I traveled to the East Coast during graduation season with the simple plan to watch my god-brother walk across the stage from Parson School of Design as the first African-American student to graduate with a dual degree (#SHOUTOUT to Jimmie and to being excellent in your twenties) and ended up on an east coast for damn near two months, due to various reasons. The one amazing thing that came out of my impromptu six week sabbatical from work was selling every stitch of TWENTIES merchandise between my second DC and first but definitely not last NYC TWENTIES Pop-Up Shops.

As a result of the overwhelming support and love many have shown to The TWENTIES brand and the production of The TWENTIES Book, during my visit I was offered two cost-free locations to host The TWENTIES East Coast Pop-Up Shops - and when you're building any type of brand you'll learn never to pass up an opportunity, especially a free one. Prior to being offered a venue to sell my merchandise, with a bunch of it on hand, I decided to do what I encourage any ambitious twenty-somethings to do; make some way out of no way. My younger brother was recently gifted a new car so I took his old beat-up Kia and transformed it into The TWENTIES Mobile Shop and traveled to pop the trunk (literally) on anyone interested in buying merchandise. I guess that technically counts as a third pop-up * shrug *

The TWENTIES Mobile Shop

Photo of The TWENTIES Mobile Pop-Up- basically the trunk of my brother old Kia.

After one day of pulling up with hardly any sales, my good friend LaMont (#SHOUTOUT Social Group - IG: thesocialgroup_) offered me vendor placement at their #ThrowbackThursday karaoke event on U St. at Amsterdam Lounge and of course I accepted. I only had a few days to promote but because I tend to "stay ready" like the great quote states, I could focus mainly on getting the word out and set-up would be a breeze. So many people showed up and showed out, I was overwhelmed by the turn-out. I get it, it's my hometown but with such late notice I didn't expect so many people to take the time out to support. I'm sure the drink specials and hookah helped as well. Thank you to everyone who managed to stop by and purchase TWENTIES merchandise, I almost didn't have enough to make it to my second stop in NYC, which is a good problem to have!

After the success of my second stop in DC, I was excited for the New York City Pop-Up Shop. I hosted it on my 29th birthday (one foot out the door) so I could encourage all my friend's attendance and coined the day "Twenty-nine and Fine Birthday Party and Pop-Up NYC." A little lengthy but I got it all in there! For it to be my birthday and my first time representing The TWENTIES on my old stomping grounds in Harlem, excitement turned to frustration pretty quickly. Aside from getting my wig (as I like to refer to my real hair) snatched by my favorite hair stylist Andre Loftin, the start leading up to the event was a rainy, dreary clusterfuck. To begin, running around New York City - in the rain - is something you can never really prepare for, especially in crunch time. My hair was barely covered, so you know I was worried and after grabbing everything I needed I spent the following 45 mins stranded in Time Square with speaker equipment half my size looking for a ride back to Harlem.

Time

To

Rant

I have to take a moment to give a major FUCK YOU to NYC Ubers. Why is there an option to set a pick-up location for drivers to turn around and tell you they're going to pick you up wherever they feel like it any damn way? What's the point? We can walk on the streets and hail a cab like New Yorkers have been doing since the dawn of time for all dat. The only reasons people choose to Uber in NY are 1) they're running late; 2) they're traveling with something inconvenient or 3) they're to impatient (usually to make out or pee) after a night out to tolerate a train ride, or else they would be on public transportation for $2.50 like the everybody else. NYC Ubers are the only ones I've experienced that make you work for your ride and then act like they're doing you some grand gesture by waiting at the end of the next block. LOCATION - means just that, I'm setting it to tell you where I'm located and would liked to be picked up so no I can not inconvenience myself by walking a whole avenue and two block over to meet you with a fucking amp on my back DUMMY. I digress.

Cont...

After lugging speaker equipment - in the rain again - to 42nd Street Station (provided I was a lot stronger than I assumed) I caught a cab and finally headed to The Pompette Wine Shop, my NYC venue expensed through a few years of sporadic visits and keeping good rapport with the owner, Mozel Watson, (You da best IG: mrmozelwatson) the benefits of building a strong network. At the young black owned wine shop at the top of my old block W131st at the corner of Lenox Avenue, I broke out my new TWENTIES step & repeat (a birthday gift from my big sis Zakiyah) for the first time, celebrated another year of life with some of my favorite friends and sold the last bit of merchandise with demand for more. I couldn't be more grateful! Brooklyn singer/songwriter and new friend RKHTY, ended the evening on a soulful high note performing her singles Friday Night and M.B.T.I.T.W., an ode to classic Keith Murray. She made some true fans of my friends and of course everyone sung Happy Birthday, I'm just happy I was able to make it a meaningful one. Needless to say, it ended up being a great day!