FO·MO
ˈfōmō/
noun
informal
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- anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website.
- “I realized I was a lifelong sufferer of FOMO”
Urban dictionary definition: The fear that if you miss a party or event you will miss out on something great.
My definition: DON’T MISS THE EVENT.
Luckily, I’m here to provide you with all things you’ve missed, in this popping city of Los Angeles. My name is Shirley Ju, and I live, breathe, sleep Hip Hop. Coming from the Bay, I grew up to the hyphy movement. That being said, turning up is all I know. This will be a weekly recap of the dope events that I myself felt like I couldn’t miss, and you guys wish you were at.
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Wednesday, February 22
Tonight was the 2nd Annual All Def Movie Awards, honoring Ice Cube and Amber Rose and celebrating diversity in film and entertainment. Huge thanks to Rachel for allowing me to cover the black carpet. If you’re confused why it’s black and not red, so was I. The answer: Black History Month. I love it.
I find HipHopDX’s spot on the carpet, squished between EurWeb and Fusion. Both were equipped with a host and a videographer, while I was a lone ranger. That’s okay. I was used to it. I usually just bug the surrounding media outlets and try to socialize. This was work, but you had to make the most of it. We got to speak with some of the funniest celebrities and comedians. I literally just met Affion Crockett at the screening of Get Out hosted by Snoop two days ago. He’s hilarious.
My favorite thing about tonight was the fact that these awards were not your ordinary awards. They were funny: Best Bad Muhfucka Award, Bad Ass Boss Chick, Best Smash In A Motion Picture. . . and those are just the first three. The celebrities trickled in until it was uncomfortably crowded. One I was delighted to see was Jacob Latimore, who stars in Sleight. I literally just attended an advanced screening of this film, and told him I loved it. It was a trip seeing him IRL and out of character.
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It was a chilly night outside of Belasco in downtown L.A.Eva Marcille had everyone in awe. Literally, her beauty is mesmerizing. And then LL Cool J walked through and tried to sneak away without taking any pictures. He failed. He’s the OG and had everyone turning heads as well. The one moment I turn around, I see Amber Rose sneakily whiz by, avoiding the black carpet altogether. #NoMoreInterviews.
I love this caption lmao. So clever. I was happy to meet Donnell Rawlings, one of my favorite comedians. He was super down to earth and actually praised us for dropping a video about him last year. I also spoke with Russell Simmons, the man behind it all (All Def Digital is his platform). When Snoop rolled through, he was ridiculously calm. Either too high or too high.
I got my boss the one seat that opened up for the actual awards show, hosted by Mike Epps. Seats were extremely limited, so I hope he remembers this one lmao. I was able to see the inside of the venue for about seven minutes until I was booted. Congrats to Ice Cube for being honored with the Lifetime Achievement Awards, and Amber Rose with ADMA’s Vanguard Award for her work on the Slutwalk.
And don’t worry, the awards show will be aired on Sunday, February 26 at 7 p.m. on FUSION.
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With no time to spare, I SKRT-ed my way over to St. Felix for the Monster Energy Women’s Ultra Mixer, fueled by Monster Energy Drink. I’ve been to this restaurant before. It’s super cute and a beautiful space for events. This is a monthly event that revolves around celebrating women in media, music, and the entertainment industry, right in the heart of Hollywood. I walk into the back patio right as the lovely women are taking a group photo. Unplanned, I promise.
Drinks and fancy appetizers. You can’t go wrong. I was so excited to see Nina, a familiar face. DX in the building. This evening was meant to bring together like-minded women in an intimate setting. I know I always knock off industry events, but this was actually labeled as one. So it gets a pass. Special thanks to Libby and Hana from MSO PR for extending the invite.
Ended my night with Core Power Yoga down the street. Necessary.
Thursday, February 23
I received this invite in my inbox (shout out Samara) and immediately put it in my planner. The subject line read Music, Rooftop & Free Drinks at W Hollywood. I love this venue the most because it makes you feel worthy (and classy). I was just here for the launch of The Fit Society, founded by my girl Sabrina. And what’s better than working out overlooking the heart of Los Angeles? Bourbon & Brash. The best part? It’s free.
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This caught my eye the moment I got out of the elevator on the 12th floor. Live art guys, live art. I had to introduce myself to Christina Thomas. Had to let her know she’s dope af. Bourbon & Brash is the W Hollywood’s live entertainment showcase, held in their rooftop space encapsulated with floor to ceiling windows. It takes place every other Thursday. The setup was cute: couches spread throughout, most facing the stage. It was a full house tonight. Everyone was dressed the part. It reminded me of a night out on Broadway in New York.
Tonight’s acts included Tony Jay & The Brash Knuckles, AJ Calloway, Dorian Cohen, and special guest Alexandra Grey. I had the pleasure of meeting W Insider Chris Nelson (thanks for hooking my girls up with drinks) and Ashton, whom I recognized from our killer Booty class. Overall, nothing but good vibes. This was the perfect place to go and unwind from the crazy week. It was a fabulous evening filled with Jazz, Soul, and Pop.
Friday, February 24
TGIF. It’s been a long week. Tonight was special. If you guys live in L.A., you probably have heard of the Kanye Jesus statue that was sighted on Hollywood and La Brea. That’s right guys, Kanye and Jesus as one. The plaque on the bottom of the gold, life-size Oscar-looking statue reads “False Idol.” Whoa.
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The man responsible for this statue is an L.A. based street artist named Plastic Jesus. The meaning behind it is actually quite deep. Putting it on the streets of Hollywood was an extremely bold move. I have a ton of respect for anyone who is willing to put their (controversial) art out there. But anyways, Plastic Jesus teamed up with Billy Morrison for a (free) art show called Anesthesia: The Art of Oblivion. This was where Kanye Jesus will find its new home.
I was fortunate enough to attend the VIP reception tonight, which was way fancier than I had anticipated. Smh. I was in Uggs. I hate when I stand out, especially at such exclusive (no bad, just boujee) events. Special thanks to Plastic Jesus for allowing me to come through, I’m super excited to be interviewing him tomorrow. There’s nothing like getting to know someone so creative and talented and picking their brain.
I’m going to share the art pieces with you in the next #FOMOblog, because I will be returning to the actual (day of) show. Tonight wasn’t open to the public, which means only the select few come through. There was a lovely red carpet, in which Gary Numan was unable to escape. Every time he tried to leave, the photographers asked him to step back. I captured this lovely still of Billy Morrison joking around with Plastic Jesus (putting his hair on him), and Gary Numan casually cheesing. If you’re into the rock scene, this should excite you.
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This statue is the reason I drove 45 minutes in traffic to Gibson Brands Sunset, which is the old Tower Records. This space has so much history. It was perfect. I was greeted with free valet parking and fresh flowers upon entry. The vibe was so classy and sophisticated. I felt so honored to be there. Shout out to Brittany with sales who educated me on how this worked. I was wondering (out loud) where all the amazing pieces of art would go after the show tomorrow. Her response: they’re all for sale.
How much is Kanye Jesus? Stay tuned. That’s a question I will be asking tomorrow. Also, I couldn’t get over these two fake police officers guarding the front door. I literally asked the one on the left if he was real, and he completely had me fooled for a solid four minutes. It was funny. They were too legit.
My typical go home and shower and then head out routine. . . I was headed right back to Sunset for Lil Debbie’s #CakesByThePoundTour. I actually found out about this show from the homie Demrick. Thanks for hooking it up tonight. I completely missed his set when he opened up for Dizzy Wright (one of my favorites) at The Roxy last year. So I had to redeem myself tonight.
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We pull up to Whisky A Go-Go on Sunset to find a decent sized crowd of people chillin’. Last time I was here for a private Rae Sremmurd show, which was beyond lit. Little did I know I’d be experiencing round two. My girl and I are huge fans of Lil Debbie. It’s cute because I just took her boyfriend to see RiFF RAFF, and she said Lil Debbie was her RiFF RAFF lmao <3.
During the waiting game, I met this die hard Demrick fan. It was cute. He was there for him specifically. Demrick can definitely spit, and I truly respect his independent grind. He came out to “Blowing Money Fast” and it was automatically turnt. If you guys don’t know, Demrick is 100 percent weed friendly. In the best way. He handed out joints to a handful of lucky fans in the audience. I was waiting for him to play “Roll My Weed” the entire time lmao. Before the show, I was low key hoping Dizzy would pop up, but he’s in Europe touring. I checked.
This is how Lil Debbie opened her set. It was fucking lit. I literally die. She’s so hyphy with it and just doesn’t give a fuck. Poor girl- she said she had a migraine literally from last night until just an hour before the show. But she had to show up for us (JoJo status). She also said last time she performed in L.A., she “dead ass threw up on stage.” She’s a riot.
She took it way back when she performed “Gotta Ball.” We were living in her world. Other favorites were “F That,” “2 Cups,” “Bitches,” “Let’s Get High,” “Okay,” and her hit single “Slot Machine.” There were multiple times she had to stop her DJ so she could put her hair up. Her vibrant blue hair. It was extra bright blue at the roots, fading into a silver blonde. Bomb.
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My fucking spirit animal. Lil Debbie makes me miss the Bay so hard. She got so hyphy tonight and I loved every second of it. “Ratchets” had every female and male in the building feeling themselves. She told us how that song changed her career. She literally was posted in the studio and “thought I was tight.” And that was that. The game changer.
All bullshit aside, Lil Debbie is someone we can all respect. She took the time tonight to highlight how difficult it is being a female independent rapper on the grind. We were literally posted maybe two rows back from the stage, surrounded by young female fans singing along to every word. It was heartwarming. “Break It Down” had us feeling alive.
