When we stepped into the main room, it was filled with all our closest family and friends, including some from high school. His team was also in attendance, along with everyone who contributed to his first album. Well, not everyone, because Que was not on the guest list. He made several attempts to reach out to me, but I declined. At one point, he became aggressive and showed up at my old house, tearing it up. Keynauri told me he would take care of things, and a few days later, Que was on the news after being shot in a drive-by shooting. He survived, but he was wheelchair bound. I never heard from him again, and I never bothered to ask Keynauri what he did because it was none of my business.
Everyone screamed and cheered when we walked in. Keynauri walked around, greeting everyone. He loosened up as the party started. The music and the vibes were everything, and we found ourselves singing and rapping along to the lyrics. After the first hour, I was ready to eat, so I told the caterer to bring out the food. We all sat at the decorated tables and ate like kings. Logic, East, and Spinz were chopping it up with Keynauri, so I used themoment to head over to the DJ booth. Grabbing the mic, I called for everyone’s attention.
“I decided to get this out of the way because my man is giving me the side-eye, trying to figure out what’s going on. First, I want to thank everyone for coming. I wanted this to be intimate, and I’m grateful for the people we are blessed to have in our lives. Some of these connections are friendships that started way back on the playground, and it means the world to me to have you all here. Today is a very special day because it’s the day the world was blessed with one of the best people on the planet, but it’s not the only thing we are celebrating.” I nodded for the team to bring out the surprise.
“When Fatima reached out to me, we both agreed we wanted to save the announcement for a special occasion. Keynauri worked so hard, and he had no idea how much his music impacted his fans.
“We were recently notified that not only has From The Bottom received a Grammy nomination, but it also sold over five million units in the first year. It is the first rap album by a new artist to go multiplatinum in such a short time. We wanted to take this time to honor the man behind the album. I’m so incredibly proud of you, baby.
“I remember you used to sit up and write raps in your room and critique your own work. I could see the hunger in your eyes even then, and I prayed you would one day be able to live out your dream. You have accomplished so many amazing things in the face of circumstances that would have caused others to fold and give up.
“You are a physical representation of endurance and determination. You are an inspiration to so many young black men and boys who have a dream, but their circumstances are difficult. Our children think you’re a hero because of the way youmake their pancakes and clean their boo-boos, but one day, they will come to know just how much of a Superman you truly are.
“Today, we celebrate you for your accomplishments, and we recognize you for all of the hard work you put into your craft. I’m sure Spinz and East get tired of you redoing those songs over and over again, but it simply shows how passionate you are about your gift.” The crowd laughed, but I could tell Keynauri was getting emotional.
“I love you so much, and it’s truly an honor to watch you live out your dreams. I’m grateful to be a part of your journey, and I wanted you to see how many people are cheering you on. Your fans adore you, but they only get to see a glimpse of the man we are blessed to know. I pray God continues to show favor on you and carries you to heights you can’t begin to dream of. You deserve every good thing coming your way, and I’ll be here to remind you. Happy birthday, and congratulations, superstar!”
The room erupted into loud cheers. Keynauri wiped his face before swaggering over to me. Absentmindedly, I bit my bottom lip as I admired the handsome man coming in my direction. His aura screamed boss ass nigga, and he truly embodied it to the fullest.
“You’d better stop looking at me like that before I show these people how you got in this predicament in the first place,” Keynauri joked, palming my belly in his hands. He kissed me passionately, causing the room to fill with ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs.’ I was so embarrassed; meanwhile, he shrugged his shoulders arrogantly.
I stepped back to allow his label to present him with his plaque. They took turns giving him praise for a job well done, and I loved every minute of it. Keynauri was such a humble man that it was hard for him to receive accolades. He hated it when people made a fuss over him, but he was truly worthy of it.
After everyone finished, we went over to the cake station so my man could cut his birthday cake. I reached out to a famous cake decorator named Benet Wilson. I had been following her for a while, and I loved her work. I didn’t care how much it cost; I needed her on my team. She created a three-tier cake with the theme colors. There were music notes made out of fondant, a platinum record on top, and a bunch of other decorations geared toward music. Keynauri grew tired of me snapping photos, so I put my phone away.
“Baby, this cake is dope as fuck. You really did your thing at this party. I would have been just as happy lying around with you and my babies, but I appreciate you going out of your way to make me feel special. Ou se zanj mwen (You are my angel.)” Both of us had Haitian blood, but he was the only one who spoke Creole. My grandmother taught me how to cook Haitian dishes, but she passed before I could learn the native language. Anytime he spoke the language, it sent chills through my body, and I wanted to ride him into the sunset.
I hired a photographer named Loyal Graham to take videos and photos of the party. It might have been extra, but I felt the need to capture all our important memories because life was too short.
“Happy birthday, Big Dawg.” He greeted Keynauri. When he looked over at him, a huge smile graced his face.
“What the hell are you doing here?” The two of them shook hands, and I could tell they must have been familiar with each other.
“Your wife hired my team to take pictures and shit. When I found out who it was for, I knew I had to show my face. Congratulations, bro. I remember when we used to have to hide our chains and shit ’cause you and Logic used to steal. Now, you’re out here doing big shit in the industry.”
I covered my mouth as I chortled. Most people who didn’t know him from back in the day thought Keynauri was a kind and innocent man with a past. They had no idea that he and his crew used to raise hell in the streets.
“Man, fuck you. You already know what time it was. Rent was due, and a nigga was hungry. We had to get it by any means necessary. You’re lucky I looked up to y’all because Wisdom had a nice ass four-wheeler that I used to have my eyes on. Shit, y’all used to walk around like some walkin’ licks,” Keynauri teased.
“Yeah, if you had tried it, yo’ ass would have gotten jumped. I never played about my shit. My pops used to tell us if a nigga ever robbed us, we better catch them before we brought our ass home because he was gon’ whup our ass. That nigga was crazy as hell, so I made sure I came home with all my shit intact.”
The two of them continued to catch up while I scurried off to catch up with my girls. Lyric and I had grown close since our trip to Cancun. Plus, we were both pregnant, which led to us bonding over milestones and mutual symptoms. East hovered over her the same way Keynauri hovered over me, only I think he might have been a little worse. He barely wanted her to take a piss by herself, and we all found it hilarious.
“Hey, best friend! This party is top tier. I might need you to hook me up with all of your contacts for my birthday next year. I’m trying to do it big,” Nova praised.
“Let me know what you need, and I’ve got you. I’ll be pregnant for my birthday, so I think I want to take another vacation. I’ve been looking up resorts in St. Maarten or Tulum. Keynauri said I can have whatever I want.”
“I bet he did with your spoiled ass,” Nova teased.
“Hey, I’m not denying it at all. I love my man, and he gives me the world,” I boasted. It took a while to get used to letting him do things for me, but he never gave me another option.
“I know you’re not talking about Ari being spoiled. Didn’t Logic buy you a brand-new Lexus truck just because you told him you liked it?” Lyric blurted out.
“We are not talking about me; we are talking about my good sis. Hey, I can’t help that my man is a trick, and he loves to see me happy. I use these throat skills for good and evil. It depends on the occasion.” Nova tittered.
One of the servers brought me a piece of cake, so I took a seat to rest my feet and indulge. My mouth watered, and my eyes rolled when I took the first bite. It tasted even better than it looked. The texture was rich and moist.
“Friend, you’re over there looking like you’re having an orgasm,” Nova shouted.
