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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Friday, March 3
Woke up in Las Vegas. Planet Hollywood, I fuck with you. Not only is an entire shopping mall downstairs, but this amazing popcorn joint called Garrett Popcorn originated in Chicago. Welcome to the world’s most delicious mix of cheddar and caramel popcorn. I literally had to stop and I actually had to wait in line. I got the big bag for eight whole dollars, and it was worth it.
The strip is such a trip man (rhyming unintentional). Herds and herds of happy people and way too much to look at. Literally, I couldn’t focus my eyes on one thing for more than three seconds. Whether it’s a restaurant, hotel, shopping, promoters trying to reel you in, the famous Bellagio fountain which goes off every 15 minutes, or the famous Caesar’s Palace that The Hangover was shot at. This is a true playground for adults.
I was not leaving this trip without hitting the newest, greatest attraction: The High Roller. This the world’s tallest observation (ferris) wheel. The world! That’s honestly so dope. We walked over to the Linq from our hotel, which took a lot of guessing and asking directions. This just opened up in 2014, so after my boycott of the city. I was excited to be here.
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The open bar package is what really kills me. My brother and his friends definitely used this as a pre-game to the club one night and said it was fucking lit. For $40, you get a 30-minute ride paired with the most epic view of the city. Disclaimer: if you think the strip is lit in the day, wait until the nighttime. The lights are literally breathtaking. That being said, my bro was pissed when he found out I was going in the afternoon. We concluded it was better because we could see all the mountains and the gorgeous sun setting.
This cracked me up. Emergency supplies. Yikes. But felt incredibly safe. They have workers at every stop. We were in a cabin way up high with literally one senior couple. They were adorable. But it was empty haha. The open bar was definitely the popular choice. If you want to do just the ride, it’s $25 ($22 on the Internet). There are happy hour prices too, so be on the lookout.
The 30 minutes came and went. We were one of the 38 cabins rotating around like a wheel. There were benches provided, but the vast glass windows were too glorious to not stand. There was nice elevator music provided as we soaked it all in. Special thanks to Jenna, the PR coordinator at Caesars Entertainment, for allowing me to visit. This is a must-see (or must-do) on your next Vegas trip. And if you’re partying, take my brother’s advice. Do it at night. It’s the perfect pre-game.
I had to stop in and say hey to the pink flamingos. Lmao. I literally thought they were extinct. I think I stayed here (Flamingo Hotel) way back when in college. One of my homegirls at UCLA had her mom get a room for her birthday and I honestly can’t say I remember much from that weekend.
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Tonight was the whole reason we were out here. Backstreet Boys Larger Than Life concert. This was literally downstairs in our hotel: The Axis in Planet Hollywood. So crazy. No stress or rushing to make sure we got there before the guest list closed. The show was supposed to start at 9 p.m., and we walk up to literally the longest line. So. Many. Fans. So many girls (and guys) just like us, ready to be taken back to our childhood. This was about to be the best show ever.
I was dying when my girls told me they had seen Backstreet Boys maybe five times now. This was my first time. It made sense, though, that’s how I am with every rapper lmao. I can see them ten times over and still be just as excited for the next one. The best part was this was night two of their Las Vegas residency. Night one was two days ago, and it was such a huge success that they extended their shows until July. We were stoked.
I was so surprised with how many songs I actually recognized. Literally. This was one of the best boy bands of our lifetime (NSync is the other). They came out to “Larger Than Life” and I look around to find not a single person in their seats. The girl next to me literally apologized in advance for fangirling. I was like please. Do you see the two next to me? Lmao.
My homegirl’s favorite was AJ, and I saw why by the end. He has tats lmao. My other homegirl loves Nick Carter. I would say that was the only member I knew the name of before the show. Such a noob. I got to know the rest real quick, though. Brian was definitely a crowd favorite. Can’t forget Howie and Kevin. For once, I didn’t have to record every song because I wasn’t going to be posting on DX platforms. It was lightweight freeing.
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Other (legendary) highlights include “Drowning,” “Incomplete,” “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart),” “Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely.” Oh my gosh. I’m damn near listing off the entire set list. During “Break Your Heart,” my girl literally called her mom on the phone so she could hear. Fucking adorable. They closed with “I Want It That Way” and “Everybody.” We were all so, so, so satisfied.
Oh. My homegirl lost her ID last night, which leaves us all hopeless lmao. All good, though. C’est la vie.
Saturday, March 4
Oh, my goodness. I can’t even explain how I feel right now haha. Tonight was the definition of a lituation. I still can hear the bass in my ears. I saw Alexandra post about this show and immediately knew I had to be there. Bassrush Presents Datsik at The Hollywood Palladium. This was the most sold out I’ve EVER seen this venue. I literally chuckled to myself when I compared it to the Juicy J show I was just at here. Probably an eighth of the crowd tonight. Maybe a tenth.
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This was an EDM show. Let me give you some insight. I used to be heavy into raving. Dubstep, drum and bass, trap. . . that was our life. This brought me right back to those years of HARD festivals and EDCs. Memories to last a lifetime. The fact that I’m old now and still fuck with this music so hard says a lot. Like, 100% sober tonight, loving every artist’s set. I was dying when I found out Warren G was on the bill. I thought that was so epic. Seriously.
First up was Rusko, drum and bass all up in my face. I was so excited to meet up with Charlotte and Alex up on the VIP balcony. Huge thanks to them for getting me in. We were so stoked for what was about to happen. A part of me wanted to be down there with the crowd, but it would have been way too crazy. It was even crazy upstairs, evidenced by a wasted white girl later spilling her drink all over my head during Datsik’s set. I was hot.
I swear, the crowd didn’t know what to do with Warren G lmao. It was comedy. I literally just saw him on Valentine’s Day at The NOVO, but this was in an EDM setting. This was the West Coast OG, so they eventually caught on. I feel like I know his set by heart lmao. “I Want It All” had us vibing, for sure.
The Regulator was probably not used to this many people out for him lmao. Or maybe he was, IDK. The EDM audience is very different to Hip Hop to me. It’s a whole different ball game. Mosh pits galore. Back to Warren: I thought he did a great job of getting the crowd ready for Datsik. His DJ even dropped some 50 Cent and Rae Sremmurd. I can always respect Warren for fucking with the modern day turn up.
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Datsik was the headliner and the reason everyone was out here tonight. He is the king of dubstep. The best part was the song leading into his 1:10 a.m. set: “We Are The Champions.” Everyone was singing along word for word, swaying side to side. It was beautiful. I stole this pic from Michael lmao. I suck at iPhone photos.
This was the Night Nation Tour, and he really turned the stage into his own temple. Everything from his energy to his outfit to his futuristic ninja helmet head, it was just epic. He even remixed songs with Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar. Yas. At one point, his ninja mascots on stage were jumping on stage as if they had springs on their feet. This was theatrical. I love when artists provide an experience to remember.
This was the best part of the evening for me. I literally was shocked to find AD hit the stage. The funniest thing was people around me thinking he was Warren G. I died lmao. I recognized him the second I saw the black and white bandana on his head. Love my West Coast rappers <3. I don’t think there was one person in the building that was disappointed tonight. There’s no way.
Sunday, March 5
We are all familiar with Andy Warhol, the iconic artist known for his pieces in pop art. If you’re not, peep the picture above. Does that help? His Marilyn Monroe pieces have been a trademark American favorite. His work, which was most prominent in the 1960s, is a showcase of his ability to celebrate celebrity culture and advertising. So, when there’s an ANDY WARHOL: REVISITED art gallery in Santa Monica, I go.
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I can’t thank the owner of the Revolver Gallery, Ron Rivlin, enough. This art gallery is typically closed on Sundays. He literally took time out of his day (family day) to meet us and give us an exclusive tour. My heart melted. I am not worthy lmao. This guy is the definition of lit. Like I don’t even know where to begin. Not only is he a serial entrepreneur (founder and CEO of six companies), but he is the nicest, kindest, most down-to-earth individual.
This touring exhibition began on February 14, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of Andy’s untimely death. As much as I wanted to, I could not get to all 200 works of art present in the gallery. By the doings of Ron, this is the largest gallery owned collection of Andy Warhol’s works worldwide. And it’s free! But you have to reserve online. Trust me, you want to. I loved this Muhammad Ali collection. I was informed Bruno Mars purchased the Ali pieces (before these), for himself. I love that lmao.
I felt bad because Ron had to deal with us shooting pictures left and right, but hey. These were memorable pieces, and they needed to be shot. This was an exact replica of Andy himself, down to the size and height. There were about three Andy statues, one was posted next to the wall of Andy Mouse pieces. So sick.
Disclaimer: I’m not including many of the greats featured in this gallery because you have to come see for yourself. I had the lovely pleasure of chopping it up with Ron about his time in the music industry (20 years). I was blown away. He had worked with some of Hip Hop’s greatest: Eric B & Rakim, Run DMC, De La Soul, Hov. . he literally pulled out Jay Z’s number on his iPhone. Salute.
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Also, per social media, I find out he is very good friends with Alex, who I was turning up with last night at the Datsik show. For everything negative about Instagram, there seems to be positive. That was a beautiful connection we discovered. Also loved giving Ron a mini-IG tutorial. You already know I was excited as hell.
