CHAPTER 48

Mathew had just left Don Jazzy's office and was thinking about how he could make things difficult for Hamza, who he believed was ignorant about the music industry. Suddenly, his phone rang. Seeing the name on the screen, he felt a shiver down his spine. He knew the person on the other end could ruin his career and his wealth with a single wrong move. He picked up the call, and with fear in his voice, said, "Good evening boss Henry." The other person waited for a few seconds before responding, "Matthew, my boy, I heard you've been busy lately?" Mathew replied, "Not at all, sir. It was just someone who didn't understand the industry." The other person was silent, making the atmosphere very heavy for Mathew to bear. Then, the voice replied, "I hope you know what you're doing and don't make anything come biting my ass." Mathew sighed in relief and said, "Not at all, sir. I will be very careful not to make trouble for you." The other person smirked and said, "You better not, or you know the consequences." The line was then cut. Mathew slumped down and sighed in relief, thinking that he had just had a narrow escape. He decided to make Hamza pay for his ignorance and went to contact his people.

Certainly, here's a restructured and edited version of the interaction:

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In Los Angeles, California, while challenges seemed to brew for Hamza, Bruno Mars lay sprawled across his couch, lost in thoughts about the perfect song for his title track. His contemplation was interrupted when his agent, Todd, barged in abruptly, causing Bruno to startle, his mind flashing back to a previous robbery.

"Didn't I tell you, Todd, not to storm in like a thief?" Bruno sighed in exasperation, attempting to hide his initial fright.

Todd chuckled, unfazed by Bruno's reaction, as he had urgent news that couldn't wait. "I've found a potential song that could be perfect for your track title. Willing to hear me out?"

Bruno, though suspicious, couldn't contain his excitement. "Are you serious, Todd? Please, tell me this isn't one of your pranks."

Amid Todd's laughter, he assured Bruno, "No pranks when it's work-related, you know that."

"Yeah, I trust that. So, who wrote the song, or who's offering it?" Bruno inquired, his gaze fixed on Todd, a picture of patience.

"You won't believe me until you see it for yourself. Let me show you the video, and then you decide if it's what you want," Todd replied, taking out his phone and playing the video. The soulful notes of a guitar string set the stage, and as the lyrics began, Bruno's expression shifted from surprise to a captivating shock. The video ended after three minutes, leaving Bruno in a stunned silence.

Todd, who had the same look on his face, then said, "So, what do you think, Mars?"

Bruno Mars was silent for a few seconds before turning to his agent. He asked a series of questions at the same time, "Who is he? Where is he from? Have you contacted him?"

"Woah, calm down Mars," Todd said. "First of all, you know that he is Nigerian, and that is not our territory. We have to tread carefully, as you know afrobeat originated from there, and that country is in the spotlight. And other artists from here are already featuring them in their songs, and a few of their artists have already won the Grammy."

Todd explained to Bruno Mars the situation, so he understood that it wouldn't be easy since he had not collaborated with any of their artists there.

"Well, I understand that, so how far have you gone with trying to contact the person?" Bruno Mars said, looking anxious. He knew a good song when he heard one, and this was one. He was just scared that other people would probably see this video and acquire it before him, so he was anxious to know how the negotiation was going.

"Hmm, for now, we are stuck. From what I can see, the person who posted this video is a blogger, so I have messaged him, and I am waiting for a response. Once he responds, then we can know where to follow," Todd said, explaining the situation to Bruno Mars, who still looked anxious.

"We would have to wait then," Bruno Mars said, looking calm, but within him, he felt like looking for Hamza as fast as possible. But the situation on the ground couldn't be handled that way.

Meanwhile, the man that people were planning on meeting or doing evil was lying on his bed having a hard time sleeping. Hamza was lying thinking about all that happened today. He couldn't get what had happened today out of his mind because he felt that Don Jazzy would sign if he performed well, which he did, and yet he still didn't get signed. Then, Hamza concluded that maybe Don Jazzy felt he was not talented enough for him to sign, or maybe it didn't cross his mind. That was Hamza's thought till he fell asleep.

The next day came, and Hamza woke up as usual, only that his mood was different from others. The smile on his face was forced, and Adekunle noticed it. So, Hafsat and Zara all felt that Hamza acted awkward. Hamza, on the other hand, just tried to smile, but it looked more awkward. Adekunle just sighed. He probably knew why Hamza was acting like this. He wanted to console him, but he held himself from doing so. He wanted Hamza to understand that in life, things wouldn't go according to how you planned them.