OK1st: Juvenile, Luh Tyler, Lakeyah and More Dish on Their First-Ever Dates Ahead of Valentine's Day

Nineteen years old is a little young to be out of your dating phase, but, on a February afternoon that’s colder than the heart of that baddie who was too cruel to see how great you were, that’s exactly where Luh Tyler seems to be. 

“I ain't never really been on a real date for real,” he tells me. “I just go out to eat, but it ain't like really on no date s**t.”  In reality though, formal “dates” are just that: nominal distinctions we make either to hedge a relationship’s seriousness, trust issues, or because Future said, “Chicken wings and fries, we don’t go on dates.” The truth is, any kind of linkup can be a date as long as the intent is somewhere between “I wanna love you forever” and demon time. It’s different for everyone. But if you’ve ever been in your feels for somebody else — and if you’re even decently successful and bagging, sometimes — you’ve been on a date before. But when was your first one?

Ahead of Valentine’s Day,  for the first edition of OK1st, Okayplayer caught up with Luh Tyler, Juvenile and others about their first-ever date experiences. Tap in to hear what they’ve got to say for yourself below.   

Luh Tyler

Luh Tyler: My first date ever was a trip to the trampoline park. I was like, 13 or 12. 

I was trying to get my mama to drop me off, 'cause she wasn't really trying to take me. I'm like, No, “Ma, I got a girl up here. You gon’ embarrass me, you gotta let me slide.” And she let me slide. She paid for me. My mama always got me — she gave me a little $20 in my pocket, so I'm in there buying candy and little drinks and sodas, and then we jumping on the trampolines.

I ain't have no money back then, but we were still having fun. Like, nowadays, that shit ain't happening. When you were a kid, you could have fun with no money. 

Armani White

Armani White: My first date was at the movie theaters in 8th grade. I had this terrible Hollister shirt with the letters spelling the brand down. My girlfriend had my hoodie on and my mom dropped me off but we lied and said we were going with our friends, not a date.

My mom still didn’t let me have girlfriends at the time, so she dropped me off at the movies but when me and my girl met up and walked in the theater my mom was at the top of the stairs covering her face [laughs]. 

My favorite part was when when we left and started stealing all the 3D glasses to make shades out of them later. I also couldn’t afford no expensive ass Twizzlers so I stole some for my queen.

Bushy B

Bushy B: See, I was really strategic. I was really intentional with [my first date]. So, I was about to ask this girl to be my girlfriend. My cousin had a rental car service where he'd be driving black trucks and picking people up. I hit him up. I'm like, "Man, cuz, be my driver for tonight." So I told him I want to take this girl out on a date. So I went and bought some flowers. I had them sitting in the truck with him before I even got there. I had the girl pull up on me, then he pulled up in the truck. So he was the driver. She never knew that was my cousin.

He opened the doors. He did the whole player vibe for me. He drove us outside the restaurant. A nice restaurant — a waterfront restaurant where we ate on the side of the water. It was real nice. So I got some cool points for that. This was probably about a year ago. I'd been on dates, but this was my first real, actual date-date. And this is the girl I'm dating now.

I was a little nervous. I'm like, man, I hope my cousin shows up on time. I'm hoping the place ain't too tight, that they got our reservation. And what's so crazy is, she always jokes about this, I got sauce on my shirt. I'm like, oh, man. But it was all good.

It felt like a little movie. Riding and sitting across from her — I usually sit next to the person when I go eat, but I sat across from her. The ambiance was right. It was a perfect night. The lights was hitting, it wasn't too cold or too hot, and we sat outside next to the water. Just being present right there. That was an amazing night.

Fredo Bang

Fredo Bang: One of the first dates I went on was to the movies. I think it was around Christmas or something like that. I think we saw A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas. I think I ate her c***hie in the [movie] theater. I got popcorn and a movie. I had to ask my mama for the money.

I was happy with that first date. She had a wonderful time. There was a second date. She became my girlfriend.

Lakeyah

Lakeyah:  When I was younger, we would have to meet up at malls and stuff. So, my first real date was probably at Barnes & Noble. I was probably 16.

What I liked about it specifically was just somebody being in my world and being okay with being in my world, because I like to read books and I didn't want to go out to eat. I didn't want to go to the movies. I wanted to do that. And I didn't want nobody to interrupt that. And he was like, "Okay, I'll  be in there with you." We were just vibing, getting to know each other, reading and drinking Starbucks.

Juvenile

Juvenile: I never really went on dates. I wouldn't call it a date because nobody didn't go to no spot or nothing. I went by people houses, girls' houses and stuff that I knew, and we would be kicking in the front of the house, if you wanna call that a date. 

We’d be in the front yard with the family, with the brothers and sisters.  Eventually, we'll get something to eat. But my first girl’s mom would make me go home when the sun was going down, like, “Get the hell away from my house.” 

[If you want to shoot your shot] go ahead and take your chance. Take your chance; don’t be scared. You know that it's only two things a person can say: yes or no. Don't be one of those people who can't accept “no.”

Denise Julia

Denise Julia:  I was 18 years old when I went on my first date.

What I remember most was how cinematic it felt at the time. He was a musician, and after I casually tweeted that I wanted coffee, he actually climbed 10 floors just to bring me one. I remember being genuinely surprised by the effort. There was something so disarming about seeing someone take such a small, passing comment and treat it like it mattered. I remember holding that cup and feeling this mix of comfort and disbelief, like wow, someone really did all that just to make me smile. After that, we went to a restaurant and later hung out at school, just talking and spending time together. It had that soft, innocent energy that only exists when you’re young and everything feels new.

The most awkward moment was the quiet realization, when, somewhere during the date, that I didn’t actually like him the way I thought I might. Nothing dramatic happened, but I could feel my avoidant side switch on. It was that internal tension of trying to stay present while already emotionally halfway out the door.  I ended up ghosting him.