It’s only May, but I already know that my favorite movie this year has got to be Dave Chappelle’s Block Party. This film follows Dave Chappelle and his quest to throw the ultimate Hip Hop block party in Brooklyn. Chappelle showcased his most respected friends in the hip hop industry, who just happen to be some of my most favorite socially/lyrically conscious hip hop artists. The block party docuconcert (documentary of a concert) showcased an amazing line-up with Mos Def, Talib Kweli, The Roots, Dead Prez, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Common and the reunited Fugees just to name a few. I've seen most of these guys before...the Roots and Talib Kweli at UCLA and New Orleans, Mos in LA several times, John Legend in New Orleans, Common in LA, Wylcef at the Bowl...but nowhere else have I seen THEM ALL perform at the same concert. This is monumental I tell ya.In the days where hip hop has become synonymous with booties, glitz, and violence, it takes guys like the Roots, Mos, Talib, Common and Dead Prez to remind us that hip hop was and is about a voice. And it takes a crazy guy like Dave to bring them all together. The film followed Chappelle to his hometown in Ohio where Dave brought along gifts--Golden Tickets to the block party along with a free bus ride to NY and accommodations. Dave's generous and down to earth self walked around town to chat and joke with the locals. He handed tickets out to a middle-aged white convenience store cashier who's been selling him cigarettes over the years. Dave visited this lady later on as she packed her bags and whined, "I knew I should've bought a thong." The theatre simutaneously cringed.
What I appreciated most about Block Party was watching how these artists interacted once they all were in Brooklyn. In their lifetime of love and dedication for hip hop, the artists have nothing but respect for each other through their common passion. In the midst of mainstreamed hip hop, it's refreshing to know that there are still people looking for the real hip hop. Dave Chappelle's Block Party reminds us of what is going right in the hip hop world.
So when Dylan of EatDrink&BeMerry rounded some of us LA Foodbloggers together at Musha in Torrance, I couldn’t help but think of Chappelle and his block party. Now I know Dylan isn't Dave Chappelle and we’re anything but hip hop artists, but like the Block Party crew, we all have a common denominator (..heehee...I love math), and that was we all loved good food.
Meeting up with them for the first time felt like the closest thing to a blind date. As I drove towards Musha random thoughts pervaded my mind. "Ohmygosh, what do I do when it gets quiet? Will they like me? Don't get anything stuck in your teeth. How will I find them??? Don't act stupid Jeni." Well, those worries quickly slipped away once I walked up to the restaurant and walked straight into the mob of foodbloggers. As everyone introduced themselves, all I could think of was, "Wow...I finally know what you look like!" After 20 minutes of chatting outside, we finally headed inside of the dimly lit Musha's. I sat next to very kawaii (cute) Kristy from Best of LA who I was very happy to sit next because she's just so super sweet.
Oishii Eats and Best of LA
EDNBM, Oishii Eats, Colleen Cuisine, Deep End DiningAnd now on to the food.
How dangerous can it be for a restaurant to be bombarded with a mob of hungry foodbloggers? Once the food started coming out, so did the cameras. Here's Kristy working hard.Since Musha's an izakaya, our large group separated into teams of 3-4 people for easier eating. I was thankful that in my triad (me, Kristy, and Dylan), Kristy and Dylan were Musha regulars and they knew exactly what to order.