90’s NOW: More Than Music — It’s a Vibe

There is something about 90s music that will always have a special place in my heart. Sometimes, hearing the first few seconds of a song is all it takes to bring back a moment in time you wish you could get back. That is really what 90’s NOW is about for me. Every Saturday at 3 PM, I get to spend an hour playing music from 1990 through 1999 and hopefully bringing back some of those memories for you too.

I love playing the songs everybody knows, but I also enjoy finding those songs you may not have heard in years. My family group chat or people who call or text in (516.572.7440) always say one of two things: "I haven't heard that song in years" or "Oh wow, this song takes me back to my childhood days." I want you to be listening and suddenly say, “Oh wow, I forgot about this song!” This past show was definitely one of those trips through the decade. I started with Tony! Toni! Toné! “Feels Good,” which was the perfect way to set the mood. From there, I kept the 1990 energy going with Pebbles “Giving You the Benefit,” followed by Bell Biv DeVoe “Do Me!” If you know me, you know I love some New Edition, so BBD will always have a place on my playlist. That early 90s mix of R&B, hip hop, and New Jack Swing still makes you want to turn the radio up.

One of my favorite moments during the show actually came from a conversation I had with my son about the iPhone 18. Sometimes I really think kids today have no idea how different things were for us. We did not have smartphones with every answer available in two seconds. There was no Google for every random question, and we definitely could not instantly stream any song or video game we wanted. We were blowing into Nintendo cartridges just trying to get the game to work. Now these kids can ask their phones anything and think they know everything. I had to tell my son, “You’re not smarter than me. You just have Wi-Fi!” From there, Jade’s “Don’t Walk Away” felt like the perfect way to keep the early 90s memories going.

The show continued with Arrested Development’s “Tennessee,” followed by Lauryn Hill’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.” “Tennessee” brought a different style of hip hop in 1992, while Lauryn Hill’s version of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” takes you right into the later part of the decade. That is one of the things I love most about doing this show. The 90s had so many different sounds. I can go from hip hop to R&B, New Jack Swing, pop, and dance music, and somehow it all belongs together.

Of course, I had to get some late 90s R&B into the mix with Donell Jones “U Know What’s Up.” That song came from his 1999 album Where I Wanna Be, and as soon as that beat comes on, you know exactly what it is. I also played Des’ree’s “You Gotta Be,” which is another one of those songs you may forget about until you hear it again. Those are the songs I especially love playing because sometimes the forgotten ones bring back the strongest memories.

Then came Kid ’n Play with “Ain’t Gonna Hurt Nobody.” If you remember the House Party movies, you already know the feeling. The song was featured in House Party 2 in 1991, and Kid ’n Play were such a big part of early 90s hip-hop culture. The music, the dancing, the clothes, the comedy, and definitely the hair were all part of it. From there, I jumped ahead to 1996 with Ghost Town DJ’s “My Boo.” That is one of those records where the beat starts, and you really do not have to say anything else. More than 30 years later, people still react to these songs.

I also had to bring Missy Elliott into the show with “Hot Boyz” from 1999. Missy was just different. Her music, her style, and especially her videos made you stop and pay attention. By the end of the decade, you could hear music beginning to change and get a little taste of what was coming in the 2000s. I also threw in Tina Turner with “Disco Inferno” because I never want 90’s NOW to stay in one lane. In one hour, we went from Tony! Toni! Toné! and Pebbles to BBD, Jade, Arrested Development, Lauryn Hill, Donell Jones, Des’ree, Kid ’n Play, Ghost Town DJ’s, Missy Elliott, and Tina Turner. That is a pretty good Saturday afternoon if you ask me.

For me, though, the 90s are about much more than the music. I grew up during that time, so I remember the cassette tapes and CDs, Nintendo, music videos, school dances, house parties, hanging outside with friends, and calling somebody’s house hoping their parents did not answer. I also remember when your money seemed to go a little further. Gas was cheaper, groceries were cheaper, and you could walk into the store with a few dollars and actually come back out with something. In 2026, you can go into the grocery store for three things and somehow spend $80 bucks.

I would absolutely take those 90s gas and grocery prices back. Give me the cheaper snacks too while we are at it. There is just one thing I am not taking back: the 90s paycheck. I want 90s prices with my 2026 pay. I need the best of both worlds. Those really were some good days, even though everything was not perfect. There was just something about that time that felt a little simpler.

Music was different too because we could not instantly pull up whatever we wanted to hear. If you heard a song on the radio and did not know who sang it, you had to keep listening and hope the DJ told you. I know I cannot be the only person who sat next to the radio with a blank cassette tape waiting for a favorite song to come on. You had your finger ready on the record button, the song finally came on, and then the DJ started talking before it was completely over and messed up your recording.

Now, all these years later, I am sitting on the other side of that microphone. When I think about it that way, it makes doing 90’s NOW even more special to me. I went from being the person waiting for my favorite song to come on the radio to being the person deciding what song you are going to hear next.

That is why I want 90’s NOW to be more than just an hour of old music. I want it to feel like we are sitting together remembering the decade. Maybe a song reminds you of high school, your first boyfriend or girlfriend, your best friend, your first car, a family member, or a summer you wish you could experience one more time. Maybe you did not grow up in the 90s at all, and you just want to hear why we still love this music so much. Either way, you are invited.

So spend your Saturday afternoon with me. You never know what I am going to pull out. It might be R&B, hip hop, New Jack Swing, pop, dance music, a huge hit you remember immediately, or that one song you have not heard in years but somehow still know every word to.

I’m NikiMarie, and this is 90’s NOW, every Saturday from 3 PM to 4 PM on 90.3 WHPC, The Voice of Nassau Community College. Come hang out with me for an hour, enjoy some good music, have a few laughs, and go back to the 90s with me.

I’ll take the music, the memories, the gas prices, and the grocery prices. I’m just bringing my 2026 paycheck along for the ride.

See you Saturday at 3 PM. 90.3 WHPC