S.E.A.L IV: All I Need

Chapter 8

~Charli~

Long time no see she said as I walked into the studio. I've been on daddy duty. For two weeks though? For a lifetime. And your wife. Not a topic for you to discuss. No shade she said putting her hands up. What's up you with you though, I know you didn't fly to Atlanta to discuss things that don't include you. I'll ignore that comment you just made. I am serious about making this EP and you said you could help me, so I came down to look at condos she said looking at me. Cool Cool, so you brought work with you then I said turning on the board. Yeah, I did she said hooking up her phone to the speaker, so I could hear what she had. I listened to it while it played. It was good, a little raw but good.

What you think? Tell me something before you started working at the strip club what were you doing? Why she said looking down? Because your records is raw and gritty, but you don't give off that vibe. And what vibe do I give off Charli? You want the truth? Naw I want you to lie to me. Honestly you give off a sheltered privileged vibe. If I had to say, you probably ended up at the strip club because your parents cut you off and you needed money. You have no idea what the street life is really about. She looked at me straight faced and didn't say anything. Tell me I am wrong, and I'll make this song a hit, but if I am right you know you can't fake the funk with people now a days they'll see right through that shit. She sucked her teeth before the studio door opened.

Yo C you in here? Hey Phil! Oh, you working I'll come back later. Naw it's cool. Cara this Philip. Philip this is Cara, she's an artist I am working with. Nice to meet you he said shaking her hand. You as well. Phil listen to this track and tell us what you think. Okay he said making his self-comfortable, in his seat. I played the song and he listened to it intently. He made a face before I cut it off. What you think? You really had that hard of a life he said looking at her. Why? Cause you don't look like the kind that would have gone through some shit like that. I told you! I am not just a pretty face, I've been through some shit too. Oh, I don't doubt you have, I just don't think its slanging rock on the corner or selling your body to the highest bidder either what you'd want folks here on first listen. I didn't sell it, it was taken. Come again I said looking at her?

All of the song isn't true but there are some parts that are. Some parts like...I was raped when I was in high school, I didn't tell anyone because I thought it was my fault. That would never be your fault. The situation was different you know, I thought I could trust the guy, we were going out and we had tried a few things in the past, but the night it happened. You don't have to tell us this if you don't want too, I mean that's some personal shit. Like you said if I can't tell it through the music, than how can anyone trust me. We were fooling around and when I said No he didn't get it. He raped me and then he said it didn't happen that I wanted it and that I lead him on. I felt so disgusting that I withdrew from everything. Don't get me wrong I still finished high school I just didn't pursue the things that I wanted to like enjoying my senior year with my friends and going to Prom.

You got pregnant, Phil said looking at her? She looked down, my daughter is 5 years old and everything I do, I do it for her, so she won't have to go through the things I went through. That right there is you story, and you need to tell it. How! How do I tell the story of how my parents were disgusted by the fact that I was 6 months pregnant when I graduated from high school? Or how in their eyes I threw away my whole life because I wanted to keep my baby rather than hide her like a dirty secret. Or maybe just maybe when they found out who her father was, they begged me to not say anything because they didn't want it to tarnish their pristine reputation with their socialite friends, they associate themselves with. I counted at least 4 songs right there I said handing her the phone back.

You serious about doing this EP, you need to come correct, no one wants an artist that lies to them. They like real people. People they can relate to. Cara is it Phil said. Yeah? Where you from? Virginia! That sounds right. Why she said chuckling a little bit. You have a southern spice to you. A little she said looking at me. Charli's right, if you're going to put music out there your audience has to feel it, they need to connect and feel the emotion. Like some Mary J and Keyshia Cole type shit. I like Mary J and Keyshia, of course you do, what woman doesn't cause they are real and the music they make is real. True that. Why don't you start writing while I talk to my partner here? Okay she said picking up the notepad and went into the booth leaving me and Phil alone to talk.