By Javacia Harris Bowser | For the Birmingham Times
To many in Birmingham and beyond, LaDarrius “LHUT” Hutcherson is known as one of the city’s top influencers who has made a name for himself creating viral video food reviews and content highlighting local events.
Thanks to his humor and heartfelt commentary, he’s garnered opportunities to work with major brands such as McDonald’s, One Music Fest, NASCAR and more. But Hutcherson wants the world to know he’s much more than an influencer — he’s a businessman, event organizer, TEDx speaker and now he’s adding a new title to his resume — published author.
This month, Hutcherson will release “Bloom Where You’re Planted,” his debut book through Cool Bird Publishing, which shares Hutcherson’s journey to success in Birmingham. The book is available for preorder at whatsupcousins.com.
“I feel like the story of just staying rooted is one that people don’t really think about,” Hutcherson told the Birmingham Times. “Everyone thinks that you have to leave to become this big person, but I feel like I did it right here, where I’m from.”
Since a viral video of a review of a local restaurant landed him in the limelight in 2022, Hutcherson has amassed over 70,000 followers on TikTok and over 20,000 followers on Instagram. About two years ago, he also launched an annual event called Eat & Greet, which serves attendees food, drinks and inspiration from a curated panel discussion and keynote speaker.
Eat & Greet III: Bloom Where You’re Planted is set for Sunday, Feb. 22 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at The Avondale West, 589 Bessemer Super Highway, Midfield, AL 35228. Tickets can be purchased via Eventbrite.
“Bloom Where You’re Planted” was inspired, in part, by Hutcherson’s TEDxAlabaster Talk by the same title, which he delivered at the inaugural TEDxAlabaster event held in August 2025 in Columbiana, Alabama.
About his book, Hutcherson hopes it will inspire others to embrace where they come from, stand proudly in their identity, and find impact right where they are. “But I’ve always wanted to write a book,” he said.
In fact, he started writing his life story in 2018, long before he became a well-known content creator. When he started pursuing a doctorate in 2021, he figured he’d one day turn his dissertation into his first published book. But once he found success in the digital space, he put those studies on hold. He also toyed with the idea of a children’s book but never got that project off the ground.
“Once TEDx happened, it came over me a couple weeks later that I wanted to get back to the idea of writing a book,” he recalled. “And I thought, what if I just turned my TEDx Talk into a book?”
On the TEDx stage, Hutcherson shared his story in seven minutes. With the book he had space to share much more. Though it only took him two months to expand his TEDx Talk into a book, because of this longstanding dream of being an author, Hutcherson said, “I feel like I’ve been writing this my whole life.”
A Love Letter to Birmingham
“Bloom Where You’re Planted” may share Hutcherson’s life story, but he believes it also shares the story of where he’s from. “I call it a love letter to myself, a love letter to God, and a love letter to Birmingham,” he said. “When I say Birmingham, it’s my family, my friends, everything that has made me who I am.”
What does Hutcherson love most about the Magic City? “Birmingham gave me grit,” he said. “We have this genuineness to us.”
Hutcherson loves to travel. Some of his favorite places to visit include New York City and Miami and he enjoys international travel to places such as the Turks and Caicos Islands. But for him, there’s no place like home.
“My village is here, my community is here,” he said. “I wish people didn’t just think of us as a place in the past. We are actually progressive. Is it a fast progression? No. Is it as fast as most of us would like? No. But have we come a long way? Absolutely. And we have potential. We have a lot more growth that’s going to happen.”
Successful
Hutcherson, who grew up in North Birmingham, said he knew he would be successful as early as his days at North Birmingham Elementary School.
“I didn’t know what that [success] would look like, per se, but I always made really good grades, and I was always active in school,” he said. He was a part of organizations like National Honor Society and Future Business Leaders of America. At Hudson Middle School, he won Student of the Year in sixth grade and was class representative in eighth grade. During his years at Carver High School, he was in the Student Government Association (SGA) and was of the school newspaper.
When he went on to study business at Jacksonville State University, he served on the student senate. Hutcherson figured he’d work in politics or pursue entrepreneurship but always had a desire to be creative and to be in the spotlight.
“When I was a child, I used to interview myself and I used to pretend I was on camera,” he shared. “I had no clue as to why I was doing that,” Hutcherson said with a laugh.
One of his favorite shows was “Zoom,” a half-hour variety show for children on PBS. The show featured child cast members presenting a wide range of content, including games, recipes, science experiments and more.
“I used to want to be on this show so bad,” Hutcherson said. “I could envision myself doing it, but I honestly put in the back of my mind… I was so conditioned that a boy is supposed to play football, he’s supposed to be an athlete, not be artistic or expressive.”
After college, Hutcherson began a career in marketing which he believes helps him as a content creator. “I’m just clever and my brain is always working,” he said. “I’m always thinking about something.”
Authenticity
When Hutcherson first started creating content, his videos weren’t getting much traction. Then in 2022, Hutcherson and a friend went to Ruth’s Place, a Black-owned restaurant in Irondale, Alabama, and shot a video that went viral and led to Hutcherson becoming the “LHUT” sensation he’s known as today.
“I really feel like the Ruth’s video was the first time I was just authentically being myself,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to conform to what I thought a food review was supposed to be.”
Though some call Hutcherson “The Keith Lee of Birmingham” (Lee is a former mixed martial arts fighter who gained millions of followers through TikTok food reviews), Hutcherson believes the best thing anyone looking to bloom in Birmingham can do is focus on being themselves.
“You don’t want to get famous for being someone that you’re not because then you have to keep up with that, and then now you’re a character, and you’re not able to be authentic,” he said.
Hutcherson describes his brand as “authentic, witty, and homegrown” and the person he is online is the same person you’ll meet in real life.
“And that’s why I think my audience resonates with me so much,” he added.
His catchphrase “What’s up, cousins!” is also a reflection of his relatability. “When my first video went viral a girl made a comment saying, ‘You feel like a cousin, like you’re a family member,’” he explained. And the idea for the greeting “What’s up, cousins!” was born.
“Bloom Where You’re Planted” by LaDarrius Hutcherson is available for preorder at whatsupcousins.com. Eat & Greet III: Bloom Where You’re Planted is set for Sunday, February 22 from 2 to 6 p.m. at The Avondale West, 589 Bessemer Super Highway, Midfield, AL 35228. Tickets can be purchased via Eventbrite.
