CRAP GAME BONZ
Transcription
CRAP GAME BONZ
A TRILOGY CRAP GAME PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK Volume 1 BONZ A Trilogy: Crap Game: Play At Your Own Risk – Volume 1 All Rights Reserved. First Edition Copyright 2008, 2009 by Bonz and Seven Duce Entertainment, Inc., Philadelphia Pennsylvania No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including taping, photocopying, recording, or by any information storage retrieval system, without the written permission of the author, except that portions may be used in commentary or review when attributed fully to author and publisher by name. ISBN: 978-0-9818754-0-8 1. Record Industry 2. Urban Life 3. Relationships Cover design by: Bonz and Seven Duce Entertainment, Inc., Pennsylvania Republic Keystone state Edited by Otu Kwaku and Sakinah Ali.Sabree Third printing - Printed in the USA. Publisher: Liberated Mindz Publishers Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Republic Keystone state LiberatedMindZ@verizon.net CRAP GAME SOUNDTRACK PRODUCED BY SEVEN DEUCE ENTERTAINMENT INC. HOODFAME INC. ~ G – UNIT PHILLY BADLANDS INC. SEVEN DEUCE ENT. INC ARTISTS & AFFILIATES KDL KEL MILYENZ HASS NELL DIAMOND CRANE S-FIVE RIK HAVOC HOODFAME INC. MAD FLOW-YouTube-MRMADFLOW215 G – UNIT PHILLY MIKE KNOX SEVEN DEUCE ENTERTAINMENT INC. STAFF: LITTLE, JOHNNY AC, MIZ, DIAAB, HASS, KEL, BONZ FOR SHOWS AND BOOKINGS CONTACT: 215-327-8800 215-327-8003 276-616-5538 267-779-6148 www.72ent.com ~ www.Myspace.com/kelgeez A TRILOGY CRAP GAME PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK Volume 1 BONZ DEDICATION This book is dedicated to ME For all the hard work, determination, research, studying, commitment, love, and hate I endured to make this thing happen. i ACKNOWLEDGMENT First and for most I would like to thank all of my early supporters who bought my book when it was in raw form. Thank you ladies. Your comments and feedback are what led me to do more reflection. As a result I did extensive research and stepped up my knowledge of how to write memorable novels. Whether people offer comments about my books or my music, I tend to listen to and appreciate the people who spent their hard-earned money on something that I have put together. So again thanks, with much love. Please keep your ears and eyes open for my events, books, and music. The first person ever to bring the idea of writing novels to my attention was my old head Mark “MD” Jackson. We were sitting in his crib in West Philly, and he was writing some shit on a small yellow pad, so I was like, “What the fuck you doin?” Much to my surprise, he said, “Nigga, I’m writing a book.” I said, “A book? What the fuck makes you think you can write a fuckin’ book?” He put me onto two urban, jailhouse authors and some of their titles he had read when he was locked up. He was like “Nigga, you never heard of Donald Goines and Iceberg Slim?” That was the first time I ever heard those names, and it would be years before I even picked up one of their books to read. ii Disclaimer This novel is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real people, living or dead, actual events, establishments, organizations, or locales is intended to give the story a sense of reality and authenticity. Other names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or represent pure fiction. The instruction and outlines of RELIGIOUS obligation contained in this book are given as far as possible in correct manner. If there are any inadvertent mistakes, I seek the forgiveness of the Merciful Allah for such unintentional omission or commission. iii Table of Contents Dedication ............................................................................i Acknowledgment ................................................................ ii Disclaimer ......................................................................... iii Table of Contents ................................................................iv Prologue............................................................................. vii REWIND .............................................................................. 1 PAUSE ................................................................................ 7 PLAY ................................................................................. 11 FAST FORWARD ............................................................18 VOLUME ........................................................................... 31 SHUFFLE ........................................................................... 39 SURROUND SOUND .......................................................45 DUPLICATE ..................................................................... 55 EJECT ............................................................................... 64 MEMORY .........................................................................70 SLOW MOTION ................................................................ 72 TRACKS ............................................................................ 80 TURN TABLES .................................................................84 MICROPHONES .............................................................. 88 COPY ................................................................................ 94 SKIP ......................................................................... 102 iv REPLAY .......................................................................... 106 BASS ................................................................................ 112 MIXER .............................................................................127 EQUALIZER ................................................................... 135 STAND-BY ..................................................................... 138 DEMO .............................................................................145 ON .................................................................................... 149 OFF................................................................................... 156 SET ...................................................................................159 OPEN................................................................................ 163 TUNER ............................................................................ 168 TAPE ...............................................................................171 RANDOM ........................................................................ 179 CLOCK ............................................................................ 185 CLOSE .............................................................................191 Resource Directory ........................................................... 199 About the Author ..............................................................208 Bonus Chapter of Crap Game-Volume 2 Order Form v vi Prologue 2003 - It was a sweltering August morning when Trigger thundered down Twenty First Street in his Carolina blue Cadillac Escalade. He pulled up in front of 2112, and then quickly maneuvered the steering wheel away from the curb so that he wouldn’t crack the Ashanti Custom twenty-two inch rims his truck was sitting on. Trigger surveyed the area with his menacing black eyes and then tucked his weapon in his waistband, slid from the truck and scurried up the brick steps leading to Ms Toni Major’s house. When he reached the front porch, he could hear and feel the bass pounding beneath his feet, from the music that was booming from the basement’s studio speakers. He peered through the screen door and saw Ms. Toni’s plump frame in the kitchen cooking breakfast. He could smell the aroma of pancakes, turkey bacon, and cheese eggs floating through the air. Trigger tried the knob on the door, and it was unlocked. He crept in quickly and held the door long enough so it wouldn’t slam. Then he took the steps skipping every other one making his way up to the second floor. Once he reached the room, he peeped through the keyhole of the old door and saw his target. Trigger pulled out his Desert Eagle, spun the knob, and vii walked up on his sleeping prey and placed the cold hard barrel on top the victim’s head. Jordan Major was sound asleep until he felt the steel sink into his skull. For a few moments his mind thought he was about to die, but his heart told him something different as adrenaline reached it. He sprung up with a controlled motion grabbing Trigger’s hand and gun moving them away from his head while at the same time pulling a thirty-eight snub nose revolver from beneath his stuffed pillow. The thirtyeight barrel landed on Trigger’s neck. “Yo, how the fuck you get in here, Trigger?” “Nigga, I walked in like I’ve been doing all my life.” “I told Mom Duke to stop letting niggas in here while I’m sleep.” “Stop bitchin’. She ain’t let me in. She didn’t even see me.” “Oh, okay I see you still up to that prankster, slippery shit huh?” “You know it, yah – meen? Now put that gun away.” They laughed. When Jordan removed his gun away from his childhood friend’s neck, he could see that the barrel left a red mark on Trigger’s light skin. “When the fuck you fly into town, Trigger?” viii No response. “Nigga, you could at least let me know what’s up with you. I ain’t seen you since I’ve been home,” Jordan continued. “Real niggas move in silence, ya-meen. You got that money I sent you didn’t you?” “Yea but…” “But nothing nigga, roll this blunt,” Trigger said while passing Jordan a box of vanilla dutches and half ounce of skunk weed. Jordan got up, walked over to a chair in the corner of his room, and removed a jacket that was covering a warm six-pack of Heinekens. He removed two bottles and popped the caps off with the bottom of his lighter. He passed Trigger one and took a big swig of the one he had left in his hand. They both sat on the same run down bed they used to jump on as kids. They sat in silence, engulfed in their own thoughts. Trigger cracked and emptied the tobacco out of the blunt while Jordan crushed and separated the seeds and stems from the sticky light green weed. Growing up, this was an everyday ritual for these two, even before eating. Jordan took a few moments to search for the remote control to his CD player. He hit the POWER BUTTON, and then the PLAY BUTTON. A banging track came blasting through the cheap house speakers. But it ix had a rigorous baseline, crashing drums, and a sinister piano riff that was topped off with a sweet, sexy voice singing the hook. Three MCs started going back and forth with real street tales like music industry veterans. “Who the fuck is that?” Trigger asked Jordan after a long inhale of the blunt sounding like he was about to shit on himself. “That’s my squad I put together,” Jordan said while getting up to turn his broken down fan around in the shabby windowsill, so his mom wouldn’t smell the weed burning. Trigger wasn’t familiar with what his young buck had been up to since he was released from Sleighton Farms juvenile detention center lock up. Since Jordan’s departure from the street, Trigger was now believed to be the head of a 10 million dollar a year (and growing) drug empire that spanned five major cities in five states. His team mainly consisted of down ass chicks that were responsible for sixteen killings and some thirty-five non-fatal shootings. Jordan asked, “You remember sexy ass Kelly from the block, don’t you?” “Yea,” said Trigger. “That’s her on the hook.” Then Trigger asked, “Word? “It’s been years. What she look like now? She still got a fat ass?” x Jordan smirked and said, “Do she? Man listen, Kelly was always a little sexy muthafucka, but now she’s thick as a brick house, cute in the face and thin in the waist. Man, her hips, and lips are thick as a muthafucka.” Trigger wondered, “Damn…she still got that long ass hair?” Jordan said, “Hell yeah, that shit long and silky. She rockin'it, dyed light brown to flow wit her honey brown complexion.” “What type of measurements you think she working with?” Trigger asked. Jordan replied, “I think…I know she workin' wit 34-23-36 all day. I still be hittin' that whenever. I gotta keep her close to the team.” Jordan took a long drag of the blunt before he passed it to Trigger who hit it and chased it with a sip of warm beer. Trigger looked at his young bol and said, “Did the young bitch Mia call you yet?” “Yeah, but I thought you was starting your own label, so I was keeping her on ice until I got the official run down from you. So what up wit dat?” “Nah, I told the young bitch to holler at you because she came at me on some help her get a deal shit. But you know I only fuck wit down ass chicks. She was a little too green for my taste. Plus you know with what I am into that ain’t a good look. xi You remember her from back in the day, right?” Trigger asked. “At first when she hit my cell…Nah. But then I started thinking like…this that young sexy jawn whose father was in the army.” “Yeah she use to always be out of town or some shit like that, right?” “Right, she would always stay with her grandma on Twentieth Street every summer and be freaking off at all the dollar to holler house parties,” Jordan added before receiving the blunt back. He inhaled the sticky green and then exhaled the gray smoke out his nose. He passed it back, sat back on the bed as his dick became rock hard just thinking about fucking Mia. While holding the blunt in his right hand letting it steam away, Trigger said, “Man she’s one of them petite chicks with the young ripe thirty six D’s standing at attention with an apple ass. And that light skin with that long, deep, dark black cornrowed hair. I shoulda kept that ass in my stable but you know with my life style, ya-meen?” “Sup nigga, pass that fuckin' blunt,” said Jordan. Trigger handed the herb over and then drowned the rest of his Heineken. Jordan reached for the sixpack, cracked two beers, and passed Trigger his second beer. Jordan continued, “I use to see her when she xii would come around the way stepping out her pop’s car and looking like daddy’s little girl, wearing her sexy private school uniform.” “Yeah, me too,” Trigger said. “I’ve been peeped the freak all up in her because of the way she use to tie the front of her uniform shirt up so niggas could see that flat ass stomach. Man my dick used to get rock hard just watching her shake that ass in the house parties like a stripper.” Trigger replied, “Nigga, why you ain’t never hit that back then? “Trigger, you know like I know the hood rats woulda beat the shit out of her for fucking wit me.” “What’s up wit her now?” “She on some real shy shit but I know she’s an undercover freak. But fuck all that shit. That bitch can sing her ass off. Shit, wit a ass like that singing it off is very unlikely.” They both laughed. Jordan snuffed the blunt roach out, took a second one out his ear, and lit it. He steamed the mini bat up until he had it flowing just right to give his old head Trigger their second blunt ritual, “shot guns.” They would interlock their pinky, ring and middle fingers while at the same time making a zero with the thumb and pointer finger. Jordan turned the blunt xiii around backwards, stuck the lit end in his mouth, and then put the other end into his zero. Trigger put his mouth on his zero and then Jordan blew him a shotgun blast. Trigger tried his best to inhale the gush of thick blunt smoke, but it was too much as he took in what he could and let the rest hit him in his face. Trigger took the weed from Jordan and tried to blow his head off to get him back for the cloud of smoke Jordan left hovering above his head. They went back and forth like this until the herb was gone and they were both stuck. Trigger then said, “So Jordan, you getting serious about this music shit, huh?” Jordan said, “You damn right and nigga you should get serious about it too man because you hot as shit on the rhyme tip. Plus your entrepreneur skill is on one thousand. The shit you doing go hand and hand with this music game.” “I’m feeling what you saying, ya-meen, but right now it ain’t about me, it’s about you young bol. You dig what I’m saying…who else you working wit besides Kelly and Mia?” Trigger asked. “I got O getting it in now.” “Word? That nigga finally stopped hatin’ and getting it in, huh?” xiv “Yea and I got my man and 'em, Fat Bol and Lil Big Man.” “That’s all them on the CD, right?” “Yeah, and that’s only a smidgin' of what they can do.” “I’m proud of you, young bol,” Trigger said standing up extending his hand to Jordan. Jordan took Trigger’s hand in his, and then Trigger pulled him off the bed roughly and they embraced like they always have because the way Trigger moved they both never really knew when they would see each other again. Trigger headed for the door as his young bull looked on. Trigger had been a hustler since he came out the pussy. He always been one of them tall funny looking dudes with a big nose and big lips. People used to call him JJ Evans off the sitcom Good Times. That’s before crack hit the streets of Philly. He would have to do everything extra hard to fit in and make girls like him. After he started to hustle the chunky white substance, it was a rap for all the jokes. He made it hard for pretty boys with game and looks but no money. He would trick money on all the hood rats and dimes in the hood, buying them trick gifts like Reeboks, Elite Honda scooters, big gold earrings, and xv he would get their hair and nails done. They loved his ass because he made them look good. Trigger is the true meaning of a drug dealer turned rapper/ entrepreneur. But what cats failed to realize is he’s still a major hustler just in a different game. xvi CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 REWIND The humidity was high by mid afternoon. The fans were blowing hot moist air throughout Jordan Major‟s mother‟s house. Many people in the hood were victims of the scorching summer heat. The stench of piss mixed with dead cats baking inside of abandoned houses blew through the air. Jordan grew up in the same neighborhood and house that his mother was raised in. Even though his mother had both parents, her mind was constantly being pulled in two different directions. Her mother was extremely religious, and her father was an extreme alcoholic who collected other people‟s junk and made it his treasure. So the house was always cluttered with items that were originally headed for the city dump. Occasionally he would come up on something worthwhile like the bathroom mirror with the gold eagle on top of it. Jordan loved it. He stayed looking at his image and telling himself that he would one day be rich and telling himself that one day he would move out of that junky house. He was told stories about how his grandmother was a devout Christian who believed that Jesus was God. When his mother, who was an only child, would behave badly, his grandmother would tie her to a 1 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 chair in the basement and flick holy water on her. This would go on for days until grandmom felt the devil had fled. Jordan was looked at as a laid back, cool little dude at a very young age. All the old heads in the hood used to tell him he would grow up to be a thoroughbred with a bright future. So he set out to do just that. At age nine, his father, Max Major, introduced him to selling firecrackers to the other kids in the neighborhood. Max was one of the flyest South Philly hustlers the city has ever seen. However, he was a different kind of hustler. Drugs weren‟t his thing. He worked down at the waterfront since he was seventeen and sold everything that wasn‟t nailed down, like tee shirts, coats, radios, fireworks and all sorts of quick flip items he would get his hands on from the incoming cargo. Max now pushing close to fifty, rocks a baldhead, a full beard that‟s cut close to his chiseled chin that also matched his chiseled frame. He stood at five-eleven and weighed in at 200 pounds solid. After he retired from the waterfront at age 37, he went right back to work as a recreation counselor for the city of Philadelphia in addition to building a small real estate empire. It is believed that he is now worth 3.5 million. 2 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 When Jordan really started rolling with his firecracker hustle that his pop Max hipped him to, it became addictive. Jordan began to step his game up on his own. Meeting new and local suppliers he began to buy whole bricks of firecrackers, M80s, skyrockets, Chinese stars, and a wide variety of other fireworks. Money was coming in so fast that he didn‟t know what to do with it. That‟s when his dad had to step back in. Max always inspired Jordan to do the right things in life despite how wild and crazy he himself was growing up before he decided to chill out. So he took his little man to the closest bank and taught him how to open his own savings and checking accounts. Ms Toni and Max Major didn‟t share the same bed or roof for that matter. They‟ve been separated for almost seven years now but Max has consistently played a positive role in his son‟s life. Jordan loved the quick flips and profits so much that by the age of 10 the lore of selling weed came naturally. Despite the positive influence his father had on him, the influences of the street became stronger. In no time, Jordan was known as the weed boy in Leeds Middle School, and all the young girls loved him. He was from a hood that was considered full of suckers. So kids from all the way uptown would try him, only to get punished by his old heads who would lurk around the school grounds trying to catch freaky 3 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 little school girls. Tough guys from all over the city thought West Oak Lane was the suburbs because of the green grass and garages and different row houses. Nevertheless, when families from North, South, West, and Southwest Philly moved uptown and ran away the few whites that for some reason could not move out, things changed unknowingly to the rest of the city. West Oak Lane never was or will be the same, and the soft label had to change. When Jordan reached the age of 12, he saw something that would later have an impact on his life and the lives around him. He was standing on the corner in Germantown, where he first learned to hustle coke, with his Summerville squad. He peeped a scene that forever changed the way he got his money. The setting was the fastest type of flow he ever saw. One of his old heads named Chill was out on the block selling something that had people running up on feet, riding up on bikes, driving up in cars, and as fast as they came, they sped away even faster. Chill was dressed in a black bubble vest and a pair of Guess Jeans with the pencil pockets on the side. Jordan took this all in, and then asked Chill, “What the fuck is you doin?” Chill said, “What the fuck I‟m doing? The same shit your young ass should be doin.” “And what the hell is that, Big Man?” 4 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Chill then reached into his stash he had under his balls, pulled it out, and showed him a bundle of death. He had it in small clear vials shaped like bullets wrapped with a rubber band. That night Jordan got a crash course about the rocky white substance that was housed in caps the size of fifteens. That rocky white substance was the catalyst for the new epidemic that eventually took the city by storm. A drug that turned best friends into enemies tore down the hood and turned men and women into monsters. It also turned broke dudes into rich players, young girls into young trick hoes, and left blood stains on the streets of Philly. Jordan got swept up in the drug game so fast it made his head spin. Before he knew it, he was on the block all day and night working for Chill. Chill started him off with five hundred dollars worth of rocks in a bundle which eventually earned him one hundred dollars a day seven days a week. He wasn‟t really schooled too well in the drug game by Chill. Therefore, he learned the hard ways from the monsters that lurked the streets. The fiends that were eventually termed CRACK HEADS. Jordan had so many ups and downs in the game he thought he was at Great Adventure. Bundles would get crept, stick up boys would make their rounds, girlfriends would steal money, mom would confiscate expensive items like jewelry and bikes, and he always 5 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 had to duck his pops. He went from working for Chill, to going half with coworkers, to buying weight for himself, back to working for Chill. It was a seemingly never-ending cycle. Then when he thought he had a firm grip on the game, he got locked down for a petty drug rap and for not going to school. The block was hot, so Jordan and one of his co-workers decided to go down town and do some clothes shopping. Jordan got too comfortable with carrying bundles of drugs on him. So, on the train ride down town two school police approached him and his coworker. They tried to make a break for it, but the officers were too quick on their feet and subdued the two young hustlers. Upon searching them, the police officers discovered the crack, and that was the beginning of the end. 6 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 PAUSE SLEIGHTON FARMS was the juvenile facility Jordan eventually ended up in after his run in with the school police. He had to do eighteen months there, most of which Jordan spent refining his hustle. No matter where he went, he had to get that money and he made a way. He began to sell sticks of weed, rolled in EZ Wider tobacco paper that he would sneak into the facility hidden in cassette tapes. He was also determined to get his high school diploma while he was on lock down so he would not have to go back to high school when he got out. It was hard because at the time “The Farms” (as Sleighton Farms was called) was the only juvee facility in the state of Pennsylvania to house young girls. The Farms had five boy cottages but only two girl cottages. It was an everyday struggle to be locked away with girls, have them within arm‟s reach and still were not allowed to put your hands on them. It was pure torture. So the young boys ran the grounds at night, met up with the horny young girls in the woods, and had their way with them. When they were done, they all would sneak back into the cottages and hope they didn‟t get caught or ratted on by the punks that were scared to run the grounds. 7 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Many would lose their by-weekly home passes doing it, but they all felt it was worth it unless they had a special someone at home. Because of the shortage of chicks, you had dudes forever beefing over a female. Coming through the gates, Jordan being the cutie that he was at age 17 had beef because of a Puerto Rican mommy named Gloria. Gloria was a sexy redhead, bad girl, with a coke bottle shape. Her French vanilla complexion and her slick talking drove the juvees on the farm crazy. She was infatuated with Jordan as soon as she saw his five-eight muscular brown frame dressed in his favorite color, black. His dark brown hair was cut to a low wavy Caesar. He had on a black Dickie set and a pair of butter colored Timberland boots. He had a black Oakland Raiders fitted hat pulled to the back with a brown paper bag in his arms full of cosmetics the juvenile institution provided. Gloria wasn‟t shy, so she came straight at his neck. “Hey Poppi,” said Gloria. “What up ma?” Jordan replied. “Nuthin' much pa, what‟s the deal with you poppy?” Gloria replied with a smile. “You the deal with me, ma!” Jordan said as they both laughed. “Really poppy, come holler at me after you get dug in so I can show you around.” 8 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Jordan said, “Slow down shortie. I‟ll keep you in mind though.” She was shocked because she was used to having her way with guys on the farms. “You do that!” She quipped as she walked away burning up inside. Word of their exchange traveled fast around the farms and by the time Jordan made his way into Washington Cottage (the intake living quarters) it was on and popping. “That‟s him right there,” one of the inmates shouted. Then a big Hispanic dude named Loco approached him. Jordan could tell by his stone cold grill, buzzed hair cut and tattooed diesel arms, that it was about to be some drama. “Yo, you was talking to my girl?” Although Jordan didn‟t want to get into no bullshit over a girl, the situation presented a great opportunity. He searched the faces of the spectators to find all eyes were on him, so he shot back. “Nigga, your bitch came at me.” That was all that was said before Jordan‟s fist connected with Loco‟s jaw. The rumble lasted several minutes before the staff broke it up. They both were thrown in the hole for two weeks. While in there, Jordan got the whole run down on the Farms including Gloria and Loco. His celly was in the hole for fighting also, so they clicked and had mutual respect for one another. 9 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 “Yeah, sun, dudes always flipping out over that Spanish jawn. One nigga even tried to kill himself over that bitch.” Jordan said, “Word? He can have that bitch. That‟s nut shit where I come from.” His roomy replied, “Get used to it. A lot of these niggas be tripping over these dirty bitches.” That was only the beginning of many beefs he had throughout his bid. But, none was over the young girls of The Farms. That wasn‟t his focus like most of the other juvees. His was to continue to make money. Once people realized that, they left him the fuck alone. He started off selling blow pops and loose cigarettes for a quarter a piece. He would game female recreation staff up to bring in his goods on a regular basis. Then before long, he had jays of weed going for five dollars a stick. Jordan was a true hustler. He could hustle anything and anywhere. 10 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 PLAY After his juvee bid, Jordan had to live with his mother for probation reasons. Miss Toni provided a lower middle class life style for him and his younger siblings. They weren‟t the most well to do family in the hood, but Ms Toni made sure that her kids always had food to eat and a roof over their heads. All the kids in the hood hung over her house, and she welcomed them with open arms. It was August 2003 in the West Oak Lane section of Philadelphia. The sounds coming from the inside of Ms. Toni‟s brick row house were loud as usual. The smell of breakfast filled the air in the house on this hot and humid day. The pressure of single parenthood was kicking in on this particular day, and Ms. Toni wasn‟t in a very good mood. At times, she wished that her husband still lived there so she could shift some of the weight off on him. However, she was fed up with him and all the other women he had. Therefore, she decided she would raise her three kids with or without him. Jordan‟s younger siblings were in hyper mode. His little brother Hisheam and sister Nidearah, AKA Hijjy and Ninie, were eleven months apart which means they would be the same age for a month before Hijjy, who was the oldest, would past Ninie in age. 11 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Jordan, who had just turned 19 on July 5, was five years older. They were both 14, wild and crazy like all the other ghetto kids. This morning they and their usual company were running wild, fighting, screaming, and hollering. Plus, Jordan‟s squad was in the basement using his makeshift recording studio while he was upstairs, back to resting, after his morning get high session with Trigger. Ms. Toni was agitated by all the noise and activities going on in her house. In addition, when she got fed up she‟d begin to yell from the bottom of the staircase, and her voice would carry like a loud trumpet. “Jordan! Get your ass up, come down here, and tend to your friends. That Goddamn Omar is smoking that shit again in my goddamn house. He think he slick tryna blow that shit out the window like I can‟t still smell it or something.” Ms. Toni, who is in her late forties, was getting less tolerable of the riffraff that frequented her house. Hijjy and Ninie loved when their mom got on Jordan‟s ass and wanted him to get up. They knew they couldn‟t wake him without word from mom. When they busted into his room, Hijjy walked over to the bed and pulled the thin covers off their older brother‟s body. 12 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 “Mom said get your broke ass up,” Hijjy said as Ninie jumped on his bed. “Yeah, get up 'cause your wannabe rapping friends are down stairs stinkin‟ up our basement.” Jordan sprung up and grabbed his sister. Hijjy jumped in, and Jordan wrestled with them for a few minutes before they both calmed down. Jordan said, “Yeah, just when you thought I was sleepin‟, I was steady creepin'. Sit y‟all dumb asses down for a minute so I can talk to y‟all.” The first time Hijjy and Ninie realized what their older brother did for a living they were intrigued, especially Ninie. They both looked up to their brother, but Hijjy was more concerned with computers and the Internet. Hijjy who was light brown skin and wore his hair in a nappy afro turned himself into a hacker by aged 10. He weighed in at 150 pounds with a sinister conman laugh. He loved weapons and running scams with his computer. He started out just visiting websites, news groups, and forums for hackers. He would read about the small things they would do like taking over web pages and then the heavy stuff like breaking into bank computers. He would download software off other hackers‟ sites to sharpen his own skills. Before long, he was hacking into computers just for the notability and 13 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 bragging rights. He downloaded more software from fellow hackers and obtained a program that allowed his computer to pick up people‟s IP addresses from off the web. It would tell him the home computer addresses which would lead him to hacking their computer. It was kid play for him to find his victim‟s names, home address, social security number, you name it. Hijjy finally figured out a way to make money by hacking into his school computer and altering grades and then graduating to credit card numbers, which led to him honing his conman abilities. He needed to learn to con people because it went hand and hand with his hacking. Sometimes he would have to do what hackers call social engineering. Social engineering or guerilla marketing is the art of going to public places like malls, parks, and super markets to talk to people to extract personal information about themselves and their families. Hackers know that most people use family members‟ or their own birthdates and ages for passwords to bank accounts and credit cards. So when Jordan asked Hijjy “What you been up to?” Hijjy responded with his same old reply… “…Nothin'!” Jordan responded, “You always say that same shit, nothing. Man, you turning into a computer freak. Get off that shit a little bit and get ready to help me 14 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 start my record company like Ninie is doing.” Hijjy replied, “I told you I‟ll help.” Jordan said, “Alright, just be ready nigga.” Hijjy sighed and said “Whatever!” Ninie, however, was a whole different story. She loved her big brother dearly and would ride with him no matter what. She was very pretty and shapely for her age. She had long hair she would wear in braids, her eyes were shaped like small almonds, and she had a thick bottom she inherited from her mother. She was very smart in school, which earned her straight As every year. Her favorite subjects were math and English, areas Jordan needed badly for his future plans. Jordan took Ninie‟s education and well being very seriously. He was molding her to one day be the heiress to his small empire he dreamed of starting. He knew his little precious sister had the drive and heart to take over in case of his untimely demise. And the controlled killing of her beloved cat solidified her position as the one between her and Hijjy. One day Jordan secretly observed her in the back yard playing with her cat named Snow White. Snow White was an ordinary domestic house cat that she got for her birthday. On this particular day, Snow White decided to scratch Ninie‟s hand when she tried to pick her up. Ninie calmly picked up a bat that was lying nearby and smashed Snow White‟s head in. Jordan 15 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 was in shock, but kept on watching to see what she would do next. To his surprise, she picked up the dead, bloody cat and flung it in the neighbor‟s yard that had two Rottweilers. She then watched the dogs devour the cat and exhibited no emotion while doing so. She mustered up some crocodile tears and then ran in the house for help. Jordan met her as she ran through the back door crying. He comforted her in his arms knowing all along what had really happened. He never said a word. Over the next couple of years, he honed her killer instinct. He would find ways to anger her to keep her murderous tendencies readily available. He watched on knowingly when she would chase friends or family members around the house with a knife really trying to stab them after they had pushed her buttons. He would instigate the situation until it escalated to a head. Then he would be the only one able to calm Ninie down. Everybody would wonder what was wrong with her, but not Jordan. He knew that once she got away with her first kill it would be no turning back. Jordan asked, “So what‟s been going on with you?” She answered, “Same thing, school and lookin‟ out for my brothers.” “Is that right?” Jordan asked. 16 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 “Yeah!” said Ninie. “You‟re not messing around with no boys yet are you?” her brother asked intently. “No, not really, but a few of them boys in my school like me though.” “It‟s nothing wrong with that, just be smart about what you do. You have a bright future, so don‟t let no knuckle head come in between you and success. Plus if and when you need to talk, me or mom will be here.” “All right,” she said. Hijjy looked on with a little jealous glare because Jordan always took more time talking to Ninie when they would go through these normal interrogations from their brother. However, little did he know, Jordan gave him tough love for a reason. He was secretly challenging him to dig deeper into his computer. 17 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 FAST FORWARD Moments later, Jordan strolled into the bathroom, and then after cleansing his face and teeth he looked dead into the mirror he loved so much growing up. He had many conversations with himself in the round cracked mirror with the gold trim and gold plated eagle on top. Jordan eyed his own reflection and saw his rock hard poker face staring back at him. It was time to ask himself his daily question. What do you really want out of life? He thought. “Me, I want mines, the game, and everything that comes with it.” He then dressed in his favorite designer‟s clothes…a black pair of Sean John jeans and a black and gray Sean John college sweat shirt. He stepped into a fresh pair of black high top Air Force Ones and headed down the steps. When he reached the first floor, his mother was waiting on him. “Jordan, would you please feed that damn dog, he keeps scratching my goddamn door.” “Alright Mom, damn. Why you ain‟t make Hijjy feed him?” “That little nigga don‟t want to do nothing but sit in front of that computer,” said his mom. Jordan‟s been continuously hearing that statement from everybody but he brushed it off and went out 18 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 back to feed Satan, his tan and white pitbull. He would talk to Satan as if he was human. It was his stress reliever. While he poured Satan a healthy bowl of Purina mixed with Puppy Chow dog food, he began a one sided conversation with man‟s best friend. “Yeah boy, we coming in real late in this music shit. We playing catch up right now.” Satan began to jump around, hyper from hearing the sound of his master‟s voice. “Sit the fuck down.” Jordan said in his clear, controlled voice. “The squad was bullshitin' hard while I was locked the fuck up. Now that I‟m home, everybody wants to stress me the fuck out. It‟s all good though because the whole hood know I‟m the backbone of this shit, ain‟t that right boy?” he said pouring Satan some H2O in the bucket that was used as his water bowl. “Go head eat.” Satan took a few steps toward his meal. “Stop…sit the fuck down.” Satan froze. Jordan loved to be in control, and he made sure Satan knew who fed him. “Go head eat muthafucka.” When Jordan reached the top of the basement steps, the music and smell of weed hit him in his face all at once. He walked down the stairs and everybody greeted him more with the usual “What‟s up!” and “Sup niggas!” they‟ve used forever. 19 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Mia gave Jordan a big hug and kiss while Kelly was looking on with jealousy in her eyes. Mia had a need to belong to a group. She would dress very freakish to escape the feelings of loneliness and alienation, but mostly to get much attention. Mia‟s father being in the army, and her mother chasing the glass dick resulted in them having to move around a lot. She was constantly leaving friends behind and got tired of always being the new girl. Kelly, not wanting to be out done by the squeaky voice daddy‟s girl, got up and kissed Jordan on his lips passionately. Jordan jerked his head back, drawing his lips away. “Goddamn, Kelly, cut that shit out.” “You didn‟t say that the other n…” She tried to reply before Jordan grabbed her by her mouth and kissed her again. It was only a quick peck on her full, soft, pink, crinkled up lips. She calmed right down from the touch of her part time lover. Then out of nowhere, O started to talk his shit. “Man, fuck outta here everybody already know.” “Know what?” Jordan inquired. “Nothing, man…nothing!” O chumped out. O had a loud mouth. He was one of those real crazy acting cats, a hater as they called him. He was one of them thugged out pretty boys who rocked a bald head to match his hard head. O stood five-seven with a washboard stomach, nicely built upper body with 20 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 thin legs. He had a dark brown complexion with light brown eyes, and the ladies loved him. He never was caught dead without the latest fashion or newest team fitted hats. He never had a real good reason to hate because he came from an affluent family. He would hate on people mainly to make his squad laugh, but sometimes he would go too far with it and hurt people‟s feelings. O had a need for attention and recognition. All he wanted to do was to become famous for his rap skills so he could battle against the best rappers in the industry. As young kids, O and Jordan were the average bucks growing up in the hood doing what boys do, like playing street games like catch-a-girl freak-a-girl, ding dong Dixie, and hide and go seek. When they got older, they started popping, break dancing, going to the same schools that led them to hookying together. They would gather all the pretty girls in the school and have hooky parties over Ms. Toni‟s house when she was at work. They both been through the same struggles coming up, even trying to put their peewees in the twats. They used to have the young hoes butt ass naked but didn‟t know what to really do with them. O got hooked on trying to bust their butts all the time. On the other hand, Jordan started to gravitate more to rapping and making beats. However, both began to 21 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 sell small amounts of drugs together. No matter what different routes they took growing up in the hood, they loyally hooked up and made plans to take the street and music biz by storm. At these weekly meetings, O would let Jordan hear some of his new raps. Jordan started to notice that O had some raw rhymes and knew O was destined to become the star of the duo, so Jordan decided to fall back and focus more on producing beats for him. Life threw both friends many hooks, and they had to submit to the juvenile system. O was sent to Glen Mills while Jordan went to Sleighton Farms. Now that they were back together trying to live out their dreams, O was a problem. He was now a livewire with a short fuse, and he smoked entirely too much of that real good sticky icky green. That shit had him bugging out, that and his love for his favorite rapper‟s music, Tupac. That‟s why Ms. Toni stayed on his ass about smoking that shit in her house. O would have to learn life lessons the hard way. Kelly, just like O, has been down with Jordan for a very long time. She was from the block, she sang and rapped, and she was very good at both. She and Jordan lost their virginity with one another but never became an official item. She was always compelled to become a famous super star and would have done anything to reach her goals. 22 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Back in the day when Kelly‟s young squad of chicken heads would come around the way, Jordan used to have all of them stealing junk food out the corner store for him and his young squad. Jordan loved the power he had over them and felt it when he would watch on as they went to work. Then he would reward them by pairing his friends off with her friends, taking them in the dark back driveways and grinding on them until their dicks grew sore. Jordan always had Kelly when she was around. Kelly was the type of chick that was down for her nigga and down for the block. She was a leader. Her squad of young girls followed her order to a tee. She did all their hair and kept them up on the latest fashion changes. She was also smart in school and never missed a day unless Jordan wanted her too. When he was going through his stolen car phase, he would get her to ride shotgun to keep the heat off him some. She was all about adventure and doing new and crazy shit to impress Jordan. Since her grandmother was never home, they would use her house for their second clubhouse. Granny stayed in Atlantic City spending her dead husband‟s insurance money on slot machines. Granny also took good care of Kelly after her mother and father died in a tragic car accident. She raised her since she was 6 years old, and they loved 23 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 each other dearly. It was them two against the world, Granny and Kelly. Kelly was the hippest young girl around the way and in school. She used to stash weed in her house for O and Jordan and smuggle bundles past school police so they could hustle it off in school. They would pay her handsomely for her services. And not to mention all the times she would get tossed a drug pack on the block when the cops ran down on them. She was a high school track star that broke all kinds of records. So when the cops thought they were going to chase her, they soon found out their thoughts were incorrect. It was funny to the young boys on the block to watch her burn the narcs a new asshole. She earned her stripes early in the game and when she got older and started to fill out, she had niggas young and old breaking their necks to take care of her. She was a coke boy‟s dream girl with brown chinky eyes, large firm breasts, and a mesmerizing figure. She had collected so many pairs of Reeboks, Polo tennis skirt sets, jewelry, gold bamboo earrings with her name in them and pink bomber jackets (her favorite color). All the items and attention made her feel like a star. So she set out to be just that. Kelly picked up rapping from the boys on the block. She always could dance ever since she was 24 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 little. Now everybody thought she was ripe for stardom, but who knows what the future held for any of them? Back in the basement, Lil Big Man got heated and said “Yo, if y'all done with all dat soap opera shit, we got a lot of work to do.” “Word, son,” Fat Bol agreed. “A‟ight, a‟ight man, let‟s bang these tracks out,” Jordan insisted. Jordan then got behind his Roland VS880 home recording track machine, while Lil Big Man stepped into the makeshift vocal recording booth. Lil Big Man inhaled the city of Philly and started to kill the beat with a dark and gritty response to all the hate directed at his hood. “In reality I’ll murk you niggas! Fuck you niggas You think ya a gangster Chump you ain’t nothing but a prankster These silly niggas ain’t thinking right Y’all think West Oak Lane ain’t got no gangsters And niggas can’t fight That’s irrational thinking There’s always a handful of niggas in any town That will leave your ass stinking Niggas keep talking See I get around I hear it all 25 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 West Oak Lane Niggas are suckers Uptown niggas can’t brawl. But when you come face to face with this WOL wild cat I’m a break your face with a baseball bat Then crush you skull with the butt of the Mack when the feds stepped in The majority of you tuff silly niggas turn to RATS.” Lil Big Man was originally from the bottom of West Philly before his family moved to uptown. He and Jordan met in junior high and quickly became friends. The whole squad called him Big for short. Big was one of the fattest, blackest cock-eyed products the bottom ever spit out. He was one of them real hard, cold, street, hood niggas. He came from a house full of rats, roaches and pissy mattresses. His mother and father both were drunks and drug addicts, but he still was one of the realest dudes out of the whole team. He stood big and tall at 6‟1” and weighed over 250 pounds and liked to wear dark lenses, Armani frames with gold arms. He kept his haircut to a low shadowed fade and stayed in State Property gear, because it was cut big and baggy for large dudes like him. Plus he loved the fact that his State Property jacket had a sewn in gun holster for his .44 Desert Eagle. 26 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 He never went anywhere without it because he hustled that funny money and carried large amounts of real money he made from his loyal customers. Most of his profits went to his family to keep the lights on and food in the fridge for his little sister Coco. Jordan respected him more than any baller in the city, including Trigger, because of the love he had for his family. When they were younger and times got tough, the way Big got things off his chest was through rapping, and he was good at free styling. Then one day he just started writing his freestyles down and before anyone knew it, he was the man on the rap scene. MCs came from all over the city to either battle or just hear this fat, dirty dude from the bottom. Dude was now living uptown kicking it in a cipher on the corner of 72nd and Ogontz Avenue. Now the only thing Big and Fat Bol wanted is to be the best in the game period. Fat Bol and his family relocated from South America to the U.S. way back in the day. He used to live in the apartment buildings on the Avenue for six years, before he had to move down to North Philly. But his time spent uptown was what fostered his relationship with the rest of the squad. Fat Bol loved uptown and was sick when he had to move down North Philly to live with the rest of his family. It was too many people already living in the one family 27 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 house. His mom and pop fell on hard times and unwillingly had to down grade their living arrangements. Fat Bol was a young crazy poppy growing up, always playing with guns he would steal from his dad. He had his juvenile friends carrying Spanish break open style 32s and 38s to elementary school. They would hide them in their desks unknown to the naïve teachers. One incident proved who the real gun of the team was. They were all at the creek behind the Cheltenham Mall when some older kids trying to steal their bikes approached them. Jordan pulled first, and then Fat Bol shot his revolver into the air as the older kids ran for their lives. That was the first time any of them bust a gun off, but it certainly wasn‟t the last time. The feeling, sound, and kick back became addictive to the young boys. As time went on, and they got older, they would pull small robberies on corner stores and then retreat to North Philly. Once they really began to realize what Fat Bol's family did for a living, they holstered the guns and picked up the PCP. Angel was the name. Dust was the game. Jordan had drug game smarts from selling coke up Germantown, so he hipped Fat Bol to the game but wasn‟t able to stand side by side with his man all the time. Fat Bol started out stealing ounce bottles of PCP 28 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 from his uncles that lived in the house with him. They had so much wet (as it was called) that they never missed it. The fact that Fat Bol was now from North and Jordan went to school with Joe Black from 8th Street, they both were allowed to hustle on the corner of 8th and Clearfield. Jordan could only help Fat Bol get dug in for a couple of days before having to return to his own block to hustle uptown. When Fat Bol started buying his own weight off Joe Black, his money and operation expanded to other locations down North. He got too big for the corner, and out of respect for Joe Black, he relocated. He was down with his Uptown team for life and would often prove his loyalty. North Philly was a bit faster moving than West Oak Lane. So Fat Bol would constantly check on his squad to make sure they were still eating. When things were slow uptown, he would have Jordan, O, and Big come down, rake in some fast cash, and be out. Between Fat Bol and North, Big and the Bottom of West, Max and South Philly, Jordan was well rounded in the game, which made him much more advanced than the average person from all the way uptown. Meanwhile back in the basement it was Fat Bol‟s turn to enter the booth. Even though he‟s Hispanic, his 29 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 mic skills are known to be sick and nasty. Fat Bol doesn‟t just write rhymes, he makes hit songs and he‟s good at it. His flow is hyped and crazy like his demeanor. His lingo is mixed with Philly and New York because of his family, who first lived in NY before settling in Philly. He now stands at 5‟11”, 275 pounds evenly proportioned over his body. Spanish speaking mommies love his high yellow complexion with his thick, black curly hair. The rigorous bass lines, the crashing drums, the sinister piano riffs along with the ill lyrics all played a part in their very near and future success. 30 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 VOLUME Michael Blackwell, Jordan’s entertainment lawyer, was just finishing his conversation with a major label‟s executive. Jordan only retained him on an hourly basis, from project to project, but Blackwell took a special liking to Jordan and his team. Blackwell (who wore suits and ties off the rack) could sense that they would be his meal ticket out of his crappy Broad Street office. At age 42, all his fast talking, moving and shaking and deal making had led to only mild success because even though he was well versed in entertainment law, Philadelphia‟s‟ music industry market was weak. Blackwell, who kept his hair in a low salt and pepper bush, tapered on the sides with the back faded out, was running out of time. He needed to make deals, big deals, and quick. “That‟s great news. I‟m glad we could finally come to some kind of mutual agreement with this deal…Great, great, fax me over the revised contracts. I‟ll go over them with my client and get back to you this evening.” Blackwell listened for another brief moment. “Okay I‟ll talk to you later.” He then turned to his sexy secretary Ms Bryant, who was a young chocolate bunny with an outstanding 31 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 figure, and said, “Get Mr. Jordan Major on the phone please. We have got some very good news for him.” Minutes later at Ms Toni‟s house Jordan and his friends/artists were deep into their recording session when his cell phone rang. He stepped into the basement‟s small bathroom to answer it. His cell had caller ID on it, so he knew that it was his lawyer on the phone. Jordan answered, “Yeah, sup Mr. Blackwell, what‟s the deal?” “Mr. Major, I‟m happy to inform you that after only two months, four of your five artists have deals on the table.” Jordan replied, “I haven‟t expected anything short of that from you Mr. Blackwell.” Jordan listened for a brief moment and then continued, “So out of all the bidding who we going with?” “Well that‟s really up to you and your artists. However, Conglomerate Entertainment is offering Lil Big Man and Fat Boy the best deals.” Jordan cut in, “Mr. Blackwell, it‟s Fat Bol, pronounced like bull.” Mr. Blackwell said, “Whatever. Also Syndicate Records wants Kelly and O, and they have offered great deals for both of them. I still need some more time for Mia, but something will fall through soon.” Blackwell listened to Jordan for a moment before 32 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 saying “Okay fine…I need all of you at my office today about…let‟s say one a clock PM. Would that be all right? Okay see you then...Later.” Jordan emerged from the bathroom with an egotistical grin on his face. “All y‟all broke ass muthafuckas about to blow the fuck up.” Jordan pointed at Big and then Fat Bol. “Conglomerate wants you two.” He then looked over to O and Kelly. “Syndicate records wants Kelly and O. Mee Mee, baby, we still working on your deal, but something will break for you soon. Don‟t even sweat it. I got ya!” Everybody broke into excited congratulations. Mia still joined in even though she was slightly upset. Being an army brat, over the years she quickly learned how to overcome disappointments. “Ok-ok-ok!” Jordan yelled Silence. “We gotta be down Mr. Blackwell‟s office by 1 o‟clock. I need everybody to go get dressed, look presentable.” Jordan looked at his Swatch Watch and said, “That will give us four hours.” When everybody was heading out the door, Jordan grabbed Mia by her soft arm and said, “Sup, where you think you sliding off to? You still gotta finish up your session. Besides, I need to holla at you about somthin'.” Jordan pulled Mia‟s sexy body closer to his. “Look Mee Mee, keep your head up baby girl. Your 33 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 chance is soon to come. Theirs came seemingly fast, but I was working on their shit when I was coming home on weekend passes from juvee. You‟re so talented and pretty. I know you‟ll get a deal soon.” Jordan lifted her head up with his right hand. “Plus, tonight where I plan on taking y‟all to celebrate I know my man Crown and his partner Super Fly are gonna be there. They‟re boss players in the biz. I‟m sure they can make shit happen for you.” Mia was visually cheering herself up. Then she started to smile. “That‟s my girl…Now let‟s get this track finished a‟ight. We need this thing tight.” “Alright daddy, I – I mean Jordan.” Jordan being the playboy that he was, was now feeling himself because of Mia‟s slip up. He was used to having his way with the women. Mia walked into the recording booth while Jordan settled behind the track machine. He pushed the button to fire it up, and the beat started banging. He then cued her to start singing, and her sweet voice was heard flowing through the speakers. She sounded like a beautiful songbird on a warm spring day. After an hour and a half of recording, Mia was still in the booth singing her heart out. She was really 34 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 feeling the slow, sensual R&B song she and Jordan wrote together. Jordan was a master of the art of seduction, and his plan to have Mia tangled in his web was about to come to a head. She started to feel all over herself, especially her large, soft D-cups, looking at him with her brown, cat-like eyes in the most seductive way. Jordan had her right where he wanted her. He made her believe that she was seducing him, but in all actuality, it was the total opposite. She motioned with her finger for him to come in the booth. He approached slowly. As she continued to sing, he slithered up behind his prey and began to kiss her on the back of her neck passionately. While the music was still playing, she turned to face him, pulled her sky blue Baby Phat mini dress over her head, and removed her sexy Victoria‟s Secret bra. Both garments hit the floor. After delivering soft, warm kisses to her thick lips, Jordan slide his wet, drooling tongue down to her nipples and began circling her areolas one at a time. Mia started to moan and groan like a wild animal while fiendishly reaching to remove her underwear. Jordan got excited and ripped her white laced panties off, stepped back and dropped his Azure jeans. In a flash, Mia‟s back was pressed up against the booth‟s glass window. 35 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Jordan had her in a position where she was off her feet. She wrapped her long, smooth legs around his waist, and her arms glided around his neck. Jordan began gunning the pussy crazy. It was his first time hitting it, so he knew to beat it real good so she would come back for it later. After a few moments, he put her down and then turned her around facing the booth‟s window. He grabbed her shapely hips and lifted her slightly off her feet so she was standing on her tiptoes. He entered her aiming for her G-spot, and from the way she was screaming he knew he had accomplished his mission. The oak window was steamed up from the wild, passionate sex going on inside. Mia's small hands, face, and slim upper-body were sweaty and pressed up against the glass. She tried her best to talk dirty while gasping for air. “Fuck me…Fuck me, Jordan…Fuck me.” His mind started to drift back over the heartache and pain from the past few years. Juvee hall, just coming home and running behind in the music biz all stirred up different emotions. He grabbed her hair roughly with one hand and by her neck with the other hand. He pulled on her hair hard and choked her simultaneously. To his surprise, it turned her on even more. She started going berserk and jerking wildly. 36 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 He began smacking her ass like he was beating a slave. When he was just about to cum, he cursed her out. “Bitch, whose pussy, is this?” he yelled. “Ya-Ya-Yours,” she said in a low toned moan. “Bitch, shut the fuck up and stop lying.” The thought of success entered his mind as a tingling sensation formed at the tip of his penis. Neither one of them could stand the sexual buildup any longer as they busted off together. The grunts coming from the recording booth became lower and lower until they stopped completely. Once Jordan pulled himself together, he had the same feeling that he always gets after he busted a nut. The feeling that comes from inside that screams, man fuck a bitch. Then he said, “Bitch, put your clothes on and get the fuck outta here.” “Why are you talking to me like that?” Mia asked. “Bitch, because I want to.” Jordan looked at her seriously and then continued. “Go home, get dressed, and be ready when I come scoop your stink ass up later on.” “A‟ight,” Mia replied. “A‟ight what?” Jordan asked. “A‟ight daddy,” Mia said sheepishly. “That‟s right bitch, daddy, I‟m your fucking 37 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 daddy. Now beat it before I put my foot up your ass.” “Why are you being so mean to me?” “Bitch I‟m just joking with you, fuck outta here.” Jordan wasn‟t really joking with her but he just knew that he had to smooth shit out with a woman before she left his presence. 38 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 SHUFFLE Four hours later, Mr. Blackwell was sitting in the back of a Lincoln stretch limousine. He was short and pudgy at 5‟5”, but he demanded respect from his young clients. “Okay everybody listen up, same exact thing like the meeting earlier at Conglomerate Entertainment,” Blackwell said. Big and Fat Bol have been signed for about two hours now and received healthy advance checks. With $150,000 apiece, things are starting to look up for the youngsters. “We already went over these contracts a million times. We all agreed that they are as fair as they‟re going to get for new artists. So when we get to Syndicate Records let me do all the talking. Only answer or ask questions that are personal not financial. This guy Boogie we are about to meet with is a piece of work. So welcome to the seedy business of entertainment,” said Blackwell. Boogie was seated behind his enormous sized antique desk made out of dark marble and glass. He was smoking on a Zino Platinum cigar while sitting relaxed in his black leather throne chair with chrome trim. He weighed 300 pounds with a big solid frame. He rocked a shiny baldhead with a thin, sharply 39 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 squared goatee. He stood at an intimidating height of 6‟4” and never cracked a smile. Being the CEO of Syndicate Records, he lived a very expensive and lavish lifestyle. Boogie had rare antiques around his office, a mixture of French and Italian. But the main piece to let people know that he played no games when it came to exquisite items was the Death Mask of Alexander the Great, set in crystal. If anyone touched it or even looked at it too hard, they would receive a royal beat down. He pressed the button on his intercom situated on his desk. His secretary‟s voice came through the intercom. “Mr. Boogie, Mr. Blackwell and his party are here for their four o-clock appointment with you.” “Well, would you send them in already?” he requested sarcastically. Moments later, Mr. Blackwell, Jordan, Kelly, and O entered the plush office. Boogie offered them seats on his oversized stuffed leather furniture. They all accepted and settled in for the meeting. Boogie began, “I‟m under the impression that all parties understand and agree with the terms of the contracts.” “Yes, we are all in agreement with the terms,” Mr. Blackwell replied on behalf of his clients. That‟s when O spoke up for himself, “Hold up, hold up, I got one question. What up with my 40 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 publishing? I haven‟t seen or heard anything about it.” Silence. Boogie got aggravated and directed his statement to Blackwell, ignoring O completely. “You need a few minutes with your clients?” “Nah…I mean?” He turned his full attention to O. “I thought we went over this shit before?” O lied and said, “I don‟t fucking remember.” Silence. Blackwell, embarrassed by what is transpiring said, “Okay, listen fast, quick version. Publishing deals vary. Co-publishing is for half, generally speaking. After the math is done, you the writer get 75 percent and the publisher gets 25 percent of the publishing. How, I‟ll explain later. It‟s two types of royalties that publishing is paid through, mechanical and performance. Performance royalties get paid to you if you write the song and every time it‟s performed. This includes radio, concerts, and wherever the music is played. Mechanical royalties are paid at a rate per song. Meaning Mr. Boogie‟s company will usually pay you 9.1 cents a song up to ten songs. But I negotiated eleven for y‟all, so you looking at 9.1 x 11 songs which comes out to roughly a dollar. You got it?” “Whatever!” utters O. “Well, let‟s get this under way,” Boogie said 41 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 sternly. Mr. Blackwell pulled the contracts out of his dusty brown faux leather briefcase and handed them over to Jordan, Kelly, and O. Boogie passed them all diamond-encrusted pens. “Keep „em. They worth twenty grand.” They all signed the contracts with the expensive pens. When they were finished, Boogie pulled out his company checkbook, wrote out three checks, and handed them over. All eyes grew wide upon seeing so many zeros. “Welcome to Syndicate Records,” Boogie said before refocusing his words towards Jordan and Blackwell. “Nice doing business with you. I hope we can all make money in future deals…By the way, Jordan, I was under the impression that you was staying on as their manager.” “I was thinking „bout it, but I decided that I ain‟t experienced enough to take on such a big responsibility. I don‟t want to stagnate their careers at all. As long as the company cop some production from me here and there, I‟ll be cool.” “We can manage that,” Boogie replied. “Furthermore I like the position I play. I find the artists, build them up, then me and Blackwell find the labels that want them. Y‟all pay me,” he said holding 42 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 up his check. “I‟m cool wit dat. We all get along, we all happy.” “I like your style kid. I really like it. I need somebody at my company like you. I think you should seriously consider my offer. “Thanks, but I‟m good.” “A‟ight then…we‟re gonna have a big signing party this weekend on...Say, Ah, Saturday.” Everybody began to shake hands, getting ready to depart. Then Jordan off-handedly said, “A‟ight gang, time to celebrate.” However, when he and Boogie shook hands, Boogie applied a grip so hard to his hand that his face balled up like a bulldog. “You have no more power over my artists. Syndicate‟s artists don‟t celebrate until I say so…Try your best to remember that. Plus, I haven‟t shown them around yet.” He let his grip go. “They‟ll be in touch,” Boogie said villainously. On that note, Jordan and Mr. Blackwell turned on their heels and headed for the door. When they reached it, Jordan looked over his shoulder, saw, and heard Boogie tell O and Kelly to sit down. “Have a seat. Y‟all work for me now.” Yo, what the fuck is up with dude?” Jordan thought. 43 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Back in the limousine, outside the skies had darkened. “What took you muthafuckas so long?” Big asked. “Business and all of y‟all better get used to it.” Blackwell interjected. “What you care, you ain‟t give a shit when y‟all motherfuckers was in y‟all long ass meeting earlier at Conglomerate,” Mia hated. “Ah shut the fuck up, mommy. You just vexed 'cause you ain‟t get your stink ass signed yet. But don‟t worry. I got you ma. I‟m gonna let your sexy ass sing a hook or two on my new album,” Fat Bol said. “Me too, Beeyach,” Big shouted. They popped another bottle of bubbly and everybody was in a good mood except Jordan. “So…,” Fat Bol asked. “Jordan what da fuck eating at you, son?” “Nothin' nigga…It‟s just that bol Boogie at Syndicate…Yo, he‟s a straight funny style ass nigga.” “Kid, don‟t worry „bout that nigga man. Kelly and O can take care of themselves, on the real.” “I know man, fuck it, let‟s go party.” Jordan said, and then turned up a half pint of E & J Brandy and chased it with a pop of Dom Perignon. The limo sped down Broad Street and disappeared under the traffic lights overhead. 44 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 SURROUND SOUND It’s Friday, twelve midnight, and Club Déjà Vu is off the chain. Inside the club, the energy was high, the lights were spectacular, and the sound system was booming. The whole atmosphere was exciting. The thirty-five hundred square foot club was full of big ballers and glamorous females. The elevated dance floor was flooded with smoke, and the crowd was extra hype. Jordan, Mia, Big, and Fat Bol were sitting around a table with bottles of Cristal Champagne spread about. They were all having the time of their lives. With new money comes new champagne, new women, and new respect. A few more moments passed before a dark skinned, tall, attractive server approached the table carrying several more bottles of Cristal. She leaned over close and whispered into Jordan‟s ear. “Excuse me, but Crown and Super Fly sends their congratulations.” Fat Bol was ear hustling and said, “Damn, word travel fast as a muthafucka.” “This is a fast business. Get used to it,” Jordan warned. Jordan addressed the sexy, chocolate server out loud, “Tell Crown and Super Fly I said thanks, and that I‟ll be joining them in a minute to introduce them to 45 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 someone.” Jordan then handed the sister a twentydollar tip for her services. She walked back over to Crown and Super Fly‟s table and spoke with them for a minute. When she finished, Crown looked towards Jordan‟s table, raised his glass, and nodded his head with a sign of approval. “A‟ight Mia…This is it, these two cats can make you or break you. Crown is one of the tightest producers in the biz, and Super Fly is the best female song writer/producer there is. She has written for the best of the best, like Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Monica, Brandy, and a shit load more. So if they ask you to sing tonight, don‟t clam up on me. Sing your heart out. I want to see that shit beating out your chest.” “Okay Jordan…I‟m ready whenever you are.” Jordan addressed the rest of his entourage before departing. “Enjoy yourself. Shortie and me got some biz to take care of. It‟s gonna take a minute, so I‟ll holler at y‟all later.” Big looked past Jordan, spotting Crown and Super Fly making a mental note and then said, “A‟ight nig, get that money…later.” When they left the exclusive VIP area, Jordan looked back over and saw Fat Bol beckoning for a small pack of females to join them. Just that quick they pulled the company of four fine ass, sexy sisters whose 46 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 complexions varied in several shades of brown. Jordan and Mia reached Crown and Super Fly‟s table, yet in another secluded section of the club. They quickly went through the pleasantries and got right to the point. Crown offered them a place to sit, and they both sat. “Sup nigga, long time no see…What‟s the deal?” Jordan began. Crown jokingly replied, “That what I should be asking you, pimp. I hear you around here selling off all the talent.” “I wouldn‟t say selling…just getting some of my people deals. You know the business, Crown, just making a couple of dollars. Finder‟s fee, a few points off the albums, you know the minimum.” “Jordan, you know Crown just started this label, and you ain‟t brought nothing our way…What up wit dat?” Super Fly asked. “On some real shit, I just got wind of it. But you know I saved the best for last…Crown, Super Fly, meet Mia. Baby girl got a golden voice.” Crown being the high-powered producer/beat maker that he was took charge. He had a pudgy body, pie face with puffy eyes. He wore a low, curly bald fade haircut and long sideburns. He was casually dressed in a pair of dark blue single pleat Sean John 47 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 slacks and matching white and dark blue button up shirt. On his feet, he wore a pair of square-toed slip-on gators by Mauri. He looked straight at Mia and said, “Yeah, let me hear something.” “Right here?” Mia asked nervously. “Naw, let‟s step into my office,” Super Fly said. Super Fly was definitely hot for a big boned woman who wore her hair styled in a short fly cut. She had a very pretty face, long eyelashes, and a pair of big sexy lips. She had a smooth, blemish free almond complexion that matched her silky voice. Her favorite R&B singer was Aaliyah, so that‟s who she‟d match new talent up against. They all got up and headed to the coed bathroom in the rear of club Déjà Vu. The music was blasting, and the whole club was jumping to Jay-Z and Linkin Park‟s single “Encore.” Once they reached the bathroom and stepped in, Mia got right to it and began to sing. She blocked everything out around her, and she sounded like a sweet songbird on a cool, summer morning. Jordan closed his eyes and began imagining, back in the day, when him, Kelly, O, Big and Fat Bol used to be over his house watching Yo‟ MTV Raps. Fab 5 Freddy would be showing all the latest music videos. They would grab combs and brushes to use for 48 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 mics and act out the roles of the rap stars on the TV screen. Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous was a lifetime favorite when they were young kids. They didn‟t watch your average kid shows like Happy Days, Lavern and Shirley, and Looney Toons cartoons. They had their eyes on the prize for a long time. Who can blame them? They all grew up on the rough side of the tracks. Not having shit was their biggest and best motivation. So now that they have the chance to get to the top, best believe there will be no stopping these young bucks but death or jail. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Six months passed, and it had been nothing short of a rocket ship ride for the whole squad. On this frigid February evening, Mia was in a recording session with Crown and Super Fly. She was having the time of her life, singing her soul into the track. Crown had another session to tend to at a nearby studio, so he had to bounce. That‟s when Super Fly normally made her move on the fresh new, young talent. She got up, locked the studio doors, dimmed the lights, and approached Mia. “I love your voice, baby girl.” “Thank you!” replied Mia. “You‟re welcome, but sweetie, the music biz right now is all about the visual. You gotta have a sponsor 49 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 if you know what I mean.” “What‟s that?” Mia tittered. “It‟s someone like me who gives you things until you can afford them yourself. You know to make it look good in front of the cameras. This game is all about fronting. A good sexy illusion will do.” “How do I get one?” Mia asked intently. “You will definitely need me…I mean one because of the small advance you got out of the deal between Crown, Jordan and I, and I even think Trigger got a piece of it. You‟ll need some extra help. You realize that I‟ve guided the careers of some of the best female artists in the game, right?” “Yeah,” Mia said while looking in awe at all the gold and platinum plaques of her idols hanging on the walls. Super Fly knowing that Mia was now ripe for the picking pressed on with her seduction game that had worked on all her victims trying to get to the top. “You want me to help you, don‟t you?” “Yup, I would like that very much.” “Okay, let‟s sit down, have some champagne, and talk about it.” They moved to the studio‟s comfortable, stuffed leather couches. Super Fly had gathered two glass champagne flutes, two shot glasses, and several already rolled blunts. She went in the studio‟s mini bar 50 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 and pulled out a fourteen hundred dollar bottle of Louis XIII de Remy Martin, Cristal Champagne, and her little helpers, pink ecstasy pills. After smoking and drinking for a while, they were both extremely intoxicated. It was time for Super Fly to execute her scheme and Mia to get a crash course in a business where either you take advantage or get taken advantage of. Super Fly moved in real close to Mia, who was laid out on the couch, and whispered in her ear. “Listen baby, I got something that will take you to the top.” “That‟s where I want to go like…” Mia was trying to point to the plaques on the wall. “Huh, take this, and it will get you there,” Super Fly promised while placing the pink ecstasy pill in Mia‟s mouth. Super Fly passed Mia some liquor and a lit blunt. Mia swallowed the pill and chased it with a shot of Remy and two totes of the blunt. Within a few minutes, the date rape drug took control of the nineteen-year-old mind and body. She felt a sexual, emotional burst fill her warm, moist womb. She looked down to see Super Fly going to work on her pussy like a hungry animal. She wouldn‟t fight it because the pleasure was too overwhelming. Super Fly knew exactly what to do and how to do it. She was a pro. She ran her tongue up and down Mia‟s cave 51 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 entrance like it was an sweet taffy, stopping to take small nibbles along the way. Before long, they were tangled in a sixty-nine position, munching away at each other‟s carpets. They stayed tightly bound together in their ecstasy passion, for hours, slurping, sucking, and licking away at the other‟s pink heaven. The next morning, Mia woke up with a bad hangover and Super Fly‟s big brown ass in her face. Last night had become a blur. She looked from the ass to the plaques back to the ass. She wondered to herself, I wonder how many of these plaques were gained like this, she thought with her foggy mind. She then struggled to slide up from under Super Fly‟s heavy body. She felt woozy as she searched for her clothes. She got dressed, gathered her things, and left the studio, leaving Super Fly butt naked on the couch. In the music business, many artists sign away their publishing for a small sum, but Mia just signed away her pussy for a large one. Meanwhile, the rest of the gang had been caught up in their own whirlwinds of success. Kelly and her girlfriends now live in the malls, shopping their lives away. They‟re known to buy up everything that isn‟t nailed down: hats, coats, pocketbooks, dresses, and the tightest Apple Bottom jeans made. 52 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Boogie kept her and O on the road doing shows because that‟s where the majority of the money came from. He wanted them to thrive off road money to keep them blinded to the industry‟s inner workings. Across town, O was in a warehouse buying a bulletproof vest and several firearms: two Glock .9millimeter pistols, a chrome pistol grip Mossberg shotgun, and his favorite, the all mighty AK47. Big has been frequently getting his money from doing shows at Club Explosion, a hot spot in New York City. Starting out at five-thousand a pop, just coming in the game was all love. He would bask in the glow of the crowd for a second before rocking the hyped patrons. Big would have the women going crazy and the nut dudes hating. It all came with the rap game. But little did anybody really know that this was a small fragment as to where Big was going with his career and stardom. At Conglomerate Entertainment, Fat Bol stayed embedded in the company‟s multi-million-dollar recording studio laying down hot track after hot track. He was on a mission to get his first album done and on the streets. Big wigs would shuffle in and out, trying to get a glimpse of the next big thing. This was a time in which boardroom brass were attempting to make moves like thugged out street generals. Being 53 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Hispanic, Fat Bol would be able to saturate different markets: Rap, Latin, Pop, Raggaeton. All the big boys wanted the recognition for themselves. While everybody else was doing their own thing, Jordan was in East Oak Lane showing his mother and siblings the new house that he purchased for his small family. With the half-million dollar price tag and large down payment, Jordan needed to make some more cash and fast. His hustle initially started years earlier with his first fireworks sale. Now he was about to use it to its fullest, legally or illegally. It didn‟t matter one way or the other. 54 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 DUPLICATE June 2004 rolled around, and Jordan and the team‟s hopes and dreams have come to pass. Jordan was flipping through the latest editions of XXL and Billboard magazines. He had begun to make a collage of clippings of his friends‟ success and stardom. The bathroom mirror from their old house, with the gold eagle atop, was brought and placed in his new basement studio. He kept it for its sentimental and therapeutic value. Besides the talks he would have with himself, he used it as the backdrop for his clique‟s achievements. He had clippings of Mia‟s hit song, “Baby Girl” at number one on the Billboard‟s top two-hundred singles chart, Kelly performing on stage at the Wachovia Center in front of an colossal sized audience, and of Fat Bol live on air at 98.9, Power 99 FM. He also had clippings of him being at a nightclub in the VIP section with several beautiful women, his neck drenched in platinum jewels. Not to mention Big on the front covers of several magazines, Source, Vibe and XXL and on stage rocking a very large venue while throwing a big wad of money up in the air over the crowd‟s heads. To top all of that off he also had pictures of O and Kelly on their tour bus with a large entourage tripping out and his favorite photo of Mia on 55 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 the front of her album cover looking sexy. They have all blown up in the music business, and it‟s on and popping. -------------------------------------------------------------Two hours later Jordan was just finishing up a recording session with an old customer, who had become his friend. Jahid and Jordan became friends quickly after Jahid had responded to some of Jordan‟s advertisements on production. They bonded first because real recognized real and secondly because they had so much in common it was inevitable not to build on their relationship. Standing eye-to-eye at 5‟8” and having the same zodiac sign, Cancer, they had similar goals and swagger. Jahid was a rapper/barber in addition to attending classes at the Art Institute of Philadelphia majoring in recording and engineering. He was a brown-skinned brother with broad, knock out shoulders, and pointed gremlin ears. He walked with a hip bop and rocked his hair braided back with five inches worth of hang time. He had thin sideburns and goatee that flowed perfectly with his small Sunna beard. Besides talking real slick, he kept the lyrics of his favorite rapper, DMX, rolling off his tongue. Upon hearing him in public people would get offended thinking that he‟d be talking to them, but in all 56 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 actuality, he loved hip-hop and was just doing him, rapping out loud. “That‟s a rap,” Jordan concluded. When Jahid walked out of the recording booth, he said. “I still want to talk to you about that before your next session starts.” Jordan replied, “Yea, bout dat business proposition you were talking about.” After the down payment for the new house and all the extra amenities, home theater system with a 120‟‟ screen with a HD projector, gourmet kitchen, whirlpool bath and marble floors, Jordan needed to make back some cool, hard, cash like yesterday. He was now open to all suggestions, and Jahid had one. “On the real, from what I see, we can make a couple mill easy,” said Jahid. Jordan perked up and said, “I‟m listening.” “Well, you already know I still work at Burn Master, part time. Most of the high powered, independent record companies get their CDs and records pressed at our plant before they get enough money to buy their own presses like the major record companies.” Jahid was at work when someone passed him a thick folder across his desk. He got up and walked down the long hallway towards the printing area. “I work in the pressing plant. Once I get my 57 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 order, I take the artwork to the printing department, and they file it until I need them to start on the order.” Jahid reached the printing plant and dropped the artwork off. A worker there filed it for him and then he left. “Then I take the music masters to the pressing plant, get suited up, go to my pressing machine, and get to work pressing my order.” He got into his contamination suit, walked to his work area, and pressed his sub-master copy of the CD. “Once I make the first copy on my small burner, I take the original master and lock it in a safe that‟s a few feet away.” Jahid pulled the large, steal door of the walk-in safe, opened it, moved in, and placed the master in a smaller lock box that required a security code. “Then I work my normal day.” He was working just like any other day, pressing CDs, DVDs and records, laughing with his co-workers, cracking jokes, and busting on their bosses. “Then at the end of the day, I creep the first 58 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 duplicate I made earlier and pocket it. It‟s just as good as the masters. Then on my way out, I make a pit stop back at the printing plant. I slide up in there, pull the file, go into the darkroom, and make a copy of the artwork. Then I put the originals back, re-file them, and break out. Even though I got clearance to be in there, nobody really notices or gives a fuck because it‟s time to go home. Then I take all the work to my spot I got down by the waterfront.” Jahid said then followed his words with a gulp of the Cristal champagne they had been passing back and forth while talking. “At my spot I got a couple small CD and DVD burners, tape duplicators, color copiers, and scanners. But that shit ain‟t nothing. So what I was thinking was, with you financing me we could get in, make a couple mill and get out before the feds grab us.” “A couple mill huh?” “Yessurr, at the minimum…so what‟s up dawg?” Jahid asked. “I‟m in nigga. When you want to do this?” “Come by my shop tonight so I can show you what I‟m already working with. We‟ll talk math then,” Jahid wisely insisted, knowing Jordan understood action and numbers more than words. Also at that moment, Jordan didn‟t realize that the trip to Jahid‟s small warehouse would be the change he 59 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 needed to get a step closer to his future goals. The end of September rolled around and with it came a whole new atmosphere, a whole new way to hustle, a whole new way to play the game and a new way of thinking. Jordan and Jahid were in the office at their bootlegging warehouse operation. The illegal scheme was very successful at this stage, several months after agreeing on venturing into this new endeavor. They were able to get away with doing this because of their legitimate occupations. With Jordan now doing production for A-list artists and Jahid out of school and working as a studio-recording engineer for hire, they both were getting their greasy hands on a lot of fresh, unreleased music. They sat across from one another with a table full of money. They were counting their profits with four fully digital money adding machines. Their hustle took off rapidly, and the soldiers fell right in place. They had every man, woman, child, and crack head selling CDs and DVDs all throughout the tri-state area (Philly, New Jersey, and Delaware) in addition to wholesaling to small parts of Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia. The product was crystal clear, so it moved like 60 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 crack did back in the eighties. Their workers invaded street corners, drug blocks, trains, and bus stops with a vengeance. They preyed on check cashing stores and busy shopping areas; everywhere you looked, it was a bootleg hustler in a customer‟s face promoting their product as if it was legal. “Sup nigga? It‟s been months now. What you plan on doing with your change?” Jordan inquired. “If I tell you, then I might have to kill you.” Jordan looked up seriously from the money machines. Silence. “Naw, naw man…I‟m just fucking with you. I really haven‟t thought too much about it…I don‟t know, maybe a barber shop with a studio somewhere in it or something. Why nigga? What the fuck you thinking about doing with yours?” “I‟m „bout to start my record label.” “An independent joint?” “What‟s my name, nigga?” “Jordan Major!” “A‟ight then. I‟m gonna start a major independent joint. You know a mini major.” “You got a name yet?” “Fucking right, No Middle Man Records.” “Why that name yo?” “Cause it represent exactly what my company will 61 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 be all about.” “How‟s that?” “Cause nigga, I won‟t be fuckin' wit no middle man period, for nothing. My company is gonna be like a one stop, get all types of shit. I‟m trying to do everything from production to distributing.” “I feel you, but that‟s a lot of shit to be handling. If I was you, I wouldn‟t be fuckin‟ around with that distribution game,” Jahid warned. “Why, what‟s up with that?” “Because one thing you got to understand is…” Jahid paused for a moment then continued emphatically. “The rap game is identical to the crack game. Yo, my man, the biggest major record companies own the strongest distributors, and they all work together like the commission or some shit. And if you fuck around and don‟t let „em see a percentage of that change you plan on making, they‟re gonna try to shut your shit down and run you the fuck off the block.” “Well dig this. A nigga just gonna have to go to war with these clowns, just like street wars.” “It won‟t be a street war. It‟ll be a corporate thug war and them cats play for keeps.” “I hear you fam. I‟ma let my shit bubble slow until I get my money right. Then I‟ll be ready for war with these niggas. I got half my money right now, but 62 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 I need the rest real soon. Speakin' on that, I got to meet my man. He got something big cooking right now for us. Sup nigga, you got everything here for a minute?” “Yeah nigga, I‟ll hold it down.” Jordan stood up, gave Jahid their partnership pound, and broke out. When he left the office, he strolled through the noisy warehouse past the new industrial sized pressing machinery and related bootlegging paraphernalia. They had several workers laboring over the illegal operation on this muggy September evening. He then slipped out the back exit, jumped into his brand spanking new midnight blue Mercedes Benz SL600 sitting on chrome twenty inch factory rims. He sped away and vanished into the sunset. 63 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 EJECT Two hours later, after the sun retired, it was a wet and gloomy night in downtown Philadelphia. The smell of damp fall leaves filled the cool evening air. Trigger and Jordan were sitting at a table inside one of the most exquisite restaurants in the center city area, Le Bec Fin. Trigger had two down ass chicks with him. That‟s how he rolled. He dismissed them with a wave of his left hand like as if he was telling a begging peasant to get away from him. He wore a cream colored, linen Armani suit over his tall and lanky frame. His hair was cut to a low dark Caesar just like his young bol Jordan. “What‟s been shakin?” Trigger inquired. “Not much, sup with you, what‟s the deal?” “Dig it, I got a job I‟m tryna pull off, and I need some soldiers I can trust, ya-meen.” “What‟s the rundown?” asked Jordan. “I got this bol who work over at Conglomerate Entertainment. He works in the shipping and receiving department at their distribution building where they handle all the kickbacks.” “Kickbacks?” “Yeah, it‟s plenty of paper in the kickback business. Dig this, when record stores buy music from 64 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 the distributors, the distributors have already bought those copies at wholesale from the major record companies. In most of these contracts there‟s a kickback clause, ” Trigger explained. “What the fuck does that mean?” Jordan asked seriously. “It means that if a record store or retailers can‟t sell all the units they bought, then they can return the CDs and records and get a full refund, credit, or percentage of their money back from the distributors. The distributors return them to the record companies, and they also want some muthafuckin' money back. Now the fucked up part is, since the dawn of the music biz, the industry was designed to keep the artist in debt, the same way I do my whores, so this is when the record companies fuck wit the artists‟ royalties and shit…real cut throat shit, ya-meen. Then on the low, the record company sells the kickbacks to smaller companies that deal just in kickbacks. At this point, they‟re just trying to make their money back with a small profit for shipping and handling and sucker shit like that. But now, the small retail companies sell them to mom and pop retail stores and shit like that. That‟s why you see them fucking cardboard boxes and baskets filled with old music, them shits be a buck and some change. But the newer shit, you see those mail order forms and brochures talkin‟ about twelve CDs 65 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 for the price of one.” Trigger explained the value of the sting. “I see a bigger picture now, but fuck the history lesson, what‟s the deal?” At Conglomerate‟s distribution warehouse the time clock struck 4:30 am, and the loading docks were already busied with workers. The warehouse was full of boxes of kickbacks, crates of CDs and distribution paraphernalia. Trigger‟s inside connect was in control and running the whole show. Trigger was explaining the robbery so vividly Jordan saw it in his mind like he was watching a movie. “My man is the supervisor over there. He said it‟s a twenty truck shipment going down this Saturday.” Workers were loading trucks that were parked at the loading docks, and Trigger‟s inside man, a skinny nerdy looking white boy who wore dark Dickie slacks, a white shirt, and tie, was giving orders, playing his supervising techniques to a tee. “He controls which kickbacks get loaded, shipped, what trucks, who drives, and when they roll out. He runs the whole nine yards,” Trigger explained Trigger‟s mole continued to bark out his orders, as 66 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 the last of the trucks rolled out. “He‟s gonna make sure the last eight trucks have the cream of the crop in‟ em.” Outside the warehouse, Trigger, Jordan and their team of stick up boys were sitting in an assorted pack of black vehicles. They watched as the convoy of trucks moved out right on schedule from the distribution plant. “All we got to do is get that shipment…the cream. This the plan.” A few miles up the road eight trucks out of the convoy pulled into Big Red‟s truck stop. “Five miles up route I-95 North there‟s a major truck stop. My man guarantees that the particular drivers he assigned to the trucks we want, wit da cream, will definitely stop there to gas up and get their traveling shit.” The team of thieves pulled into the truck stop. They got into position just as the truckers walked into the truck stop‟s convenience store. 67 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 “We can do this two ways. We can follow them to the stop and steal the trucks while they‟re inside, or we can jack their asses for the trucks when they come out. Whatever way we do this, we don‟t leave that stop without the trucks. We come away wit bout $20 million worth of kickbacks. And the icing is that they are basically already sold on the West Coast.” The sting was in full swing. All was running smoothly and according to plan. Trigger, Jordan, and six other men calmly walked to separate trucks and went to work pulling the necks behind the steering wheels. Within sixty seconds, everybody began giving the signal that they were ready to roll out except Jordan. He was having trouble with the reinforced neck of his truck. Trigger looked at his wristwatch and saw that they were running behind schedule. He gave the rest of the team a second signal to start their trucks because it was time to roll out. The team ignited the roaring engines and began to move out one behind another in formation, separating at the exit, going in different directions. Trigger laid back to wait for Jordan. Jordan was still wrestling with the neck of the truck. When he just about had the truck started, the passenger side door was snatched open, and one of the red neck truck 68 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 drivers was standing there. “What the fuck you doing in my truck, nigger?” he said with a thick southern drawl. Jordan reacted quickly by kicking the door. It slammed hard into the trucker‟s face. He stumbled backwards and tried to reach for his weapon concealed in his waistband. Jordan jumped out the truck with gun in hand and popped him in his arm. The trucker dropped his weapon. Then Jordan blasted him again in his leg and kicked him in his chest. He fell to the ground bleeding from the gunshot wounds he received. Jordan jumped back in the big vehicle, started it, and then he and Trigger just drove away as if it was just another day on the job. 69 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 MEMORY Four hours later, it was a smoky morning on Delaware Avenue near the river at Penn‟s Landing. You could smell the smoke a half mile away. Eight rigs were still smoking from being set ablaze. Police and fire trucks were all over the place. While firefighters were trying their best to put the last dangerous fires out, several teams of law enforcement were checking out the backs of the empty trucks. The heat was still present, and the taste of thievery and arson was in the air. Because of the flames, the clues would be few. But they still began to process the crime scene and collect physical evidence. They also had units canvassing the neighborhood looking for any witnesses or suspects. Detectives Thomas Berry and Crater Face were getting the run down from the initial officers who arrived on the scene first. Detectives Berry and Face, two dicks nicknamed by the hood, because they became characters of the everyday ghetto life. Berry‟s nickname was Tackle Berry because he looked and acted just like the character from the movie Police Academy. He was a white male, age 38, and stood towering at 6‟2”. He had a short, curly bush the 70 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 color of dirt brown. He was considered a redneck that chewed tobacco and carried a Glock .9 mm. When he got mad, his neck and face would become beet red, which wasn‟t good because a tough guy built like a linebacker, a sharp-shooter, and ex-army man together was a deadly mixture. Face was nicknamed Crater Face because his face was covered with deep craters. He was a big muscular black man with a foot stuck far up his ass. His fellow officers would call him an uncle tom behind his back. He wore cheap suits, dark sunglasses, and rocked a baldhead. “This looks like this might be connected to that truck jacking and shooting from earlier this morning,” Face stated. “No shit, you think so?” Berry groaned sarcastically “I think we should go talk to that witness at the hospital.” “Yeah, the cocksucker should be stable enough for interrogation,” said Berry. “He got to be…we need an ID. Ain‟t no finger prints comin‟ up around here.” 71 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 SLOW MOTION Ten AM, all the way across the other side of the city, uptown, far away from the crime scene down Penn‟s Landing‟s waterfront, Jordan was in his king sized bed having sex with Kelly. After he came on her face, he laid down beside her. She wiped it off with her well-manicured hand and then licked the milky white ejaculation off her fingers. His mind drifted back to the moment when he crept back in the bed and got back under his Ralph Lauren bedding. He walked into the room to find Kelly‟s voluptuous body wrapped in a pink and black lace bustier by Felina and some handmade black chinchilla thongs. TLC‟s album was playing in the background and the smell of her perfume, Live, by Jennifer Lopez engulfed the room. She was exactly where he left her earlier before he went on the heist. Jordan ran his hand over the Seven Deuce for Life tattoo that was tattooed on her right arm from her shoulder to elbow. He walked over to the bureau and readjusted the red, glowing digital clock backwards a few hours just in case he needed an alibi. Kelly needed to think it was earlier than it actually was when he woke her up. 72 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 He had planned to make this night with her as memorable as their first time together. He needed her ready to fry in an electric chair if need be. Under a red light, Jordan‟s five-eight muscular brown frame looked exquisite. Kelly loved to run her pretty hands over his low cut, wavy dark brown hair. He laid her down and poured a mixture of chocolate syrup and melted vanilla ice cream all over her thirty-four D‟s and the rest of her body. Then he slowly sucked and licked it off her face, lips, neck, tits, arms, fingers, stomach, pussy, legs, thighs, and feet. He made sure to find every erogenous spot her body owned. Then he made a sundae, using her pussy as an ice cream bowl. He topped it with peaches, whipped cream, and strawberries. Jordan began to lick the kitten like it was a big taffy, then making a circular motion with his wet tongue while using his hand to massage her pussy lips and clit. She was moaning and curled her pedicured toes up so tightly that they started cracking. Using his whole tongue, he softly licked her completely clean. He then pushed both her bent legs and knees up near her soft chest. He placed one of his stuffed, Ralph Lauren pillows under her ass and began to lick the area between her asshole and her vagina. He was spelling her whole name, including the middle one, with his 73 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 tongue, then finally tossed her salad real good, while stimulating her G-spot with his pointer and middle fingers, making a come here signal. Kelly continued to moan and scream crazily. Then she came all in his mouth. Jordan stood up, looked at her, smiled, and then spit the cum in her face. At first her face registered surprise, and then lust overcame her expression. Kelly sat up, grabbed the chocolate syrup and ice cream mixture, and then poured it all over his nine-inch dick. She started off by holding the rod up high and sucking the sweet mixture off his nuts. She began to hum one of her hit songs “All Mines” as she held both of his tender balls in her warm and wet mouth. Then Kelly took his manhood in her mouth and used her fellatio skills like the pro that she was. She had gobbled the dick up greedily while gently caressing the general and the soldiers. She slowed down a bit, and then started at the top, using the head of the penis as if it was her lipstick. Then she pulled the skin down, grasped it tightly at the base as if she was speaking into a microphone. She commenced to use her moist tongue in a swirling motions, as she rolled her tongue over the top. She used the underside of her tongue to maximize the oral stimulation. Then, holding her lips together as if she were pouting, she slowly let the dick into her mouth. She began to slide her mouth up and down, 74 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 with her hand movements making the same motions, constantly stimulating it from the head down to the base. Then she gulped it down and swallowed it as Jordan bust off down her throat. As Kelly started to say something in her low, deep, sexy voice, Jordan‟s mind drifted back to the present. “I miss you,” Kelly groaned sexually. “I miss you too,” Jordan replied. “Yeah, whatever playboy, you missed me so much you went and had a little man on me.” “I was just fuckin‟ dat broad, then that bitch stopped taking her birth control pills. She used to take them shits out and throw „em away because I used to check her pills on the regular. Bitch tryna trap a youngin', you know how y‟all do.” “No, I don‟t…you still fuck wit her?” “Naw, she fucks wit some wannabe producer ass youngin‟.” “Well, as long as I can get mine, I won‟t have to knock a bitch out.” “How long you in town, boo?” he asked. “Why, how long do you want me to be?” “As long as it takes to stick this dick up in ya.” “Yeah, so won‟t you shut up and fuck me then, Jordan?” she commanded. And with that, Jordan turned Kelly over, pulled 75 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 her to her knees, placing her in doggy style. He penetrated her pussy and asshole at the same time with his lubricated fingers. After fingering her G-spot and butt hole for a while, he slid his dick into Kelly‟s ass and killed it for a while. Then he took it out and slammed it into the pussy. Kelly was going wild because she loved when he was in her. Before Jordan reached his full climax, he pulled out and busted his cannon off on her juicy ass cheeks, back, and hair. He began to smack her ass wildly, and in a few short moments, she came and collapsed onto the silk bedding. Jordan slipped out of the bed and snuck off to the bathroom where he lit several scented candles and killed the lights. He called out to her, “Kelly can you please bring my pussy in here for a minute?” She loved when he talked to her like that, so she got up and strutted to the bathroom with her best ghetto, runway model, stank walk she could muster up. Her ass and titties were jiggling like water balloons with each step. The smell of jasmine filled her nose when she entered the steamy bathroom. Jordan pulled her into the warm water, and they started to shower together, washing each other‟s bodies sensually. He then lathered up her hair and every inch of her body. He bent her over and hit it from the back some, and then turned her back around and lifted her 76 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 off her feet. She wrapped her legs and arms around his body, and he then smashed the pussy up against the misty shower wall. She began to rotate her hips slowly, then fast, then faster and worked his loins into a frenzy. He was thrusting harder and harder, deeper and deeper inside her slippery heaven. “Ahhh-h-h…That‟s right bitch,” he moaned when he came inside her. Being the tigress that she was she gripped on to his body and began to bounce forcefully up and down on his stiff, hard groin until she exploded all over it. Her whole body melted into his. She was pleased for the moment. Their sexual tension ran high. They would be right back at it. They got out of the shower and dried each other off with his thick Polo towels. Jordan sat down on the porcelain toilet, and she straddled him, and began riding his dick like a wild out cowgirl. He grabbed her full breasts and cotton soft ass and rotated the pleasure. When he noticed her begin to zone out, he smacked her face, pulled her hair, and choked her until they both began to climax together. Out of nowhere, there was a loud knock on the big, oak doors downstairs. Jordan ignored it until he busted off, with Kelly following right behind with multiple orgasms. The pounding got longer and louder. Annoyed, Kelly slid off his dick. 77 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 “Won‟t you get the fuckin‟ door? It‟s probably one of your whores,” Kelly said. “Shut the fuck up,” he said. “Jordan, just get the door, but make sure you get rid of whoever it is. I‟m not close to being finished with you yet.” “Yeah, is that right?” He knew she wasn‟t playing. She could go on like the energizer bunny. He threw on a pair of G-Unit jeans and a Versace robe before he headed to the door. When he answered the door, detectives Berry and Face were standing there with several other officers posted behind them. “Jordan Major?” Berry asked while pulling out his badge. He flashed it and put it away. “Who wants to know?” Jordan demanded. “I‟m Detective Berry, and this here is my partner Detective Face.” He paused for effect. “You need to come with us so we can ask you a few questions.” “You got a body warrant?” “Not yet, but we can get one in about an hour. But if we gotta go through all that, shit gonna get fucked up for you fast,” Berry stated. Kelly walked down the stairs in a pink Victoria’s Secret see through negligee that clung to her delicate figure. She stood behind Jordan with her hands on her narrow waist and asked. “What‟s going on, babe?” 78 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 “I gotta go downtown with these two clowns. I need you to chill here until I call. From the look of these muthafuckas I know I‟ma need bail.” The officers took offense to Jordan‟s comments, roughed him up, cuffed him, and threw him in the back of a squad car. 79 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 TRACKS Several hours later, Jordan was still in the jailhouse, a result of his failure to talk after being booked. He was in an overcrowded bullpen with thieves, wineos, and crack heads. He used the phone to call Kelly. “Hello.” “Sup youngin‟? I need you to come bail me out.” “What‟s going on…where you at?” “I‟m still at the 35th district at Broad and Champlost. This what I need you to do. Go to the closet in my room,” he directed her. Kelly walked over to the closet and swung the door wide open. “Inside, on the top shelf, you‟ll see a small black safe.” She saw the safe, reached up and pulled it down, and then placed it on the bed. “I got it.” “A‟ight, now look in my bottom, left hand drawer. It‟s a set of keys in there, my car keys and one smaller key. That‟s the safe key. It‟s close to a hundred stacks ($100,000) in there. My bail is a hundred. Ten percent of that is ten grand. Bring ten thousand dollars down here and get me the fuck outta here.” Kelly cradled the phone on her shoulder and ear; 80 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 got the key out and placed it in the keyhole, opened the safe, and then counted out the money. “See you when you get here,” Jordan said. “A‟ight, I‟ll be right there…I love you.” Click. He hung up in her ear. When she tried to put the safe back, she began having trouble. Something was in the way. “Damn” she said. Frustrated, she tried to force it, and a brown leather CD case fell to the floor in front of her feet. Some familiar looking artwork spilled out. She picked it up and examined it. To her surprise, it was from her latest project that hadn‟t dropped yet. She continued to examine the contents of the case and found her new CD inside, along with several others including Lil Big Man‟s, Fat Bol‟s, and Mia‟s. She was flaming as she stuffed the illegal replicas back into the case. She grabbed the money, descended down the steps, and stormed out the front door. By the time she reached her platinum colored CLK Mercedes Benz, she was in tears. She hit the automatic start, jumped in, and chirped off. Kelly was driving frantically in route to bail Jordan out. While pushing her whip with one hand, she picked up her cell phone with the other hand and speed dialed O. O was at the Marriot on Market Street. He had the presidential suite with a mirrored ceiling, a martini glass shaped Jacuzzi, and a heart designed heated waterbed in the center of the room. He was having sex 81 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 with a dime piece, punishing the pussy while she was running her hands over his baldhead. He heard his cell phone ringing, but ignored it. Kelly listened for a few more rings before pushing the END button. She then speed dialed Fat Bol. The phone began to ring. Fat Bol was in his dressing room with his Spanish entourage when his cell phone rang. He answered it to find Kelly rambling on, upset. “I‟m on my way to get Jordan ass out of jail.” “Word ma! What happened?” “I don‟t really know anything yet. But I overheard the cops say something about a robbery or shootin‟ or something.” “Word!” “I‟m on my way to the 35th district to get him out now.” “A‟ight keep me posted wit…” Fat Bol started to say before being cut off. “Fat Bol, wait, it‟s something I gotta tell you.” “What up?” “When I was getting‟ the money out of Jordan‟s room,” she sighed, “I found some foul shit.” “Word ma? What makes you say that?” he asked seriously, as a smirk played in the corner of his mouth. “I found a master CD of my shit and my fucking artwork. Some of your shit was in there too, wit a whole lot of other shit. Youngin‟ been rippin‟ us the 82 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 fuck off. How could he fuck us like this?” she screamed into the cell phone. He snatched his cell phone away from his ear as her voice boomed through the small speaker. “Chill, just calm down. Let‟s keep this under wraps for a minute until we see what it‟s really hittin‟ for. Don‟t tell nobody else, I‟ll handle it.” “A‟ight, but that pussy…” “Don‟t worry, I got it,” Fat Bol said before hanging up. Damn!…Fuck!...He thought to himself. He smacked his flip phone closed and tapped it on his forehead for a moment. “Damn...Fuck it! M.O.B man, money over bitches,” He said aloud to himself. He flipped the cell phone back open and speed dialed a number, and then listened as it rung. Jahid was tweaking the gothic organs to a beat Jordan made for an up and coming artist. He was nodding his head to the bass line as his braids danced on the back of his neck. He felt his cell phone buzz on his hip; he jumped because the sudden vibration broke him from his concentration. “YO!” Jahid answered the phone in disgust. “Sun, we got a problem…the jig is up.” Fat Bol relayed the conversation he just had with Kelly. 83 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 TURN TABLES Several miles away, Kelly and Jordan were walking out of the police station. When they reached her car, she spun around and smacked the shit out of him. Her eyes were blazing with fury. “Jordan, how could you fuck me like this?” she said with icy, cold hatred. “Bitch! What the fuck you talkin‟ bout?” Jordan asked. “This, muthafucka,” She cried, and then threw the CD case with the bootlegging paraphernalia in his face. “We grew up together. I‟ve known you my whole life. I loved you,” she screamed and began to choke up. “Let me explain,” he pleaded with her. “No, fuck no; I never want to see your ass again.” Kelly scooped the case up and jumped back into her CLK all in one motion, and then sped off leaving Jordan standing there looking stupid. Before her taillights faded, he looked up and saw a husky, black, tinted-out Suburban ride up slowly. He kept his eyes on the window. It came down a bit and he saw that Jahid was motioning his finger across his throat as if he were slicing it. Jordan nodded his head yes, shrugged his shoulders, and silently mouthed M.O.B. Jahid nodded his head back in agreement, responded with a M.O.B., and raced off 84 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 after Kelly as Jordan started to walk away. Jordan made it to the underground subway station, paid his fare, and hopped on the train. He took a seat across from a young kid, probably close to thirteen years old. The kid was eyeing him closely. Above ground, Jahid followed Kelly as she made a turn onto a dark wooded road. This is where he decided to make his move. He pulled around her car as if trying to pass, and then in a flash he savagely rammed her car forcing her off the road. She gripped her steering wheel with both hands as she flew off the road into the wooded area. Her car slammed into a tree head on and began to flip over and over until it came to a halt upside down on its roof. Jahid took an expressionless look at his work, and then drove off out of sight. Meanwhile, back underground, Jordan was riding the SEPTA train, looking out the window, watching the dim lights flash by, and feeling tired and run down. The young kid kept him in his glances admiringly. Jordan peeped the kid watching him and asked… “What‟s the deal, young bol?” “Nothin‟” the kid replied. 85 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 “Sup, why you keep lookin‟ at me? You know me or sum‟em?” “Nah, I‟m just looking 'cause I want to.” Jordan started laughing then said, “What‟s your name little man?” “My name is Kamar, but everybody call me Dog.” Dog was a young playboy that stood five-three, light skin, with light brown eyes and a black mole on his face. He never met his father; his mom was a crack fiend, so he was raised in many group homes. He was living the rough life. “Dog?” Jordan repeated in disbelief. “Yeah,” Dog replied. “What you doin‟ riding the train so late?” “It ain‟t dat late; I‟m coming from a party out Southwest Philly.” “A party? What you know about partying?” “On some real shit, I don‟t do much partyin‟, I mainly go there to battle cats on the mic.” “Sup then, let me hear you spit sum „em young bol.” “A‟ight feel dis.” Dog began to spit. “I sprung up as a young bol wit no dad My Moms made me sad So da streets I had to grab My place Sell rocks and watch smokers free base 86 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 That’s a part of my history I can’t erase Down North Workin’ wit my manz Wit da red benz Me and my manz We make moves down the bad landz We travel from uptown Down Seventh and Clearfield Puttin it down Runnin' up to cars Gainin’ battle scars…” “A‟ight, a‟ight, a‟ight young bol, your shit tight, I got ya, I got ya,” Jordan said as the train pulled into North Philadelphia station. Jordan handed Dog a business card and said, “Here, get wit me, Dog. We gonna put you in a real studio and see what you really workin‟ wit.” Jordan stood up and gave him a pound and a reassuring look in his eye, and then exited the train. 87 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 MICROPHONES Moments later Jordan made it to the surface. He walked several blocks until he reached his son‟s mother‟s apartment building. He began to ring the bell and then a woman‟s voice came over the intercom. “Who is it?” “It‟s me, Jordan.” “What you want?” she asked harshly. “Bitch, buzz the door, I wanna see my son,” he screamed into the intercom. “He‟s sleeping.” she screamed back. “I don‟t give a fuck. Open the fucking door, bitch.” She buzzed the door. He pushed through and walked up one flight of stairs to her apartment door. He turned the knob, and the door was already unlocked. When Jordan entered the apartment, his baby-mom, Dana, was sitting on her couch in a cherry colored Baby Phat negligee, without a stitch of panties on. Dana Kindred was a good girl gone bad. She stood 5‟5”, had light brown skin, long black silky hair, cute in the face and thin in the waist. She attended Catholic school from elementary school all the way through college. She got caught up in the classic case of the good girl, bad boy scenario. She was in too deep and invested too much time into the relationship 88 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 so she felt that she had to get something out of the deal. Preying on the fact that Jordan had the potential to be great at something, she just didn‟t know what, but something. She decided to trap him with a child. She watched him around his little sister and brother and believed if nothing else he would care for his own child like he did them. Jordan despised Dana for what she did, but he respected her education and secretly loved the fact that his son was extremely smart and well taken care of. He wouldn‟t have it any other way. Dana asked, “How come you didn‟t call? For all you know, my friend could have been here.” “Bitch, I don‟t give a fuck about you or your friend. I pay the rent here. I came to see my son. Dig this; don‟t start no bullshit wit me right now. I just got da fuck outta jail.” “I know. Your mom called me. Plus that‟s the only time you want to see him, when shit get fucked up for you.” “Would you please shut-da-fuck-up!” Jordan yelled as he walked into his son‟s room. He left the door cracked open for some light to creep in. He sat on the edge of his son‟s bed and rubbed his son‟s head and face, and then planted a kiss on his forehead. He sat there and stared at him for a long moment watching him sleep. Jordan‟s son was a junior. He was now 6 89 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 years old. Jordan Major, Jr. had the right pedigree. He was advanced for his age. He had street smarts from his pop and school smarts from his mom. He was academically gifted. He skipped over kindergarten and went straight to grammar school. He was the spitting image of his father, eyes, ears and all. “No matter what happens, daddy love you. You‟re gonna be my heir.” Under the watchful eyes of your Aunt Ninie until we’re sure where your loyalty lies. With your mother poisoning your mind who knows. Jordan thought to himself. Then he got up and went back into the living room with Dana. Jordan looked at her for a moment and then turned towards the door. “Jordan, wait…I need some money for your son,” Dana pleaded. “Bitch, you know I don‟t put no money in your slippery hands, because you‟ll spend it on everything else but what you‟re supposed to. Whatever he needs, I‟ll get it,” he argued, not falling for her bullshit. “Well, I need some money for school. You know this is my last year before I go back to get my master‟s.” Knowing he had a weakness for her and his son‟s education, she played on it often. “That‟s what you gotta man for, ain‟t it?” “I know, I know, but…” she couldn‟t get the rest 90 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 out before Jordan interrupted. “But nothing, I told you „bout fuckin' wit these broke ass youngins‟. You been wit this clown for five years now, and he still had you livin‟ at your grandma house before I got my son this apartment. And I‟m tired of tellin‟ you bout havin' that nut ass youngin‟ around my seed. Stupid bitch, how much money you need?” “Seven-Fifty,” she managed to say. He walked over to Dana still seated on the couch. She looked up at him with puppy eyes and knew what time it was. “Earn it!” Jordan said. She unbuttoned his jeans and pulled out his huge penis. Blood rushed to his manhood quickly. She took it in her delicate hands and began to stimulate it slowly by rubbing her hands up and down the length of his dick. Jordan‟s eyes were rolling around in his head from her marvelous hand job. She looked up into his face and smiled showing her white, even teeth, knowing that she had him under her spell. She put his dick in her mouth swiftly and expertly. She then immediately took it in her throat and swallowed it. Her head game was intoxicating. The hit song “Is That Your Chick?” by Memphis Bleek was playing in the background on her small radio. Jordan was loving every minute of it because he 91 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 remembered how he carefully coached her how to suck his dick when she was still a good Catholic school girl. His dick was the first she ever sucked. After a while passed by, Jordan pulled Dana‟s sexy, slim, petite body to her feet. He walked her around to the back of the couch, bent her over it, and punished her dampness from behind. He believed the pussy still belonged to him no matter what or whom she was with. He was being savagely rough with the pussy because he had a lot of anger built up in him towards her. He made sure she felt his wrath with every stroke. Even though he scorned the very thought of her, he still loved to fuck her brains out. The pussy was still good to him. While he was still punishing her, he began to talk dirty. “Whose pussy is it?” “Y-y-You know I‟m w-with s-somebody,” she stuttered out. He started to fuck her crazily. He bent over her body, gripped her hair, and pulled her face around so he could look at it. She had tears streaming down her rosy cheeks. He shouted in her ear. “Dirty bitch, I said whose is it?” he demanded. “Y-y-yours,” she screamed out. “Bitch, stop lying.” That wasn‟t good enough for him. At that instant, 92 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 she felt a sharp, erotic pain explode in her asshole. Jordan began battering her buttocks like a jackrabbit. Smack-smack-smack the sound echoed. To her, it was an unbearable bliss, but she felt she had to deal with it to get what she wanted. She started to try and squirm away wildly and almost broke free, but he had a tight grip around her narrow waist and hips. He was ramming her so hard in the ass he couldn‟t hold it back any longer. He busted off all in her onion. He pulled out, wiped his dick on her butt cheek, and lifted her over the back of the couch. Jordan got himself together and pulled his pants back up from around his ankles, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a knot of greenbacks. He then peeled off ten one-hundred dollar bills and threw the money in her face, and then moved towards the door. He stopped in his tracks, turned around. “Make sure you give your broke ass man a couple of dollars and a nice juicy kiss in his mouth.” He turned and then broke out the door. 93 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 COPY The next morning brought an ugly scene off Belfield Road‟s wooded area. Detectives Berry and Face were examining the wreckage at Kelly‟s crash site. The paramedics were carrying Kelly‟s lifeless body on a stretcher. It was wrapped in a black body bag. Crater Face walked up to the men carrying the body and said, “Hold up.” He unzipped the bag and examined the face. “Berry, come here. I think you should check this shit out man.” He yelled to his partner. Tackle Berry strolled over to where Face was standing and began to examine the body. “Damn, I suddenly got a taste for some tomato soup, looks familiar?” “Yeah, that‟s the woman who was at your boy, Jordan Major, house yesterday when we arrested him.” “Any ID on the body?” Berry inquired. Crater Face reached into a clear plastic bag that was attached to the body bag. He pulled out a Dior wallet and opened it. “You‟re not gonna believe this shit.” “Fuck, what?” “This is the fucking recording star, Kelly.” “I thought she looked fucking familiar, but fuck, I couldn‟t place her face because I‟d never saw her in 94 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 person before… What fucking else is in there?‟ “…Ah looks like some type of artwork or something. Then we got a couple CDs with nothing on them but her name and a few other names.” “That‟s all?” “No, something else is in here,” Face said as he reached his hand back into the clear bag, pulling out a light green piece of paper. “… and what do we have here? Looks like a bail receipt for your boy for $100,000… What‟s that, ten cash?” “Yup, Looks like our boy got some more explaining to do.” Tackle Berry turned to talk to an officer. “Get me some prints off this car ASAP. I need everything printed,” he said handing the officer the clear plastic bag. “Comb the neighborhood for any witnesses or suspects, move it, - move it – moovvee iiit.” No matter how much money Trigger made off the drug strips he supplied, he still was tall, lanky, and funny looking. But that was where his power lay. People would often make the fatal mistake of under estimating him. That‟s when he‟d bite‟em. Trigger was sitting behind a glass and steel table covered with guns, drugs, and money in large 95 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 denominations. Bricks of coke were wrapped in plastic and bonded by gray duck tape. He had two down ass chicks breaking down several bricks into smaller weight for lower level dealers. Both women were nude and only wore stilettos by Jimmy Choo. Outside in the distance, Trigger heard his kennel full of pitbulls about to tear somebody a new ass hole. His down ass chicks knew the routine. One of them moved across the floor to the door to investigate the ruckus. With her small, silver .380 automatic in hand, she peered though the peephole. “It‟s your man from uptown wit da six hunid.” Trigger chicks knew faces but no names. It was a strict rule. “Sixty seconds.” He said without needing to say anything further. He then motioned to the chicks with a quick wave of his hand. They removed everything from the table and stashed it. Then without a sound, they faded to the back rooms. Another down ass chick appeared from the back of the stash house with a P.89 in her hand. Trigger watched her walk over and post up behind the steel door before he said a word. “Put it away.” He loved to manipulate them like chess pieces. The chick placed her gun away in her shoulder holster and opened the door. 96 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Jordan walked in looking like his old self in a brown Sean John velour sweat suit and a pair of brown ostrich skin loafers and a fresh hair cut, from Philly‟s number one barber – Light Foot. He got his swagger back. He sat silently and waited for Trigger to dismiss his chick. He dismissed her with a stern look and a slight side head nod. “Sup youngin‟? I got a problem that needs taken care of,” Jordan began. “The truck driver IDed ya?” “Yup.” “Don‟t sweat it. I‟ll take care of it, ya-meen,” Trigger assured him before he reached in a black duffle bag and pulled out three bricks of one-hundred dollars bills. He tossed them across the table with a large leather bag. He only said two more words to Jordan before Jordan bounced. “Three Mill.” Two weeks later, Jordan entered courtroom number 1002-A, at the Criminal Justice Center, located at 1301 Filbert Street, Downtown Philadelphia. He was flanked by his lawyer Fortunato N. Perri Jr., and his immediate family members, Ms. Toni, Max, Hijjy, and Ninie. It was only a preliminary hearing and Jordan was showing an aura of confidence when the 97 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Honorable Judge Dick Little walked in. “All rise!” the bailiff shouted. “The Honorable Dick Little presiding.” Everybody in the courtroom, except for Jordan, stood up in silence until the judge was seated. The bailiff shouted again. “Please be seated.” Judge Little directed his first statement to Jordan. “Young man, do you have a problem with your legs?” Jordan gave the judge a slick smirk, stood up for two seconds, and sat back down. Judge Little‟s next words were to the state‟s prosecutor, a Mr. James Johnson. “Will the state open the floor please?” “Yes your honor, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania would like to call our first and only witness.” When the truck driver limped to the witness stand, the spectators were quiet as church mice. After he was sworn in, Mr. Johnson asked him, “If you will, I would like you to take us back to the morning of October 9, 2004 at Big Red‟s truck stop located off route I-95 North, the morning of the truck jacking.” The trucker complied and went through the whole story from beginning to end. When he was finished, Mr. Johnson asked, “Does anybody, that‟s in this courtroom today, look familiar to you concerning the 98 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 robbery?” The prosecutor made a quick head nod towards the defense table. Jordan and Perri, Jr. saw it but said nothing about the leading question and head gesture. Instead, Jordan sat there expressionless and motionless while Perri, Jr. cleaned the grime from under his well-manicured nails. “No,” the trucker responded. “What?” “I said no.” “You mean to tell the court that the defendant, sitting over there, doesn‟t look familiar to you?” asked Johnson. Perri jumped to his feet. “Objection your honor, he‟s clearly trying to lead the witness in his testimony.” “Objection over ruled.” Judge Little ordered. “Answer the question.” The prosecutor smiled. In a thick country drawl, the trucker said, “Hell naw. That‟s not him. I done fingered the wrong nigger!” The prosecutor‟s smile turned upside down. He paced the courtroom floor furiously as the crowd laughed and hissed. “You identified Mr. Major‟s mug shot later the same morning, after you were shot and your truck stolen.” 99 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 “Well, all youzzz people look alike to me in them darn mug shots,” the redneck, hillbilly truck driver said. With that last statement, the spectators gasped, and Mr. Johnson took great offense, being of African descent himself. Judge Little crashed his gravel down hard and shouted, “Case dismissed.” Jordan and his small entourage walked out the courthouse, and soon after Detectives Berry and Face approached him and said through clenched teeth. “Listen youzzz little piece of shit. You might have gotten away with this shit here today. But we know you murdered your little girlfriend right after she bailed your punk ass out. We just don‟t know why yet, you fuckin‟ scum bag.” Berry hissed with deadly venom. “But when we do get a motive and enough evidence on ya we‟re coming for you best believe that.” “Yeah,” Jordan replied. “Yeah!” Face spat back. “Well dig dis, until then…I would appreciate it if you would leave–me-da-fuck-alone.” 100 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Several blocks away at 601 Market Street, the U.S. Federal Courthouse, US Attorney Sweeny was examining a file that had come across her desk that morning. It read across the front Jordan Major. 101 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 SKIP 2005 came and went and 2006 came and was creeping up on its fourth quarter. Jordan and Dog marveled at how fast time flew by. After attacking the streets for a year and a half, with mix tapes, they were finally putting the finishing touches on Dog‟s first single for his debut album. Jordan stepped his game up. He now was recording in his quarter million-dollar penthouserecording studio. It was laced with comfortable, masculine, black leather furniture and black mink carpeting. Dog was in the recording sound booth, and Jordan was behind the track board when he concluded. “That‟s ah rap.” “Yo, dat shit is bangin‟,” Dog snapped. Jordan was bent on teaching Dog the ropes of the game. Dog was now three months away from turning seventeen. He was a day late from being a New Year‟s baby, and Jordan felt he was ready for stardom. “Yeaa, but now we gotta hear what the hood has to say,” Jordan continued. “A‟ight, I know this strip club around the way where my man Wax Spinner is the DJ. Let‟s see if he‟ll spin it. He‟s on straight paper though, he be want‟n, … y‟know a little payola,” Dog said cautiously. 102 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 “Payola? What da fuck is dat?” Jordan asked his young bol. “You don‟t know whut payola is! How was ya getting‟ your artists spins on da radio and in da clubs?‟ “To keep it ah hunid wit ya, all my artist got signed before I got into all dat.” “Well, I‟ma show you how it works tonight.” At 1:00 AM., Dog and Jordan entered the strip joint called Night on Broadway, located near the corner of Broad and Olney, two blocks away from Dog‟s group home. They were admitted through the VIP entrance. Everybody, including the brawny bouncer, knew Dog was Wax‟s man. They treated him with courtesy and respect. The music was blasting as they walked though a back, dimly lit hallway. Strippers were in the cuts giving ballers personal sexual dances and blowjobs. Asses, titties, and sweet smelling kitty kats were all over the hallway. You had to have long bread to party in this VIP area of the club, and only thoroughbreds were admitted. When they reached Dog‟s man Wax Spinner, Wax already knew what time it was. Dog handed him a CD while Jordan pealed from a 103 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 stack- ($1,000) and handed him some cash. Dog didn‟t know it at that moment, but he had just put his big homey Jordan onto some shit that was going to blow both of them up majorly. Wax slid the CD into the CD player and began to blend in the dope beats and ill lyrics to Dog‟s single. After five seconds, Wax gave them his signature head nod that indicated he was hearing a bona fide hit. “You know whut I need,” Wax said. With that said, Jordan passed Dog two freshly pressed up records. Dog handed them over to Wax and Wax zoned out and began to do his thing, cutting and scratching the record up on his Technique TwelveHundred turntables. Dog‟s song “F.T.C.” was blazing though the club‟s speakers. The booty shakers were looking strikingly good and smelling even better. They didn‟t miss a beat. All the dancers working the floor started to pick it up a notch and get their money. They were really feeling the track. However, the exotic looking stripper on the stage was really, really feeling it. The beat caught hold of her emotions. She started to move her whole body in erotic movements. She began to pop the pussy wildly. Then one of her co-workers handed her a Corona beer bottle. She made the bottle disappear up her pussy like a real pro should. 104 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Jordan observed the vibe in the room and was convinced that Dog‟s new single was a hit. The golden rule of Hip Hop was, if the women love it, the dudes will buy it. From that night on, it was all the way to the top for these two cats. 105 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 REPLAY In no time, Jordan assembled a motivated team of extremely beautiful, freaky females and some slick, quick talking fellows. They brought a whole new meaning to the payola game. G-stack after G-stack, DJ after DJ, from the program directors to the music directors, from club to radio and back, it became a never-ending cycle of pay for play. Jordan‟s new business became very lucrative. In 1960, the Federal Communication Commission passed the Communication Act, which made payola illegal. Payola revolved around major record companies that got involved with illegal schemes to grease the hands of radio stations personnel, via independent promoters, and that activity jump-started this music industry corruption. Record companies would pass off cash to the promoters, and the promoters would pass off cash to the DJs, radio personalities, along with program and music directors in the exchange for spins. Payout ranged in the thousands for spins of a song because nothing makes a hit like heavy airplay. These records, backed by payola, normally get played late at night because they usually wouldn‟t get airtime during peak hours. That‟s why listeners usually notice a new song when they‟re up late night. 106 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems detect spins, and the song is moved up the peak hours and more importantly the Billboard charts. The independent promoters would funnel cash under guise of promotion budgets and schmoozing the radio station‟s personnel. In the past, major record companies have been investigated for applying their industry muscle, power, and dollars to purchase airtime. Paying for airtime is all too common in the industry. What is illegal is not disclosing the payment to the public Jordan named his independent promotion team Platinum Players. As he stepped his game up, he also had to play the part as an executive to the tee. He had nothing but the best Giorgio Armani suits, and ostrich skin, three quarter boots by Mauri became a regular. Platinum Omega watches encrusted with canary yellow diamonds, and expensive minks from Sean John. Dog was kept clean too. He stayed in that shit, Roca wear, State Property, Polo, G-Unit and Akademiks. The whole team played thick, heated, North Face downs and platinum Rolexes, Purple Label button ups, and Evisu jeans. And the women were given VIP cards for Gucci, Baby Fat, Apple Bottom, Prada, Fendi, and Dolce and Gabbana. 107 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Jordan knew the promotion game was all about flashing and fronting, so he and his team played the game extremely well. It wasn‟t nothing to buy out the bar at club Déjà vu or Explosion when it was an industry party going on. They would slip the DJ a new song or album with some cash or drugs and watch the industry players eat it up. In a few short months, Jordan and the Platinum Players had the independent promotion game on lock. They had more freaks sucking more DJ‟s, Program Directors‟ and Music Directors‟ dicks than a little bit. Everybody was coming at Jordan for airtime. Thick envelopes and briefcases full of money became the norm. The payola game was beginning to pay off. All the major record companies CEOs were coming at Jordan and his team. He had to expand, and his team became National Independent Promoters, with dealings that stretched across America. If you wanted spins on the major radio stations, you had to go through the Platinum Players. Nobody in the industry wanted a federal payola beef, so Jordan and his team played the go-between. Meanwhile, Dog had been reaping the benefits of the payola game. He was getting mad spins, which led to major shows, which led to gold and platinum sales of singles and EPs, a feat rarely accomplished in an era where the rise of file sharing had stunted record sales. 108 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Boogie and O were the first to use their personal relationship with Jordan to influence airtime and major spins. O, Mia, Lil Big Man, Fat Bol, and now even Trigger were in a heated battle for the top Billboard spots. This was a battle that bred jealousy and envy, so naturally, shit was about to hit the fan. One week O was in first place, Big in second, and the Trigger/Mia collaboration song at number three. Big-handed Jordan two large briefcases full of money. The next week the Billboard chart read Big first, O dropped to second and the Trigger/Mia collaboration was still at third. O and Boogie were in the fully digital recording studio at Syndicate Records looking at a Billboard magazine. There was a big spread of Big, and he was still hugging the number one spot. O slammed the magazine to the floor and stomped on it. Boogie liked the fact that O was hating on his own friend, and a slight smirk played on his lips. 109 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Trigger was sitting in the backseat of his stretch Lincoln Navigator limousine. He was looking at the same Billboard magazine as Boogie and O. He became mad as hell with a murderous look on his face. He tossed the magazine out the window as the limousine driver pulled away and merged with the traffic. Between the money Jordan was making off his bootlegging and promotion operation, his main goal of starting his own label became closer and closer. He religiously stacked his money. He was now $2 million away from his mark of $10 million. Luckily for him his father Max instilled in him the importance of stacking and saving because he was about to find out the true meaning of Jay-Z‟s lyrics “Shit was all good just a week ago.” It all started with a phone call. “Bizzz-bizzz-bizzz.” “Sup youngin‟?” “Man you ain‟t gonna believe this bullshit,” one of Jordan‟s Platinum Players reported into his cellphone. “Whut up muthafucka?” “We having a problem with the CEO of Radio Uno…” “Send a bitch over to‟em.” “That‟s problem number one. He‟s a she.” 110 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 “You mean to tell me a bitch runs that conglomerate?” “Yeah, and she said she's tired of us sending over sleazy, tramps to take care of business.” “Well, won‟t you or one of the Players handle that?” asked Jordan. “That leads me to problem two. She wants you to take care of it yourself next time.” “Me?” “Yeah, you youngin‟.” “Man, you know I don‟t…” “Yo, dig this, yo gotta take this one for the team. She controls forty-three stations in America alone, not counting overseer so …” “A‟ight-a‟ight, when?” 111 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 BASS Malika Fox was reclining on her white leather couch in her expensive, luxury suite, located on Columbus Boulevard. She was sipping on a bottle of Moet and Chandon while anticipating the arrival of her young guest. She was in her fifties, but her body was still proportioned in all the right places, cup size 36D, waist-22 and her bass line-40. She complimented both her parents‟ native countries. She was half-Ethiopian and Trinidadian with beautiful facials features, long black hair with a touch of gray, chinky bedroom eyes and luscious edible lips. She was born here in the U.S. in the North Philly section of the city. She suffered through the hard knock life just like all the black sisters of her era. But, she was a hard worker and determined to achieve greatness. She dreamed big. That‟s why when she approached the first thirty-seven banks with her idea of starting an independent radio station, she was literally laughed out the banks. However, as fate would have it, the Small Business Association didn‟t deem it a laughing matter and funded her upstart company. Now on this warm June evening in 2007 she still holds the record of being the first black female to have 112 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 her company placed on the stock market, and to be CEO of one of the nation‟s largest multi-media, radio conglomerates. Her parents gave her the name Malika because it means queen, and that is exactly what she felt like, a queen. Jordan strode into her office suit wearing a charcoal gray Tood Smith business suit, a Geoffrey Beene dress shirt and tie and a pair of dark suede Prada shoes. His left wrist supported a big faced, Jacob, Diamond-encrusted, five time zone watch. He inspected the plush interior before he sat. Mrs. Malika Fox‟s panties became wet once she got a good look at Jordan and inhaled a whiff of the Polo Double Black fragrance he was wearing. Her voice was sexy and sensual and he felt himself being drawn in to it. “Would you like a drink?” “That‟d be nice.” She poured him a glass of Moet and passed it to him. He drank. “I understand you had a problem with some of our female staff,” said Jordan. “No darling, I just wanted to meet the man. I don‟t like to do biz with the help.” “Understandably.” “So what do you got for me this month?” 113 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 “I brung a little bit of everything today.” “Is that so?” “Yes maam.” She laughed. “Listen sweetie, you can call me Mrs. Fox or Malika whichever one floats your boat.” “A‟ight Mrs. Fox,” he said getting tired of her wittiness. He began to play track after track watching her reaction to each song. There was none. Then she asked, “Do you have any new Trigger?” “Yup.” Damn I’m glad I finally talked Trigger into washing up his money through his own record company, he thought to himself. Moreover, he knew Trigger was one of the best, in all facets, of the music industry. He just needed to be led to the golden pond. Now that he tasted the water, it was on and popping. Jordan put one of Trigger‟s tracks into the CD player and watched for some sort of reaction. Indeed he got one but not the kind he expected. Mrs. Fox got up, moved over to him with her jazzy walk, and began to unbutton his pants. Jordan couldn‟t believe what was happening as his dick grew rock hard. She pulled it out and began teasing it with warm, wet licks over the head. She then gobbled it up in her mouth with no hands. Jordan felt her swallow it down her throat and 114 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 almost came instantly. It was murder trying to fight it and hold back. She began moving her mouth, slowly up and down the length of his pipe, with no hands, from the very top of the head, all the way down to the shaft, then swallowed. Jordan grabbed the back of her head and began to stuff his dick in her mouth faster and faster. Right when he was about to cum in her mouth, she pulled away, got up off her knees, and pulled him to his feet. She led him over to her desk and bent herself over it, hiking up her Donna Karen business skirt and stepping out her tight DKNY boy shorts. Jordan walked up behind her and let his pants drop to his ankles. When he grabbed hold of her fortyinch ass and hips, he thought, "Damn her shit is as fat as Buffy the Body’s." He caught himself, put on a Magnum condom, and tried to slide his dick in her big juicy pussy. She protested, “No, the ass.” “Whut?” “I said fuck me in my ass.” “A‟ight, if that whut floats your butt, I mean boat, then so be it,” he laughed. Jordan then slammed his dick right in her ass hole without further delay. Damn this shit feels good, he thought. He began slowly long dicking her at first, 115 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 trying to savor every minute of seeing her ass make gigantic waves like an ocean. Then he couldn‟t control the urge to ram it and see it jiggle like a waterbed. At full erect he began to slam his torso hard into her backside. It was a loud thunderous clap echoing throughout the suite. Malika Fox had just bitten off more than she was willing to chew. She screamed out in agony. Jordan began smacking both ass cheeks with hard, thrashing blows. She wanted to scream out, “Stop,” but the pleasure outweighed the pain, and she began to throw it back crazily. Jordan thought he had the old head whipped and was stunned by the way she was moving. He erupted and started to jerk wildly, and she followed right behind, seeming to be having convulsions. That‟s how hard she was cumming. She laid out over her desk with Jordan stretched out over her back. Jordan knew it was against the playboy rules, so he got up and got himself together. It was a few more moments before they both had their full composure back in order. They were now sitting back across from each other when he slid the CDs and briefcase of money across her desk. She grabbed hold of the music and pushed the 116 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 briefcase back across the desk. “This one on me, the next one on you.” Jordan picked the briefcase up and walked out the office. If he only knew the future, he would have left that briefcase of money right there. Over the next couple of weeks, he wore his REJECT BOTTON out on his cell phone trying to avoid Mrs. Malika Fox‟s calls. “This bitch is crazy. She just wants me to fuck her in her old ass hole,” he thought. Mrs. Fox was used to getting her way all the time, and this would not be an exception to her controlling ways or vindictiveness. She planned to make all men pay because she was a scorned woman. Mr. Fox who was twelve years her junior had run off with her young secretary five years ago. So she planned to settle this vendetta with one quick blow to Jordan‟s neck with a sharp, federal sword. She picked up her office phone and dialed the forbidden number. U.S. Attorney Carol Sweeny was sitting behind her desk at the U.S. Federal Building when the call came in. “Yes, Jordan Major,… yes I‟m well aware of his activities, we need some concrete evidence before,…yes, is that so… Let‟s have lunch Mrs. Fox… Right, I‟ll be there tomorrow at one pm.” U.S. Attorney Sweeny hunched her scrawny body 117 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 over her desk and peered through her bifocal glasses, which sat atop of her pointed nose, and stared at the phone, not believing her stroke of luck. Carol Sweeny was good at what she did, but not good enough for the young, savvy criminal with entirely too many connects. When word leaked that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was building a payola case against Jordan and the Platinum Players, the team went into evasive actions immediately. Computers were burnt, e-mail deleted, paper work altered and destroyed, people paid off and threatened, play list pulled all before the team gracefully bowed out and shuffled positions around. The team ducked the jab, but some of their associates caught the punch. A nationwide investigation fell, and twenty DJs, six program directors and two music directors were noted to have received bribes and were penalized, but never charged for payola crimes. But several independent promoters were charged with the practice and forced to resign. Jordan had slipped through the cracks again, and law enforcement had deemed him a nuisance. He felt it was time to fall back for a minute and knew it was time to make the ultimate call. As the phone rang, he had no doubts as to her ability to perform the acts he bred her to do. 118 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 “Sup, baby girl?” “Whut up big bro?” “It‟s time.” “I figured that much. I‟ve been watching BET and MTV news.” “A‟ight, so what‟s understood don‟t have to be said. Buzz me when you‟re done.” “A‟ight bro, fall back. I got it.” Ninie pressed the END BOTTON on her razor cellphone, waited two seconds, and then placed the call to their lawyer F.N. Perri, Jr. “It‟s time Perri. Shut the company down, activate the new one, and switch everything over to me. Thank you.” Click. Two months later, he stood on the corner of Eightieth and Ogontz Avenue in front of the Fast Cash, a check-cashing center. Sweat poured down Ant Man‟s face. He was dressed in knock off Polo shorts, tee shirt, and knock off Air Force Ones. He looked up and down the avenue for the cops and L & I agents before he reached into his suitcase on wheels and pulled out the bootlegged CDs and DVDs he was trying to hustle to the check cashing center‟s patrons. “CDs, - DVDs, CDs – DVDs!” he pitched. He had a wide variety of new and old blockbuster movies 119 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 and the new, hot, latest CDs, some not even out yet. “CDs – DVDs, CDs – DVDs!” Ant Man shouted as an eager customer approached him. “What you working with?” the customer asked. “What I don‟t got is the question. I got the new Jay-Z, Nas, Fat Joe, KDL, Mad Flow what you need? Movies, I got Little Man, Miami Vice, The DeVinci Code, you name it I got it.” “All right, can I get a play if I buy four?” “Five for twenty all day long.” “All right give me the Mad Flow and KDL jawns and any three new movies.” Ant Man passed the customer five bootlegs and received a fresh new big face twenty. The customer‟s whole aura changed in an instant, and he said “Excuse me, but I‟ma need the rest of them CDs and DVDs.” “Whut?” “You heard what I said,” Detective Face commanded as he reached in his shirt to pull out his badge attached to a chain around his neck. “Whut da fuck?” Ant Man said as he began to back pedal. “Freez, police motherfucker, don‟t move.” Ant Man‟s mind froze, but his limbs tried to flee. But before he got into a good motion, Berry crept up behind him, gripped him up, and slammed him to the 120 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 hot concrete with a crashing force. Ant Man was so shook that his shorts were filled with urine and smelly feces when the detective picked him up off the ground. “What the fuck is that awful, fucking smell?” Berry blurted out. “I don‟t know, but I think my man here probably shited himself.” “That‟s you, you fuckin‟ piece of shit.” They laughed. ”We can‟t put Mr.-shit-stain in the car now can we?” “Hell no, let‟s take shitty up in the alley back here…” “Wait-wait, whut da fuck do youzzz want?” he coped out. “We gonna ask you one time and one time only. Where the fuck do you cop your bootlegs from?” “Whut, that‟s what this is about, this bootlegging shit? Man, you should have just asked me man. Y‟all don‟t know who I am. Shit, just call my handler, Agent Boland at the Federal Building. Y‟all fuckin‟ up man. Y‟all blowin‟ my shit up man, fo‟ real.” When Face got off the phone with FBI Agent Boland, he had discovered that Ant Man was a highly paid drug addict who worked as a top echelon, undercover informer, the highest ranked snitch in the FBI‟s rat program. He was working on a bank and 121 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 check fraud case at the time the two detectives ran across him. With permission from his handler, he gave the detectives all the information they needed along with identifying several photos including Jahid and Jordan‟s photos. But they had one problem. They were informed that even though Jahid and Jordan were often on the scene, they never made any of the transactions and furthermore Ant Man‟s help wouldn‟t be allowed any further. He had work to do. Three weeks rolled by. Tackle Berry and Crater Face were staked out – outside of Jahid and Jordan‟s bootlegging, operational warehouse. It was a humid and sticky night. They sipped warm coffee and chowed down on an assortment of pastries from Dunkin Donuts, just waiting and watching. The investigation led the two detectives in several different directions, but tonight the pieces were being put together and collaborated well. “What you got!” Berry asked. “Well, you know that rat we bagged on the Ave info was good. This is where he said the majority of the street, bootlegging hustlers cop from,” Face claimed while pointing to a low key, decrepit building. Face continued. 122 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 “Furthermore in relation to that tip off, I‟m pretty sure that‟s why Kelly died. I think she found out who was bootlegging her shit, or maybe she was involved and things went wrong for her,” Face said. “I see where you going with it, because when I went to her record company, Syndicate Records, to ask questions, I talked to the CEO, a Mr. Boogie. By the way, this Boogie character is a straight scumbag. Anyway, he informed me that she wasn‟t supposed to be in possession of that material we found in the wreckage. The only explanation he could come up with was bootlegging,” Berry explained. “And the same night she died she had bailed that punk out. She also had those CD‟s, artwork and the bail receipt. Can‟t get a better connection than that,” said Face. “But, we only got hostile witnesses that will only testify that they saw her smack him. But, also, that she pulled off without our boy Jordan, leaving him standing in front of the precinct. That‟s not good for us. And to make things worse he‟s on a SEPTA transit‟s surveillance tape getting on the subway train eight minutes after the incident in front of the station, giving him an alibi as to his where bouts at the time her car was ran off the road.” “Oh, so it was confirmed to be a hit and run?” asked Face. 123 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 “Definitely, an extra set of tie tracks cutting over to her car confirmed that motive. I thought you knew that. Where the fuck have you been?” “Right here,” said Face. Detective Berry looked around the vehicle. His eyes landed on a blanket, empty Star Bucks coffee cups, donut wrappers, and surveillance pictures. “Damn, I can tell, ”he said. “After the tip from our rat, I‟ve been here staked out and our boy shows up,” Face said handing his partner a photograph of Jordan and Jahid strolling into the warehouse. “Bingo!” “Fuck man, have you even been to the station to document any of this work yet?” “Naw, not yet, but I plan on going in tonight.” “All right because if something happen to this intel, we‟re fucked,” Berry noted remembering the last big case they lost because of Face‟s overzealous tactics. “I know, but, now, all we got to do is make a buy, or catch our boy Jordan red handed with some bootlegging paraphernalia,” said Face. At that, very moment before Face could finish his sentence. Jordan pulled up to the warehouse under the stealth of the night. Crater Face pulled out his night vision surveillance camera. He began flicking away at the 124 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 images caught in the scope of the lens. He captured Jordan getting out his 600 Benz and walking into the warehouse. “What the fuck…” were the last words Berry uttered before the lights coming from the truck blinded him. The sound was crashing as metal met metal head on as a front-end truck slammed into their surveillance car. The mammoth size, steel forks smashed through the front windshield stabbing Tackle Berry in the throat and knocking Crater Face semi-unconscious. Like a kid does a rag doll, the truck lifted the car off the ground and headed toward the murky river as Crater Face struggled to regain consciousness. When the truck, carrying the car, reached the end of the long dock, it released the car, and a loud splash was heard when the car hit the water. The vehicle began to sink rapidly while Crater Face banged on the window. He had the look of certain death written across his face. Within minutes, the car along with the two detectives was totally submerged under the cold, dark waters. Back at the warehouse, Jordan got back in his car and pulled off. Jordan and Jihad‟s large bootlegging operation was completely cleaned out. There was no indication that any type of illegal 125 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 operation ever existed at the location. It was a set up. With no more evidence or collaborative information or witnesses, the state‟s case would now run cold. Jordan fell all the way back, and Ninie took the reins and now controlled both operations, the independent promoters, and the newly moved and added bootlegging operation warehouse. In Center City, U.S. Attorney Carol Sweeny stood in front of a pyramid diagram of a mid-sized criminal empire with Jordan heading the top of the chart. She was giving instruction to a special task force of homicide detectives and federal agents. The task force involved Philadelphia police, the FBI, and DEA. Their mission was to bring Jordan Major down and fast. Killing two detectives, bad move, you made your move now it’s my turn. Those who laugh last laugh the best, Carol Sweeny thought as she grilled Jordan‟s photo atop the chart. 126 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 MIXER September brought in all the major music conventions. They were popping off all over the country, but wasn‟t anything like the International Sound Scan Music and Arts Affair held at the Philadelphia Convention Center located on Twelfth and Arch Streets. It was the convention of all conventions. Hordes of beautiful women poured into the main ballrooms. Every flavor you could imagine, dark chocolate, French vanilla, butter pecan, and almond. They all were dressed to kill and flirted heavily trying to catch, because all the music industry‟s major players, shot callers, movers and shakers were in full attendance. Jordan, Lil Big Man, Fat Bol, Mia, Jahid, Dog, Trigger, O, and a sexy assortment of exotic looking women were all sitting at a big, draped convention table filled with seafood, shrimp, lobster, big, Dungeness crab legs, mussels and clams. The women drank mixed Hypnotic drinks, “Blue Storm” served over ice in a rocks glass with a lemon twist, and “Bubbles and Blue,” chilled Hypnotic and champagne poured into a champagne flute, garnished with a lemon twist or orange peel. 127 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 The men drunk Hennessy chased by ice, cold Cristal. “What a nice convention,” Mia blurted out joyously. O looked at her as if he wanted to smack the shit out of her because the enmity has grown deep between the childhood friends. “What's so nice about a bunch of executive snakes acting like they got love for the next man?” O exclaimed. Silence “But in reality, they‟ll cut ya fuckin‟ throat in a heartbeat and leave ya stinkin‟ somewhere. Ain‟t that right, Big?” O proclaimed. Big was puffing on a rare Dominican cigar, exhaled and said. “This business O, ain‟t „bout friends, it‟s „bout money. You really need to learn the difference „tween the two.” “I could see dat. That‟s why you hugging that number one spot on da Billboards… right?” It‟s all about that paper, not talent or friendships.” “Yo, youngin‟, won‟t ya‟ll both shut da fuck up. This ain‟t the place or time to be talkin‟ „bout that shit,” Jordan warned them knowing there were CIs lurking around all the time. “Naw let dis mu‟fucka vent his hate out,” Big said. 128 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 “Yeah, ok then dig this, I‟m tired of you two muthafuckas paying for my spot.” He was speaking to Big and Jordan. “Youngin‟, who got the number one spot? Me, that‟s who, me, you can‟t fuck with me, O plain and simple.” “Youngin‟ who can‟t fuck wit ya, naw you can‟t fuck wit me,” O fired back. “Well, we just gonna have to see then youngin‟. No more, rap out the mouth. Numbers don‟t lie,” said Big. “From this day on, Big, it‟s on you fat mu‟fucka,” O threatened before he got up, left the table, and walked off with several sexy women following him. “Since ya got all that built up bullshit off y‟all chest, I would like to make a toast to Kelly‟s life, not her death. May she rest in peace and she will always live in our hearts forever,” said Fat Bol. Everybody began to toast and mutter short, sentimental statements. But while they were sipping on their drinks, Mia got teary eyed and asked to be excused. She got up and walked to the powder room. A few short moments later Big got up and went after her to make sure she‟d be ok. Fat Bol went to get some more food from the Latin buffet, sponsored by Goyo and Jahid turned to 129 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Dog. “Yo Dog, let me introduce you to a couple of good people you need to know in dis business,” Jahid said while getting up already knowing Trigger and Jordan needed to iron a few thing out. Dog looked to Jordan for his consent. “Go ahead young bol.” Jordan directed his next statement to Jahid. “But keep him away from the sharks. They can smell fresh blood from a mile away.” Jordan knew that a bunch of slick hustlers, con men, and gang members ran the music industry. “A‟ight,” Jahid agreed. “Sup wit you my man?" Jordan said to Trigger. “Man fuck all dat bullshit. Since you started all this independent promotion shit, you seem to forget who your fuckin‟ old head is, ya-meen?” “Not you too…you,…come on man you gotta be kiddin‟ me man. You gotta be fuckin‟ kiddin‟ me,” Jordan said in frustration. “Nah, youngin‟ on some real shit…” said Trigger. “Look man, when I started this shit, it was just me. Now, I‟m feedin‟ a lot of mu‟fuckas, especially now that I‟m not on the front line. It‟s a lot of payouts, everybody gotta get paid, we all gotta eat. That‟s where I got to separate friends from business. Because of the feds lurkin‟ around, the majors are payin‟ heavy 130 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 paper to keep their artists music in rotation,” said Jordan. “Whut, my money ain‟t good?” Trigger asked. “Your money is always good wit me, but right now it ain‟t enough,” Jordan replied. “Yo, I‟m not eatin‟ the way I want wit this music shit, youngin‟. Your boys Big and O is hoggin‟ up the block man. They keep droppin‟ hit after hit, getting‟ all the light. Sum‟em gotta give,” Trigger concluded. “Trigger you got more than enough paper…” “Fuck dat. This ain‟t about the paper no more. It‟s about me, it‟s about power.” “Nah old head, it‟s about fame, it got you,” said Jordan. Trigger was now steaming because the truth always hurt. He flagged down a tall, attractive sever. He needed a drink. He gripped a golden bottle of Ace of Spades off her severing tray and gave her a hundred dollar tip. She thanked him and sashayed off throwing an extra switch in it. “Trigger, it‟s like dis, my man. The rap game is the new crack game. It‟s like rolling dice for your life, cello, or craps, once you shake them bones and release them shits, it‟s all one big gamble. It‟s not „bout if you win or lose. It‟s all „bout how ya play the fuckin‟ crap game,” Jordan continued. 131 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 “You finish youngin‟? Cause I see your mind is foggy right now, ya-meen. I‟m not eatin‟ the way I want too, too many crumb snatchers on the block. Somebody gotta go,” Trigger warned him coldly. Trigger stood up, towering over Jordan. “It‟s like dis,” he said snatching Jordan‟s bottle of Cristal off the table, throwing it smashing to the ground and replacing it with the golden bottle of Ace of Spade. “Out wit the old, in with the new, ya-meen.” “Trigger, don‟t fuck wit my money.” “Whut ya can‟t see? The shit is already in motion. Your team at each other‟s neck scrambling over a few million. All I gotta do is fall back and wait. The block be clear soon enough. I need dat. I‟m tryna see dat billionaire club early.” Before Jordan could say another word, he noticed Dog‟s presence. Dog had been there, listening to the majority of the conversation. When Jordan turned back to Trigger, all he saw was his back heading out the exit. He quickly turned his attention back to Dog. “Sup youngin‟. How long ya been standin‟ there?” “Long enough to know that shit about to hit da fan.” “Listen Dog, I‟ve been grooming you for this 132 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 game, but a lot of bullshit comes along with dis music biz. It‟s a dog eat dog world, real cut throat shit goes on. These scavengers steal beats, bite lyrics, and ideas. They‟ll fuck your bitch; get you robbed, shot, black balled from the industry all for the love of money and sickness of fame. So no matter whut, you gotta be willing and ready to take a youngin‟ out to get to the top, just like on the street. It‟s gonna come a time when you got to hit the big man. And if you want to be the big man, you gotta take out the biggest man who got the block on smash, no matter who he is," said Jordan. Dog stood there soaking it all up, every word his mentor had just relayed to him. It was a hard reality, but it was true. One by one, they all had arrived back at the table in better spirits than when they had left. Once everybody got back situated, Jordan informed them that he had an announcement to make “As of yesterday, you are now lookin‟ at the CEO and owner of No Middle Man Records and my first signed artist is my man Dog,” Jordan announced. Everybody began to congratulate Jordan and Dog. They all toasted to the new company with their drinks and took shots of Hennessy including Dog, which caused the group to eye him curiously. It was his first drink in their presence. They viewed him as a young 133 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 boy, but Jordan saw different. Jordan looked around at his friends and said, “And our first label party is this weekend, Saturday night, at my new company‟s building.” He passed out invitations. The soft murmur among the group was that at this party everybody who‟s somebody is gonna be there. Jordan let the structure of his new company nip at the edges of his brain and he toyed with the thought of controlling the game. For years, he had planned each move carefully and meticulously orchestrated every move, just like his pop Max had schooled him when they would play chess. Jordan gripped the neck of his champagne bottle, tossed it up, and as he swallowed it down, he noticed the new diverse taste, snatched it away from his lips, looked at it, and thought, Fuckin’ Trigger… b-but dis shit is a’ight though. Jordan and Dog got up and left the convention with a new mission, to get more money, power, and respect. 134 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 EQUALIZER Two days later, the meeting was short and to the point. All head chairmen of the five major record companies and their CEOs were present. The presidents of all the major distribution companies sat with their peers around a large, mahogany conference table. The issue at hand was Jordan Major and his new record company, No Middle Man Records and its total independence. HC, the head chairman of HRM- Hit and Run Music, his CEO Dave Lexicon and Dapper, the CEO of Conglomerate Entertainment, headed the mandatory congregation. HC was a big, 290 pounds, murderous looking Jewish man. His pale, white skin made him look like a dead man walking. He wore his long wavy hair pulled back in a ponytail, and he had deep, dark, menacing blue eyes. “At the convention the other night these invitations were passed out among the patrons,” HC announced while passing out several invitations around the table. A few moments passed before he went on. “Did any of you sanction this?” Silence. “I didn‟t think so. Listen people, we cannot allow 135 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 independent minded companies to grow deep roots in or around our infrastructure. Someone needs to go have a word with this guy before things get out of hand. We can‟t have these street animals tryna smarting up on us.” “I agree.” Lexicon said. He was a short, pudgy, white man, with a big shot complex. “I‟ll handle it,” Dapper vowed. “But we should all consider whut this man has done for each and every one of our companies as far as radio is concerned.” “So what do you suggest? one of the other members asked. “I suggest that we don‟t interfere with his operation as long as he agrees to deal with our distributors on our terms,” said Dapper. “All right, take him the message, but I‟ll expect an answer in twenty-four hours and only one answer will be acceptable. We all know what that is,” HC concluded. Outside, Lexicon caught hold of Dapper‟s white Bentley Continental Flying Spur door before he could shut it. “Why the fuck the old man making deals wit them,” asked Lexicon. “Wit whut, those street animals?” Dapper 136 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 finished angrily being black and from the same streets as Jordan. “It‟s business never personal, you just don‟t forget where your loyalties lie,” Lexicon warned, knowing that he, Dapper, and the other three CEOs had a secret organization inside of the industry, with its own agenda. They believed the head chairmen were mere puppets while they foresaw the industry‟s real future. With that said Dapper slammed his door, started his car, and pulled off. 137 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 STAND-BY Five nights later, it was a breezy atmosphere in the city of Philadelphia. You could feel the tension in the air as the industry‟s elite figures were arriving at No Middle Man Records for its grand opening party. They were pulling up, driving, and riding in the best of the best of the high-powered vehicles. On that night, Bentleys and stretch limousines were the average. Phantoms, Maseratis, and Aston Martins were the new toys for the big boys. Out of nowhere, Boogey drove up in a powder blue Maybach Coup followed by O driving a jet-black Mercedes Benz McLaren SLR. All the focus fell on them as they got out of their exquisite rides. Before they climbed the front steps, which led to the entrance, they paused to have a quick chat. Before long they both spotted Big and his CEO Dapper looking in their direction. They all locked eye contact, and everybody could feel the hate in the air. Inside, the party was in full swing. There were mountains of hors d'œuvres, uncounted cases of Ace of Spades, Cristal, E&J Brandy, Hennessy, and Heineken. Wax Spinner played all the latest hits, and the party was jam packed. Jordan was dressed in a camel color Gucci suit and a pair of Gucci camel leather lace up shoes. He 138 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 sported a Cartier watch dripping with ice and a threecarat platinum pinky ring on his left wrist and hand. He was mingling with the guests when Big and Dapper approached him. Big gave him a pound and they embraced for a quick moment. Dapper was one of those CEOs that couldn‟t settle for the behind the scenes life. He was young, fly, and flashy and needed to share the spotlight with all of his artists. He was a slim, brown skin playboy with a curly, dark fade. Tonight he wore a cream color, Italian cut suit from his own clothing line, Dapper Don and a pair of Cole Han Edwin cap toe crocs. He hid his eyes behind a pair of Emporio Armani sunglasses when he spoke to Jordan. “Jordan, I need to holler at you for a minute, playboy.” “Sup, youngin‟?” Dapper turned to Big and said, “Big, let me have a minute with your man here.” “Yeaa, a‟ight, I holler at y‟all later. Then again it‟s so many honeys in here t‟night, I might holler at y‟all cats tomorrow.” Big congratulated Jordan one last time then strolled away to mingle with the live women. “You want a drink?” Jordan asked. “Yeah, I can use one right „bout now playboy.” 139 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 They walked over to the bar and ordered two mixed drinks. The barmaid mixed them two incredible hulks chilled over ice; they drank in silence for a moment. “Sup youngin‟, ya said you needed to holler at me,” Jordan spoke first. “Yeaa, I was sent to bring you a message.” “From who?” “From, the very top.” “Whuts da message?” “My associates aren‟t too happy wit whut ya tryna do here. They say ya getting‟ real greedy. Word is that your company is set up to handle everything inhouse including distribution. Nobody getting a percentage nothin‟… not a good idea. Look man, you can‟t do business like dat.” “What da …” “Hold up Jordan, I worked a deal out for you.” “You worked a deal for me?” Jordan said trying to stay calm. “Yeah all you got to do is let one of our distributors move your product.” “Never. When I was risking‟ my freedom pressing‟ these radio stations for every fuckin‟ major record company in the business, did y‟all complain then? Fuck no, not once. You know why, because nobody wanted to go down for a federal payola beef. I 140 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 got the feds up my ass. Now y‟all gonna try to fuckin‟ extort me?” “Extort you? Man fuck dat. A few years back when my fuckin‟ trucks full of kickbacks disappeared and my fuckin‟ artists‟ music got bootlegged, your name got whispered often. But, I never came at you out of respect. But, right now my hands are tied on this one, playboy, and out of respect for me, take the deal playboy. You-can‟t win,” said Dapper. “Win, youngin‟. I was born to win!” “Calm down playboy, I brought you the message, and they want an answer in twenty-four.” “Dig dis, youngin‟, I got my answer now. Tell them to go and fuck off somewhere.” “You‟re makin‟ a big mistake.” “No, they‟re makin‟ a bigger mistake fuckin‟ wit me,” said Jordan. Dapper, feeling saltier than ocean water, walked away without another word said. Jordan finished his drink, then went back to hosting his party and began enjoying himself. Dog slid up on his boss and spoke with him in a low tone. Then Jordan headed towards the stage. He passed the reporters that were situated near the front; he took the stage and grabbed the mic. “Ladies, ladies, ladies and gentlemen, thank y‟all all for comin‟ to my company‟s grand opening party. 141 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 But, right now, it ain‟t „bout me no more. It‟s all „bout my man, my artist, I would like to introduce to y‟all the next best thing, Dog.” Dog hit the stage dressed in a pair of blue Red Monkey jeans and a white Versace button up shirt. His right wrist supported an iced out platinum bracelet and the left, a platinum, presidential Rolex watch dripping with white and black diamonds, all rented from Jacob the Jeweler. He stepped to the mic wearing black Timberland boots and gripped the mic. “Before we get started here tonight…” At that moment Fat Joe‟s hit single “Make it Rain” featuring Lil‟ Wayne came banging through the speakers. The ceiling seemed to open up as money rained down over the crowd‟s heads. Dog‟s young dancers took the stage freaking all the latest dances including the Chicken Noodle Soup, with a Soda on the side, joint. Dog began throwing stacks of greenbacks into the crowd, which was now in a frenzy. After a few minutes of the song, Dog moved to the front of the stage and got into to a b-boy stance and basked in the roar of the crowd for a long moment, then broke into his soon to be hit, remixed song “FTC For Life.” The beat caught the hearts and souls of the listeners, and then Dog started to flip his lyrics like a young pro. Everybody was feeling the young bol. 142 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Women were shaking their asses crazy. Even the hard, rock thugs were bopping their heads. They all were jamming. Jordan was sitting back soaking it all up and loving it like a shot of soft sweet pussy. The showcase and partying went on into the wee hours of the next morning before people started to leave. Outside, Trigger was laying in the cut, waiting and watching as the party‟s patrons filed out of No Middle Man‟s grand opening. He was sitting in a black, tinted out Cadillac STS-V. Like clockwork, O and Boogie walked out the building‟s exit and descended the steps. When they reached the bottom, a black Grand Cherokee Jeep spun the corner. The thugs in the jeep opened fire with Mack .11s and AKs. O and Boogie got caught up in a hail storm of bullets, and the scene became crazy. People were running, ducking, dodging the instruments of death, trying desperately to get out the line of fire. The driver quickly increased his speed and the thugs sped away from the scene. Once Boogie got his composure back, he looked up to see O laid out on the ground, motionless, in a 143 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 pool of blood. Boogie scrambled his big frame over where O got hit and lifted his head onto his knees. That‟s when Boogie felt the pain exploded in his own arm; he ignored it because O was in much worse condition. O was fading in and out, coughing up thick blood, but he was still trying his best to speak. “L-listen.” “Whut?” Boogie asked “L-listen.” “A‟ight, a‟ight.” “Did it.” “Who? Who did dis to you?” Boogie put his head down close to O‟s bloody, foamy mouth to hear what he was trying to say. He looked back up and searched the gathering crowd. When his eyes fell on Big and Dapper, everyone could see the look of death in his eyes. O began jerking wildly as he succumbed to his gunshot wounds until death seized him. Trigger calmly pulled out of the cut and slowly drove off and left the scene. By the time the paramedics arrived, O was long gone. The paramedics and the coroner pronounced him DOA right there on the scene. 144 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 DEMO The next night, Trigger and his right-hand man Dane were totting on a blunt filled with hydro and passing a bottle of Armadel back and forth. Trigger pulled Dane and Noop in, and they formed Rock Solid Records. They sold their souls to the devil when they got in bed with Dave Lexicon. Lexicon was known to have his own hidden agenda when it can to running HRM and the music industry. Dane was a cock diesel, light-brown skin brother, who loved to drink and dress fly. He stood at five-nine and weighed in at 200 pounds even. He had the gift of gab and used it to his and the company‟s advantage, but in this case, there was a growing web of deception. Trigger had planted the seeds of revenge, and things were running according to plan. “Shit man, since dat youngin‟ O got hit up, Boogie thinkin‟ Big and Dapper had sum‟em to do wit dat, ya-meen?” “Yeah, thanks to my young jawn Kim putting that bug in O‟s ear the other night at Jordan‟s grand opening,” said Trigger laughing. “Now Boogie gonna be out for blood like a mu‟fucka.” “Huh, a war between Syndicate and Conglomerate, sounds good ta me ya-meen, whut „bout 145 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 you?” “Shit, with them at war you can creep up on the charts, and eventually we‟ll take the game over.” “As soon as they go through it, everybody is gonna have to choose sides‟ ya-meen. Jordan will get pulled into it.” “Fuck‟em.” “Then it will be an all out war in the industry and on the streets, ya-meen?” “Right, and all we got to do is fall back and collect the spoils of war, ya feel me.” “Dane, you take care of that other thing wit dat little bitch?” “You know it, man, once I told Crown fat ass, how he had that super head giver right under his nose, you should have saw his fat ass run up outta the club to go fine Mia‟s pretty ass. He had it fucked up. He said that he thought she was bumping kittens with bitches exclusively. I‟m like naw, youngin‟, she give good head.” “Shit, word is, Super Fly is in love wit dat young pussy, but she feeling some type way because she made Mia a flyin‟ star, now Mia got her ass up in the air for all to kiss, ya-meen? Plus Super Fly be houndin‟ dat pussy, but Mia tryna square up on her now that she got what she wanted. She fucked and sucked her way to the top.” 146 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 “Yeaa, Super Fly was fuckin‟ that little bitch for a second right.” “Right, but you know how dat shit goes, ya-meen.” Silence. “Dane?” “Whut up?” “When dat bol O funeral again?” “A couple days from now, I think the day after tomorrow.” “Yeaa, you know whut ta do… I got another seed to plant. I‟ma give our main man Boogie a call, yameen.” The side of Trigger‟s face lit up blue because of the blue screen from his Motorola Razor cell phone. The sound rung in his ear before Boogie clicked on. “… whut!” “Boogie.” “Yeah, whut?” “Man, the street is talkin‟.” “No shit, I‟ve been hearin‟ the whispers.” “Da streets talkin‟ „bout Big and Dapper in connection wit your man O, ya-meen?” “I‟ve been hearin‟ the different angles.” “Streets talkin‟ „bout you might even had sum‟em to do wit dat. Youngins say dat O was tryna leave Syndicate, start his own shit, you wasn‟t havin‟ it.” “Trigger! Whut da fuck you talkin‟ about?” 147 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 “Youngin‟ I ain‟t talkin‟ nothing. You gotta rectify dis shit, ya-meen.” “Whut ya think I‟m gonna…” “Man fuck dat, I‟m keep it real wit ya. Youngin‟ the streets talkin‟ „bout you getting‟ a bit soft and shit, ya-meen.” “Fuck you and fuck all them bitch mu‟fuckas.” Boogie responded with venom. “This ain‟t me sayin‟…” “Click!” Trigger was cut off mid-sentence. Boogie banged in his ear. „Whut he say?” Dane asked. “He said he was gonna rip somebody a new ass hole,” Trigger said laughing. 148 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 ON Several days had passed since O’s shooting death. It was a dim, rainy day, but the turnout at O‟s funeral was respectfully good. All his family, friends, and music industry figures came to pay their last respects to the fallen soldier. As O‟s funeral was ending, it happened to fast and unexpected for anyone to react. Five black Grand Cherokees Jeeps pulled up and came to a screeching halt, and a death-squad of masked gunmen jumped out and began firing Performer 990 sub-machine guns. All hell broke loose, the crowd dispersed; innocent people were getting gunned down, bullets cut through the air harshly searching for targets. Jordan, Fat Bol, Jahid, and Boogie moved into action, pulled out steel and returned hot metal. The masked assassins had the jump on them. They were pinned down behind a mass of tombstones as bullets broke chunks away from the concrete shields. Jordan quickly took aim and let off three rounds catching one of the gunmen square in the face. Upon seeing the gunman go down, and Jordan bussing back, now crouched on one knee, Fat Bol‟s adrenalin began pumping rapidly. He sprung to his feet and rushed towards the gunmen, busting his gun fiendishly, like a 149 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 mad man. “Take dat sun,” he barked. He took another masked man out, but blinded by rage he didn‟t see it until it was too late as he caught hot ones on his chest. His gun flew out his hand when he grabbed his chest while crashing to the dirt. His body went numb. The shootout lasted for several more minutes before the masked gunmen decided to cut their losses, scooped their dead partners, jumped back in the still running jeeps, and sped off. Jordan and Jahid ran over to Fat Bol to see if he was still alive. Jordan crouched over him to inspect the damage. He was hit up bad. Jordan shook him violently, “Wake the fuck up, don‟t die on me mu‟fucka…” In the distance, sirens could be heard shrilling through the air getting closer. “Yo, stash the hammers,” Jordan told Jahid. Jahid gripped up all the illegal guns his squad had and faded off, jumped into his dark-green Spyker C8 Spyder and drove away calmly. Once the police and paramedics reached the scene, they rushed over to Fat Bol, checked him out. “We got a pulse!” They secured him on a stretcher, placed him in the back of the ambulance, and raced off quickly. Two hours later, at Generation Hospital, the 150 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 surgeon walked out into the waiting area and said, “He‟s going to make it.” “Can we see‟ em now?” asked Jordan. “No, not right now, he really needs to rest. He‟s in critical but stable condition. He‟ll get better. He‟s a strong young man.” “I‟m concerned „bout his safety,” Jordan said. “You have nothing to worry about. He‟s on a heavily guarded floor. He‟ll be safe. You all need to go home and get some rest. Check back tomorrow. He should be in better shape.” Right at that moment Big came bursting through the emergency waiting room doors, brushed by everybody, moved straight to Jordan, gripped him up by his suit jacket, lifting him off his feet, slamming him against the wall and said, “What the fuck is goin‟ on, Jordan?” “Mu‟fucka, you should be askin‟ your boss Dapper,” Jordan shouted, grabbing Big‟s hands, breaking his grip. Jahid and Mia broke up the confrontation. Mia screamed “What the hell is all this bullshit, what are y‟all takin‟ about?” “At my grand opening party the other night, Dapper threatened to shut down my label because the big five, (The five major record companies) are mad they‟re not getting‟ their slimy hands on none of my 151 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 business and money. And as we all know,” he turned to Big, “that you and O was at each other necks,” said Jordan. “But you know I wouldn‟t …” Mia rushed Big and began wilding out on him. Big wrapped her in his big arms and massive chest and let her get it all out her system, not saying a word. Boogie played the shadows before he slithered off into the cuts. He texted a quick and quiet message into his Black Berry, before he slid back past the emergency room waiting area, where they were, still in a heated discussion. Because there were so many people in the hospital and so much confusion, nobody even noticed that Boogie had come or was now leaving. He slipped past everybody, left the hospital, jumped in his 2007 Jaguar XKR coupe convertible, and raced off. Back inside a calm fell over the hospital. Everybody came to the mutual agreement that it was best just go home, get some rest, and wait. Outside, Jordan, Mia, Big, and Jahid were walking down the hospital steps talking. “It‟s a lot of strange shit goin‟ on right now,” 152 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Jahid claimed. “Ya right, I think Dapper, and the big five is behind all dis madness,” Jordan added “Whut! Whut about you? Whut about Boogie? “Every since O got killed, youngin‟ been lookin‟ at me sideways,” Big hissed. “Both of y‟all talkin‟ real crazy right now. Y‟all blinded by anger. Y‟all can‟t see or think straight right now. The powers that be are pitting us against each other. This shit ain‟t start here. This shit goes back to slavery, the jealousy, envy and hate is deep rooted. Y‟all need to look at the people who are in control of the industry that attempted to guide our music, life, and culture. If y‟all didn‟t notice, it isn‟t us, black people. Silence. “I feel ya shortie, but it can go either way. The majors could be behind this, but they wouldn‟t shoot up O’s funeral because too many of their moneymakers were there. Boogie, on the other hand, could be behind this bullshit because he‟s thinkin‟ that Dapper had sum‟em to do wit O‟s death. But he was getting‟ bucked at too at O’s funeral, it could have been an act but I doubt it,” said Jahid. “And just say that we are wrong „bout all this, that would leave somebody else… but who?” Mia asked, “Well, where is Boogie? I could have swore I saw him around here somewhere earlier.” 153 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 “Whut,” they all snapped simultaneously. They all paused and looked at each other for some type of confirmation. No one remembered seeing Boogie come or go. Out of thin air, a large entourage of thugs rode up on black Ninjas ZX11 motorcycles. The sounds coming from the engines were deafening and sickening. They opened fire with so much firepower you would had thought it was New Year‟s Eve or the Fourth of July. Jordan grabbed Mia out of the line of fire and hit the deck. He pulled out a P.89 automatic, but he couldn‟t get off a shot because he was pinned down behind a pillar situated in front of the hospital. Jahid and Big tried their best to duck the bullet storm, but Big‟s heavy body wasn‟t quick enough. Consequently, he caught a hail of bullets from a gunman‟s Uzi in his chest. It exploded as his body spun to its death; blood splattered the wall and glass doors. His body hit the concrete steps hard and tumbled down until the pavement halted it. A pool of blood quickly formed and death overtook Big in front of a place that is made to save lives. Jahid pulled himself together, gripped his Lima tightly, pointed it at the entourage of thugs, and began squeezing off round after round. 154 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 He caught them off guard, because they had already killed the man they came for. They scrambled back to their vehicles and road off into the sunset just as fast as they came. 155 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 OFF The fourth quarter came quickly, October, and through all the drama Jordan was determined not to let it affect Dog‟s release date because Dog, now seventeen, was ready to do his thing. Even though the fog of war hung thick over the city of Philly, Jordan began to run No Middle Man Records with an iron fist. Awaiting the repercussion, he braced himself, ready to fight the dangerous corporate entities. No Middle Man Records‟ street team was out in full force on Ogontz Avenue. They all sported leather and suede jackets with the company‟s logo embedded on the back with their individual names stitched on the front, left chest area. They numbered thirty-seven. The street team was promoting Dog‟s debut album titled Get In Where You Fit In. They were hanging flyers, posters, and applying stickers to any surface that would support them. They were also passing out free promotional paraphernalia, bumper stickers, buttons, hats, t-shirts and sampler CDs and records. Suddenly in the midst of a great promotional day, a convoy of vehicles, motorcycles, cars, and jeeps, appeared on the scene and the windows slowly came down, GDK's Appetizer five came blaring out the car speaker. 156 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Silence, no movement, everything froze. The street team finally saw the face of the deadliest, local thug from West Oak Lane-Storm. He had been known to mingle with the big five‟s bigwigs in the industry, mainly as an illegal bodyguard and hired gun. He had a vicious reputation for going hard and putting in death work. At six-one, he was a creepy figure that wore his hair in dreadlocks. He dressed in dark-green army fatigues and sported black Oakley shades to hide his bloodshot red, beady eyes. His skin was rough and black as the streets. He was a real life hater, and his whole demeanor was fucked up. Storm looked at the street team‟s work, smirked, and gave his thug a signal with his gloved hand. All of them pulled out strange, but dangerous looking guns and took aim. Everybody panicked and tried to either run or take cover. The manager of the street team, Big Nickels, and Dog‟s right hand man Shiz were not chumped, so they stood there and stared Storm right in his face getting a good look at him. The thugs opened fire crazily, but all that came from the weird looking guns were paintballs. They destroyed ten-hours of hard work in minutes. Storm and his squad rode off laughing and shooting paintballs up and down Ogontz Avenue. 157 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Moments later, Big Nickels was sitting in the backseat of a promotional wrapped jeep with Dog‟s face and album cover on it. He dialed a number, listened to it ring, and then spoke into his cellphone. “Jordan, it‟s on. Storm and‟em just paintballed all the fuckin‟ work we put in t‟day.” Big Nickels listened for a brief moment before disconnecting the call and rolling out. 158 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 SET On the other side of town, Jordan sat in his enormous office, behind his black all marble desk trimmed in chrome. His new office was furnished with black leather and chrome furniture. The floor was a mixture of black and gray granite, and his art collection was sick. The walls were covered with a half-dozen Picassos, Leger, and Brogues. He had been on some next level shit lately, splurging a bit. He figured you only live once. With money, comes respect and with respect comes power. He just hung up with Big Nickels, let what he just heard play on his mind for a moment, and then placed the call. The phone rang twice before she answered. “Ninie, I want you to call a meeting with your team. As of today, nobody is to accept no money or promote none of the big five labels or distributors, or any companies associated with their conglomerate. Also, all of your managers are to start their own independent labels under your company‟s umbrella today! Sign, then promote your own artists, you got dat?” “Yup,” Ninie said already knowing who her first artist would be, her beloved nephew little Jordan Jr. Jordan disconnected the call, sat back in his chair and thought, Storm huh, I remember dat mu’fucka. 159 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 He’s down wit the big five. It gotta be them cowards. The buzz from the intercom jarred him from his thoughts. Jordan pressed the TALK BOTTON, but it was too late as Trigger walked though the big oak doors to his office. “Mr. Major you got somebody coming…” “I know, don‟t worry, by the way, you‟re fired! Get your shit and get the fuck outta here.” “I would have fired the bitch too. It‟s too easy to get to ya back here, ya-meen. You got to step your security game up around dis jawn, ya-meen.” Trigger warned him pulling out two Cohiba cigars. He clipped off the butts, lit both, and passed Jordan one. Trigger took a seat and noticed that Jordan had a fresh, chilled bottle of Ace of Spades opened, sitting on his desk. “I see you do still take heed to some of the shit I be tellin‟ ya,” He said looking at the golden bottle. “Youngin‟, your word is still good wit me. In fact, your lyrics are even better. Word on the streets and industry is dat you the best lyricist in the game right now,” said Jordan. “Yeaa, man, I‟m just pickin‟ up where O and Big left off at, you know trying to see a Billy – Billion , ya-meen…shit wit Dog on my heels, they got him at second all the way around the board. The best new 160 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 thing since ice grills and candy paint.” “Whut „bout the bol NJ?” “Well, ya know the hood argues all day „bout who‟s da best, Trigger, Dog or NJ, ya-meen.” “Yeah, I know, I got my ears to the street.” “Yo, what I really come to holler at ya „bout, is how the big five is tryna come at ya.” “Fuck‟em. It‟s nothin‟ I can‟t handle.” “Youngin‟ I told you before you got into dis shit, it‟s a cut-throat biz. The rap game is just like the crack game remember, and when cats don‟t fall in line wit the majors, that‟s when shit happenin‟ like frozen budgets, deals fizzling out, joint ventures not materializing, artists getting shelved, dropped and blackballed. Then these dumb ass youngins‟ look at the next man like he‟s responsible, but all along it‟s the majors playin‟ youngins‟ like the puppets they are. So now, we got youngins‟ beefing and hating over small shit. Youngins‟ in the game don‟t want ta see the next black man come up, ya-meen. Can you explain sum‟em to me? Why don‟t you see rock stars beefing, country, R&B, Latin, hun…nobody but young black mu‟fuckas. Dis shit make me sick, a bunch of bitches, little girls. So I said fuck it, when I see these mu‟fucka beefing over faggot shit, I knock‟em off, ya-meen. Get‟ em the fuck outta here.” 161 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 “Sup, Trigger whut you telling me?” “Man, fuck what I‟m tryin‟ tell you…you ain‟t listening. If one of these industry youngins‟ jump out there with ya, burn his ass up. Knock him the fuck off, fuck keepin‟ it on wax.” “Sup, youngin‟, that‟s how you been carrying it?” “Yeaa.” “I hear whut ya sayin‟… but I got one thing to tell ya old head. If I find out you‟re the one behind all these bodies droppin,‟ ya not gonna be safe around here no more.” “Young bol, are you threatenin‟ me?” “Naw, I‟m not threatenin‟ you, I‟m promisin‟ ya.” “Yeaa, promises are made to be broken, yameen.” Trigger snuffed out his Cohiba cigars, snatched the bottle of Ace of Spade off Jordan‟s desk, and strolled out the office. 162 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 OPEN Ever since Dane hipped Crown to Mia’s head game, she‟s been holding Crown‟s mic more than the recording booth microphone. Crown had Mia‟s hair wrapped around his hand double time, as he stuffed his dick in her mouth rapidly and bussed off on her tonsils. The studio lights were dim, as Jay-Z's hit single “Song Cry” played low in the background. Crown was in the process of zipping up his Akademiks jeans as he walked out the studio‟s lounge area to find Super Fly standing there with a dangerous look in her eyes. “What up, Soop?” “Noth‟n.” “Damn, whut the fuck is wit you?” “Nont‟n.” “A‟ight, then I need you to handle dat session in there for me. The beat is already loaded up and ready ta go,” He said and then bounced. Super Fly been straight tripping over Mia. She only bumped kittens with her one more time after the first night when she slipped her the ecstasy. She was now madly in love with her and obsessed with getting that pussy again. She gave her everything she wanted, but Mia using her best hold out skills to get what she 163 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 wanted, now has pushed Super Fly over the edge of lust, lies, and deception. Super Fly walked in the studio to find Mia straightening her clothes and wiping her mouth. She settled behind the recording consoles and spoke into the mic. “You ready!” Mia jumped out of her skin, startled; not realizing Super Fly was in there. “Y-yeah, damn you scared the shit out of me.” “Whatever, you ready?” With that, Super Fly started the track, and Mia stepped to the mic and began to sing. Right off the bat, she was having a hard time getting started. Super Fly stopped the track cold. “Whut the fuck is up.” “I don‟t know my throat…” “Is filled wit cum,” Super Fly said under her breath. “What?” “Nothin‟. Let‟s get this shit done.” Mia continued to have a hard time getting her vocals to flow right with the track. Fed up, Super Fly deaded the music and walked into the recording booth with Mia. “You gotta breathe out and hold the same note at the bridge part…” 164 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 “I know what I‟m doing,” Mia spat nastily. “If ya did sis, we would be finished by now bitch, stop singing the fuck off key.” Mia tried again, this time acappella, but still couldn‟t seem to get it right. Super Fly tried to rub her fingers through Mia‟s cornrows. “Don‟t worry baby girl. It‟s gonna be a‟ight.” Mia‟s cat eyes turned to slits as she snatched her head away. “I told you before, I‟m not your baby, and I don‟t get down like that anymore.” Super Fly grew furious and backhand slapped the shit out of Mia across her pretty face. Mia hit the floor and held the pain with her hand. Super Fly stood over her screaming. “Bitch! I made you into the superstar that you are. Bitch, I made you and I‟ll surely break you.” Mia was looking up at her with hate in her eyes. “Get away from me you butch.” Super Fly lost it. She began to tear away at Mia‟s clothes trying to rape her. Mia was fighting back furiously and managed to get to her feet and run out of the studio. Her clothes were ripped, and tears flowed down her face. 165 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 At Mia‟s condominium, she was in her plush room throwing clothes in one of her Louis Vuiton suitcases. She felt it was time to take a long trip to get away from the situation with Crown and Super Fly. Crown constantly wanted his dick sucked, but neglected to give her any hit records. Super Fly had been continually harassing and stalking Mia, and now she felt as though it was getting dangerous even deadly. Ever since she bumped kittens with her, Super Fly has been chasing her down for another taste of that sweet pussy like a crack fiend chases that first blast. It was all good when she was fucking her way through the industry, but now Super Fly felt like she owed her something, and it was time to collect. From her upbringing as an army brat, she had to constantly give the pussy up to get what she wanted or stop from being hurt. The older boys used to catch her and rape and sodomize her when their soldier parents were out in the fields for weeks at a time. Her father never found out, and she wouldn‟t tell him out of fear of what the big boys would do to her the next time. So now as a grown woman she would use sex to temporarily pacify her predators. But at this point Super Fly was out for blood. Mia rushed out of her building with her Black Berry pressed to her ear. She punched the UNLOCK 166 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 for her trunk and door locks, the trunk flew open, she slammed her suitcase in, closed it back, took a quick look around, jumped in her Lemon yellow Ferrari F 430 Spider, and raced off. The watchful eyes of the enemy grew weary from waiting and watching. As they caught sight of their target‟s attempt to flee, satisfaction grew deep inside the eyeball. The call was made. “Make it look like an accident” And the trap was set. BOTTON 167 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 TUNER Forty minutes later at the Philadelphia International Airport, a black GV Gulf stream was warming up in a private hanger belonging to Crown and Super Fly Production Company. Moments later Mia came rushing in the hanger. She found the GV ready and climbed the few steps to board the expensive jet. Inside the jet, Mia settled in, grabbed a bottle of FIJI water, and told the pilot to “Get going.” “Just a minute young lady, I‟m waiting for my copilot. He‟s running late, but we should still take off on schedule,” he said as he walked into the cockpit. He settled behind the controls, and seconds later, a co-pilot stepped aboard carrying a big, black duffel bag. He paused to look at Mia and then continued to the cockpit. Once the co-pilot entered the cockpit, the pilot looked at him, then did a double take, and said, “Hey, where‟s my usual co-pilot, Mike, at?” “The only thing I really know is that the record company called me and said they needed a last minutes substitute for an emergency flight, I needed the money, so here I am. They said the other co-pilot came down with the twenty-four hour flu or some shit like that.” “Well, that‟s not unusual; nothin‟ is unusual when you‟re dealing with these renegade record companies. 168 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 It‟s always some emergency, last minute shit going on.” “You ain‟t never lie.” “Well, anyway, my name is Paul,” the pilot said extending his hand out to shake the mysterious copilot‟s hand. “My name is Sam, nice to meet you,” Sam said shaking the pilot Paul‟s hand. “Well, let‟s get air born before little momma have a prissy fit,” Paul said laughing. They taxied across the tarmac past a small fleet of Gulf Streams GIV and GVs and several one and dual engine airplanes that were tied down. They reached the end of the runway, paused for a moment, made a slight turn, and moved down the runway. The jet picked up speed, moving faster and faster, and then shot down the runway at lightning speed until the engines hurled the jet into the air. It was a successful take off. When the jet leveled out, the pilot put the jet on autopilot and began to relax a bit. The co-pilot knew it was time to do what he really was getting paid for and that wasn‟t to fly a plane. He got up and said, “I gotta use the bathroom, be right back.” He started out the cockpit, but quickly turned back towards the pilot. He chopped the pilot hard on the 169 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 side of his neck, and the pilot slouched over the controls unconscious. He rushed over to his black duffel bag, took out a black, flight jump suit with a built-in parachute. In a matter of seconds, he was fully dressed. He took the jet off autopilot, opened the cockpit door, rushed out, made his way to the jet‟s hatch, and pulled it open, waved at Mia, and jumped out the Gulf Stream. Mia was in total shock by what she couldn‟t believe she just saw. She let out one last piercing scream before fainting with a horrifying look on her face as the jet began to fall to the earth. While the co-pilot was falling rapidly towards the ground, he looked over his shoulder to see the jet going down. He pulled the ripcord to his chute as the GV crashed into an open field as planned. On the ground, he ran over to a dirt road where a black H-2 Hummer was waiting for him. He climbed in the truck, and it rode away into the night. 170 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 TAPE Several short miles away from the airport, at the Philadelphia‟s First Union Center, Dog was rocking a sold out crowd. He was dressed in a pair of dark blue Evisu jeans, blue Evisu sweatshirt, a Trucker hat, a white, crisp pair of Air Force Ones, and a lightning bright chain with white and black diamond studded Jesus pendant from Jacob the Jeweler. The crowd went bananas when he began to flip his new hits, especially his bona fide street anthem “From the Hood to Hollywood” off his number one album, Get In Where You Fit In. Dog was known to spit authentic, vivid urban stories, the kind street lit authors write about. Dog took Jordan‟s advice long ago, found his niche, and ran with it. The atmosphere was one hundred percent Hip Hop all the way. Weed smoke filled the air, teenage girls and women were dancing seductively popping the pussy and dropping it like it‟s hot, youngins were getting too hyped and fighting, and true playboys were drinking and macking honeys all night. Then at the very height of Dog‟s performance, the music was cut off in mid-flow. The sound crew hurriedly did a quick equipment check to find out someone had sabotaged the show. Dog tried to calm the crowd as they began to grow 171 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 impatient and angry. Then right on key out of nowhere, a large arsenal of guns was squeezed off into the overhead rafters. Pandemonium broke out, and the crowd scattered in all directions. It was a stampede, people were falling all over the place, patrons were getting kicked in the face, and bodies were getting trampled on. Once security brought the madness under control, nine people lay dead in the venue, and many more were injured. HC and Dave Lexicon sat across from each other, a big marble and steel table held their drinks, Scotch on the rocks, and Dominican cigars rolled by a master roller. Lexicon‟s pudgy frame was dressed casually in a Geoffrey Beene dress shirt and dark slacks while HC chilled in a big, long, white robe made of Thai silk to cover his large frame, and a pair of very expensive leather and suede Versace slip-ons. They were both eyeing the big forty-two inch, high definition, flat screen TV that was mounted on the far wall of the company‟s loft. The eleven o‟clock news had their undivided attention as a newsreel, played a close-up of the newswoman broadcasting the evening news. 172 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 “In tonight‟s news, we have two very disturbing occurrences that will surly rock the music world and fans as well. Around nine PM tonight, the beautiful songbird Mia was killed in a jet crash. The jet she was flying in took off from the Philadelphia International Airport at about eight-thirty. Within minutes, something went terribly wrong, and her jet went down. The FAA suspects foul play. We‟ll bring you more on the crash as the story continues to unfold. This is a very tragic night indeed; No Middle Man Records recording artist Dog was in the middle of a show at the First Union Center when gunfire erupted which caused a stampede. Several people are believed to have died and many injured. More on these stories later…‟ HC clicked off the TV, sat back in his recliner chair, loving all the drama. He spoke to Lexicon. “See I told you all we have to do is give some of these niggers some money and fame and give the other niggers nothing and they‟ll kill each other off faster 173 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 than the speed of sound.” “You‟re right big guy.” This clown so stupid I could piss on his head and tell him it’s raining. I’m behind all this drama. Me muthafucka, me, Lexicon thought to himself. Dog pulled up on Walnut Lane pushing a snow white Mercedes-Benz CLS.55 AMG with three piece P. Miller 504 wheels on it, chrome-polished, banging GDK‟s Validation‟s single “Holler Back.” He found parking and maneuvered in quickly. He jumped out wearing a black, low-key Dickie jumpsuit, a pair of black; hi top Air Force Ones, a black New Era 59 Fifty‟ Phillies fitted hat, twisted backwards and a dark blue, leather Pelle Pelle jacket. He was drinking on a bottle of kiwi strawberry Formula 50 Vitamin Water. Dog took a seat on the steps where his squad has hustled and chilled for years now. He was a member of FTC (Fuck The Cops). His squad is thirty members deep and growing, all young bucks, with a couple of old head advisers. It was consistently a lot of activity on the block. Most of the members lived on the two-way street. Around the clock, young boys would be selling drugs coke, weed, and powder, gambling and kicking it to young hood rats from around the way. Young bucks 174 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 would pull up in the latest whips with the hottest rims and crack heads would be in the alley getting their ass whooped for creeping packs and doing chronic, smoker shit. Dog was one of the smallest dudes out of his team, but he was eating good lately and got his weight up. He now stood at five-nine and weighed in at a buck-fifty. His braids had grown long, and he had a light mustache on his light skin face. Ms. Minnie, who lived on the block, was getting out her Cadillac STS when several FTC members rushed to her car to help with her groceries. When she noticed Dog sitting on her steps, she said while chewing on her gum, “Dog! What are you doin‟ back around here hanging‟ with these bad asses?” “C‟mon Ms. Minnie, I can‟t forget where I came from, it keeps me grounded.” “A-hen, well, as long as you don‟t ruin your career, I guess its a‟ight. But don‟t be out here too long.” “A‟ight, Ms. Minnie.” With that, Ms. Minnie climbed her steps and went in her house. She wasn‟t into rap music and didn‟t follow Dog‟s career closely. If she had, she would have known that his career was at its height. Dog had been blowing up like crazy. He had been rocking bigger and bigger venues. His face graced the 175 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 cover of the top magazines. His music was climbing the Billboard chart nonstop. He and Trigger were in constant battle for the top spots. Awards, shows, checks, cars, and women, it was a rocket ride to the top. But no matter how much he blew, he never forgot to drop off that fateful briefcase of money to his man Shiz, who controlled the distribution to his FTC crew. And he always blessed Fat Bol, who was back in the hood, knee deep in the game, after the shooting. He been dropped from his label because he couldn‟t produce, but Dog kept him straight. Dog been keeping it real with himself and the hood. However, in another part of the city a deadly meeting was in progress. HC, Dapper, the big five head chairmen and all the members who favored HC‟s idea of organizing a new powerful union, sat around a corporate size conference table. HC opened the meeting by saying, “As you all know this scumbag Jordan Major and his team of indies have cut our lines to radio and they have started too goddamn many independent record companies, which isn‟t good because it threatens our plans to have one major multi-media conglomerate control everything in this industry by us. He thinks he can open up shop on our block, in our world and not pay us one red cent. But we all know that no member here including myself wants to deal directly with the radio 176 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 stations, period. We all know that the Feds are definitely onto the payola game.” Why don‟t we use other indies?” Dapper asked. “Because all the major independent promoters and national promoters are in this guy‟s pocket. Plus he has threatened the radio stations that he‟d start his own stations in every major market if they play directly with us,” another member added. HC continued, “Well, the main reason I called for this meeting is we have to vote between two options. But, mind you, the first option has been discussed with Mr. Major before he went ahead with his company and it was reported that he was adamant about staying in control of his company, along with his masters and handling his own distribution.” Silence, no smiles, no response. HC asked, “All in favor of compromising with this guy please raise your hand.” No one responded HC posed another question, “All in favor of smashing this bug raise…” Every hand in the room went up. “OK, it‟s unanimous.” HC gave Storm a villainous look through the lens of a hidden camera that was embedded in a picture hanging in the conference room. 177 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Above, up in the building‟s penthouse, Storm clicked the monitor off, turned to Lexicon for approval. Lexicon nodded yes, and Storm left. 178 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 RANDOM The war has been playing itself out against a backdrop of gunplay and violence with corporate and street thugs fighting for the reins of power. Jordan and his team fought hard not to be gobbled up by the big five conglomerates. While both record sales and radio spins plummeted, machine guns rattled across the city. On the street it was widely reported that the big five were running through their antagonizing opponents, but in reality, Jordan and his squad were going hard against the major powerful union. Outside of Conglomerate Entertainment, Jordan‟s retaliation tactics were in full effect. Several men dressed in all black ran up to the company‟s pressing and distributing plant, flung cocktail bombs flew through the windows, and the building burst into flames. They were losing a lot of merchandise. The war was in high gear. Bodies were dropping, and the corpses were piling up. The death toll had reached seventy-five in a few short months. It was a bloodbath in the city of Philly. Jordan and HC‟s horns were locked in a heated, territorial war. And while the war was going on, Trigger was transitioning smoothly in the number one position. It was almost impossible to get at Jordan, so 179 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Storm, tied into the streets, and got word on the next best thing, Dog‟s whereabouts. Dog decided to fallback because of the war. He began to play the block hard despite Ms. Minnie‟s constant warning. He thought the best place to lay low until things simmered down was among his squad. He kept his real street team out of the spotlight so they could move about and get that money without too much attention. Dog and several FTC members were chilling on Ms. Minnie‟s steps passing a blunt around and reminiscing on the past few years which was tremendously good for the youngsters. Storm was sitting in an inconspicuous looking van with a small team of thugs. They were watching Dog and his crew from a half-block away. Dog got up and said to his right-hand man Shiz, “Yo, I‟ll be right back. I‟ma go check da jawn Aminah at the corner real quick, see whuts goin‟ on wit dat t‟night.” “A‟ight youngin‟.” Dog began to stroll down the block. When he reached the middle of the strip, Storm and his thugs started to fallow him, creeping. They cruised past Shiz too slow, because he noticed that something was funny looking about the van. Shiz and Storm caught eye contact momentarily. Shiz‟s mind quickly searched for recollection. It hit his brain like a freight train; he 180 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 recalled Storm‟s face from the paintball incident. He snapped out of his trance and yelled out, “Dog, watch out! Funny van! Funny van!” Dog spun around, spotted the van bearing down on him, froze, unfroze, tried to break for it, but the thugs jumped out of the van and were all over him like flies on shit. With guns drawn, they moved in and snatched Dog up, and then spun off as quick as they came. Shiz and the FTC members rushed towards the van, but the thugs squeezed off thirty rounds in the air before they took the corner harshly. The skyscraper is one of the biggest, most powerful, landmark buildings in the city. It houses HRM, the mega-media conglomerate headed by HC and his chairmen. It‟s also the parent company of Conglomerate Entertainment and many other subsidiaries that fall under its umbrella. HC wasn‟t satisfied with just being the head chairman of Hit & Run Music (HRM) one of the big five. He had plans on becoming the top-top dog of all the big five‟s businesses. But first, he had to get a thorn out of his shoe, Jordan. Inside the office where Storm, HC, Dapper, and a 181 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 squad of thugs were holding Dog, who was tied to a chair with no gag on his mouth or a blindfold over his light brown eyes. He could clearly see what was going on. HC spoke directly to Storm. “Good work, now go bring it down… bring it down to the fucking ground!” Without another word spoken, Storm and his team of thugs left the office to go put in more work. Jordan was in bed, at one of his hideaway lofts, with two exotic females when his cellphone began to ring. He stopped fucking, checked his Movado watch, and then answered the call. “Whut!” he shouted as he sprung up and sat on the side of his heated waterbed. “Whut da fuck...when? I‟ll be right down there.” He pressed the END BOTTON, buried his face in his hands, wiped it, got himself together, got dressed, grabbed his keys, and bounced out the door without a single word said to his female companions. Jordan pulled his Benz up to his record company to see and smell a burnt down shell that used to be No Middle Man Records‟ half million-dollar building. Fire trucks and police car lights lit the night up as they were spread out all over the busy street. Jordan jumped out of his car and tried to rush up to the scene, 182 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 but Jahid appeared and stopped him dead in his tracks. He was in a rage. Jahid tried his best to calm his partner. “Eazy, easy man, you gotta chill out, playboy.” Jordan chilled and leaned against his vehicle and tried to pull himself back together. “We at war man. Anything goes. You gotta stay strong, love nothing and think smart. We gotta take it all the way to the top and…” said Jahid. The ringing of Jordan‟s cellphone cut Jahid off. Jordan answered it. “Sup?” Jordan listened for a few moments. “If ya‟ll hurt my young bol!” he continued to listen for a few more seconds. “Whut, whuts goin‟ on man?” Jahid asked. Jordan got back in the Benz. Jahid grabbed the door handle and said, “Man, we came too far for me to let ya go out like a nut, whuts up?” “They got Dog! They want ten mill.” “Hold up. I‟m goin‟ wit ya.” “No, they told me to come alone, or they‟re gonna kill‟ em,” replied Jordan. “Yo man, he‟s dead already; think man think, use your head. They make billions of dollars a year and they‟re only askin‟ for ten mill. It‟s a trap. They‟re gonna kill ya man if you show up. Believe dat.” “Naw, it was dat youngin‟ Storm.” 183 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 “So-da-fuck-whut, he down wit them.” Jordan not trying to hear it, pulled off with Jahid racing after the car shouting, “A‟least tell me where da fuck you goin‟.” “To da top,” Jordan replied with ice, cold hatred. I know exactly where you goin,’ Jahid thought as he flipped out his cellphone, speed dialed Fat Bol‟s number, ran to his jeep, and tore off into the night. Fat Bol was already on his job at the kidnap scene with Shiz. Both of their squads were in full effect. Shiz‟s FTC squad and Fat Bol‟s soldiers from North Philly‟s Badlands together made a force to be reckoned with. They were all in their feelings because of what just happened to Dog. Fat Bol‟s cellphone rung. He answered it and listened for a brief moment. “Word sun, I‟m already on it, word… a‟ight I‟m out.” Fat Bol disconnected the call and barked out a few orders before their squads got caked up in a variety of sooped up, small, fast, Hispanic love cars. Nissan RX7 twin cams and Dotson 2.8s, tinted out with banging, Bose sound systems. But tonight it wouldn‟t be no music playing, only guns spraying. Fat Bol gave a signal, and the two united teams rolled out. 184 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 CLOCK Jordan burst into the family’s red brick colonial house, took the steps to the basement, moved to the walk in safe, opened it, and pulled out ten bricks of crisp one-hundred dollar bills, totaling 10 million dollars. He stuffed the money into a duffel bag and pulled out a Glock .9mm. He looked at it and thought, Damn this ain’t gonna do. “Throw dat shit away,” the voice said coming from behind the computer desk. Jordan turned around to see Hijjy‟s nappy bush protruding overtop the computer‟s screen. Hijjy prided himself on not being seen until it was too late for his enemies. He was deep into studying antiterrorism technologies, guerrilla warfare, and weaponry. He had hacker friends in Israel who had access to counter terrorism research companies with inside people who stole and then sold weapons on the black market. Hijjy looked at his big brother and said, “Hun take these.” He passed Jordan two hand Uzis with infrared beams, silencers, and shoulder holsters from his ample supply of weapons. While Jordan strapped up, he peered at himself in the mirror from the old house with the gold eagle on top and the collage of his childhood friend‟s success. 185 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Behind the house, he switched up cars. He needed the right wheels for the job at hand. He pulled out the driveway pushing his monster car, a black Pontiac GTO. While in motion, past statements made to him began echoing through his brain, strong like a migraine headache. My associates aren’t happy wit what you’re tryna do here, Dapper relayed to him at No Middle Man Records grand opening. It didn‟t stop there; past statements kept flowing through his head while he was driving brazenly towards his destination. Jordan I told you this is a cutthroat biz, Trigger had warned. Jordan was now visibility zoned out. Beads of sweat formed on his brow and trickled down the side of his face. His mind wrestled with the thoughts that he didn‟t take heed to. When he finally pulled into HRM‟s parking lot where he figured Dog was being held, he took a careful look at the tall, dark skyscraper and paused. His last vision was too clear and detailed to ignore. It might have been the one to save his life. Yo, man, he’s dead already; think man think, use your head. They make billions of dollars a year and they’re only askin’…for ten mill. It’s a trap they’re 186 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 gonna kill ya man if you show up, believe dat, Jahid had told him just moments ago. Storm and his team of thugs moved into positions throughout the building once Jordan arrived. They watched Jordan on the security surveillance cameras pull into the parking lot. Everything was at a pause. They were waiting for him to make his move. They needed him to come inside the building so they could kill his ass and not have any evidence spread out the company‟s parking lot. Storm had sensed that something was wrong because Jordan should have been gotten out of his car, like they had instructed him to do. He grabbed Dog up by the back of his neck, muscled him out the office towards the elevator. They entered it and began to descend to the lobby. Dog‟s face brightened up with hope, knowing that his boss was there to save his life. When the elevator reached the lobby, Storm dragged Dog out by his shirt, keeping his gun trained on him. Dog could see clearly out, through the big double, glass doors, and colossal size windows. He didn‟t want to believe what he saw. His facial expression registered horror as he watched Jordan‟s GTO pull out of the parking lot. Fat Bol and Shiz were parked in a Nissan, a halfblock away – watching Jordan‟s back through two pair of binoculars. They saw Jordan drive away, leaving 187 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 the parking lot and Dog to die. From the passenger seat Shiz said, “Bitch ass youngin‟.” Fat Bol readjusted his binoculars and focused his visuals on the lobby area of the dark skyscraper. He saw Storm pulling Dog away from the entrance. Upon seeing this, the combined teams got out the cars, they had parked in the cuts and sprung into action. With guns drawn, they crept towards the building, bearing down on the unsuspecting thugs. Inside the lobby, Storm was asleep on his feet when the glass doors and windows shattered from a hail of gunfire. He and his squad of thugs hit the floor and took cover. Dog‟s peoples stormed the lobby, hurtling though the broken glass at a steady momentum to rescue him. After the initial shock, Storm and his team pulled their selves back together, and then returned fire. It was an all out gun battle, men were getting hit, and bleeding bodies were dropping all over the lobby. Storm tried to race toward the elevator while using Dog as a human shield. Fat Bol couldn‟t let that happen. He jumped up leaving his cover and rushed at Storm, stopped a few feet away, raised his weapon, and fired. Storm was surprised by such an all out move, which cost him the game. He mistakenly let Dog escape his tight grasp he had on him. Now mad 188 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 as hell he busted off several rounds into Fat Bol‟s chest. Fat Bol dropped to his knees, grabbed his chest, raised his hand to look at the blood, and then crashed to the hard, marble floor of the lobby as death called his number. Storm searched around for Dog‟s whereabouts, but it was entirely too much gunfire popping off so he told himself, I’m getting’ the fuck outta here. He hurried to the elevator, jumped on it, and escaped. Shiz spotted Dog crouching down covering his head, he ran over to him, untied his hand, lifted him to his feet and they both quickly escaped through the shot out windows. When the remaining FTC and Badland solders saw their comrades flee, they began squeezing off a deafening swarm of bullets. They kept the pressure on the thugs by firing while backing out of HRM‟s lobby area. Up in HC‟s office, Storm popped out the elevator, feet hurriedly beating the floor. He made eye contact with HC, who was at his desk leaning over a chrome briefcase loading his two twin Glock .45 automatics equipped with beams and sound muzzles. No word were said because HC already saw through the monitor what went on in the lobby. They both headed for the secret escape elevator hidden in the back wall behind a reverse, full length, body mirror. Once inside the 189 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 escape elevator, it became invisible to an untrained eye. In a private parking lot below, HC and Storm emerged. They made their way to a very expensive, fast, mid-night blue Saleen 57. They used it as a getaway car. But they dropped the ball because they didn‟t notice Jahid laying in the cut in a dark vehicle, waiting and watching. When Storm and HC pulled off, Jahid followed them from a safe distance while he speed dialed Shiz. 190 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 CLOSE Jordan sat in his GTO scoping out Dapper‟s mansion. It was so dark inside the premises that he sensed that no one was home. He began to get out his ride, but noticed a charcoal-gray colored Phantom pulling up to the estate. He closed his door back quickly. Once the Phantom came to a stop in the mansion‟s circular driveway, Jordan got out of his car and crept around the other side of the property. As he made his way around the mansion, he peeped Dapper drunkenly, stumbling out the expensive Rolls Royce. The driver drove off, and Dapper walked to his large, oak, wooden, double doors. When Dapper tried to punch his code into the keypad for his electronically controlled locks, he felt the cold, hard steel of Jordan‟s Uzi on the back of his head. “Don‟t move mu‟fucka,” ordered Jordan. Jordan spun him around and put the gun‟s short, silenced barrow in his mouth. “One peep out of ya and I‟ma blow your fuckin‟‟ roof top." Dapper, sober now, totally submitted. “Let‟s go pay your bosses a visit.” “I-it-it‟s no‟ „em.” “Whut, you can‟t talk wit a gun in ya mouth?” 191 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Jordan spat pulling the gun out, then placing it on his forehead. “Whut da fuck you talkin‟ „bout Dapper?” asked Jordan. “It‟s not really them, yeah, HC gave the order for war, but all the bullshit leading up to that point was all Lexicon. He got ulterior motives, his own agenda. It‟s not about this music shit, it‟s about race, it has been and always will be,… he‟s rumored to be involved with a cult, a racist group or some shit like dat, the Patriots they call themselves.” “Where‟s ya proof?” “There‟s no proof on these mu‟fuckas…” “Well shut da fuck up and let‟s go,” ordered Jordan. At gunpoint Jordan, made Dapper walk over to one of the Benzes parked in the driveway. He directed Dapper to get in and drive while he played the backseat. When they drove up to a warehouse, located down in South Philly‟s waterfront, there were all types of low-key, luxury rides and limousines parked outside. Jordan realized he had stumbled onto some kind of meeting that the major players were having. He calmly got out with Dapper and told him, “One false move and you‟ll be the first to die.” Dapper tried to cop-out to no avail. 192 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Jordan concealed his guns in his jacket pockets, still focused on Dapper; they strolled up to the entrance of the warehouse. He then ordered Dapper to knock on the wide doors to get them inside. Jordan was banking on the element of surprise. Dapper tapped on the door. A voice was heard coming from behind the entrance door. “Yeah.” “It‟s Dee.” “Password.” “Black Rain” When the door cracked open, Jordan shoved Dapper through the entrance. The thug posted at the door got caught off guard. When he tried to reach for his weapon, Jordan punched him square in his jaw, knocking him clean out. He hit the ground. Jordan then walked Dapper over to the makeshift conference table filled with the very elite of the music industry. There were twelve people seated already, with one chair left. It belonged to Dapper. Jordan was very familiar with the faces of the head chairmen of the big-five, multi-media conglomerates and major distributors. They were caught in the middle of one of the biggest corporate mergers in music history. They planned to build an empire that would rival Vivendi Universal. “Jordan Major, it‟s so nice of you to join us,” said 193 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 HC. “My pleasure, now shut da fuck up,” Jordan replied coldly. He then noticed some documents on the table. When HC saw that Jordan was eyeing the documents, he tried to slip them away into a briefcase. Jordan stopped him dead in motion. “If ya move ya hand another inch, I‟ll blow your fuckin‟ head off.” He put his gun directly behind Dapper‟s head. “Grab the papers now!” he ordered. Dapper reached over slowly, picked the papers up, and handed them to him. Jordan scanned the merger contract quickly. “Oh-shit, I guess I‟m right on time to be made the head of this monopoly y‟all tryna pull off here. Or should I say gang; the mob would be more like it…” He placed the documents back on the table. “Continue, don‟t let me interrupt. Everybody sign right fuckin‟ now!” Jordan commanded. After all the chairmen signed the paperwork, the last spot was to be signed by HC to finalize the deal. He was to be in control of the largest multi-media conglomerate in the United States. HC grabbed a pen to sign. Just before the pen touched the paper, so that he would be in full control, Jordan blasted Dapper‟s head wide open, and then unloaded both full Uzi clips on the table occupied by the head chairmen killing 194 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 them all except HC. Blood, bones and flesh were splattered everywhere. It was a gory scene in the aftermath. “Now sign everything over to my company,” barked Jordan “You will never get away with this. How you think you gonna explain this, all of us dying and your company takin‟ control of all of our companies merged together?” “Don‟t worry, I‟ll figure it out. Dead men shouldn‟t try to think so hard.” Jordan raised his gun up to HC‟s head, and then yelled, “Sign it over now!” Unexpectedly Storm came out of nowhere; he aimed and took two controlled shoots at Jordan. The first bullet missed, but the second one caught him high up in the back, cutting through his shoulder. He fell to the ground in agonizing pain. HC and Storm stood over him. They began to laugh at and heckle him hysterically. HC kicked Jordan in his injured shoulder. Storm lifted Jordan off the hard floor, shoved him into a chair, and tied his hands behind his back. Then Storm commenced to beat the holy shit out of him. HC tried to get his composure back together, but it was too late as Jahid stepped through the entrance, raised his steel, and popped off several shots of hot lead into HC‟s face. 195 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 His head burst into pieces. His body paused and then slumped to the concrete floor. Jahid then tried to turn his gun on Storm, but Storm spun in time to let off several shots at the same time as Jahid fired his weapon. They simultaneously hit each other. Storm took rounds in his neck and chest, and metal filled Jihad‟s lungs and heart. They fell to their demise as death engulfed them. A strange air of silence filled the room. Jordan sat there tied to the chair, wounded – near death state – in the quiet warehouse, surrounded by nothing but gore and dead bodies. The stench of a morgue was in the steel air. A few minutes passed before Dog, Shiz, and the remaining squad came walking in the bloody warehouse that looked like a slaughterhouse and smelled like death. Jordan was still hanging on disoriented. He looked up and said, “Dog, little man get me da fuck outta here.” Dog walked up to Jordan, pulled out a knife to cut him loose and then paused. Dog‟s mind flashed back to when Jordan‟s GTO pulled out of HRM‟s parking lot, leaving him for dead. “Before I cut ya loose, I got sum‟em I gotta tell you old-head. A lot of bullshit comes along with this music business. It‟s a dog eats dog world, real cut 196 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 throat biz. You gotta be willing to take a youngin‟ out to get to the top just like on the streets. If you want to be the big man, you gotta take out the biggest man no matter who he is.” Dog relayed Jordan‟s own words back to him almost verbatim. Dog then positioned himself real close to Jordan and began stabbing him repeatedly and violently in his stomach and chest. With the last stab, he left the knife stuck in his heart. Jordan was coughing up blood while he tried to get his last word in. “I schooled ya too well, but don‟t forget the real treasure.” He motioned his lifeless head over towards the documents on the table. Dog looked over and saw the paperwork on the table. He lowered his head, signaling for Shiz to go and inspect them. From the size that Shiz eyes grew, Dog knew it was all good. Shiz examined them a few seconds more. “Dog, you ain‟t gonna believe this shit,” he said before handing them over to Dog. Dog looked at them and handed them back to Shiz, who tucked them away. Jordan‟s last words were, “Now you are truly The Big Man, but trust no one, even Trigger. You gotta take‟em out.” Jordan‟s head dropped. He died the classic; you reap what you sow death, as he let out his final breath with a loud hiss. 197 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 Dog, Shiz, and the FTC members walked out of the warehouse with a completely new goal, a completely new aim. The following morning, Trigger with an AR–15 in hand peeped through his window blinds. He saw several suspicious looking vehicles. Some were parked and others were driving past with young, hungry looking youngins' in them. Dog and Shiz were parked a couple blocks away watching the whole scene through hi-powered binoculars. Dog was in deep thought, The game has changed. My team and I will never beef on wax. That’s for bitches. We takin’ all beef to the bricks. I need the block and I’m not sharing it. Do this youngin’ really know what beef is? TO BE CONTINUED 198 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 KEL KDL LITTLE MILYENZ 199 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 RIK CRAN DIABB 200 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 JOHNNY A.C. HAAS 201 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 MAD FLOW Website: YOUTUBE: MR.MADFLOW215 202 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 203 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 RON FOR SDE CLOTHING SDE CLOTHING 204 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 SLEAZE LIL 205 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 MIZZ FAM 206 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 FAM 207 CRAP GAME: Play At Your Own Risk … Volume 1 About the Author Bonz, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Richard Allen City) is a student of life, an artist, intuitive writer, producer, entrepreneur, and urban generalist. He is widely known for his gift of telling a story, be it through musical lyrics that touch one‟s soul or through words that paint vivid pictures or scenes that explode off the page. Bonz is also a member of SEVEN DEUCE ENTERTAINMENT, INC. and HOOD FAME, INC. Bonz 208 CRAP GAME: Game Over … Volume 2 A Trilogy CRAP GAME Game Over Volume 2 BONZ 1 CRAP GAME: Game Over … Volume 2 GAME OVER Trigger, with gat in hand, was sweating madly. He could smell the drama in the air. He was absolutely right as several hulking figures came crashing through his front and back colossus windows. His plush, white, mink carpet was covered with glass and youngins‟ positioning themselves behind his expensive furniture. “Blllat, blllat, blllat, boom, boom, boom.” It only took one-tenth of a second before Trigger responded. “boc, boc, boc.” He started giving it back up to the young boys. Still busting his gun, he rushed up the narrow steps that led to the second floor of his Montgomery County mansion. It began to look like a scene straight out of the movie Scarface, but it wasn‟t Tony Montana getting shot at. It was Trigger himself. The air was getting thick with gun smoke. Trigger was in flight mode, but he kept firing, picking off FTC members one by one. They weren‟t letting up on killing him either. Just when he thought he was getting away, he caught a slug square in his back. The force from the bullet spun him around into a three-sixty. Trigger was from the old school. He had stamina and plenty of tricks up his sleeve. He ripped 2 CRAP GAME: Game Over … Volume 2 off his shirt exposing a bulletproof tee shirt. He kept it moving, still pulling the trigger of his rifle. When FTC‟s main hit squad advanced forward, they saw Trigger dash into a backroom. They thought they had him trapped. It was a miscalculation because Trigger being the old solider that he is, was also sly as a fox. FTC‟s squad members crept up the long, dark hallway confidently, letting off rounds into the closed doors. One of the gunmen ran up to the room door, kicked it in, and went inside. He caught one right between his hairline and eyebrows. His brains painted the door and walls. The sight of it made the rest of them hesitate a second too long. Then when anger overrode fear, they all madly rushed the room‟s entrance. By the time the shots stopped, they had squeezed off hundreds of rounds; the door looked like a beehive. They slowly moved to the closet door, snatched what was left of the door off the hinges to find an empty closet with a secret escape hatch, but no dead Trigger. Below the mansion in his seven-car garage Trigger was frantically putting on his Teflon vest and midnight helmet that shielded his eyes. He jumped on his Ducati 999R and brung it to life all in one motion. He knew that at this point it wasn‟t nothing more to do but make a run for it. He revved the bike 3 CRAP GAME: Game Over … Volume 2 up as one of the side escape hatches opened up. He planned to go hard as he lifted his motorcycle up and out the hatch. Bullets were flying from all angles. It was as if the DC snipers were camped out in his backyard and decided to open fire on him and him alone. His swift maneuvering only brought him a small head start on Dog and the FTC gang. Trigger roared out like a madman, lifting his bike up, balancing it with one hand while bussing a Glock .45 with the other hand. He lived for drama like this. That‟s the only thing Dog didn‟t bank on and Jordan didn‟t get a chance to hip him to. Trigger narrowly escaped the home invasion. Adrenalin rushing, he weaved in and out of the line of fire and gunned his bike down the block. Wind gushed under the bottom of his helmet making his eyes water. The feeling of revenge was in his heart and mind, and he knew exactly who would have to pay for the intrusion. He began to giggle, and then slightly laugh, then more and more until it turned into the laughter of a madman. “I‟m kill them little mu‟fuckas, kill them dead I mean dead!” Back at the scene, Shiz asked Dog, “Should we run dat bitch youngin‟ down?” 4 CRAP GAME: Game Over … Volume 2 “Nah, let dat sucker ride fo‟right now. We caused a big enough scene as it is without chasin‟ dis clown all over Philly,” replied Dog. “Then let‟s get da fuck up and outta here.” Hearing the police sirens getting closer Dog agreed, “I‟m wit ya. Let‟s be out youngin‟.” Shiz put the car in drive, and they burnt the road up. 5 CRAP GAME: Game Over … Volume 2 TWO One month passed by, and the pressure was on to find him, the only person that could pull off a scam of this magnitude. Dog had every member out seriously trying to find him. Jordan tried his best to keep him shielded from the evils of the streets. However, by sheltering him, it turned him into one of the best computer hackers and conmen in the world, and he held underground hacking titles to prove it. It had been years since Dog last saw him. Dog‟s team had searched the whole city for Jordan‟s younger brother Hijjy, without the slightest success. He was like a ghost and had been for years. Just when Dog had begun to think of using the drastic move of grabbing Jordan Jr., his cell phone began to buzz. “Bizzz – bizzz – bizzz.” “Yeah.” “Looking fo‟ me champ?” Hijjy said laughing. “Yup.” “Why would ya be doin‟ somethin‟ stupid like that. You know that‟s impossible. I‟m invisible.” “Yeah, I fully understand that now, but I need to holler at ya „bout some biz,” said Dog. “A‟ight, meet me at the river at night fall.” 6 CRAP GAME: Game Over … Volume 2 “I‟ll be there.” The wind blowing off the Delaware River was both calming and threatening at the same time. Dog and Hijjy could smell the death in the night‟s air. The city of brotherly love is also the city of death and destruction. The walk along the docks was very important to Hijjy as well as Dog. Dog was explaining to Hijjy about the past murders especially about his older brother Jordan. He gave up all tapes except the most critical part of him finishing Jordan off so he could gain control of the Crap Game. However, the purpose of the meeting was so that Hijjy could come up with the ultimate scheme to legitimize the transfer of the new and one of the largest multi-media conglomerates the world had ever seen. “No problem.” Hijjy agreed. “When?” asked Dog. “You‟ll see it, soon enough.” “And whut is dis shit gonna cost me?” “Ten-mill, and my brother‟s killer.” “Hijjy, from my understanding, the killer was dead right along with Jordan. All the bodies were right there and all the players were dead,” replied Dog. 7 CRAP GAME: Game Over … Volume 2 “That‟s bullshit Dog…that‟s my deal. Take it or leave it.” “A‟ight, a‟ight man I got ya, it‟s ah deal.” “Do ya have the paperwork wit you?” “Nah, you think I‟m crazy?” “Well, send it to me through cyberspace.” “It‟s on its way right now.” “How did you get my…” “Hijjy, you didn‟t think you was the only ghost in town did ya?‟ “Right, right Dog and don‟t think you are as slick as you think you are big man. Just find my brother‟s killer and have my money.” With that said Hijjy began to walk away, long black trench coat blowing in the wind, as the documents started to roll up on his handheld windows Mobile PC. The next morning brought the smog of Philly‟s tall buildings, Hispanic bodegas, Chinese stores, breakfast spots, and steak shops located on various corners. Within it all, the best was the smell of cheese steaks with fried onions from the Hoagie Factory at 72nd and Ogontz Avenues. 8 CRAP GAME: Game Over … Volume 2 But the talk of the morning wasn‟t about Philly‟s best cheese steaks. It was what was going on at the newsstand across the street from the Hoagie Factory. The front pages of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News read: HC, the Head Chairman of HRM, and his constituents have formed a multi-media conglomerate that had not been named, but was sold to a mysterious, offshore company named LUV, which was represented by a lawyer from the Grand Caymans. According to the contractbackdated way before the gruesome murders about a year or so, the company offered HC and the board of director billions for the U.S. conglomerate. The company retained all artists under management contracts for a fee equal to 100 million dollars a year. 9 CRAP GAME: Game Over … Volume 2 When Dog awoke to the good news, he felt that his new mission was only halfway accomplished, but he knew that he still had a lot of work to put in. First on his list was to find Hijjy and kill his ass because he had an eerie feeling that Hijjy was planning to kill him to revenge Jordan. 10 CRAP GAME: Game Over … Volume 2 THREE In the cut lies a small peaceful convent, hidden right off of West River Drive. He awoke to find himself strapped down to the bed. What the fuck is going on? He thought to himself through a foggy mind. After viciously struggling to break his restraints to no avail, he gave up his fight for freedom. His beaten and battered body forced his struggle. Detective Face looked around frantically trying to assess his surroundings. His assessment became a horrifying intense feeling of repugnance and fear. As the terror subsided a little, he began to think about the events that led up to this moment. Lying on a broken down hospital bed with arms, feet and body restraints, deep down in the damp dark dungeon type basement of the convent, Detective Face thought back to the night that his partner and himself were staked out – outside of Jordan Major‟s and his partner in crime Jihad‟s bootlegging operation warehouse. His mind drifted back to the thought of seeing two headlights, “no maybe one perhaps four.” His 11 CRAP GAME: Game Over … Volume 2 mind searched in hope to find some kind of recognition. Then it hit him. “I‟m dead, no I‟m alive, no I‟m supposed to be dead. No I was drowning!” Panic started to sink in. “No I‟m Detective Carter Face and I work for the Philadelphia Police department.” The meaning behind that thought brought him back to his senses. His mind went back to the night when a front-end truck smashed into his unmarked car killing his partner. He also remembered the car filling with water like a fish tank. The feel of certain death started to overwhelm him, but an incredible surge of anger and adrenaline rushed though his body. He reacted by kicking the window out and swimming furiously for his life. He was fighting the cold murky water of the Schuylkill River all the way to the top. When he reached the surface, he began to fight against the fast moving current. Struggling to survive he had to rumble against the mighty waters and lost. In spite of his efforts, he submitted to fatigue and passed out letting the water have its way with his weak and weary body. Moments later, his 12 CRAP GAME: Game Over … Volume 2 unconscious body washed up onto the banks of the Schuylkill River. In the distance, he heard women‟s voices approaching getting closer and closer. It was sister Betty and her two goons approaching the detective‟s bruised and batter body. They picked him up and carried his limp body to his doom. As he lay in the dark dungeon, his senses started to recognize the sounds and smells from his surroundings. It was hard to make out, but he couldn‟t get that one sound out of his head. It was the sound of speedboats. “Yes, that‟s what they are,” he concluded. Moreover, there were several speedboats. And the smell of the Schuylkill River filled his nose. His mind raced to put two and two together. “A search party, I know the hum of the department‟s speed boats,” he said in a low tone. For the first time in a while detective Face heard the tone of his own voice. In addition, it gave him the confidence that he needed to remain alive. 13 Order Form Just fill out the blank below and return with payment to the location listed below: A Trilogy: Crap Game: Play At Your Own Risk- Volume 1 by Bonz Can be ordered by mail or online Send $15.00 money orders To: c/o SEVEN DEUCE ENT. PO Box 9201 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19139 Add $ 3.50 for shipping/handling and Allow 7-10 days for delivery Send money order payable to M. Robertson No cash or CODs please… Copy or return this Book Order Coupon …………………………………………............................. Name_____________________________________________ Shipping location____________________________________ Number of copies______ Amount enclosed___________ Check box if you are interested in hosting or attending a book signing or arranging a speaking engagement. Thanks you for your support. For more information about scheduling speaking engagements, small community or family gatherings and/or to order books: Email at bondzm1@aol.com