, like, you were. You were, like, five.

[Natasha]

I was in the womb.

[Jessica]

We're about getting you.

[Natasha]

I was punching my mom's stomach.

[Eddie]

They were sneaking me in.

[Natasha]

Stepping out.

[Eddie]

Yeah, I was stepping out.

[Jessica]

They, like, it was so easy to drink in that area. When actually, when I turned 21, I went to Riverfront.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

And I was holding my ID up to the cops, and I was like, I've been drinking here for four years. And they were just like, whatever. Like, you're. You're 21 now.

[Eddie]

Yeah. Older shorties that graduated from Rollins would just, like, take us there. And I was like, yo, this is great. Like, I don't need a fake id. And I'm with this, like, older shorty. I was like, this is phenomenal.

[Jessica]

It was kind of. It's kind of crazy.

[Eddie]

Like.

[Jessica]

Like, Miami would just, like, let you in if you were hot. Like, they were just like, we don't care.

[Eddie]

But even back then, I, like, she tells me all the time, I need a catheter. Cause, like, if we go on a road trip, I have to pee every 45 minutes.

[Natasha]

Not a road trip. If we just go on a walk. Like, we've just started the walk, three minutes in, he's like, I.

[Jessica]

Because this is me.

[Eddie]

We're the same person.

[Jessica]

Calls me pee machine.

[Natasha]

He'll, like, pee on the side of the road. I'm like, you are going to catch a charge. Like, you can get in trouble for peeing in public, because if there's kids.

[Jessica]

Around, I'll be a peed on the street in the East Village. As a grown adult, you're a woman.

[Natasha]

You can get away with it. I feel like, as a man, you're risking a lot risking your life in New York City.

[Eddie]

I was at this riverfront place, and this. This. This shorty had snuck me in one of the homies.

[T Mobile Ad]

And.

[Eddie]

And I had done a few. Like, I had done, like, one or two bars, right. And I drank, I think, like, a Long island iced tea. And the.

[Jessica]

Wait, wait, did you go to one or two bars or you took one?

[Eddie]

Oh, no, I took, like.

[Jessica]

A. I.

[Eddie]

Did a couple bars. Yeah, I did a couple bars.

[Jessica]

Are you off a bar?

[Eddie]

Yeah. I'm too comfortable with you. I was like, yes, I was. I was off a couple bars, and I. You know. And you know how we do. We break the time release. So I had basically taken four joints.

[Jessica]

Yeah.

[Eddie]

And I think I had, like, a Long island iced tea. And them joints get you just pissing like a racehorse.

[Jessica]

We were just drinking Long island iced teas. Several of them and that's like a homemade 4 loco.

[Eddie]

Like Long island iced teas are homemade 4 loco.

[Natasha]

Long island iced teas, I feel like should be banned. Yeah, they're crazy.

[Eddie]

Yeah, I love it. It's a deep wine glass.

[Jessica]

It's fucked up. And they get somebody that drove home, FYI.

[Eddie]

Yeah, I didn't drive. I did not drive. But I had like four. Four broken up joints of bars in my system in a Long Island. And the bathroom had an issue. And I was just like, yo, I can't do this. And I ended up pissing off the balcony of the second floor.

[Jessica]

Oh, my God.

[Eddie]

And I thought I was clear. I thought I was trying to hit this tree. And a dude's like, yo, what's going on? It's raining in the club. And then the security looked at me and we had to like buck out. Me and my friends and this older lady, we were just like running out of the club. Cause I accidentally pissed on somebody.

[Jessica]

Oh my God, I'm gonna go to jail in Fort Lauderdale.

[Natasha]

You golden showered the joint.

[Eddie]

It was so bad.

[Natasha]

Okay.

[Jessica]

But that actually got me to go to raves was we would go to Riverfront and then there was a bar. There was a club in Riverfront called the Edge that turned into the Chili Pepper, like, later on. And their raves would start when the club ended. So at 4am that's when the raves started there. So, like through going to that area, I was too young, but like, you know, we would do the stamp trick when you like lick a stamp and like put it on your friend's hand. And that got me to start to go to raves in high school. And like, it wasn't cool. Like, DJing wasn't cool. Raving wasn't cool. It was like, you're like the weirdo.

[Eddie]

Well, I thought DJing well for us, like around like, let's say 95, 96, right? DJing was kind. Well, it wasn't cool.

[Jessica]

The dancers were cooler. There were like breakdance crews.

[Eddie]

And like the shit we were into was like, that was like the first Outkast album, like southern playlistic. And people were spinning like southern rap like that. That shit was kind of cool. Was it cool? I don't know if it was cool. Maybe we were nerds.

[Jessica]

But like, rave DJing was like, no one.

[Eddie]

Like, yeah, like drum and bass wasn't cool. I remember we made fun of the drum and bass homies.

[Jessica]

It was like, it was just very different. Like, it was very crunchy. Drum and bass is very crunchy.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

And Then like, you were just like a weirdo. And like, I didn't have any friends in school that like this stuff. I had to find other friends. Yeah, and the other friends were ravers in Florida were like, not so great.

[Eddie]

Yeah, no, I know what you mean now I remember what you. What you're talking about. Because it was like the freaky homies we had would wear like the UFO pants to school. And it was kind of like goth met rave. And we were like the hip hop, rap music kids. But then when the ecstasy hit and like, we had. It was the skater home. Mike McCky was the first one to, like, I think, put us all onto these pills. Cause his sister dated DJ Sandy.

[Jessica]

Oh, wow.

[Eddie]

Yeah. And then we would see these flyers from his sister and Mike got a hold of pills and he's like, yo, this shit's great. You're gonna feel so good. But we were like, this music is sus, dog.

[Jessica]

I do remember when all the hip hop kids discovered. Yeah, ecstasy.

[Eddie]

We were trying to do ecstasy, listening to Master P. And we were just like, yo, this shit's not working. He's like, bro, you gotta listen to like, Rabbit in the Moon.

[Jessica]

You see, like, some rat, like, guy in, like a basketball jersey who probably you at the club. And his eyes would be so big and you could tell he was so confused. And like, I remember this guy, like, tried to give me a massage. But, like, it wasn't weird. He just needed to, like, he needed some sort of affection. And I was like, who are you?

[Eddie]

Yeah, no, I was straight up the raver with, like, the headband and the, like, Penny Hardaway jersey. Just like, they're gonna play ugk. It's like, you can't blow up the standard ugk.

[Jessica]

Yes. That was definitely like, like, for sure a period. It was like the weird goth kids discovered it. And then all of a sudden we were like, okay, who showed these people this drug because, like, it's infiltrating the club.

[Eddie]

It was cool because the goth kids went from, like, Scott. Remember they were listening to, like, Real Big Fish and Scott.

[Jessica]

I was going to the Edge to, like, go see Real Big. No, I was going to see like, like Mighty, Mighty Pasta Religion. I was not listening to Real Big Fish. I was listening to, like, no Effects.

[Natasha]

Okay.

[Eddie]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jessica]

I do not know a single Real Big Fish.

[Eddie]

Yo, my first high school paper I ever wrote was on no Effects.

[Jessica]

Yeah.

[Eddie]

Heavy Petting Zoo.

[Jessica]

Great album. Yeah, very good album. So, yeah, that's.

[Eddie]

Tasha's looking at us like, you Ancient motherfuckers. It's like she's seeing dinosaurs.

[Natasha]

Literally, the math meme where it's just, like, equations around my head, and I'm like, for sure, yeah.

[Eddie]

Okay, so what, like, what was your first interaction realizing, like, there was a Florida breaks music scene? Did. Did people know?

[Natasha]

Well, I'm from Boston. I had no idea. It was really when you started writing a show about it. And I remember, like, this was very early on when we were dating. I think I had, like, gone out to do something. I, like, went to go run errands. I was gone for five hours. I came back, he's in his office, Photos, photo albums when he's in high school, scattered all over the floor. And he has this, like, entire show written. Like, a whole season of a show. It was literally five hours. He's like, I've written this show. I have all the. And it was like a Beautiful Mind moment. I was like, who the fuck is this guy?

[Jessica]

Who.

[Natasha]

So right. I'm like, okay. What are you good? Are you fudged up right now?

[Eddie]

I think, like, old Mitsubishi is, like, hit.

[Jessica]

Yeah.

[Natasha]

Like, it truly, like, it just. It brought back whatever. And then obviously, I got into it, and you, like, showed me this whole new world, and I was just like, this is fucking cool. Because nobody was doing this shit in Boston when I was growing up. I mean, it took me until, literally, I think I was in my late 20s. You introducing me to this. I had just never been exposed to it. I mean, I was doing ecstasy, but.

[Jessica]

It was from Boston.

[Eddie]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. They. They had, like, Oakenfeld. They were doing, like, the Oakenfeld thing.

[Jessica]

But it was, like, big.

[Natasha]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

I mean, there's little stuff, but not, like. Not, like, here.

[Eddie]

But I love playing the music for her. And it, like, still hits now. Like, everyone I played breaks for is like, what the is this?

[Natasha]

You have a playlist that kind of accompanies the show and just, like, for whoever is reading the script or whatever. But the music is so good, and it is timeless. Like, I would listen. I would. If that. They started cranking that in here, I'd be like, yeah, yeah, that's a party good.

[Jessica]

But if you just look up Florida breaks, there's, like, so much better bad stuff. Yeah. I have to, like, weed through. So, like, I felt like a lot of people were very turned off by it because of that, and I get it.

[Natasha]

True. Okay, so if you were to explain for Florida breaks and, like, I guess just, like, Id so good.

[Eddie]

I'm gonna pee. Keep going.

[Natasha]

Oh, My God. Or, like, id top artists DJs track just for people who have no idea. Like, how would you encapsulate it? And, like, who would those people For.

[Jessica]

Florida, I feel like DJ IC was kind of like, the king.

[Natasha]

Okay.

[Jessica]

And, you know, I was very, like, like, a lot of, like, female vocal.

[Natasha]

Okay. I love that.

[Jessica]

Like, yeah, like, trancy. Kind of like, you know, like, kind of what you would picture in a movie when someone, like, takes drugs and.

[Natasha]

Yes.

[Jessica]

Is on one and, like, losing themselves, but, like, to the point where it could be, like, super cheesy.

[Natasha]

I like it, though. It kind of like.

[Jessica]

Oh, I love it.

[Natasha]

A song that I always used to play. And Eddie would be like this. So Florida Breaks was, like, Better Off Alone by DJ Alex. It's that. I feel like it's that, but cooler. Like, it's, like, a little bit more.

[Jessica]

Like, came from the. Like, I feel like Florida loved that song because it was so similar to Florida Breaks.

[Natasha]

Okay.

[Jessica]

That, like, we just thought it was a Florida break song. Turns out it was, like, a giant hit.

[Natasha]

But it was such a Euro summer. Like, I would go to Greece in the summer, and I'd be listening to Better Off Alone by DJ Alone.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

Yeah.

[Eddie]

Alice dj. Yeah.

[Natasha]

Oh, it's Alice dj.

[Eddie]

Whatever. Yeah.

[Natasha]

I'm like.

[Jessica]

But I remember when I worked at the radio station in Orlando, like, they did this big concert, and I was, like, such a purist, like, raver. And they were like, can you pick up Alice DJ from the airport? And I was like, they're posers. I was like, they just want to be Florida breaks. But they're, like, really commercial. And now I'm like, wait, I should have picked Alice DJ up from the airport.

[Eddie]

Because it kind of was a copycat break song. But then it was in heavy rotation at our parties. Like, Cyber Zone. Alaz DJ came out. It was over. It was absolutely over. There was this one club we would all go to that's. No one writes about it.

[Jessica]

The only person I know that remembers this club is literally Eddie.

[Natasha]

Well, you're so deep in it. So wait. Okay. Did you guys meet during this?

[Eddie]

No.

[Natasha]

You had you. So you're simultaneously both there, not meeting.

[Eddie]

Yeah. This is the best part of our friendship theory.

[Natasha]

I talk about this all the time.

[Jessica]

So weird.

[Eddie]

It's like a UFO only, like, a few people saw. Especially our age, because we were young in the scene. Like, for people our age to be exposed. We were like ratchet children. I was, like, 16, sneaking.

[Natasha]

Okay.

[Jessica]

I was younger than everybody, like, in that world, for sure.

[Eddie]

I was a child. And, like, that's why I was like, there's older shorties. Because it was always older shorties getting me in.

[Jessica]

I'm the oldest now.

[Eddie]

You want to take advantage of a young Asian boy.

[Natasha]

You're like, I'm here and I'm rolling.

[Eddie]

I'm here and I got glow sticks in my pocket, ma' am. I will chew the ice from your gin and tonic.

[Natasha]

I have a Vicks VapoRub.

[Jessica]

What were those things called?

[Eddie]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Jessica]

The inhaler's eyes.

[Eddie]

Oh, my God.

[Jessica]

But I read his book. So me and Eddie have mutual friends. And I knew that you were from Florida. And I will also read anybody's book that's in my timeline of New York that, like, has some sort of come up story. Because, like, there was way less people doing stuff not that long ago.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

And I read your book. And then, like, halfway through the book, I'm like, am I Eddie? Like, are we the same person? Like, what? There was like. Like this one scene in your book about the police coming. And like, I was like, this is, like, so triggering right now. Like, how did we not know each other?

[Natasha]

Right?

[Jessica]

And I don't think we were friends. Like, we knew each other. Yeah, but I hit you up and I was like, yo.

[Eddie]

And once we connected, it was over.

[Jessica]

Once we knew Cyber Zone, like, we figured out. Yeah, but it's funny because just recently I posted something on Instagram about Florida breaks. And someone left the comment that was like, are you going to go to Cyber Zone? And I tagged you in.

[Eddie]

Yo. Cyber Zone was this hilarious, decrepit club. One floor. And it felt like going into, like. I feel like it was like a Miami mini mall. Like, you know those, like, mini malls. And you go in and it had like a sidebar and just like a shitty dance floor. And the sign would always say Mike D. Like Friday night. Like Mike D of the Beastie Boys Friday night. And I was like, mike D. Like, we're just here to listen to breaks. Like, I never went to the Mike D shit.

[Jessica]

And it was the after Hours club.

[Natasha]

Okay.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

And the hack was. And I think this is genius, by the way. It started everything close at 2 in Orlando, not 4. Yeah, Miami was 4 or 5. So you would go after 2, right? And they still had a bar and bartenders. You would bring your own bottle of liquor because they didn't have a liquor license. Then you would get like a coat check tag. And then every time you wanted a drink, they would make you a drink with your own bottle of Liquor. And then you would just tip the bartender.

[Natasha]

So you were coat checking your bot. You're like, that one is.

[Jessica]

And they would charge you for like the cranberry juice or like whatever. And it would stay open till like 8 in the morning. Like it was like crazy.

[Eddie]

It felt like going to a house party because you just like bring your bottle of choice and everybody else brought their bottle.

[Jessica]

Craze used to play there. Like I've seen like, I thought I saw DJ scribble there.

[Eddie]

No way. I don't think I can remember the DJs. I just remember the sign every night. Like my D. Yeah. And I was like, why are they advertising this dude?

[Jessica]

I do remember Craze just because he was like my favorite Miami dj.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

Like, he's like the goat. So like, I remember definitely going to Cyber Zone. Cause he was playing there.

[Eddie]

I think my favorite was Shiraz. Like I really, I just loved Shiraz. I think he had for me my favorite song. And then funny enough, it's not a break song, but I just remember in the era it going bananas was Jay and Jane.

[Jessica]

Oh, that's so.

[Eddie]

I remember Larissa. Jay and Jane was just like that the party was over. Like everyone was nutting their.

[Jessica]

That's another one I didn't realize was like not just Florida. Yeah, like when I play it like other.

[Natasha]

I knew that one. Yeah, that one made its way to me.

[Jessica]

That was a big. Dane was a big one.

[Eddie]

Yeah, that one was crazy.

[Natasha]

What else I feel like was there? Kind of. Because I do feel like some of these songs, like when I was early on MySpace, like these were. I remember I used to follow girls on MySpace that were super into the rape scene when I was young. And like I. I was lying about my age on MySpace to get on. And I would like there was this one girl, Kissy face Edna, and she was always at a rave. And like her, I will never forget her. I was in. In love. I was like, who is this girl? She had like the striped hair, the like chunky blonde highlights. Like always just I was obsessed with her. And she always had played like her MySpace song was always a come up for me because it would be like, Jane, Jane. And then I would be like, what.

[Eddie]

The fuck is this?

[Natasha]

And I was like, where did she live? Boston. She was in. She was like a Boston girl. She was definitely. Because I was too young to kind of go out of this. I was like early middle school. So I'm like watching these girls go out and I just remember. I was like, I can't Wait, like.

[Jessica]

That was kind of how I moved to New York. Like, I got. I got here and, like, immediately went for, like, rave scene people.

[Natasha]

Okay.

[Jessica]

Like on MySpace. And then I was like, oh, your top friends?

[Natasha]

Well, because think about it. Like, they were like the. They were like the famous influencers for us. They were. Yeah, totally.

[Eddie]

The style at the rate the Florida breaks parties was just the best too, because there were people who were, like, just getting off a boat on the lake, coming through. And then there was people, like, coming from the beach. And then there was people with, like, the pacifiers and the UFO pants, like, utilitarian dancewear. And then there was just like, the hip hop homies like me that were.

[Jessica]

Like, Cuban guy in basketball shorts.

[Eddie]

Yeah, yeah. I remember just wearing, like, and one. Because I was, like, wearing and one shorts and a white T shirt and, like, a piercing pagoda silver chain. I was like, piercing pagoda fucking fly.

[Jessica]

In a lot of Adidas tracksuits because I was, like, obsessed with. With London. A lot of Adidas, a lot of. But it's funny because there weren't really a lot of candy rivers there. When I moved to New York, I was like, yo.

[Eddie]

No, I was fully, like, G unit at the beach. Like, I was like flip flops and socks. You know, Like, I look like Lloyd Banks up in there.

[Natasha]

Lloyd was a lot.

[Jessica]

That was a big Florida, like, style. Yeah, was Lloyd Banks.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Natasha]

I mean, I'm into the thug ravers. The thug raving was so, so committed. You're like, I will not be comfortable here.

[Jessica]

I think also, like, I hung out with, like, the Breakdance Circle guys, and they were just in breakdance gear, which was that. Yeah, Lloyd Banks.

[Eddie]

So, like, we were such haters. I was. I can't dance. I could fight.

[Jessica]

You know, so many fights, too, at raves.

[Eddie]

You know, you got problems. You really got daddy issues when you fighting on, like, on a pin.

[Natasha]

Like, how are you not just, like, so happy?

[Jessica]

I know. Yeah, but it's Florida. Like, they'll fight on anything.

[Eddie]

Yeah. Just be, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo. I love you, man, but that was disrespectful. Yeah, that, like, that was really, really disrespectful. And I'll explain to you why.

[Jessica]

For 75 minutes I had this horrible, horrible, horrible boyfriend that, like, shout out my parents for, like, dealing with me for real. Like, this person was, like, straight out of jail and he robbed one of the guys from Fever Crew, not knowing the deal. And then he couldn't go out. He couldn't go anywhere ever again because.

[Eddie]

Did he rob them at the club or was it home invasion?

[Jessica]

No, he's. I think he, like, sold. I can't believe I'm talking about this on a podcast. I think he, like, sold them a fake sheet of acid.

[Eddie]

Okay.

[Jessica]

Which was a big thing to do because, like, you would be the, like, main guy and sell it and then they would distribute like this. Like the separate.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

And I was like, this innocent. Like. Like, I didn't know he did that. And then we would be out and he'd be like, I gotta go. And just like, leave me there.

[Eddie]

That was a good hustle, though. There was a lot of fake acid. There were a lot of fake pills in the era.

[Jessica]

Just like. Yeah, there was a lot. Oh, my God. The first pill I ever bought was a double stacked E. It was a, et cetera. Yeah.

[Eddie]

And people were just repressing Adderall too. Like, you could just repress Adderall and, like, it was kind of funny.

[Jessica]

Yeah, it was like. Actually. Well, it was like. I guess it was like more Ritalin then. Yeah, like. Like, I don't remember Adderall then, but.

[Eddie]

I do remember Ritalin. It was whatever was the.

[Jessica]

I wasn't really, like, getting like that. Like, I was like. The thing is, is, like, I was going to all these raves where, like, every drive was like an hour. And I didn't have any friends that, like, lived where I lived. So I would, like, have to drive an hour and then, like, drive home alone. So I actually, like, wasn't getting that turn.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

Like, if I was with a crew, a group, then I definitely would.

[Eddie]

Oh, I was. I was fucking. What was your first pill?

[Jessica]

A double stacked Excedrin.

[Eddie]

Okay. What was the first pill that, like, hit?

[Jessica]

It was probably like a Mitsubishi.

[Eddie]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was Mitsubishi and Superman like the same night. Like, I got a Mitsubishi and it was so fire. I got a Superman. And then I was like, ah. And we were so funny. The homie was like, yo, we gotta eat turkeys and bananas. So then we went to Einstein bagel at like 6am when they open, and people's moms were there. And I was like, bro, this is the worst.

[Jessica]

The rain would always be in some shopping center with like a Publix.

[Eddie]

Yeah. And I'm like, einstein Bagels just like pounding turkey and bananas. Like, what are we doing?

[Jessica]

There was this one spot that was in a shopping. A literal public shopping center in Miami. And we would get out and there'd be like, old people. You know, old people go shopping at like 7am and like, it would just be like. But then when I moved to Orlando, it was funny. When I moved to Orlando, I would move for college. So, like, I had already done all this crazy stuff and I got there and everybody's like, partying for the first time. 99. And I was like, I've already, like, I don't need to party like this. Like, I've already done this. But I was like craving the rave, so I was like, trying to find it there. And the music was different. Orlando breaks are very different than Miami breaks. And Hater.

[Eddie]

Hater.

[Jessica]

And then there's this. It's very different. Not as deep, not as heavy. But then I found out that there was a school near. I went to ucf, which was a nightmare, by the way.

[Eddie]

Yeah, you can't finish, dude.

[Jessica]

You can't finish. Or under construction forever. Okay.

[Eddie]

Best party school. Like, the most slept on party school is ucf.

[Jessica]

They really set you up for failure, though, because, like, you get into the school. Right. And like, I wanted to go for film. What happens when I get there? The Blair Witch Project comes out.

[Natasha]

Oh, shit.

[Jessica]

You could not get into that film program. And like, it's not like you. You paid for the school.

[Natasha]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

So you couldn't get in anything. Like, any sort of like, arts program. And then there also wasn't any housing.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

Because it was.

[Natasha]

Everyone lived off campus, so they're like, you're accepted. We would love for you to come here. But, like, you can't actually come here.

[Jessica]

Fuck you. So everybody just kind of fucks off.

[Natasha]

Okay.

[Jessica]

But then there's this other school right near it called Full Sail, which is like. What? What is it? Like a text?

[Eddie]

It's like a tech. It's like visual. It's like VSA up here. But it's like very well known because of Disney. So Disney hired mad people from Full Sail. It was in the 90s and early 2000s. Full sail was one of the best, like, film schools you could go to. Like, mad wakeboarders and skateboarders. I knew that, like, wanted to become film dudes. They went to Full Sail. My cousin went to Full Sail.

[Jessica]

Like, weirdly, I don't. I heard it was because, like, lightning and electric stuff, but I don't think that that's true. We'll have to confirm this. The school runs 24 hours a day. So, like, people have classes.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

For some people would have classes from 1am to 5am I kind of with that. It was.

[Natasha]

I mean, it's kind of comparing really for like the film industry. I guess so. You might be on a night shoot.

[Eddie]

People would party and go to school.

[Natasha]

Yeah, I. With that. There's something interesting that you just brought up that I think is so funny. Is that like Disney is in Orlando and happening at its peak and like plucking kids out of these high schools. Like he always tells me, like, Joey Fatone and insane. So it's like all happening while this, this Florida break is happening. And you guys are just like, so up and like, I just picturing like in sync at one of these.

[Jessica]

It was.

[Natasha]

This whole universe is existing at the same time. And that is.

[Eddie]

And here's the thing, no one to me, no one will claim Orlando. You're like, so like, DJ Khaled went to my high school my freshman year. Did he Arab attack? And then now he claims Miami, you.

[Natasha]

Know, and it wasn't Diplo involved.

[Eddie]

Diplo was the college radio station dj, went to UCF and was a Rollins College radio station dj.

[Jessica]

But he has an album called Florida.

[Eddie]

Yeah, no, West.

[Natasha]

West.

[Eddie]

West claims like, but Khed, I don't think has ever shouted out Orlando. Not. I'm not hating. I'm just saying, like, there's mad people from Orlando.

[Jessica]

There was O Town.

[Eddie]

Oh, yeah. Also Smiles and South Star Shout out Smiles and Styles. There was like that.

[Jessica]

It was also. This was when the boy band era was like, at its peak.

[Natasha]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

And like, everyone's there. There was like a club called Roxy that was probably like a very mainstream club, but they did play brave because it was very normal there. And you would see like one night and Sink and Brittany would roll in and they would be like, off their face.

[Eddie]

That is the end of the free preview of this week's episode. For the full paid version, please consider becoming a paid subscriber on our substack Canal Street Dreams. Thank you.

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