Page 29 of For the Love of City
I leaned back in this overpriced ass office chair that Lyric insisted I needed. To be real, I was hesitant about the whole office thing too but it made sense. I craved having a minute to just have silence after so long inside. It was why even though I was pissed at her gesture, I appreciated the condo she got me. It was a respite after sharing space with Lyric and then being locked up.
Trav’s hand went to his chest like he was offended. “Me, a snake?”
“You think I don’t be seeing the lil hints and shit you be throwing out? Be pissing me off.”
He grinned, which only affirmed that he was doing the shit to get under my skin. “I know and I be ignoring that shit hard as hell. That’s what makes it even funnier.”
I faked laughed then stopped abruptly before glaring at his ass from across the desk. “Me and my nine got some shit you can laugh at.”
“You not finna do shit.”
“I ain’t gone have to, Porsha’s ass gone do it. Then you gone be looking at her like ‘oh my god what I do sis?’ Better stop playing in her fucking face.”
He was back laughing but I ain’t said shit that was funny. “Not Pretty P being a killer.”
“In multiple ways. Don’t let all them labels and elegance she possess fool you. The deadliest things come in the prettiest packages. It’s how they lure in their prey. She done told y’all she from theBloody Nickeland y’all need to put some respect on her hood. Them Houston muthafuckas ain’t wrapped too tight. You was the main one who peeped her ass from jump but now you doubting her thug. She gone have to show you some shit now.”
“You talking like y’all ain’t one in the same.”
“Hell nah, I ain’t denying shit. We a match made in heaven. Anyway, who we seeing today? This shit got me ready to retire cause nobody really giving a fuck about being here.”
We had too many people show up in the last few days that were just trying to see Lyric or get put on because they looked the part. I was all for people trying a different path, but folks had to be fucking for real. The fucking rap game in Atlanta used to be diverse as hell. But now niggas all just sounded the same. Or didn’t want to be themselves. Everybody wanted to be the next Migos or Future. I was probably to blame, though. I grew up when Atlanta rap was in its infancy and then hit its peak. WithSo So Def,Outkast,Lil JonandPastor Troy. All made club music but the shit was all different. Now everybody rapped the same, sounded the same, and even looked the same. Substance was lost by the majority but artists like Lyric,6lackand hopefully someone we could find would put Atlanta back on the map.
“How you already ready to go? Itching to get back to Texas?” He smirked like he had something on me but I didn’t have shit to hide.
“Fucking right I am. I ain’t been home in three days. I’m ready to be out. Keep trying to tell you man, fucking mumble rappers ruined the game. Rap was revolutionary. It was a way to make you think. Feel pride about the things they attempted to shame us over. I’m all for a good club banger but don’t nobody talk about nothing no more? Not one track on some deep shit. Capitalism fucking killed the soul of rap and that shit is becoming ore clear with each person we bring in here.”
I wanted to be laid up under Porsha especially with how she sounded when her truck got delivered. She’d been talking about letting go of her sedan for a minute but I told her to chill because it was a good car. It was the first thing she’d purchased when she finally paid off the loan for her building and I understood those types of milestones. Instead of her losing a piece of her history, I gave her a car that would carry her into the future. And hopefully keep my ass a passenger in it.
I was fine with how we were moving. Not on some simp shit but because I knew P was mine. She ain’t date other niggas, she knew I was only for her and we just worked. I hated Lyric not knowing but besides that; we were too good together andforone another for me to rock the boat. Instead, I moved with her the way I would even if I had a title. I could read Porsha like a book and I had her heart just like she had mine.
“You act like Atlanta rap always been on some metaphysical shit.” Trav had me out of my feelings and back to reality just that fast.
“Everywhere ain’t Atlanta, and still some of it has been. Andre 3000 and Big Boi would like to have a word. Something got to give, bruh. Lyric can’t be the best fucking artist and lyricist on the label.”
I hated being frustrated with how shit was going but it couldn’t be helped. My name being on something that wasn’t a success wasn’t an option. I wasn’t going to cheat to win because that was for lames, but we had to find the real talent that was out here. There was no way hip hop was dead.
He sat up like he was confused by what I was saying. “Shit, why not? She the best artist out there right now, male or female.”
“She might not want to do this shit forever. And building an entire label off the back of one person makes me feel too much like them ho ass Laws. As a newlywed, she deserves a minute to take her mind off of work and just be for a second. Hand this shit off and know that the business she put everything into gone have her even when she relaxing. She might wanna pop out a baby in a few years—”
“She done told y’all she ain’t having kids yet.” I knew this nigga wasn’t out here checking me about my youngin’ like I ain’t know how she felt about that shit.
“Yet. But that shit might change. Andnot yet,ain’tnever. I ain’t in a rush to be a grandpa or big uncle or nun that. But thinking logically about the stage of life she’s in makes me want to hustle harder so that if she puts down her pen her account gone still grow exponentially. Lyric is gone always be my chap and I don’t care if she got a husband. I’mma always make sure she got what she needs.”
Travis sat up and had a look of determination on his face. It wasn’t just about the money for any of us, this was a legacy. Lyrically Sound had her name on it and was for the family. There was no way we would let our legacy be based on some bullshit.
“Then let’s get through this shit then. Set us all up for the future. I’m still working on this one cat I met. He’s from Vine and to be real, nigga don’t really see this shit as viable. I’m having to bully his ass to even get him up here.”
“Bully? The fuck?”
“He ain’t wanna do it. Said that staying small and underground keeps the limelight off him. He just wanna make art and fuck the games. That’s the hopeless mentality his ass has engrained in him and he won’t shake it.” Trav was shaking his head like recounting the work it was taking to get dude to sign was pissing me off all over again.
“This the one I wanna see the most then. Where you find him at?”
“He had a mixtape out and I got a copy of it. Went to hunt his ass down and nigga thought I was gone rob him before he realized who I was. He got heart and he got talent. Since we don’t have him signed yet, I didn’t put his shit in the system. I got it in my bag though, if you wanna listen to it.”
“I ain’t gone bother if he don’t bring his ass in here. Who his people?”
