Tina Blankenship-Early sits in her 1966 Chevrolet Caprice, named "Game Killa," on March 30. The award-winning car helped her become Lowrider magazine’s first Woman of the Year in 2023.
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LaMonica Peters
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The LA Local
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Topline:
Tina Blankenship-Early’s legacy highlights a shift within lowrider culture where women are no longer viewed as just passengers or eye candy, but are celebrated as creators and competitors. Because of her influence, women are joining car clubs that specifically cater to them, like the LA-based Girlz in the Hood and Thee Lady Lowriders.
More details: For more than 30 years, Blankenship-Early has been immersed in a scene historically dominated by men. She’s been featured in publications from The Wall Street Journal to Essence Magazine. There are many firsts attached to her name. She’s known in the culture as “First Lady,” she was the first woman member of her car club, Super Natural Lowriders, and the first to be named “Woman of the Year” for Lowrider Magazine in 2023 — appearing on the magazine’s cover the following year for a special edition honoring women lowriders.
From watching lowriders to building them: After installing an audio system for Super Natural Lowriders then-President Andre Jones, she was asked to join the club as its first woman member in 1998. Former club Vice President Gerald Hill gave her the nickname “First Lady.” Today, she holds the title of vice president, a role she said she’s using to plan food drives for unhoused people in the community and backpack giveaways for local students.
In a subculture long defined by masculinity, chrome and hydraulics, Tina Blankenship-Early carved out her own lane as a lowrider pioneer.
For more than 30 years, Blankenship-Early has been immersed in a scene historically dominated by men. She’s been featured in publications from The Wall Street Journal to Essence Magazine.
There are many firsts attached to her name. She’s known in the culture as “First Lady,” she was the first woman member of her car club, Super Natural Lowriders, and the first to be named Woman of the Year for Lowrider magazine in 2023 — appearing on the magazine’s cover the following year for a special edition honoring women lowriders.
She was even inducted into the National Lowrider Hall of Fame in 2012, according to the Peterson Automotive Museum, and her cars include a 1966 Chevrolet Caprice named “Game Killa” and a 1961 blue Impala featuring a painting of Michelle Obama on its trunk.
“The cars are the main focus, but it’s the people of the community for me,” Blankenship-Early said. “The realness and the people who are all about the cars and the culture made me want to be deeply involved.”
Blankenship-Early’s legacy highlights a shift within lowrider culture where women are no longer viewed as just passengers or eye candy but are celebrated as creators and competitors. Because of her influence, women are joining car clubs that specifically cater to them, like the L.A.-based Girlz in the Hood and Thee Lady Lowriders.
Women began creating their own car clubs in the 1970s, according to the automobile magazine Motor Trend. Over the past decade, there’s been a resurgence of all-women car clubs in California.
Les Riley, longtime lowrider and member of the Super Natural Lowriders, told The LA Local he didn’t see a lot of women in the culture nearly 40 years ago when he first started, and he knows having a lowrider is not an easy or cheap hobby.
“She’s doing everything that the men are doing and probably doing it better,” Riley said of Blankenship-Early. “So I take my hat off to her.”
Blankenship-Early went from watching lowriders to building them
Blankenship-Early, 58, said she was about 8 years old being raised in Watts when she first saw guys lowriding.
Her chance to work on a lowrider came with her best friend’s father.
“I’ve always wanted to lowride, but what actually made me go ahead and do it — my best friend, her dad, me and him built his ’66 Impala in his garage, and he would take me riding with him all the time,” she said.
In 1988, she said she bought a Nissan 200 SX, and after watching her neighbor install an audio system in the car, she taught herself and began installing them for local car clubs.
After installing an audio system for Super Natural Lowriders' then-President Andre Jones, she was asked to join the club as its first woman member in 1998.
Former club Vice President Gerald Hill gave her the nickname “First Lady.” Today, she holds the title of vice president, a role she said she’s using to plan food drives for unhoused people in the community and backpack giveaways for local students.
And the sense of community she’s found within lowriding has extended far beyond South L.A.
“Since I’ve been doing this, I’ve made friends in other countries that I chat with on a regular basis,” Blankenship-Early said. “It’s opened up worlds for me that I probably would’ve never encountered.”
During a Super Natural Lowriders meeting at Point Fermin Park in San Pedro on March 15, member Kenneth Jones told The LA Local that Blankenship-Early has been in a leadership role since he joined the club.
“When I came into the club, Tina was already here influencing the club and doing a lot of things,” Jones said, adding that having a woman in the car club’s leadership is cool and she knows what she’s doing.
Blankenship-Early owns a lowrider named ‘Game Killa‘
Blankenship-Early has owned at least three lowriders in her lifetime.
“The first lowrider I bought was a 1984 [Buick] Regal, and that was a whole different experience for me,” Blankenship-Early said. “I remember being excited to pick it up from the hydraulics shop.”
She bought her award-winning lowrider, a 1966 Chevrolet Caprice named “Game Killa,” for $500 in 2005. It took her three years to transform it from a shell into a car built for cruising and competition.
The car was named by fellow club member Ivan Lopez, who told her she’d be “killing the game” after seeing photos of the car’s transformation.
Game Killa has earned dozens of awards, appeared in music videos and even appeared in ads for the 2015 film “Straight Outta Compton.”
Blankenship-Early was given the nickname “First Lady” after becoming the first woman to join the Super Natural Lowriders in 1998. Her second car, a blue 1961 Impala also named “First Lady,” pays tribute to former first lady Michelle Obama.
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LaMonica Peters
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The LA Local
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Blankenship-Early owns another customized lowrider: a 1961 blue Impala fittingly named “First Lady,” that sits in her home garage. The car has painted murals of former First Lady Michelle Obama on the trunk.
When she isn’t driving one of her lowriders, Blankenship-Early operates a street sweeper for the city of Los Angeles, a job she’s had for the past eight years.
She said she likes to spend time with her husband and family, while helping to take care of her aging mother. But Sundays are for cruising.
“They know Sunday is my day,” she said. “You have to have some time for yourself to just breathe.”
First responders and residents gather at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's Tallet al-Khayyat neighbourhood, on April 8, 2026.
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Fadel Itani
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AFP via Getty Images
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Topline:
President Donald Trump said late Wednesday that U.S. forces deployed in the Middle East will "remain in place" until an agreement is reached with Iran, and its implementation takes hold.
Why now: His comments followed a shaky start to a two-week ceasefire. Israel continued its strikes in Lebanon, killing hundreds on Wednesday, Gulf Arab countries also reported some drone and missile attacks on oil refineries and power plants, and according to reports Iran had shut down the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway, largely blocked during the war, is a key shipping route for about 20 % of the world's oil and gas.
What's next: High-level talks between the U.S. and Iran are slated to start on Saturday in Islamabad, with the mediation of the Pakistani prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif.
Read on... for more updates on the war in Iran.
President Donald Trump said late Wednesday that U.S. forces deployed in the Middle East will "remain in place" until an agreement is reached with Iran, and its implementation takes hold.
His comments followed a shaky start to a two-week ceasefire. Israel continued its strikes in Lebanon, killing hundreds on Wednesday, Gulf Arab countries also reported some drone and missile attacks on oil refineries and power plants, and according to reports Iran had shut down the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway, largely blocked during the war, is a key shipping route for about 20 % of the world's oil and gas.
The uncertainty was also felt by the markets on Thursday, diminishing gains made a day earlier, with oil prices rising and stocks dipping. Brent crude, the international standard, was at $97 per barrel, or up by 2.4%.
Trump warned that strikes on Iran would resume if Iran did not comply with "the REAL AGREEMENT reached."
"If for any reason it is not, which is highly unlikely, then the "Shootin' Starts," bigger, and better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before," he said.
He also reiterated that the deal would not allow nuclear enrichment in Iran and would keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
"It was agreed, a long time ago, and despite all of the fake rhetoric to the contrary - NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS and, the Strait of Hormuz WILL BE OPEN & SAFE," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The White House denied the reports on Wednesday that Iran closed the strait, saying they are false and that there was an uptick in traffic in the strait on Wednesday.
People enjoy the last day of Passover and the first day of the ceasefire on April 08, 2026 in Tel Aviv, Israel.
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Erik Marmor
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Here are more updates from the region:
Click the links below to jump down to a specific section.
Peace talks to resume, while confusion remains over the terms of the current ceasefire
High-level talks between the U.S. and Iran are slated to start on Saturday in Islamabad, with the mediation of the Pakistani prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif. His government acted as an intermediary between Washington and Tehran to secure the two-week ceasefire. The White House announced that Vice President JD Vance will lead the U.S. delegation.
But confusion remains over the basis of the plan for those talks, with Iran insisting on a 10-point plan that includes its full control over the Strait of Hormuz, removal of sanctions, and accepting Iran's right to enrichment. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that Iran's 10-point proposal was "literally thrown in the garbage by President Trump." Trump initially called a plan from Iran "workable."
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a news briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on April 8, 2026 in Washington, DC.
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Anna Moneymaker
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Meanwhile, Israeli attacks in Lebanon, which is observing a national day of mourning on Thursday, drew condemnation from Iran and criticism from Pakistan. The dispute over whether Lebanon is included in the ceasefire terms remains unresolved. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement Wednesday morning that his government supports Trump's decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks, but that the ceasefire doesn't include Lebanon. Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif had announced the Iran-U.S. ceasefire, would also take effect in Lebanon.
Hezbollah said in a statement that it insists the U.S.-Iran ceasefire includes Lebanon. But the militant group said, "if the Israeli enemy does not adhere" to it, then "no party will commit to it, and there will be a response from the region, including Iran."
Iran condemned the continued assault on Lebanon and said it was the U.S. government's responsibility to put an end to it. In a post on social media, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, "The ball is in the U.S. court, and the world is watching whether it will act on its commitments," above a screenshot of the Pakistani statement including Lebanon in the truce.
Trump, meanwhile, echoed Netanyahu's understanding of the deal. Asked by a PBS reporter why Lebanon was not included, he said, "Because of Hezbollah. They were not included in the deal. That'll get taken care of too."
Gulf countries seek to upgrade their defense ties to the U.S.
As the U.S. and Iran prepare to enter negotiations on Saturday, Gulf Arab countries are seeking to enhance defense cooperation with the U.S. military, an official from the region, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to outline these demands publicly, told NPR.
Gulf countries have relied on U.S. defense systems to intercept recent Iranian missile and drone attacks.
The official said Gulf countries want a U.S.-Iran deal to include a framework to protect energy facilities in the region and a way to enforce freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Much of the oil, gas and fertilizer passing through the strait to markets in Asia comes from the Persian Gulf.
On Thursday, the Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers held their first official phone call since the war started. A statement issued by the Saudi foreign ministry said the two "discussed ways to reduce tensions to restore security and stability in the region."
Lebanon mourns over 250 killed from Israeli attacks
Church bells rang across Lebanon and warplanes tore the skies Thursday morning as the country observed a national day of mourning following the deadliest day of the current Israeli invasion. More than 250 people were killed Wednesday, according to Lebanon's civil defense, in Israeli attacks that hit densely-populated residential areas far from Hezbollah's strongholds, including along Beirut's seaside Corniche promenade.
The Israeli military said it conducted the largest attack so far, with 100 strikes in 10 minutes in Beirut on Wednesday, killing the nephew of a Hezbollah leader. The military issued evacuation orders for the capital's suburbs, but then attacked central Beirut. That city has swelled in recent weeks with people fleeing the Israeli invasion in the country's south, which has displaced more than a million people. More than 1,160 were wounded in Wednesday's strikes, according to the country's civil defense department. Lebanon's army said four soldiers were among those killed.
Rescue workers search for people after an Israeli attack hit a residential building in the Corniche al Mazraa neighborhood on April 8, 2026 in Beirut, Lebanon.
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Daniel Carde
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Getty Images
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On Thursday, Israel struck a bridge in Lebanon. Hezbollah, which had held its fire on the first day of the ceasefire, fired rockets into northern Israel on Thursday.
The violence marred the start of a two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran in the wider Middle East war. But Israeli officials justified the assault by asserting that the new deal did not include a pause in its fight against Lebanon's Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
The International Committee of the Red Cross says it's outraged by such attacks in densely populated urban areas. Israeli military spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani explained why Israel made a surprise attack on Beirut.
"Leading up to this operation, we've seen Hezbollah disperse over different areas, taking advantage of the warnings that we provide for civilians to also hide for themselves among the civilians, moving, trying to scatter their operations in different locations and to hide behind civilian locations," he said.
Watchdog says 3 journalists killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon and Gaza
The Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday Israeli airstrikes killed three journalists in Lebanon, and Gaza.
Al Jazeera said its correspondent Mohammed Wishah is the 11th journalist from the network to be killed in Gaza.
Two years ago, Israel said Wishah was a "key terrorist in Hamas" who posed a threat to its troops.
The Israeli military repeated that allegation in a statement after his killing on Tuesday, but did not say why he was targeted six months into a ceasefire in which hundreds have been killed in Gaza.
Also Tuesday, CPJ said reporters Ghada Dayekh and Suzan Khalil were killed in a blitz of Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon that hit Hezbollah and civilian neighborhoods.
One of the journalists worked for a Hezbollah-affiliated news outlet.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Israel's military has killed more than 260 Palestinian journalists in Gaza in the past two and a half years.
CPJ says Israel's attacks on the press should be independently investigated as war crimes.
As Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, confusion reigns and ships remain idle
Trump has repeatedly said that the deal is dependent on the free movement of ships in the Strait of Hormuz to ease the global energy crisis. The strait is a critical throughway that carries about a fifth of the world's oil and provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
Before the war broke out, Iran allowed an average of 120 to 150 ships per day to sail through unimpeded. But in the last five weeks, that traffic has come to a grinding halt. And despite Tuesday's announcement of ceasefire terms that required Iran to reopen the strait for safe passage, more than a hundred ships remained effectively stalled.
Details about the strait's status remain unclear. While Iran announced it had ceased transit operations in response to Israel's continued attacks on Lebanon, the White House denounced the reports as false and said closing the waterway would be completely unacceptable.
If the strait was open, hundreds of other ships in and around the strait still chose to stay put out of an abundance of caution. Ship owners, insurance companies, and seafarers say they are seeking clarity as Iran threatens to attack any vessel transiting without permission.
Erik Broekhuizen, a U.S.-based ship broker and energy consultant with Poten & Partners, told NPR that another concern for the ships is Iran's decentralized military command.
"You don't really know who to talk to, who is in charge, and whether all the sort of regional commanders have gotten the memo that the strait is open and they should stop attacking vessels," Broekhuizen said.
More than 20 ships have been attacked by Iran since the war began.
Operators are also confused by Iran's new fee system and how payments will be collected as the government rolls out new toll procedures. According to analysts, several oil tanker operators said they have paid at least $1 million to transit the strait.
An English language VHF broadcast was blasted to the hundreds of ships in and around the strait on Wednesday. It warned those aboard idling ships that they need permission before they try to transit.
Lauren Frayer in Beirut, Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv, Aya Batrawy in Dubai and Jackie Northam in Washington, D.C. contributed to this report. Copyright 2026 NPR
Patrick Martinez's work is on display through Saturday at the Charlie James Gallery.
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Patrick Martinez
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Charlie James Gallery
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In this edition:
Emma Straub on her new novel, Bob Baker Day, L.A. Climate Week, BagelFest 2026 and more of the best things to do this weekend.
Highlights:
It’s back! The 12th annualBob Baker Day takes over the L.A. State Historic Park for a full afternoon of puppets, art, food and local vendors. Take a break at the L.A. Public Library’s “Rest Nest,” plus check out stalls from the Academy Museum, the Colburn School, Heritage Square Museum and many more. And, of course, check out puppet, music and clown performances all day long on two stages.
Settle the "best bagel in town" battle once and for all (or at least for now, until the next NYC or Montreal transplant arrives) at BagelFest West. From the Bay Area’s Boichik Bagels to local favorite Belle’s to Inglourious Bagels in Carlsbad and even Hey Bagel in Seattle, the West Coast doesn’t play when it comes to the delicious, holey breakfast delight.
Patrick Martinez’s neon signs with activist messages have become part of the L.A. landscape over the past several years. His work in neon responding to the immigration raids in L.A., plus new paintings, drawings, and sculptures, gets an inspiring solo show at Charlie James Gallery in Chinatown — make sure to get there before it closes Saturday night.
If you’re also wallowing in disappointment about your L.A. Olympics tickets (preliminary handball, anyone?) or lack thereof, I’m right there with you. Let’s hope future drops have a few more reasonable tickets available for those of us who don’t have $1,000 to see Katie Ledecky swim her heart out.
Much more attainable? Couchella, the annual streaming event for Coachella, which is on this weekend and next, right in your own living room. And slap on that SPF if you’re desert-bound. This weekend is also the kickoff for L.A. Climate Week, with events ranging from a planet-friendly Food Day Festival in West Hollywood to a conversation on climate futures in Malibu; it’s also the last weekend for the Getty exhibit How to Be a Guerrilla Girl.
Through Saturday, April 11 Charlie James Gallery 696 Chung King Road, Chinatown COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Patrick Martinez
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Charlie James Gallery
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Patrick Martinez’s neon signs with activist messages have become part of the L.A. landscape over the past several years. His work in neon responding to the immigration raids in L.A., along with new paintings, drawings and sculptures, gets an inspiring solo show at Charlie James Gallery in Chinatown — make sure to get there before it closes Saturday night.
LA Climate Week
Through Wednesday, April 15 Various locations COST: VARIES; MORE INFO
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Olivia Peay
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LA Climate Week
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L.A. Climate Week is here again, with dozens of events encouraging more planet-friendly living. Join the L.A. River Crawl through Elysian Valley on Saturday, check out Arts & Culture Day for a Living Planet downtown, taste healthy foods at the Food Day Festival at Plummer Park on Sunday or take on the tall order of making climate issues funny at the Let’s Not Die! Open Mic night at Frogtown Brewery.
The Baptist Witches of Shelbyville
Through Friday, May 1 Whitefire Theatre 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks COST: $40; MORE INFO
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Jeff Lorch
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Borne Identities
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Mamie Gummer (Emily Owens, M.D., The Good Wife) and Gigi Bermingham (Loot, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) take the stage at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks for the new Southern Gothic comedy, The Baptist Witches of Shelbyville. Written by Julie Shavers and directed by Daniel O’Brien, the play follows a woman returning to her hometown for the Fourth of July.
Bob Baker Day
Sunday, April 12, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. POSTPONED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 20 Los Angeles State Historic Park 1245 N Spring St., Downtown L.A. COST: FREE (SUGGESTED DONATION $25); MORE INFO
It’s back! The 12th annual Bob Baker Day takes over the L.A. State Historic Park for a full afternoon of puppets, art, food and local vendors. Take a break at the L.A. Public Library’s “Rest Nest,” plus check out stalls from the Academy Museum, the Colburn School, Heritage Square Museum and many more. And, of course, check out puppet, music and clown performances all day long on two stages.
BagelFest West
Sunday, April 12, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Audrey Irmas Pavilion 3643 Wilshire Blvd., Koreatown COST: $69.40; MORE INFO
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Vicky Ng
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Unsplash
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Settle the "best bagel in the West" battle once and for all (or at least for now, until the next NYC or Montreal transplant arrives) at BagelFest West. From the Bay Area’s Boichik Bagels to local favorite Belle’s to Inglourious Bagels in Carlsbad and even Hey Bagel in Seattle, the West Coast doesn’t play when it comes to the delicious, holey breakfast delight. You can taste more than 20 different bagels with your ticket — so come hungry and ready to carb-load.
Emma Straub in conversation with Susanna Hoffs
Friday, April 10, 7 p.m. Skylight Books 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Straub in 2016. She'll be at Skylight this weekend.
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Desiree Navarro
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Getty Images
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Emma Straub’s novels are some of my smart, modern favorites — like All Adults Here and The Vacationers. She’s also the owner of a lovely bookstore in Brooklyn, Books Are Magic. She brings a little of that magic to Skylight Books in Los Feliz (where she’ll be chatting with absolute '80s icon and author Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles) about her new novel, American Fantasy. You can also catch Straub talking about her books and career when she heads to the Clifton C. Miller Community Center in Tustin on Monday as part of A Slice of Literary Orange.
FusterCluck 6
Saturday, April 11, 7 p.m. The Earl Gallery 4408 W 2nd Street, Mid-City COST: $15 ADVANCE, $20 DOOR; MORE INFO
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Courtesy The Earl Gallery
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Part art market and gallery, part stand-up comedy show, part excuse to eat fried chicken, FusterCluck gathers up-and-coming local comics for a stand-up show at The Earl Gallery.
Dar Williams
Sunday, April 12, 7 p.m. Troubadour 9081 N. Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood COST: $44.84; MORE INFO
Dar Williams plays The Troubadour this weekend.
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Noam Galai
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Getty Images
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The 1990s are alive and well, as Lilith Fair favorite Dar Williams plays the Troubadour. The singer-songwriter’s latest (and lucky 13th!) studio album, Hummingbird Highway, draws on her more recent experiences as a playwright and songwriting instructor. I will now have "What Do You Hear in These Sounds" in my head for a week.
Gold Diggers: YEAR
Sunday, April 12, 7 p.m. 5632 Santa Monica Blvd., East Hollywood COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy PopCult
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Enter a mystery year once a month on Sunday night, kicking off this week at Gold Diggers in East Hollywood. Born out of a DJ night that started in San Francisco in 2008, the actual YEAR is a surprise until you walk in the door — it could be any time from 1963 till now. Curated by Dennis “The Menace” Scheyer, the night features a specialty cocktail, experimental films and art, and a surprise live performance. Here’s a hint for this month’s YEAR.
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Rapper and actor Dumbfoundead (Jonathan Park) at Love Hour in Koreatown on March 26.
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Brian Feinzimer
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The LA Local
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Topline:
Jonnie Park, aka Dumbfoundead, unapologetically details growing up in K-Town in his memoir “SPIT: A Life in Battles.”
Who is Dumbfoundead? Koreatown-raised entertainer Dumbfoundead tells it straight: “I don’t think I’m just Korean or Korean American. I’m more Koreatown than both of those labels.” The Korean American rapper, born Jonathan Park, moved to Koreatown at 3 and has lived there ever since. He’s often called the “mayor of Koreatown,” a title he’s proudly embraced.
About the memoir: Koreatown sits at the center of his memoir, “SPIT: A Life in Battles,” which he promoted at a book launch in early April hosted by the Los Angeles Korean Festival Foundation. Set to be released April 14 from Third State Books and co-written with Donnie Kwak, SPIT traces Park’s childhood through his late 20s. He chronicles coming up in the music scene while dealing with racist stereotypes, problems at home and addiction.
Koreatown-raised entertainer Dumbfoundead tells it straight: “I don’t think I’m just Korean or Korean American. I’m more Koreatown than both of those labels.”
The Korean American rapper, born Jonathan Park, moved to Koreatown at 3 and has lived there ever since. He’s often called the “mayor of Koreatown,” a title he proudly embraces.
The neighborhood sits at the center of his memoir, SPIT: A Life in Battles, which he promoted at a book launch in early April hosted by the Los Angeles Korean Festival Foundation.
Set to be released Tuesday from Third State Books and co-written with Donnie Kwak, SPIT traces Park’s childhood through his late 20s. He chronicles coming up in the music scene while dealing with racist stereotypes, problems at home and addiction.
“This is the culture I grew up in, in the neighborhood, and that’s what made me who I am. If I didn’t grow up in a neighborhood that proudly had Korean letters on menus and signs and I could be unapologetically Korean, I would not be able to battle rap in confidence and be able to have thick skin to fight opponents verbally,” he said.
Rapper and actor Dumbfoundead (Jonathan Park) at Love Hour in Koreatown on March 26.
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Brian Feinzimer
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The LA Local
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Park, 40, was born in Argentina to Korean parents. He and his younger sister later crossed the U.S.-Mexico border with their mother, eventually landing in Koreatown. The neighborhood didn’t have much of a hip-hop scene but provided the young Park a space to find his voice.
Enter the hip-hop scene of nearby Leimert Park. Old, grainy YouTube videos show him performing at Project Blowed, where rappers gathered for open mic sessions that could run late into the night. He would skateboard there as a teenager, then head back home late. With his immigrant parents working long hours to support the family, the lax supervision allowed him to roam the city freely and build his street cred.
Seth Eklund, executive director of the Koreatown community and resource center Bresee Foundation, remembers the teenage Park from those early years.
“I do consider him like a son, one of my many sons from over the years,” Eklund said. “I started at Bresee in 1996, he started coming in 1998 when we were still up on the third floor of the church.”
In his memoir, Park describes the Bresee Foundation as transformative for his childhood. He started going there when the center served mostly Black and Latino youth. Park, his sister Natalie and their Korean friends Andy and Mimi “stuck out like sore thumbs,” Eklund said, but they quickly became regulars, spending most afternoons at the center.
Eklund remembers Park getting into music and media production. He even went to Leimert Park to watch Park freestyle.
“You had guys out there that were gangsters from all over L.A.,” Eklund said. “It was a really cool cultural scene. And there were really angry battle rappers, gangster rappers, all sorts of people, and he was always the funniest of everyone that would pick you apart with laughter as opposed to angst.”
Sociology professor Oliver Wang from Cal State Long Beach has researched Asian Americans in hip-hop and said the kinds of community spaces Park was part of were critical to him being able to “take off.”
Wang also points to how closely Park has tied himself to Koreatown. He said hip-hop, from its earliest days, has always been rooted in a sense of place, but especially with someone like Park, grounding himself in Koreatown helps listeners understand he is coming from a particular place and, therefore, a particular perspective.
“I think for Asian American listeners, the fact that he comes out of Koreatown, an Asian American ethnic enclave, that completely matters,” Wang said, “because it’s tied into a larger sense of Asian American-hood when you’re naming your Asian American hood, no pun intended.”
Even after growing up and leaving the Bresee Center, Park stayed connected to them, something Eklund says he really appreciates. Park returned to the center for a few summers to run workshops for younger kids, teaching writing and music production. He would also bring his artist friends to teach DJing and graffiti art.
“For a couple summers, our center was just flooded with not just kids from this neighborhood but kids from all over L.A. to learn from him and participate,” Eklund said.
“SPIT: A Life in Battles”
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Courtesy Third State Books
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“He’s a multicultural artist. He’s an L.A. artist. This is what L.A. is, it’s a melting pot of people of different traditions coming together, and that’s why I think people resonate with him,” he added.
Paul Kim, Park’s longtime friend and founder of Kollaboration, a nonprofit that helps grow Asian American talent, remembers seeing Park performing as a teenager.
“You could tell he was just different,” Kim said. “So witty, so funny.”
Kim notes that Park always stayed true to his roots.
“He’s performed at almost every Koreatown nonprofit gala, he’s supported so many different organizations, he’s performed at all the student associations, the cultural performances,” he said. “He was always rapping about real-life situations. He’s just very raw and authentic.”
That authenticity is what drew 23-year-old Johnny Nguyen, originally from the Bay Area, to become a fan of Dumbfoundead.
“I was 13 and I was looking for Asian American rappers because I wanted to support the community and stories that weren’t represented,” he said.
“He is a regular guy living in Koreatown trying to live life like everyone else in the neighborhood,” Nguyen added. “He’s not living in a mansion far away.”
Park agrees that’s all part of his approach to making art.
“I think hip-hop is just authenticity,” Park said. “When I was growing up, I had a lot of songs that were super nerdy. … The other Asian rappers were pretty gangster, and then they saw this dude named Dumbfoundead. He looks scraggly, he skateboards, and he’s rapping about not getting girls while everyone else is rapping about getting girls. Hip-hop is about being unique and standing out.”
Park says his book is about “capturing Koreatown’s legacy, Asian American history and entertainment, all just told through my lens.”
Touring made him more aware of how specific his experience was — and how lucky he was for it. In other parts of the country, he said, he would meet Korean American fans who did not grow up around a large Korean community.
After one show in Wisconsin, he said a young Korean fan came up to him and begged him: take me with you.
“To us it doesn’t mean anything because we can get great Korean food and we just gotta choose between 10 options,” he said about growing up in Los Angeles. “I think we take it for granted a little bit that this is a place where you can have confidence and be unapologetically Korean.”
Park has never left much doubt about how he feels about Koreatown.
“I really do thank the neighborhood in that way,” he said. “I think that that played a big part.”
Park is scheduled to appear in conversation with chef Roy Choi at Barnes & Noble at The Grove on April 16and at the LA Times Festival of Books on April 19.
Monica Bushman
produces arts and culture coverage for LAist's on-demand team. She’s also part of the Imperfect Paradise podcast team.
Published April 9, 2026 5:00 AM
Nicole Kidman across from Michelle Pfeiffer and Nick Offerman in "Margo’s Got Money Troubles," premiering April 15, 2026 on Apple TV.
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Apple TV
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Topline:
In the spring 2026 TV version of Southern California, Keanu Reeves is a Hollywood star with a long list of people who hate him, Nicole Kidman is a former pro wrestler, and Carey Mulligan and Oscar Isaac have “beef.”
The context: We compiled a list of new and returning spring TV shows (and a couple straight-to-streaming movies) that are set in L.A. or Orange County:
Outcome (April 10, Apple TV)
Margo’s Got Money Troubles (April 15, Apple TV)
Jerry West: The Logo (April 16, Prime Video)
Funny AF (April 20, Netflix)
Beef* (April 16, Netflix) *This is a second season, but with a new story and cast
Read on … for details about these new L.A.-set shows, plus some returning ones.
A new and returning slate of TV shows and straight-to-streaming movies are heading your way this spring, with a good number of them set here in Los Angeles (and one in Orange County).
From (yet another!) comedy about the entertainment industry — this one starring Keanu Reeves, Cameron Diaz and Jonah Hill — to one set (and filmed in) Fullerton — starring Elle Fanning and Michelle Pfeiffer, and based on the popular novelof the same name.
Outcome (April 10, Apple TV)
Keanu Reeves and Martin Scorsese in "Outcome," premiering April 10, 2026 on Apple TV.
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Apple TV
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This dark comedy was co-written and directed by Jonah Hill, who also plays Hollywood mega star Reef Hawk’s (Keanu Reeves) crisis lawyer in the film. After Hawk finds himself blackmailed with the release of a video that could destroy his career, he sets off on an apology tour in the hopes of stopping the extortion plot.
Matt Bomer and Cameron Diaz play Hawk’s friends, alongside a star-studded cast including Susan Lucci, Martin Scorsese, Drew Barrymore, Laverne Cox and comedians Roy Wood Jr., Atsuko Okatsuka and David Spade.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles (April 15, Apple TV)
Nicole Kidman in "Margo's Got Money Troubles."
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Apple TV
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Based on the hit 2024 novel of the same name, Margo’s Got Money Troubles is about a 19-year-old aspiring writer and single mom (Elle Fanning) who lives in Fullerton and turns to OnlyFans to make ends meet.
Margo’s mom, an ex-Hooters waitress, is played by Michelle Pfeiffer, and her dad, a former pro wrestler, is played by Nick Offerman (with Nicole Kidman playing an old wrestling buddy of his).
The reality competition show Funny AF is only partially filmed/set in Los Angeles (with auditions also in New York and Chicago), but we’re including it on this list because the finale is set to take place in Los Angeles at the Netflix is a Joke Festival.
Comedian Kevin Hart hosts this search for “the next stand-up superstar,” with help from guest judges including Kumail Nanjiani, Chelsea Handler and Keegan-Michael Key.
Head coach Jerry West of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on from the bench during an NBA basketball game circa 1977 at The Forum in Inglewood, California. West coached the Lakers from 1976-79.
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Focus On Sport/Getty Images
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Getty Images North America
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Another slight outlier, we’re calling this documentary L.A.-based because of the Lakers connection. Jerry West: The Logo is about the All-Star Los Angeles Lakers player and executive whose silhouette was the basis for the NBA logo.
Directed by Kenya Barris (black-ish, BlackAF), the film features the final interviews West participated in before his passing in 2024. Other interviewees include Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, Shaquille O’Neill, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant.
Returning shows, also with SoCal locations
Hacks (April 9, HBO Max)
The fifth and final season of Hacks (HBO Max) premieres this week. The season was partially filmed in L.A., along with Las Vegas, New York and Paris. A side note on the show’s L.A. filming locations: the Altadena home that was featured as the “side mansion” of lead character Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) burned down in the 2025 Eaton Fire.
Euphoria (April 12, HBO Max)
The show, returning for a third season (which may be its last) is set in the fictional city of East Highland but is largely shot in and around Los Angeles. Zendaya returns to her Emmy-winning role of Rue, along with supporting cast members Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Elordi.
Beef (April 16, Netflix)
Much of the first season of the Netflix series, starring Ali Wong and Steven Yeun as strangers who meet through a road rage incident, filmed on location in the San Fernando Valley and Koreatown. Season 2 involves an entirely new story and cast, including Carey Mulligan and Oscar Isaac, and was filmed at least partially in downtown Ojai.
Running Point (April 23, Netflix)
The series where Kate Hudson plays a woman who’s unexpectedly put in charge of her family’s professional basketball team (inspired in part by the real-life Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss) films in L.A. and is also set here.
The Comeback (March 22, HBO Max)
The Comeback has already come back (in this latest iteration — its third and final season — last month), but new episodes of the Hollywood satire starring Lisa Kudrow are still coming out on Sundays.
