The R.E.D Album Release Party

Tuesday was not just a day that we elected Barrack Obama for a second term of presidency but it was also the day that Ne Yo's  album R.E.D was released. Which meant that my life was no longer my own.  let me tell you how it all started.

Tuesday afternoon lets say oh around about 3pm I get an email that says; hey we need to put together a album release party/dinner for Ne Yo and please make sure you have easels, artwork, roses, gift bags, Ne Yo's new CD, thank you cards and the list went on and on and on. The more I read the more I thought to myself omg, omg, omg, OOOOOOMMMMMGGGG. How in the WORLD am I gonna get this done by 8pm. Plus I had to make a guest list of executives that would be attending only to realize everybody and their momma thinks of themselves as a Very Important Person ( Jesus Keep Me Near The Cross). I had to start prioritizing fast quick and in a hurry. I assumed sense we have an intern that I would have help. But oh no this 35 year old honorary idiot had his own agenda and it had nothing to do with helping me put together this last minute party. When my counter partner asked him why wasn't he being pro active and assisting me with the party he says in a deep dumb voice : Well Lola aint ask me to do nothing. I thought to myself he can't be serious I have CC'd you on every email and split up a list of things to do so we can get the job done faster and you are sitting your fat butt in a chair saying I haven't asked you to do anything... how many ways do I have to say get your ass up and work without literarily pushing you out of this seat, but whatever the job gotta get done and you are a waste of thinking space in brain.

Moving forward I started making progress with getting decorations and confirming guest RSVP's and then out of no where I get hit with a phone call from Ne Yo's assistant asking me why didn't he receive an invitation to the party. I couldn't believe it. I was so annoyed that i had to take a step back take a deep breath and say Jesus Keep Me Near The Cross. After that I told him if he ever talked to me crazy again it would be the last words he'd every say and that he was Ne Yo's assistant so he's always invited where ever he goes you. He apologized and the air was clear. Pat myself on the back small fire put out. Now on to the other flaming issues.

I get to the restaurant  which was absolutely beautiful  and meet Brandyn the event coordinator's assistant. He was already working on the gift bags and me and my partner in crime Calvin started setting up the tables and placing Malibu Red product out. Let me just say this about Calvin, he is an absolute life saver, he really helped me pull this party off. Anyway things were still smooth until the doors open and uninvited guest entered the building.  Now I couldn't just say hey you can't be here because you aren't on the list cause these folks showed up with HNIC's of Def Jam and Motown.  All except for five girls who were invited by a tag along yes boy. Since he was no an HNICP or VIP I had no problem telling him that at $200 a plate they can't stay but are more then welcome to eat at McDonalds and meet the crew at Greenhouse. As for the rest of the uninvited guest that was a battle that I choose not to fight. Considering there were more people then setting I found myself sitting outside the private room right next to the kitchen, which was cool cause I wont be sitting on the outside for long. I'll the honored guest seated at the head table much sooner than later (lol).

The dinner turned out to a great success. Good food, and good people we some were good people (lol). Obama won the election and Ne Yo's R.E. D album is turned all the way up getting everyone hip and ready to head out to GreenHouse a popular night club in New York. and let me just add that this new album is really good, I mean timeless. It's absolutely amazing. Between  the restaurant and club I some how lost my phone,( this is just great). It's late and I forget that the buses are on a curfew from the storm to preserve gas. So it's like 2am I have no phone and I can't get home. So I go back to the office pull my paperless wireless bill up on the internet and start calling everybody I can think of except for my mom cause she'd ask to many questions until finally my friend Andre answered, thank you God. I told him to call the office at 7am to wake me up so I can go home get dress and get back to work ( long day, long night is an understatement, lol). He calls I go shower and change and get back to work on time mission complete.

After all the work I did the only person that gave me my props was my partner Calvin and my friend Daylon. But that was fine cause for the first time ever I can honestly say that I didn't need validation to prove that I am a hard worker or even a good worker. If no one else is proud of me  but me I'm okay with that. This job is a lot of work but I like it. I'm still not sure what I will get out of being here but I'm all the answers I need will be revealed in due time.

Til Next Time
Simply Lola

From Gramercy Park Hotel To Compound Ent.

When I first moved to New York I interviewed for a executive assistant position at Compound Music Entertainment. For those of you who are not familiar with Compound Music it's singer/songwriter Ne Yo’s record label. And if you don't know who Ne Yo is well he’s responsible for writing a lot of songs you sing along to. His most popular song is "To The Left' the song Beyonce recorded for her B-Day album. Anyway I interviewed with them the first week I moved to New York. I stalked Compound Music for like a month, checking on the status of the resume/interview every other day. After a while I just gave up and accepted a front desk agent job at the Gramercy Park Hotel. I figured not hearing back from Compound was a blessing that I would learn to appreciate later in life or a bullet that I have successfully dodge and didn't know. Although I’m a true social light, working nights at the hotel wouldn’t be so bad. It’s a nice hotel that is overpriced for the rich and famous. If nothing else I could be a social media light and just tweet and comment on facebook all of he craziness that goes on, on my shift(lol).If you follow me on twitter or you’er my friend on facebook you have read my post about the crazy celebrities like Lindsey Lohand stealing everything including the bed sheets from the hotel, to the very wealthy white men getting drunk at our popular Rose Bar and making out with random women in our lobby (they don’t call it the sex palace for nothing, lol). 

I had no life outside of work (which I’m sure my mom was relieved by)and when everyone was out and about I was sleep or working. I had to endure beating off the brutal mosquitoes who aggressively attached my legs and thigh. I even managed to suffer through working with my psychopath night manager. It was clear my night manager was an overweight bitter woman who would grow old alone and house stray cats and dogs until her death. Given all of the reasons to hate my job I never complained because I was grateful. I was working a Union job which meant benefits and stability (two things I hadn’t had in a very long time) I figure I work at the hotel enroll into the New York Film school graduate from the Masters program in two years and go from there. And then out of nowhere I get call from Compound offering me a position as a executive assistant.

My initial thought was “Hell Yeah” but then I was like WAIT!!! I got benefits and stability , two things I am beginning to enjoy. Music is my life but the ability to actually purchase something and not pray the popular prayer “Please God let my card approve” at drug/ grocery store had become a way of life that I was enjoying greatly. I am starting to have actually money in my saving account not being used to cover overdrafts fees. This may not sound like much to some of you reading this but this was a new life for me and I liked it. So before my mouth accepts something my thoughts haven’t confirmed I have a few questions. And my first question was, how much is the pay and when do we get paid. She told me the offer, which happen to be a little more then what I am making at the hotel but I would be on a 60 day probationary period. I had just completed a 90 day probationary period at the hotel, did I really want go back through the stress of hoping I'd make the cut. Probationary periods are very stressful for me because all I think about is “Oh God, please don’t let me mess up”, and what if I do mess up I have to look for another job and then I’ll be kicking myself thinking why didn’t I just stay at that damn hotel. The more I thought about the job at Compound the more I realized that my thoughts were more negative than positive.

So then I did a quick reality check. I started to think what if I do a really good job and things go well. What if making this move is a great moved towards my real dream, like Jill Scott. She got a contract job painting walls at Jazzy Jeff’s studio. Who knows maybe Ne Yo could be around and in need of a back ground singer and what do ya know I could be like hey I sing and that’s the start of my huge career. Or maybe a producer from Good Music walks in and say I need a singer to demo out a few songs for Rihanna or Beyonce and I’m like hey I can demo them for ya… what do ya know bam the stars a line and I’m a huge success. Once I started to think about the opportunities that the job presented I started to realize that there was more to gain than lose. So I signed on the dotted line and now I am working for Compound Entertainment.

Am I nervous about leaving my comfort zone, of course I am. This is Black Entertainment I’m talking about here and nothing is stable about Entertainment especially black entertainement . But I have to think positive and believe for the best. Its so funny I’ve been in New York for only 5 months and I am making huge moves fast. Clearly this is all the will of God, but I realize his will can’t be done until I surrendered. By no means am I trying to put up a front like I’m a Saint cause Lawd knows I aint. I will drink a whole bottle of wine by myself and flirt with WR Calvin Johnson if ever present with the opportunity (don't judge me) but I will say this, I accepted what God has given me and showed him appreciation for it. And because I learned how thank God for what I had I was able to get what I wanted.

To my friend who really wants something, I say thank God for what you have, find comfort in what he’s given you. When you do this simple thing God will truly start to give you the desires of your heart. And when he gives it to you trust its gonna be scary to leave your comfort zone but in the end it will be so worth it.

Til Next Time

Simply Lola