jeremyhechtsblog-blog

[jeremyhechtsblog-blog]

Greatness > Fear

These past couple of weeks have been eventful. I had a moment with DJ Khaled on air, I went to John Mayer, got a job for the summer, met one of my biggest inspirations and climbed a mountain.

I walk through life with strong visions of where I’m going but not much of a clue as to how I’m going to get there. So the only thing I can really do is keep an open mind to being wrong, learning lessons and growing. And keeping my senses open to the signs that the universe gives me. 

Sometimes I have a lot to do or I’m tired and I almost don’t write these blogs. But Kanye said in an interview I was watching today: “if you’re job is inspiration you have to keep pushing that at all costs because you never know who is gonna be inspired.” And since I’ve had people tell me these blogs inspire them, I have to keep writing.

I have had no clue what I’m going to be doing this summer. I’ve just told myself and my friends/ family that I will find a job in my industry in a big city. I’ve put that out into the universe, and I’ve been trying to make it happen. Sending out emails, job applications, calls, meeting new people, asking my connections for leads. All with no luck. I’ve heard a lot of no’s. LA, Toronto, San Francisco, New York. Nothing. This week I finally got an email from a big company in Toronto with a yes. But this all started by getting over my fears.

Flashback:

I get to the school after a long day at the radio station. There’s a networking event taking place today where people from different companies in LA come to meet students, professors and other people in the industry. There are also free drinks. I won’t say which of the two opportunities I came to this event for. I was almost not gonna go, but last minute I decided to stop by. I was definitely not dressed properly. I was the only person wearing jeans because I came straight from work. But luckily, I brought a cardigan to put over my white shirt, and the tucking in of a shirt always makes you look more professional than you really are. One of my mentors who I do research for, BT, told me there are some people I should talk to about a summer job. If you know me, you know I don’t have trouble talking to strangers or taking risks, but for some reason in this environment, I was really nervous. I just stood in a corner talking to the people I kne - let’s call this my comfort zone. I stayed in my comfort zone for a long time. 

The woman who BT told me to talk to is intimidating (because she is also standing next to her daughter – who happens to be really attractive). I’m not scared to talk to good looking girls – just the other day I asked for a really pretty girl’s number at a café (she had a boyfriend – classic) BUT I am nervous to have to impress a potential employer AND her hot daughter at the same time! It’s a whole new game. After help from BT, and my friends, and three glasses of wine, I go up to this woman and her daughter and introduce myself. I throw in some jokes, tell her I’m from Canada and she tells me the Toronto office is hiring. After some talking:

“So Canada, are you any good?”

(This was the mother asking not the daughter so don’t get too excited). I also don’t know why everyone just refers to me as an entire country out here like I represent everyone up north but anyways:

“Look, what I can guarantee is that if you give me a shot I will work hard every single day to make sure the answer to that questions is yes. I try to be the best in absolutely everything I do and this job would be no exception.”

“Shoot me an email.” 

I’m feeling kind of tipsy but really excited. I didn’t get the daughter’s Instagram handle but I did get myself a business email. This networking thing isn’t so bad. After John helps me write out an email to her (shoutout to John for not only being a great roommate but a career Yoda), I feel good.

Two months and two interviews later, I have a job offer at their Toronto offices.

Last Thursday

I walk into the room to set up for the day and Jeff at Power says “hey Jeremy, big news but you can’t tell anybody. DJ Khaled is in the building tomorrow. Can you make some interview notes by later today?”

I go home after my shift and write three pages of questions and notes off of 4 hours of sleep. I basically run solely off of caffeine and sugar these days.

Then I go to the Grove because one of the biggest influences in my life is having a book signing. I’ve listened to his podcasts for two straight years and mentioned him in the blogs multiple times. From his podcasts and interviews I have learned two of the things that I preach the most and that you’ve probably heard me talk about in the blog multiple times. 1) Live your truth and 2) You win some, you learn some. Charlamagne Tha God – (hip-hop radio host at the New York Power – Power 105). After waiting in line for about an hour I finally get the chance to meet him.

“What’s your name?”

“Jeremy. Nice to meet you”

“Pleasure to meet you Jeremy”

“I always credit you as one of the biggest influences in my life. I always use the saying you win some, you learn some that I heard Larry King mention in his interview with you a few years ago. I’m interning at Power 106 and I hope I’ll see you again one day in the industry.”

“Thank you my man. I appreciate that a lot and good luck to you with it all.”

Then I see some people sitting in the VIP section behind him and I recognize one of them as his assistant who works on his podcast with him (I saw her on his Instagram live earlier in the day). I go introduce myself and one of the other girls says “I heard you mention Larry King, I used to work for him. You can sit with us!”

I feel like Lindsey Lohan in Mean Girls when she first got to sit with the plastics.

After talking to the VIP crew and getting their instagrams I leave happy.

Last Friday

DJ Khaled is in the building. 

His energy is incredible, you feel his presence as soon as he walks in the room. Everyone seems kind of tense because it’s a big interview so I start clapping and say

“Let’s go!!! Big interview for the team!!!!”

“There he is!!!” Cruz says and starts to smile as he turns up the music.

The interview is going really well and I’m just standing off to the side trying to take in the moment. Like “damn, I’m really out here in the building for this shit.”

Then Cruz says “our intern rapped for you at a book signing once and you gave him some great advice.”

“What advice did I give you?” says Khaled.

“I asked you what the one key was, and you said “thank god.”

Yeah that was definitely DJ Khaled.

I thank Cruz after the interview for the moment. He smiles at me.It feels really cool to just be a part of this movement.

Last Friday Night (No reference to the excellent Katy Perry single)

John and I go to John Mayer with his friend Caren and we just enjoy ourselves. I tried to stay off my phone and just live.

I just got distracted and stopped writing for a while because I was listening to old Chris Brown songs and I got really emotional.

But it was really nice having a night of not thinking about anything and just getting lost in the moment and enjoying the beauty of music and friends (that sounds like a bad hallmark card).

Saturday

My friend Reid is in town and we decide to do some exploring. Repski drives us down the beautiful PCH (pacific coast highway and also the name of Zoey’s school from Zoey 101). We are chasing after some sunset pics and since Reid is a sick photographer we decide we should climb up to the top of a mountain for these pics.

We get to the mountain and the only problem is that there is no path to get to the top. The other only problem is that I’m wearing dress shoes (I was not prepared and came straight from somewhere else). But we’ve come all this way, so we have to reach the top right?

20 minutes and a lot of grass in my shoes later, the answer was yes. What a beautiful view. I was sort of scared to climb up but like Clay in 13 Reasons Why, once I got to the top of the mountain, things became a little bit clearer. I’m just grateful to be here.

On the way back Repski handed me the auxilery chord and I can’t lie, I lit that bitch on fire. I played tunes from Avril Lavigne “Happy Ending” to J-Kwon “Tipsy” and the emotions were running high. What a time to be alive.

Lessons:

1. It Only Takes One

In life, you’re going to receive a lot of no’s. Probably way more no’s than yes’s. But the thing is, all it really takes is one yes to change your life. All of the things that didn’t work out, even the things that you thought at one point were meant to be and they didn’t pan out, all of those things didn’t work out for a reason. You may not understand things right away or the reason why things didn’t work out, but you will one day. And it will all be clear that the one yes was way more important than all of your rejection. 

I applied to so many jobs and emailed so many people with no response. I let so many opportunities pass because they didn’t feel right to me. I got an email from a job in San Fran minutes after I got the email from the Toronto job saying “we’ve decided to go for someone more qualified.”

In the end, all it really takes is one.

2. Celebrate The Attempt

Yes, you will receive a lot of no’s and you will be rejected in your life. You may even face rejection multiple times in a single day. What is more important than the win is the attempt, and we need to start celebrating each other’s attempt more. If your boy asks for a girls number or applies for a job or starts a new podcast or tries something new, CELEBRATE IT!!! Even if she says no, or he doesn’t get the job, or nobody listens. You have to celebrate the attempt because the risk that they took is what matters most. Getting over that fear of failure and attempting something you’re scared of is a win in itself. Especially if you learn from it.

I’ve had a lot of failures. I’ve tried a lot of new things that didn’t go well. I’ve had songs that I’ve put out that people didn’t like, and looking back at, that I don’t even like. I’ve had girls tell me they have boyfriends or that they aren’t interested. I’ve been turned down from numerous jobs because I wasn’t the right fit. It’s all about trying and taking away something from every single time. Learn from your losses and celebrate your failures, because every time I look back on things I realize that in order to be where I am today I needed to take all of those risks that didn’t pan out.

3. On the Other Side of Fear is Greatness

Fear is the one thing that holds most people back from their own potential. They’re scared of what other people will think or of failing. They put the worst case scenario in their mind and they always back out last minute. The truth is though, there is no worst case scenario. The worst case scenario is you tried and it didn’t work out. So what? You tried. And that is what is important. Who cares if people stared at you and they laughed? They’re most likely just jealous that you have the courage to put yourself out there and they don’t. 

Failure is never fatal and success is never final. It hurts for about 15 seconds for things not to work out. But the best case scenario is that you succeeded. You got past your fears. All of the best things that have ever happened to me in life began from a feeling of nervousness in the pit of my stomach. Talking to my dream girls, rapping for the greats, applying for jobs, posting something different, introducing myself to my idols, moving cities. Every single time I am scared to death about something, once I get over that fear, I’ve never felt more alive.

Have yourself a great day. Stay humble, stay open minded, and stay you.

#Jeremy Hecht #advice #inspiration

[jeremyhechtsblog-blog]

4 and 5

I’m currently sitting at the Burbank metro station listening to the new Kendrick on my laptop while I wait for the train downtown to meet my friend Jeremy (not myself) and I do not have a phone right now. It broke last night. So I ordered an Uber to work this morning using my computer (which is difficult but possible). And I’m not exactly sure how I’m gonna meet up with my friend with no way of communicating with each other. But we’ll see how it goes.

It’s been a couple weeks since I wrote a blog post and a lot has happened in the past couple of weeks so I’ll give you 5 highlights and 5 lessons learned.

1. Asking a Girl Out Live on Air

Three Weeks Ago:

“Do you guys want us to see if we can get Big Sean tickets for you tonight?”

Who am I to turn down free Big Sean tickets? The other intern, Crystal, and I wait around and talk while our boss checks for tickets. We really only see each other for like ten minutes each week so we usually joke around and I flirt with her here and there.

“We don’t have any Sean tickets left sorry guys.”

I walk out and look back to Crystal “I’ll see you at the concert tonight? We’re sneaking in right?”

I DM her the next day “You left me to sneak into the concert alone last night…”

We talk for a while and I get her number.

Friday:

“Hey Jeremy can you go out and get some beer for us”

I should have initially been suspicious because it’s 8:00 am and who would be drinking beer at 8:00 am at the radio station? I know Russell Simmons is in later but he doesn’t drink. The liquor store is closed. So I walk back.

As I walk into the studio I hear Cruz say live on air:

“So, one of our interns DMd another one of our interns…”

I get kind of red and start laughing as they read out loud my DM conversation with Crystal. Not that it was embarrassing but I wasn’t prepared to have EVERYONE hear it.

“What do you feel about this Jeremy?”

“Well, I thought it was a private message, not one for all of Los Angeles to hear but that’s fine!” I’m laughing.

Then, the other intern Crystal was on the line and they ask her

“Do you think Jeremy is cute? Would you go out with him?”

“He’s cute! I would say yes if he asked me out.”

Well, I guess this is my time.. 

“What are you doing tomorrow night?”

“Nothing!”

“Alright, let’s do something then.”

2. Having My Questions Used in Some Big Interviews 

(Desiigner, Vince Staples, Young M.A. and Bryce from 13 Reasons)

I get a text from my boss at power on Sunday night:

“We have Desiigner and Vince Staples coming in on Tuesday. Can you help with notes?”

“Absolutely. I’ll have them for you by Monday at 8:00 pm”

I have no clue how I will have time to make questions for these interviews because I have two classes on Monday and an assignment to finish. But, like Cruz said the first time I ever met him, “say yes to everything.”

I get in the notes on time and the interviews turned out as two of the best interviews I’ve worked on so far.

“The notes were * fire emoji * Thanks bro! We have Young M.A. and Justin Prentice from 13 Reasons Why in Thursday.”

“Thank you! I’ll have notes for those ones too.”

Again, I also do not really have much time to write these questions but I am not going to miss my opportunities to contribute to pushing things forward. “Say yes to everything.”

I get both sets of notes in.

My boss calls me and we talk about 13 reasons.

“I just watched the first 5 episodes. It’s really good.”

(For those of you who haven’t watched the show, you should. It’s amazing. And starts a lot of really good conversations about depression, bullying and everything in between.)

I walk into the studio and chill with Justin for a bit, who I still want to call Bryce. He is a really humble dude and I ask him about his experience with the show. We joke around about how he likes Country music. And then he throws a fake punch at me.

“Woah, I’ve seen you punch in the show and I don’t need all that!”

The interview went well. Then Young M.A. comes into the studio – who sings “Oouuu” if you don’t know. Here insta name is “hennynhoes” because she loves Hennessy liquor (and hoes) that much. We brought in a bottle of Henny for her to set the tone. She is in a very bad mood to start off and everyone is kind of feeling like it could be a not great interview.

Then when she comes in we start blasting music and we were all dancing and having a good time and she can’t help but smile. We all take a shot of Henny together and I can’t lie and say that I don’t feel it because it’s 11am and I haven’t eaten anything yet. In fact, I still may be a little drunk right now from that shot.

3. Dropping a New Song

Last Sunday:

After months of working on new music and writing and perfecting, today is the day. I drop my first new song of the year and the one that I am most proud of. The thing about music is that it will always have a special place in my heart. I love writing, interviews, PR, and everything else that I do, but music is just special to me. So when I release something like a new song or an album it’s really an emotional experience.

FULL SONG AVAILABLE HERE:

Soundcloud: http://bit.ly/2oTYnbR Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2ofHtS6 Apple Music: http://apple.co/2onIk55 iTunes: http://apple.co/2nYDY1m

Thank you to everyone who has been listening and sending me snaps and videos singing the song. It’s incredibly humbling and more music on the way soon. I promise!

Shoutout to Josh Kerr for the fire artwork. Even Cruz said he loved the song and the artwork!

4. Catching Up with Winnipeg

I made it to Union station with no phone. Somehow. Blessed. I meet up with J-Mo and we go down to Santa Monica in an Uber and talk about life. We spend two hours in the T-Mobile store (which I apologize about) and I have myself a new phone. Repski meets up with us and we crush a lunch. I haven’t eaten since 6:00 am at the station so my mediocre meatloaf was actually quite satisfying. We walk around the pier for a bit and go on the Ferris Wheel. It was a perfect afternoon in Cali.

My friend Alana is in town and we have known each other since grade 9 but have never really hung out so I’ve been looking forward to it. She picks me up in an Uber and we go to Hollywood. I want to show her my favorite bar but it’s kind of late so the line up is pretty large. We walk down Hollywood and we go to, no joke, 6 different bars, all with different vibes. It ended up being a perfect night in the city filled with lots of memories. What a place. Below is a picture of the faces that we would make if we ever had our own Hollywood stars but I think it pretty much just sums up the night.

Lessons:

1) Your Hard Work Will Pay Off

If you keep at something, it will pay off. If you continue to learn and push yourself it will all work out for you. Even when you don’t think you’ll have the time for something, if it’s important enough to you then you will make the time. I wasn’t sure how I would finish those interview notes both times, but I MADE time for them. And after all of the extra work that I put in for the studio it is really paying off. They trust me with my research and interview questions and everyone kept complimenting me on how well the last few interviews went. Even Cruz told me:

“Hey Jeremy, those interview questions were fire. Really, really good job my man.”

2) Always Dictate the Energy

Energy is never lost it’s only transferred. So it can be changed from person to person. If the energy in a room is low, you are able to pick it up and turn things around. But it’s on YOU to do so. When Young M.A. was in a bad mood everyone could have let that happen but instead everyone collectively decided to dictate the positive energy and it switched things around 180. I always make it a goal of mine to dictate the energy in a room, and that’s something I’ve learned from Cruz too. He always smiles and shakes everyone’s hands and makes sure that everyone is good.

3) There are No Losses

Like I always say and I’ll keep on saying. Only learns. No losses. You can always make the best out of any situation and take something away from it. Even though it was a little bit embarrassing to have my DMs read on live radio, it was funny and I decided to make the best of it. I ran with it and made fun of myself and it ended up turning out really well I would say.

4) Work Quietly, Shine Brightly

Don’t talk about the work you put in, just show them the work you put out. It’s okay to work hard and make sacrifices, but nobody really wants to hear about that all the time, especially if you’re not showing them any results. Be quiet and let the work do the talking for itself. I was working on new songs for months now out here but I’m not the type of guy to just brag about my work, I would much rather you listen for yourself and realize, “wow this is actually really good.”

It’s all about the product, and without results your talk makes you seem much less reliable and much weaker. Speak it into existence, but don’t give fake talk.

5) Take a Step Back to Watch

Sometimes there are moments that you just need to sit back and enjoy. Look how far you’ve come. Did you ever think this was possible? Maybe you did, and you got it done. Maybe you didn’t, and it’s almost unbelievable. My life is a mixture of both. I always told myself I would be here, but at the same time, it’s hard to believe, and at one point in time it was only just a dream (No reference to Nelly – but I’m also not mad that it could have been a reference to Nelly) Nelly is the goat. But sitting on the Ferris Wheel with good friends and looking out into the ocean while sarcastically screaming “Santa Monica bro!!!!” and putting up the rock on signs was a moment I’m glad I stopped to appreciate. Rolling in an Uber with Alana going to Hollywood to enjoy a great night was also a moment I’m really glad that happened but more so that I stopped to appreciate. Life is wonderful, so find some time to live it instead of letting it pass you by.

#Jeremy Hecht #blog #advice #young ma #13 reasons why #hollywood

[jeremyhechtsblog-blog]

Preparation Meets Opportunity

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

Thursday Morning

It’s 4:31 am. I wake up ten minutes before my alarm goes off. I don’t know if it’s that I’m excited for the day, or that my body knows if I get 10 extra minutes, I will not be able to get up.

I get to the station at 5:41 am and am the second person there as usual. DJ Fluffy who is always there in the mornings working the early early shift says “Jeremy! You’re back. Cruz kept asking where you were!”

“Unfortunately for you guys, it’ll be a little bit louder today. I’m back!”

Edgar is taking over for the usual producer, Jeff, today because he is on vacation time. Edgar is a dope guy. I’m the only intern in today. Janessa, the social media person for Power arrives next. I don’t know how it comes up but I mention to her that I rap.

“Oh really? can you freestyle?” She sounds a little bit surprised.

“I can do a bit of freestyling.”

Cruz gets in next with Krystal Bee and DJ Lechero (one of the new morning hosts – funny dude). I brought them all some Coffee Crisp chocolates (which if you didn’t know are only available in Canada) and I give Cruz a baby shirt from Roots (also only Canadian) for his new born Cam. It feels good to be back. I feel like I have missed out over the last two weeks.

There are a lot of ticket giveaways today. I usually answer the phone for the callers who win. Caller 106 is usually the winner so I literally go through 106 callers before saying,

“Good morning. Power 106, how’s it going?”

The last ticket giveaway of the day is for some Clippers vs. Utah Jazz tickets. Edgar asks DJ Lechero if he wanted to freestyle about the giveaway. He looked at the paper and tried rapping a couple of lines and said “I don’t know if I can.”

“I’ll do it.” I said confidently. Even though I was slightly nervous about the opportunity.

“Yeah? Okay cool! You have a couple of minutes before you go on so I’ll play you the beat first”

The beat is a very different Native American drum pattern over some melodic 808 drums to celebrate the “heritage day” Clipper game.

I write down a couple of notes, and the phone number is on the front of the sheet so I rewrite that on the back.

“You ready?”

“I’m ready.” I guess as ready as I’ll ever be.

The show comes back on air and Cruz says “we have our intern Jeremy here and we found out he can rap. Let’s get it.”

The beat drops.

“Okay, so if you’re out here trynna celebrate heritage day. I can tell you want these tickets when I stare in your face!”

Then I give the phone number. It’s the wrong number. But it was the right number on the sheet for the winner, just not for all of the callers.

“That was fire, but the number was wrong. But still fire.”

“Okay, give me the real number and I got you with a freestyle.

New number is 1059, you know I can run it all the time. Off the top I get dimes, I drop dimes I can an alley-oop, up top. You know on the mic all I really need is one shot.”

“Jeremy!!! There he is!!!” Cruz says as the whole room claps.

“I’m not mad at that!” Krystal Bee says while laughing.

You can watch the full video of the Freestyle here if you haven’t already and let me know how I did. 

Wow. I can’t believe that just happened. I just freestyled live on air on LA radio in front of hundreds of thousands of listeners on the #1 Hip-Hop radio station on the west coast. And I didn’t blow it. Well of course I messed the number up, but I like to think it’s not about how you mess up it’s about how you react to it. A minor Learn and a major dub. Fall down seven times, stand up eight.

Is this a dream?

“Thanks for the opportunity guys”

“No problem man. You killed it!!!”

I keep smiling for the rest of the afternoon. But I also feel like it could have been better. I know that if I get another chance, I will murder it. No opportunities left untaken. 

I saw that Harry Mack (who is a freestyle king – if you haven’t seen his Venice Beach freestyle then you should check it out here) was in the Power studio a couple of weeks ago and I have a feeling he might be back soon. I told myself that if he is in when I am, then I’m going to ask to freestyle with him, and I will be ready.

No joke, Lose Yourself by Eminem starts playing on the radio while I’m editing the audio from the day to post on The Cruz Show’s Soundcloud page.

“If you had, one shot. One opportunity, to seize everything you’ve ever wanted. Would you capture it? Or just let it slip?”

I choose the former.

Then I take a nap and listen to Frank Ocean.

I have a career fair at night so I put on my suit and go “network.” If I want to stay in LA for the summer, I need a job.

Then after the fair I go eat chicken and waffles on a stick with Sriracha maple syrup with John and we explore Downtown LA. We find a cool book store and I start falling asleep. I leave my phone in the Uber. The Uber realizes and pulls back around. I fall asleep instantly at 11:30 pm.

Friday

It’s 4:55 am. My alarm clock seems even louder today than it usually does. But I’m ready for another big day. I’m the second person in the building once again and I get everyone’s headphones ready for the morning show. Kendrick just dropped a new record so I listen to that while I do prepare for the day.

They start talking about the record on the show. Cruz looks over at me and says

“What are your thoughts on the record Jeremy? Who do you think he’s taking shots at?”

“I really like it. Drake. I think he has to be taking shots at Drake because he uses that one line from Pound Cake. And Big Sean because he uses a lot of “lil b’s” when Big Sean always uses those at his adlib. So probably both of those guys.”

DJ Lechero says “you could probably start your own hip-hop show. Jeremy the Journalist.”

Harry Mack is in studio today. What are the chances? I read that off the paper and immediately get really excited. Just last night I prayed for another opportunity to get on the microphone. And today it will happen. I have a feeling about it. With the person who I thought it would happen with. My brother showed me Harry’s videos about a week before this and now I will be rapping with him. I’m gonna make it happen.

Me and Harry chill for the mornign and he is a super cool guy.

Edgar comes up to us and says “Hey Jeremy, so I know you freestyle too, for Freestyle Friday we should shoot a little freestyle video in the studio room for the website.”

My time has come. I prepare a couple of bars to start off with and I’m ready to go.

We go to the other room and the “Mask Off” beat by Future starts playing. I start it off.

“I’m right here rapping with Harry Mack, all these other rappers online are sounding very wack, I remember writing all of my lines down on notebooks but I might just have to go and bring my blackberry back” At this point, I am bouncing out of my seat.

“I thought I had heard all of the lines that rhymed with my name to use, but I have never heard that one before. That blackberry line was hard.”

I am so excited that I killed it. Round two they filmed for the website.

Harry starts it off.

“If this where hip-hop lives, Cruz y’all should let me move in. I’mma pass it to my man from Canada yo he’s never losing.”

“I don’t lose, all I do is win. Foot in the building can’t believe let me in.” 

I spit about 12 bars and the crowd seemed to like them. I am just happy that I stood my own with the legendary Harry Mack, even though he killed it on the mic as always.

Saturday

I hit the studio inspired and record two more tracks. New music a lot sooner than you think. I decide to stay in at night and just work on some more songs. Then I tried some fruit for the first time in 12 years, only because it looked really good deep fried and it was dipped in garlic butter. Shout out to Britt for changing my life. But we don’t have to talk about me eating fruit ever again (I don’t like any fruit).

What a week.

Lessons:

Prepare for Opportunity

I saw J. Cruz tweet this out and it made me think of my situation. I am in a place where I have so many people who are well connected and know people in the music industry that the opportunity is bound to arise to show my own skills. I have prepared for moments like this my whole life. I freestyle all the time and rap about random words and it was all for this one moment. You have to prepare and practice even when there is nothing in particular to practice for. There are only a few moments that could change your life when you’ll need to take advantage of them, and those are the moments that you need to be ready for. Luck is only preparation meeting opportunity in perfect harmony.

Opportunities aren’t Handed They’re Taken

Sure, I have been blessed with so much in my life in terms of opportunity, but not one of them was handed to me. I took all of them. I went out and said I wanted to meet Cruz and intern for the radio station, I waited around for a half hour after that game, I created interview questions that got my foot through the door, and I said “I’ll do it” to the freestyle. I said “give me the other number and I’ll give you a freestyle about that” after I messed up the first one. You have to be able to see the signs that God and the universe are giving you and you have to take advantage of them, because if you just sit back then someone else will take them for you. I have been blessed with all of the right signs and people in my life, and because of that I will never take a day or a moment like this for granted. If you had, one shot, one moment. To seize everything you ever wanted, would you capture it? Or just let it slip?

I chose the former. More to come.

#opportunity #blog #advice #Los Angeles #Winnipeg #Jeremy Hecht #J Cruz #Power 106 #Harry Mack #Hip-Hop #Freestyle

[jeremyhechtsblog-blog]

Home Again

I’m sitting back at home in Los Angeles as I type. It’s still weird to call this place home. As much as it feels like I’ve been here for a long time, it also feels like I somehow snuck in. Like no one noticed me and I beat the system. (I am legally allowed to be here though so don’t worry).

Last Thursday

I hop off the plane in Winnipeg and give my mom a big hug. It’s great to see my family again, and it really feels like nothing has changed. My brother is laughing, my sister is smiling, my dad gives me a hug and smiles. I step into my house and I’m a little overwhelmed because my mom literally baked me every single kind of food you can imagine. Cookies, cakes, brownies, squares and everything in between. I’m not complaining though because I’ve been living off of chicken fingers and pasta for the last few months.

Griffin comes over and we talk about life.

“It’s all about what you want to do right now. What makes you happy in the moment is what you have to do. And you have to follow your own wants. Forget about what everybody else thinks of it or what they would do. It’s your life.”

Normally people say “I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed.” It feels weird because my bed in LA now feels like “my own bed.” But anyways, it feels good to be back home.

Last Friday

I go back to Café 22, where I used to work, with all of my friends for a drink. I talk to some of my old co-workers and joke with my friends about old memories about everything from girls to basketball.

Then I go for drinks with a girl and we have a good night. The thing about being in town for a week is that all of your connections seem kind of rushed. It’s like I’m living a whole summer in one week. Trying to fit in as many momentary connections as possible into a short amount of time, even though I know none of it will last and I’ll hop on a plane in a week and it will all disappear.

Maybe it’s because it’s so fake out here that every time I go back home I’m just trying my best to search for something real. Just so I know it exists. People out here will sell you the dream. They’re all too busy focused on them that nobody really listens. It’s all talk, no action. And with girls it’s the same thing. Everybody with a couple followers is an “instagram model” so it’s hard to find anything that will last more than the moment.

But maybe the moment is all we have.

Last Saturday

I go to Justin’s house and we have some drinks. We end up having a really fun night and jumping around/ blasting music while playing a drinking game with a few guys. His grandpa wasn’t happy with the noise level.

“Can you guys please stop?” * polish accent *

We go to the bar. I look around and start to realize maybe things are just as fake around here. Everybody is lost but still tries to pretend that they have it all together.

Josh picks me up and we have a great talk on the way home as we discuss our plans for the week. It’s 4:15 am with the time change and I tell him he’s the realest for picking me up that late.

“It’s a pleasure as always bro.”

Tuesday

I go for wings with my good friends Jared and Jonny and my new friend Julian. We all talk about music and joke around. I barely finish my wings, which I am a little bit embarrassed about.

“Maybe next time finish your shit or don’t order so much.”

I love getting roasted by the waitress. The one person you think you can count on because they are working for a tip. Nope, I was wrong.

We go to the bar for a drink.

* My boys support me at the bar because I wanted to meet up with a girl at the bar. It was an overall bad decision. I didn’t want to be there, and the bar is the last place you should ever be “hanging out” with a girl…

Wednesday

I get a text from my boy Repski back in LA.

“Broooooo I had a crazy night last night.”

“What happened??”

“We went to some house party in the hills and we chilled with Kendall and Kylie Jenner”

Now I’m not the type to get jealous, but Kendall??????? She is like one of my 6 true loves in the world. AND I EVEN MADE A SONG ABOUT HER AND I WAS OUT FOR A SHITTY BAR NIGHT INSTEAD OF CHILLING WITH MY DREAM GIRL IN THE HILLS.

But it’s not like I care or anything, I’m over it....

Okay, so I’m still a little bit salty.

Thursday

I say goodbye to my friends. I talk with my sister, watch Family guy with my brother, I play 2k with Josh, basketball with Griff, go out with Justin, have a classic Timothy’s drink with Jared, wings with Jonny and Julian, I hug my mom and dad trying not to tear up, I catch up with my friend Maggie over a drink, play xbox with Mike, Talk music with Austin, and experience Winnipeg. But it wasn’ t sad to say bye this time. It feels like I know they are all gonna be okay without me.

Lessons:

1) What Matters Most is Your Moments

Me and Griff had this talk on the first night I was in town, but it’s easy to get caught up in either what other people think of your decisions or only do things that you think will matter in the long run. But if you ONLY do that then you lose out on the moment. So maybe a connection with a girl, or a night out with my friends, or a night in by myself won’t last more than a day or a week or whatever it is, but it’s all about what you want to do right now. Think about how you feel right now and what you want right now, and do that. Tomorrow may never get here. Plus it’s just a day away.

2) Don’t Chase People

I don’t chase anybody anymore. The people who are in my life are there for a reason; because they made the effort to be there and want to be. Because they bring something to my life. I really don’t have time to waste chasing a friendship, relationship or anything in between. Relationships of any kind are all about the mutual nature of things. I bring something to you, you bring something to me, we both make an effort and we both benefit. Anything less is just not worth your time, and it’s certainly not worth chasing after. Especially when you only have a week.

3) Don’t Wear Yourself Thin

I used to be the guy who would try to do everything. And when I say everything, I mean everything. I would try to plan my days with no time to relax, with 4-5 people to see and 4 or 5 places to go. But then I feel like that leaves no time for yourself. My mom told me to slow down and just make some time for myself. I was always in a rush, but I think sometimes you have to realize that you may not be able to do everything - and that sometimes the only thing is you.

Thank you as always for reading. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

-       Jeremy

#advice #blog #los angeles #jeremyhecht #winnipeg #bigdreams

[jeremyhechtsblog-blog]

Snapshot

It’s Sunday morning. I just woke up and felt inspired to write. I know what you’re thinking, “Jeremy, you write a blog every week, aren’t you always inspired to write?” Okay, so you probably weren’t even thinking that. But to answer my own question, no. Lately I have just been going through the motions, but today I feel inspired.

Friday Evening

Back home there is a big event going on tonight. It’s called “Fuck Cancer” and it’s run in order to raise awareness and make money for Cancer research. Everyone in Winnipeg basically goes or is involved in the event somehow and I’m feeling a bit disappointed because I can’t go. I text all of my friends. “I have an idea for something cool, are you in?”

They all say, “I’m in.”

That’s not how the convo went at all but it’s sounds doper to say it like that. I decide I’m going to make a snapchat story covering the Fuck Cancer event live from Los Angeles (which you can watch on my Facebook page). All of my friends and family get involved and we send videos back and forth covering our nights. It feels like a community is being built. It feels like I’m back home with them.

Friday Night

My cousin Marshall invited me to two hockey games this weekend! Both are against Canadian teams. The first game is tonight in Anaheim against the Leafs. My friend Ian picks me up and we drive down to the game. At first, I feel distracted. Like my heart and my mind are back home partying with my friends. Like I’m not present. Ian and I discuss hip-hop and listen to Kendrick’s discography. It’s a great conversation, but I feel like my mind is elsewhere.

I see a lot of my family at the game and it’s a really nice time. My little cousin Jacob is an absolute boss and he is cheering for the Ducks so I cheer for the Ducks also. My cousin Kayla asks me if I’ll write a blog about this night.

“Yeah, I’ll probably put this in the blog” * laughs *

Ian and I drive home. We watch the snap story I made and are laughing at how mental this whole idea is. In one snap my friends cheers a beer and tell me they miss me and I almost tear up (mostly with happiness). I decide to sign off for the night and let me friends enjoy their night back home. Ian and I turn on Future and continue our conversation from before. Then we talk about how Frank Ocean’s Blonde is one of the greatest albums of all time. I think albums define moments in your life. As much as sometimes I feel jaded to the music business and the politics of it all because I’m around it so much, I still feel the power that the actual music can have on you and how it reflects single moments in your life like no other art form can. Our convo takes me back to the first time I listened to that album: Wide-eyed in LA walking down the backstreet of my apartment, looking up at the sun setting in the blue and yellow sky as “Nikes” plays in my headphones. I close my eyes and remember being thankful just to be here. I remember writing my first blog post while listening to that album, expecting no one to really read it. I remember being nervous, homesick, and lonely. And I remember being unsure of where I’m headed and what life has in store for me.

I snap back to the current moment. I remember why I’m here. I’m here to chase my dreams and go after a life of doing what I love. I am here to grow and learn and become the person I have always wanted to be. I am here to make my family and my city proud, not to wish I was back home. Winnipeg will always be there, but LA may not last forever. 

I start enjoying my night to the fullest.

My friend Repsky comes over and we sit in the living room with John and have a good talk about life over a beer. We all are sort of complaining about one thing or another. So I say

“Let’s all say three things we’re thankful for.”

I laugh and I sort of feel like an elementary school teacher, but I think I just needed to remind myself what I have right in front of me.

“I’m thankful for a group of people around me who support me and want to push me forward towards success. For my family and friends who always love me, and for the opportunity to chase after my goals and what I want to do in life.”

Saturday Evening

John and I go to the Staples Center for the second game of the all-hockey weekend. My cousin Marshall and his son Jacob meet us there. This is John’s first hockey game so he is loving the lights and the fast-paced action of puck. Jacob is cheering for the Canucks tonight (while wearing a Kings jersey and a Ducks shirt) so I cheer for the Canucks also. Marshall tells me that I’m in the right place and to enjoy LA as much as I can.

After the game, we head to this arcade called “Dave and Buster’s” for my friend Bri’s birthday. There is a dude on one of the shooting games * actually he is on TWO of the shooting games at once. The guy is sweating buckets and has his own gun pouch. He blows off the gun after every kill in the game. It’s amazing. The GOAT. He whispered to one of our friends when he stepped up to play one of the shooting games next to him, “you’re gonna lose.” It’s incredible. John and I both win a jackpot in a game simultaneously. I have never won a jackpot in my life. I get an Iron Man stuffed doll. It’s dope. I look out over the balcony in Hollywood and realize that I am extremely blessed.

I get a text from Marshall, “keep making music.”

Lessons:

Don’t Let Somewhere Else Take You Away From Your Now

There will always be something in the past that you may feel was a better place or time. There may be someone or something you miss and the feeling isn’t the same so you try to recapture it. There may be somewhere that is more comfortable or somewhere you know better. But you can’t let that take away from your current moment. Because your current moment is a blessing in itself and you’ll never be able to get it back. Just because things are easier somewhere else, does not mean they’re better for you. A lot of the time if something is too easy, then it may be holding you back from reaching your full potential. It’s easy for me to miss home because I’ve established so many connections there and I had so many memories and friends growing up there. Songs I listened to, things I would say. But it took a song for me to remember why I am here and how lucky I am to be living in this city at this point in my life. Don’t let anything take you away from your moment.

Dare to Be Bold

I used to be scared to try new things. Scared of what people might think or that they might not have reacted how I wanted them to. But now, I just do. I think and ask later. I created something that I think is so cool with the snap story I made and it feels great. It was the best reaction I’ve ever gotten from people on a story and if I had been scared, then I would never have known that feeling. Today I realize that you have to just go for shit and try out new things. It’s never going to be perfect, not everyone is ever going to like it. But I would way rather be bold and fail than be safe and never try. Because never trying means never knowing. And never knowing lasts forever. Push yourself and the boundaries that you have created for yourself and you will see incredible results.

Speaking of making music... It’s almost that time. I can feel it in the air

I love you and thank you so much for reading and coming along on this journey with me. More life!!!

#advice #blog #writing #jeremyhecht #Snapchat #Frank Ocean

[jeremyhechtsblog-blog]

Land of the Washed

I feel like it’s been a while since we’ve talked even though it’s only been a week and a half. This blog has become very therapeutic. Even when I feel like it’s work to start writing, as soon as my fingers hit to keyboard I feel a lot better about everything. So, welcome back to land of the young and washed up.

This week I learned that I am really washed up. How? I couldn’t wait to go home and sleep multiple nights in a row. 

I sat down on a chair once this week and just sat there for an hour. Doing nothing. Just sitting there. And I couldn’t have been happier.

One night, I was legitimately excited for bed, only because I was going to trim my beard the next day. That was a “lit” activity for me. 

So yeah, I am washed up and proud!

Wednesday Night

My friend Jonny is coming into town later tonight. I am getting kind of anxious because I know his flight is delayed and I also have to wake up at 4 am the next morning for work. Luckily he doesn’t get in too late and we get to bed early. Jonny and I have been friends since we high school and we met Kanye West together in the Toronto airport. We used to go out almost every week and make some regrettable decisions on the Whiskey Dix (a bar in Winnipeg for those of you elsewhere – yes, that is it’s actual name, and yes it’s as gross as it sounds) dance floor the summer we turned 18 so I’m expecting a fun weekend.

Thursday 

I have a four hour nap and I am completely irrelevant.

Friday Night

We get cheap seats to the Clippers vs. Spurs game and hop in an Uber on the way to the game. It was actually a Lyft, but Uber just sounds cooler. We are walking up to the Staples Center when Jonny stops.

“I forgot the tickets in the car.”

After a lot of GPS navigation games with our driver, we finally get the tickets and get inside. It’s Chuck’s birthday. Chuck is not a human being – well, I’m sure there are human being’s named Chuck – but Chuck is the Los Angeles Clippers mascot. He is a bird. Why the mascot for the CLIPPERS is a bird I do not know, all I know is they gave out free cake.

“where did you get the cake from?” a little girl taps me on the shoulder and asks.

They are all out of cake and I know this because I got one of the last pieces.

“Here you can have mine.” As I hand her the cake.

She made mistake #1 – taking candy from a stranger. But it looked like good cake, so I would have done the same.

We order a couple of waters and go back to our seats. We had planned on going out for some chicken and waffles on a stick with sriracha maple syrup (I know, a food review is definitely coming) and going out to a couple of bars but we were both feeling really tired.

“I’m ready to crash.”

“Me too.”

We both went to bed before 1 am. Nothing like our 18 year old selves.

Saturday Evening

We just hit the mall quickly. I managed to walk out with a new white t shirt and a jacket (hey, at least there was another item involed). We got a shitty salad and panini from the mall restaurant. The waiter walks by us:

“everything tasting alright?”

“Yeah it was all good!”

Our Uber driver hands me the aux chord and I set it on fire with Chris Brown – Forever. He isn’t from here and he wants to know what rap music sounds like today. I first play “Hotline Bling” sort of as a joke but sort of seriously.

“This is hip-hop?”

“No this is a hip-hop artist with a pop song”

Then I play J. Cole

“who is this?”

 “J. Cole”

“J. Kwon?”

“Nope, J. Cole.. but now that you mention it…”

I play J. Kwon “Tipsy” the rest of the way home. Great start.

Saturday Night

Tonight, after three washed nights, we are having a big night. How do I know this? Because we bought a bottle of Hennessy. 

My boy Terrance comes over for a pregame drink and we toast to life. We are going out for my friends birthday at this exclusive VIP bar or something like that. We get to the pre-game and after what seemed like an endless amount of tough bounces, we make it out to the bar. The music is phenomenal. It’s almost hard to keep a conversation because I’m really tempted to ignorantly scream rap lyrics at the top of my lungs. We leave because Jonny has been talking about wanting to go to an LA strip club for a long time. We get in line and the bouncer says 

“sorry, we’re closed.”

It was probably best for us because I didn’t have any money to spend either, and I don’t like strip clubs very much (at least not in Winnipeg).

“I really could use an In N Out burger”

We had eaten a really small and bad dinner earlier so it was a necessary play.

“I’ll call an Uber there.”

“Bro, look up! There is an In N Out right in front of us!!!!” Jonny taps me on the shoulder and says

As I look up, Jonny is not wrong. The yellow letters almost glow in the dark -  like what I imagine the stairway to heaven would look like. We walk inside and we see Terrance!!!!! What are the chances? He drives us home and we munch a good burger and some fries to cap off what turned out to be a pretty good night.

Lessons:

It’s Okay to Grow Up:

Things are not always going to be the same as they were years ago. In fact, they shouldn’t be. That just means you haven’t grown. Your friendships may not consist of the same things or even the same people that they once did, but that doesn’t reflect poorly on you. It’s all about progression and if doing certain things or hanging out with certain people don’t push you forward then you need to cut it out.

Jonny and I didn’t get drunk every night and hit the clubs all weekend like we once would have, but we still had a great time. We talked about life and laughed and I realize this is starting to sound like a Nicholas Sparks movie… but what I’m trying to say is, don’t feel bad about progressing. Or about being washed up. Own yours and live your truth as always, whatever that truth may be.

Bounce Back, Always

There were a couple of tough bounces this weekend, and there was a lot going on. I had a lot of studying to do, we lost some tickets, a couple tough bounces with girls for both of us, but overall what it comes down to is how you bounce back from your L’s. I take it back when I said that you win some, you learn some, and there are no L’s. There are Losses. But only if you don’t learn from them. You can dwell on what goes wrong and you can sit around and complain about how you wish things were different, but the truth is, they aren’t different. Things are how they are and you have to deal with them or get left behind.

In the end it’s all about how you bounce back that defines you. Word to Big Sean. Dwayne Wade has this Converse commercial from back in the day where he gets hit down a bunch of times, but he rises up every single one. And at the end it said,

“Fall down 7 times, stand up 8.”;

#Dwayne Wade #Advice #Blog #Jeremyhecht #Winnipeg #LA

[jeremyhechtsblog-blog]

Most Valuable

I auditioned for America’s Got Talent, chilled with the “Cash Me Ousside” girl’s mom, got clowned by Schoolboy Q, and talked on the phone with Ice Cube.

 Okay, so I didn’t really have a full conversation with Ice Cube. But I did answer the phone and say like five words to him.

“Jeremy, will you wait on the line for Ice Cube to call? He’s doing an interview with us in a few minutes.”

“No problem!” * me kind of nervous *

* phone rings *

“Hey what’s up?”

“Hey is this Cube?” (yeah, I called him by his last name)

“Yeah man, what’s going on?”

“I’m gonna give the phone to Jeff okay?” * hands over phone after the realization that I just spoke to Ice Cube *

This week I got to help out with interviews for Ice Cube, Rick Ross, Fat Joe and Remy Ma, and Schoolboy Q.

Last Saturday

It’s been eight hours and they are finally letting us into the final room for auditions. John has been waiting with me for the whole time because he is the illest roommate in the game today. We watch as little kids with more dance moves than I’ll ever have, step into the middle of the crowd to entertain the, at this point, antsy crowd. Some people here have put their life into these auditions and may leave thinking their whole life is over.

I signed up for this Americas Got Talent audition a long time ago and honestly forgot about it until a couple days before this. But I figured, I have nothing to lose (except for 8 hours) and I’d rather know than never know, ya know?

I step into the final audition room with ten other contestants. For those of you who don’t know how it works, this is the screening process. The auditions you see on TV have already been “accepted” into that round, so the really bad ones were put on-air to entertain, on purpose.. It’s not as “real” as you think.

“Jeremy”

I step up to the front of the line”

“I’m going to be rapping a song that I wrote 5 years ago after a kid on YouTube said he was going to kill himself. Years later someone else told me this song saved their life.”

I rapped my song “Hold On” and the judges were looking directly at me the whole time. No mistakes, word for word. I felt like it was a magical moment. My 90 seconds are up and I walk out the building with John. We go to get chicken and waffles.

“You guys ordered three meals.. There is only two of you?”

 “Yup” * we both laugh *

“You guys are heroes”

Thursday

Today the “Cash Me Ousside” (Danielle) girl is in the Power studio. If you’re thinking to yourself “who?” you probably haven’t been on the internet in the last year. She is basically this girl who went off on Dr. Phil and now the internet has made her famous and she is probably making a lot of money. Watch this first

Keep in mind she is also 13.

I help make some shirts that say “HOE” on them, and although my mom will be proud that I ironed for the first time, she will most likely not be proud that I’m wearing a shirt that says HOE on the front of it. But hey, I’m just telling it like it is… The shirts were a joke because this girl Danielle called the Dr. Phil audience “a bunch of hoes.”

Her mom, who is with her in the studio says,

“I don’t want to be in the interview today. Is there somewhere I can sit?” 

I show her to the Cruz Couch room and we end up talking for a half-hour with another one of the employees from the sale side of Power, who came to get a picture of the mom for her daughter. The mom tells me her side of their story and how Danielle has had a troubled past and is really a good kid.

It was an interesting half-hour to say the least. I’m not sure if I’m enlightened, but it was cool.

Jeff asks me to call into the station to ask if I won any tickets for Big Sean.

“Hey this is Power 106”

“Hi, did I win Big Sean Tickets?”

Danielle gets on the phone “no you little stupid a** b**** you’re a r*****. Go home, you didn’t win s***.”

“That one hurt my heart a little bit.”

After that escalation, I went to take a picture with her, but I made sure to keep a lot of distance because she is 13 and I don’t need all of those comments on the internet…

 Friday

Schoolboy Q is in the studio today. I know, does it ever stop? I see him and he is standing next to Baby Bash (who I didn’t recognize at the time but who sings “Suga Suga” one of the greatest songs of all time). I take a picture of Baby Bash and Q.

I meet one of the dudes rolling with Baby Bash, he is also an artist. We start talking about music and Canada and the industry.

“Give me your number man, send me some of your music.”

They bring in a bunch of female fighters for Schoolboy Q to interview because Cruz will be on paternity leave in a couple weeks and the station wants to have some fill-in material to play for the morning show.

I am the one who has to escort all of the female fighters to and from the rooms and to the bathroom. I’ve gotta say, I wouldn’t mess with any of them… But they are super cool people.

Q has weed rolling and the room is starting to smell pretty loud… I tell him he should have his own podcast called “The Q Podcast”

“man, my face looks too good for a podcast. I need my own show, yaknowhhhattiiiiimeaaaan?” * laughing *

“Where did that saying come from?” * I attempt to say yaknowhatimean as cool as him and ultimately fail *

 “People think it’s from the bay, but it’s from some gang banging s*** from way back in the day”

We take a picture and as I’m walking up we shake hands but Q looks at my shirt (which has a low cut collar white t shirt) and says

“Ah man, we got one of them cut your own shirt n***** You gon claim you bought it that way”

“I really only wore this shirt because I knew you would clown me… Plus I actually did buy it like this but you won’t believe me”

“But you still chose to buy it like that” * laughing *

I was gonna retaliate about him wearing orange flip flops, but the flip flops were dope. So instead I just say:

“Those flip flops are dope.”

“Thanks my g, gotta always keep em on yaknowhatiiiimeaaaaaaaaan?”

Lesson:

Make Yourself Invaluable:

This one is from my Professor’s “Keys To Success” list and it’s his number 1 on the list. It has become the number one goal I try to achieve in every single business scenario or relationship. It’s also one of the 48 Laws of Power. Make people rely on you. If people cannot get what they need anywhere else or from anyone else, then they need you. And that is what I try to do. At Power, I create the best possible interview questions and notes for each artist I’m tasked to help out with, and sometimes even for ones that I’m not. Because now, if they cannot get those notes or that level of research/ creativity anywhere else, then they have to come back to me and that makes me invaluable. If you provide a feeling to someone or a connection level of conversation that someone cannot get anywhere else or with anyone else, then they will come back to you. Always. It’s plain and simple but you should try to make that one of your main goals if you are trying to maintain something or advance in that realm/ relationship.

Take Risks when It’s at Little Cost and Large Potential Gain to You

It may seem counter-intuitive to say that a risk is something that has little cost to you, wouldn’t that make it not a risk? Wrong. Risks are just doing things that may put you out of your comfort zone, even if there is no real cost; it may just be a perceived cost to you. For example, I wanted to audition for America's Got Talent, so I did. It was a risk. I risked rejection and a lot of time spent, and the opportunity cost of doing other things or getting homework done. But I felt like the payoff could be large and the cost was little compared to not ever knowing. I need to do what I feel and trust my instinct in this life, otherwise I might have a regret, and I’m not into settling for regrets. Not even one.

I try to live my life and put my all into everything I do. Even if I don’t put my all into music, or radio, or writing, or PR, because I have a lot of dreams, when I am focused on one I put my all into that and I chase after all that I want.

Like my friend Anja told me yesterday (Happy Birthday by the way),

“Allow the space between where you want to be and where you are now to inspire you, not terrify you.”

Your journey is your destination.

Stay inspired and I love you all for reading this. Have an incredible week as always, and just remember: you’re breathing.

-       Jeremy

#Advice #Blog #Rap Blog #Inspiration #Dream Good #Jeremy hecht #schoolboy q #Power 106 #Cash Me Outside girl

[jeremyhechtsblog-blog]

I Decided

It’s been an insane last couple of weeks.

I met one of my idols Big Sean and helped work on his interview. I went live on LA’s biggest morning radio show and started trending on Twitter and I learned a great lesson as always.

First of all, I want to apologize for missing my first week of blogs. We made it to 20 weeks straight. But I promise this one will make up for the week off.

Saturday

It’s 3:40 pm and we’re sitting in the America’s Got Talent audition room. I say we because John has been waiting in line with me since 11:00 am. Find you a roommate and friend like John and hold on to him. Especially if they love Chicken and Waffles.

Two Thursday’s Ago

I’m at Power 106 editing the audio from The Cruz Show that will go up on Soundcloud later today. I overhear a producer walk into the studio room and say

“Big Sean is coming into the studio on Monday. His new album will be out so you guys can talk about that.”

Before I head home for the day I go up to Jeff (producer of the morning show) and Cruz and say

“I’ll get you notes for Big Sean by tomorrow. Also if you guys need any help with on-air stuff, I’m always willing to help.”

My professor Jeff told me that when he first got on-air it was because he was eager and told the producer that he wanted to help out. I asked him what I should do about my situation because I want to be on air also, and he told me to just tell them. So I took his advice.

All night I stay up making interview questions for Big Sean. I have been listening to him since I was in grade 11, freshly in love and heavily chasing the rap dream. He has been one of my biggest inspirations ever since.

I print out two copies, put them in my bag and try to get to bed before 12:00 am. It’s pretty wild knowing that I will get 4 hours of sleep tonight.

Two Friday’s Ago

I get into an Uber as usual at 5:15 am and my driver tells me how cool it is that I work at the radio station. I told him I’ll be on that radio soon so he should keep listening.

I hand the paper with all of my Big Sean questions to Cruz and Jeff.

“These are great Jeremy. You killed it. You gonna be here for the interview on Monday?”

“If I can come in for it?”

“Of course.”

“See you Monday. Thanks for the opportunity guys. Love”

Last Sunday

I wake up early before the Super Bowl, which is at 3:30 pm here. It still feels weird to have a Super Bowl party during the day, but everyone here thinks it would be weird to watch it at night so I guess that is just a difference in environment. I finish writing a full page of Big Sean questions after listening to his new album “I Decided” on repeat (which I really like by the way). I send it over to Cruz and Jeff and then enjoy an incredible Super Bowl at my friend Taylor’s in Glendale. I’m still not over that comeback, but I’m also still not surprised.

Email from Cruz: “Thanks Jeremy. These are great!”

Last Monday

It’s 10:30 am. As I walk in, the other interns are gluing questions onto cue cards. The questions are the ones that I wrote!!  My questions are going to be asked to Big Sean!!!!! So I feel like I’m basically second-hand interviewing Big Sean… Right?? Or no?

Our boss asks us to fill out a sheet of paper that has the title “Intern Weekend Recap” on it. I fill it out with big paragraphs and a lot of detail. Everyone else fills it out with one or two word answers. They are all laughing at me.

“Jeremy you’re such an overachiever”

“There is no such thing as an overachiever, it just means you underestimate my ability!”

I learned that from one of Jeff’s classes where he does a weekly lesson from the late, great basketball coach and man, John Wooden.

“You’ve been waiting to use that line haven’t you? * Laughs *

I smile.

Big Sean is in the building at Power 106 for a live interview and VIP party in front of a crowd of some of his biggest fans. I see Big Sean from across the room.

“Hey What’s up Sean!?”

“Whattup bro?”

We shake hands and then keep it moving.

After the interview I tell him how much he has inspired me and thank him for everything.

“Aw man thanks for the support dawg!!! I appreciate you.”

We take a picture and I am about to leave. Jeff says,

“Jeremy, can you stay for a few minutes? I’d love your opinion on something.”

“Of course.”

I am almost late for my class at this point so I kind of have to hurry. I need to buy magazines for a project we are working on, so I walk over to CVS in Burbank, which is a lot farther of a walk than I thought it would be. I post an insta and I’m listening to “So Much More” off of Big Sean’s Finally Famous album. He raps “I used to ride to school listening to Kanye, Pharrell, Wayne.” I make my caption, “I used to ride to school listening to Kanye, Mac Miller, Big Sean.” My phone dies (I know dad, but I forgot my charger at home again…) so I set up my laptop and charge it in CVS while I wait for my Uber. I get a call from Jeff,

“Hey Jeremy, can I ask you a couple of questions about your weekend recap story? Do you mind if we talk about this on-air on Thursday?”

“That would be great. I’ll prepare it for then!”

Last Thursday

My Uber driver, like every other Uber driver who picks me up in the morning switches the radio station to Power 106 once he sees where we’re going. He asks me about my job and I tell him to keep listening because I will be live on air today!

I get to work and say hi to everyone. Jeff preps me for the on-air segment with Cruz and then they hand me headphones and I sit down in front of the mic. I am a mixture of excited and nervous but with a lot more excitement.

“We’re here live with our intern Jeremy. Jeremy you’ve got a story for us right?”

“Thanks for having me all the way from Canada! Yes I do.”

“Tell us about what happened”

I relay a story that was a mixture of multiple occasions when I have spoken with girls for sometimes hours and then they will slip into the convo that they have a boyfriend… which I’m sure a lot of you fellas have experienced. It sucks. And callers call in to give their advice to me.

Krystal Bee (the other morning show host) says,

“Jeremy, you’re trending right now!”

We go back on air. Cruz starts by saying,

“Jeremy, do you think your name is trending because of you?”

“I cannot confirm nor deny, but ladies feel free to DM me your advice”

“Shouldn’t you be getting me coffee or something as our intern! * laughs *”

“I’ve made it too far for that now, I’m Hollywood! There’s no coming back down to earth.”

I end the segment with a good one liner about how another guy took a bigger L than me and everyone in the room laughs.

Wow. I was just live on air on the biggest LA radio morning show. I was trending on Twitter (whether or not all of the tweets were about me) and I just executed in my biggest opportunity yet. Is this real life??? I used to watch this show on YouTube in my bedroom in Winnipeg.

I got to really contribute to an interview with one of my favorite artists of all-time and I got to meet him too. I really do feel like I’m living the dream. But as much as it seems surreal, it does seem like exactly where I’m supposed to be. I’ve envisioned this too many times for me to say that I don’t feel like I belong. And at this moment I Decided that I am exactly where I am meant to be.

Lessons:

Recognize that YOU are good enough. That you belong right where you are.

Being humble is always important. I always try to be grateful and appreciative of where I am. I texted Cruz right after that moment when I got home and thanked him for the opportunity.

“That was always a dream of mine. I appreciate the opportunity a lot.”

“Dude, you did a great job. Thank you!”

But at the same time, you have to make the conscious decision that you are right where you are for a reason. You are good enough to be the best at what you do, you have earned and worked hard for all of the opportunities that you’ve received, and that when your moment came, YOU did your thing and executed. No one else can do that for you. People can give you hand-outs, but if you don’t perform, then it means nothing. So I learned over these past couple weeks, that I not only belong in the position that I’m in, but that I deserve it. That I can stand with my peers and feel like I am right where I’m meant to be.

Never Stop Asking Questions or Learning

Knowing you belong and deserve success does not mean that you should stop growing or wanting to learn. I still don’t know sh*t. I am so young and have so much to learn. And I always need to sit down and remember that. Just because you have done something cool, doesn’t mean it’s over and that you’re an all-knowing powerful being. You will never be. The day you think that is the day you lose. We can all continue to learn. And I hope to be 70 and still learning something new every day. I continue to ask for advice from my mentors and questions about becoming successful and great. Keep pushing forward, always.

There is No Such Thing as an Overachiever

This is a lesson I learned from Jeff who learned it from John Wooden. People can doubt you all they want and tell you that you’re doing too much, but they are really the ones who are just underestimating your ability to achieve. If you achieved it, then you were cabable of achieving it. I thanked Jeff (Power) for the opportunity to be on-air and he said, “man, some of these interns wrote one or two word answers. You were the only one who gave me some good answers. Of course I want to talk about them.

“They were laughing at me before!”

“Let them laugh bro. You’re the one who made it on-air.”

I hope you have a great week and thank you for sticking with me and for being patient for this blog. I really hope I can continue to provide you with value and inspire you to accomplish your dreams.

Blessings and love to you.

-       Jeremy

#Big Sean #Power 106 #Jeremy Hecht #Interviews #Dreams #Advice #Lessons #Winnipeg #Big Dreams #Rap #Hip-Hop #Americas Got Talent

[jeremyhechtsblog-blog]

Thankful

It’s currently 4:08 pm. 

I’m sitting outside in front of a fountain with shorts on in 23-degree celsius weather. I just talked to a beautiful California girl. I’m listening to Frank Ocean like I always do when I’m sitting alone outside. And life is beautiful. I don’t say any of that to make you jealous, I write all of that down because it all still doesn’t feel real to me. I sometimes need to remind myself how far I’ve come.

Last year at this time I was sitting alone in my room writing a Philosophy paper, working on grad school applications, pretty uninspired, still feeling a little bit heartbroken and not really sure where my life was headed. 

Although I was unsure of a lot and it feels surreal to be doing some of the things that I am, I always knew deep down that I would be exactly where I am today. Everything that’s happening in my life I’ve either written down in a song, in a notebook, a poem, or told myself (and the universe). I’ve envisioned this life so many times, and now it’s all starting to manifest. 

I did have a really good week; things are going well at Power and I’m currently working on a big interview, which I’ll talk about next week, school is picking up and getting a bit harder but that’s probably a good thing, and my female situation is looking up (I’ll keep you updated). But this week I don’t want to talk about anything else other than how thankful I am for everything that I have.

Lesson:

1) Gratitude is always the attitude 

It’s so easy to get caught up in a mindset where you only think about the future. Where you accomplish something and then boom, you’re already thinking about the next goal. But I think reflecting on how far you’ve come and really appreciating where you’re at is the most important step to enjoying the journey of life.

If you’re reading this (it’s not too late) I just want to thank you. Making these weekly blogs has not only allowed me to grow as a human being but it’s pushed me to learn things about myself and the world that I never otherwise would have. If these blogs have touched you in any way then that means everything to me.

I’m so thankful for my friends and family who support me daily. 

And I’m thankful for my new friends and mentors out here that continue to push me to my limits.

I’m thankful most of all for my self-belief.

2) Continue to Step Towards What You Want

Nothing worthwhile comes easy. It’ll take hard work, time and sometimes extreme patience. And everything can seem overwhelming, especially when you want a lot. But I think the biggest thing is taking a SINGLE step towards something you want. Do one thing a day or a week that will put you in a closer spot to your goals. The little wins will all add up I promise you. 

But you always have to step back and celebrate those wins.

I have to go to class and I know this wasn’t the most exciting blog ever (especially after last weeks) but thank you for reading and I love you.

- Jeremy

#advice #jeremyhecht

[jeremyhechtsblog-blog]

Land of the Loud

Disclaimer: Don’t be fooled by this blog post, this was a rare day. Rarely do I get high. However, I am high off life every day. Continue reading.

Thursday

It’s 4:00 am. 

My alarm clock is ringing at what seems like an unnaturally loud level. I hit snooze. I try to go back to sleep for an extra 21 minutes because my phone alarm is set for 4:21 am - but I can’t sleep. So I just lay in bed and envision my day as I often do. 

Finally I get up.

It’s my first day at Power 106. If you’re unfamiliar with Power 106, It’s LA’s #1 Hip-Hop radio station and has a listenership of 2.8 million people weekly. All of the best hip-hop artists and personalities have at one point stopped through the Power studios.

I have been dreaming about working at a station like this for my whole life. I used to fantasize about what it would be like to ask my favorite artists the questions that I have always wanted to ask them. Today that dream becomes a reality.

My shift begins at 5:45 am.

I wake up, spread my crunchy peanut butter onto my challah toast that my mom sent over from Winnipeg, and fill up my water bottle. I turn on the new John Mayer album and semi get in my feelings before 6:00 am. I run in the rain to catch my Uber, which is parked a little past my apartment.

I remember when I was in my basement in Winnipeg I would imagine what it would be like to listen to “Far Alone” by G-Eazy while driving down the freeway in LA and looking at the palm trees thinking to myself, “damn. I made it.” Now I wouldn’t say I’ve made it, but I feel like this moment deserves that song.

I arrive at the station in Burbank at 5:20 am and I’m the first one there. I wait until 5:45 when the program director comes to let me in. I meet the other intern working that day. His name is Connor and he is a really dope dude. Reminds me of my buddy Austin MacKay from back home.

J. Cruz peeks his head through the studio door where I’m setting things up for the day with Connor and Jeff, the program director.

“Good to see you again my man.”

Every new intern has to prank someone and the station records the phone call to play on air the next morning. I prank call my brother and tell him that he has to smuggle weed across the boarder for me in order to give to T.I in return for backstage passes, meet and greets, and a “big booty b*tch.” My sister joins the call and shuts the operation down. But it makes for an extremely entertaining segment the next day. You can listen to it here:

https://soundcloud.com/user-123505586/problem-in-studio-cowboy-prank-calls-friday-5-new-r-u-down-more

 After a shift that seemed to fly by because I was extremely engaged in what I was doing, I’m invited into the radio studio room for a meeting about the Migos interview happening tomorrow morning. If you are unfamiliar with who the Migos are, they are an Atlanta based hip-hop group. They currently have the number one song in the country after actor rapper comedian screenwriter and director Childish Gambino / Donald Glover shouted them out in his Golden Globe acceptance speech saying that their song Bad and Boujee is the greatest song ever. Quavo, Takeoff and Offset are the three members. They also created the dab. Yes, the dab, the dance move that your grandma sometimes does.

I’m asked to write down notes from the meeting, but I also have a real seat at the table creatively. I am able to put in creative input, suggest questions, and provide my own insight. I write down as many questions as I can possibly think of and ask my friends Jared and Ian what they would want to ask the Migos.

Friday

4:00 am. My alarm clock seems to be ringing a little bit less loudly today. I get up out of bed almost immediately and put on my already pre-picked outfit - which is laid out and folded on the ground with all of my accessories and things that I need to take.

My Uber Driver’s name is Juan Cruz - J. Cruz. I can’t make this stuff up.

LA rapper Problem comes into the studio at 7:30 am and I ask him how he keeps his Air Force One’s so clean.

“You just gotta start gliding more man” * laughs *

His manager interrupts and says

“That and you have to have 78 pairs like Problem does.” * laughs *

We jam out to his new song “All Year” and kick it in the studio for a bit.

“Pleasure meeting you man. Goodluck with everything.”

The Migos interview was set to take place at 12:00pm. But it’s raining - and in LA when it rains, the whole city shuts down. It’s similar to the first snowfall of every year in Winnipeg. Except for it happens every single time that it rains. So they were late. Plus like I always say to make myself sound cooler when I show up late - “sorry I’m on rapper time.”

It’s 12:41 pm and I’ve taken my place in the studio. We are blasting “T-Shirt” by Migos through the studio speakers – which knock heavily - and we are all patiently awaiting for the 3 boys from the A to arrive. Cruz is wearing a big ass fur coat inspired by Migos’ T-Shirt video. There are bottles of champagne and Coronas in the middle of the studio.

I really have to pee but I don’t want to lose my spot for the interview. I go pee anyways because I figured it was going to be a long rest of the day. I also haven’t eaten anything since the 3 eggs I had at 4:45 am – which were surprisingly easy to eat at that time of day. It’s like a post bar meal from Sals.

 I get back from the bathroom and all three Migos are walking in with an entourage of about 8 people. I don’t get starstruck very easily and I’m not starstruck by them, but I can say that they look like rockstars. Chains glimmering, sunglasses on, and the smell of weed potent before 1:00 pm.

“Jeremy can you go get them?”

“What’s up? You guys can come into the studio now!”

Cruz says “this is our interns’ first interview! One of them is from Canada”

Quavo looks at me. He is wearing a jean jacket, sunglasses, a yellow hat and has diamonds all over his pinky fingers. 

“What’s up Canada? I got a plug out there. We gotta get Canada a blunt”

We’re midway through the interview and I have never been more second hand high in my life. As they say in Cali, it was very loud in that room. You could “hear” it from the end of the hallway. The rest of the interview seems like a blur to me now. But I know that some of my questions were incorporated into the conversation, which was dope.

I can’t even see straight at this point. It’s not even 2 in the afternoon. The Migos just freestyled for what seemed like an hour straight based on a kid’s book called “Llamma Llamma, Red Pijamas” and it was hilarious. A lot better than I can make it sound in writing. I’m losing it laughing.

“That was the greatest interview of 2017. Historic.” Says Quavo.

I go get a picture with them and all of them are still smoking in the picture. Luckily I am wearing a hat to cover my face.

I thank their manager for a good interview and thank Jeff, the producer at Power for the opportunity.

“We will see you next Thursday!”

I joke to Cruz that next time we will book off the whole day for Migos so they can freestlyle for the whole day as I’m walking out of the building.

I go to the lunch room to get my pasta and I eat it standing up. I still feel really high from just being in that room so I know I have to leave. My friend Connor – the other intern - lets me out the back and I click the button on the elevator.

As soon as I turn around, guess who is behind me?

You probably guessed right because there haven’t been that many people mentioned in the story so far. It was the Migos and their entire entourage of 8 extremely large men, including their head of security.

“You going down?”

“Yeah are you guys?”

“Yeah man.”

“Is there room or should I take the next one?”

They all pile into the elevator into what is definitely the heaviest elevator that I have ever been a part of.

“Get in bro.”

They push me into the middle of the elevator. Now let me just paint the scene for you.

So it’s me – a small Jewish white boy with a backpack on smelling like I just came out of a dispenscery and really lost because I haven’t eaten since 4:45 am – and 8 massive dreaded dudes surrounding me. I almost get pushed into Offset but I luckiy keep my balance. I am face to face with Offset and Quavo and Takeoff are right in front of me as well. Imagine facetiming with your friend and looking at their giant face on the screen - that’s how close we are.

“Thanks for coming. That was a great interview!”

I didn’t really know what else to say but I know I sounded stupid. Offset stares at me with a blank face through his ruby tinted sunglasses and doesn’t respond. I get kind of worried so I shut up. Then he nods and says

“Yeah man that was a real one. It was fun.” while staring into space.

I get pushed off the elevator into the third floor of the parking garage. I have to go down three more levels to get to the main floor.

I always see signs in numbers, and I look at my phone. My phone reads 2:27 pm and it’s at 17%. It doesn’t make sense really to you, I know, but to me those numbers mean “stay.” And plus my brother told me to rap for them.

Takeoff is standing by himself and the others went into the van.

“Hey man can I get your advice on the music business quickly.”

He stares at me blankly. Looks me up and down.

“You make music?”

“Yeah, can I rap a quick 16 for you?”

He doesn’t answer.

I rap anyways.

He pauses and looks at me. He reaches his hand out for a dap.

“That was really dope man. For real.”

“Thank you. Any advice for me?”

“Just keep going.”

“Well I really appreciate your time bro. Thank you and it was nice meeting you.”

At least that’s how I imagined I would say it in a normal mind-state, but it was probably something like that. I start walking away.

“What - you’re not even gonna walk with me to the car bro? Come walk with me. My car is that way.”

Who am I to turn down that offer.

“Man you got a good thing going.”

“I know I’m a white boy in hip-hop so I know my place.”

“No man, that’s your thing. It’s unexpected. But it hits even harder because of that.”

“So just keep working and roll with that?”

“Yeah just keep going. Matter of fact, let my man get your number.”

He yells at his man “yo, come get my boy’s number!”

He takes my number and Takeoff says

“What’s your name bro?”

“Jeremy”

“Nice to meet you Jeremy.”

We shake hands (like a legitimate handshake. It was incredible).

I walk back into the elevator and accidentally go back up. Luckily I didn’t go all the way back to the office. I go back down to the main floor and walk out.

I facetime Justin and as I’m in the middle of the story of what just happened because I’m still in disbelief - and need to tell someone in case I forget it and think it was all a dream - my phone dies. F*ck.

I’m in the middle of Burbank with no phone and no car. I walk up to a Starbucks and they don’t have a phone charger. They also don’t have any Vanilla scones. I’m rattled. I tell the guy working that I just met Migos and he tells me he is a videographer. I grab his email. The closest phone charger is at the hospital across the street.

I walk all the way into the ER room and find a phone charger. I smell terrible. I probably look terrible. I plug in my phone and start eating my cold pasta. I have a talk with an older lady sitting in front of me about how reliant we are on our cell phones and how I try to be present. She is from Minnisota so she knows the cold.

“Everyone shuts down in the rain here. But in Canada the snow is way worse, so this is light.”

“I’m from Minnisota so I know exactly how you feel.”

“What’s your greatest piece of life advice.”

After she stopped and thought about it for a while, she said

“Just keep moving. If there is a brick wall, just find a way through it or ride the wave around it.”

So an 80-year-old woman in the ER room and a member of the Migos just gave me the same career advice. Life is amazing.

Friday Night

John has free tickets to a comedy roast battle show hosted by Roast Master Jeff Ross and with guest judges Snoop Dogg and Anthony Jeselnick.

We get there after picking up two of John’s lady friends. Great girls.

We finesse our way down to the front of the stage in classic LA style and have a great view of the performance. Snoop Dogg starts lighting up his classic blunts – it has always been a life goal of mine to smoke Snoop’s or Wiz’ weed. I don’t know why. Even when I had never smoked in my life.

I remember being in Gladiator studios in Winnipeg with my guys Rawg and Purdy listening to the final mixes of my second mixtape “Freshman Orientation,” and they were smoking from a bong. Rawg said, “yo, you wanna hit this?”

“Nah man I’m good.”

“What if Snoop passed you the blunt?”

“I would hit it!”

“What I’m not famous enough for you?” We laughed about it. But it was the truth.

The crowd started to chant “pass that shit.”

Snoop passes the blunt into the crowd and it makes its way right in front of me before burning out. I get oddly excited.

Then I forget about the dream of hitting Snoop’s weed and but someone taps me on the back and hands me a joint.

“Is that Snoop’s weed?”

“Yup.”

John takes a picture of it and I take the last hit left in the joint. I felt high just from that.

We go to Roscoes chicken and waffles and cap off a day that still feels like it’s lasted a lifetime. Life is amazing.

Lessons:

Stay True To Yourself:

I think I got too caught up in the moment and did some things that I may not have otherwise done if I wasn’t in the environment of stars. I should trust my instincts a bit more and be true to who I am. Believe in who you are because that will always be enough. Don’t fall into your environment, create your environment.

You’re in the Right Place for a Reason

I really can’t be mad at anything that happened though because it all lead to another amazing place. I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Trust the process like I always say.

Believe in Yourself and Your Dreams

Cliche. I know. But if you can imagine it then it really can happen. I used to dream about this sh*t. And now it’s my reality. If you can picture it in your head, it really can happen. Once you know that secret, life it really fun.

It Could All End Tomorrow - Appreciate Where You’re At

Sometimes I just need to take a second to appreciate where I’m at in life because I know how blessed I am to be having these experiences. It’s true - it could all end tomorrow. So I am so thankful. I pray every night before bed and thank God and I wake up every morning and thank God. Take a minute to keep yourself humble. 

I think I have enough stories to last a lifetime now. But the movie keeps on rolling. Thank you for reading. I’m still waiting to wake up

#Migos #Advice #Jeremyhecht #Problem #LA #Winnipeg

[jeremyhechtsblog-blog]

Powerful Week

Tuesday

It’s 1:47 pm. My phone rings. It’s a call from Burbank, California. I’m on the fourth floor of the library preparing some slides. I let it ring.

Then I decide to answer because I wasn’t being very productive anyways.

“Hello is this Jeremy?”

“Hi, yes it is!”

“This is Mckenzie from Power 106. I’m calling about the internship, do you have time to talk?”

I am pretty excited right now. But I’m also kind of nervous because I’m on the fourth floor of a library so people are probably looking at me like “who does this kid think he is? Someone shut him up!” I don’t blame them. I walk down to the elevator and do my mid-elevator and the rest of it outside the library. I black out for half of it but I think I still do a good job.

“We should be giving you a call tomorrow!”

I text my friend Jeremy Morantz telling him I got the call from Power and he is really excited for me. I remember over Winter break telling him that I applied for the internship. I told him it was the only internship I applied for this semester but I had a good feeling about it. He told me he thought I would get it even with the 150+ people who apply annually, but that either way I shouldn’t worry too much about it because it’ll all work out how it’s supposed to. He was right.

Wednesday

It’s 1:24 pm. My phone rings again. Burbank, California. This time, I am expecting a call.

“Hey Jeremy, it’s Mckenzie from Power 106. So we would love to have you on as a part of our team for The Cruz Show.”

Friday

An Uber pulls up to my place and an extremely familiar face walks out. My friend Griffin is in town for the weekend. This is a guy who has been as important an influence as anyone in my life. We talk about life, love, success and everything in between, and I can always count on him for life wisdom and support. We have both grown a lot together this year.

“What’s up Hechtar?”

Griff meets John and we all go to Roscoes for some fresh Chicken and Waffles (Chicken Counter – 1). It was delicious. Still the best thing I’ve ever tasted.

We go up to Santa Monica to meet my prof, Jeff Fellenzer, who has been one of the most influential people to me out here and who is one of my biggest mentors. This semester I am TAing for his Sports, and Media Technology class. Griff is a big sports fan so we talk about the NFL in LA, Jeff’s career path and how everything we want in life is really possible. Jeff was meeting with another student before me, Ben, who happens to be a fellow Canadian!

Griff and I go to California Pizza Kitchen for a salad.. but we also split a BBQ Chicken Pizza (Chicken Counter – 2)

We go to my friend Sophie’s for a bit, we wander downtown and then I show him a couple of bars that I like in Hollywood.

Saturday

I give Griff a tour of USC campus and we walk past a lunch celebrating the empowerment of women. I ask what the lunch is for and the staff tells me we have to be registered. A lady comes from behind us and says, “come with me boys.” Sounded a little sketchy but when a woman at an empowerment lunch tells you to come with her, you follow. We go along with her and she places wrist-bands on us.

“Enjoy your free lunch.”

A big finesse move for the boys. We get free lunch and celebrate women. What do we have for lunch? You guessed it – Chicken. This time in the form of wraps. They are really good (Chicken Counter – 3).

Saturday Night

The Winnipeg Jets are in town tonight and we have tickets! Our tickets are $35 in the third level. We both wear Jets gear and meet up with my friends Alanna and Repski and his friend Brett. At the first intermission we meet up with my friend Kylie who is also from Winnipeg and we talk about how much different LA is and how we miss Greenroom (our former hometown bar).

After chatting with some really nice Kings fans on Facebook live and enjoying some chicken tendy’s (Chicken Counter – 4) we go down to meet up with Repski for the second intermission. Brett had made some new friends (after a few drinks), two older gentleman – one wearing a Jet’s jersey and the other wearing a light blue Hockey Night in Canada jacket. The guy in the Jet’s jersey knows our old elementary school gym teacher, Mr. B. He calls him Buck. Great guy. The guy in the Hockey Night in Canada jacket asks if we want to sit in their row because there were empty seats next to them. We say sure, can’t turn that down. The lady at the gate says that if we don’t have tickets we can’t go down. I say that our friends are saving the tickets for us in the row. 

We walk down to row 5 and see the third period and overtime from the best seats that I have ever sat in for a hockey game. The atmosphere is electric. A King’s fan – older dad – almost gets into a fight with Brett and is more fired up about a goal than I have ever seen anyone get – regardless of their age. Jets lose but the boys win big with another finesse move. $35 row 5 tickets at Staples Center. Big plays.

Sunday

We play some basketball at the USC gym. There is one guy wearing a green shirt who is an absolute riot to watch play. It’s not that he is a bad player, he’s an okay shooter, it’s just that he likes to shoot from half court for no reason. Everytime we passed him the ball, everyone groaned in their head because they knew a half court shot was coming. We came away with a big victory and a couple of big losses. We meet a dude named Andrew - at least I think that was his name. Great guy.

We go to Malibu with John and have a great photo shoot on the beach. I’ll definitely be posting some big Instas from it. We have fish tacos and burgers (NOT CHICKEN - WOW!!!!!!!!) at this place called Duke’s which is great stuff. We watch some football and relax.

Sunday Night

John and I have people over and host what turns out to be a really fun party (kickback – as they call it here). 2 noise complaints, one spilled drink and a frozen bottle of champagne is a successful night in my books. Some hilarious stories, but you’ll have to ask me about them in person.

Monday

We go to a place called Grinder for lunch. It is not in fact a place where people meet up from the gay dating up with the same name - instead, it’s a phenomenal lunch place. Reminds me of Sals, which reminds me of home. We talk about how being yourself and having self-awareness is the greatest thing you can have in life. And about how you can never get mad at someone for their reaction to your actions because their reaction is based on a completely different life perspective than yours.

Monday Night

Griff bought me tickets to the Clippers vs. OKC game. Griff wears his Russell Westbrook UCLA jersey and I wear Griff’s Calvin Cambridge LA Knights jersey from the movie, Like Mike. I don’t get a single compliment. We see an incredible game from JJ Reddick and Mo Buckets!!! And Russ plays a tough game without much help from his team.

We meet up with John and grab some Asian food before bed. The mushroom chicken was really good (Chicken Counter – 5). We watch some Vince Carter highlights with Terrance and then go to bed.

Griff goes home the next morning and it’s back to reality. It’s been a really good break. I had a great weekend with a lifelong homie and I had a great time relaxing. But I am so ready to get back to work and hustle towards my goals.

Tuesday

I email Power.

“Thank you, I’m really looking forward to the opportunity.”

“We’ll see you Thursday.”

Lessons:

If Something Feels Right - Do It

I was stressing a lot this week because I had another potential opportunity on the table that would have made me unable to take the internship at Power. I was overthinking about future opportunities and what would come from each of them going into the summer here, but then when it came down to it, the opportunity at Power felt right so I took the job. Like my mom texted me, everything will work out. Remember that.

Things Happen for Reasons, Even if You Don’t Understand Them at the Time

After I met J. Cruz and worked on the Chance The Rapper interview at Power, I was disappointed that nothing else came from it. But everything has a way of working itself out. I gained other experiences, put the time in, and came back stronger than ever. And it all ended up coming back around. Trust that if something doesn’t work out for you right away, whether it’s with a relationship, job opportunity, friendship, or whatever it is - that is wasn’t mean to at that time. Keep moving forward and pushing towards your goals and you will see that things have a funny way of working themselves out.

Good Support Systems are Everything

If you find people who genuinely support you and make your life better, hold on to them, because these people are rare. Griffin has been one of my best friends forever but he continues to bring value into my life and support me even from all the way back home. I don’t take that for granted. He also told me that I have a great support system around me here. People like John, Jeff, Repski, Terrance and all of my friends here support me and want to see me do well and I appreciate that more than any of them know. Keep the genuine people around you who will keep you grounded and humble. Thank you to my friends back home and my new friend out in my new second home.

And remember, it’s your life -  so do what you want to do and don’t let anyone else tell you what’s best for you. Only you know. Have a great day and I’ll let you know how my first week at Power goes. Love to you and yours.

 `

#Power 106 #Jeremy Hecht #Winnipeg #Advice #Los Angeles

[jeremyhechtsblog-blog]

All Roads Lead Home

I wake up in the place that I have called home for the past three months. My bedside fan is blowing loudly and the sun is creeping through my window. I’m not sure if I just woke up from a long dream, or if I’m still dreaming. I open my blind and see palm trees. I smile. They are a reminder of where I am and how much work it took to get here. All of the years I put into this, whether I knew what I was working towards at the time or not. The strange sensation of the unknown creeps into my mind as I think about how far I’ve come and what the future holds. But a simple breath reminds me of the present moment. 

I get a text from my mom telling me to give myself some time to get settled in. I remember the first blog post I ever wrote and what I was thinking. I was nervous and put a lot of pressure on myself to succeed. I missed my friends and family back home and had really no clue what I was doing out here. Then I started writing my thoughts down. People started reading. I started growing and learning. I’m so thankful.

I look through my little notebook of wisdom that I always carry on me. Ever since I saw my Zaida write in his a few years back, I started carrying one around and writing down little quotes and goals. I wrote down a list of my 5 year goals a year ago and I re-read them for the first time. Two of them were: meet my idols. Have my idols tell me I’m dope. I check those both off the list. I have so many other goals written down and so many new ones that I’ve made over the last year. Talk about what you want to do. The law of attraction is real. The secret is real. And the universe will guide you. But all roads lead back home. So I headed on a snowy path back to my hometown. Here are some of my thoughts going back to my city.

The past three weeks have been amazing. Relaxing, cleansing and motivating. For the holidays I went back to my hometown. A place I like to call Win City but many other people like to call Winterpeg. The place that raised me. The people that know me. The city I love. Winnipeg, Manitoba.

“My smiles don’t result from good things, they result IN good things. I only leave to show you it’s possible. To turn ideas from a notebook into real life. To show you that if this normal kid from Michigan can be living his dreams. Then maybe you can too.

And that’s why it’s important, that we ALWAYS return home.”

-       Mike Posner

I’m sitting on my computer in my parents’ basement. It’s technically my room – well, my old room, but since I’m not paying rent I’m gonna call it my parents’. I’m watching old YouTube videos and Mike Posner says that quote in his song “Top of the World.” I may not be from Michigan but it feels really relevant. I’ll use that one in my next blog post, I think to myself.

Being home feels weird. It feels like nothing has changed. And maybe nothing has changed. Same people, same friends, same bars, same negative 20 weather. But still, something feels different.

I go to the gym to play ball with my old friends Jonny, Stephen and Ben. I go to the bar with my high school friends Griff, Shael, Dan, Ben, Benj and Ethan and we have too many tequila shots. Then I talk about life with Griff and we reflect on the year that has passed. I play a few games of 2k with my buddy Kerr where we had to score at least 25 points with our most washed up player. Mine was Meta World Peace.. he struggled to get 25 in a triple-overtime thriller and lost to Anthony Bennett. I get a McFlurry, play Madden (losing most games) and watch movies with my man Justin but I end up choosing the wrong kind of McFlurry. I’ll know for next time. I play 2k and watch The Office with my brother Brendan and make (what I think to be hilarious) memes with my sister Alexa. I go for a drink at Timothy’s with my boy Jared for one of our specialty coffee drinks and catch up at Ordnry with the boys there. I have good taIks with my friends Roger and Myazwe about music and life and with an old friend from philosophy Alexandre about the future and settling into a new place. I go for coffee with an old girl and for drinks with a new girl. I have pizza from Little Pizza Heaven and I reminisce on old times. I watch TV and have some drinks with my dad while we relax and enjoy some of the best food in the world – my mom’s home cooking while we talk about my girl situations. I love my family so much and it was amazing to spend time with them. So much food I think I’m still full. I do a lot of the things that I would have done a year ago. I stay up until 4:30 and wake up at 12. Now it’s time to go back to my second home. LA.

I learned a few things while I was in Winnipeg and I thought I would share them with you. So many random people came up to me over the course of my break and told me how much my last blog post affected them in a positive way or how much they needed to hear what I was writing. Thank you to everyone who keeps reading. I will continue to provide to you as much value as I can as we grow together.

Lessons Learned:

1) You need people who love you unconditionally in your life. They are important to your growth. 

Everyone has someone who will love them unwaveringly, regardless of their flaws, but also regardless of their successes. I am proud of everything that I have accomplished, but I don’t want any sort of success to change the way people perceive me. More importantly, I don’t want it to change the way I perceive myself. And that’s why it’s important to have people in my life who keep me grounded and remind me who I have always been. These people can be your family, an old teacher, forever friends or an old co-worker. Just keep these people close, because in order to keep pushing forward and growing, you need your roots to be watered.

2) People never really change, and sometimes you outgrow people.

In the same way that it’s important to have the people surrounding you who love you unconditionally, you have to have enough love for yourself to let people go who are not bringing anything positive into your life. It’s always hard for people to let go of someone who has been around for a long time. Someone who they may have grown up with or considered a good friend, but sometimes you outgrow people. And maybe some people outgrow you. It isn’t something to take personally, just a truth in life. 

There are people who I once would have spent a lot of time with, but at this point in our lives, we are just at different places. It can be an old relationship, an old friend or family member, but there are just some people I need to let go of for my own sake. It’s nothing personal and it’s still all love when we see each other, I’m just not going out of my way for anything that may bring me down.

3) Make sure everyone in your life brings something positive to you and adds to your happiness

There are a lot of people who I could have chosen to spend my time with while in the city, over the course of my three weeks there, but I really only spent time with people who mattered most to me. The people who have unconditional love for me and support me in everything I do. Everyone in my life brings something positive to it. Maybe that’s selfish, but I think in terms of my own happiness I am allowed to be selfish. So are you. That doesn’t mean treating people poorly, it just means finding extra time for those who matter most. Some people bring a laugh when I need it, some people bring insight about life, others just calm me down or excite me when I need those emotions. But regardless, everyone who is in my life plays a role. 

Think about the people in your life as your own personal board of directors. Would you want random people on the board who have nothing to contribute? No. You want everyone sitting up there to have a unique role in your operation. Everyone on my team contributes to my success in some way. And I’m so thankful for all of you. You know who you are.

4) Be careful who you share your dreams with

“Fake Love” by Drake was in my headphones a lot over the break. 

“They smile in my face, whole time they wanna take my place. I can tell the love is fake. I don’t trust a word they say.” 

Coming back from a place where so much is happening to a place where a lot is the same, there are going to be a lot of people who either try to hop on your bandwagon when they see potential, or who try to tear you down. Either way, I don’t show much attention to those people.

Me and my friends Eidan and Griffin were out for a drink and Eidan mentioned that the city we’re from is a place of complacency. Where people are okay with how it is and always has been, so when someone is doing something different, it scares people and they try to bring you down. I think that’s true. That night I was also talking about how I only share my dreams and goals with people who react positively to what I’m trying to do. If people get jealous, try to turn the conversation to them or don’t care then I won’t continue to share. Only real love

5) Don’t Chase People

I live by a two-strike rule. I will ask someone to hang out or meet or work together or whatever the case may be, twice. If they say they can’t the first time around but suggest another time or date then cool I’m with it. If not, then I won’t bother asking again. If they cancel on the rescheduled meeting, then I will not ever ask them to do something again. You can’t be close with everyone. So don’t chase the people who don’t care enough to see you. Spend your time with the people who do. And sometimes the timing just isn’t right, but that doesn’t mean things won’t happen for you in the future. Just pay attention to the signs that the universe shows you, as always.

I am about to go eat the French Toast that John made and I could not be more excited for the future and the present moment. I hope you have an incredible week and I’ll talk to you soon. Thank you for reading. Blessings and love your way.

#jeremyhecht #blog #advice

[jeremyhechtsblog-blog]

What a Year

I get to the airport early and I haven’t eaten anything and I’m also kind of tired and I see a cute girl sitting alone at the bar and this feels like one of those movies where the guy talks to the girl at the bar and they end up being soulmates.

I sit down at an airport bar to have lunch and a drink alone. It may seem like a low point for you but for me this is something I’ve always wanted to try. I order a water to start. I have my headphones on listening to a podcast that I’ve been listening to every Thursday for over two years – The Brilliant Idiots. The guy sitting to the left of the cute girl shoots his shot and starts talking to her.. I blew it and waited too long.

I order a Bailey’s and coffee. The bartender gives me a double. I have a buffalo chicken burger and it was pretty good. 7.3/10.

I sit down at the gate and wait for my flight from LAX to Winnipeg. Technically I’m going to Calgary first then Winnipeg but you get it. This even better looking girl walks by me towards the gate. I text Josh and say

“there’s a really hot girl at the gate. Maybe I sit next to her on the plane like what happened with you?”

“This could be it. Exactly what happened to me.”

She sits directly next to me at the terminal. First of all, who sits next to anyone at the terminal? There are like five open seats to my right that are not directly next to me. I strike up a conversation.

She starts flirting with me and touching my arm.. At least that’s what I take from the interaction. She follows me on Instagram. Maybe this actually is my movie. But then the real world hits.. It turns out she is a 38 year old mother of two on her second husband. But hey, at least I know the universe is listening. She is from Flin Flon Manitoba and ends up sitting across from me on the plane.

“Can I go to the bathroom quickly before you start your presentation?”

As the stewardess stands in my way blocking the isle to the bathroom.

“Sure! You can go.. if you want to delay the whole flight!”

“Okay…”

“No seriously! You can go.. We will just hold up the plane for you.”

I sit down sort of laughing but also pretty rattled.

“Geez Jeremy!” my terminal milf friend says to me jokingly from across the isle.

On my next flight I sit down on the isle and there is a cute girl sitting on the window seat. No one sits in the middle. God is watching out for me with the women today wow. I talk to her for 45 minutes after us not saying a word to each other for half the flight. We follow each other on Instagram.

After a long day of flying I finally land in Winnipeg. With my friends and family at the airport to greet me. I’m very excited. I give my mom a big hug and lift her up. I give Justin a big handshake / hug. My family is the best. But things also feel different.

It’s been a long year.

With this post I just kind of want to recap the year and some of the most important lessons that I’ve learned. Maybe you can take something from them and use them in your own life:

1) Do What You’re Drawn Towards

This year I made a promise with myself that I was going to do whatever I felt like doing. Whatever I’ve always wanted to try, whatever makes me happy, whatever in my heart I know is a part of me I will do. I feel like whatever is in your soul, whether it’s been for your whole life or just recently, you have to do it.

I took singing lessons (only a few – I still can’t sing you a John Legend balad yet baby).

I performed in an improve competition (and won the first ever game I played in – yes the have winners).

I interviewed some of my idols (including Marc E. Bassy).

I did a stand-up comedy routine (it went alright – some big jokes and some awkward silence. Maybe I shouldn’t have started off with a Holocaust joke..)

I applied for grad school in the states (and got in to all 4 I applied for).

I moved to LA

I started doing food reviews and making more SnapChat stories

I started dressing exactly how I wanted to (which turns out is a white t shirt every single day lol)

I started writing a blog (and people actually read it!)

2) Listen to the Universe

You are drawn to certain things for a reason. I have learned this year that if you look for signs in the world you will see them and they will guide you. Whether you believe in God, fate, religion, spirituality, the world, yourself, or a mixture of all of them, there are some undeniable things in this world, and one of them is the way that energy works. If you put good energy out into the world you will receive that positive energy back. It’s the law of attraction. You attract what you think and what you do back from the world. Look for the signs, whether it’s in colors, numbers, songs, movies, conversations, you’ll see them. And let them guide you.

I read “The Alchemist” this year and that book changed my life. I would highly recommend it if anyone hasn’t read it and is searching for themselves. It talks a lot about listening to your heart, how there is a greater plan for you but you have to listen to the universe, and that everyone has a personal legend, you just have to take a risk and pursue it.

 3) Taking Risks is the Only Way to Feel Completely Alive. You Have Nothing to Lose

Life can get extremely routine. Especially when you’re going to school or work every day at the same time, seeing the same people, and doing the same things every week. But some advice that a guest speaker gave to our class that I really like is to “take risks. Once a week try to do something extraordinary.” Whatever that means to you, do it. It could mean talking to someone new, sending an email, trying a new food. Your extraordinary is different from the next person’s, but try and do something new, because it isn’t until you push yourself to your limits that you know what your limits are. Or in the case of means girls, if the limit does not exist.

A year ago I saw Kanye West in the airport. I have a picture to prove it, but I didn’t rap for him or ask him for any sort of advice. Ever since then I practiced verses and questions. And I knew that the next time I saw someone who I respect, I would take a risk and talk to them in order to try and learn. This year I rapped for a few of my idols and met some incredibly cool people just by going out of my way and taking a few risks. It didn’t always work out, but I never had the feeling of “I coulda shoulda woulda.” I just know.

I got told I was dope by Cam’Ron, DJ Khaled and DJ Carnage

I got told I write great interview questions by J. Cruz

I got all the validation I need.

4) Learn to Trust and Enjoy the Process

The process is long, grueling and sometimes unfulfilling. But learn to trust it. And enjoy the moments along the way. You’ll get to where you’re wanting to go. And where you’re wanting to go will change as you grow. But without enjoying the journey, you’ll start to look back on your life and wonder where the time went. Enjoy the people that you meet, even if they’re temporary, and learn from every step that you take. Your process may be different than the next person’s so don’t compare yourself, but it will work for you. Find what your strengths are and own them. The heartbreak will heal. But embrace it. The success will pass, it’s fleeting. But enjoy it.

I used to look at other rappers or writers or successful people in general and wonder why I’m not where they are. It took me a long time to realize that their journey isn’t mine – all I will ever know is my own journey. So I stopped being jealous, started working harder and started focusing internally.

5) Don’t Complain

Simple as that. Complaining has never been know to help anyone.

6) Just Because Someone Has a Difference in Opinion, Doesn’t Mean You Can’t Listen To Them

If this year’s presidential election taught me anything, it’s that there are people who have radically different opinions than me on almost everything. There are people who will have the polar opposite view as you on a lot of things close to your heart. It’s easy to demean your opponents and try to minimalize their views, but that doesn’t solve any sort of problem. Conversation and trying to understand where someone is coming from is the only way to have progression.

Honorable Mentions:

·      You win some, you learn some

·      Only keep positive people around you

·      Learn to laugh at yourself

·      Learn something from everyone

·      Be true to who you are in every situation - Live your truth

·      Appreciate the fact that you’re alive at least once a day.

That’s all I have for you for this season of small town kid chasing his dreams. Season two begins in three weeks and I am so excited to share my experiences over this winter break with you. If I can even leave the house in this negative 30 weather. I am so thankful for you. Love you

Xoxo

Gossip Guy.

What a year.

-       Jeremy

#2016

[jeremyhechtsblog-blog]

LAnd of the Snakes

I am with my friend Josh in line at the Jimmy Kimmel outdoor stage waiting to see Tribe Called Quest with the free tickets that I got online and we are trying to sell our PartyNextDoor tickets for a concert that starts in an hour because we just bought $20 tickets to go see Josh’s favorite comedian Anthony Jeselnik and Chris D’Elia among other legends and we are sort of freaking out because I have someone on the line trying to buy the tickets but I have no idea how to use Paypal and they are about to let everyone into the Jimmy Kimmel building.

How did we get here?

Thursday Afternoon

I get a text from my friend Josh. We have been friends since elementary school and we are known for having really weird but really fun adventures together. For example, I texted Josh the other week and said

“Hey man. Do you wanna play a best of 10 series in Fifa 98? If it’s tied 5 all then we go into a best of 100. If we are tied 50 all in that then we go into a best of 7 best of 7 of 101 in each series?”

“Yes I do.”

Example #2: We played a complete best of 7 series of full court one on one basketball but every shot had to be a bank shot off the backboard and you had to call “bank” otherwise it didn’t count but you couldn’t bank a layup, the layup had to be a swish and if it hit the rim it didn’t count. This was in a public gym. Anyways back to the story.

“Absolutely beautiful girl at the airport, looks to be on my flight.”

“Wow. You should invite her out with us. And tell her to bring some friends!”

At this point, we are trying to sell our PartyNextDoor (PND) tickets. If you’re unfamiliar, Party is Drake’s prodigy, Canadian singer-songwriter and wrote your girl’s favorite song “Work” by Rihanna. We bought tickets months ago to see him because our favorite singer Jeremih was also supposed to perform. After he called Party and his crew bitches on stage while on tour together, he got kicked off the tour. So we didn’t really want to go anymore. I posted an ad on Craigslist for the tix, which I think is great.

“Wow. Let’s give her the tickets”

“If we sit beside each other on either flight I will ask”

“Just landed. Getting a ride with her * crying laughing emoji *”

“With who???? You’re an animal. You can’t trust people it’s the land of the snakes!”

“The girl from the Winnipeg airport hahahaha”

After going back and forth about whether or not he was serious, I come down to the main floor and see a familiar face. This time, after I double take, it’s actually my boy Kerr from home and not an illusion. We get some food and prepare for a big Friday Night.

Friday Evening

We have no offers on our PND tickets but Josh’s favorite comedian is in town at the world famous Comedy Store on Sunset. So we buy the $20 tickets hoping we can sell our $60 PND tickets.

We go down to the Jimmy Kimmel live stage to wait in line for a free Tribe Called Quest show. I signed up the night before on this site that does giveaways for talk shows. Somehow I got the tickets the day before. I’m not a massive old school hip-hop fan but you’re not just gonna turn down free tickets to see a legendary rap group live ya know? Still no offers.

I get a text message. It’s from a girl who wants to buy the PND tickets. Wow! The ad worked!!!

“Send me the money and as soon as I get it I’ll send over the tickets!”

She sends the money to my Paypal and then we send over the tickets just before the Tribe show starts.

Jimmy Kimmel comes out to introduce Tribe and Josh and I decide that we should stare directly at the camera with no smiles or movement while everyone else cheers. I told you we have weird ideas. The camera comes on and we stare directly at it with no smiles or movement. 

We happen to be at the very part of the stage where Tribe comes on and Busta Rhymes is their special guest. He is a large man. I joke with Josh about how I am going to yell at him the whole time “do the verse from “Look at Me Now”!!!!” I don’ t do it.

We go to the Comedy Store and see some legendary comedians. We meet up with my homie Repski and have a great night. We munch some Pink Tacos from the Pink Taco (real place - no sexual innuendo here) and they are fantastic. I Snapchat a review of them with sauce all over my face. Multiple people point it out to me in the morning. I own it.

Saturday Afternoon

We are lounging playing a demo of PES2017 while commentating in British accents.

“Neatly played on the ball there. OH!!!! THE BALL GOES INCHES WIDE.”

Great times. Then, we realize that we never bought our Snoop Dogg tickets for tonight. Snoop Dogg is performing at the Microsoft Theater in LA tonight and seeing the Doggfather live would be legendary. More than anything we had a weird feeling that he would bring out Jeremih and that the world would all come full circle. We start searching on Craigslist because all of the StubHub tickets are sold out and on SeatGeek they are all above $150 and we don’t really love Snoop THAT much.

I call up Repski

“We found Snoop tickets for $119”

“That’s steeeeeep man. I dunno. I’m probably out.”

I call up Repski again

“We found Snoop tickets for $100. On the floor!”

“Ahhhh you’re making it tough for me man. That’s still a little too much for me.”

I call up Repski again. Jessica from Craiglist was selling three Snoop tickets for $50!!!!!!

“We found Snoop tickets for $50. On the floor!!!!”

“Fuck man... I just bought Clippers tickets..”

We text Jessica and say that we need two.

“Send over the money and I’ll send you over the tickets!”

I send over the money after making a Google Wallet account. I was talking to Brent from Google and he said “I wouldn’t trust Craigslist or any third party sites.”

An hour passes and no reply from Jessica. It’s almost an hour until the concert, where is this chick? I text her three times and leave 3 voicemails, each getting slightly more aggressive. At this point, I think we have been DOOPED.

I tell Terrence about this. He confirms that we probably just lost our money. We have in fact been DOOPED. By Jessica from Craigslist. If that’s even her real name...

I call Repski again and tell him about what happened.

“YOU GUYS GOT FINNESSED?????? THAT’S AMAZING!!!!!”

We laughed about it later on.

After wallowing in our own sorrow for a while, we realize that we have to move forward. We join Repski and his friend Joe at the Clippers game. Joe is a great guy. The tickets were so cheap. And they give us cool bracelets that light up, which is a win. OT Genesis performed at half-time so we basically got a better show than Snoop… Then we went to this place that was a bar and an arcade. I called it the Barcade. We ran-show at the Simpson’s game. It is good night overall after a rocky start. We buy official cheap tickets to the Rams game tomorrow and never use Craigslist again. You win some, you learn some.

Sunday Afternoon

We go to the Rams game dressed entirely in Winnipeg Jets gear. We actually got quite a few compliments. The thing about LA is that no one cares about what you’re doing or wearing. After an absolute route and the Rams trailing 42-0 we walk down to the main entrance. I ask Josh

“Wanna try and sit in the front few rows?”

“Sure!”

We had been scouting these spots out the whole time and knew no one was sitting there behind a guy in a blue #90 Rams jersey. So we just walk all the way down past security and sit in one of the sideline front rows. We upgrade 70 seats and cheer for both teams while wearing all Jet’s gear. Great times. 

Josh asks

“Wanna leave early and go to the Science museum for a half hour?”

“Sure!”

We go to the science museum and they are about to close. We pay $2 to see a spaceship exhibit. They said it couldn’t be done, you won’t have enough time, it’s not possible! We walk in and see the spaceship. I said “I think we’re done here.” 

We walk out after a minute. It was cool. Then we crushed the rest of the museum in 20 minutes. As Josh said

“What a time to be alive!”

We walk back to my crib and a guy stops us and says

“Winnipeg! I was born there. How’s your night been?”

“Good! What’re your guys plans for the night?”

One guy says “Going for dinner”

Another guy says “Sending an email. And then Partying”

What a weekend. After some beers with John and Repski at a place that only played 2000′s rock music by Three Days Grace, Linkin Park, and Nickelback, we call it a night. Actually they played “Lose Yourself” by Eminem and we all rapped it. 

Josh Ubered home and we parted ways until next time.

Lessons:

1) It doesn’t matter what you’re doing, it’s about who you’re doing it with. I had so much fun this weekend, but it wasn’t because of the events. We had fun just walking around or playing video games or making home-made pizzas and reflecting on life. It’s all about who you’re with. So make sure the people surrounding you are the ones that keep you in good spirits and lift your mood upwards.

2) You win some, you learn some. I always preach this one but I think it’s so true. It’s never a loss if you learn something from the experience. Aka never trust people on Craigslist or else you’ll get dooped.

#Rams #Clippers #Jimmy Kimmel #Tribe Called Quest #Jeremy Hecht

[jeremyhechtsblog-blog]

Everyone is Special

I keep seeing it.

Home.

Everywhere I look. I see faces of people from back home. I keep mistaking people here for people who I know from Winnipeg. Everywhere. I have to double take and look back like “oh, no that’s not them.” I know it sounds super weird but it keeps happening.

People biking down the street, shopping in grocery stores, in class, people all over. And the people who I’m mistaking them for aren’t always people who I would consider relevant to my life. Janitors, random store workers who I’ve seen, ex-girls, former acquaintances. I don’t know how to analyze these experiences, other than the fact that I miss a lot of people. But maybe it just goes to show how everyone you meet can really affect your life, sometimes in a bigger way than you thought it would.

This week I don’t have some crazy story about meeting celebrities or furthering my career aspirations. Although I did still have a cool week. (but mostly I just watched an excessive amount of episodes of The Office - although maybe there is no such thing as too much of The Office - except for if you’re talking about the actual office where you work in that case there probably is a limit). The lessons I learned this week came from the classroom.

Yes, for those who do not know, I go to school out here. I’m studying strategic public relations at USC and it’s really dope. But I bring that up because I started learning that everyone you meet is special in some way or another. That sounds like some cliché shit, but hold up (they don’t love you like I love you – random Beyonce reference I’m sorry – I aint sorry, I ain’t sorry – another Beyonce reference within a Beyonce reference - the layers here are getting Inception-like and I think I should probably stop).

In our writing class, for our final presentation, we needed to present about a company that means something to us and how we would create a campaign for them. I chose Power 106 because I feel like they are an important part of my LA journey.

I get into class late because my printer isn’t working and the printer at school isn’t working and I left my printing until last minute.. classic. But after I find another printer I run into class out of breath only to find out that like four other people are also running late. The last day of the semester is always up in the air.

One girl goes up to talk about her project, and I hadn’t really taken the time out to get to know her very well over the course of the semester. We just sit at opposite ends of the table so we didn’t have that much crossover. But she gets up and starts talking about her project and the whole time I am stunned, just smiling so big. She started a company where her and her partner go on motorcycles and document illegal street bicycle races in LA and across the world on Periscope. They do a podcast and interview the bikers and find out their stories. And I knew she was in radio but I had no idea that she had such a cool story.

Another guy in my class gets up and starts talking about an anime movie that he is really passionate about, and I start smiling uncontrollably again. Something about people talking about what they’re passionate about makes me so fricken happy. And this anime movie looks so cool. I am definitely going to go see it in theatres out here (yes, it’s in random theatres out here)

These are both people who I kind of wrote off and didn’t give myself a chance to get to know, but it turns out that their stories are inspiring. Same goes for everyone in my class.

Lessons:

1)    Give everyone a chance – Listen to their stories

I think listening is one of the most underrated characteristics. Again, this sounds cliché but for the most part, people don’t listen. Like Drake said in 2009 on Say What’s Real, “cause everybody talks, and nobody really listens, and somehow the truth just always comes up missing.” People just care about what they have to say or how they’re going to respond to what has just been said (I fall in the same boat) but if you strictly, intently, listen to someone you can learn a lot. My mentor always says “you can learn a lot more by listening to someone than you can by talking to them.” 

Everyone has a story and everyone is special. You just have to give them a chance and pay a little bit more attention to them. My mom still tells me I’m special, although I think she may mean that I need some help.. Either way, I appreciate it Mom.

It’s like D.R.A.M. says on the You are Special interlude on Chance’s mixtape. 

“Everyone is special. You are very special to me.”

2)    Own your shit

I think people are inspired by someone who is passionate. If there is something you love, talk about it. With the person you like, your boss, your friends, your classmates, it’s a lot more interesting than you think. I don’t only want to talk hip-hop with people all day, I want to hear about your passions and learn from you. I always ask my roommate to tell me about the plot lines of the video games he’s playing because I find it fascinating. So whether its video games, anime films, bicycle races, hip-hop, sports, whatever it is, own the shit you love and allow it to represent you to other people, because chances are, they are more interested in it than you think and it is what makes you special.

PART 2:

Update: I accomplished my life goal: “See “Buy U a Drank” by T-Pain live.

Power 106 is throwing their annual Cali Christmas concert and I texted this girl “do you wanna go to the Cali Christmas concert on Friday?”

“Sure, I’m down!”

We get the cheapest tickets possible and literally sit in the very back row. It’s kind of cool because we have like a movie theater vibe where we can just chill and talk. G-Eazy comes out, who I have also been very excited to/ been wanting to see for a long time. He says

“Cali can I do something special for you?”

“Yeah sure, why not Gerald?”

For some reason, with no musical connection, T-Pain comes out from the shadows. I lose it.

I think I’ve only cried once in the past year and it was the day before I left when I was saying bye to my friend before I left for Cali. I didn’t cry for T-Pain, but I sort of wish I would have because it was that meaningful of a moment to me.

Now if you don’t remember, in a previous blog post, I talked about how I missed T-Pain live. I had tickets but had another opportunity and I decided to miss T-Pain. I wrote,

“I weighed out my options and decided that if I am meant to see Buy U a Drank it will happen at some point in life.”

If things are meant to happen in life, they will happen.

T- Pain sings “Buy You a Drank.” I black out and sing every word. The girl I was with left and said, “you’re so weird.”

She didn’t actually leave or say that but I could tell she wanted to.

So, now that my life goal is complete, I think it’s time to fold. What a run. Thanks for your time and reading but I think I’m retiring from ambition and am gonna live a mundane life from now on. See you next week with no real updates because there is nothing more I want to accomplish in my life. Love 

#T-Pain #Jeremy hecht #USC

[jeremyhechtsblog-blog]

The Key

It’s Tuesday Afternoon. I get out of class like usual, at around 2:15. I pretty much never watch snap stories anymore, especially DJ Khaled’s, but I decided to check it out for some reason today. I knew he would be at The Grove in LA today for a book signing so I thought I would see what it looks like. He posts 12 snaps in a row saying “be at the grove in LA at 3:00pm. Fan luv.” Who am I to disobey an order from Khaled Khaled (his actual name - yes that is real his first name is the same as his last name).

I tell my friends Bri and Katani that I might go check out Khaled and try to meet him. They say I should do it. I text my brother he said I should go. I facetime with Justin and he says I should go. Why not? I call an Uber and run across the street to meet the driver in a white Honda. He is a nice guy who tells me about all of the best Asian and taco spots in the city. This one BBQ spot sounds amazing so I write them all down in a notepad that I have specifically for good places that people in Ubers recommend to me. The radio is on Power 106 and DJ Khaled feat. Drake “For Free” comes on. It’s a sign that I’m on the right path. I send a snap to my friends who I told I was going.

I get to Barnes and Noble and buy Khaled’s book. I want to get it signed for my brother because I know he likes Khaled’s snaps too. I get to the store at exactly 3:00 pm and no Khaled in sight. Honestly, there aren’t even that many people here. But I ask two kids if we’re in the right place and they laughed and say yes. There is also the finale of Dancing With the Stars going on outside at The Grove so there is a massive amount of people hanging out. I wait in line next to a guy who tells me about working in the music business and how he used to know Khaled from way back in the day when his mom owned a clothing shop in Miami. He says he also produces and sends me some of his beats. I still have to check those out.

It’s about 3:45 and Khaled rolls in. People start pulling out their phones and going crazy screaming all of his sayings. My new favorite one is when he goes 

“un un un un un un un un BELIEVABLE”

We are about half way down in the line so I’m like , I might as well wait it out. I feel like something cool might happen, and worst case I get a hilarious pic with a legend. I decide I’m gonna rap for him. What do I have to lose? It has always been a weird goal of mine to get in one of his snap stories. As I’m getting closer he starts snapping the crowd.

“FAN LUV!!!!!!”

I throw up the peace sign and start saying “ayyyyyyyyy” for some weird reason. Snapchat cameras do strange things to people. Don’t judge. I accomplish my goal of making it into a DJ Khaled Snapchat story. I start to get nervous about rapping for him because his album is playing in the background and the beat currently playing is kind of throwing me off. Some other dude rhymes for him three spots ahead of me and Khaled snaps him for his story. He was alright, had some pretty dope lines. But I think, damn, now I’m not gonna be the only one. I’m never the only one though, there is always someone else thinking what I’m thinking.

I get up to Khaled and I’m next in line. The beat that was playing was too hard to rap over with the verse I had ready so I thought I would have to give it up. Then the beat switches.

“Next up!” the man controlling the traffic says looking and pointing at me.

I get up to Khaled and I get a little bit nervous. I don’t say anything. Then I get some courage and ask him

“What’s your number one key to success?”

“God is great”

“So basically just always give thanks and stay humble?”

“Yup”

“Can I rap for you?”

“Yeah, forsure. Go for it kid.”

* I start flowing *

Then I get to a line where I say:

“Any doubts about me that you have you should hold those, only time I’m posing is for Instagram photos, yeah. So they taking the pic”

Then I hold up my phone as my hand is shaking and take the pic that you probably saw on the gram with Khaled while he looks a little bit shocked and also pretty happy. 

I black out and don’t remember what happened next.

I believe he said, “that was dope.” And we fist bumped. Then the guy who ushered me in said “next person.”

Well, I got to rap for Khaled. Got a picture with him. And he told me I’m dope.

But I still feel like I came up empty handed on that interaction. I decide that next person who I see who’s famous I’m gonna ask if they have any internship opportunities. Because I remember Kanye (wishing my man well in the hospital) asked that one random dude who rapped for him if he would be down to start as an intern. I see two of Khaled’s boys waiting in line to go get coffee and I stand behind them. I just go towards where I’m drawn to.

One of them says “I was just in PR”

“Oh did you do the PR for this event? That’s what I’m studying in school. Any advice?”

* They laugh * “Puerto Rico”

Classic mixup. But then I ask for any advice on working in the music industry. I remind myself of a sponge of knowledge sometimes. They call me Sponge Jeremy like Sponge Bob but with my name, but they don’t. And hopefully no one ever does. But if you do then at least I know you read this far. And that in itself is cool. They both said that you have to stay positive and never let a no get you down or stop you. 

I have an m&m blondie brownie from Barnes and Noble and it is phenomenal. I realize I haven’t eaten all day since the Nutella on toast that I had this morning for breakfast.

I walk down the escalator.. or glide if that makes more sense, and I walk out of the store. I really need to go to the Apple Store because my phone always has zero data and I have 7% charge left on my phone.

I walk through a crowd of people waiting for Dancing With the Stars and I see DJ Carnage (big EDM/ Hip-Hop DJ who I’ve been following for a long time. He is hard to miss).

“Carnage?” unsure if it is him from the back and because he usually wears sunglasses and they are not on his face right now.

“What’s up bro?” * daps me up *

“I’ve been a big fan for a long time! I would love to hear your honest opinion on some bars. Can I spit a 16 for you?”

“Absolutely man. What you got?”

*I start flowing. This time with no beat in the background as a distraction *

He whips out his phone and starts filming for his snap story just as I hit the same bar that I rapped for Khaled (when I took my phone out to take the pic). 

“white boy so they in love with the coco, you may not know about me but I’m guessing that your hoe knows, any doubts about me that you have… hold those. Only time I’m posting is for Instagram photos, yeah” 

killed that shit once again. This time I am conscious. I actually looked into the camera and started rapping to Snapchat too because like I said, a Snapchat camera can do strange things to people. I also can’t breathe because I’m sort of overwhelmed at the whole experience.

“That was dope man! For real. Are you from Canada?”

“Yeah! Could you tell by the accent?”

“I’ve been around the world man I know”

*We both start laughing *

His friend introduces himself to me also and we all chill for a bit.

“I went to one of your shows in Winnipeg!”

“I was in Winnipeg? Shit, where?”

“Probably a really shitty club.”

His friend laughs and says “There is probably only one club in all of Winnipeg”

“You’re not lying”

“Winnipeg has the prettiest girls tho man” Carnage says.

“I agree with you on that one man. You’re not wrong.”

“What’s your rap name, Jeremy?” * don’t try and get smart, I introduced myself to him earlier just keep reading *

“I used to go by The Hype, but now I just go by my real name, Jeremy Hecht.”

“Okay. I see you Jeremy.”

“So what kind of advice do you have for an aspiring artist?”

“Just keep making songs man. Good music will rise to the top.”

An old high school teacher of mine, Dr. Coodin once said in a grade 7 science class that “Cream floats” meaning that everything good will rise to the top. I always really liked that line. 10 years later I hear the same advice from DJ Carnage. Both DC’s advice will stick with me.

This time I take my shot with the internship opportunity.

“So do you have any internship opportunities? I also am in school for PR and I do a lot of branding and writing. I would love to help out!”

“Man, I did but it just filled it up because I’m going on tour.”

I walk away after we shake hands again. He was super cool.

I walk to an empty hallway behind a curtain blocking off the Dancing With the Stars show and text my friends to let them know I just rapped for DJ Carnage. He walks by me again with his crew and I tell him that I’m texting my friends saying that I just rapped for him. He laughs and walks by. But then I ask a security guard where the Apple store is and he points to the same direction that Carnage and his crew is going. I realize I could ask him for his email address or something if there is ever another opportunity, but then my phone dies. I took that as a sign that that’s all this interaction is supposed to be.

It was also one of those weird moments where you say bye to the person but then they walk in the same direction of you and it’s really awkard. So I continued to walk with his friend and he said he had known Carnage since they were kids. I think about how cool it will be if I ever make it and my friends can say that.

I add DJ Carnage on Snapchat (djcarnage) and look at the video of myself rapping while I’m smiling that it just happened. 

The Apple Store is closed.

Lesson:

Nobody is going to make it happen for you. There are no hand-outs. You have to go and get things yourself. Go to that place. Wait in that line. Talk to that person. Finesse past that security guard. Whatever it is, you’ve gotta do it yourself. BUT even then, nobody is gonna just lend out a helping hand and get you to exactly where you need to be. I was searching for a hand out in this business. But nobody is going to do that for me. That’s just not the way it works. Not the way it’s supposed to happen.

Not Cruz, not Cam, not Khaled, not Carnage, no one will make it for me.

These were all opportunities. I have gotten validation from some of the greatest to ever make music that I am dope at rapping. People who are high up in the industry have told me that I am a great writer and I make great interview questions. I have learned so much out here in LA and it’s been three months. That’s what those opportunities were for. But if I want to make it in any of those fields, writing, rapping, interviewing, PR, I need to do it for myself and put in the hard work. And for whatever it is you’re doing, same goes for you. Seek advice and mentorship, but always put in the work for yourself.

John and I made our own thanksgiving dinner and hosted the party because no one else really was. We did it for ourselves. It was a great first American Thanksgiving. And to the shock of the world. We made a hell of a meal.

#DJ Khaled #Dj Carnage #Jeremy Hecht

[jeremyhechtsblog-blog]

Say Yes

It’s currently 3:28pm and typing this is the first productive thing I’ve done all day. It’s raining in Los Angeles, and it never rains here. So for some reason it just makes everyone feel like doing nothing. I have watched 4 episodes of How to Get Away with Murder today, and made a nice breakfast. But my week was more eventful.

Say Yes

Wednesday Night

My friend Katani asked me and Terrence if we wanted to go to a Karaoke night. It’s called Trap Karaoke. I am always down for karaoke, and I love hip-hop, so I feel like the two could be a solid mix. We get there and the lineup is down the block. When I say this I am not exaggerating or trying to sound cool, I am the only white dude in the building.

Basically, the DJ plays songs that everyone knows and the crowd dances and sings along to every word. Occasionally someone will go on stage and perform one of them too. The DJ drops “It’s Goin Down” by Yung Joc and the whole place is lit. I personally didn’t know that people knew the words to the verses of that song but apparently I was wrong. Then the DJ spins Usher and Chris Brown back to back and the whole crowd sings along to every word. It’s beautiful.

“People like you because you’re not afraid to be yourself. You don’t try to impress anyone or act cool, you’re just yourself.”

That’s what T told me walking into the club, probably knowing that I was going to be the only white guy in there.

Friday Night

T invited me to a Thanksgiving dinner at his old frat brother’s crib. I am down for some food and good drink. Always. I say “let’s go.” We go get some potato salad and a big ass bottle of wine and head out. American thanksgiving is dope. So much food and drink and good people. We play some fun games and I have some great laughs. Going into a situation where I don’t know people, back in the day I would always try to impress people and be afraid to say the things I normally would. But now, I’m just myself. I’m loud, weird, hopefully funny, sometimes inappropriate, and always genuine. And I think people pick up on that energy pretty quickly.

Saturday Afternoon

UCLA is playing USC in football and it is a huge deal. My friend Miles asked if we wanted to come down to the tailgate. I said sure! I go down to the tailgate at the Rose Bowl with my friend Sophie and it’s a beautiful place. Mountains, lights, palm trees. It feels like the LA that you would imagine if someone asked you to picture California. We have a few drinks and walk around talking about what life would be like growing up in the states, being an alumni, where our lives are headed and everything in between. It’s a good time with a lot of surprisingly enlightening conversation (usually we just talk about music or our weekends).

We don’t know anyone else here because Miles’ phone died so we can’t find him. I say that I’m gonna find some food. We see a red tent with USC on the top of it amongst the many blue UCLA tents. I start talking to the lady running the tent and she offers me a sandwich. I gladly accept and have three. We start talking to an older couple who went to USC and have a good talk about school, kids and Canada.

Saturday Evening

My roommate John asks me if I want a quesadilla and soup that he’s making. I graciously accept. John is not only a phenomenal guy, but also a phenomenal cook. Blessed. John goes to see Harry Potter with his friends. I am pretty tired so I decide to hang out for a bit at home. I walk by the third floor lounge in my apartment and they are doing Karaoke while eating curry.

“Oh so it’s Curryoke?”

They laugh but then realize that they could have actually called the event that. Everyone asks me to sing. By everyone I mean 2 out of the 6-7 people there. I accept the offer of course. * I mean only for the fans’ sake. It’s not like I have been preparing for this moment for my whole life or anything. Keep in mind, almost all of these people I have never even talked to before in my life. But like I said before, I’m always just me. They put on Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated” and the rest is history. By history I mean a room full of people laughing either with or at me and an emotional performance of an all time great Canadian classic.

* Uh huh. Life’s like this. *

Then they request an encore before I leave. Without hesitation I say “only if someone does High School Musical with me.” One of the girls accepts my offer. Breaking Free starts.

“I’ve got to warn you. Only one of two things will happen. You will either fall in love with me or start crying mid song.”

At this moment I would like to think I had somewhat of an out of body experience where I transformed into Troy Bolton and I was in front of a school full of wildcats who were anxiously awaiting to see what their star basketball player was about to do on stage.

I stop the song for a second. Look my singing partner in the eye and say.

“Hey. Look at me. It’s just us okay? Just like the first time. Forget they’re here. It’s just us.”

She, at this point definitely thinks I have lost control.

“We’re soaring. Flying.”

I do a full knee slide into the crowd and then leave on a high note, no pun intended.

Saturday Night

My buddy Garrett comes over and we have some drinks. My friend Robbie texts me and asks if we want to go to the Standard Hotel. I say sure.

We get to the Standard. A lady holding a list says

“Are you on the guest list?”

“I didn’t know about a guest list. Is there any way we can get in still?”

I threw on the charm and we got in. Either that or she just felt bad for two clueless dudes and out of pity, she let us in.

“I accept tips too.”

We threw a few dollars in her tip jar. We get upstairs and it’s a great view. This is the place that has waterbeds on the top floor. A weird, yet wildly relaxing idea. However we did not lay on the waterbeds. It was a mediocre atmosphere but a good convo. We’re leaving and Garrett asks

“Wanna go to a place called 6th for a bit?”

I said sounds good. We go to 6th and have another drink. They are playing “Ride Wit Me” by Nelly. I love life. We go to my new favorite late night food joint, shout out to my friend Lani for this one. LA Cafe. And I get a maple glazed donut topped with bacon. It was exactly how you would think it would be unless you think it would be bad. 8.6/10 for my snapchat followers reading this. The guys behind us were firing us up about a chipotle chicken wrap so we both got one. These guys were hilarious so we sat with them and ate and talked about Vegas until it was 2:30 in the morning and we decided we should probably head home.

I am waiting for my Uber when I hear a guy say out of nowhere (sort of to himself).

“Ah yeah fuck the judge”

I looked over at him and said sort of questioningly

“I made it past 25 and there I was?”

Then he continued with the next line of Kendrick Lamar’s verse on his song “King Kunta” and I followed along until we had rapped the whole thing out loud in the middle of the street. It was exhilerating. We dap and then walk away and I say bye to Garrett and Uber home.

I neve imagined myself screaming “life ain’t shit but a fat vagina” out loud, but when it’s for a Kendrick verse you have to do what you have to do and here we are. What a place.

Lesson:

I always say go where you’re drawn to. But this week I was drawn to a lot of things. Not all of them were life changing experiences but all of them were worth trying. Say yes a little bit more. You will always find time to finish your work, do assignments, or get to your emails, so it’s okay to say yes and do something a little bit different for a few hours. Have some fun, or go for coffee, or grab a drink or ten, or go out of your comfort zone. Be yourself always, and see where your journey takes you. 

I’m really happy I said yes to all of these things. Yes man.

#yesman #jeremyhecht #nelly #karaoke #highschoolmusical