Koko's outfit just imagine her with straight hair
The song she sings
"August, you gotta push at this part. You can't sing all soft you got to put that emotion into it. Cause if you don't feel it the listeners definitely won't" Koko's voice came through my headphones
She keep stopping the music while I'm trying to record critiquing here and critiquing there. I appreciate it cause I know she knows what she's talking about but it's frustrating and we been here forever it's going on 1 in the morning.
"I hear you, let's try it again" I mumbled and Knuck played the track
9 o'clock, home alone, paging you,
Wishing you'd come over my place after while
Let me know we can just keep talkin bout
the last time, you were here what we did
(No sleep til mornin)
only bubble baths and back rubs
Hit me back, Girl I hope you ready cuz
Iiiiii'm (So anxious) ohhh
So meet me at 11:30 I love it when you talking dirty
Said I'm so anxious, girl would you quit the stalling
Know I'm a sex-a-holic
Iiiiii'm (So anxious) ohhh
So meet me at 11:30 I love it when you talking dirty
Said I'm so anxious, girl would you quit the stalling
Know I'm a sex-a-holic
It's 10:10-" I was cut off
"Stop" She reached around Knuck and paused the music
"Bruh what da fuck" I huffed and she walked toward the door leading into the booth where I was.
I snatched the headphones off my head and looked at her "What now?" I asked annoyed
"August lose the attitude I'm just trying to help"
"Help? By constantly critiquing everything I do, I never have these issues in da studio til you come and now there are some issues. I just be vibing, Ian never did this many takes." I snapped and she sighed
"Look this shit is my passion, it's my oxygen taking it away from me you might as well take my life. I've been singing since I could talk but I didn't get this good by myself I had help. I told you how my family and I call my Daddy Ike Turner or Joe Jackson, you know why because that man is the sweetest person ever but when it come to music he turns into a whole nother person."
"He trained and drilled my siblings and I in our music endeavors from the time each of us were 3 whether it was an instrument, singing, or both. Like he'd get so serious if you mess up he look at you so crazy he told my brother brandon once boy if you don't that right I'ma beat you. You know how to play it get it right. My brother was like 24 and my daddy talking bout he gone beat him, we knew he wouldn't really beat him but he's serious about his music."
"We may have complained but we never questioned him, we wouldn't be the musicians and singers we are today without him, my daddy IS music. He knows it better than any person in the world, put him up against a world renown pianist and my daddy would have him crying and running to his mama because he's just that good. Give him the best vocal trainer or music teacher and he'd be the one teaching them. He does it all piano, bass, guitar, drums, vocal training and he's the best at it."
"So when I try to help trust me I know what I'm talking about, I know what sounds good and when something doesn't. I know it's frustrating as hell but it's a process and if you don't this many takes you're not a real singer because this shit takes time, even the best of the best make mistakes and they have people advising them. Let me help" she walked up to me and placed her hand on my chest and looked up at me.
"Learn me some" I nodded and she smiled
"Okay anyone every told you that you sound nasally?" She questioned and I nodded
"It's because you're not singing from your diaphragm. Stand with your feet shoulders width apart and place your hands ontop of each other on your stomach" she showed me and I did.
"Knuck play a little bit of that back" She yelled and he did. "Okay you can stop it" she looked at me
"Breath in through your nose and let the air make its way to your diaphragm let it fill like a balloon you should feel it expand." She explained
"We're going to breathe in for 6 and out for 8 and make the sssssssss noise as you breathe out" she instructed
"Okay" I responded
"Okay in" we both took a deep breath in for 6 counts
"Out" we pushed the breath out creating the ssssss for 8
"You felt you're stomach expand and did your hands move in and out" she asked
"Yea" I nodded
"Okay when you do this take do that put that exercise to use, stand just like that and sing from your diaphragm" she pointed at me and walked out
I placed the earphones on my ear and Knuck played the music
It's 10:10 (10:10) , where you been?
(where you been)
Did you get my message? (Get my message)
(Your expressions is telling me that you've been thinkin' the same thang)
The same thang (same thang)
I've been thinkin' ( I've been thinkin)
You say you're working (say you're working)
Well hit me just as soon as your shift, is over (over)
And I'll be waiting cause I can't sleep (can't sleep)
For reminiscing, reminiscing about you (bout you)
And what we do (what we do)
hit me back (hit me back)
Oooooooooohhh
I sang with my eyes closed really putting emotion into it but breathing the way Koko told me. I opened my eyes and she was adjusting levels on the soundboard sitting in Knuck seat and he was standing up.
So anxious, so meet me at 11:30 I love it when
You're talking dirty said I'm so (sooo) anxious
Girl could you quit this stalling you know I'm a
Sex-a-holic said I'm....
"Bruh!!! That was it my nigga." Knuck dapped me up as I came from the booth and stood next to him and the soundboard.
"Play it back" He did and we bobbed our heads, that shit sounded like a whole new August like way more developed. I looked over at Koko and she had her hand on her hip and this unreadable expression on her face while she was listening but her head was bobbing.
"Damn that sound clean as fuck" I chuckled as it ended "Yea that junt hittin Yung" Sneak stated
"She shoulda been working with us cuz this girl know what she doing and talkin about. The levels is perfect and you was sanging in dea. She dope" he bear hugged Koko and she chuckled
"Put me down fool" she laughed and he did
"C'mere" I motioned for her to come to me
She walked over to me and I wrapped my arms around her. "How you do that? How you get that outta me?" I looked down at her
"I told you my daddy taught me everythang I know. And you always had it in you just needed a lil help to get it out. You gone listen to me when I try to help you now" she poked my chest
"Yea ma" I chuckled and she smiled
"Good cause I'm always right" she flipped her hair over her shoulder
"Oh really" I smirked
"Really!" She pursed her lips and I laughed
"Wanna sang us some?" I asked and she shrugged "I don't mind, what you wanna hear" she asked "Ion care some good, give us some good sanging" I let her go and she went into the booth and walked over to the piano.
She open the top of it and pulled the leg up for it to stay open I guess for better sound. She sat down and I told Knuck to hit record on the soundboard and for Teke to record it on his phone.
She played the intro and it sounded amazing
Yeaa....Alright...Don don don don don
She continued to play and bob her head really getting into
I'm on a airplane, and the destination of this flight
Is to the other side, yeaa. Guess I had to go there
Guess I had to come here, I know where I'm from
But now I'm headed where I'm right
But there are powers, in the air you can't see them
And they have rockets and machine guns
And they're firing on my plane
But I say fire, fire hey, ready aim fire
You can't shoot me down oh fire, fire, ready aim fire
Hey you can't stop me not, can't stop me now no
There was a pause as she played and got into it smiling and bobbing her head. The room was dead silent as we all watched her enjoying what she does. You could see the passion and the love she has for music. She appreciates it, the way her face lights up as she plays and sings says it all.
La la la la la la
I'm on a rocket ship and the destination of this
Rocket is to outer space, alright. I don't know but I
Guess I had to go, guess I had to come hea yea
I'm from the earth but I've taken to another place
I've been taken to another space
And there are powers even there but you can't seem
Them and they have rockets and machine guns
And they're firing on my brain
"Whew" they whole room let out that harmonic she just did was sick
But I say fire yea, fire hey, ready aim fire
You can't shoot me down, ohh f-f-f-fire hey yea
Fire ready aim fire hey, you can't stop me now
Can't stop me now no
Watching this girl sing and play was probably the best things I've ever witnessed, it was unlike anything I've ever seen. Just the way she did it so effortlessly and had fun while doing it. That's what it's all about music makes the soul feel good and just like she said her father is music so is she.
Said I'm just tryna make it straight cuz it's
Sideways, tryna take water to a dry place, tryna
Take hope where it ain't none, tryna brang low to a
High place. I wanna make the shooters put the gun
down, So a mother gets to hold her son now
Wanna make a lane man run again
Make the blind man see the sun again
But all I hear is bang bang, gat
I don't think the powers really want that
Breathing down my neck always on my back
Got the guns out
But I say...
She played the last to notes instead of singing them and I chuckled my girl cold
Ooooo.... Fire hey.....You can't shoot me down
Can't shoot me down, f-f-f-fire, fire, ready aim fire
Hey, you can't stop me now...oh fire, fire
Ready aim fire yes, you can't shoot me down
Fire hey, ready aim fire, you can't stop me now
Can't stop me now no....
She lightly played and just sang ad-libs. She don't force it, it just comes out naturally. The words she was singing resonated with me, it's like she was singing my life story. People tried to stop me on my come up and still block me but I'm in this industry to stay I worked my ass off to get where I am.
She played a chord and smiled looking at us and we all cheered and clapped for her. She needed to be doing music, this was her calling. My lil baybeh gifted and no one can take that from her.
"Guhl, you outta be slapped. Ian know you was sanging like that and Ian know you ca' play" Knuck stated as she walked from the booth.
"I try I try" she smiled
"Girl you don't try you do" Sneak hugged her and she laughed
"Thanks" she bowed
"You ready to get outta hea baybeh" I asked and she nodded walking over to the couch and getting her purse and phone
"Aye Teke airdrop me that video right quick" I asked and he did and I locked my phone placing it in my pocket.
"Bye y'all" Koko hugged and I dapped everyone and we left out.
"Baybeh" I called and she looked at me "Huh" she raised her eyebrows letting me know I had her full attention.
"You sounded amazing in there, you love what you do don't chu" I asked her as we walked down the hall hand in hand
"I do" she nodded
"You need to be doing music, is that something you're interested in?" She shrugged
"Yea it is, but if I do music I want to do it my way not what a record company wants me to do. I'd rather stay an independent artist because as long as you have a good size fan base that's all that matters." She explained I nodded
"That's true, but think about for me cuz you too good not to be doing music" I said
She yawned and I put my arm around her "You sleepy huh" I asked and she smiled "You already know it" She answered and I chuckled
"I'm kicking yo ass too you know dat right" I said and she looked confused "Why? What I did?" She frowned
"You paid at the nail salon, thought I forgot. What I tell you when I'm around you don't touch doors and you don't pay" I hit her arm and she laughed "Baby, a woman treats her man sometimes too. You don't have to pay all the time" She rubbed my hand
"Whatever, go ahead" I opened the door for her to walk out in front of me
"You just want to look at my ass" she mumbled
"Mhmm mhmm mhmm. Lawd!" I shook my head as she walked out
"August stop" she laughed as I walked out behind her.
"I can't help it Koko" I laughed as we walked to the truck.
We drove home making small talk and laughing.
It's so feel so good to be able to call her mine and to know she ain't going no where.
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