Stu!!

Arell took the wheel, and as they pulled out of the parking lot, Malik, seated in the back next to Kenny, whipped out his phone. "Check this out," he said, nudging Kenny. "This chick slid into my DMs on Instagram. She's hitting me up, asking if I know Arell."

Kenny leaned in, his eyes popping. "Dang, look at her body!" he exclaimed, catching Cam's attention.

Cam leaned over, his face splitting into a grin. "Let me see," he demanded, snatching the phone. "She's fire."

Malik chuckled and maneuvered himself between the front seats to show Arell. "Bro, you gotta see this."

Arell gave the phone a quick glance before returning his focus to the road, his expression hardening. He'd noticed a dark sedan trailing them since leaving the mall, and it was setting off alarm bells.

"Guys," Arell said, his voice low and tense. "Pull out your guns."

The atmosphere in the car shifted like a switch. Malik, Kenny, and Cam shared worried looks. "Why, man?" Kenny asked, a hint of anxiety creeping in.

"Just do it," Arell insisted, his gaze locked on the rearview mirror. "I think we're being followed."

Without hesitation, Malik reached under his seat, producing a sleek Glock, while Kenny and Cam did the same. Tension filled the air as they prepared themselves.

"Are you certain, Arell?" Cam asked, scanning the back window. "Could just be a coincidence."

"Could be," Arell replied, his grip on the wheel tightening. "But I ain't taking chances."

They rode in silence for a few minutes, the dark sedan sticking to them like glue. Arell took several turns, attempting to lose the tail, but it stayed close. His mind raced, trying to decipher who it could be and what their game was.

"Let's ditch the main drag," Arell decided, turning onto a quieter route. "See if they follow us here."

The sedan made the turn too, confirming Arell's suspicion. "Get ready, ya'll," Arell warned, his voice steady yet strained. He floored it, weaving through the streets with skill. The sedan kept pace, undeterred.

Arell veered off the main road and into an off-road park, kicking up dust as he navigated the rugged terrain. He sped through a narrow trail, forcing the sedan to struggle to keep up. Finally, he made a sharp U-turn behind a large structure, skidding to a stop. "Move, now!" he commanded.

They bolted from the car and dashed further down, finding cover behind another structure. The sound of approaching footsteps grew louder. Arell signaled for quiet, weapons at the ready.

As the figures rounded the corner, Arell and his crew aimed their guns, ready to confront whatever threat was coming. Instead of armed assailants, they faced a group of shocked individuals holding cameras.

"Whoa, hold up!" one of the men exclaimed, raising his hands. "We're just here for an interview!"

Cam stepped forward, his expression shifting from disbelief to annoyance. "That's how you get popped!"

The wannabe paparazzi looked nervously at the guns, then back at Arell. "Can we still get an interview, Arell?" one of them asked, desperation lacing his words.

Arell stared at them incredulously. "Absolutely not," he snapped, snatching a camera and deleting all the footage. "No interviews, no photos."

"Wait, no!" another protested, but Arell was already crushing the camera underfoot.

Watching the fear and disappointment wash over them, Arell sighed, pulling out a wad of cash and tossing it their way. "Take this and scram."

The group grabbed the money, mumbling thanks as they hustled off, more frightened than furious. Arell and his crew watched until they vanished from view.

"Man, what a headache," Malik grumbled, shaking his head.

"Yeah," Arell agreed, holstering his gun. "But at least now we know it wasn't something worse. Let's get back to the car and head home."

<> 

Back at home, Arell sat in his studio, the earlier incident still weighing on his mind. He had hoped for a productive session, but the unnerving experience with the wannabe paparazzi had soured his mood. He wondered if this kind of harassment was going to become a regular occurrence as his fame grew.

Sitting in front of his mixing board, Arell tried to push the thoughts away and focus on his music. He was deep into planning the production of his upcoming album, "One of A Kind," and he knew he needed to get his head back in the game. The question gnawed at him: should he go for something old school or create a fresh, modern sound? Should the album be melodic, lyrical, or a mix of both?

He then pondered over his song structures, and he couldn't help but think about the tracks he hadn't released yet:

There was Slimed In, Arell had performed this track at several shows. Its heavy trap vibe, booming 808s, and dark, atmospheric production always got the crowd hyped. It was one of his best songs and whether or not it was on this album or not, it would definitely be soon released.

Another was "Whatever She Wants" A melodic, playful track with smooth R&B influences. It had a catchy hook and laid-back feel, but Arell wondered if its vibe aligned with the overall mood he envisioned for the album.

Juice WRLD, "Let Me Know" was dark, with straightforward lyrics that let Arell focus on emotional delivery. He worried, though, that its simplicity might feel repetitive on the album, but maybe as an interlude track it would serve well? or a transition track?

Lil Baby's "Freestyle" this one was pure trap energy. It brought sort of boss mode energy and would definitely be included on the album.

He'd be releasing Fair Trade, so it couldn't be on the album. Cardi B and 21 Savage, "Wish Wish" was an aggressive, hard-hitting track more focused on Becalis. Arell liked its intensity but felt it didn't quite align with his personal vision for the album.

The one that suprised him the most of all the song structures was the one song he received from Cochise, "Turn it Up" it offered a unique, almost chaotic vibe that intrigued Arell. It was a feel-good, get-lit track unlike anything he'd heard before, making him ponder the future of music trends.

Leaning back, Arell stared at the studio ceiling, trying to clear his mind. Maybe he was overthinking it. His best work always emerged when he allowed himself to flow naturally, drawing from his high creativity stat. The challenge lay in executing those ideas without going overboard.

Deciding to take a breather, Arell began to browse the web for inspiration. His mind wandered until something caught his eye—a headline about Nicki Minaj. He clicked on it and found himself scrolling through a series of glamorous photos of her at a recent event.

"Man, Nicki Minaj is so fine," he muttered to himself, a smirk forming on his lips. As he continued to look at the pictures, an idea started to take shape in his mind. What if he made a song about her? The thought intrigued him, but then he remembered Nicki's relationship with Meek Mill. He definitely didn't want to stir up any unwanted drama.

"Maybe not Nicki," he said, shaking his head. "But who else is out there?"

Arell continued to scroll, thinking about other powerful and influential women in the industry. That's when he stumbled upon a news article about Rihanna. The article highlighted her recent ventures into fashion and music, showcasing her bold and innovative style.

"Rihanna," Arell whispered, feeling a spark of inspiration.

He leaned back in his chair, eyes closed, as he started to envision the vibe for the track. It needed to be something fresh, something that matched Rihanna's bold style and fierce persona.

Deciding to dive into his archives, Arell started sifting through his collection of beats. He needed something that was catchy, dynamic, and had the potential to be a hit. As he clicked through various tracks, he stumbled upon a beat that caught his attention. It had a bouncy rhythm, driven by a punchy kick drum and crisp hi-hats, layered with a catchy, melodic synth line that added a playful yet edgy feel.

He played the beat a few times, nodding along, feeling the potential. With a grin, he started freestyling, letting the music guide his words.

"How can I stay low-key? Rihanna in my sight Chains and whips, Fifty Shades kinda night"

He paused, chuckling at his own words. "Ooh, maybe," he mused,

(Reference Track: Central Cee "Doja Cat")

Barely an hour later, Arell found himself back in the studio, ready to play the final version of the track, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a moment, and let the beat wash over him.

How can I stay low-key? Rihanna in my sight (yeah)

Chains and whips, Fifty Shades kinda night (woo)

Fenty in the Benz, got that vibe so right (right)

Chains on my neck, halfway to the floor (floor)

Even when they talk, I'm ready for more (more)

Verse 1:

Rihanna vibes, diamonds on the dash (dash)

Baddest in the game, got that Caribbean flash (flash)

Chains and whips, like Fifty Shades hype (hype)

Girls everywhere, but it's RiRi on my type (my type)

Pullin' on hair, in the coupe, no roof (no roof)

Fenty on her lips, she the truth (truth)

Benz full of cash, pendant on my neck (neck)

Mount Rushmore dreams, big heads in check (check)

Black diamonds on the wrist, shine so bright (bright)

Lamborghini dreams, but I started in a hoopty (hoopty)

Girls wanna ride, tryna be my groupie (groupie)

Diamonds on my neck, ice cold, no flakes (flakes)

In this life, I'm the shark, they just the baits (baits)

From the hood to the fame, every move a statement (statement)

Girls love the game, but we ain't on the same shit (same shit)

Hook:

How can I stay low-key? (low-key)

Rihanna in my sight (sight)

Chains and whips, Fifty Shades kinda night (night)

In the Benz, got that vibe so tight (tight)

Even when they hate, I'm ready to fight (fight)

Verse 2:

Umbrella flow, baddest chick on the mic (mic)

Rude Boy bumpin', got me feelin' right (right)

Girls in the club, tryna get in the mix (mix)

But I'm with RiRi, takin' all the pics (pics)

Money in the safe, percentages on deck (deck)

Advance ain't a loan, just show me respect (respect)

From the projects to the penthouse suite (suite)

In this game, I'm the wolf, never face defeat (defeat)

Pull on her braids, let her know I don't sway (sway)

Text her my addy, she comin' through late (late)

Even when they hate, still got my place (place)

Huggin' my bros, they know we don't fake (nah)

Trap house runnin', even when we on break (break)

Hook:

How can I stay low-key? Rihanna in my sight (sight)

Chains and whips, Fifty Shades kinda night (night)

In the Benz, got that vibe so tight (tight)

Even when they hate, I'm ready to fight (fight)

Verse 3:

RiRi in the booth, spittin' fire with the king (king)

Queens of the scene, ain't nothin' but a fling (fling)

Girls in my DM, tryna get a taste (taste)

But I'm the main course, never out of place (place)

Started from the block, now we out in Paris (Paris)

Fashion week stunts, but we ain't embarrassed (nah)

From the hood to the fame, every step deliberate (deliberate)

Big dreams, fast life, never been illiterate (illiterate)

Benz full of dreams, diamonds on the dash (dash)

Caribbean roots, make the haters backtrack (backtrack)

Stegosaurus moves, crushin' every beat (beat)

In this life, I'm a legend, can't be beat (beat)

Dreams of RiRi, nights on replay (replay)

She got me whipped, like it's Fifty Shades day (day)

Money, fame, girls, it's all in the mix (mix)

But I'm just focused on makin' these hits (hits)

Got a chick with curves, attitude on fire (fire)

Hit the club, VIP, raise the bar higher (higher)

Instagram models, they tryna catch my eye (eye)

But I'm focused on the grind, never live a lie (nah)

Hook:

How can I stay low-key? Rihanna in my sight

Chains and whips, Fifty Shades kinda night

In the Benz, got that vibe so tight

Even when they hate, I'm ready to fight

Arell leaned back, satisfied with his work. "Yep, that's the one," he said, a grin spreading across his face. "The lyrics are simple, but the track itself sounds so sweet."

He decided to check the sound rating from his system. It came back with a score of 83.

"Alright," Arell muttered, nodding to himself. "It's got some mixing to do still, but that's good."

He dived into the mixing process, fine-tuning each element of the track. As he worked, he couldn't help but think, "I could really do with an engineer to do this for me. I wonder how good Devon's gotten at this yet." He sighed, "Well, for another day."

Arell continued mixing, ensuring every beat, every line, and every adlib was perfectly balanced. He began pondering the bigger picture. "What if all of these songs don't make it onto the album?" he asked himself. "The album is probably dropping in 2016… Wait, what if I drop a mixtape before?"

The idea excited him. "Yeah, that sounds good. It would be like a teaser, a prelude to the album. I could call it 'Wishing for One of A Kind'."

Arell grabbed his notebook and started jotting down ideas for the mixtape. He wanted it to showcase a variety of styles and vibes, giving listeners a taste of what was to come with his album.

"Turn It Up, Slimed In, Fair Trade, and Whatever She Wants could go on it," he mused. "They could even be added to 'One of a Kind' later. 'Rihanna My Type' will fit right in, too."

He thought for a moment, tapping his pen against the notebook. "Blue Balenciagas—that's another good one. So that's five tracks. I just need to make four more and I'll be straight, I can even add 'Who's this girl'."

Arell leaned back, a grin spreading across his face. "Lucky for me, I'm creative. I can make music on the fly."

Mixtape Planning: "Wishing for One of A Kind"

Intro: Wishing

A short, melodic introduction setting the tone for the mixtape.

Turn It Up (feat. Cochise)

Unique and chaotic, offering a feel-good, get-lit track that stands out.

Slimed In

A heavy trap vibe with booming 808s and dark, atmospheric production. Always a crowd favorite at his shows.

Fair Trade

A powerful, aggressive track with intense energy.

Whatever She Wants

A melodic, playful track with smooth R&B influences and a catchy hook.

Rihanna My Type

The fresh track he just completed, with a catchy beat and dynamic lyrics.

Blue Balenciagas

A stylish and trendy track with catchy lyrics and a memorable beat.

New Track #1

Arell envisioned a high-energy, fast-paced track with a mix of rap and melodic elements.

New Track #2

He planned for a more introspective, lyrical track showcasing his storytelling skills.

Outro: One of A Kind

A reflective, slower track hinting at the themes and sounds of the upcoming album.

Arell looked over his notes, feeling a sense of satisfaction. Though, he didn't like the differences in songs, so perhaps he'd have to include more songs to serve as transitions into different styles.

"Yeah, this is gonna be fire," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Wishing for One of A Kind… It's got a nice ring to it."

He thought for a moment, then nodded to himself. "In fact, I could release it next month," he mused. "Just need some production tweaks and changeups on all the beats. I should get another producer to review it, and it'll do decent numbers, hopefully."

With a determined look, Arell picked up his phone and sent a quick message to Travis.

"You ready for the verse?"

Almost instantly, Travis replied.

"Can you come by the studio? We need your ear on something."

Arell grinned and typed back.

"On my way."