Page 21 of For the Love of City

COREY

I WAS REGRETTING the idea that we needed to hold open auditions for talent.

Never wanting to be a nigga to leave a stone unturned, I thought this would be a good way to see some people and maybe find a diamond in the rough.

We ain’t want to do no reality TV show type shit.

I wasn’t on the American Idol or Making the Band type of time.

Lyric said we needed to record it to show how we started and the kinda work we put in to get where we would end up.

Call me old school but I was never the nigga to put shit I did on film.

Too many chances for some shit to bite you in the ass later.

Since we were all going to be splitting our time between Georgia and Texas, we had offices set up in both places.

Lyrie handled a lot of the heavy lifting with Texas while Trav did a lot for Georgia.

Despite the city being as big as it was, none of us wanted to have offices in the middle of everything.

A dipped off spot was better for people being able to reach it without having to deal with as much traffic.

Even being just north of Atlanta wasn’t going to eliminate it, but it cut down on our travel time, which was key for all of us.

Trav and I were in the meeting room that was going to double as the audition space.

The few people we had on staff at this location were getting the acts organized so that we didn’t have a crazy long day.

Me and Travis both needed to go see Priest and pay our respects.

His wife was set to have a baby in the next few months and despite him not wanting it, we had a gift for the young king.

“When you and Porsha gone stop playing around and tell that spoiled ass girl about y’all?

” Trav put his blunt out and relaxed deeper onto the large sofa in my office.

His ass was the main one saying he didn’t need an office because he was going to be constantly on the road scouting, but he had no issue with laying up in mine.

Little did he know his was almost done because Lyric and I knew he was full of shit.

The idea of being corporate was something that scared the hell out of all of us.

Him more than me and Lyrie. I had time to come to peace with the transition out of the game because I was locked up.

Lyric was doing the music shit and had to take a step back so she didn’t get caught up.

But Trav had stayed deep in the game and even though I was involved from inside, he held shit down for all of us.

So I understood the challenge he was facing with starting a new chapter.

“I’m surprised your snake ass ain’t said shit about it yet.”

I leaned back in this overpriced ass office chair that Lyric insisted I needed.

To be real, I was hesitant about the whole office thing too but it made sense.

I craved having a minute to just have silence after so long inside.

It was why even though I was pissed at her gesture, I appreciated the condo she got me.

It was a respite after sharing space with Lyric and then being locked up.

Trav’s hand went to his chest like he was offended. “Me, a snake?”

“You think I don’t be seeing the lil hints and shit you be throwing out? Be pissing me off.”

He grinned, which only affirmed that he was doing the shit to get under my skin. “I know and I be ignoring that shit hard as hell. That’s what makes it even funnier.”

I faked laughed then stopped abruptly before glaring at his ass from across the desk. “Me and my nine got some shit you can laugh at.”

“You not finna do shit.”

“I ain’t gone have to, Porsha’s ass gone do it. Then you gone be looking at her like ‘oh my god what I do sis?’ Better stop playing in her fucking face.”

He was back laughing but I ain’t said shit that was funny. “Not Pretty P being a killer.”

“In multiple ways. Don’t let all them labels and elegance she possess fool you.

The deadliest things come in the prettiest packages.

It’s how they lure in their prey. She done told y’all she from the Bloody Nickel and y’all need to put some respect on her hood.

Them Houston muthafuckas ain’t wrapped too tight.

You was the main one who peeped her ass from jump but now you doubting her thug.

She gone have to show you some shit now. ”

“You talking like y’all ain’t one in the same.”

“Hell nah, I ain’t denying shit. We a match made in heaven. Anyway, who we seeing today? This shit got me ready to retire cause nobody really giving a fuck about being here.”

We had too many people show up in the last few days that were just trying to see Lyric or get put on because they looked the part.

I was all for people trying a different path, but folks had to be fucking for real.

The fucking rap game in Atlanta used to be diverse as hell.

But now niggas all just sounded the same.

Or didn’t want to be themselves. Everybody wanted to be the next Migos or Future.

I was probably to blame, though. I grew up when Atlanta rap was in its infancy and then hit its peak.

With So So Def , Outkast , Lil Jon and Pastor Troy .

All made club music but the shit was all different.

Now everybody rapped the same, sounded the same, and even looked the same.

Substance was lost by the majority but artists like Lyric, 6lack and hopefully someone we could find would put Atlanta back on the map.

“How you already ready to go? Itching to get back to Texas?” He smirked like he had something on me but I didn’t have shit to hide.

“Fucking right I am. I ain’t been home in three days.

I’m ready to be out. Keep trying to tell you man, fucking mumble rappers ruined the game.

Rap was revolutionary. It was a way to make you think.

Feel pride about the things they attempted to shame us over.

I’m all for a good club banger but don’t nobody talk about nothing no more?

Not one track on some deep shit. Capitalism fucking killed the soul of rap and that shit is becoming ore clear with each person we bring in here. ”

I wanted to be laid up under Porsha especially with how she sounded when her truck got delivered.

She’d been talking about letting go of her sedan for a minute but I told her to chill because it was a good car.

It was the first thing she’d purchased when she finally paid off the loan for her building and I understood those types of milestones.

Instead of her losing a piece of her history, I gave her a car that would carry her into the future.

And hopefully keep my ass a passenger in it.

I was fine with how we were moving. Not on some simp shit but because I knew P was mine.

She ain’t date other niggas, she knew I was only for her and we just worked.

I hated Lyric not knowing but besides that; we were too good together and for one another for me to rock the boat.

Instead, I moved with her the way I would even if I had a title.

I could read Porsha like a book and I had her heart just like she had mine.

“You act like Atlanta rap always been on some metaphysical shit.” Trav had me out of my feelings and back to reality just that fast.

“Everywhere ain’t Atlanta, and still some of it has been. Andre 3000 and Big Boi would like to have a word. Something got to give, bruh. Lyric can’t be the best fucking artist and lyricist on the label.”

I hated being frustrated with how shit was going but it couldn’t be helped. My name being on something that wasn’t a success wasn’t an option. I wasn’t going to cheat to win because that was for lames, but we had to find the real talent that was out here. There was no way hip hop was dead.

He sat up like he was confused by what I was saying. “Shit, why not? She the best artist out there right now, male or female.”

“She might not want to do this shit forever. And building an entire label off the back of one person makes me feel too much like them ho ass Laws. As a newlywed, she deserves a minute to take her mind off of work and just be for a second. Hand this shit off and know that the business she put everything into gone have her even when she relaxing. She might wanna pop out a baby in a few years—”

“She done told y’all she ain’t having kids yet.” I knew this nigga wasn’t out here checking me about my youngin’ like I ain’t know how she felt about that shit.

“ Yet . But that shit might change. And not yet, ain’t never .

I ain’t in a rush to be a grandpa or big uncle or nun that.

But thinking logically about the stage of life she’s in makes me want to hustle harder so that if she puts down her pen her account gone still grow exponentially.

Lyric is gone always be my chap and I don’t care if she got a husband.

I’mma always make sure she got what she needs. ”

Travis sat up and had a look of determination on his face. It wasn’t just about the money for any of us, this was a legacy. Lyrically Sound had her name on it and was for the family. There was no way we would let our legacy be based on some bullshit.

“Then let’s get through this shit then. Set us all up for the future. I’m still working on this one cat I met. He’s from Vine and to be real, nigga don’t really see this shit as viable. I’m having to bully his ass to even get him up here.”

“Bully? The fuck?”

“He ain’t wanna do it. Said that staying small and underground keeps the limelight off him.

He just wanna make art and fuck the games.

That’s the hopeless mentality his ass has engrained in him and he won’t shake it.

” Trav was shaking his head like recounting the work it was taking to get dude to sign was pissing me off all over again.

“This the one I wanna see the most then. Where you find him at?”