CHAPTER 46

The family of four finished their meal and went on their separate ways. Hamza headed to school with the idea of inviting his friends to the studio. As he walked up to his classroom on the top floor, someone tapped him on the shoulder. Hamza turned around, trying to see who it was, and froze.

Sofia had just arrived at school and saw Hamza walking towards the class. She decided to continue her mind games with him and walked up to him before tapping him on his shoulder. Hamza turned back and looked shocked. She leaned forward and whispered to his ear, "Good morning, Hamza, you look more handsome today." Saying that, she walked past him.

Hamza stood there rooted to the ground, feeling Sofia's breath through his ear. He couldn't help but wonder why she was doing this. Meanwhile, Kennedy witnessed the whole scene and felt angry. He was about to approach Hamza to tell him to leave Sofia, but then he realized there was no need to do that. He just smirked and looked at Hamza like a joker, eagerly waiting for the moment when Sofia would break Hamza's heart.

Hamza felt someone's gaze on him and turned to see Kennedy. He felt a slight threat coming from him, but the feeling disappeared suddenly. Hamza couldn't help but wonder why he was having this feeling, but he just shrugged it off, thinking that Kennedy was his friend. Little did he know of the impending danger that this would cause him. He waved at Kennedy and walked up to him, exchanging pleasantries.

Soon enough, David and Abayomi walked into the classroom and went straight to Hamza. Abayomi asked, "Bro, any response from your dad?" The look on his face showed that he was anxious and eager to know.

Hamza chuckled at his friend's reaction before answering, "My dad contacted Johnny Drille, and he said you guys can come with us." At that, a scream escaped Abayomi's mouth the whole classroom turned quiet, and then all heads turned towards Abayomi wondering why he screamed meanwhile the person in question just looked at Hamza before asking him to make sure he heard him right "So that means we can come with you?"

Hamza just smiled and said "Yes you can come with" confirming it for the second time.

David who heard that had disbelief plastered on his face he couldn't help but imagine how it would feel seeing a celebrity live although he had gone to a concert and had seen many artists this was way different than that he just smiled fulfilled. Hamza who witnessed the whole thing laughed he could understand how it felt also when he was told that he would be meeting Johnny Drille he had a sleepless night a day before meeting him so he could relate to how they felt, once they settled down classes started as usual.

Once classes ended Hamza said to his friends "Okay guys tomorrow we will sit" Then he remembered something about Kenny and asked "Yeah is Kenny not coming along i forgot to ask him"

"ohh well I asked him but it seems he had plans for tomorrow so he wouldn't be joining us" David answered wondering why Kenny would miss such an opportunity to see a celebrity but he didn't dwell much on it.

"Okay then tomorrow we shall see," Hamza said bidding goodbye to his friends.

NEXT MORNING

Hamza woke up after a restless night but still felt as energetic as ever. After quickly freshening up, he joined his family at the dining table for breakfast. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Hamza stood up to see who it was and greeted them with a laugh, saying, "Hehe, brothers, you guys are here! Finally, come in," as he ushered David and Abayomi inside.

As David and Abayomi entered, they glanced around, familiarizing themselves with the environment. Hamza then tapped their shoulders from behind and said, "Hey, guys, meet my parents." He introduced his parents to the two friends, who stood beside him.

David and Abayomi greeted Hamza's parents respectively, saying, "Good morning, sir. Good morning, Ma."

Adekunle smiled at the boys and extended his hand towards David. "You must be David," he stated.

David was surprised that Hamza's dad knew him but he just smiled back and replied, "Yes, sir, I am. It's an honor to meet you."

Adekunle nodded and then turned to Abayomi, reaching his hand out for a handshake. "You must be Abayomi, right?"

"Yes, sir, I am Abayomi," Abayomi answered, smiling. He added, "We've heard a lot about you, too, sir."

"Interesting, so what do you know?" Adekunle asked, inviting both Abayomi and David to sit as they exchanged pleasantries. Hamza sat, smiling, until it was time for them to go to the studio, a trip for which Hafsat and Zara didn't join.

The journey to the studio was short and less stressful, probably because it was a Saturday. They arrived at the familiar studio, where they were met by Johnny Drille, who was sitting there, smiling.

Johnny Drille stood up, approached Adekunle, and said, "It's nice to meet you again, sir," shaking hands with Adekunle, who reciprocated with a smile. Turning to Hamza, Johnny asked, "How have you been, Hamza?"

Hamza replied with a smile, "I'm good and excited about today."

Johnny Drille chuckled and then looked at David and Abayomi, who both looked stunned since they entered his office. Hamza then stepped in and introduced his friends.

Abayomi and David both smiled and shook Johnny Drille's hand. They started chatting until the office door opened and someone unexpectedly entered.

Hamza was shocked when he saw Don Jazzy, a star-maker in the Nigerian music industry and the owner of the record label Mavins, to which Johnny Drille was signed. Every upcoming artist wished for Don Jazzy to sign them, even Hamza himself, as it would be a golden opportunity.

Don Jazzy entered with a smile and announced, "Hello, everyone! I'm happy that you are all here. I would love it if you could follow me to the studio; let's make some music."

They all moved to the studio, where everything was set up for recording. People were preparing all the equipment for the session. Hamza, David, and Abayomi stood in amazement, taking in the scene. David remarked, "This is top-notch stuff; everything is on point. It looks like Don Jazzy is the one who made the beat for your song," he said, looking at Hamza.

Hamza smiled, reminiscing about how the song's beat was created by Don Jazzy, even during his time, and said, "Yes, it would seem so, and I can't wait." Just then, Hamza noticed Don Jazzy waving for him to come over.

Don Jazzy greeted the young man with a smile and said, "So, I want to hear from you how you feel about the beat." He then handed Hamza a headset before playing the beat for him.

Hamza gently placed the headset on, immediately immersing himself in the familiar rhythm. With closed eyes, he softly hummed along with the beat of the lyrics, surrendering to the melody. For a good three minutes, he was lost in the music, feeling every note and every sound within him. His body swayed in harmony with the tunes as if every cell within him danced to the pulsating drums and vibrant melodies playing in his ears. there was one thought in his mind and that was this is it.

Observing Hamza, Don Jazzy nodded in approval, clearly impressed by the young man's evident deep connection to the music. He smiled and gave Johnny Drille, who stood beside him, a nod of agreement.

As Hamza opened his eyes after listening to the beat, he smiled at Don Jazzy and said, "It's perfect. Everything is on point. It's just missing one thing."

Don Jazzy appeared surprised and intrigued by what Hamza wanted to say and replied, "Okay, sure, tell me."

Hamza scratched his head and chuckled nervously before saying, "It lacks your vocals at the beginning of the song, like just in the intro."

Don Jazzy observed the boy and couldn't help but be surprised. He had been thinking along the same lines but was struggling to figure out what was missing. So, when he heard the young man echo his thoughts, it piqued his curiosity. He asked, "Okay, tell me what you feel will improve the sound."

Hamza smiled and closed his eyes, trying to recall the original start of the song and how Don Jazzy's voice played into it. As he began describing his thoughts, Don Jazzy stopped him abruptly, urging him to follow. Confused yet agreeable, Hamza followed Don Jazzy into the control room, where he saw a range of professional equipment and the live room for recording.

Observing Hamza's reaction in the control room, Don Jazzy deduced that Hamza hadn’t been to a studio before. "You haven't been to a studio before, right?" he inquired.

Taken aback by his thoughts, Hamza responded, "Well, yes, apart from the last time I came here, it's my first time."

Don Jazzy nodded and redirected the conversation, saying, "So let's get back to business. I'm listening to your thoughts about the song," signaling that it was time to get down to business.