Inferno•The Get Down

{Don't Scratch My Record}

brothers

brothers

everywhere-

and

not a one

for sale.

-Utopia

-Johari Amini

---

  The next morning I showed up to the Cruz's house early to be there when Mylene's tío and Jackie got there with the record that held our voices. Hopefully the first of many.

  "Mani, come out here!" Mylene yells from the front room of her house.

  "Coming!" I push my hair from my face and walk quickly into the room where Regina, Yolanda, Papa Fuerte and Jackie are.

  "Papa Fuerte." I greet him as I take a spot next to Mylene.

  "Jackie." I look at him as he nods.

  "Okay play the record Jaquito." Papa Fuerte commands. The record statics and then music come through and like alphabetical order, Mylene's voice flows through. She squeals next to me and grabs my hand in excitement. It's when I hear Yolanda, Regina and I's voices float out behind Mylene's do I get really excited.

  "Oh my gosh." I whisper to myself as the song plays on.

  It soon comes to an end with our last notes floating through the air.

  "Yo, we sound like the joint!" Regina turns to us as we laugh in excitement. Mylene's smile practically stretches across her face.

  "It sounded so prefessional." Mama Lydia speaks to us.

"Papi, did you like it?" Mylene aks him, turning the attention to him as we wait for his answer. He looks down, his face twisting slightly. Mama Lydia grabs his hand and speaks.

  "I think he likes it." She nods at him.

"It's um-" He starts, his lip trembling in the process. "It's beautiful, you're beautiful." he stand and hugs her.

  "I'm so proud of you."

  "Okay, okay, so let's get this on the radio pronto, bro." Papa Fuerte speaks to Jackie.

  "Dont work like that no more, you know? The radio don't sell disco records, what makes a hit, a hit is if it proves itself on a dance floor, where the sinners are, and it ain't gonna be on the dance floor unless it gets into the hands of the top DJs in the city." Jackie explains to us as we nod along.

  "Mr. Moreno, Little Wolf knows a gang of DJs." Regina offers standing to face him.

  "I doubt he knows the DJs we need." Jackie laughs and Papa Fuerte cuts in.

  "I know people, who spin records, come on."

  "I doubt you know, who we need," Jackie mumbles. "Look the fact is, and Mr. and Mrs. Cruz, you might wanna close your ears for a second, but the top DJs are all by and large, homosexuals." He looks back to Fuerte. Mama Lydia's mouth drops open in shock as Pastor Ramon looks away.

  "Really?" Papa Fuerte looks at him.

  "Si." He answers him, "You know, but they got the independent spirit, they got the je ne sais quoi, you know? They're rebels, they're cutting edge, you can't even get into their clubs without knowing somebody."