Chapter 17
Seventeen
Brick
I t had been exactly one month since I put that ring on Dy’s finger, and I was still buzzing off that shit. Every day since that one had been better than the last, and today was no different.
Today was a milestone. We had spent most of the last few weeks in Chaney, but today, we were in New York.
We were walking into the towering building that housed Josiah Montgomery’s office.
He was one hell of a producer, and he was the head of Artists and Repertoire at Limitless Records .
I had worked with him a lot in the past on reference tracks for other artists.
He had been low-key pressuring me to stop writing for other people and start my own music career for years now. When I made the decision to do just that, he was the first person I thought to sit down with.
Dylan and I walked through the frosted double doors of the building. Once I gave our names to the woman at the receptionist’s desk, she gave us instructions that I didn’t need on how to get to Siah’s office.
Hand in hand, my lady and I made our way to the elevator and rode it up to the tenth floor. Once we got to his office door, I was about to knock, but it was already open, so we stepped inside.
Siah smiled as he stood from the chair behind his desk. “Look who finally stopped bullshittin’,” he said, making his way over to us. I smirked and dapped him up.
“Aye. Better late than never,” I said, laughing.
He then turned to Dy and gave her a knowing grin. She told me that they had worked together a few times when he had produced for Maria, but they never talked about much outside of Maria’s career.
“And you. I can’t tell you how happy I am to see that you finally got that weight up off ya.” I chuckled. There was no doubt that the wight he was referring to was Maria Striten. So many industry people we had come across had made similar statements about Dy’s decision to cut ties with that woman.
“I always saw a light in you that Maria put in overtime to try and snuff out. I’m glad you ain’t let her.”
I glanced at Dylan, and her eyes twinkled as she nodded gracefully. Her humble ass didn’t know how to accept praise without trying to downplay it or crying, and it looked like she was on the verge of the latter. Releasing her hand, I wrapped an arm around her and kissed her cheek.
“I said the same shit.”
Siah’s eyes shifted from me to Dylan a few times, and his smile grew. I was sure he wanted to comment on the fact that we looked cozy as hell, but instead, he just said, “Let’s get to it” before going back to his seat. We took the seats in front of his desk, and he dove straight in.
“So, here’s the deal,” he said, sliding a folder across the desk. I opened it and pushed it slightly to the left so that both Dylan and I could review its contents. As we did, Siah continued.
“You’re a star. I’ve seen it since day one.
You’re also not new to this game. I know how you feel about industry shit, and after talking with Miss Dylan over the phone, she made it clear that you wanted freedom above all else.
I met with the company execs. I think we worked out a deal that allows you to stay true to yourself while also blowing the fuck up on the mainstream charts. ”
As I read over the offer, I nodded. It was a distribution deal.
I would remain independent and own masters while maintaining creative control.
Limitless would basically be the machine behind my independent operation.
For a percentage of my profits, their resources would be at my disposal for production, visuals, promotion, and touring, if I got to that point.
Damn .
Dylan had been on the phone with Siah and other record labels for weeks, advocating for me, and she did her damn thing. This deal was dope as hell. I looked over at her, and she gave me a small nod and smiled. This woman was more than amazing.
“I’m in, man.”
Still grinning, Siah nodded also. “Hell yeah.” He then turned to Dylan. “The last time we talked, you said you had some ideas for his introduction to the world as a solo artist?”
“I do,” she said, clearing her throat. She reached into her big ass purse and pulled out her tablet. After tapping a few times, she propped it up so that we could all see the screen.
“His working title for his debut album is Brixton Ellis: Verse Two . This is the theme we want to work around for his rollout, because this is not really a debut. As you said, he’s already given so much to the culture.
This is more of a reintroduction or a second take.
A reclamation.” I smirked as she dove into the pitch that she had been working on for the last few weeks.
My woman was a visionary, and she wasn’t playing when it came to my career.
We had been talking about where I saw myself going and how involved I wanted to be in the logistics.
I was a wordsmith, and at this point, I didn’t care to do much more than write and perform my words.
I was leaving the aesthetics to Dy, and she was running with it.
I was just enjoying witnessing her flourish in her element.
Her ideas were detailed, from starting out with a single that was an undeniable hit, doing a multi-week build-up of behind-the-scenes content, to the mini docuseries about my songwriting history. She wanted to let people know what I was about, while getting them hype about what was to come.
“Once we’ve successfully built hype around Brick the artist, we’re going to put the icing on the cake with a birthday slash homecoming concert in Chaney at Pulse Point . His birthday is in about three months, so we have plenty of time to execute.”
“A hometown premier, huh?” Siah asked with a raised brow.
She nodded. “I’ve already been speaking with the mayor’s executive assistant, and they are excited about the opportunity to host a big event like this. I may have mentioned that we would possibly have the weight of a major label behind us. It’s a good look for the city and for Brick’s career.
“There are plenty of big names in the sports world to come out of Chaney, too. With this record label behind us, and both mine and Brixton’s contacts, I think we can create a pretty high-profile event.
Chaney is home for us—for him—and it’s the first place he was ever heard.
It’s only right that we double back and make it the first place he’s fully seen. ”
Siah hadn’t said anything yet, but I could tell he was impressed.
Hell, I was, too. I mean, I knew she was a genius, so her masterfully laid out plan wasn’t surprising.
I just loved that she understood the core of who I was, and she made it a point to embed me in every aspect of the creative vision.
My lyrical journey didn’t start in a studio.
It was stated on porches, parks, and corner stores.
“Plus,” Dy continued, “birthdays are symbolic. It’ll be like a full-circle moment—closing one chapter and opening the next. A new era.”
Siah was speechless for a minute. Then he smirked and started a slow clap. Shaking his head, he said, “Damn, Brick. She’s good. I mean, you’re good too, but damn. You done messed around and made the best decision of your life by linking with this young lady.”
“No doubt about it,” I said, glancing over at a blushing Dylan.
By the time the meeting was over, we had a strong foundation for this rollout. This was really happening, and it was all kind of surreal, but the truth was that my mind wasn’t really on business anymore.
I couldn’t stop admiring my lady. I enjoyed watching her in business mode, and I loved witnessing how hard she was going for me. I appreciated Dy more than she’d probably ever know, but I was going to do my best to convey the message.
Once it was all over, we shook Siah’s hand and headed out of the building. Dylan slipped her hand in mine and squeezed.
“How are you feeling?” she asked, looking up at me.
“Good as hell.”
She smiled. “You should. It’s all happening, and you deserve it.”
Lifting our hands, I kissed the back of hers. “Yeah, it is, and it’s all thanks to you. I used to feel like this shit was so out of reach for me. Like it would never be more than just a dream. Turns out, I just needed my soulmate by my side to help me build it.”
She blushed right on cue, and I stopped walking and wrapped her in my arms. “I love you, Doll.”
Lifting on her toes, she puckered her lips, and I obliged by pressing mine against them. “I love you more.”