Since we were down for the cause, we wanted to sample a bit of everything. We started our order with a plate of fresh Belfiore Burrata (made in Berkeley), paired with arugula and crispy toast. Next out was the life changing creation known as Saffron Arancini, which were fried saffron risotto balls with cheese. Just image a faded night in front of the tv popping these bad boys – they were a revelation! On to the pizza, because I’m sure some of you are on the edge of your seat. Love me some thin crust and this baby came correct, topped with Prosciutto di Parma, mozzarella, panna and arugula. To round out our meal – yeah we’re still eating here – we chose the Stuffed Shells, packed with ricotta, anchovy, tomato and escarole. Good food, good vibes. Perfect.

Delfina Pizzeria, 3611 18th St San Francisco, CA 94110

I rolled up with my pal Nigel around 7pm, beating the insane crowd (something I’m good at) and it didn’t take long to decide what to order as the menu is pretty cut + dry. I chose a cheeseburger, he choose a burger and we shared some French fries. If you don’t order you burger rare or medium-rare, you can expect major side eye from me. Make sure you’re ready when you reach the register as you will be sent to the back if you’re not! The menu choices are easy, so it shouldn’t be problematic. Our burgers were juicy, so much I needed to be told that I was dripping it all over our seats and a half an inch from my pants. I’m also known for that, just call me Young Stainz. The burgers are classic – how I like – and although not at Shake Shack levels for yours truly, I enjoyed every single bloody bite. Added bonus was that Burger Joint’s fries were my preferred cut and fried to crispy perfection!

Burger Joint, 119 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019

No fronting, I am not easily intimidated but the magnitude of this giant space was a force to be reckoned with. I had to quickly decide which direction we were going to take, because getting lost seemed like it could be a legit problem. Eataly encapsulates the phrase “hustle and bustle”, which fills me with positive vibrations, but if you’re looking for something intimate or slow, do not step inside this space. Eating was top priority and the various restaurants were calling our names. It was decided that we’d go for pizza and pasta – making the afternoon a piece of classic NYC. The anticipated wait was 35 mins but we were gucci as time allowed us to pick up some prosciutto, moscato grapes, olives and some Italian sodas for a pre-lunch snack. This tiny meal, despite eating an amazing lunch, satisfied my taste buds most of all; the prosciutto was off the chain and the grapes were the best I’ve ever eaten.

We landed at La Pizza & La Pasta which boasts a menu packed with fresh Neapolitan style pizza. Our meal began with some anitpasti, the Misticanza Salad to be exact, prepared with arugula, radicchio, endive, radish, pickled vegetables and lemon vinaigrette. The greens were fresh and cleansed our palette. My eyes bulged when I saw our pipping hot Massese Pizza hit the table. Topped with mozzarella, tomato sauce, soppressata piccante and extra virgin olive oil, this beautiful creation was light while remaining savory. Nigel (a real pizza man) gave it the thumbs up and I was all smiles with the creation. To round out our meal – can you believe we’re still eating – we chose the Linguine al Pesto Trapanese made with housemade pesto of tomato, basil, almond, garlic, chili flakes and pecorino. I cannot tell you the last time I ordered pasta at a restaurant because I’m not usually about that life, but I managed to savor every bite of the al dente noodles. I was eating like I was on vacay and having a bomb food companion only made the dining experience that much better.

Eataly, 200 5th Ave New York, NY 10010

Like any meal with a boy who hasn’t eaten much outside of The Chicken Shack, I took the reigns of the menu. We started off with a “snack” called the soy sauce egg, topped with crispy shallots, chive, and Maldon. My love for hardboiled eggs knows no bounds and seeing a slightly runny yolk put emjoi hearts into my eyes. No lie, this egg which had been soaked in soy sauce, might be one of the tastiest things to ever pass my lips. Even my lunch companion who was afraid to give it a try, claimed it was poppin, once he had a taste. If you order anything off the menu, let it be this egg, especially if you love all things salty like I do. So how was the ramen? Is what you’re probably asking. Went with the classic and ordered the Momofuku Ramen, which was packed with pork belly, pork shoulder and a poached egg. The broth was flavorful + hearty, the pork delicious and although it was a tasty bowl of noodles, I couldn’t help but think of all the others I loved more than it. Being a rameniac is sometimes a curse because it’s difficult not to judge what you’re eating with the ones that came before. Sounds a little bit like my love life. Momofuku Noodle Bar, 171 1st Ave. New York, NY 10003

The Royalton won me over with its unrivaled tub and bed. No lie, there were times I didn’t want to leave my room because I felt so relaxed post-bath living between the sheets. I lit the candle in my room and listened to Future, it was beautiful. Mid-city isn’t really my steeze but I enjoyed my stay, despite the fact that free w-fi wasn’t even offered at the hotel. If you’re looking for sophistication that allows you to enjoy some uninterrupted alone time, you won’t be disappointed here. The Royalton, 44 West 44th Street, New York City

I came for the rap music were the words I tweeted upon arrival at my very first Coachella. Having been at Paid Dues just a couple weeks prior (my first outdoor festival), I prepared myself mentally and physically for what would be 2 days in the desert sun, being touched by thousands of sweaty bodies.. Riding solo dolo had it’s benefits: I created my own schedule, went at my own pace and did whatever I wanted without raising the eyebrows of the people around me. My Coachella iphone app kept me on my toes with my timeline reading as follows: Earl Sweatshirt, Theophilus London, Action Bronson, Danny Brown, 2 Chainz, Grizzly Bear, Pusha T, Grimes and James Blake. I had a few others on my list but I was too exhausted to stick them out.

Danny Brown: Oh Danny, what to say without say too much? Since becoming a fan of his music, I have found that Hot Soup is my particular favorite of his oeuvre. I surely didn’t expect him to play any of his older tracks as it’s his most recent music – with a higher pitched voice – that has the boys and girls shitting themselves. Particularly enjoyed when he laid down Black Brad Pitt and I Will as those are solid inspirational sex songs that I run to on the daily. I had my fingers crossed that one of his most recent songs, Hottest MC, would make it on the set list (it didn’t) but I figured he didn’t think it was “turnt up” enough for the crowd. His best music doesn’t get the love it deserves. I am looking forward seeing where Danny’s music career goes. Here’s to his bright future.

Theophilus London: I had been anticipating this performance like I was on my death bed or something, despite my friend Ibra giving me a hard time about Theo. What can I say? Rose Island Vol I was one of my favorite mixtapes last year. No complaints about arriving first thing at 1pm to see Theophilus London dance across the stage while wearing all white, with silver sequence cascading over his Jordans. I absolutely love when rappers perform with a live band, especially when the crew are some cuties who feel inspired to take their shirts off. Theo dropped a new jam called Rio that I was digging, and despite some mic issues at times, I thoroughly enjoyed his stage presence and was grooving pretty hard at times. It’s obvious that Sade is one of his biggest influences and I ain’t mad at that!

2 Chainz: Judging from this photo it is obvious I did not get as close, er VIP, as I had hoped. Part of the greatness of this performance was that the crowd was beyond psyched and with each song, the rapping in unison only escalated – the feeling inside my bones was unreal at this point. 2 Chainz played all the hits, as any super star would coming off the best year in their career. May I say (though I tweet about it every other day) that 2 Chainz has the most beautiful hair. I just want to wrap myself up in his beautiful locks while we share stories of our mutual appreciation for leather and gold. This was a festival highlight no doubt, not just for me, but for the packed crowd at the Mojave stage. Stellar performance, pure fun and positive vibes. 2 Chainz is not simply a rapper, he is a performer. Cannot wait to see what else this beautiful man has up his sleeve. Maybe a modern day version of Dracula awaits his career?

↑ Coachella at night ↑

Jeremih is one of the most underrated musicians in R&B. I recently heard someone on a podcast call him a one-hit-wonder, and although this would be accurate in regards to radio play + sales, he has many hits in my own personal universe. When he released the mixtape “Late Nights with Jeremih” last year, I literally morphed into a puddle by track three and I had it on repeat for months. If you’ve listened, I am sure you know what I am talking about.

I have been a fan for awhile, so much that at one point I was checking his site + twitter on the daily, eagerly anticipating an L.A. show announcement. When I heard about Jeremih at The Fonda, in support of DJ Shlomo, I literally squealed with delight and immediately bought my ticket. This show was definitely one of my most anticipated and Jeremih succeeded at making me feel like a bowl full of jello. Although his performance was knee-weakening, I must admit I was rather disappointed that he only delivered 5 tracks. I waited until 11:45pm for this short set? For shame. Might I suggest that if you are trying to really make something pop off career wise, give the people what they have been so patiently waiting for.

Manifestation at it’s finest. Remember my series of Drake in the Desert? Now I am one step closer to making this a real life love story.

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles. I hit Fairfax with my friend Robert and within 5 minutes of my arrival, I found my eyes filling with tears as I saw Drake exiting Supreme. I screamed “IT’S DRAKE!” as my body began to tremble and my blood began to boil with excitement. Things had taken a turn and I needed to make my next move quick. Drizzy crossed the street, with at least 5 OVO entourage members in tow, all wearing Drake’s signature owl tees and upon closer look, diamond encrusted owl pendants as well. The crew passed as I stood there trying not to fall face first onto the sidewalk. This was finally the moment to introduce myself to the man I had come to appreciate over the years. His album Take Care was single handily the music that nursed me through my break up; Drake’s art holds great significance to me. I sauntered into the OF shop, packed with Loiter Squad regulars and Tyler the Creator himself, but didn’t pay any mind as I just wanted to experience the beauty of Drake.

His wrists were showered in beautiful gold pieces and diamonds, his feet nestled in a neon pair of Nikes and it’s as if his leather pants were calling my name. I spotted his father in the crowd – I’m a REAL fan, so yes I know what his dad looks like – went over to him and asked if I may take a photo with his glorious son. He kindly looked at me and said “you’ll have to ask him, as everyone always wants his photo.” My response was “well sir, I’m not everyone and considering that you are his father, I thought I’d approach seniority first.” It was at this point he realized I wasn’t like the rest, asked my name and shook my hand. We began to chop it up and it was at this moment Drake began walking towards us.

No lie, the first thing Drake did upon looking me in the face was wink at me with his left eye. HOLY SHIT, what a glorious moment. I turned to him and asked if he could sacrifice a photo with one of his biggest fans. It was at this exact moment I witnessed Drake being the man I’ve come to love: soft-spoken, gentle, and warm. He put his arm around me and grabbed his crotch – if that isn’t a sign, I don’t know what is! Bonus: his father took this photo of us.

Don’t you just love our matching leather? Drake, if you read this, please find me. I’m waiting.

While in NYC I became IRL friends with Ibra Ake, a talented young photographer born in Nigeria and living in the big city. After some cocktails at the Soho House we decided to walk over to my room at The Standard High Line and have an impromptu podcast. Needless to say, pure gold was recorded – so good it had to be divided into two parts!

I had a blast chatting with Ibra about everything from racism, sex, religion and of course, rap music. This was a great intro into the world of podcasting, especially because mine will be launching later this month! Hope that you’ll listen, laughs guaranteed.

PT 1

PT 2