Trap Kitchen Seattle Pop-Up Dinner on 11/18 #TrapKitchenPopUp

What happens when two former gang members take their business acumen for hustling and leave the street life behind? Trap Kitchen!

The brainchild of Malachi 'Spank' Jenkins and Roberto 'News' Smith, Trap Kitchen features a daily "chef's choice" menu chocked full of soulful favorites like fried chicken and waffles, king crab jambalaya, and shrimp mac n cheese has quickly become Compton's culinary bae.

What excites me most about what Spank and News are doing with Trap Kitchen isn't necessarily the food, but proving to the world that you can successfully leave the street life behind and find a legit, profitable and enriching way to make money. They used the resources available to them  and carved out their own lane to make a booming business!

This is both a polarizing and historic time to be a black person in America, especially a black man. I love the idea of these two black men, who were former rival gang members, coming together and creating a real-life, relatable example of what it is to be a successful people of color in this country! We are not the sum of our poor decisions and you can always turn your life around for the better.

Trap Kitchen will be blessing Seattle with their delicious eats on Friday, November 18th @ 7p in the 1927 Event Space in Belltown (on 3rd Ave. between Virginia and Stewart). This is Trap Kitchen's first pop-up in the Pacific Northwest, so I'd encourage you to snag your tickets before they're sold out.

Tickets are $65 and 100% of the proceeds are being donated to the Black Prisoners' Caucus T.E.A.C.H. Program. Not only do you get to enjoy a night of delicious food and entertainment, but you get to help a great cause! Click here to purchase your tickets.

For more information on Trap Kitchen visit the official Facebook event page.




Photos: @TheRealTrapKitchen Instagram

A Quest For Love Tour - Seattle (via @RBSoundSelect)

If you're a fan of dope music, get ready to rejoice... Red Bull Sound Select is bringing their "A Quest For Love Tour" to Seattle! The 12-city tour features upcoming MCs Mick Jenkins and Smino blessing fans with their refreshing take on hip hop. Think meaningful rhymes + dope, melodic vibes sans the ratchet club sound currently dominating the airwaves.

I wasn't previously familiar with either artist, but after OD'ing on both of their Spotify pages it's safe to say I was missing out. On top of that, they're both Midwest natives (Mick Jenkins - Chicago, Smino - St. Louis), so I'm always happy to support my fellow Midwest folks.

The show will be in Belltown at the Crocodile on Thursday, September 29, and is only $3 with an RSVP OR $10 at the door.

RSVP by clicking here.

The Best Condo Views in Seattle (via @LumaCondosSea)

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the Luma Condo Terrace and Sky Lounge opening for homeowners and you all, the views were breathtaking! Being from Chicago, I'm a city girl at heart and location and views are everything to me. The Luma is technically located in First Hill, but sits a few blocks away from Capitol Hill, so the location is spectacular. You get to be in the midst of everything that matters in Seattle, but elevated high enough away from the hot mess that Cap Hill night life usually turns into.

The Luma also did a phenomenal job maximizing the space of their terrace and sky lounge to offer luxurious comfort in their indoor spaces, splurging on square footage, 360 degree views, and even a dipping pool and outdoor shower! It's the epitome of condo living in Seattle and absolutely stunning.

Southwest Pool Views at Night

Southeast Pool Views during the Day

Currently the building is 85% Sold Out with only 25 units left. The prices start in the high 500s for 1bdrm units (2bdrm range from the high 700s to "low" 1.3 million), but they're absolutely gorgeous and the views can't be beat. My girlfriend was able to snag a unit in the building, so I feel lucky to live vicariously through her.

The official Grand Opening party will take place Thursday, September 22nd from 6p - 9p, and feature local Pike/Pine area chefs battling it out to cook the perfect burger, along with local bartenders crafting the perfect drink. The free event is currently sold out, but you can add your name to the wait list.

The Luma residents toasting to their gorgeous new condo

If you're in the market to buy and the price range doesn't scare you off, I'd highly suggest checking out the building and seeing if it could be your next home. The views are the best I've ever seen in all of Seattle.

Recap: Mentoring in the Moment with @hereSeattle

I've always thought of myself as more of an animal person over someone who would want to be around kids. It's something I'm playful about, but in all honesty I'm the youngest in my family and never grew up having to be around or care for kids younger than me. However, as I've gotten older I've had more of an inclination to give back to the next generation of kids who will become functioning adults and rule the world whenever I'm old.

When HERE Seattle announced their annual "Mentoring in the Moment" event held a few weeks ago, I was thrilled to participate and work with kids. It honestly blew my mind how much I connected with the kids and genuinely enjoyed being around them. Tina and I were paired with 2 teen girls and 1 teen boy for a pool competition, karate demonstration, and food/drinks. It was only a few hours, but just enough to leave me craving more... I left the even wanting to really give back and focus on pre-teen/teenage girls.

You guys -- it's a crazy time to be in the world, let alone a teen! Although I had a few moments where I was like, "Holy Shit... I'M actually the adult," it was great being able to help instill some confidence into the teens and bond with them in an organic way.

I'm really excited about the work HERE Seattle is doing for people of color in technology, the community of Seattle, and the kids... all around dope things are happening! Their goal is to take this yearly event and make it into a quarterly mentorship event.

If you're interested in learning more about HERE Seattle click here.

Tina and I with our mentees for the day

Check out the recap video below:

Cruise the Sound & Raise Money with @hereSeattle #TheSummerCruise

Everyone loves a party, but getting lit for a cause is even better! This Saturday (8/27) HERE Seattle will be hosting #TheSummerCruise, with 100% of proceeds benefiting WAPI (Washington Asian Pacific Islander Community Services).

I've been a member of HERE Seattle for a while, but recently became more active. I love that their events are focused on creating a community of support for people of color in technology, but also branching out to help the community, give back to the youth, and incorporate a few parties to add some balance.

For #TheSummerCrusie, HERE Seattle rented an Argosy boat and will have food, music and a cash bar. Tickets are $30 and 100% of the proceeds are going to WAPI, so you can have the confidence that your ticket price isn't going toward the boat or lining the pockets of HERE Seattle, but truly helping to fund a great organization.

WAPI's mission is to provide and advocate for culturally competent and age-appropriate prevention and substance abuse treatment services for Asian Pacific Islander youth and all youth of color. One program in particular that HERE Seattle is focused on helping them to grow is the Level Up Music Program that "teaches students the fundamentals of digital audio recording from signal flow to audio software to song arrangement. The 20-week program provides a safe, non-clinical creative outlet in addition to technical audio production skills."

To learn more about WAPI click here.

Purchase your #TheSummerCruise tickets here.

Fun Sh*t to do in Seattle: Genuine Gem 4th Anniversary Party 7/16 #GGExactly

If you're looking for something fun to do in Cap Hill this weekend, Genuine Gem will be celebrating their 4th Anniversary at Vermillion, Sat. 7/16 from 5p to 9p. This free event will feature DJ sets, soul food, a full bar (21+) and nail art!  Doors open at 5p and the show starts at 6p. Learn more about the event here.

Hey babes! This Saturday @chaching And @thenailmystic Are back at it again with @genuinegemseattle 💎 starting at 5pm we will be offering nail art services from $15-25. 💅🏼💅🏽💅🏾💅🏿first come first served! Come join us for some drinks and good company😊 we are so excited! 🍉🎉🎈

A photo posted by TOPCOAT (@topcoat_sea) on Jul 13, 2016 at 10:16am PDT