One Of A Kind

On the other side of Atlanta, Arell's phone buzzed with a notification.

Checking his phone, he noticed Thug has sent another message.

"Yo, I'm gonna give you this verse for free, I recorded a lil extra sumn too, go ahead and put that on there." Thug's message read.

Arell's eyebrows furrowed while he reread the text. While the offer sounded good, if it was one thing Geoffrey helped him understand it was that nothing was ever truly free. Still, he knew it wouldn't do him well to reject Thug's goodwill outrightly.

After a moment of contemplation, Arell formulated his response. He wanted to show appreciation for Thug's offer while also ensuring that their collaboration felt like a mutual exchange rather than a one-sided favor.

"Appreciate the love, Thug," Arell typed out, but for a moment he faltered, 'What if-' He contemplated something for a beep before his fingers went back to typing. "When I start poppin' just lmk and I'll do the same for you."

With that message sent, Arell felt a sense of satisfaction wash over him. He was starting to operate more like Geoffrey, thinking strategically, he practically ensured that Thug's verse was a transaction while also opening the opportunity for another collaboration.

Just as he was reflecting on his business acumen, another message from Young Thug appeared on his screen.

"Gotchu, we'll have to get a studio session in soon 🧪. My engineer will send you the file from his insta."

"Bet, thanks," he replied, his fingers tapping out the message quickly. And with that, Arell decided to put on some music in the background, while he scrolled though Instagram, patiently waiting for the next message.

And just as he was getting into the rhythm of the music, Arell's phone buzzed again with a notification. With a quick glance, he saw that the engineer had sent over the file. A grin spread across his face as he quickly downloaded it and transferred it to his computer.

Arell opened the file and hit play. As the music filled the room, he closed his eyes and let himself get lost in the sound. Thug's voice flowed effortlessly over the beat and fit well with the overall theme of the song.

As the song came to an end, he pulled up the reference track and his music software and began to work.

He placed Thug's first verse, the one that had originally been on the reference track on another part of the track, right at the perfect moment where the beat switch made the most impact. And with a few adjustments here and there, he ensured that Thug's voice blended with the rest of the song.

Once he was satisfied with the placement, Arell leaned back in his chair, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. He closed his eyes and hit play, allowing himself to get lost in the music.

Arell couldn't help but nod along as he listened to the song, Thug's verse added a whole new dimension to the track, it was strange how just a simple addition could completely change a song.

As the song came to an end, Arell couldn't wipe the grin off his face. "Yeah, that's a hit," he muttered to himself. He glanced at the system, eager to see how the addition of Thug's verse had impacted the overall rating of the track.

"System, what's the song rating now?" He asked.

[Ding!]

[Song Rating: 85]

Arell couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement as he saw the rating. "85," he exclaimed, a wide grin spreading across his face. "So that's it then, my quest is basically finished."

As he spun his chair around, his gaze fell on his active quest.

Active Quest

Mission: You're A Prodigy Act Like It

Description: Reach a specific view count on your latest song and craft five outstanding tracks within a week to showcase your prodigious talent.

Create 5: +50 rated songs (Completed)

Achieve Three Million Listeners (Incomplete) (Current: 2,359,021)

Rewards:

Music Inspiration Package

60-85 Rated Song Structure

"It's Time To Go Viral" <Limited Status> (Current Fame and Buzz Reaches that of a mainstream Artist for a limited time period)

Arell felt good, letting out a pleasant sigh as he continued to spin in his chair. "Almost done with this quest," he mused to himself. "Speaking of quest…" His eyes glancing over to another section of the system.

Active Quest

Mission: Capitalize on the Hype

Description: Leverage the positive buzz surrounding "Loyalty Ties" to expand your reach and solidify your presence in the local music scene.

Secure at least two interviews.

Schedule a performance at a reputable venue.

Increase social media following by 30000 (Completed)

Rewards:

+1 Creativity

+10 Performance

Improved Music Equipment

Just as he though he barely made any progress towards this quest, it seemed he had a surprise in store for him.

'I've got thirty thousand followers?" He questioned as he pulled up his followers on twitter. He had around ten thousand followers on Twitter, while on Instagram he had sixteen thousand. That wasn't too bad, he figured, but it didn't add up to thirty thousand.

But then he wondered if YouTube subscribers also counted towards social media following. He leaned back in his chair, contemplating this.

"Do YouTube subscribers count towards social media following?" he asked the system.

[Yes, YouTube subscribers count towards your overall social media following.]

Arell nodded, taking note of that. 'So that's why.' His YouTube subscribers far surpassed his following on other social media platforms, usually famous people tend to have more followers on Instagram or Twitter, but it seems people liked his music so much to the point that twenty thousand decided to subscribe.

"Which means I've just got the performances and interviews." He said as he spun his chair again.

His mind then drifted to the idea of doing a performance now, especially considering someone had tried to kill him yesterday. It seemed like a risky move. "I'll talk to Geoffrey about it later." He mused.

But before he could dwell on it further, he decided to distract himself with something random. He reached for a nearby notepad and began writing, allowing his mind to wander.

As he doodled, his thoughts drifted back to Geoffrey's advice about starting on the album. Maybe now was as good a time as any to begin. After all, he had just finished two songs and the creative juices were flowing.

Contemplating for a moment, he decided to check his stats.

Rapper Stats

Flow: 64 ———>65

Voice: 69

Lyrics: 52

Production: 71 ———>72

Performance: 46

Freestyle: 42

Songwriting: 51

Arell glanced over his rapper stats, "Some minor improvements, that's all." Noting the slight improvements in some areas. Then he took notice of the glaring negatives—his freestyle, lyrics, and songwriting skills were lagging behind and if he wanted to work on an album they'd need improving.

Though, with his hidden statuses his stats were likely 10 points levels higher than they actually were, these were the skills that determined the quality of his music, and it would do him no good if any were lagging behind the others.

And then it hit him. The reason his songs weren't consistently hitting the 50-rated mark was because he tended to freestyle his lyrics instead of taking the time to write them out. Loyalty Ties had been an exception, he'd spent hours writing lines, and it had paid off.

"So that's it," Arell murmured to himself, shaking his head in realization. He always made good songs when he followed a song structures, and when he took the time to write his lyrics. It was no wonder his freestyle approach didn't have the same results.

Arell sighed, tapping his pen against the table. "I'll have to spend more time writing," he muttered to himself.

As he thought about ways to improve his songwriting skills, an idea struck him. "Maybe practicing poetry could help," he mused aloud, "Hmm," He hummed.

"Now, the album." He said swiveling his chair toward the computer.

Arell wondered what he would even name it and what it would be about. He leaned back in his chair, letting his mind wander as he brainstormed ideas.

"Alright, let's see what the big ones did for their debut albums." Arell said to himself, pulling up albums by Kanye West and Drake on the computer.

As he skimmed through songs, Arell found himself drawn into theme of each album. Kanye's The College Dropout resonated with him deeply, 'It's about pursuing your dreams.' He noted. The beats had a soulful vibe that tugged at his emotions, and he couldn't help but nod along to the heartfelt lyrics.

But when he switched to Drake's Thank Me Later, his reaction was mixed. While he appreciated the overall vibe of the songs, he couldn't fully connect with the themes of fame and relationships in the songs. It felt a bit too distant from his own experiences.

"Interesting," Arell murmured, pondering the contrasting styles of the two albums. "I wonder what direction I want to take with mine." He closed his eyes, letting the music wash over him as he delved deeper into his thoughts.

"I wonder what Future's first album was like?" With that Arell turned his attention to Future's Pluto.

As the tracks played, Arell found himself captivated by Future's unique blend of trap beats and melodic flows.

"Hmm, this is different," Arell remarked, leaning in closer to the screen. He couldn't help but admire Future's ability to convey his experiences with honesty, it was easy to visualize Future's experiences through his lyrics.

As he listened, Arell began to envision his own album taking shape.

"So, Kanye's album was about ambition and perseverance. Drake's, on the other hand, was more about money, fame, and relationships, and Future's was more about the streets and all that," Arell mused to himself as he reflected on the themes of each album.

As he continued to ponder, an idea began to form in his mind. "Why not do all?" he said aloud, the thought sparking excitement within him. "Make the main theme one thing, and the other songs could be about others."

He leaned back in his chair, considering what resonated with him the most. What was the driving force behind his own journey, so far, not just from when he left prison, but throughout his entire life?

Memories from his past began to resurface. The struggles he faced growing up in the hood, the constant desire to break free from the cycle of poverty and violence that surrounded him and that he partook in.

"Yeah, that's it," he murmured, his mind drifting back to his childhood dreams. "I always wanted to leave the hood, to be the type to take control over my life."

The realization then hit him like a wave.

The driving force behind his journey, his music, and his ambitions was a relentless pursuit of success, of carving out a better future for himself and those he cared about. Even now, in that cell he could have rejected the system, but his desire to see himself and his friends on top of their game, his desire to see them making something of their lives, it was what led him to this point, led him to this studio.

"And perhaps the desire to not die as well." He murmured.

The system itself, its purpose was to make him the greatest rapper alive. A surge of determination washed over him as he made his decision.

"Ambition," he said. "That's what the main theme of my album will be."

For a moment the studio was silent as Arell's thoughts drifted

"I want to be one of a kind," he affirmed, his eyes gleaming. In that moment, the studio seemed to pulse with an electric energy.

"And that's what my debut album will be called," he declared, his gaze unwavering as he spoke.

"One of a Kind."