Chapter 77: Drop The Beat! part 4

Sipping from a bottle, sunglasses perched on his head, Geon Kim observed the stage with a deep gaze. When he gestured towards the back, a black-suited African American, wearing sunglasses, approached. The man bowed his head as Geon Kim whispered without taking his eyes off the singer on stage.

"Find out about a guy named K. What has he been up to?"

Nodding, the black-suited man left the club. As Geon finished singing on stage, people, aside from the rappers sitting on the sofa, applauded and cheered.

"Wow, that voice is killer!"

"Ah, truly amazing, K!"

"Not hip-hop, but I loved it! Good!"

After putting down his guitar, Geon returned to the sofa and looked at Dre. Dre was calmly sipping his drink, and Eminem and Ice Cube, looking at Dre, said, "Impressive. Didn't expect a meal-blocking song."

"Yeah, you said it. Not typical African American music, but a fantastic musician close to a philosopher."

When Geon took a seat, Snoop Dogg spoke up.

"Hey, I mentioned K, right? Here's my number. Give him a call."

Handing over his business card, Snoop Dogg said as Geon took it, "Oh, thank you. But, I don't have a business card."

Snoop Dogg waved his hand.

"Just make a call right now. Save it when you do."

Geon dialed Snoop Dogg's number after saving it on his phone. Confirming the call on his own phone, Snoop Dogg, after saving Geon's number, said, "Now, let's enjoy. Hey, DJ! Play the music again!"

As the DJ adjusted the amp, unleashing a hip-hop beat, the spacious club erupted with the music. About ten attractive women carried trays of drinks and food, gathering around the sofa. Rappers embraced them, laughing, as they sat between them and drank. When a red-haired Caucasian woman sitting next to Geon tried to make advances, Geon, with a bewildered face, stopped her. Snoop approached with a bottle, offering it to Geon.

"Just enjoy. Don't think too much."

As Geon fended off the woman's advances, Snoop said, "Why, why are you doing this? Snoop, I can't drink yet. Eek! There, there!"

Without collecting the offered bottle, Geon said, "I'll drink it!"

That night, Geon drank for the first time, getting caught up in the atmosphere with various famous rappers. Eventually, with Ice Cube's back, Geon ended up borrowing a hotel from Ice Cube, although his broad back was covered in food.

**

The next afternoon at Snoop Dogg's mansion.

Sitting alone on a massive sofa in an unbelievably spacious living room, Snoop Dogg was handed documents by a black-suited African American. Taking the documents, Snoop Dogg, who had been wearing sunglasses even inside the house, took them off as he spoke.

"Team Burton's Persona? Isn't that an old movie that was released a long time ago? Ah, a remaster. Received praise from Tim Burton after working on the music editing... Before that, at the Santana and Rolla Paluzza Festival, the one who appeared there was K. After that, he toured in the U.S., Asia, and Europe as the guitarist for Pantera. Thirteen years ago, he perfectly reproduced Dimebag Darrell?"

Flipping through the documents, Snoop's eyes widened.

"Marilyn Manson? Ah, I remember this. The one in there was K. After that... he toured as the Pantera guitarist in the U.S. and Asia, even reproducing Dimebag Darrell perfectly?"

Looking at the last page of the documents, Snoop mumbled.

"And a Juilliard student, rumored to be a musical genius, receiving immense recognition from professors in various departments, not just the assigned one? Moreover, the one self-proclaiming as a guardian is Daniel Weiss, the CEO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This isn't an ordinary guy, huh?"

After throwing the documents on the sofa, Snoop, lost in thought, reached out behind him. The black-suited African American, who had been waiting, handed him a phone. Taking the phone, Snoop made a call somewhere.

"It's me. Did you get in well?"

"Yeah, Snoop. I'm in. I'm on a date with Hailey now."

"Anyway, you're like a dad. It's unbelievable that a guy like you is Eminem."

"Haha, do you think I'm just cursing at people all the time? Hailey is my most precious treasure."

"Man, anyway. What about that guy K yesterday?"

"Oh, yeah. Why?"

"How's his personality?"

"Personality? Kind of gentle? Not really into hip-hop; he doesn't seem like the type to endure a diss battle. Don't even think about pulling him in. Just enjoy it; he has no tolerance for the kind of stuff. If he turns out to be wrong, he'll write a diss track about you."

"What? Go ahead and write it. I'll return it as it is."

"Really? Did you forget who I am?"

"Ah... I made a mistake. Even if I hit you, I won't diss you."

"Haha, I thought your head was messed up with a hangover, Snoop."

"Alright, this guy. But, about K. I didn't know what kind of person he was yesterday. I found out today, and his background is no joke."

"Oh, right. I also met Dre and started praising him so much after meeting Dre that I looked him up out of curiosity. Turns out, he's quite impressive, a young guy."

"Um..."

"What's wrong? Hurry up and tell me. Why are you fumbling around so uncharacteristically? I came to watch a movie with Hailey. I'll hang up if you don't tell me quickly."

"Um... do you, by any chance, have any thoughts on Dre coming back?"

"Hmm? What are you thinking? Whether it's me, Nana, James, we're all looking forward to it. Can things really happen the way we want them to? You know the lyrics haven't been great since Curtis left. Forcing it out will only be embarrassing. It's enough to stay legendary and focus on producing like Dre does."

"Did you see Dre watching Deman when K performed yesterday? Later, I asked Ice, and he said it seemed like that guy wanted to provoke Dre."

"What? How does he provoke him? Is he trying to pull Dre back into the scene?"

"Yeah, according to Ice, he said he'd do a music featuring with Dre to revive Korea. He said something like, 'Do not fear the shadow, for where there is a shadow, there must be light nearby.'"

"Hmm... That's a killer punchline. It's good enough to use as lyrics."

"Anyway, he suggested Dre should listen to it."

"All right. But I hope he doesn't unnecessarily provoke Dre and make him angry. He's become more harmful since he got into business, but if he explodes, he's like a volcanic eruption."

"Where's James now? Let's meet tomorrow and talk."

"I called him yesterday; he's in Queens. He said he's going to have some discussion with Nas."

"Got it. How about tomorrow? Come to my place. James will sing too."

"O.K., I'm about to start a movie now, and Hailey is going crazy. Gotta go."

After Snup hung up, he made another call somewhere.

"Hey, James! It's me. Not anyone else..."

After making several calls, Snup threw the phone down after some time. He leaned back on the sofa, crossing his arms, and sighed.

"K. Whatever you think, I'll help. Not you, but Dre."

While Geon was nursing a hangover in the hotel bathroom, Snup's contact spread widely among the famous rappers scattered throughout California, gathering in Compton.

A little after Geon passed the evening, he opened the studio door with a slightly cleared face. Inside, Ice Cube, who had been immersed in his work, took off his headphones and smiled.

"Are you okay? Look at your face, you're almost dead. Hahaha."

Geon, still struggling, managed to lay down on the sofa.

"Ugh, I've been drinking all day. Why do I even drink this stuff?"

Ice Cube sat down, turning his swivel chair towards Geon, and said, "You received it well until yesterday, what happened? After a while, you drank even if no one told you to."

"Sure, until the middle, the alcohol was warm and enjoyable. But after waking up, it feels like I'm going to die. Ugh!"

Watching Ice Cube vomit while holding his stomach, Geon put his headphones back on.

"Just rest a bit. Take another nap. I need to work."

After about two hours passed, Geon, who had just woken up from a nap, raised his head at the sound of enthusiastic music. When he looked up, he saw Dre and Ice Cube adjusting the amp.

"Oh, Dre. Are you out?"

Dre turned to Geon, smiling.

"Yeah. Feeling better?"

Geon got up from the sofa and said while massaging his throbbing head.

"Yeah, it feels a bit alive now that it's nighttime. I saw the face of your great-grandmother who left after a while."

"Haha, still, you drank well for someone drinking for the first time. Let's have another drink next time."

"Hahaha, I'll pass for a while. But what are you so busy with?"

Ice Cube threw his headphones, stood up from his seat, clenched his fist, and shouted, "It's done! Finished within the time!"

Geon, who suddenly stood up, looked at Ice Cube with surprised eyes.

"What did you finish? What's happening?"

Ice Cube, holding the phone against his ear in the air, opened the studio door and ran out, causing Geon to look at Dre. Dre, turning around, smiled at Geon's surprised expression.

"He's crazy. Originally, we had a digital single song to release tomorrow. He said he would change it with the song you gave him today."

Geon, standing there with a bewildered expression, asked.

"What? Are you talking about 'Dog Poop'?"

"No, I changed the title. How can I release a single with that title? I changed it to 'Dear Buckwilds (to those living a crazy life),' and I just emailed the file to the person in charge. It's scheduled to be released tomorrow at 11 a.m."

"Wait, how can you upload a song in a few days, as if roasting beans on a fire?"

"What? Roasting beans on a fire?"

"Oh, sorry. It's a Korean proverb. Anyway, isn't this moving too fast?"

"It's just one song; it's okay. I just finished mastering it. I took care of the final quality work, so don't worry."

"Did you upload it under Dre's name?"

"Yeah, but your name will be in the featuring. You agreed yesterday."

"Oh, that's fine."

Dre put the pen he was holding on the table and said.

"Well, since the work is done, shall we go for another drink?"

Geon's expression changed, resembling the gaze of a private asking to be saved for the first time on the battlefield.

The next day at 11 a.m.

Noticing the immediate response on the digital single album that had not undergone pre-marketing, Geon Kim confirmed its success on the Billboard charts. He celebrated by having lunch with Ice Cube. While idling in his studio until 1 p.m., Geon received a call. Retrieving his vibrating phone from the couch, he answered it after sitting upright.

"Oh, Snoop? It's K."

"Yeah. What are you up to now?"

"Huh? Just hanging out in the studio."

"Got nothing to do? I sent a car, come over to my place for a while."

"Now? When is the car coming?"

"It should be there by now, go check."

"Alright. But what's going on?"

"I'll tell you when you get here."

Ending the call, Geon gathered Haku and went outside. A white Rolls-Royce Phantom awaited in front of the store. Following the instructions of the black chauffeur, Geon got in the car, and soon they arrived at Snoop Dogg's grand mansion. Controlling the door as they reached the main entrance, Geon, after expressing gratitude to the driver, opened the massive door. Contrary to the medieval European-style exterior, the interior was futuristic and neatly decorated.

"Wow, incredible. Is this the life of those music tycoons we only hear about?"

Standing in front of the house, admiring its exterior, Geon was led inside by the chauffeur. The interior was lavishly adorned, and Geon, accompanied by Haku, ascended to the third floor. Pointing to the massive door, the driver spoke.

"You'll have to go in alone from here. This area is not permitted for me."

Nodding in appreciation, Geon thanked the driver and opened the huge door. Surprisingly, it smoothly swung open, revealing a room larger than an average house. There was a long table that could easily seat 50 people, scattered with comfortable-looking chairs. As Geon glanced down the length of the table, he spotted Snoop sitting at the innermost end. On either side, various rappers, including Eminem, were seated.

"Hey, you made it. Come over here."

Snoop greeted Geon, raising his hand. Most of the rappers at the table nodded while exchanging fist bumps. As Geon approached somewhat awkwardly, Snoop gestured to the empty seat next to him.

"To greet everyone here would take all night, we'll do that later. Let's get straight to business."

As Geon sat on the couch with a puzzled look, Snoop began to speak.

"Why are these rappers gathered here? All of them owe favors to Dr. Dre. Some are here out of respect for him."

Snoop tapped the table with his fingers.

"I heard from Ice. You want to bring Dre back, right?"

Surprised, Geon looked around at the rappers before answering Snoop.

"Well... Actually, I wanted to help him overcome the sadness that's holding him back, rather than bringing him back."

Applauding, Snoop said, "That's the point. We want to heal Dre, who's not making good music since he started the business, and get him back into making music. So, we're here to discuss how to bring Dre back into the hip-hop scene."

Geon looked around at the rappers, still amazed to be in the same space as these iconic figures. The discussion heated up, voices rising. When someone raised concerns about potential backlash due to flaws or intense content in Dre's story, the debate intensified.

Eventually, as the lengthy meeting wore everyone out, Snoop suggested a 30-minute break.

"Take a break and gather your thoughts," he said to Geon, as the rappers got up to smoke outside.

"You can share your opinion too. That's why I called you. I'll have a smoke and be back. Think about it."

Geon nodded and waited for the rappers to leave before dialing a number.

"Oh, Director Sonlin? It's K. How have you been? I'm calling because..."

...

Approximately 40 minutes later, the rappers returned one by one to the meeting room. As the last one, Snoop took his seat and immediately addressed Geon.

"Now, K, you haven't said a word. Let's hear your opinion."

Geon took a moment to collect himself before standing up.

"Firstly, I want to clarify that this is not my personal opinion. I'll be sharing insights obtained through a conversation with Sonlin, the director at Fantagio, who directed the Pantera concert."

As the rappers were not particularly interested in rock music, they seemed unfamiliar with Lin. Geon gestured for them to speak up and share their thoughts. Geon continued, "In the United States, there was an incident called 'Control Dispute,' which gained significant attention. Unlike the traditional diss tracks, multiple rappers created their own raps using the same beat."

Master P, looking puzzled, inquired, "One beat? You mean one song? Wouldn't there be copyright issues?"

Geon nodded and explained, "The idea is to release one song as a free track. Rappers can freely download it and create their own raps, making it their music. The copyright is then transferred to the rapper since the track is free."

Eminem chuckled, "Oh, that sounds interesting. Did something like that happen in Korea?"

Geon nodded again, "Yes, it did. While it started with a rapper named Swings, he used the beat from Big Sean's 'Control,' initiated by Kendrick Lamar, Ice's friend."

Ice Cube, recalling the event, added, "I know. Kendrick just threw a challenge like 'You guys rap well, but I rap better.' But it escalated more than expected, spreading like wildfire. But if they used Big Sean's beat, what about copyright in Korea? Did they not care, just like in China, and made money from it?"

Geon clarified, "No, not at all. Everything was released as free music. We release the music for free, and by doing that, we encourage more rappers to participate by using the same method. I'll be creating the track."

Snoop raised an eyebrow, "You? Well, maybe it's possible. But what if the rappers don't move as we intend?"

Geon nodded wisely, "That's why we need all of you. As soon as the free track is registered, each of you should contribute by creating and releasing a rap. It must contain stories related to Curtis, the dead son, or Dre. In turn, other rappers who listen to it will likely create similar music and join the hype."

Eminem nodded in agreement, "Like a ripple effect? Not just manipulating public opinion but steering the rappers in our direction? It sounds amusing."

Master P, 50 Cent, and Ice Cube also nodded, showing their approval. Snoop concluded, "Alright. Creating the track fits K perfectly. We'll receive the track in advance, right? We need some working time, after all. But make sure it's given to everyone at the same time. It's a kind of competition among us too."

Geon chuckled and nodded, "Yes, of course. I'll be working on it."

Snoop grinned, "Good. The track is yours, K. Now, you go ahead. Create the music quickly and send it over."

Geon agreed, declining Snoop's offer to drive him to the hotel. Instead, he immediately headed to Dre's studio. In the now-empty studio, Geon launched the Cubase program on the PC, his eyes gleaming.

"I will definitely clear the obstacles blocking Dre."