Unholy Talent
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━ 02. The double takeover
Kemi slept on a blowup mattress with his blanket over his head. He had spent all last night making music and didn't fall asleep until like five in the morning so his ass was tired.
Katelyn walked up toward his door before using her key that he gave her to unlock it. The girl had landed two hours ago and she gave him enough time to sleep but it was 10 in the morning and they had shit to do.
Unlocking the door she pushed it open before closing it behind her as she walked further into the apartment where his room was. Pushing it open she found him asleep making her smile.
"So cute." She ripped away his covers making him instantly shoot up from the mattress glaring at her.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" He shouted, making her chuckle.
"Hi bestie." She signed making him wave her off before he held up his finger signing back.
"Don't start signing back now so I won't have to yell at you." She chuckled hearing the annoyance even without him talking.
"Anyways I'm here so let's officially get this shit started—we have a lot to do before your little gig at this club tonight." Katelyn tells him sitting on the mattress.
"Like what?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Well for once we can go have breakfast before you have a meeting with the label. Speaking of which, how do you think that's going to go?" She asked him.
"Horrible I don't know if I'll make it—there's a lot of shit that goes within getting signed." He flopped back down on the bed with a grumble.
"Just be yourself you're hella talented and you have a voice that can sing a nigga out of their boxers just go and kill it. Now get your funky ass up and go shower." She stood up.
"Bitch I don't smell bad you smelling that fishy ass pussy underneath that dress the fuck you mean." He snarled at her, making her bust out laughing.
"Ain't shit fishy about me sweetheart I keep it closed and washed unlike that dirty asshole that you want somebody to fuck not get up." She clapped her hands.
"No—my ass is very much clean, it'll make your nigga fall in love keep playing."
"Aye! I know that's right ass so good it makes him fall asleep." She screamed, making them laugh.
"You're so damn stupid."
Taking a quick shower he soon changed into a plain white shirt, that he paired over a cream overcoat and some white converse with some skinny jeans.
"You ready?" He walked into the kitchen where Katelyn was playing around on her phone.
"Yeah let's go."
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Walking into a small cafe Kemi held the door open for Katelyn as they walked inside taking a table by the seat he slowly took his shades off blinking as his eyes adjusted to the light.
"So—you like the city so far?" Katelyn asked him as a waitress approached them.
"Hi, what can I get for you two?"
"Can I please get a Caramel frappe with almond milk and extra Caramel syrup at the bottom." Kemi ordered her to nod.
"Just get me an iced coffee with extra cream and sugar." Kayley smiled before turning back to Kemi.
"It's fine I haven't really done anything yet—there was this guy last night who banged on my damn door like a damn hooligan." Shaking his head at the memory he chuckled.
"Was he cute?" Kate asked, lifting an eyebrow.
"Why the hell do you wanna know that? Ain't you got a boyfriend." Kate shrugged with a laugh as the waitress placed their drinks down in front of them.
"I love my man, but that doesn't mean I can't know if somebody else was cute—it ain't like I wanna fuck em." She rolled her neck.
"He said his name was Donnie—apparently my music was too loud so he wanted me to turn it down."
"How did you get mad at him when your music was loud in the first place? Need to turn that shit down." She pushed his shoulder making him smile.
"Whose side are you on? It's not like I could hear the shit."
"And he supposed to know how?" Cocking her head to the side she stared at Kemi.
"It doesn't matter, don't bang on my door like you pay the bills."
"Mmh—let's go to your meeting with the label about to start." Paying for their drinks they left the coffee shop.
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"This shit is nerve racking—I ain't never had to go up to a label for anything." Kemi muttered as they entered the large binding.
"Cause you were sheltered by a controlling asshole but this is your time to shine. Like I said, just be you." Kate whispered to him.
Walking up toward the front desk Kemi cleared his throat, gaining the receptionist's attention.
"Yes?"
"O'Kemi Brooks—I had a meeting with Mr. Jackson." He tells her. Nodding, she begins to type on her keyboard before looking back at him.
"Okay press the top button on the elevator and he'll be waiting for you in his office." She instructed him, making him nod before he walked off.
He sighed entering the elevator as he stared deep in thought, staring at the buttons as he thought back to the conversation he had with his dad.
Flashback two weeks ago
"You wanna do what?" Quincy looked at him as Kemi sat in a chair inside his office.
"I wanna terminate my contract here—it's time for me to move on, and I can't keep living under your guidance. It's not right for my music." He shook his head.
"What do you know about what's right for you? You think people actually care about your music? They aren't the only way you ever get on the charts if you do it the way I planned for you." Quincy told him in a stern voice.
"But see, that's the problem, it's what you wanna do! Not everything goes fine as long as it has your name on it—but I don't want your name anywhere near my career. It's not supposed to go like that." Kemi shook his head.
"And what are you going to do? Move to Philly and hope for some miracle to happen? No baby boy you gotta put in the work if you want your name out there but somebody like you wouldn't know anything about that." Quincy leaned back in his seat with a smirk.
"You don't know what I know—but one thing I do know is that I don't want to be up under your homophobic ass anymore so I'm moving away from New York and I'm damn sure not coming back." He stood up walking toward the door.
"If you walk out that door don't bother coming back I mean that." His father yelled out to him.
"I wasn't planning on coming back anyways." Yanking open the door Kemi blinked as he faced the door to Mr. Jackson's office.
"Mr. Jackson, nice to meet you. I'm OKemi Brooks. We spoke over the phone last weekend." Taking a seat in front of the man who smiled at him.
"Yeah, I know you—you're Quincy's son. I saw some of your work online."
"Yeah—I hope you liked them, getting a shot at your label is a pretty big deal." Kemi smiled.
"Yeah, our artists are very dedicated and talented young people. Are you sure you can keep up with that? And I care who your daddy is. I wanna know you personally." Mr. Jackson tells him.
"That's what I like to hear—but I could go on and on about my musical capabilities but I'm more of a show not tell kind of man." Kemi pulled out his phone before he played the demo he made last night.
He looked at Kemi who grinned as the heavy beat started playing making him nod his head—he grinned smiling.
"You did this?" He looked at Kemi who nodded with a smile.
"Yep—produced and everything."
"So when can I hear the finished product?" He asked Kemi to shrug.
"When do you wanna sign that contract?" With a sly smirk Mr. Jackson shook his head pulling out the contact from his desk before sliding it over to Kemi.
"Get a lawyer to read over this, and make sure everything's up to your liking then get back to me." Nodding they dapped each other up.
"I can't wait to start working with you Mr. Brooks."
"You as well Mr. Jackson."
Exiting the elevator Kemi grinned at Kayley who smiled once he showed her the contact and she screamed making him laugh.
"Ahh I knew you could do it!" She jumped on him, making him laugh as he hugged her tightly.
"Yess bitch now we're definitely about to show up tonight." Grabbing his hand she pulled him out of the building.
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Adonis, who had just come from jogging around the neighborhood, stumbled across a bar where he saw a picture of Kemi's face planted on the wall.
He walked inside of the bar where the lights were dimmed making his way toward the crowd of people.
"Tonight we got a special guest for y'all—give it up for O'Kemi Brooks." The MC says where O'Kemi took the mic allowing the lights to get much dimmer.
He nodded his head to the beat which was a soft gentle background okay of the drums and some piano before he took the mic up to his lips.
"Grown men killing babies."
"Who am I to say, you can make them nameless."
"Another hashtag today, yeah."
Adonis moved closer, staring at him while the lyrics poured from his mouth—his voice was just authentic and captivating that it made you want to listen.
"Why should we care for that lady from somewhere, a far place?"
"A covered face, tell me this." Unhooking his mic the beat dropped with a soft tone of bass.
"Why are we back in the past?"
"It's the same script, different cast"
"All of these alternative facts"
"Catch me outside, how about that?"
"Why is it so hard to keep hope?"
"Who got that popular vote?"
"Was the whole thing just a joke?"
"Was the whole thing just one big joke?" He gripped his mic slightly tilting his head as his voice grew much louder.
"It's a fucked up world (yes it is)"
"Here we are in it"
"I ain't going nowhere."
"Til' we're finished."
"It's a fucked up world."
"Here we are in it."
"I ain't going nowhere."
"Til' we're finished"
Adonis stared deeply at him watching as he belted out into the crowd—his voice was something special; it sort of made sense why it was so loud last night.
He nodded his head toward the song when their eyes locked making him stare deeply at him bobbing his head to the side.
"Drivin' me insane."
"We play a good game."
"Baby we still can't win." With a grin Kemi turned around as he finished up his performance leaving the crowd in cheers.
"Come on, you better take me to church with that damn voice." Katelyn clapped her hands making him chuckle as he stepped off the stage.
"You know how it goes." He shrugged, making her shake her head.
"I keep telling you to stop trying to be humble—you have a good voice and you better act like it." Patting his back they walked off toward the bar.
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