Alex knew very well that rather than Pablo being amazed, it was only after Old Joe took over the chorus that this "cheat code" song was officially unveiled.
In other words, it wasn't that the song "thrift Shop" suited Joe, but rather that Joe's unique attire and voice helped Alex awaken to the so-called 'divine revelation'. Joe was the cause, and "thrift Shop" was the effect; he was the most suitable person for the chorus of this song in the current dimension. On the contrary, Little Lowry's rap was still far from the original singer's, so as soon as Joe opened his mouth, the essence of the song immediately came through.
However, since it was their first time working together, and Old joe was getting on in years, he encountered quite a few problems in the more complex parts of the lyrics in the latter half of the song. After finishing the song, he spread his arms out as if asking for feedback, and Alex immediately gave him two thumbs-up through the glass in a flattering manner. He was very pleased and bowed in return.
"I can't take it anymore, I'm exhausted. I need to have something to drink and rest for a while." Old Morgan took out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat and walked out of the recording studio.
"Hey!"
Old Joe was getting excited and wasn't about to let it go, so he followed behind, saying, "Don't spoil the fun, old man, I haven't warmed up yet!"
"Why don't you practice the words first? Did you bite your tongue just now?"
Old Morgan, never one to back down, expertly opened a small liquor cabinet next to the sofa, reached inside and rummaged around until he finally found a bottle of Chivas Regal. He poured himself a small glass, downed it in one gulp, then let out a long, satisfied sigh and slumped onto the sofa. "Time to replenish your liquor cabinet, Joe..."
"Shut your mouth and drink your own piss!"
Old Joe was a little annoyed. "I haven't made a profit here for a long time..."
Pablo coughed lightly.
Just then, Eric pushed the door open and came in, with Tony following behind him, laughing and shouting, "He got dumped by that girl!" Then he pointed to Eric's cheek, "Look here!" There was a pale five-finger mark there.
Eric ignored him, silently walked to the mixing console, sat down, put on his monitoring headphones, and shut himself in.
"The pizza is here," AK's voice came from outside the door.
"Let's all eat something and rest first." Pablo winked at Old Joe, then pointed at Alex, "You come with me."
He led Alex out, pulled one pizza from the stack of pizza boxes outside, and then opened the change handed to him by Silencer', saying, "You idiot, keep it." He walked smoothly through the corridor and opened the door to the innermost office.
"sit."
He put the pizza on the boss's desk, pointed to the chair opposite the boss's desk, and then sat down next to it.
After Alex sat down, he said directly, "Let's not waste time with pleasantries. What are your plans?"
"Well..."
Alex perked up, "I don't quite understand... what kind of plans?"
"Copyright, lyrics, management contract… everything." Pablo took out a cigarette holder and filled it with cigarettes. "This song is good, um… it's very good. I have high hopes for you. You just need someone to bring you into the industry."
"Yes."
Alex felt like he was being led by the nose the whole time. Earlier in the car, the other party had said that they needed to solve the lyrics problem first, but now why was that being skipped and the other party was directly hinting at the management contract issue?
"But didn't you say we needed to solve the lyrics copyright issue first?" Alex decided to play dumb for now.
"Of course, let's talk about that first."
Pablo gestured with his hands, "You don't understand this industry, and you might think I'm being domineering at first glance. But let me tell you, this is absolutely necessary. Little Lowry must be listed as a lyricist, otherwise he won't be able to make it in the future, and it would be the same for any other rapper. The barrier to entry in this industry is very low. If you get caught red-handed, countless small fry will try to gain fame by dissing you, and radio DJs are happy to see these kinds of fights, as they attract listeners. So, I can pay you a buyout fee for Little Lowry. You can name your price."
After he finished speaking,
He got up, stood by the window, lit a cigarette, and began to smoke slowly.
"How am I supposed to know what price is appropriate?" Alex cursed inwardly.
He was increasingly wary of Pablo as he watched his retreating figure, realizing that a novice was actually setting the price. "Uh... could I consult a lawyer first?"
Damn it!
Pablo swore, "The fewer people who know about this, the safer you are, you know, N*ger?" He turned and walked closer, looking down directly into Alex's eyes. "I've already explained this twice, don't make me say it a third time."
It seems to be a negotiation tactic of applying pressure. The old Alexander Song might have fallen for this, but the current Alex is much more mentally strong and knows how to use softness to overcome hardness. "As far as I know, lawyers' words are much more reliable than ours."
Pablo's gaze turned cold.
"They…they have that…some kind of confidentiality rights or something…" Alex sensed that Pablo had really changed his tune this time, and he felt a chill run down his spine. People like Pablo who were doing well in the black neighborhood usually had some gang background, and with his Mexican heritage…the ruthlessness of Latin American gangs was on another level.
In predominantly Black neighborhoods, the death of one or two people is not a big deal.
Or maybe you're chickening out... You need to be alive to spend money...
"I wear your granddad's clothes, I look incredible..."
Thank goodness, just as Alex was having an internal struggle, Old joe hummed a song and swayed his way in.
"Why aren't you eating pizza?" He took off his pink suit jacket and hung it on the hanger, opened the pizza box, grabbed a slice, and started eating, all the while keeping an eye on the sheet music in his other hand. "Hey! Aplus, what do you think of my part just now? Give me some feedback," he asked.
"Well..."
Alex glanced at Pablo, who had sat back down, closed his eyes, and recalled the original song in his mind. "I think you could be a little more playful."
"Playful? What do you mean?"
"Well… um…" Alex stood up and imitated the scene in the music video where he grabbed the collar of his suit jacket and shook it, "That's about it."
"I understand, I understand..."
Old Joe finished his pizza in a few bites, then started singing again, occasionally stopping to chat with Alex, completely enjoying himself.
Pablo glanced at Alex, who responded with an innocent expression.
"Joe."
Pablo waited a while, then finally couldn't help but call Old Joe to a halt, frankly telling him about their disagreement, "What do you think?" he asked.
"Hmm..." Old Joe sat down behind his desk, pondered for a moment, and then said to Alex, "Find a lawyer you trust, OK?"
"Oh my God!" Pablo stood up, clutching his head in disbelief. "This kid bribed you!?"
"Can you not make things too complicated?" Old Joe replied, "My order has already been placed with the tape factory. It's just because you said you wanted to add another song that the master tape hasn't been sent over yet. We can't delay any longer. We must re-record the master tape and send it to the factory as soon as possible, otherwise I can't afford the penalty for breach of contract."
"You don't need to say these things in front of APLUS. We haven't reached any agreement with him yet…" Pablo, ignoring Alex's presence, yelled at Old Joe, "What you're saying will put us at a disadvantage in front of his lawyers!"
"I don't care."
Old Joe spread his hands. "I don't care anymore. I've been supporting little Lowry and Al for two years. I've lost patience. I just want to end this as soon as possible. Whether they become famous or not, it's time to make a move, understand?"
"FXXX!"
Pablo was so angry that he slammed the door and left.
"Never mind him, where were we? Besides being more witty, what else was there?"
"Uh...can you overcome the sound of your breathing a little more?"
"Sure, sure, no problem... I'm a professional, I've been famous before, don't underestimate me, just remind me to be careful..."
"OK."
"And then? What else should we pay attention to..."