The Exception

Chapter 7

When I landed in NY, Mark had me taken straight to the RCA bulding and a meeting was set up. I played them all the beats that we had and I played all the tracks finished and unfinished. Mark was talking through to all the people and some people bounced their head while others sat back. I really had no idea what was going on but Mark felt confident in the presentation. After we had played all the stuff, Mark talked some more and I just sat at the table looking at their faces. We left around 1 in the morning and I was exhausted. 

When I reached the hotel Amari was sleeping on the couch but I wanted to talk with Nadya. She didn't pick up on the first three rings and right as  I was about to end the call she picked up.

Nadya, "Boy you must have lost your mind, wht are you callin me at like 1 in the morning?"

Me, "I just got out of the meeting, these damn Department Heads are always driving me crazy. Like I sent in my stuff and they still wanted me to come out here"

Nadya, "So when are you coming back?"

Me, "Well I got to make some tracks out here, maybe do a show or two and then head back. I should be back down there in like a week. I know you missin me"

Nadya, "Please, you must have lost your mind. How you up here callin me, askin me if I miss you?"

Me, "I see you resistin so I'ma take that as a yes. So you gonna be ready for me when I get back home?"

Nadya, "Boy please. I got a son to take care of and I got some test to study for. You can come and go when you please but don't be stressin me out no more" 

Me, "Zion play with any of the stuff that I got him?"

Nadya, "Yeah. Thanks for all that but you didn't have to go so hard, like he's only 3"

Me, "Listen as a kid I would have died if someone ever gave me that much stuff or showed that much love towards me, like I'ma do it big for him, that's my life right there"

Nadya, "Now you sound like a creep. You been knowin me for less than a month and now you buddy buddy with my son. Like do I have to call Chris Hanson on ya ass?"

Me. "Nah not even, like ask any of my homeboys I go hard for birthdays. Like this what gets me to my max"

Nadya, "So I'm assumin that you gonna have to do a whole 1000 for my birthday cause now I'm expectin some good stuff"

Me, "Yeah, when is your birthday?"

Nadya, "March. the 18th. so you have time to start plannin stuff from right now. I want something amazing that blows me away"

Me, "Okay, girl I got you. I'ma go deep into the chest for you. show you who great I can make things"

The following day I was up early becaue I had a studio session with Cole and he was actually in the studio when I got there. He had a couple tracks playing through while we talked but there was one that caught my eye. It reminded me of Eminems Like Toy Soldiers and as soon as I heard it I knew that I had to get on the track. Cole kept on telling me that he wasn't looking for a feature and his verses were tight but I had to keep pushing him. Finally he just let the producer loop the beat for me and I got on the track. 

From the moment that I entered the booth I alread had the verse figured out. I was going to do an ode to all the partners that I had lost and more specifically to my oldest brother. who died right in front of my eyes, when I first started rapping and to one of my homeboys that didn't make it through the early phases of the KUDOS. No one talked about Christian's death since it happened but that shit constantly urked me. After I finished everything I came out of the booth and the room was dead silent. The producer played the song for me and by the end I was crying. That shit really got to me and it's one of the reasons that I had to take a break from the rap game. I went back in to change some words around and make a couple more shout-outs. Cole really didn't have anything to say to me but later that night he sent me the song along with a hook that he had been working on. I never got the chance to thank him because I had to catch a flight to Buffalo. Will would be doing a show there and I had some tracks for him.