Unlike most of my previous guests, David and I met each other via the local rap scene. Strangely unique for my base of friends, right? The rarity of our relationship is actually that we weren't friends. I had known and respected David from as far back as the Rainbow Room hip hop showcase days (2004-2005). But I didn't even know him as "David" back then, rather as rapper Ricky Pharoe.
Ricky Pharoe had dropped a break-thru project in 2005 with producer Budo called Civilized. It was a strong debut and made him known around the city. It was at the album's release that our relationship transitioned from peers to artist/fan. I ordered the album and got to know him from an angle of admiration. It was a well put together piece of art by a talented artist.
As I progressed in chasing my dreams in the same field, I became mixed up in David's intentions and, more so, his "obligations" to consider me a peer (rather than be a fan, which more artists should be comfortable with than are). Make no mistake. NOBODY IS OBLIGATED TO RECOGNIZE YOU. Especially if you recognize them. I'm sure Larry Mizzel knows this better than anybody in the hip hop scene, as rappers from Shoreline all the way down to Tacoma catch feelings when he doesn't mention their show in the Stranger or spin their "new hot single" on KEXP. It is one of the shittiest fallacies of amateur art. JUST BECAUSE YOU PARTAKE, DOES NOT MEAN YOU SHOULD BE NOTICED. By other artists, or any form of media.
To make a long story short, and not include other factors or participation of other paranoid parties, I made a mistake. I fired a few shots on wax (one was actually a "shout out" but my sense of humor is often too obscure) and distanced David from knowing Jeff, because Ricky Pharoe didn't know Type. Like a normal human, David called me up to ask if there was an issue he wasn't aware of. I naturally reacted defensively, because the issue was my insecurity.
I had to step back and reflect. Ponder the thought I roughly laid out above, about how an artist (in this case myself) can get a rude sense of entitlement. And 99% of the time, in cases such as Ricky Pharoe and Type, or Larry verses every rapper in with a NW zipcode, it is NOT that they are ignoring said party... often, there is so much going on, layered with the fact they too are just doing their own thing, it is not a diss coming from them.
Time passed and we repaired our relationship. Well, I should say, we developed a relationship between us as people. My artist persona might be crass, inappropriate and unwelcoming. But, honestly, as a person, I do get along with most people. And we found that to be the case. Over the course of a few e-mails, then a meeting in person and a show, David and I got back on track. And I wouldn't soon forget his openness to giving that a shot. Because he didn't have to.
Shelley is David's long time lovely and bad ass girlfriend. I met her at the show, and later Erica and I joined David and Shelley for some all-you-can-eat shrimp in Lynnhood. They also swung through a BBQ at our pad. As things became friendly, I decided the best form of apology is food. So Erica and I offered up a meal at our place, and David and Shelley accepted.
David had mentioned one of his favorite foods was orange chicken. I had never cooked orange chicken, so I was up for the challenge. On top of that, he has eliminated gluten from his diet for health reasons, so that added slightly to the task. Generally, the batter for the chicken would include flour (which usually contains gluten), so I was careful to find a flour that was gluten-free. I also picked up a six pack of gluten-free beer.
The cooking process was simple: some eggs, a spoonful of salt and some crushed red pepper flakes go into a bowl. Next, dice boneless skinless chicken breasts into cubes. Mix in a 1/4 cup of flour and a 1/2 cup of corn starch into the bowl, then add the chicken. In a pot of hot vegetable oil, deep fry the coated chicken for about three minutes. In a skillet, create a stir fry mix from soy sauce, rice wine and sesame oil. Add the chicken into the skillet with some chopped green onion, minced garlic and orange zest (broken up orange peel rinds). I squeezed the oranges over the mix and separated the chicken from the zest and served it on top of white rice (which is also gluten-free, sticky rice is not).
Fortunately, the food turned out excellent. It was a rather plan dish, essentially just chicken on rice, but very flavorful. Shelley was nice enough to make a delicious crumble for dessert and they accompanied it with ice cream. Ala mode is a must!
They also brought company: their dog Cairo. They rescued Cairo while living down in California together and she made the move back to Seattle with them. She is a very sweet dog and Lola was extremely excited to have another canine lady back in the mix on a the date.
We ate the food, as Lola danced around Cairo and we discussed music, our "meeting" stories as couples (which both involve rap shows) and future plans. The biggest of our future plans involve, guess what, a rap show! David and I will be tearing it down on stage Friday, November 23rd at my favorite venue Nectar Lounge in Fremont. This is the day after Thanksgiving, and the third year in a row I will be playing it. The first two shows sold out, so we highly suggest either ORDERING TICKETS ONLINE or meeting up with one of us in person to pick up some for just $5 a pop!
After dinner and dessert, we kicked it at the coffee table and busted out the old college Jenga, once again. It is quickly becoming the new Table Topics of 52DD, but also departs a bit from the classiness factor Erica normally strives for in a dinner party. I am okay with that, seeing as our schedule is slimming down.
David and Shelley were such good guests, it was a firm reminder there is never enough time in life for you to push someone away. I'm certainly glad I worked out my bullshit, as David has provided quite a few memorable party moments this year, including an epic float out on Green Lake with Aaron (Week 4) and Eliza (Tune Castle BFF).
Next week, a champion is in our midst. A poker champion! One of my favorite friends from high school Carl, and his gorgeous fiance Katie, will sit around at our table as we try to guess his tell. Keep a straight face! We shall see who comes out on top... 9...
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