Social Lives

Arell slumped back in the chair, eyes glued to his phone, scrolling mindlessly through his social media feed on his iPhone 5 that he gotten at a local store. Across the room, Malik absentmindedly bounced a faded orange basketball against the wall, catching it with a practiced flick of his wrist. The rhythmic thud echoed in the otherwise silent room, punctuated by the occasional click-clack of Devon's typing.

Geoffrey, perched on a stool in front of the computer, was a picture of focused concentration. His brow furrowed as he navigated through the labyrinthine menus of YouTube Studio, fingers flying across the keyboard. Every once in a while, he'd shoot a quick glance at Arell, then back at the screen, muttering to himself under his breath.

"Alright, username secured," Geoffrey finally announced, leaning back with a sigh of relief. "ArellRose, simple and clean."

Arell scoffed, a playful smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Real creative, man. Can't wait to see the fan club roll in."

Malik chuckled, momentarily halting his basketball routine. "Hey, at least it's better than 'Youngchickenshoota.'" He mimicked typing with exaggerated gestures, a playful jab at Kenny's earlier online alias attempts.

Kenny shot him a mock glare, but the playful tension dissolved quickly. An undeniable nervousness simmered beneath the surface. The freestyle they had captured on camera just hours ago felt like a lifetime away. It was raw, unpolished, a stark departure from anything they had attempted before. Now, the prospect of putting it out there, exposing a vulnerable piece of themselves to the vast and unforgiving internet, was both exhilarating and terrifying.

"You sure about this?" Geoffrey's question hung in the air, his voice laced with concern. He understood Arell's raw talent, the power of his words. But the internet, as they all knew, could be a cruel and unforgiving place, a few words could easily destroy someone's confidence.

Arell met his gaze, a steely glint in his eyes. "Yeah, man. We gotta start somewhere, right?" He tapped the screen of his phone, pulling up the video file that he had transferred over from the camera.

Silence descended upon the room as they watched the video, reliving the electric energy of the moment. The freestyle ended with a sharp cut to black, leaving them hanging. No edits, no fancy effects, just a group having fun. Bare and exposed.

"Think anyone will even watch it?" Devon asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"We won't know until we upload it," Arell replied, his voice firm with resolve. Geoffrey, with a determined nod, clicked on the upload button. As the progress bar slowly crept towards completion, a sudden chime resonated from Arell's corner.

A message flashed on the now appearing system screen:

[Congrats on officially uploading your first piece of music content]

[Hidden Status' Description Fields Unlocked]

Hidden Status' 

Expansive Vocabulary (Rare)

Ear for Music (Extremely Rare)

Foresight Gambit (Rare)

Street Hustler (Uncommon)

Chicago Streets: Lyrical Inspiration (Uncommon)

As the rest of the group were occupied with ensuring the video uploaded without interruptions, Arell's focus turned to the Status', willing the descriptions for each forward.

Expansive Vocabulary:

'Your mind is a vault overflowing with words. You have an exceptional ability to understand and use a vast range of vocabulary, of course your own effort goes a long way as this library doesn't happen to automatically fill itself. Complex ideas become clear, and simple statements gain depth. However, it's important to remember that using overly complex words can sometimes confuse your audience. Choose your words wisely to ensure your message shines through.'

Ear for Music:

'You were born under a musical star. Melodies weave through your head like whispers on the wind. You can hear the harmony in everyday sounds, from the rumble of the subway to the chirping of birds. This gift grants you an almost magical ability to gain inspiration from almost anything, this comes at a consequence of having tending to have a high standard for music, it is important that your ability to create music is at a high level, else, a railroad of self depreciation may occur.'

Foresight Gambit:

'You see glimpses of what could be. The future isn't set in stone, but it whispers secrets in your ear. This ability manifests as, you get hunches, feelings about what's coming next, that often turn out to be true. Visions and inspirations for your music, lyrics, and performances can appear seemingly out of nowhere.'

Street Hustler:

'You were born with the hustle in your blood. You're resourceful, quick on your feet, and know how to get what you need.'

Chicago Streets: Lyrical Inspiration:

'You breathe the exhaust fumes and the whispers of hustlers, the echoes of sirens and distant gunshots. Your lyrics paint a picture of the underbelly, raw and unfiltered. You weave tales of struggle, survival, and the hustle. Your voice becomes a voice of the streets, murder, drugs, sex, guns? you got the flows for it.'

His gaze flickered between the descriptions and the progress bar.

The hidden statuses were a treasure trove. "Expansive Vocabulary" promised a mastery of language, "Ear for Music" hinted at an innate ability to craft infectious melodies. "Foresight Gambit" whispered of flashes of inspiration, a spark to ignite his creativity. "Street Hustler" resonated with the grit he'd need in the future, and "Chicago Streets: Lyrical Inspiration" definitely shone through in his earlier freestyle, a useful set of skills that all combined to create a wealth of resources he could fall on when creating music.

With a deep breath, Arell pushed the notification away. These newfound abilities were powerful tools, but they weren't the only ingredients for success, he had to start focusing on improving his rapper stats, especially his songwriting and lyrics skills.

Rapper Stats

Flow: 56

Voice: 58.5

Lyrics: 29

Production: 53

Performance: 14

Freestyle: 40

Songwriting: 32

His stats were decent, but most were below average, sure "Expansive Vocabulary" and "Ear for Music" promised potential, but raw talent wouldn't be enough. Numbers don't lie, and his stats – especially Songwriting at a measly 32, Lyrics at 29 – screamed for improvement. He closed his eyes and focused, willing the system to offer some guidance.

A soft chime resonated, and text materialized in the air before him. It wasn't a notification, but a response to his silent query. Each stat flickered, and beside them, lines of text appeared:

Flow (56): "Flow is all about rhythm and delivery. Practice spitting rhymes to different beats, experiment with double-time and triplets. Listen to rappers known for their flow (think J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar) and see how they build momentum with their words."

Voice (58.5): "Practice vocal exercises to improve your range and breath control. Record yourself and listen back to identify areas for improvement. Consider exploring vocal techniques and hiring a vocal coach. The higher the stat the slower the progression, don't be discouraged when results are slow."

Production (53): "You have the foundation for crafting captivating beats and you're already a great producer. To elevate your production, delve deeper into music production software. Experiment with different samples, loops, and instruments. Analyze the production styles of household name producers – how do they build atmosphere and layer sounds? Online tutorials and courses won't be of much value to you, the key to continue upgrading this stat is experience and playing around with beats."

Performance (14): "Stage presence is key to captivating an audience. Practice performing in front of a mirror, honing your stage persona and energy. Filming yourself rapping can help identify areas for improvement. Study the live performances of iconic rappers, focusing on their crowd interaction and body language. Consider attending workshops or enrolling in performance classes to develop confidence and stage presence."

Freestyle (40): "Freestyling is about thinking on your feet and weaving words into captivating rhymes. Just like any skill, freestyle fluency improves with consistent practice. Dedicate time each day to freestyling over different beats, even if it's just for a few minutes.The more words you know, the smoother your flow and the more unexpected your rhymes can be. Take advantage of your "Expansive Vocabulary" status by actively learning new words and their synonyms."

Lyrics (29): "Devote time to daily writing exercises, focusing on specific themes or techniques like metaphors and similes. Analyze the wordplay of other rappers and dissect how they use language to paint vivid pictures."

Songwriting (32): "Crafting compelling narratives is key. Focus on storytelling; what emotions do you want to evoke? 'Ear for Music' can be a huge asset here! Go outside and get inspiration from nature, meet new people and learn about their experiences…"

"So, I've a lot to work on," Arell concluded, a determined glint in his eyes. "But hey, imagine where I'll be after putting in the work? Definitely a force to be reckoned with." Suddenly Geoffrey announced; "Alright, video uploaded," pulling Arell from his introspective

The notification on the screen yanked Arell's attention away from the system's guidance. Glancing around the room, he met the gazes of the others. Malik, grinned. "Now to see if others watch it."

Geoffrey, couldn't hide a hint of a smile. "You put yourselves out there. That's the first step. Now," he added, his gaze landing on Arell, "we gotta get some eyes on it."

Arell understood. Uploading the video was just the beginning. Now they needed to spread the video. "Exactly," he agreed, a plan formulating in his mind. He turned to Devon, whose fingers hovered tentatively over his keyboard.

"Guys," Arell began, "we need to get this video out there, got any ideas?"

"Yeah, I follow a bunch of hip-hop pages and stuff," Devon admitted. "I could try posting it, see if they share it." He offered,

Arell nodded, a smile spreading across his face. "That's a start, but we need to do more. Create some buzz. Here's what I was thinking…" He leaned forward,

"First things first, I'll need a social media presence. Create an account, something catchy that represents all of us. 'TheOfficialArellRose' has a nice ring to it, right?" Geoffrey's brow furrowed in concentration. "Official sounds good."

Arell nodded before he clapped Devon on the shoulder. "Alright, now hit up all those hip-hop pages you follow, the local music forums. Post the video, with a killer caption, something that grabs attention. Mention 'ArellRose' as the artist name, and maybe tease a future project – that'll gain their interest." Devon listened intently, his fingers itching to tap out a compelling post. "That's actually a good idea," he admitted, a grin splitting his face. "I can throw in some hashtags too, #AtlantaFreestyle, #ChicagoFreestyle, #UndergroundHipHop, stuff like that. Get it trending locally at least."

"Exactly!" Arell exclaimed, a surge of confidence washing over him. They were a team, and together they could turn this into something special. "We can even film a short reaction video to the upload ourselves and post it on twitter." A grin split Malik's face, the infectious energy crackling through the room. "Yo, that's a dope idea!" he chimed in, his beat boxing rhythm morphing into a celebratory flourish. "Let's show how hyped we are about dropping this fire!"

Devon, his fingers already poised over the keyboard, bounced in his seat. "We can film it right now, since we're locked in already."

Arell nodded in agreement "Exactly! We capture our 'initial' reaction, the pure excitement of putting our music out there. Maybe some playful commentary,"

Geoffrey, who had been silently observing the brainstorming session, spoke up. "You all could even throw in some bloopers at the end. You know, mess up a line on purpose, laugh it off. Show them you don't take ourselves too seriously,"

The tension that had hung heavy in the air just moments ago had completely dissipated. "Alright let's start." Arell declared, a surge of determination coursing through him. Geoffrey grabbed the camera, ready to capture their raw reactions. Malik cranked up the volume on a portable speaker, blasting the same beat that pulsed with frenetic energy. Geoffrey hit record, and the basement was transformed into a stage.

They filmed multiple takes, each one infused with genuine enthusiasm and playful banter. There were moments of laughter, playful jabs at each other's rapping skills.

When they wrapped up filming Devon wasted no time uploading the reaction video alongisde the original freestyle video to Twitter, tagging relevant hip-hop accounts and local music forums in the caption.

The weight of their first venture into the digital unknown still lingered, but now it was accompanied by a newfound confidence. They were a team, a collective force with a story to tell. As the "tweet sent" notification popped up on Arell's phone, they huddled together in a fist bump, a silent promise hanging heavy in the air: this was just the beginning.

"Now how about some shopping?"