Mad Juicy: Angel & Dren
Words by Ellice Ellis
Tastemakers, DJs, juice bar owners, twin sisters, and singer-songwriters — Angel + Dren are the quintessential multi-hyphenates. By way of Jamaican immigrant parents, the Bronx-born sister duo have spun their way into Coachella, Sundance, Art Basel, the Met Gala, Tribeca Film Festival, SXSW, Grammy’s, and Fashion Week...but their allure doesn't stop there. In 2020, the duo opened Mad Juicy, a Harlem juice bar that reflects A+ D's passion for clean eating, health, and accessible wellness. They're unremitting, following up the success of Mad Juicy with their 2021 EP Dark Summer — a moody, R&B-tinged foray into recorded music. Angel + Dren are dancehall, R&B, house, afrobeat, & hip-hop. They're Dartmouth grads, producers, and self-starters. They're the future of Black entrepreneurship.
Why choose entrepreneurship?
Angel: It chose me, haha. We’re growing businesses, yes, but honestly they’re opportunities to build infrastructure around mission and community.
Dren: It called to me. I’m the best me when working on things that move me, so I feel like it was the only way!
How have you two carried the lessons learned DJing in NYC to other markets?
Angel: New York just makes me want to be better. I see the city for its culture, so I want any contribution I make to help push it forward.
Dren: The city is always moving, and in NYC, you also learn early to hustle. I remember that motion, progress, and finishing are the only things that matter.
How did your wellness journey lead you two to open a juice bar?
Angel: Mad Juicy means a lot to me because it’s an extension of my personal wellness journey. Every day I work to be good and better to myself, mind, body, and soul, in a positive and fun way. I’m constantly trying to connect wellness with my lifestyle, and it’s always a work in progress — Mad Juicy is us all being on this journey together.
Dren: Honestly, one of the unspoken ways my mom and grandma showed love growing up was by bringing fruits/ juice home. It’s become a thing for us. If I’m out and see good fruits, I always bring some home for my mom or grandma, haha. They usually have one to give me right back. I also started making juices at home to give to friends and family. So for me, one of the easiest ways to connect with others on a wellness level was to make juice and open Mad Juicy.
