Caution: These aren't Entertainers !!!

    Super Bowl XL weekend, I had the pleasure of attending an event billed as " The Real Playaz Ball" at Posh Nightclub in Ferndale, Michigan.  The event was called " The Real Playaz Ball" because there was another event called " The Players' Ball" that weekend, but those players were football and basketball players.  The " Real Playaz Ball" was for street players.  The host was none other than the legendary Bishop Don Magic Juan. 

    I got there a little early because I was doing some work for Streetz Magazine and Hollavision.  Since it was early, I decided to relax and sip on a Corona while I waited on the crowd to trickle in.  Man, the vibe there was pretty strange.  I mean, when I think " Playaz Ball," I'm thinking about a cabaret hall in Chicago with some Al Green or Too Short banging out the system.  This club and its patrons looked like they were from "Beverly Hills 90210" and they were playing techno for God's sake.( I dig techno, but it was not appropriate for the event).  I was starting to get a little skeptical about whether or not this thing was really going to go down.

    Just when I was about to give up and go to another club, in walked a pack of pimps, players and hustlers in minks, suits and gators.  The guest of honor looked regal wearing his trademark green for the money and gold for the honey.  The show was about to begin or so I thought. 

The Bishop and his entourage headed straight for the V.I.P. area which was an elevated booth with a guard rail in the corner of the club.  Menacing security guards posted up at the entrance to discourage any nonsense.  I began to wonder if there would be any mingling between the guest of honor and the party goers.                         

    I moved to the area in front of the V.I.P. to get a better feel for what was going on.  Once again, I was overcome with a strange vibe.  Normally at a V.I.P. event, you' ve got managers, publicists and the V.I.P.'s taking every opportunity to at least fake like they're attending the event to mingle with their fans.  It might not be genuine, but they are trying to make a good impression on the people that buy their products.  At the "Real Playaz Ball," believe me, these guys could give less than a fuck about some fans.  A few of the players I met were rather personable, but most of them stood there with ice grills and cold blooded stares.  People familiar with the streets read the body language and knew to admire the show from afar.  Over zealous fans not knowledgeable of street code rushed in and achieved mixed results.  Females were tolerated, allowed to pose with pimps for pictures and of course given the chance to choose a pimp that night.  Most of the fellas weren't even acknowledged.

    At first I was thinking to myself, " Wow, this is pretty fucked up," but then I thought a little more about it.  These people don't have a record to sell, a movie to promote or any other entertainment product they're trying to push.  These ladies and gentlemen are veterans that have carved out lucrative careers in some of the most cutthroat urban environments in the country.  They are real hustlers, pimps and prostitutes, not rappers, singers or actors.  If I hadn't come to the event as a member of the press I would never imagine approaching these people unless they spoke to me first or I was given an introduction.  I might have been there in my mink and gators ice grilling folks myself.

    The point I'm trying to make is, if you're a fan of real street hustlers, remember these guys aren't entertainers.  They don't get paid to be nice.  As a matter of fact, they make their money being the complete opposite of nice.  Approach a professional hustler or gangster as if he was Ben Affleck or someone and you just might get your feelings hurt. 

Check out the picture from The Playaz Ball

(After reflecting a bit, I realized that the only thing that was really disappointing about that night was the fact that there was no awards presentation.  They were supposed to give awards for "Player of the Year" and my favorite category, " Freak of the Year." Come to find out, the promoter of this event had been messing up people's money all weekend so they pretty much 86'ed the award ceremony.)