"What happened to Carmel?"
Train knew that question was going to be asked as soon as they arrived at the recording studio complex. The name branched and indented in the front of the building acted as a living tribute to the person that coined the phrase and made it's own entity.
Train, for the meantime, just ignored Charmaine's question and continued along inside with her and Tamel in tow. Train, however, knew that question would have to be answered. Unfortunately he wasn't the one to answer it. Train never really knew what happened to Carmel. Train left King's estate with Charmaine and never looked back. He figured Carmel escaped too. He had asked Tamel about her and Tamel just stated he didn't see her at the compound.
Train knew his half-brother was lying. Train knew Tamel never really liked Carmel even though she hung in their circle. Train also knew Tamel only kept her around because of her brother. Carmel knew too much to be discarded with. She even knew Train's dirty secret even though she never disclosed it to Tamel.
Train chose a studio booth room to hold their meeting instead of the offices that Tamel and he officially had in the building. Train had to admit that he also wanted to be a music producer. He loved the music mogul Timbaland and wanted to be just like him on the music tip. Before he was a fan of Timbaland, he was a monster follower of Dr. Dre, from the group NWA, who became a huge musical mastermind in his own right. Train remembered telling Tamel when they both in the Boys Juvenile Detention Center as teenagers that he wanted to be like Dr. Dre and that if he ever got real money off hustling, he would open his own recording studio like Master P, another Hip-Hop genius and entrepreneur.
When Tamel surprised Train with the building, but most importantly, the name, Train knew it was because Tamel remembered Train's dream. Train loved it and couldn't wait to go inside and start playing with the soundboards in different booths and hooking up the microphone. Train even made a quick record with a ten minute rap that Tamel, miraculously, made a beat for.
Tamel had set up an office for Train and made him Director of A & R (Artists and Repertoire). Tamel didn't give himself a title even though he made a small office in the building as well. Train was to run the company with the assists of talented individuals that Tamel had either snagged from other companies offering more money and up and coming stars that was hungry to get into the business. Tamel wanted his brother to live the dream that he was told about since they were little youngsters.
Seeing Train planning with the panels on one of the soundboards that were in the recording booth they were in made Tamel smile. He never seen Train as happy as when Train was working the mixer. Charmaine stood in awe as Train just started fiddling with knobs and music filled the room with an intense beat. Charmaine started nodding her head as Train put his big Beats by Dre red headphones and really started working the switches on the panels.
"You see this little nigga had to show off," Tamel smiled,
"Fuck you," Train said then went back to his music.
Charmaine looked around. She had never been in a recording studio. She had seen plenty on television but it looked more surreal in person. Charmaine was hypnotized by it just as much as Train was.
Train took off his headphones and looked at Charmaine. "You want to get in the booth?"
"I thought we was came here to talk," Charmaine answered. "I mean we..."
"We can talk later," Train said. "Get your bony ass in the booth and do what you do. What can you do? Sing? Play piano?"
"Rap," Charmaine replied then giggled.
"Rap," both Tamel and Train said in unison.
"Yeah, what you're surprised a girl from Brooklyn could rock the M-I-C," Charmaine said and moved her arms around like she was impersonating a female lyricist.
Train looked at Tamel. "You hear that shit. Little shorty doo wop can rap."
Tamel shrugged. He was still tight about that little argument they had in the car before they got there. Train ignored Tamel's indifference and looked back at Charmaine and smiled.
"Get in there," Train said.
"I'm not getting in there," Charmaine smiled shaking her head.
"Listen, we have been through a lot of shit," Train stated, "Chances are after today, shit won't stop only intensify. I've been through hell and back and I brought your silly ass through the flames holding a pacifier. Now before I get back to dealing with the bullshit that has all been our lives for the last couple of months, I want to sit back, hit some switches and hear some shit other than gunshots and bad puns. So get in there, pretty please."
Charmaine looked at Train and scrunched her face. "You serious?"
"When am I ever joking?" Train responded/
Charmaine looked at Tamel who looked bored at the whole ordeal. She rolled her eyes at Tamel's antics and looked back at Train.
"Okay, just for you," Charmaine agreed. "Tell me how to work this thing."
"Just get in the booth, put those big ass headphones on and talk into the mic," Train instructed.
Charmaine stepped into the enclosed vocal booth and looked through the huge see-through mirror that covered the front wall facing the soundboards. She spotted Train putting on his headphones and instructed her with his hands to do the same.
Charmaine looked at headphones that stood on top of a composer's sheet stand. She placed them over her ears and looked at the funny looking microphone beside her.
Train nodded. "Just start and I'll put the beat in."
Charmaine laughed then cleared her throat. "My name is Charmaine...I'm insane...wait."
Charmaine stopped and looked through the mirror at Train.
Train just smiled and made a hand gesture to keep going. "Just say what comes to mind. You been through too much shit not to have anything to say."
Charmaine nodded and took a deep breath and exhaled.
Charmaine stepped back to the microphone. "It's BK Maine...with DJ Train...I know you've been waiting for me to come up like a delayed train. You're a pee pee stain...I'm so crack I shit Cocaine...and when this bitch spit game...it's golden like slick rick's chain. I knew these bitches hurt...because I'm the reason for their niggas thirst...sure I let him lick the titties first...but that was after he copped me that Fendi purse. So ease up...before you end up picking your weave up...and tell your nigga if he want to touch these dee cups...he need to get his gees up. I got Roseanne Barr cash...with a porno star ass...that's why niggas stay glued to it like total car crash. You borderline trash...I'm all about cash...that's why I be chasing this money like a forty yard dash."
Charmaine huffed and let out a very slow breath. She was looking at the microphone the whole time. When she looked up towards the mirror, she saw a very shocked Train and dumbstruck Tamel.
"Did I do good?" Charmaine asked nervously.
Train just stood there in awe for a minute then he heard a loud slapping sound. Train turned around to see Tamel clapping and smiling. Train joined in Tamel's standing ovation.
Charmaine blushed from the attention the two men were giving her. Charmaine stepped out of the enclosed booth and walked to where the two guys were.
"I guess I did good," Charmaine beamed.
"Yeah, you fire," Train admired.
"You might be the label's first artist," Tamel confirmed.
Then Tamel's smile faded. "If we survive this."
Charmaine looked at Tamel. "What do you mean? And where is Carmel? I see you put her damn slogan up there. Where is she? And what was that crack about my mother earlier?"
Tamel looked at Train then at Charmaine. "You sure you really ready to hear this?"
"Yeah, you dragged me from regular life I was trying to build," Charmaine said, "If I'm going to be in this bullshit y'all building, I need to know my hand."
Tamel huffed then leaned on the wall. "Ok, full disclosure. I'm tired of this secrecy shit too."
"Full disclosure," Charmaine repeated.
"Yeah," Tamel said. "I'll tell you what you want to know."
Train looked at Tamel.
"Fuck, we going through this for," Tamel recanted. "I mean all of this shit. It's all because of one thing."
"What?" Charmaine asked.
"You," Tamel informed.
"Me?" Charmaine heard that statement before and now this time she really was going to get the answer to why. "Why me? What the fuck I have to do with any of this really?"
Train cleared his throat. "Homey, you sure..."
"It's about time," Tamel said. "You see she in there spitting verses. That's pain in those words. I think she deserves to know why she has it."
"It was just..."Charmaine didn't know what Tamel was talking about.
Tamel walked up to Charmaine. Charmaine stepped back a little. Train tensed up.
"You want to know why all this is happening," Tamel said. "It's simple. It's a family feud. Two parents that wanted to control the game instead of being there for their kids. Two motherfuckers so ruthless they tried to use the one person that was leverage for both of them."
Train bit his lip. "Dog, I think..."
Train went to grab Tamel's shoulder but Tamel shrugged his hand off.
"She needs to know," Tamel sighed. "We're about to go against the queen bee and her minions and the only weapon we have is her."
Charmaine looked confused. "Stop with the riddles and just tell me."
"You think having a brother father was the half of your story," Tamel began. "Not even close, the one that is really pulling the strings on the whole operation is..."
The lights went out before Tamel could finish. The room fell into darkness and gunshots could be heard outside.
-
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Envy looked at her nails and thought she saw a smudge. Her face immediately went into disgust.
She looked at the man that was sitting beside her in the back of the limousine.
"Make an appointment for my nails to be done," Envy ordered the subservient and he nodded.
Envy placed her hands back on her lap and looked at the subordinate. "After that, I need to have everything set up. I have to meet up with my new alliance and I want all these old loose ends handled. I need to start things in motion because I will be in motion and can't think of this pettiness."
"Yes, Madam," the male servant said.
"Good, "Envy huffed, "I'll be out of commission for a while. I want everything handled when I come back. I mean everything."
"Including termination?" her subservient asked.
Envy thought for a minute then said, "Yes, she is becoming a nuisance now and so is this situation. Shut all of it down. I cannot have the miscreant running things either. I am washing my hands of the whole ordeal."
"As you wish," the man said then pulled out an encrypted phone to rely Envy's commands.
d