Detroit Delights: Hustling With Hustlers
Hot Docs // Henry VanderSpek // Techno in Arabic // Pulp Fiction // Mom’s Spaghetti
Yo…
Hustling is like ice cream: it comes in different flavours.
In New York City? Everybody’s hustling.
The Central Park hot nuts cart dude is trying to sell as many Central Park hot nuts as he can in an hour. (That’s…nuts! #RimShot!)
There’s an infectious ambition that rings throughout New York City. Maybe not so much now these days but for a while there…man it was a special city. That’s why there was so much cool culture flowing out of the Big Apple from all the music at CBGS to all the distinct filmmakers and delightful writers. Hustlers making magic.
In New York City? It’s a competitive hustle.
In Los Angeles? Everybody’s hustling.
Though in LA the hustling is a little bit more selfish. Only one actor can get that part. Only one editor can edit that movie or that TV show. And you’re in a tinsel town filled with actors and you’re in a La-La Land loaded with editors. So you gotta hustle to stand out and get the gig. But it’s a selfish hustle because you’re trying to benefit yourself. Networking sucks in LA. Hustling is a zero-sum game.
In Los Angeles? It’s an egotistic hustle.
In Detroit? Everybody’s hustling.
Detroit had a quiet hustle. A lot of music came out of Detroit. Detroit Techno. Of course Motown…Stevie Wonder. Eminem. Jack White.
The quiet almost Canadian like hustle, just a little bit more shy yet fully confident in their abilities to execute a high level.
There’s an immigrant-like desperation to Detroit hustle because back in time working on the industry lines was a good job. It was a safe pension. There was benefits. All these positive aspects were also a death trap. Tomorrow can turn into the next 5 years. You didn’t want to end up there: wondering what happened to all of your unfulfilled dreams. Working in these automobile factories wasn’t like a day job which most creative people have. It felt like a life sentence; the way a rocket struggles to escape gravity.
And now? As those comforting lines and safe pensions evaporate? You gotta hustle your way outta so many grim fates. Life is a booby trap. Adam West was so good at escaping those in Batman ‘66 but not every hustler in Detroit is gonna be so fortunate.
In Detroit? It’s a hard making something outta nothing hustle.
I spent most of last week in Detroit, eating and exploring. I enjoyed the final Pistons home game (mercifully their season is over with a 14 and 68 record.)
And I saw…things:
Here are 3 Detroit Delights, should you find yourself in The Motor City…
Detroit Delight #1: Hot Sams
Welcome to Hot Sams Detroit:
From Director Hamoody Jaafar: “Hot Sam’s is The Haberdashery of Downtown Detroit.” Oh, yo…Haberdashery. #Fresh
Hamoody Jaafar a Downriver director recently completed his first full length film: a Detroit influenced documentary about a storied high-school basketball program, the young men of River Rouge, Michigan.
You can see Rogue at Hot Docs. Highly Recommended viewing. Get a sample of his polished directing in the above Hot Sams mini-feature.
Detroit Delight #2: Pulp Fiction
Welcome to Royale with Cheese in Detroit:
I ordered the “18 hour Smoked Brisket, Southwest Roasted Corn, Fire Roasted Onions and Peppers, Creamy Cole Slaw, Royale Sauce, Cheese Fondue.” Delicious. With a side of Cajun fries. More delicious.
Cue Pulp Fiction:
Vincent: “And you know what they call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Paris?”
Jules: “They don't call it a Quarter Pounder with cheese?”
Vincent: “No man, they got the metric system. They wouldn’t know what the fuck a Quarter Pounder is.”
Jules: “Then what do they call it?”
Vincent: “They call it a Royale with cheese.”
Literally around the corner from Royale with Cheese is Kitab Cafe. (Kitab is book in Arabic. Oh, yo…)
Bonus Fun? This week at the TCM Classic Film Festival they celebrated Pulp Fiction’s 30th Anniversary. Classic movie, hard to believe it’s 30 years old.
Detroit Delight #3: Mom’s Spaghetti
Welcome to Mom’s Spaghetti in Detroit:
There’s a Spider-Man pinball game on the second floor of Mom’s Spaghetti. Em seems like a pinball rapper. I dig it.
And you know what? It was tasty…usually these type of celebrity ventures are mixed results. (Does anybody really miss Planet Hollywood food?!) But, yo…my spaghetti and meatballs was tasty.
However, we did not have an Eminem for dessert. A missed opportunity?
His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy
There’s vomit on his sweater already, Mom’s Spaghetti
He’s nervous, but on the surface, he looks calm and ready
To drop bombs, but he keeps on forgetting
What he wrote down, the whole crowd goes so loud
He opens his mouth, but the words won’t come out
He's chokin’ how? Everybody'‘ jokin’ now…
There’s lots more adventures but that’s enough for now.
Detroit has become a symbol of renewal. In Detroit gentrification is (mostly) positive. Here in Toronto, gentrification sucks because we lose so much culture and icons like Honest Ed’s. Big Cities, Different Stories.
Oh! As for Henry, dude in the Mom’s Spaghetti photo he’s a fantastic photographer. Dig his photo blogs; here’s a recent post Favourite Photo Moments of 2023.
Check em out, I’m sure a Detroit image or two will end up in Favourite Photo Moments of 2024.
did not get signed to Motown…
Sammy Younan
-28-
Sammy Younan is the affable host of My Summer Lair podcast: think NPR’s Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.
Well done! Great reflections on hustle and on the style and flow of Detroit. 👏🏻