crop circle

twenty two

"I actually can't believe you bought the thing." I push my self slightly off the wall of the studio lift looking at his ring. Slowly, we are hoisted up and off the ground floor.

Ramone looks down to gaze fervently at the big gold ring on his pinky. "I seen my uncle get blasted at when I was 9. I swear on everything all four bullets missed and the last one skimmed his ear like this. Brudda, I just know. I'd be wearing him on a chain today if it weren't for his guard ring."

" I bought one for two bills at 15 and Wood Green man still came and chased me through town." I quite literally remember that day like yesterday. From the second they saw me in that LV hat, I knew it was game. I held all different beats that day, that same night I came back with Ramone. He had a bat and I a brick, and we circled from VUE as far as Hornsey. I never saw those boys again.

"The way I see it, all you got on the road are your wits." I shake my head. "That and a prayer here and there."

The spacious corridor reverbs with the bellow of obnoxiously loud 808s, room 314 dots the far end. We single file hastily past all seven studio wall plaques and make sure to keep our steps adjacent to the security camera.

"Wait." Ramone places a hand on my shoulder as we come up to the room, which brings me to stop beside him. He glares intently in to space to listen hard through the walls. Then steps back.

I propel the door open with a hand, and there is already a breh sat right next to the door. He double takes from his phone, along with all three guys in the mixing booth.

"Where's Franco?" I ask the guy nearest to me. Before he can even open his mouth, some next guy in a Stoney jacket wastes no time standing to his feet to screw up his face. "Who the fuck are you?"

"Bucky." The guy sat opposite solemnly calls to Stoney Jacket. When they lock eyes he gives a silent "no" with a slight shake of his head.

"Sit." Ramone forcefully one hand drives Bucky  back on to his bum. "Back down man." He draws the lollipop from his mouth to glare around the room.

"It's one thing throwing up B-Side for IG. But with the location on?"

Matting fingers over the tuft of my beard, I let loose a laugh. "You lot thank Franco for that one still. Where is he and we ain't asking again."

Franco immediately comes waltzing through the studio door, bottle of Henny in one hand and a blue corner shop bag in the other. His face drops.

"Ah, just the man." I beam.

"The fuck?" His eyes dart between us in alarm.

I hold my hands out. "What's all the animosity? Just came to chat init?..." I look around. "Clear the air and that." Carefully, I bring the wap from out the nylon of my waistband. "Gwan have a seat man."

"Rah, that's how you man are moving yeah?" Bucky asks, eyes having latched on to what was in my hand.

"Shut your mouth man." Ramone orders. "In fact, what? Why's it all crickets now? About four door coupe four man glide." Ramone mimics in reference to the rubbish they were shouting on their live located IG story not even 30 minutes ago before we parked up.

"Franco we're looking for Dris, that's all. Just figured, no one else chills with them man at Shyro's  the way you do." I snicker.