The Exception

Chapter 4

oBy the first week of November I was back in full studio mood. My usual schedule involved me waking up around like 10, eating, work out, and then studio for as long as needed. The news that I was working on new stuff hit the media like a storm and everyone hip-hop related website was waiting to hear on my new stuff. It was rare to find me  as a  feature on a song but when people started to get pics of me walking around and in the studio Mark started going crazy, trying to handle my increasing schedule.

Of course I always did work with my homeboys but everyone was doing their own thing. Will had taken a good 1/4 of the group with him on tour and the rest were spread out doing their own thing or touring with other people. My whole mob was split up but I still had like 5 people rolling with me and crashing at the pad. NY was getting dry and I actually headed out to LA to try and get some more work done. Withing a week I knew that wasn't going to happen so I got on the road and contemplated going out and performing or just recording. 

When we landed down in Houston I just rented out a house on a monthly basis and just started going to work on the music. I wanted to have about 30 songs by the end of the month and then I would have to go back to RCA and show them what I had. Mark was pushing for me to have a single out in January and then start going on a major promo tour but I wasn't sure if I was ready for that. 

As I got used to life in Houston mad people started roaming in and out of the house but one night Will stopped through on his tour and I made sure to show up for him. We had worked on this new track like the  night before and everyone was waiting to see if I would come out for his show. I was always prepared but he never said anything so I went to the show with my boys and we were hanging like front row. There were a couple of fans that I took pics with but I was there watching the crew perform. Then all of a sudden I hear Carter start calling for me in the crowd. The audience was looking for me and so where the cameas. When I was spotted Carter basically called for me to get onto the stage.

I got onto the stage and was handed a mic. I didn't have any official music piece nor did I know if any music was going to be put on so I just said some hello's and then started to walk off of the stage. Then I sa the DJ and couldn't believe it. This was my homeboy, like one of my NY dudes and I was running ove to him  before I knew it. He gave me a good dap and then I thought about some classic shit like when I first started rapping. He seemed to pick up on my language and then we went in. I did a couple songs and then Will finally came out and he did his set. I was backstage sweating bullets when some security man ushered me to a dressing room. The rest of the boys were there getting ready to go.

Me, "Where are yall heading out to?"

Carter, "J don't play with us. We are in Houston and you're really asking where we're going. My nigga, we bouta hit some strip clubs and live the nice life. You comin"

Me, "I don't know. I'm feelin to head to the studio"

Carter, "Come on for one night, let us all have phone. Maybe you'll even meet a badie, get you back to that Hustle flow stage"

Me, "No, I been workin real hard. Like yall needa come by the crib before you leave and check my shit out. I'm finna go back on tour too"

Amari. "I told yall to watch out for him. He's comin back and he ready. Like we all been hearing snippets of work but Will be mad paranoid"

Me, "He going to the club too?"

Amari, "Yeah he got him some chick that work at Fantasy Lounge. he wanna check on her and no one knows that we showin up"

Me, "Sounds just like him. Creepy as usual"

Before I could say anymore I was being dragged back onto the stage and given an earpiece. I didn't know why I was coming back but then I heard the track from last night. Will was getting turnt up on the stage and I had to go after him. All I felt was some cold water hit me and I was crowd surfing. After we finished performing I went to the front of the stage and announced that the single was dorpping January 1st and the album March 3rd. Plus I had somehow decided that I was going on tour so people should come and check me. As soon as we walked off my phone was blasting with messages.

Mark, "How you gonna have a album release date without talking to the label and your manager, and then I hear about the single and the tour?"

Me, "Listen I got on the stage and it felt like magic. I'm finna do a full on media trail so I'ma fly out to New York this weekend and we need to get to work"

Mark, "Are you serious?"

Me, "On my father's grave. I got some new shit and I'ma be in the studio tomorrow. We needa get some photogrpahy done and let this shit hit the streets. All the stuff that don't get approved to the phase 1 of the alubm is going to a mixtape"

Mark, "So now you're gonna drop a mixtape"

Me, "Yeah, I'm tryna get my name on the strets again. Like we can make something great out of this. Call RCA right now and tell them that I have the executive meeting ASAP. I got a couple songs already done but I don't wanna do an email with them. So Ima put it on a flashdrive and we can talk about it"

Mark, "If you're serious about this then you need to prove to me that you can handle the radio interviews, cause that' going to be the main thing. i want to see mor social media work on you and you need to open up some more. no one wants a stiff artist"

Me, "Okay but I want some private shows for loyal fans, so let's work on that too"

Mark, "Okay, Ima check on you tomorrow. don't do anything to crazy, like release a new album over night"

Me, "okay, but I can't promise anything"

Mark, "Okay, seen you with the boys and you need to get a track with Will and Amari. They suit you well"

Me, "alright, I'm finna go and party tonight. See you this weekend"

Later at the Club--- We had walked in and from the moment we came through the doors people went crazy. I had never been a huge fan of VIP but the nice bottles and areas where over there so we headed over there. With a crew of like 35 people we had mad people try and come to us. The DJ didn't know who we were so it was just like loads of people roaming through. I wasn't a huge strip club lover but there were some bad chicks. 

When we reached the VIP I had to get my money turned into singles and the manager came over with premium bills. We all talked to him and then the girls came over. Will probably had like 50,000 dollars in singles with him and the entourage just started going HAM on the crowd and the girls. I was hanging with Amari and one of my homeboys Joshua. Amari had some nice Cali weed with him and I had a couple of hits from that. Then I actually had some drinks sent to me. As I was about to head to the stage area this girl caught my attention. She was just walking around, probably a hostess or something but she looked like something I had never seen before. The hair was almost down to her butt, the boobs a killa, and tha ass was never ending. There was some definite physical attraction on my part but I had to see what the face was looking like and the smile. I was really into the smile. As I came up to the girl she seemed a little shocked to see me, and then I saw her smile. That was it, I was like in my head thinking, this chick needs to be my wife like right now, like I need to buss wide open on this chick. She saw me staring her down but she didn't make a move towards me. So I came up to her and gently poked her. It was awkward but she smiled back at me.

Girl, "Hi my name is Nadya, and how may I help you?"

Me, "Well Nadya I was looking around and thinkin to myself, what is a beautiful girl like you doing in this type of establishment?"

Nadya, "Well I'm paying my college tuition and not to turn you off but I do pole too. This is my second shift of the night"

Me, "So when do you get off?"

Nadya, "Listen my boss is probably going to come around in like 10 minutes to check on me. I'm not supposed to be talking to celebs so take me back to VIP and then we can get to know each other"

Me, "Alright. Would you escort me to VIP?"

Nadya, "No, you have to go back to VIP and ask the lady to bring me up. I have to be called in"

me, "Okay, but don't play around with me"

Nadya, "No, I'm just telling you the rules"