**Chapter 183: The Memorial Service**

In early July, Michael Jackson's memorial service was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Over 20,000 people attended the service, including MJ's family, friends, collaborators, and hundreds of celebrities from various fields.

Among the attendees were pop diva Mariah Carey, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, actress Bo Derek, NBA stars Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Madonna, Beyoncé, Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, and many others.

The weather in Los Angeles was sweltering that day, with temperatures exceeding 34°C. To prevent fires, the memorial committee had arranged a small-scale artificial rainfall before the service began.

Link, wearing sunglasses and a dark suit, walked across the damp plaza surrounded by a sea of red, white, and yellow flowers.

He approached the memorial, laid a bouquet in front of MJ's portrait, and exchanged a few words with Kenny Ortega, the director of MJ's concert. As he was about to leave, Lil Wayne and 50 Cent approached him.

A group of Black men dressed in black suits created a sea of darkness, and not far away, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Jamie Foxx, and others stood in a group, glancing over at them.

"Link, how about we settle things?" Lil Wayne said, stepping forward.

"Oh? Settle things how?" Link stopped and looked at them calmly.

This week, "Forever" had once again topped the rap chart, pushing "Lighters" to the second spot.

Despite the East Coast rappers' success in retaining their position with this song, they faced considerable criticism from media, fellow rappers, and fans of rap music.

*The New Yorker* criticized the East Coast rap group, led by Jay-Z and Kanye, for their aggressive behavior. 

In May, when Link released his first rap single, "I'm The One," it soared into the top three in its first week and looked poised to take the number one spot. However, Kanye and T.I. released songs to block Link's new song from rising further.

Link then took a different approach by gaining massive exposure through sports events, which helped "I'm The One" reach number one on the rap chart, with a good chance of holding onto that spot.

Just then, Jay-Z released a new song, which was highly recommended by hundreds of people in the entertainment industry, snatching the top spot from Link.

As a result, Link Music had to postpone the release of Bruno Mars' new song by half a month.

When Link Music finally released the new single "Lighters," they faced further suppression from the East Coast rappers, preventing it from reaching the number one spot on the rap chart.

Compared to Link and Mars, Jay-Z, Kanye, and other East Coast rappers were established figures in the rap world with a large fan base. Their combined efforts to suppress newcomers and use tactics like blockades were considered unfair competition.

*Rolling Stone* magazine commented that the East Coast rappers' joint efforts to undermine newcomers were petty, suggesting that their unconventional methods and treating the Billboard rap chart as their private playground were undesirable.

Newspapers like *The New York Post*, *The Chicago Tribune*, and *The Los Angeles Times* reported on the chart competition between the East Coast rap team and Link Music.

These reports detailed the origins of the conflict, stating that it was a continuation and escalation of the Grammy Award conflicts.

*The Chicago Tribune* noted that MJ had previously mediated the dispute and invited Link and Kanye to participate in a comeback concert, briefly easing tensions. However, when Link's rap song "I'm The One" showed potential for the number one spot, the conflict reignited.

*The Tribune* suggested that Link's entry into the rap field was the trigger for the renewed conflict.

However, *The New York Post* disagreed with this view.

In a recent report, *The Post* cited insiders revealing that Link and Kanye had reconciled during MJ's concert rehearsals, with Kanye encouraging Link's exploration of rap music.

It was only after Link invited Eminem to collaborate on the single "Lighters" that Lil Wayne and others blocked the recording, leading Eminem and Link to withdraw, leaving the song to be completed by newcomers Bruno Mars and Lil Bobby from Atlantic Records.

*The New York Post* believed that the East Coast rappers had no intention of reconciling with Link and were attempting to blacklist this talented new rapper.

*The Los Angeles Times* suggested that reconciliation should be pursued, especially with MJ's passing, and continued conflicts were inappropriate.

West Coast rapper Snoop Dogg publicly mocked Jay-Z and others in an interview, criticizing Jay-Z's narrow-mindedness and suggesting that Billboard should either cancel the rap chart or rename it the East Coast Rap Self-Entertainment Chart.

Fans of rap were disappointed with the East Coast rappers' deliberate suppression of Link Music, especially fans of "I'm The One" and "Lighters." Many commented online that they would not buy any more music from East Coast rappers.

Facing such criticism, the East Coast rappers were under significant pressure.

This might explain why Lil Wayne and others approached Link, proposing reconciliation.

However, Link had no interest in negotiating with Lil Wayne and 50 Cent.

Though both were top-tier rappers with high album sales, they were not on the same level as Jay-Z and Kanye in terms of influence and power.

"Link, we have more fans. Continuing this fight isn't beneficial for you. You should understand that it's simple: if you acknowledge Jay-Z as your fan on Twitter, we'll stop competing. What do you think?"

Lil Wayne, dressed in dreadlocks and adorned with tattoos, spoke casually with his hands in his pockets, lacking any real sincerity.

Link glanced at him, smiled faintly, and continued walking.

"Hey, you haven't answered me yet."

Lil Wayne reached out to grab Link, but Link's bodyguards, Bob and Wallace, stepped in from behind, blocking the two and reaching into their pockets.

Seeing the bodyguards' gestures, Lil Wayne and his crew were startled and quickly retreated.

In reality, Bob and Wallace were not carrying guns. The Los Angeles police had used metal detectors to check for weapons before entering.

"Hey, man, I just wanted to talk to Link. I meant no harm. Link, what do you think of our proposal?"

Lil Wayne, holding his hands up and stepping back, said.

"It's a good proposal, but my condition is the opposite. As long as Jay-Z and Kanye publicly declare that they are fans of my music, I will agree to reconcile with you."

Link stopped and said.

"You want Jay-Z to publicly admit he's your fan? Are you crazy?"

Lil Wayne and his crew were both shocked and angry.

Jay-Z was the top rapper in the industry with a net worth of hundreds of millions. For him to admit being a fan of a lesser pop singer was unthinkable; Jay-Z would never do something that embarrassing.

"That's my condition. Whether you accept it is up to you."

Link shrugged and left the scene with Bob and Wallace.

"Link, you'll regret this."

Lil Wayne scoffed and turned away, heading back to report to Jay-Z.

(The End of This Chapter)