HARLEM, NEW YORK CITY - September 2007
DANA POV
Oh, hi! I didn't see you there. My name is Dana Jayne Marley. Some people call me Dana, others call me DJ. I'm 19 years old and I'm from Detroit, Michigan. The handsome-looking guy next to me in the picture is my idiot yet adoring brother Sharif. He's two years older than me and always wants to tell me what to do! Our parents divorced when I was five and Sharif was seven. We lived mostly with our Mom but Dad was always there for us too. We moved to Harlem from Detroit two months ago because my mom found a job as a teacher.
Sharif left home when he turned eighteen, met a girl and had my twin nieces Kara and Kaya (born January 7, 2007). I don't want any kids right now...I don't even have a boyfriend! It's been hard adjusting to community college, not that I had that many friends any damn way. To save money, I live with my Mom and work part time as a pizza delivery driver. The tips are lousy, but I like the customers.
I work at the best pizza place in Harlem: 2 Bros. Pizza Place. We have a jukebox outside which seems to attract all the local rappers and shit. Half of them are fucking garbage, except this one group. They're led by this guy wearing neatly done cornrows in a ponytail. Smokey Robinson's "Much Better Off" was playing and the leader starting rapping....
Rakim: Okay let's get past all the swag trapping and fashion talking
You want that take it to gats or keep it in rapping talking
They rapping bars it get embarrassed, it actually happens often
You my son like my last abortion, I'm just laughing off it
I changed rap with fashion four way, yeah I'm that important
You jack my style, she jack me off, and y'all both acting awkward?
Jiggling baby, nah, go ahead bitch
Ain't nothing better than the pretty big forehead bitch
Listen close I got some shit to tell you, motherfuckers get familliar
It's not just model bitches on my genitalia
Did Azalea's from Australia, trips to Venezuela
Cinderella's under my umbrella for different weather
Ella, ella, ay just play it like I didn't tell ya
Niggas taking pictures any time we get together
And hope to fly away one day just like some love birds
Only one word I'm afraid of is the "love" word
Everyone was "ooohing" and "aaahing". I smiled for a bit and walked past them to the train back home. The leader guy followed me. From the corner of my eye, the rest of them were too! Oh damn, what did I start?
Rocky: Hey girl, slow down.
Me: I-I-I-I'm gonna be late for the train.
Rocky: We ain't gon' hurt you, girl. Besides, the train doesn't come for another 12 minutes.
I reached the top of the platform and he was right! No train for 12 minutes.
Rocky: I be seeing you washing dishes and filling up the soda cooler at 2 Bros. You look cute when you ain't in ya uniform.
Me: Ummm....thanks.
Rocky: What's ya name?
Me: Why?
Illz: Why? That's your name? Yo Mama was creative!
The rest of them looked at him like he was stupid.
Nast: This dumb ass mofo.
Twelvyy: I can't deal with this shit, bruh.
Ferg: Boooa.
Yams: What he said.
Rocky: Nigga, sitcho ass down! I know using ya brain is a challenge, bruh bruh.
Illz: I ain't know!
Rocky: Gone fuck around and give yourself a concussion.
I laughed.
Me: Dana.
Rocky: Dana. Pretty name. Simple, but pretty. Anyone tell you that you look a LOT like---
Me: Aaliyah? Yeah, I get that a lot.
Rocky: So, why ya man ain't picking you up from work? Pretty girl shouldn't be taking the train so late. Where you going?
Me: Harlem.
Rocky: Oohhh, we from Harlem. Let us walk you home.
Me: Ummm, I---
Rocky: Don't object. If you do, we gon follow you all the time...and considering this dumb nigga in our squad, that ain't the best thing to choose.
Me: Okay. Mr....
Rocky: Mayers. Rakim Mayers. But you can call me A$AP Rocky.
Me: ASAP? As soon as possible!? Hahahahahhaa!!!!
Yams: Nah, it stands for Always Strive and Prosper. That's what we live by, baby girl.
Me: Oh, are you guys rappers?
Rocky: Not all of us. Me, Ferg, Nast, Twelvyy, and Ant do all the rapping. Bari, Yams, and Illz do the creative directing and shit.
Me: What are you guys known as collectively?
Them: THE A$AP MOB!!!
Me: You guys are like the new Wu-Tang. That's cool.
Ferg: Yeah, you can say that.
The train had came, and Rocky just gravitated toward me. He seems sweet, charming, and polite. Not what I would expect from a rapper. You know how THOSE guys are.
I hope that my meeting him isn't a slippery slope for something else....
YOU ARE READING
Good Luv: DeVante Swing vs. A$AP Rocky
FanfictionDana Marley is the devoted and long-suffering girlfriend of Harlem rapper A$AP Rocky. She was there for him when he was in a homeless shelter, when his debut single "Peso" went viral leading to his 3 million dollar record deal with Sony, and when hi...
