Nike Be True Family Reunion 2008

Where: remote mansion in hollyHOOD hills.

Date: June-UNO-ohEIGHT'

Time: when ever the heck we arrived - 6pm

So after being lost on Wonderland drive [which ended up being a street that's infamous for a big massacre] we arrived at this big gate, with tons of people coming in and out, with security and people with lists. Everyone had wristbands except me...so we slipped through the crowd and through the door because "i was working the event." We go to the back room, where my sis had to change in her getup, and I got to work. I was helping some man shred mint leaves for mojito drinks.

I know, pretty lame right?

So as I'm shredding mints with this guy, we get to talking and he ends up being the owner of the events planning company throwing the Nike event. We chit chat for a few, and he tells me all about his company, and how he started, etc etc. Very interesting man, I might add. Now if that wasn't a chance for networking I don't what is. After shredding mint for 30 mins or so I decide to finally hit up the party. The guy, Mark, gave me his all access pass, and I made my way. I met up with brother, indeeezy and

clark, who were in line for some custom silk screen shirts. I hoped in the line with them, and we just drank free drinks while chattin it up. Man was that line slow. So we get up to the girl giving the shirts

, and we use the "all access pass" to hustle a shirt for jacks (which we didn't need to do cuz she hustled hella shirts later lol.)

Before I get ahead of myself, let me tell you what this ginormous line for shirts was all about. So basically, you got a shirt with the event name on it, and you had to use your creative mojo to pick out three elements of design from the options they had and figure out shirt placement to create your own custom NIKE shirt.

So after waiting 45mins and drinking some strong cran/vodka in the sun I was a little flustered and when it came to my turn to make my shirt I was, let's say, confused. I chose the dunk, "est. in 1985" and what is labeled as "blast". I didn't take a picture of it, but it came out pretty cool. After making sister's shirt, We hoped in another line for food, which bythe time we got out of the shirt line, was almost all gone. Because we waited so long we ended up with a hotdog

in a halfed hamburger bun. That was a lil' ghetto, but I aint hatin' cuz I still ate it.

The festivities we're cuuuhrazy there. They had anything and everything there. They two huge inflatable slip and slides, a dunk tank, teather ball, connect four, cards, operation board game, hula hoops, music

&& to top it all off, free drinks and food.

whaaaaat? now thats a party.

They had musical performances from a live band that was doin' hip hop covers, pretty awesome. The cool kids also performed, and some other band from Dublin or something, I was too busy eating to pay attention haha. But the cool kids performance was the biiineeeez.

After that me and brotha walked around to check out the whole grounds, and boy was it a huge ass property. Soooo nice. Went around the dunk tank area where this girl got dunked TWICE. Stood at the edge of the property in the gazeebo that overlooked the entire LA metro area.

minor side note: I LOVE LA!

After scopin' out the whole place, and noting that the landscaping up keep would be hella expensive for this place, we headed to the front to get our nike duffles. It's gym useful haha. Contents inside included: nike foam finger, magazine, & cd.

We met up with jacks while she was wating to get paid. I went to go talk to mark and get his contact information 'cuz thats what grown folks in the industry do, we make contacts ;] haha. When I was thanking him for the pass he asked me if I drank rum, and I said,

"Sure."

and he gave me a big bottle of 10 cane rum for helpin' him out. haha. THANKS MARK for contributing to the next drunkin' venture! I must admit I was a little timid to get his information because there were so many people around, but I did it! YAY! haha

The day concluded with two pooties sitting on this brokedown bench and breaking it, but loving the fact that it happened. It was awesome, they had their colt 45's in hand while taking pictures together on the broken bench while laughing. That's how life should be lived..not too serious. it's always good to be able to laugh at yourself.

second side note:
the served canned Colt 45 malt liquor
in brown paper bags.
Now how hoodrich is that? haha

So what did I learn on sunday?

Be True.
Laugh at yourself, often.
Networking is KEY.