ꕥ 3 ꕥ
ꕥ A month later ꕥ
Stepping out of the vehicle she removed her brown vintage juicy couture shades, "Woah" she heard the murmurs from the estate security.
Today Tyler had styled her head to toe and she felt amazing, the deep cowl neck of her draped cream top flaunted her beautiful chocolate breast and tattooed back.
It was completely backless, then her low-rise bootcut jeans were to die for, the studding from the waist to bottom of her jeans paired with a wide concho leather belt she hadn't worn since the early two-thousands.
The doors of the home were opened for her as she made her way through looking for her phone in her Gucci Horsebit leather handbag "I told him this bag was way too small" she sighed finally finding the phone hidden under a stack of Canadian dollars.
Dialing Noah's number she raked a hand through her soft silk press "Hey dude, I'm here where you at?" pressing down her lips she waited for a response.
"Security didn't tell you we in the studio?"
"Which kind security? They're all goo-goo-eyed at me" "Well now you know, come on down lady"
"Mo nbo T: I'm coming".
"If y'all plan on doing your jobs, I've got stuff in the car" Tossing her keys at the two men by the door she continued on her way to the studio.
She knew Noah's home like the back of her hand, She made her way past the kitchen to the final door on the left that led to a secret stairwell.
Before heading down she made sure to check her appearance through her phone camera, carefully she stepped down each step, her shoes were kitten-heeled mules one mess up she could be sent tumbling down the stairs.
The vintage Gucci heels were cute and Tyler emphasized how they'd be perfect with her handbag, saying no to him was getting harder by the day. It didn't help with how annoying he was.
From the bottom of the stairs, she could hear laughter and her mind grew curious as to who it could be.
Walking down the hallway the last door on her right was the studio, she laid down a light knock before entering "What's all this laughter?" Noah snapped his neck to look at the door "Sis?!" rising from his seat he almost picked Dami up when he hugged her.
She wasn't even focused on the other artist, her mind was completely on her best friend "You look good" Noah complimented her while placing her on the floor.
"I know I feel like a 90's supermodel" Whipping her hair over her shoulder the two laughed hysterically.
"On some real shit I didn't think you would show" "Excuse me" she gasped clutching the single gold chain on her neck like they were pearls.
"Come on babe, getting your time is extremely hard and expensive"
"True True" Dami smiled, placing her glasses and purse on the coffee table "Can you get me something to drink please?" taking the engineer's seat she placed the headphones over her ears.
He knew he didn't have a choice so 40 disappeared into the dark back rooms.
The artist watched her face unmoved from what she originally was hearing, "I could've sworn I finished this beat" yawning her brown lined lips folded as she leaned back in her chair "Finished?" the artist questioned.
"You can talk I thought you were having a staring competition with the back of my head" Turning in her seat she faced the artist.
Her eyes slightly widened once she realized who it was, his dark eyes pierced hers, he expected an apology but she sat there glaring back at him.
"You don't think that's some rude shit to say" The woman's face looked so focused on him but there was no remorse or fear on her face, finally blinking she cheered "I won".
"Won what?"
"Oh you were staring at me so I turned around for a rematch" his lips cracked into a smile before he could realize "You gotta go bro" "I'm the winner so I make the demands" Dami crossed her legs thinking of a prize in her mind.
"The fuck-"
"Double my pay"
"Pay?! What are you on about?"
"My prize, you lost fair in square" his hand came down over his waves.
"Yo, where's Chubbs?" shrugging her shoulders Dami turned back around focusing on the job she was given, as time passed the door opened "Finally I don't understand why the fuck you brought this girl to my studio session. I don't even know this broad" "Wow Aubrey, I would've preferred bitch or hoe. Broad's highkey cruel".
Spinning back around her eyes landed on the two men still standing by the door "You talking about D?"
"Mamas?" the tall brown man looked confused "Like the new hairstyle" she quizzed.
"When you get back?" Watching his security rush over to the woman he was supposed to be escorting out he was utterly confused.
"D, did you even introduce yourself?"
"You didn't add the talk to niggas fee" she spoke from under Chubb's body mass, his bear hugs were deadly.
"She jokes too damn much"
"I don't care if she a comedian bro, who is she? Why is she here touching my shit?" Sighing heavily he thought of how to introduce his best friend professionally.
"This is one of my mentors, she's taught me everything I know and I thought it would be cool to book her for our session"
"Was this your surprise?" Aubrey frowned, pacing the room while Dami was now set free from Chubb's clutches.
"She's not needed-"
"Hold on, D can you please introduce yourself"
"Fine, Hello I am Oluwadamilola Adesina. I also go by Damz, I am a producer, engineer, and songwriter" Walking forward she stretched out her hand for him to shake.
"Are y'all playing some type of joke?" speeding towards her purse she pulled out her company ID placing it in his palm.
"CEO and Founder, Damz made Idyllic Recording Association and is the current and only label head. My ID says it right there" Examining the thick piece of plastic it didn't look fake or quickly made yet he was still suspicious.
"I literally worked for you the first eight years of your career, you've seen my face before" He shook his head in all honesty he had never seen this woman before, for her to be making such claims she had to have some kind of proof of her accolades.
"I know everyone in my studio and I'm sorry but I've never seen you. Even if it was the start of my career, I have great memory" he leaned his back against the boning of the couch.
The hard plastic in his hand didn't convince him either.
These days anyone can produce anything, it's getting harder to sort fake from real.
"But Noah is confirming everything that I'm saying, is his word not credible"
"It is-"
"Chubbs knows me as well, what's the other excuse" Dami's lips folded as she waited for an answer.
Her body boiling, she couldn't understand exactly what they were talking about. "You know the group that's cool now how does that secure me? How do I know you didn't lie to everyone here about your identity?"
"Why is it so hard to believe me?" snatching the card from his grasp is exactly what Noah didn't want.
"Now people got attitudes"
"I don't got no attitude if I had one I would've left and ya friend would be disputing charges" Dami pointed her golden stiletto nails right at Noah, she wasn't angry but tired.
Looking him back in the eyes she thought he didn't hear her question, "Why is it so hard to believe that I am who I say I am? If I was a man would that make it more believable?".
Cocking her head to the side the loud sigh from his lips brought her everything she needed.
"Don't bring gender into this? Your story isn't legible" "Would it be legible if I was some fat nigga behind a soundboard?"
"Dami!" Noah tried to intervene but she quickly shooed him.
"I don't know what he wants. Does he want my resume or sum? I cleared my schedule cuz it was you who called me and begged for me to enter this agreement. I'm a fucking top-list nigga doing charity work for dirt cheap and this is how I'm treated. This is exactly why I left OVO in the first place".
Noah and Dami were close almost like brother and sister, he knew her like the back of his head and she felt the same about Noah but one thing she purposely kept separate was business.
She was so secretive about her profession that he never knew why she terminated her contract with Young Money and later down the line OVO.
One day he stopped hearing from her as often and her work email no longer existed, so at the sound of new information, he kept his mouth closed.
"Let's say you actually worked with me, a hypothetical if you will, what was the reason you quit?"
"Because I had to clean after your messes in a closet-sized office all the way in Bumbfuck Ontario cause you didn't have enough funds to pay LA wages. While y'all drank, fucked bitches, and partied I had to work my ass off mastering and mixing every song. Clearing every sample, rewriting songs, chasing you down for songs you never wanted to finish. All for a barely moving wage while being in school, working, mourning my father, and being homeless".
Clearing her throat she thought of what else she had to say for herself, her mind was made up. This wasn't worth it "I don't need this. I'll cancel everything, I'm grateful you felt comfortable enough to ask me to help with this project Noah" Tossing her purse over her shoulder she exited just the way he wanted.
She heard Noah call after her loud and clear yet she didn't turn back walking up the stairs she quickly sped through the house till she found herself on the porch. "Hello sir, can you please get my car?"
"Which vehicle ma'am" Thinking of what model nothing came to mind and her voice slightly shook "It's a Rolls Royce, I don't remember the model or the year. I know that it's cream, and the windows are heavily tinted. I'm so sorry".
"It's alright, I'll look for you" The man smiled at her and she smiled back nodding. She waited for the man to disappear before taking out her phone and making a quick Facetime call.
"Hey" "Nigga, what's up with that face?" hearing his chains move she could tell he was on the go but to where she wondered, did she interrupt something?
"Work" "Talk to me" "People are so rude and ungrateful, especially in this industry. I've worked with difficult artists before but none have continuously treated me like this. I've never been questioned about my identity, people may be suspicious but they let me prove I am who I say I am".
Tyler listened as he entered his bedroom on the other side of the continent, sitting on the floor while she spoke he stared at the custom trunks sitting in the corner of his room. Fully packed and ready to visit Toronto this time alone, he listened to her rant and in the corner of his mind, he wondered if he should've booked an earlier flight.
"I work too hard to be questioned at every corner, I work harder than half these flashy niggas, and because I'm a woman my work is discredited. I know if I was some fat nigerian british nigga Damz would make sense to Mr. Degrassi. This is the music industry, how do I know your Tyler the fucking creator?" cackling loudly Tyler had never heard her speak so informally and he slightly enjoys it.
"Nigga I don't fucking know"
"Exactly, I rolled up here in a luxury car covered in untouchable shit and your friends addressed me. His friends asked me to surprise him then he said "I probably lied to his friends" "Ain't Chubbs, Oliver, and 40 your bros? Y'all go way back, everyone knows that".
Wiping her face she stared back at Tyler nodding. "Damz don't cry"
"No-no like me and them niggas been family. He's the only person that never noticed me" She took a deep breath trying to put her words together.
"Niggas have been talking so recklessly to me today" he barely heard her whisper, for what he didn't hear he used context clues to fill in the rest.
"What else happened today?"
"Niggas held a conference without me or my assistants, I've been running around trying to put together what was discussed this whole month. I have no clue what decisions they made and nobody will help me catch up, everyone's out of the office, on lunch, in a meeting, seeing a client. I have a feeling something fishy is going on"
"How do you know it's misogyny?".
"I got eyes all around that building. I've heard what they think of me whether they know that or not. For the most part, I hear I'm too young for my position but I don't know what they want from me, to step down and place one of them in power. Then it's my gender and my appearance. Apparently, I'm too distracting and my success has to be rooted in my looks".
Taken aback by the statements he could see where they came up with the accusations, she was young and beautiful, and the people she kept close also had a lot of money.
"Wow" "Yeah this shit was the icing on the cake" The man she sent to get her car was driving back.
"You found it" she cheered as the man parked in front of her. "Found what?" "My car, I forgot the year and model and I was so flushed with emotions I gave him the vaguest description ever".
Putting her phone in her back pocket she walked to the driver's door to hug the worker. "Thank you so much" Dami pulled away holding up a finger while rummaging in her tiny purse.
"For your troubles" With a grin on her lips slipped the bills in his hand, "Is that too small?" Adding additional cash to it the man was shocked.
Barely anyone had thought to hug him let alone tip him this well "No no thank you" Trying to return some of the colorful cash she shook her head tossing her bag into the vehicle.
"Your name?" "Darren" his aged face and low haircut were uniform, something about his face gave off reliability to Dami.
"From now on I want you dealing with my cars, okay Darren" "Yes ma'am" "Great, you have a nice night" "Same to you ma'am".
Before she could get into the driver's seat she caught a glimpse of Aubrey heading back into the house.
Had he been standing there waiting for the right moment to speak? She doubted it, he probably was checking to see if she was still on the property, putting her seatbelt on she took her phone out of her back pocket and placed it on her phone stand.
"That shirt is really something" "Tyler are you staring at my breast?" Raising her right brow, she shifted in her seat and his eyes watched them bounce.
"You perv" Sticking her tongue out Dami pulled out the parking space and then waited for the censor control gate to open.
"On some real shit, the world is fucked up, and if those niggas don't want to listen to you fuck them. It's their loss and I doubt he feels like your untalented, knowing that niggas he's being a petty bitch. He probably had a bad day like yourself and let his attitude get ahead of himself. That doesn't mean reach out but also he's a valuable connection, use this to your advantage" Nodding her head the deepness of his voice soothed her a little.
"What keeps me from being super emotional is remembering the world doesn't fucking revolve around me, people don't have to care about me. People are not going to respect me and lashing out of the norm isn't gonna change anything. And you don't need to sit and let niggas treat you shitty. You get to walk away" "Okay" nodding with enthusiasm she kept her eyes on the road.