Domination in America, Starting from being a Boxing Champion

Leaving the office, Link arrived at the music studio, which was actually not far from the company, both located on Manhattan's 6th Avenue, about three kilometers away, a twenty-minute walk or just a few minutes by subway.

When he arrived at the studio, Mars, Wiz Khalifa, B.O.B Bobby, Phillip, Ali, and Lana were all there.

Inside the studio, there were not only recording rooms and soundtrack rooms, but also lounges and bars; they were all smoking and drinking in the bar area, making the air smoky.

However, Link knew this was the style of musicians, and he didn't stop them. Prohibiting them from smoking and drinking would be like restricting freedom, and generally, no one would want to work with such a company.

Link had only one rule, no drugs or firearms were allowed inside the studio, and anyone who disagreed could terminate their contract early.

He remembered news stories of Mars and Wiz getting caught by the police for hiding drugs and taking drugs, which were then exposed by the media.

"Link, want a drink?"

Wiz, sporting three dirty braids, was dressed in T-shirt and jeans. A cigarette was clamped in his left hand and his right hand held a glass of golden whiskey, looking every bit the seasoned smoker at just 22.

Wiz was not officially with Link Music, but Link had invited him, and Wiz agreed to sign a two-record deal with Link Music.

B.o.B Bobby was the same. Link remembered he was one of the original singers of "Nothin' On You", so he spent a million US dollars to temporarily transfer him from Atlantic Records, inviting him to participate in the production of Mars' new album.

"No thanks! I start hitting people after I drink, and you guys better not let me near any alcohol."

Link joked.
Your next chapter is on empire

"Definitely can't let you drink then, even if all of us teamed up, we wouldn't be able to handle you."

Wiz joked back.

Lana handed him a bottle of pure water with a smile, "Boss, you suddenly showed up, any instructions?"

Link glanced at her, Lana seldom wore skirts in the studio, sticking to her usual attire of jeans and artistic t-shirts, though her makeup was not as heavy as before.

"Lana, I've told you, call me by name. Calling me boss makes me feel like an ugly capitalist."

Link shook his head as he spoke.

Everyone burst into laughter.

Lana smiled and said, "Link, I call you boss out of respect. You're so talented, your skills are like, max level. You're like an idol to me."

"No need for respect, don't forget you're a few years older than me." Link chuckled.

Lana huffed in dissatisfaction, "A girl's age is a secret, okay?"

Link gave a gentle smile and looked towards Mars, "Bruno, how's the recording of the rap singles going?"

Lately, they had been recording "Lighters", as well as redoing a few songs from Mars' player and a few rap songs written by Link. Mars, Wiz, and B.o.B were collaborating on Mars' album, planned for release by the end of the year.

Mars scratched his afro, still feeling a bit uneasy, "Those songs of mine, it's the second time recording them, it went pretty smoothly. They were recorded over the past few days, we're currently arranging 'No Problem'."

Link nodded; "No Problem" was a single he had written for Mars and the others to collaborate on.

Since those singles had such chaotic and numerous rap lyrics, and he couldn't remember everything, he just filled in based on his own experiences while writing them.

After handing them to Mars and the others, they revised "Lighters" and "I'm The One".

"I'm The One" originally was a single by Justin Bieber, Lil Wayne, Usher, and others in 2017, which topped the Billboard 100 for two consecutive weeks.

After the revisions by him, Graham, and Mars, it only reached number one on the rap chart, and its highest position on the singles chart was third, indicating there was something lacking in their revisions.

"Link, you're not planning to release a song now, and use our collaboration to go head-to-head with Jay-Z and them, are you?"

Wiz Khalifa asked.

Wiz was associated with West Coast rap. The rivalry between East Coast and West Coast rap, stemming from the deaths of Tupac and B.I.G, still hadn't settled down.

Tupac was born in New York, moved to Los Angeles in his teens, and by his exceptional talent became the leader of West Coast rap, strongly rising to the top of the rap world and even dated Madonna for two years.

B.I.G was from New York, gained fame later than Tupac, releasing his first rap album in 1994 to platinum sales, breaking the monopoly of West Coast rap and was hailed as the "East Coast Hip Hop Savior".

By 95/96, Tupac was the first to attack B.I.G and others in the media, leading to the explosive 'rap war' between East and West Coasts.

Their fans were severely divided, often resulting in bloody conflicts.

In 1996, Tupac was murdered in a Las Vegas car, and police investigations linked the shooter to B.I.G, which also led to the murder of B.I.G in a car in 1997, and the location was West Coast's Los Angeles.

Snoop Dogg was Tupac's close friend, Jay-Z was a classmate of B.I.G and also B.I.G's protégé.

After the deaths of the top rappers from both coasts, the East and West coast rappers continued to view each other hostilities, rarely collaborating.

Wiz, being a friend of Snoop Dogg, naturally didn't mind collaborating with Link.

However, the East Coast rap scene was extremely strong at the time, with too many top artists like Jay-Z, Kanye, Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, and others.

On the West Coast, only Snoop Dogg was somewhat famous, and the others, including Link, were no match for the East Coast.

At this time, a direct confrontation with the East Coast had no chance of success.

Link shook his head. He had no intention of getting involved in the East Coast-West Coast conflict, nor did he want to compete with Jay-Z and others at this time.

"I was just wondering, after we finish recording, why don't we release 'Lighters' first and see how the fans react? It could also serve as a warm-up for Mars's new album."

Link said.

"Boss, when should we release it?"

Mars asked.

Link looked at him helplessly. He had repeatedly emphasized that they should call him by his name, but the two of them still couldn't break the habit.

"The rap scene is a bit chaotic these next two weeks, so let's wait another two weeks,"

Link thought for a moment and said.

"Boss, I think releasing it now wouldn't be a problem. The rap charts are all top artists now, Jay-Z, Kanye, you, Wiz, Eminem, T.I., Drake, and Bobby and I are newcomers. Releasing a single now might not make the charts,"

Mars said.

"Bruno, you should be more confident. 'Lighters' is a great song, the boss's lyrics and music are amazing, and your collaboration with Bobby is great too. The likelihood of it charting after release is very high,"

Lana said, looking at Link and smiling, "Link, if we back down now, won't it seem too weak? You are the world champion boxer, even Tyson couldn't beat you."

Link shook his head, "Even the fiercest boxer can't dodge a bullet, it's better to be cautious. We are in New York, and they have more fans here."

"Link is right. We are all newcomers in the music industry with shallow foundations. It's not worth it to conflict with them, and it's easy to be labeled as racists,"

Mr. Graham said from the doorway.

Link also had this in mind, and after thinking for a while, he said to Ms. Anna:

"Leak some news to the media that we had originally planned to release our second rap single this week. Given the current mess, releasing now could lead to misunderstandings. For the bigger picture, our company has decided to delay the new single until mid-June."

"Link, is this really necessary? People might really think you're weak. Aren't you worried about your fans protesting?"

Wiz Khalifa, sitting with his legs on the coffee table and blowing smoke rings, laughed.

"It's okay! Since we've already lost, losing a bit of face doesn't matter. Besides, as an artist, strength is most important; with good songs, there's no need to worry about lack of fan support."

"Boss, I think you're right, I support you,"

Lana said with a twinkle in her eye and a smile.

"Thank you!"

Link gave a gentle smile and clinked his water bottle with hers.

Mars and the others also expressed their support for his decision.

That day, Link Music stated through the media that they did not want to conflict with East Coast rappers, so they had postponed their plan to release the second rap single this week to mid-month.

During the statement, Link Music detailed the creative journey of 'Lighters,' a rap song Link created in March.

Eminem was involved in writing and revising the lyrics.

The original plan was for Link and Eminem to collaborate, but for some reason, the two sides did not reach an agreement.

It has now been given to newly signed artist Bruno Mars and rapper B.O.B to collaborate, emphasizing that Mars was recommended by Eminem.

The release is planned for June 15.

After Link Music conceded, fans of Jay-Z, Kanye, and others were thrilled, popping champagne on Link's Twitter and fan sites, mocking him as the 'soft egg boxer.'

Still, many haters were dissatisfied.

They believed that 'Lighters,' being sung by two newcomers, would not affect 'D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)' maintaining its number-one spot on the rap charts, even if released now.

Link Music was accused of using this opportunity to promote the single, sparking curiosity among fans, still aiming to compete with Jay-Z, Kanye, and the others.

If they truly had no intentions of competing, they should have postponed it by a few more months, possibly until next year, or not release it at all.