'Pushin my buttons, you gone get me started
Call me aggressive, I'm just being honest'

•

Hidden Hills, California
Belcalis Almanzar

"No breakfast?" I smile as she rolls her eyes leaving me at the door.

Something about how easily I got under her skin was so intriguing to me, I wonder if she was always this easily annoyed.

"Hospitality was left at the door apparently too" I mumble to myself as I step in the house closing and locking the door behind myself before following behind her.

"Follow me so I can show you were you'll be sleeping"

"Just show me the studio" I didn't plan on being anywhere else in this house during my time here besides the bathroom to shower, I was ready to lock in.

"Ok well follow me to the elevator so we can go down since you don't plan on sleeping"

"Lead the way" I urge her holding my arm out.

We walk down a long hall before finally the elevator was in view, she presses the only button on the wall opening the doors up and we step on.

I take the liberty of pressing the down button as the doors close and I enjoy the short ride down.

The doors open to an surprisingly decent studio, it had almost everything I needed off of first look.

Walking over to the soundboard taking off my backpack I unzip it taking my laptop, my 808, and my mpc out hooking everything up to where it needed to be.

"Alright so what is this album about? What angle are you taking on this project?" I question sitting in the wheeler chair which was pretty comfy.

"This album is more personable, my most personable album yet in fact"

"Wow, that was so helpful" I softly chuckle pulling up some archives and another tab full of experimental ideas I had been working on for years.

"You know you don't have to be an asshole all the time, I've apologized to you twice but you seem to be still holding on to what happened at the party"

"Relax, I just like fucking with you. Now seriously in what way is the album personable? I can't help you if you don't help me" I spin around in the chair looking at her so she knew I was serious.

"... it's about heartbreak, my upbringing, my short fallings, it's my therapy compiled in an album"

"I feel that, what you think about this?" Spinning back around I scroll down various beats before clicking on one I made two years ago, the sound so fresh you would've thought I made it yesterday.

The beat fills the studio as I close my eyes vibing to the strings in the back.

This beat was originally for somebody else but we went a different route so it got stuck in the archives but this might've been something she was looking for.

"I got a verse for this already, you ready to record?"

"I'm always ready to record, jump in the booth and let me do what I do" I get everything ready on the soundboard as she walks in the booth, putting the pink beats over her ears.

Starting the beat over from the top I sit back as she starts flowing over the melody.

Everything coming off the dome so I'm guessing she had these words brewing for a while, the pain in her voice being a testament to my assumption.

She was hurting in the mist of healing, the relationship she was spitting about seeming extremely toxic and draining.

Pain usually made the best art and she was in this booth creating a masterpiece.

If it was anybody else I would've smelled the Grammy coming, luckily I really didn't care about awards or chart positions, it was the art of it all that stole my heart.

I was in love with the process of creating something beautiful, sounds unheard by the world, it was my addiction.

The beat starts to slowly fade out as she finishes spilling her pain over the soft strings.

"First take, how much material you got cause I can do this for hours. I got some other shit I can cook up with you right now and you can start writing to that if you want to, just give me the concept and I'll create the vibe"

I was so easily inspired when it came to music I had archives of thousands in my hard drives and so many ideas I still wanted to bring to life.

"Whatever you want to do I'm with it"

"Alright come out here so we can play this back and we'll brew on what direction we want to go next or if you want to stay in this bag, cause you deep in this bag right now not gone hold you" I softly chuckle as I let the studio speaker button go.

Whoever she was talking about hurt her bad, the damage he left apparent.

It made sense as to why she was so cold and off putting, she was heavily guarded.

She sits in the chair next to me as I playback the track, her voice filling the studio.

Her eyes close as she softly bobs her head to her own lyrics, feeling it like she wasn't the one that spit it.

"You good?" She seemed deep in her feelings and it was lowkey awkward for me cause I hadn't ever seen her show emotion outside of annoyance, felt like I was almost getting a glimpse of the real her.

"Yea, I just had that on my chest for a while and it's refreshing to finally get it off and beautifully doing so, thank you so much for the beat" She smiles, her first genuine smile for me.

"Yea this shit raw, and I ain't even mix it yet or nun. Thank you for inviting me to the self therapy sessions, ya pain is safe with me" I cross my fingers over my heart swearing secrecy.

"Yea cause I forgot to make you sign a nda"

"Aight cause now you doing too much" I softly chuckle as she cutely giggles.

"You not half bad when you not being a stuck up bitch" I smile as her face falls blank and she stands up making my face scrunch in confusion.

"What I do?"

"Call me when you done mixing this I'm about to go upstairs and write, you just pissed me off"

"Lies feel good, the truth is uncomfortable. You should be happy I'm not lying to you, but yea you got it" I chuckle focusing on getting this record mixed and mastered.

"Some things should be kept to yourself, you're not half bad when you're on mute" She leaves on the elevator and I can't help but be amused.

She was more interesting than I thought, I hate to admit it but I was intrigued by everything that was Onika Maraj.

Hidden Hills, California
Onika Maraj

My heart races in my chest as I quietly descend my staircase hearing footsteps downstairs, my phone in one hand and my pink baby glock in the other and I wasn't afraid to use it.

Creeping quietly through the living room I turn the light on in the kitchen ready to defend my home from the intruders.

"That's cute" She takes a bite out the sandwich she was holding unbothered as my hand flies to my racing heart.

I forgot all about her ass.

After she pissed me off I came upstairs put my phone on do not disturb and never even came back out my room.

"Get out my frigerator making a deluxe sandwich and shit, I was ready to shoot you" I mentally try to calm myself down feeling like I was a heartbeat away from a heart attack.

"You want one?" She questions taking another bite out the sandwich.

It didn't even look that appetizing but she was making it look so damn good.

"You can have a bite" She holds the sandwich out to me and my face scrunches up.

"I don't know where that mouth been, politely declining"

"My shit way cleaner than yours, but aight you the one missing out not me" She shrugs continuing to demolish the sandwich.

I hope her disrespectful ass choked and croaked.

"Close my fucking frigerator and get out my kitchen" I mug her offended cause what she mean her mouth cleaner than mine?

All them girls she be entertaining I highly doubt it.

"Yo you mad rude, I know we from New York but hospitality is not reserved for just southerners, you really need to be cooking for me right now" She closes the fridge and I'm shocked at her seemingly being serious, the audacity.

"And if the roles were reversed and we were at your house would you cook for me?" I question tilting my head as we stare at each other in silence.

And I dared her to lie and say yes.

"..You not my bitch" She pushes past me leaving me and my dropped jaw in the kitchen.

Bold didn't do this girl justice, she was literally just disrespectful and didn't think about anything that flew out of her mouth.

"Yea you gotta go" I softly chuckle to myself shaking my head trying to keep from snapping as I hear the elevator doors closing.

Laura just didn't know everything I was going through with this girl, we were practically beefing at this point cause her mouth was way too slick.

She should've been apologizing to me if anything, she had been very disrespectful since we first met but somehow I ended up the bad guy.

My phone vibrates in my hand and I answer it seeing it was my best friend Lauren calling, I swear she always knew when I needed to vent.

"So you really about to lock yourself in your home with a stranger for a week? Cause me, Amber, chy, and lala going to the club"

"Girllll, she's so fucking disrespectful I'm tempted to say fuck these terms and leave. Outside been calling my name for a minute too, she trying me" My leg bounces in frustration and anger as I weigh my options.

Something told me she was very head strong so I knew if I did leave she would most likely leave and never work with me again, which wasn't an option with everything I was going through, I had to make sure these headaches were worth it.

"Damn why you sound so stressed? She can't be that bad, y'all just met like 48 hours ago what happened that fast?"

"Her mouth, that's what happened and that's what keeps happening, it's sooo fucking reckless and she just don't give a fuck. I've never been so disrespected in such a short span of time in my life, she in here playing crazy" I close my eyes massaging my temple calming myself down.

"Sounds like you met your match, I'd pay to see one of them arguments y-"

"Bye" I hang up.

It must be play in Nicki's face day.

My phone rings again and this time I roll my eyes at the number before answering.

"Wha-"

"Come to the studio" The call ends before I could even think to respond.

"Ouuuu" I squeeze my phone tight in frustration, I felt like Tre on boyz in the hood swinging at the air in that foyer.

"Lord give me strength"

Taking a few deep breaths to calm down I give myself a pep talk to keep it cordial because as much as I didn't like it she was currently a great asset to me and my craft. 

I needed her, and I hate that so damn bad.

Turning the light off in the kitchen on my way out I walk down the hall to the elevator catching it down to the studio.

"Is there a reason you requested my presence?" I politely question as soon as the doors open.

"Listen to this"

The studio fills with one of the most beautiful piano melodies I ever heard.

I could definitely create something special to this.

"It's not finished yet but you fucking with it? I been working on it all night and I just couldn't keep it to myself any longer" She smiles and I can't help but smile.

"It's so beautiful, I definitely can't wait to put something over that melody"

"I knew you was gone like it, I got that first track mixed and mastered for you too it's saved on a hard drive for your album, let me play it for you" She starts messing with the laptop but I couldn't pay attention when she had her hoodie off and these abs out.

I couldn't help but acknowledge her attraction when we first met, disrespect aside she was fine as hell.

Fine disrespectful ass.

"I'm not gone hold you, we work well together cause this shit is art"

"Mhm" I pull my bottom lip in my mouth soft biting as my eyes glue to the six pack.

I didn't have to like her to admire her.

2 Days Later
Hidden Hills, California
Onika Maraj

"I'm locked in for a bit but I might be able to film it real quick next week, it really depends on how this lil shit I'm doing right now go"

She speaks on the phone like I wasn't the "little shit" like I wasn't sitting right behind her big head ass.

"You got a deadline or something? The song not even out yet right?"

".... Right, two weeks.. yea I think I can film it, send me the song for visual inspiration.. you know I only make movies, we going to the Oscar's"

I roll my eyes at her laughter, she thought everything was so damn funny.

"Aren't we supposed to be working? I got verses ready to go and you wasting time on the phone, focus on one task at a time please, thank you" I cut into her laughter instantly ceasing it as she smacks her lips.

"You do not wanna know who that is, I gotta go though the princess not getting her way and she's throwing a temper tantrum" She chuckles like that shit was funny.

"Nobody's having a temper tantrum you're just wasting my time and my labels money for that little fee you're charging, to apparently be on the phone all day, weird" Yes I was being petty and childish, I did not care.

Get back for all that disrespect I was putting up with.

"Just send me the song and I'll get back to you next week... don't remind me you know Super Bowl weekend like a holiday to me I can't believe I'm missing out on the antics... yup... alright bet" She finally gets off the phone spinning around in the chair to look at me.

"You need attention or something? Cause I'm not here to give you that, you better call one of them clown ass niggas that be blowing ya line" She chuckles and I roll my eyes.

I left my phone on that soundboard for two minutes while I went to the restroom, came back to my phone flashing and her just looking at the screen full of amusement.

Another instance of when she should've been working instead of worrying about who was on my phone.

"Believe me the last persons attention I'm craving is yours, I just want to get back to work since we so locked in and considering my label is paying you for these sessions. You're cutting into my budget and I still have a lot of promo to do" The budget was endless but again, I was being petty.

"My bad, I'm not used to having budgets or working with people who do" She spins back around as I bite my tongue from snapping back.

She wasn't even worth the energy.

"Why you still sitting there? Go get in the booth, let's get to work, you so anxious to work right? I can't tell"

Mugging the back of her head I stand up from the sofa walking in the booth.

Putting the beats on I mug her through the glass as a fast beat starts playing in the headphones, I was about to talk my shit.

Unlocking my phone I open my notes opening the first tab to something I typed up earlier, spitting as soon as the beat drops.

It was only a verse and a half so I would have to go back and punch in but I let loose on everything I had.

The beat stops and switches to a whole different vibe, I bob my head vibing as I search my notes for what I thought would fit over the instrumental.

Opening one of my more personal verses I mentally get ready to lay this down.

"Start it from the top please" I speak aloud knowing she could hear me from the speaker in here.

The records restarts and I feel the beat out before parting my lips spilling some of my most personal moments in this life.

The rest of the session went exactly like this, she would feed me beats and I was essentially clearing out my notes as I applied what I thought sounded best over each one.

We probably recorded twenty songs over the course of a few hours, it was definitely dark outside now.

"You done? Cause I'll start mixing if you going back upstairs to hide out until tomorrow"

At this point I figured my best bet was to just ignore her because clearly, she was trying to provoke me.

Misery loved company and I refused to let myself be pulled down today.

Walking over to the elevator I press the button opening the doors stepping on then pressing up.

When the doors open again I step off heading upstairs to just shower and go to bed, I was tired after recording so much and figured some sleep would do me good.