Page 70 of For the Love of City
I brushed off his surprise and just focused on putting in the work with this man.That would demonstrate to him the people we were more than anything. “Yeah. You need to make sure your mind is right to do this work and get this shit the way you want it to. You need to pay your rent up? Do it. Need a car, get some shit that’s reliable. Be smart cause a hundred grand spends quick.”
“We’ll spot you studio time for twelve tracks. Everything else is on you. Split that shit up between projects or whatever but make it count.” Travis threw out the rest of the deal so that he could understand that we wanted to work with him.
“We ain’t the type to just be throwing money at a nigga but we see you and what you’re about to be. You do your thing so giving you this bread ain’t shit.”
“Trav might be the person who discovered you but reach out to us about anything. Well, maybe not Ness, her nigga might have a problem. Send her ass a work email.”
Trav popped me in the chest with the back of his hand to get my attention. “Aye, you know that track she was shelving cause she ain’t had nobody to rap with her.”
I started smiling because I knew this was the easiest way to show this man how we really got down. “Damn, you right. Aye, you think you can handle getting in the studio soon?” I looked at Royce cause I wanted to see how he was going to work.
“You mean rapping withFinesse? Like being featured on her shit?” He looked shocked that we were going to do something so fast.
“Yeah what you think it means being on the label? Ain’t no hierarchy. We might own this shit but we will always put in work and help each other out. Keeping you small don’t do shit for us, bruh.”
Trav already had his phone out as he spoke and Lyric’s voice was on the line before Royce could respond.
“‘Ness we got somebody here we think would work well with you onDrip.”
“Oh shit! Finally. Who is it cause I was really about to bribe G to rap that shit.” She sounded excited about getting into the studio to work on this song.
Thinking about G with her on a track had me ready to shelve all this shit. “Last thing I want to hear is that nigga on another album with you.”
“WHATEVER! Who is it y’all got?”
Lyric knew that we wouldn’t bring somebody to her that was on some bullshit so her excitement was for a reason.
“Nigga so new he don’t even have a stage name yet.” Travis was laughing but that was something we would need to change quick.
“We can do this whenever. Is he ready to work?”
“Just like that?” Lyric didn’t know we had him in the room with us but I knew she wouldn’t mind him hearing her reaction.
“Yeah, when I’m ready to work it ain’t time to play. Can you handle that?” This was her baby even if she had made us all equal partners in this. Combined with him being on the song with her she wasn’t going to play around with her music.
He was nodding and I could see his excitement grow. “Yeah it’s no problem. I’m ready.”
“Cool. My schedule gone be in and out the next couple of months because of the season. I need to get a summer banger on the charts right now. Folks trying to act like Ness ain’t still here. And it’ll be good exposure for whatever it is you trying to do moving into the fall and the new year.” Lyric laid out the thought process for getting him in the studio quickly. He was going to see that Lyric’s ass was the real taskmaster when it came to her music. Her part was done. All he needed to do was bring the same lyricism to his bars and it could get released.
“As soon as it plays and streams you get paid. Residual income and shit.”
“That’s right. Hit me with the dates, C. Trav, I got somebody else for you to check out. But I’m out.” She hung up the phone not bothering to wait on anyone else.
He’d been able to catch a glimpse of the whirlwind that Lyric could be and he looked mildly stunned. “So what you think? You in?”
His face broke into a grin, and he nodded with new conviction. “Hell yeah, what I need to sign?”
Travis pulled out the tablet that held the contract. It would double as a way for us to communicate with him and give him the ability to keep his lyrics electronic so he didn’t lose them.
“It’s the twenty-first century, bruh. Get you a lawyer and start looking this shit over. Review it, have them explain what’s in it to you and then get it back to us. We can cut you a feature contract right now, though.”
His smile showed that we finally might be on the right track with this label. “I’m all in.”
Trav grinned and he stood up to shake Royce’s hand. “Good. Welcome toLyrically Sound.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Forever my Lady
