Let's Recelebrate (a Joshler story) (Celebrate ALTERNATE version)

⭒ V ⭒

Soon enough, the bell rang and Tyler put his laptop and notebook aside as he got up to open the door for Michael, who walked in with a smile. "Hey Ty! Good to see you", he said. "Hey Mikey", Tyler smiled softly as he let his friend in. "Where D'you wanna eat?" Michael asked. "Outside", Tyler said and Michael nodded. "I'll get the plates and some drinks", Tyler said as Michael went to the balcony to open the takeaway boxes.

Tyler grabbed plates, some small soy sauce bowls, and poured both of them a drink. He grabbed some nicer chopsticks than the wooden ones that came with the takeaway. He put it all on a tray and went to the balcony. He put the tray down on the side table, before he put everything on the table around the sushi Michael had put down already.

"Did you get soy sauce with it or should I grab mine?" Tyler asked. "I got soy sauce with it", Michael said as he got the small bottle out of the bag. Tyler sat down opposite of Michael and he poured the soy sauce in the small bowl, before he grabbed some chopsticks and they started eating.

"Tastes good", Tyler said, grabbing the seaweed salad. "Yeah, it does. So, what did you want to talk about?" Michael asked. Tyler picked up a piece of salmon nigiri with his chopsticks, dipped it in soy sauce and popped it in his mouth. He swallowed it before he started talking.

"So, Uhm... I've- I've been thinking", Tyler started. "And uhm I've been researching a lot, I've been comparing... I... I uh- I wanna try to get signed to a label", Tyler said.

Michael raised his eyebrows as he used a napkin to wipe the corners of his mouth. "Really?" He asked and Tyler nodded. "I thought you didn't wanna do that? That you wanted to do it on your own?" Michael asked and Tyler nodded. "Yeah I did, but honestly who ever succeeded at that on their own? Macklemore and Ryan Lewis? That's literally the only popular artist that I can think of", Tyler said.

"Chance the Rapper", Michael then said. "Okay him and the other two", Tyler said. "Isn't Frank Ocean independent too?" Michael said.

"Okay okay! Three fucking acts that are popular worldwide and independent. But that's it. All the other bands, all the other artists, have labels. Whether they're big or small; there's a label. I've been doing this for six years and I've been growing in Ohio but I'm hardly getting anywhere outside of our state. And the whole point of performing and writing music was to reach people all across the world! We've talked about going to Europe, Asia, South America, I wanna play Africa, Oceania, I wanna go everywhere yet we're hardly managing to go to other states and make a fucking living. Clearly what I'm doing is not working without a fucking label", Tyler sighed frustratedly.

"So you really wanna do this, hm?" Michael said, after swallowing a piece of maki. "Yeah, I think I do", Tyler said. "Think or know?" Michael asked. Tyler rolled his eyes. "I won't ever really want to because I never wanted to before. But it's just... it's the only option I have at this point", he said.

"Yeah... okay wait I'm kinda curious which big artists got big without record labels now though", Michael said, grabbing his phone to Google it. "Yeah, Macklemore, Frank Ocean and Chance the Rapper are on there. Oh and Donald Glover too", Michael said and Tyler nodded.

"And uh... Hopsin, Flying Lotus, Jane Weaver, Joey... Badass?" Michael said, sounding more like a question.

"Yeah I have no fucking idea who they are", Tyler said. "Nope me neither", Michael said as he pocketed his phone. "Which further proves my point! Hardly anyone can make it as an independent artist and there's only like four names on there where we actually know who they are. The rest is just semi famous people that we have never even heard of before", Tyler said. "And I don't wanna be semi famous. I want to be big. I don't need to be a household name like Lady freaking Gaga or Justin Bieber or Rihanna or, I don't know, Britney Spears, Madonna, Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars or Taylor Swift. I don't need to be a household name. I don't think I even want to. But I want people who listen to music, who know music, who go to shows and festivals, to know who I am. I wanna be on the radio even if it's just the more alternative channels. I want to reach as many people who feel or felt as fucked up as I did and still do, because I want them to know they're not fucking alone. And I will not be able to achieve that on my own. I've tried to deny that for six years but clearly I was just in denial and clearly I can't fucking get it done on my own", Tyler said.