Quick-Fire Quips is a speedy questionnaire where we get to know people who stand out in the State of Alabama! In this episode, Alabama Public Radio host Baillee Majors talks with Birmingham native, local social media influencer and foodie LaDarrius Hutcherson a.k.a. LHUT.
Baillee: Hey, LaDarrius! Happy to have you on!
LaDarrius: Hey, how you doing? I'm happy to be on.
Baillee: For people who don't know, can you explain what is a social media influencer?
LaDarrius: A social media influencer is someone who can take a product, service, or different industries, and put it out there to their followers and essentially influence them to support that particular product. That's my definition of what a social media influencer.
Baillee: You call yourself "The Original Experience Reviewer." Can you explain that?
LaDarrius: When I first started doing content, a lot of people wanted me to be the food reviewer guy, and I said, "No, no, no. I'm a lot more than that, because I actually like to do different experiences outside of food."
I think there's experiences in museums, in concerts and fun adult game, spots and things like that. It's a lot more to me than just food. So, I consider myself to be an experienced reviewer, because I believe that that encompasses so many different things.
Baillee: You have some very exciting news. Can you tell me about the LHUT Meal?
LaDarrius : The LHUT Meal is my very first curated meal that I'm responsible for. I've reviewed restaurants over the past three years. Jake's Soul Food Cafe, the owner, Christina (Renteria), reached out, and she wanted to offer me the opportunity to create my own meal, and it's been an amazing experience.
It's super exciting! It's going to be released on to the public on August 8th. They'll be able to get it every Friday in the month of August. After that — in September, October, November — they'll be able to get it Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
(Jake's Soul Food Cafe has locations in Tuscaloosa and Hoover)
Baillee: Awesome, congratulations! That's very exciting.
LaDarrius: Thank you so much! Thank you. Yes, I'm super excited!
Baillee: Now the introductions are done, let's get you warmed up to answer the questionnaire. To do that, I want you to say Quick-Fire Quips three times fast.
LaDarrius: Okay. Quick-Fire Quips, Quick-Fire Quips, Quick-Fire Quips!
Baillee: Bit of a tongue twister there! Okay, here is the first question: What is the first word that comes to mind when you hear Alabama?
LaDarrius: History.
Baillee: What's a bad stereotype or something that people get wrong about Alabama?
LaDarrius: I think they think we still have dirt roads and horses.
Baillee: What is something that you wish more people knew about when it comes to being a social media influencer?
LaDarrius: I think I wish more people realize how much work goes into it and mental capacity that you have to have to to endure it.
Baillee: One video that you would see on TikTok or YouTube, how long does that take you to do?
LaDarrius: It's a process. I have to go record it... it doesn't necessarily get posted that next day or so. It could be like a week after that I posted, or a week and a half, two weeks after.
I have to get around to being able to edit it. Editing probably takes me about anywhere from like hour to two hours, depending on what I'm doing, what type of video it is. Then I have to come up with a caption... So, if I had to, say the length of time, I would give it about at least eight hours.
Baillee: Oh, wow! Okay, next question: What's a southern phrase that you catch yourself using a lot?
LaDarrius: Y'all!
Baillee: Yes, that's in every Southerner's handbook. That, along with "bless your heart."
LaDarrius: "Y'all," for sure.
Baillee: What is a hidden gem in Birmingham that more people should know about?
LaDarrius: Burning Tree (Smokehouse). It's a barbecue restaurant. Some of the best barbecue in the in the city, honestly.
Baillee: Next question, why do you specifically focus your content on local businesses and experiences in the Birmingham area?
LaDarrius: If I'm being honest, when I first started, I didn't have a plan on what I was doing or where I was doing it. That was never technically my plan. I'm just a person that believes in destiny, and things happening to whatever they're supposed to.
The way the community in Birmingham has taken a liking to what I do, I don't ever see myself losing that. I've done other places as well, but Birmingham is home... and anytime there's something going on, anytime there's a new business, people think of me. I don't know if I would necessarily get that same home love anywhere else.
With that being said, I'm actually doing TED Talk next month on TEDxAlabaster. The name of my TED Talk is called "Bloom Where You're Planted." I'm doing it August the 15th. It's talking about being okay with being from a small town, or what people would consider to be a smaller town, versus L.A. or Houston or Dallas.
Baillee: What's a message you'd like to send to anyone who's interested in content creation?
LaDarrius: It's not a monolith. There's so many different ways to tap into the market of being an influencer, and it looks different for everybody. But I think that a lot of people have been so used to seeing it done in one particular way.
My way has been super unconventional. It has not been done this way before. I have never seen it done like this to this magnitude, and that's because I just didn't seek out anything. I didn't come into it with any type of preconceived notion. I just would start a recording on my phone, and it just happened, and that's just the honest truth.
Baillee: I love it! Next question, do you have any superstitions or irrational fears?
LaDarrius: I think all the superstitions I have were ones that I grew up right listening to... My grandma, she didn't like umbrella being opened up in the house, or she didn't like stepping on a crack and splitting a pole. It's just so many different ones.
When you think about it, it's kind of insane. I love my grandma, but I think things are just going to happen the way they're going to happen. I don't think me splitting the pole is going to make it happen, you know. That's my mindset now.
Baillee: Next question, what's something on your bucket list?
LaDarrius: I really want to do a very thorough overseas type of trip. Two months, and I'm just traveling the world. Honestly, fitting in as many different countries, and everything as I can, in like two months. That's like what I really, really want to do.
Baillee: Who was your childhood hero?
LaDarrius: My grandmom was a big one. My mom and my uncle, Chris... When I say hero, I look to them like a safety net, so to speak. They always had my back. Even when I felt like I was doing something like super duper wrong, they never made me feel bad about my wrongs. To me, that's a hero. I never had really like any public figures that I look to like that.
Baillee: Would you say they're still your heroes today?
LaDarrius: Absolutely, yeah, because they root me out. It's that same feeling today. Unfortunately, my grandma is no longer here with us, but she is still my heavenly hero.
Baillee: Here's the last question, what does Alabama need?
LaDarrius: I think Alabama needs more touristy things, more things that attracts people here other than history, which we are known for — and I'm super proud of that — but I think we also have a lot more to offer, especially now. So, I think more touristy attractions would be great.
Baillee: That's it for today's Quick-Fire Quips, a speedy questionnaire where we get to know people who stand out in the state of Alabama.
That was Birmingham native, local social media influencer and foodie LaDarrius Hutcherson a.k.a. LHUT. I'm your host, Baillee Majors!
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