Page 41 of So This Is Love

“Let me see if y’all remember this one,” Dez says to the crowd as the first notes of the next song plays.

Dez starts the song out alone, singing the first verse and chorus and then I join him. I start to sing the beginning of my verse, walking slowly out onstage. The intensity and energy of the crowd grows as they realize the surprise and start to sing along.

The crowd is a blur of swaying bodies and lights from people’s phones as they record the performance. We keep singing together, dancing and moving around the stage, engaging with the audience until the end of the song.

“Y’all ready for some more?” Dez asks the crowd, holding out his mic to them.

They respond with loud cheers as the next song starts to play.

He gives a wicked smile. “Aight, let’s get it.”

The high of walking off the stage is unreal. I’m giddy and out of breath, but so damn happy. We performed two more songs and the vibes of the music reminded me of my love for music and sharing it with others.

My contract with my previous label and the negative feelings I had about my last tour made me forget about this part. All ofthe bad overshadowing this, the good. My wildest dreams that became a reality. But now it’s time to do them on my own terms.

***

A week later, Xavier drives my truck around the large fountain in the middle of the driveway and parks next to the other luxury vehicles out front. Blue was sent an alert when we went through security at the front of his gated community so he’s aware of our presence and opens the front door as Xavier and I get out of the car. I grab my bag from the backseat, sliding it over my shoulder and shutting the door.

“What’s good,” Blue says in greeting as we walk up the steps to the front door.

We dap each other up and I step inside the foyer taking in Blue’s mansion. He leads us through a large, two story living room and through a hallway to a door that leads down to his basement.

I let out a low whistle. “We ain’t in the hood no more huh?”

“A whole lot has changed, that’s for sure,” Blue says, a cocky smile on his face.

Blue was the first person I ever recorded music with. He had a home studio and would work with the guys in the neighborhood before he started working in an actual studio. Me and some of my friends from back then would pool our money together to pay for studio time because none of us could afford the cost on our own.

When I reached out to set up some recording time with Blue he told me that he had a home studio, but I wasn’t expecting a setup this grand. The walls are painted a dark gray and have soundproofing all over them. There’s a pool table and a bar onthe left side with a mini fridge. Off to the right are couches and a large TV.

On a platform in the middle of the room is a large table filled with monitors, mixing equipment, and TVs. The recording booth is right in front of it with a large window for the engineer and person recording to be able to see each other.

“I do some things here and there, but my days of grinding hard are behind me,” Blue says. “But we go way back so you know I got you, whatever you need.”

“I appreciate you for making time,” I say, taking a seat on one of the couches by the booth.

Blue sits in the chair in front of the mixing desk.

“Do you have something specific in mind already or did you just want to vibe and see where things go?”

“A little of both. I have a couple tracks I want to put down for sure, but other than that we can just see where things take us.”

“Cool,” Blue says, tapping some things out on his computer keyboard. “Send me what you have and we can go from there.”

I send him all the files and I see them all brought up on the TV screen in front of us. Dozens of files. Most of it is just beats, the lyrics written down in my writing journal in my bag. But a few of them are voice recordings, nothing fancy, just me singing as I play the piano.

“Where do you want to start?”

I point to one of the files on the screen. “Here.”

Blue clicks on it and is about to start it when I interject. “It’s different from anything I’ve done before.”

Blue presses a button and the track starts, all piano at first.

“Acoustic?” Blue says, raising a brow in surprise.

I just nod, sitting back on the couch and listening to the rest of the song. As the last notes play I look over at Blue and try to gauge his feelings on the song. This is the first time that anyoneelse has heard anything new that I’ve written, and I know that Blue will give it to me straight.

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