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:: Dai's Thoughts on Hollywood ::

Everyone wants to know what I think about Hollywood, well here we go. As I walked the streets of Hollywood Boulevard I thought to myself, a lot of people have come to this town with the same dreams that I have and have fell short. But then I think a lot of people have come here and made their dreams come true. It didn’t take me long to understand that Hollywood was like every other place in this world, either you sink or swim, you do or die, if you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will either. Hollywood is all about who you know, what you do, and how well you do it. Hanging with some of the biggest names in the sports and entertainment industry prove to me one thing, that is dreams do come true, and I should continue to work hard to make my dream come true for me and my family. All these people are no better than I am and one day, they too stood in the very same position, a person with a dream. I also learned that some of the black people we support on television have gotten the big head and have forgotten that they have not always been viewed as a star. My parents always taught me to treat people the way I wanted to be treated and that the only time you look down on a person is when you are helping them up. That is why when I was recognized by some fans in Hollywood for my work on Flavors, a Taste of Comedy, I was more than happy to take the time to sign autographs for them, and make some new friends. I was really surprised that some of the people in Hollywood were as friendly as they were.

I learned from the natives of California that they too take Hollywood for granted the same way we ride past the Washington Monument and don’t look twice. To them it’s no big deal to hang on Hollywood Boulevard, or to spot a movie star. To shop on Rodeo Drive is a every weekend thing and to walk in the Beverly Center Shopping Mall is like stepping into Vibe Magazine, you never know what celebrities you might see. All the ladies have nice bodies in Hollywood, they don’t care if they have to pay for it. So if you plan to be in the business, before you even head to Hollywood, you might want to visit the gym. All the guys are cool, everybody has a cell phone, and I mean everybody. The guys are claiming to be more than they really are, and trying to act like someone important . Everyone has an scheme to make money so watch yourself The nightlife is off the hook. Everywhere you go there is a line to get in and the town closes down early. All clubs close at 2AM and you won’t get in if you are not on the VIP list. No joke, I stood outside of a club with rap artist Ja’Rule and they would not let him in, and we had VIP PASSES. Trust me it’s serious out there. If you think Dream nightclub in Washington, DC is packed, imagine 10 Dream nightclubs on one street. That is what Hollywood Boulevard looks like at night, IT IS OFF THE HOOK.

The weather is perfect. It’s hot during the day, with no humidity, and cool at night. Everywhere you go there is something to see or something to do. To make your trip to LA complete you have to go to Venice Beach and see some of the sidewalk performers, it’s a real treat. You have to eat at a Magic Johnson Fat Burger, or get a Caramel Macchiato from a Magic Johnson Starbucks, or catch a movie at a Magic Johnson Theatre. End your night with a midnight meal at a Magic Johnson Fridays or go to Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles for breakfast. I have to say Magic has all of LA on lock down. No wonder everybody wants him to run for Mayor. Now I know why Tupac loved LA so much. After being born and raised here on the east coast (Baltimore-NY), he always represented LA. I have mad love for LA, and I look forward to spending more time there in the near future for work. But all in all, I have to say Hollywood is a nice place to visit, but I would not want to live there . So if you plan on visiting Hollywood, kick back have fun, and when it is all said and done I’m sure you will find that their hoods are like our hoods, their people are like our people, and that we are all God’s children. No matter how big I might become, God, I will always look up to you. California Love.


Peace, Dai B.