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1991 DEVANTE SWING.
— "MAMA I WANNA MAKE R&B MUSIC."
"De, ion't think we shoulda came here." Dalvin said skeptically shivering slightly in the New York fall weather.
"Yeah, me either." K-Ci mumbled.
"We don't even have an appointment, man." Jojo spoke up hesitantly. "Look, it sounded like a good idea back at the hotel but now I don't know De."
"What y'all scared of?" Devante turned around to his friends as they stood of uptown records. "This our last fuckin' chance y'all really wanna blow it?"
"How could this be our last chance when we don't even have an appointment De?" Dalvin asked. "You think they really gon' sit up here and spend they precious time listenin' to four black niggas who don't even got a mananger, an appointment even?"
"We got a damn good demo tape though!" He said becoming irritable looking back at his smaller brother before sighing and averting his eyes all over the group. "Don't tell me y'all backin' out on me? If that's the case I could've done this shit on my own."
"We not backin' out De. I-It's just risky yo." K-Ci mumbled shrugging his shoulders.
"It's risky but this could be our big break, we could make it!"
"...then let's do it." Jojo said sighing making K-Ci and Dalvin turn to look at him. "What? De's right, we done went everywhere, nobody wants to sign us but this—this could be somethin'."
Devante smiled softly mentally thanking god that at least Jojo was starting to come back to his senses.
"Fine man, lets do it. What the fuck we got to lose?" Dalvin said giving in.
Everybody turned to K-Ci, after all his say so mattered too, he was the lead. He sighed looking to see the three of them looking at him intently. Smacking his lips he mumbled, "man c'mon before I change my mind."
"I'm sorry, but you don't have an appointment, you don't have any business connects...I can't help you guys." The white receptionist sighed a genuine look of sadness flashed behind her blue eyes. The boys sighed looking at a heartbroken Devante.
"Now what man?"
"What the fuck we gon' do De?" K-Ci asked looking at Devante.
Devante sighed putting his head in his hands thinking of their next step. He was about to just throw the towel in, nobody wanted to sign them...so what the fuck could he do? Nothing. Rising his head from his hands he looked up and over at his group about to speak when he seen him. He said nothing before rushing past his group and over to him.
"Andre Harrell? Look, my names Devante man. A-And that's my group back there you see 'em. They names is Jojo, K-Ci and Dalvin! A-And we brotha's I mean not all of us is...I mean like me and Dalvin and then K-Ci and Jojo—you know what I mean!? Look, at we don't have an appointment or a manager but look, I'm beggin' you for just 15 minutes of your time to listen to our demo.." he rambled.
Andre Harrell looked at Devante and the boys behind him skeptically, before turning on his heels letting the boys know to follow him. Throwing his head back in relief he sighed. "Thank you god."
"And who produced this?" Andre said side eyeing DeVante as he slid the demo tape in. "Close the door, please?" He said to Dalvin he was standing closest to it.
"M-Me sir." DeVante stuttered feeling himself become more nervous and nervous. "Wrote and produced, by me."
"Hmm," he nodded. The tape started to play starting with the first song Come & Talk To Me. Andre nodded his head at beat and winced when the high notes started to approach. "Whew, this is good! Too good actually." He said pausing the tape.
"Huh?" DeVante asked before Andre picked up the phone.
"Laura send Jeff to my office, tell him it's urgent."
They sat around not saying anything, the boys just looking at each other as Andre chuckled to himself.
"Is he crazy?" K-Ci asked quietly in Dalvin's ear. Dalvin just shrugged at the genuine question.
"What's so urgent about this, Andre?" Jeff Redd asked walking into the office Heavy D right behind him. The boys gasped star struck by who just walked in. Heavy D smiled not seeming to notice but all greeted the boys shaking their hands and such.
"Man, I'm so inspired by you." DeVante gushed firmly shaking his hand.
"I appreciate that man."
"Listen, listen." Andre said to Jeff pressing play letting the song to start where it left off. Andre watched the priceless looking on Jeff's face, as did the boys.
"Turn it off."Jeff muttered, Andre did as told before turning to the boys. "This is you all?"
"Yes sir." K-Ci spat out.
"Okay preform for me...now." He simply ordered.
"Uh, What song sir?" DeVante asked shakily.
"The one I just heard...go along."
The boys shared an intense look before they started, harmonizing and singing their hearts out in sync. Once they were done. Heavy D began to clap loudly. Andre and Jeff shared an unreadable look.
"Now that—that was tight!"
"Go wait out in the hall for a moment? Will you?" Jeff asked. DeVante nodded before thanking Heavy D the boys trailing behind him. The door closed after them.
"That was tight yo!" K-Ci gassed a huge smile on his face as the boys laughed out of pure joy.
"Look, that shit that was fire man!" Dalvin laughed.
"All facts!" Jojo said dapping them up.
The laughter died down as he DeVante started to speak. "Look, if we don't get signed or they don't like us, I just wanna say I'm sorry. I drug y'all out the way out here just to fail us-"
"Aye look, don't work about allat De." Davin sighed before speaking again. "I'm sorry for spazzin' our earlier—I guess I just wasn't confident in us.."
"I appreciate that Dal." DeVante solemnly said slapping hands with his brother.
"Aye, look even if we don't get signed...we did damn good up in there." Jojo hyped. "And I'm proud of us."
Minutes passed as the boys just stood around talking about the what if's. "Alright," Andre said emerging from the room with a sticky note, "We'll call you back later, got a phone I can reach you at?"
"Uh," DeVante looked back at his boys before feeling slightly embarrassed, "the hotel number?"
"Okay," Andre shrugged passing him the pen and sticky note. DeVante hurriedly jotted down the numbers. And they all left with joy and a small pit of nervousness boiled in their stomachs.
