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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Monday, March 13
Happy Monday. Today I had the opportunity to speak with Dave East’s in-house production duo Buda and Grandz. Coming from New York, these guys hold it down for that real Hip Hop sound we’ve been missing. This couldn’t be more fitting, as I was going to see The LOX tonight at Belasco in downtown L.A. I greet them by asking how NYC was, and they responded saying a storm was coming. Meanwhile, I sit back in 90-degree weather. Gotta love Cali lmao.
Man, fuck typos lmao. I literally noticed too late, and there was no turning back. The real question is if Twitter will ever have an edit button after tweets are published. Like please lmao. Shout out to their publicist Tai, who is an absolute sweetheart. One of my favorite things about my job is meeting dope-ass people along the way. Especially people who have a vision for their artist(s).
Fast forward to the evening as I’m headed out, I received the best mail: This Book Ain’t Nuttin to Fuck With: A Wu-Tang Tribute Anthology. Presented by CLASH books, it features stories (from every single known genre) that give tribute to one of the best Hip Hop groups of all time. Thanks, Joshua, I’ll be leaving this in the DX office for everyone. This was also fitting for the show tonight, you’ll find out why.
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Tonight was Monday night, which means The Fit Society, up high on The Loft of W Hollywood. These classes take place every Monday and Wednesday. This has to be one of the best workout classes you can find in the city. Not only are you working out 12 stories up on one of the most glorious hotels in the heart of Hollywood, but you’re in the best hands. Tonight was #YogaAfterDark with Jess Taras.
Huge thanks to Sabrina, the founder of The Fit Society, for having me tonight. I actually met her working out at Sanctuary Fitness. I brought my girl who’s a huge yogi, who actually ended up recognizing Jess from Y7 (a yoga studio in Weho). She said Jess was one of her favorite teachers. I love it <3. We were in for a treat.
Holy shit. Yeah. Meet Jess. I’m not going to lie, I was hesitant on coming out because it had been a long day and. . . L.A. traffic. But it was so worth it. As soon as I heard 21 Savage mid-pose, I was home. This felt like a standard Vinyase flow class, and it was not easy. I was sweating. But I needed it so bad. Endorphins are key on a Monday. I’m positive every single person who attended tonight reaped the benefits, both physically and mentally.
The best part of these workout classes is the socializing afterward. We all had our chance to meet Jess, and tell her how great she is. She was the sweetest. It was nothing but good energy in the air. I definitely want to come back for PoundFit on Wednesdays. Who’s coming with?
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Grocery store, home, shower, email, then head to The Belasco Theater downtown. The LOX on their Filthy America…It’s Beautiful Tour. Shout out to my Gucci squad for picking me up. We were rolling deep. I was particularly excited to see Jadakiss. That’s the OG New York rapper right there. And he can spit. He’s probably in a lot of people’s Top 5’s, dead or alive.
Shout out to Janette with Live Nation for set times. The LOX wasn’t on until 10:30 p.m., and even then, they weren’t on lmao. I walk into the venue and immediately see the fam R-Mean, who I met at the R.A. The Rugged Man show. He told me Lyric Jones was at the bar, so I had to go jump her. I also had the pleasure of meeting Ill Camille, who handed me her Heirloom CD. Yas! I love CDs lmao. We were all super excited for The LOX.
I mobbed and lead everyone right next to the stage, which was coincidentally next to the entrance to the VIP/backstage area. I saw Steve Lobel and had to say hi real quick. After The LOX performed “Don’t You Cry,” I turn to my left to see Wale trying to push through. I immediately felt some type of way lmao. He was hella rude to me in our last encounter, one that’s hard to forget.
Being so close to Jadakiss, Sheek Louch, and Styles P was a trip. These guys are so fucking raw. “Wild Out” had the entire crowd screaming the words. The screen to the back of the stage reminded me they were signed to Roc Nation. At one point, they ask the crowd who copped that Notorious B.I.G.’s Life After Death album. The majority cheered.
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Styles P was a trip. Apparently, he had just sprained his ankle, and had to take his shoes off on stage lmao. He literally at one point sits down and smokes a blunt. Like a boss. Before they played Akon’s “Locked Up” Remix, Styles goes on a spiel about how he’s never been locked up for weed. And he’s been locked up “a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot.” Verbatim lmao.
I literally had to ask my boss what the names of the songs were lmao. Smh. As much as I wish it was, this is not my area of expertise. Ask me about Lil Yachty, and I got you lmao. They performed all their classics: ”Bitches From Eastwick,” and “Good Times (I Get High)” by Styles P. Yo, these guys were in Cali. They were literally loving the bud. I did recognize “Money, Power & Respect,” though. Proud moment lmao.
“Made You Look” Remix, “Why?” by Jada, “Niggaz Done Started Something” with DMX and “The Family” (V liked this one lmao <3). They said they had too many classics for one show, and it was true. We were chanting along all night: “Ain’t no party like an L-O-X party!” I was so into it. And then the highlight of the night: Raekwon gracing the stage. Yas.
This was my reference to the book earlier haha. Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nothin’ to fuck with. As if this wasn’t enough, next they drop “All About The Benjamins,” intro-ing and hyping it up by saying it’s their track with Biggie, the one that won a Grammy. We knew what it was. It was all Hip Hop heads in the building tonight. “We Gonna Make It” was the perfect song to close the show. Before they let everyone go, they had us all throw up peace signs and scream “Peace.” Beautiful.
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Tuesday, March 14
Hey guys. I’m fucking stranded at LAX right now. The struggle is mad real. I’m supposed to be on a red-eye to Austin for SXSW, but they can’t find our co-pilot. How Sway? Seriously how. Everyone is pissed. And tired.
Today was busy, but I had to squeeze this in. I found out about the Tupac mural on 4th and La Brea in West Hollywood, and had to pay it a visit. Shout out to Plastic Jesus for telling me about it. He knows me so well lmao. And shout out to my homeboy down for the cause. We pull up in the afternoon and had a moment with it. “With every dark night, there’s a brighter day.” Thank you Tupac, I needed that.
The artist’s name is @unfukyourself. Her mantra? “Be who you were before all the stuff happened that dimmed your fuken shine.” Preach. I had a pretty crazy day after that. I couldn’t even pack until 10:30 p.m. Shout out to my brother taking me to LAX in the late hours. He’s the fucking best.
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So now I’m here. Pray for me y’all.
Wednesday, March 15
Finally landed in Austin, after running to my connecting flight in Houston. Sadly, I was so dead I passed out for two hours lmao. Shout out to my girl Lupe booking the Airbnb. Our host provided breakfast! Man. I wanted to tip her. But honestly, I missed two panels because I KO’ed. Straight left in my sweats. SXSW Day one. Let’s go.
Austin doesn’t have Uber. It has Fasten. My driver was a sweetheart, though haha. Got dropped off at the Austin Convention Center and was immediately in love. This was where it all went down. I literally loved every minute haha. I found my way to pick up my music badge, which came equipped with a tote bag and booklets for reference.
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First stop of the day: Warren G’s G-Funk panel with the film’s team, including director Karam Gill. Man. This Warren is the OG. I know I say that a lot, but his music is still in rotation today. This documentary features his life and working with Snoop and Nate Dogg. I loved every second of this and was definitely frantically taking notes. Didn’t want to miss a beat.
Afterward, I hustled to get a picture of the producer Robert Ruggeri and Warren together for DX. My aggressive self followed them backstage. Robert was so sweet to give me this opp. Meeting Warren was so humbling. I told him how much I loved seeing him at the sold out Datsik show at Hollywood Palladium. He was so appreciative.
Apparently, the film is only being screened at SXSW. . . for now. I definitely want to see this. Shout out to V for publishing this story day of. Teamwork makes the dream work.
The Austin Convention Center is my new best friend. We come here in between sets to work. Internet and water: major key. That literally meant bring everything with us. I was lugging around my camo backpack the entire day. It was in this moment that I saw Donald Trump’s tweet about Snoop Dogg. Unbelievable.
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SXSW is fucking dope. Everything is walkable from the Convention Center. If I wasn’t working, it’d definitely be the most lit party ever. Literally, every artist you can think of comes out here to perform. The showcases all overlap, so it’s a matter of picking and choosing. My next destination was The Fader Fort. I wish I could have gotten more pictures of the venue, but I was too busy hustling. Huge thanks to Sarah for getting us in and giving us a grand tour.
I saw PnB Rock on the lineup and had to speak with him. You guys may have heard of his hit single “Selfish.” I swear, he’s the next R&B artist on the rise. We walk a solid 15 minutes over to this venue, which had a huge line outside. This was technically my first showcase of the day so I was unprepared. This shit was nuts (in the best way).The first room we walked through was so crazy. It was dark, foggy, had an open bar, and this amazing live plant decoration on the wall. Hey, @transplantsfloral.
I was not expecting baby daddy to be on stage once I stepped outside lmao. Last year, Drake showed up. So you know Fader got the juice. I literally just saw Esco at Drais in Vegas, and you know I was just as lit tonight. He told his 56 Nights story again. He has to. “Fuck Up Some Commas” will forever be the anthem.
I was too lit to notice how the crowd was lmao. Here’s Esco playing Future’s “Draco,” arguably the best track on Future. Of course, Esco had to ask who copped that HNDRXX. I sure did.
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PnB rocked the stage next. He’s from Philly, and honestly has the craziest story. It’s so fucking dope to see where he’s at now. Much respect to him. This is his track with YFN Lucci: “Everyday We Lit.” Definitely adding this to my most recent playlist.
He played “Misunderstood,” and I literally had to record it and send it to my girl. She loves that track. I actually told him during our interview later, and he told me to thank her. That’s love <3.
Next, he brought out A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie. You could just tell how much they support each other. “Selfish” was what we were all waiting for. So excited to see it live.
I had a blast interviewing him. Minus the mishap. This is every reporter’s nightmare: losing the audio. I can honestly say we killed that shit (take one), but in the end, the mic somehow turned off. No one’s fault. Just the universe testing us per usual. We literally talked for over about ten minutes. And I was super fucking with his vibe. He was the nicest. My heart broke when I found out the mic shut off.
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Of course, me being me, I wasn’t leaving without content lmao. I think most people at this point would have accepted the L. I couldn’t. There was no way. Our energy was too lit for this not to work. I saw him chatting nearby and had to ask him to do it for me again. There was definitely some hesitation, but the fact that he was down said so much about his character. Real talk, it meant the world to me.
Afterward, I look to my left to see Cozz and the entire Dreamville crew. One thing led to another, and I end up meeting J.I.D, who I fuck with so hard. Man. His album is so damn fire. So crazy, I just found out my friend actually co-manages him. Shout out to Barry, I had no idea. We eventually left backstage to see Lil Yachty headlining, getting the crowd turnt as he always does. Also, so happy to finally have met the amazing Katie with Fader. When email relationships come to life <3.
So, second best story of the night. We were literally on our way back to the Convention Center, but we were both on our damn phones the entire time that we completely don’t even notice we walk past the impossible-to-miss building. We painfully ended up having to catch a Fasten back. Lmao. Next joke. After recharging and getting some work done, it was time to mob to my final destination of the evening: The Monster Outbreak House.
Holy shit, what a lineup. You guys. Would you believe me if I told you my whole goal of this SXSW trip was to speak with Young M.A? I’m pretty aggressive sometimes, and I knew this wasn’t going to be an easy one. She’s a trip to me, and I hella wanted to fuck with her, especially for DX. Huge thanks to Libby and Richie, I couldn’t have done it without them. We head over once Libby gave me the confirmation. I had to make sure there were outlets and plugs before we made the move. There was. Along with snacks and Monster. Bless up.
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We walk into a very crowded room and immediately feel the body heat. The turnout was great, as expected with a lineup like this. I had the pleasure of hanging out backstage where the artist area was. I was so excited to surprise Ugly God lmao. Had such a blast interviewing him. Was so stoked to see James and 24Hrs come through also. It was all love tonight.
I was upstairs for the majority of Mod Sun’s set, but had to make my way down to say hi to Mod Sun before he got off stage. I’m in love with him and his personality. Hearing “We Do This Shit” with Dej Loaf always hits the spot.
As a person, and an artist. Next was 24Hrs, an artist I truly fuck with. This that new wave of R&B that you put on max volume in the whip. Not gonna lie, my favorite part of his set was seeing Mod Sun turn up for every song. That shit was beautiful. I fell in love with “VSVSVS” at The Dream show 24Hrs opened at.
You know his bro Madeintyo had to come to play. Just when you think “Uber Everywhere” is the banger, “Skateboard P” drops. That track is undeniably fire. Shout out to Salma Slims and Distordedd supporting, it’s nothing but love with Private Club Records.
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I saw some fans tripping over Young M.A coming through, and literally grabbed my girl and ran upstairs. This was our only opportunity, and I wasn’t about to let it pass me by. I was told I had five minutes. The minute I walk in the room, it was stale air. I was like, shit lmao. She just seemed so unenthused, which is the vibe I could have guessed going into it. She didn’t care about no damn interview. She was there to perform.
I did the best I could. I knew I didn’t have a lot of time but we got content. I was honestly beating myself up over it afterward. There were a few questions I wanted to ask, but didn’t get a chance to. It made me feel better because she was real nice when we got up to leave. She shook both our hands. That meant a lot to me lmao.
I got a little emo and then heard this Meek Mill “Dreams and Nightmares” record by the DJ and wanted to cry lmao. That shit hits home for me so hard. Oh shit, and can’t forget Statik Selektah on the turntables. Honestly, that’s one of the best producers out there. So epic he was spinning in between sets.
I’ve never seen Young M.A perform. We were so tired but had to stay. Plus the ride back would have been mad expensive if we went separately lmao. The struggle is so real. The crowd was definitely there to see this MC from Brooklyn. It’s honestly hard to deny how dope she is.
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Couldn’t decide whether to post “Hot Sauce” or “OOOUUU.” The latter won.
