Nodding, I took the blunt and pulled from it before I responded. We were in my home studio, going through beats I’d made not long ago. Listening to my old work always inspired me to go harder and helped my creative juices flow. I was known for making up-tempo and drill beats since that was where the money seemed to be. For the last couple weeks, it’d been on my mind to try my hand at slower music. R&B was one of my favorite genres, but it had to be done right. I hadn’t made the beats yet, but I already had two female vocalists in mind for the tracks.
“Thanks, man. I’m trying to get Big Zo and Young Mylo on this one. They’ve never done a collab before, but that shit would stop the world.”
“Damn. I never thought about them two on the same track. I can see it though. With Mylo being a lyrical genius and Zo’s rawness, they’ll balance each other for sure,” Tripp stated.
“You feel me?”
My question was more of a statement. Tripp explained the vision exactly how I saw it, confirming that I needed to make the collab happen. I was still making a name for myself, but hoped my prior success with Mylo would work in my favor.
“What’s the word for tonight? One of my homies said a few of them goin’ to some club in Chicago,” Tripp revealed as he opened the container that held his nachos.
“Chicago? They got a hotel and shit? I know they ain’t about to get fucked up and drive over an hour back to Gwendal.”
“They asses didn’t get rooms. That’s part of the reason I’m not goin’. I can’t get lit and drive that far home. Plus, I don’t go out of town with niggas I don’t know. It only took me one time to learn my lesson with that.”
A few years back, Tripp had gone to Atlanta for the weekend for his homeboy’s birthday. All was well until I got a call at three in the morning. Apparently, Tripp was in the club trying to push up on some big timer’s girl. Shit got chaotic and Tripp got jumped by three dudes, beat within an inch of his life. Of course, people recorded it and I eventually saw the video from two different angles. Tripp was giving ol’ dude a run for his money until the other two niggas jumped in. They did my brother dirty and I’d never forget walking into the hospital room barely recognizing him. When I got the location to where he was staying, I had one goal in mind. If Tripp had been out with four other people, where the fuck were they at when he was getting jumped?
They all claimed they couldn’t get to Tripp once he was on the ground and didn’t know if the other men had guns. I wholeheartedly understood not wanting to risk your life to help someone else, but fuck that. Losing my brother over some senseless shit would’ve had me fucked up mentally. Tripp had left the hospital with seven broken bones and a collapsed lung. It took him several months to recover physically. Mentally, hewas a different man. From that point on, the deal was he didn’t go out of town with no other group of friends. I didn’t think his homeboy Deno would let anything like that happen, but you never know.
“I’m already knowin', bruh. We can go to Hittas if you want. It’s Jay’s birthday, so I’m sure he’s bringing the city out.”
“Oh shit, Big Jay? I ain’t heard shit. I’m down with that.”
“Yep. That’s all everybody in the studio been talkin’ about this past month. Supposedly he went all out. Open bar and all,” I explained.
Jay was the founder and owner of the Rhythm and Bliss music label. As of right now, Rhythm and Bliss was one of the most successful labels in the country. Seeing a Black man running it and calling the shots was inspirational. I’d only had a few encounters with Jay, but no one had complaints for the most part.
“Bet. I’ll get my hair cut and run to the mall real quick. I’m gon’ ride with you, if that’s cool.”
“That’s cool. I won’t lie and say I’m gon’ be there all night though.”
“That’s exactly why I’m riding with you. My ass don’t need to be in the booty club all night anyway. Marissa got my ass on a short leash.”
“That’s the same girl you were with not too long ago?”
“Yeah. I been fuckin’ with her for a few months now. We not committed, but I’m tryna show her I can be faithful. She different from the rest.”
“Here you go. You drunk in love now or some shit?” I teased.
“This why I ain’t said shit. I knew you was gon’ clown me.”
“I’m just fuckin’ with you, man. I’m glad you got a young lady who got you on the straight and narrow. A good woman is hard to come by.”
“They are. You’ll find you one soon. It’s a lot of hoes out here, but it’s a lot of good ones too. I’m about to bounce though. I’ll be back through here at midnight.”
After walking Tripp to the door, I locked it and went back into my studio. It was only four in the evening and I had no other plans for the day. My mom was enjoying a staycation downtown with one of her childhood friends, leaving me no one to harass. Taking a seat at my desk, I popped the lid open to my steak burrito and turned on old school music to help my creative gates open.
“I knew this shit was gon’ be over capacity,” I said, speaking more to myself.
The line wrapped around Hittas was so long there was no way they’d all be able to get inside. At least not anytime soon.
“Hell yeah. I’m glad you got a section. Ain’t no way in the hell I’d be out here in this long ass line. Looks like judgment day and everybody trying to get into them pearly gates,” Tripp joked.
“Bruh, what the fuck?” I laughed. “Why would you say some shit like that?”
“’Cus that’s exactly what it looks like. I know you said it’s an open bar, but I’ll fuck around and buy a bottle anyway.”
“You sure? They probably taxin’ like a mafucka tonight. A bottle gone be three hundred dollars,” I admitted as I turned into the packed parking lot.
