As soon as Jake saw Ajay coming, he took him over and introduced him to Phillip Joel, the engineer who was going to mix and master the single.
"Hello," Ajay greeted cordially
Phillips seemed to be a man of few words and simply shook his hand, but this time Ajay didn't get offended because he could feel that, unlike the producer, Phillips didn't have any prejudice against him; he was just chill like that.
The session immediately started, and Philips listened to the entire session without touching a knob on the mixer panel.
But by the end of the song, his brows looked like a dried-up riverbed, and he looked at the producer, Brad Grey, with confusion clearly visible on his face. "This song is already mixed and mastered by someone."
Brad was taken aback and looked at Tjay with an inquiring gaze,
Lil Tjay looked confused as well. "The entire thing was recorded and arranged by Jake. No one mixed it yet. "
Philip shook his head and firmly expressed his finding, "I am sure of it: someone did master the track. The mixing has been done extremely precisely, and the effects used were done with refinement as well. "
Just when everyone was confused, Jake looked at Ajay with a surprised and shocked expression on his face because, other than Ajay, no one else gave their input to the track.
Philip, noticing Jake looking at Ajay, turned his attention to Ajay as well.
"You mixed it?" He asked, his eyes filled with disbelief
Ajay was confused. He didn't know what they were talking about. Thankfully, Jake quickly explained.
"He probably doesn't know mixing, but he has a very keen ear for what he needs. When we were producing the track, he asked the sound to be a certain way, and his requests were made to the minutest detail."
While he was speaking, he looked at Ajay with his eyes widened. He was honestly shocked. He simply thought that Ajay had a good ear for what he needed when he was asking for all those things, but looking at how even Philip was saying that the mix was at a professional level, he couldn't help but feel like he had met a monster.
"You really had no music experience before?" Philip asked, looking more shocked than before.
Ajay knew that what he did was somehow a big deal. He didn't know how, but he still nodded. "Yes, I didn't study music professionally. I was simply in a church choir, and I learnt notation and music writing in my free time."
"What a monster! "Philip muttered, his voice drifting throughout the silent studio.
Brad Grave, who was sitting on the sofa at the studio since the session started, had suddenly appeared behind Philip, "So you are saying there is no need to mix the song anymore? "He asked with an imperceptible excitement in his tone
Philip resolutely nodded, "It does need a little polishing here and there, but overall it has been mastered wonderfully. "
Brad Grey didn't know what he was thinking. He stared at Ajay for a moment and then looked at Lil Tjay. "Could I have a word with you, Tjay? "
They both went out of the studio and stood in the corridor.
"So you're saying that guy wrote the song and arranged everything? "Brad asked as he took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.
"Yes, and now he mastered the shit as well. "
"How much did you promise? "
"3,000 for the song "
"Not bad. Did he register a copyright or something? Have you transferred it to your company yet? "
"He didn't register the copyright, but he did say that he had written the manuscript and had the original copy"
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"How about BMG buying the song "
Lil Tjay immediately squinted his eyes and looked at Brad with a slight arc at the corner of his lips, "Do you want to take this song away from me? Brad."
Brad shook his head, "You will still be the singer. We just need the copyright."
Tjay shook his head, his dreadlocks swaying left and right. "Forget it, Brad. I quite like the song and I am not short of money anyway."
Brad looked at Lil Tjay for a while and ultimately stopped persisting on the issue. "Fine have it your way, but have you decided who will be credited? "
Lil Tjay stroked his chin and replied. "I'll let the guy have it. "
Brad was surprised. "So generous? The kid seemed to be willing to transfer the ownership, right? Are you not interested? "
"Of course I am, but you have seen his talent, haven't you? He will definitely not stop with one song."
"That's yet to be seen."
"Anyway, I think the kid is very talented, and in case he holds a grudge and reveals that he was the ghostwriter of 'Thrift Shop', my career will be over. Instead of that, it's better to just tell the truth. Besides, I am known for pop. People are already used to me having a songwriter. It won't affect my image too negatively."
"If you say so. "Brad turned around and left, leaving behind a few words. "I'll prepare the contract and the budget for publicity. "
Tjay kept staring at the receding back of Brad, and the thought of switching to another company couldn't help but emerge in his mind.
He was contracted to Bertelsmann Music Group, but his contract was coming to an end. Also, he signed a special contract where he would have some freedom in the songs he created, so the company could not interfere too much in his music creation process. This had always been their sore spot, and just now he seems to have poked it again.
In the end, he shrugged and returned to the studio. After all, what's meant to happen will happen.
The very next day, Ajay, with the presence of a few lawyers he had hired, signed the contract to transfer the ownership of the song to Lil Tjay and his holding company, Lil Tjay Holdings, and took a cheque of $3,000 in hand.
Ajay was very happy, not only because he got the money, but also because he was told that he would be credited for the song and his name would appear on the single. That was much more than the money he had gotten, because that would mean he would get a lot of exposure, and he would have a wider audience if he wanted to sell another song.
In his happiness, he decided to help Tjay some more. "Hey bro, if this single is successful, you said you would shoot a music video, right?"
"Huh?"
"I have an idea. You can consider it."
Lil Tjay sighed, "You have an idea on everything, don't you n*gga? Tell me, are you really a novice?" he asked in exasperation.
He hadn't seen someone this talented in all his life. Despite not knowing production, he ended up mastering a song based on the song he had in his mind alone, not to mention his ability to arrange the songs and the lyricism.
Ajay ignored the sarcasm and stated, "I have an idea for how the music video should be shot."
A week later
Power 106 FM, Southern California.
DJ Trench: "Yo, listen up, fuckers, I just got the news that Lil Tjay is releasing his first rap single, 'Thrift Store,' and guess what, he's featuring Reggie the Legend from Compton!"
He leaned closer to the mic, the studio lights flickering softly behind him. "I'll be covering this track the moment it drops. Stay tuned."
HOT 95 FM, Northwest New York.
DJ Real Talk: "Lil Tjay's last album was disastrous, but he's stepping into what looks like a redemption arc. He's set to release a new single next week. Everybody, stay tuned."
Pirate radio station.
DJ West Side Lou: "Ha ha, Reggie is back, motherfucking Reggie is back. He hasn't appeared on a track since those Bloods from back then showed up. Now he's back, and he's being featured on a song by pop artist Lil Tjay. Listen up, motherfuckers, it's dropping in a week. Y'all stay tuned."
KDAY 93.5 FM.
DJ Blood: "I just gotta get some info on that guy Reggie. He's being featured on that Lil Tjay track next week. Let's see how trash it is, or if it actually hits."
The promotion for the thrift shop was first initiated by the DJs across the country.
The promotion of rap music is unique. They are not done through newspapers, magazines, or TV advertisements. Although that is also a way, it is mainly done through neighbourhood DJs who have a lot of following because of their street connections and their close-to-people marketing method. There are some DJs who even press the cassette tapes in batches of hundreds and distribute them through barber shops, car washes, corner stores, and directly from the trunk of their car.
Once the DJs spoke out, people immediately started discussing the new single by Lil Tjay, and eventually it reached the ears of various people affiliated with gangs and, most importantly, other rap artists across the country.
Northwest New York
A young teenager, twenty years of age, lean-looking, wearing several medallions, heard the news and smiled. "Interesting. Reggie is actually getting on a song as a feature, and that too is a Lil Tjay song."
"You want me to get a copy, Draze?"
"Yeah, get me one after it's released. Let's check it out."
Southern California
A well-built young man with cornrows and a calm face that did not match the tattoos that were all over his body smiled. He contacted his brothers. "Hey, Reggie E has finally decided to show up. Let's go give him a visit."
Southern California, Compton
"What do you think, YG? Will it be any good?" a little kid wearing a red scarf around his neck asked a teenager with a five-pointed star right on his face.
The teenager didn't look interested. "Reggie can't rap for shit, so it'll probably be shit anyway. Just ignore it."