This last weekend was packed full of fun and productivity.
Friday night I left work and hit the road with Yohance to pick up my friends Red and Emad in Cortland. We car pooled to Syracuse where we attended the State Fair. Parking was per usual a task in itself, but we found a spot across from the Barne Dairy. As were walking through the entrance to the NYS Fair we were greeted by Country music.

I thought to myself, that doesn’t sound like Nas, so maybe we’re early for his show. My buddy Red asked a nearby stand attendant where Nas was playing and they told him at the far end of the fair. So off we went, navigating through this giant city-like labyrinth filled with eye catching games and food. The rides didn’t really entice me other than their geometrical shapes and vibrant blinking lights. I took several photos of the rides as we passed.

We passed some spots that we agreed we would like to get food at and finally after about 20 minutes of walking we hear Nas playing and we see an audience of thousands all sprawled out across an open field. The stage was about a football field away from where we posted up. We could see Nas on the big screen and I could make out a little bit of his figure being blocked by his huge fanbase. After about 5 songs we agreed that we should get some food before the concessions closed down.

Red and Emad stood in line to order chicken fingers and Yohance and I ordered BBQ chicken Giro’s. I washed mine down with a Pepsi. The Giro was amazing, had a nice flavor profile between the tzatziki sauce and the BBQ sauce they chose to use. After that, we huddled up at the fried snack food stand and ordered some food that could potentially knock a few years off our lives. I ordered a fried Reeces Peanut Butter Cup, 3 of them came in an order. Them shits were like biting deep fried titties.

I enjoyed every moment of it. After the feast was over, we headed back to hear the rest of Nas’s set. On the way, I stopped and tried my luck at the “Swoosh” basketball shot. I paid $5 for 2 balls, which was a total rip off. I bounced the ball a few times until the grip was right, I even did a jump shot, the kind I hardly miss and yep I still missed. One bounced off the inner rim, it looked like it was a perfect shot but that game is rigged. The only way to make the shot is to perfectly swish it. We saw someone make the shot and win a giant teddy bear. Yohance said “If it was 3 balls I would of did it, but 2 balls is a rip off.” So we kept it pushing back to the Nas concert.

We arrived in time to hear “One Mic”, it was then I lit up a blunt and vibed out to one of my favorite Nas classics. We finished the concert and everyone made their way back through the gates. On the way back to the entrance we stopped and ordered some ice cream rolls. It was cool watching the process of it, I ordered Banana and Nutella with mine. It was so fucking good! That heroes journey came full circle and everyone made it back home safely.

Saturday I assisted Yohance as second shooter on a wedding and a 30th birthday party. The food at both places was good, other than that this was another gig that I got to do candid photography at. Which is a style I enjoy. We finished the wedding and then shot the birthday party for 5 hours. It was all worth it once we got to smoke some bud with a guy that looked like Tom Hanks at the end of the night. We all sat there watching the new College kids walk the streets looking for a place to create some new memories. As we we’re watching these kids, I had this thought come over me that one day my kids will be doing the same thing and look at how the girls were dressed. I couldn’t believe that one day my daughter could be like one of these girls and that frightened me. I only hope that Abby and I do a good job raising her. Her and Eyvi.

Sunday was lay around and sleep most of the day. I didn’t mind it at all after those eventful days.