'Party King' puts stamp on Trolley Square cigar lounge
When it comes to the entertainment industry, image is everything. Entire careers have been made off of a well thought-out image and some genius marketing skills.
There are all types of accessories to make you look like a boss and hip-hop fashion is always changing, but there are a few items that will always be popular such as sneakers, jewelry and cigars. Yup, you heard right: Cigars have been a status symbol way before hip-hop was even thought of.
Many of today’s hip-hop artists grew up idolizing kingpins like Pablo Escobar and Al Capone, and in many depictions you will see that these men enjoyed a high-end cigar or two. It’s why you’ll hear quite a few references to Cubanos, or Cuban cigars, in rap.
One longtime Delaware event promoter has reinvented himself as a cigar aficionado and is combining the two this weekend. D. “Party King” Grayson has been a household name in the tri-state nightlife scene for over 15 years.
After a two-year hiatus, Grayson hosted Black Smoke 2.0 on Saturday at the Sikar Lounge of Wilmington, located in the heart of Trolley Square.
My last conversation with Grayson was almost eight years ago, so we caught up to talk about how things have changed, why he took some time off and his latest event.
Q: What is different about this type of event compared to events you have done in the past?
A: The difference really has to do my maturity as a person. The atmosphere at the cigar lounge is much different than your average venue. The crowd at the lounge is very professional and many times consists of doctors, lawyers, judges, government officials, etc. It’s a much different feel than being around 21 to 25 years old at a club. It’s much more of a classy and grown environment.
Q: What caused you to take a few years off in the first place?
A: A lot of it has to do with just taking time off to grow as a person. The nightlife scene isn’t easy and can be exhausting in a lot of ways. Sometimes it takes time off to revamp your brand and start a new journey. I’m more mature now so I want my events to reflect that growth.
Q: What is it about cigars that make it such a symbol of status?
A: A good cigar many times deals with quality, how it was made, and the quality of the tobacco. The taste and the smoothness of the cigar make it a social hobby, like drinking. But just like alcohol, you have expensive and inexpensive brands so the status comes with the type of cigars.
Q: What are your future plans for the cigar lounge?
A: My plan is to create an atmosphere that people can come to and sharpen each other. Like I said before this isn’t your normal party. The type of people who come to the lounge many times are successful and you never know who you could network with and learn from. It’s all about bringing the city together for a positive event centered around a passion for good cigars.