Gangsta Rap

by Benjamin Zephaniah

  ‘This is not a large company, but we’re like a family here,’ said Duncan, sitting back in his chair under a picture of a gold Lamborghini. ‘And we like to take care of our artists. Has Skelly been looking after you?’

  ‘So far so good,’ replied Marga Man.

  ‘Good, that’s the way we do it. And Skelly, what’s your plan of action?’

  ‘I think the best way of marketing the band is to go straight for the hard core hip-hop fans, regardless of age of course. We know that the band will attract many kids but we would also expect that a high percentage of the consumers will be people between the ages of sixteen and thirty. It’s also very important that we try to get all those people that buy American hip-hop to start investing in local product,’ said Skelly.

  ‘Product?’ said Tyrone.

  ‘Yeah, and consumers?’ added Ray.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ said Skelly, ‘it’s all just jargon that we use in the business.’

  ‘Don’t let the jargon worry you, just be rappers and don’t let anything stand in your way,’ said Duncan. ‘If you don’t mind me asking,’ he added, fiddling with his fountain pen, ‘what age are you?’

  ‘Why do you want to know, is that something else that can be marketed?’ Ray asked.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ said Duncan, sensing friction, ‘you certainly won’t be hyped up because of your age. It’s all going to be about the arrival of British hip-hop. The Western Alliance may be on their way, but you have arrived.’

  ‘Who’s the Western Alliance?’ Ray asked, looking around his crew.

  ‘They’re not very good,’ said Duncan.

  ‘They’re a rap group from west London who have just signed to Damage Limitation Records. They’re led by a guy called Dragon, half-black, half-Chinese, looks tough, sounds tough, but he can’t rap. Don’t worry about them, they can’t touch you guys anyway,’ said Skelly.

  After five minutes of talking about the state of British hip-hop, Duncan promised the boys that they would make lots of money together, then he excused himself and left for another meeting. Skelly assured Marga Man that they were in for a long and prosperous relationship and promised that the contract would be in the post within the week.

  As the band made their way slowly back to the East End in the rush hour traffic there was plenty of talk about Duncan and Skelly.

  Ray started by asking, ‘Hey Marga Man, that Skelly guy, was it him who you played the CD to when you got the deal?’

  Marga Man nodded.

  ‘But you called him a suit, he didn’t look like a suit to me. I couldn’t even imagine seeing him in a suit.’

  ‘Don’t be fooled by his disguise. Under dem pyjamas dat yu see him wearing there’s a businessman, just like de other boy. Dem have one ting on their mind, believe me. Look, let me tell yu someting. I only meet him once before and now him asking me how’s me wife, him know nothing ’bout my wife, never see her in him life. And yu see the way him shake me hand? Dat’s not because him love me yu know, dat’s not because him care about me family and their well-being yu know, dat’s because him smell money. So any time you hear dem people talk about how much dem want to do for you, or how great yu sound, or any time dem start talk about a long and prosperous relationship, remember de bottom line is money. Dem is spending money on yu to mek money for demselves. Trust me.’

  That night, back in the studio, the band did a remix of ‘War Cry’, guided by Marga Man. They changed the snare drum sound and gave the percussions a more prominent position. The attitude and tone of the rap sounded the same, but after taking out some of the more melodic elements the new mix was minimalist but more danceable.

  Marga Man had arranged for a photographer to come in and photograph the boys as they worked. The idea was that photos of them at work would give the impression of a hard-working band, but the boys couldn’t resist doing a bit of posing. After all, they were a rap band.

  A week later, after Marga Man had completed the process of registering Positive Negatives as a cooperative company, he took the first steps towards opening a company bank account. All he needed to complete the process was the signature of the boys’ parents. And then the contract arrived from Deaf Defying Records. The band discussed it with the aid of the music agreements book, checking the advance payments and the percentages they were to receive, and making sure that all of their territorial concerns had been incorporated into the deal. They were happy with it, they signed it, and Marga Man delivered it by hand to the record company with the master tapes of the recordings.

  For the first time in their lives the boys felt a real sense of responsibility. It was the first time any of them had signed a legal document, it was the first time any of them had entered into a business agreement, and it was the first time they had seen any value placed on what they were doing. They were all feeling quietly nervous but they were all feeling good. All they had to do now was record the album.

  Chapter 9

  In the Public Domain

  The time had come for the school to see how things were going. Bunny was sent an assessment form that he had to fill in and the boys and their parents were asked to attend a meeting with Mr Lang.

  On the day of the meeting the boys and their mothers lined up outside Mr Lang’s office. As before, none of their fathers made an effort to attend, but there was a father figure – Ray had insisted that Marga Man come along. The mothers and Marga Man were uneasy together. The mothers were all aware of him and his music shop, and they would have all preferred for the boys not to spend so much time there, but they were also aware that if they were not spending their time in the music shop they could be hanging out in places which were a lot more unsavoury.

  And then there was Marga Man, of the same generation as the mothers, but feeling like one of the boys.

  Marga Man waited outside whilst inside Mr Lang congratulated the boys on the feedback he was receiving.

  ‘I told you it would be fine, but this is outstanding,’ Mr Lang said, pointing to three folders on his desk. ‘Not a bad word about any of you, just praise, praise, and more praise. I am thoroughly delighted, and I hope that you are too.’

  ‘Things are cool,’ said Prem.

  ‘Yeah, just cool,’ Ray added.

  ‘Good, very good,’ said Mr Lang.

  ‘If things are so cool and so very good, when will my son be sitting his exams?’ asked Mrs Sharma as if she were continuing her speech from the last meeting.

  ‘It is possible,’ said Mr Lang, ‘that we could get to the stage where, if we all agreed, the boys could be given a kind of probationary period back in school. But they would have an awful lot of catching up to do, and I think we have some way to go before we get to that stage. But I have no doubt in my mind that the approach we are taking at the moment is the best.’

  It didn’t matter what Mr Lang said, Mrs Sharma remained unsure. ‘So what stage are we at now?’ she asked. ‘I am worried; worried that he won’t be a doctor or a proper singer. I ask him to play something on the sitar and he can’t, then I ask him to sing for me and all he can do is play me a CD with that hipordy hopordy music.’

  ‘One minute, Mrs Sharma. Yes, I have been informed about the CD that they’ve recorded, and also the record deal. This is very exciting. Tell me more,’ Mr Lang said, turning his attention to the boys.

  ‘Yeah,’ Ray said, as if he were bringing someone on stage. ‘At this point in the proceedings I would like to introduce to you our producer and manager. You see we formed a cooperative and our fourth member is right outside. Can he come in?’

  ‘Of course,’ said Mr Lang.

  Ray went and opened the door. ‘Yo, Marga Man, step forward.’

  Marga Man was seated, the back of his head resting on the wall and his eyes closed, giving Ray the impression that he was sleeping. There was urgency in Ray’s voice.

  ‘Marga Man, get it together, man.’

  Marga Man opened his eyes. ‘I’m here, man and it’s all together.’ He stood up and followed Ra
y into the office.

  ‘This is my man, Marga Man,’ Ray said, full of pride. ‘Producer, manager, overseer and businessman extraordinaire.’

  ‘Easy on de extraordinaire business, me is just a hustler man, just a survivor,’ Marga Man said as he adjusted his clothing.

  Mr Lang stretched his arm out over his desk to shake Marga Man’s hand. ‘Pleased to meet you, I have heard about you. I heard that you helped the boys to record a CD and that you’re being a great inspiration to them.’

  ‘Not really,’ Marga Man replied modestly. ‘They get on and do their thing and I just hold it all together. They create de beats, they write de raps, and it was they who decided to form de cooperative, so they are de creative force, I is just like a spectator throwing in comments from de side line.’

  ‘I’m sure you’re much more than just a spectator,’ said Mr Lang. ‘Tell me about this track that you have recorded.’

  Marga Man looked around the room for a CD player. ‘You want hear dis bad beat?’

  Mr Lang was keen. ‘Yes, of course, that would be wonderful.’

  ‘It’s unhealthy, you wait until you hear it,’ said Mrs Sharma. ‘It’s very loud.’

  Marga Man couldn’t see a player. ‘Where can we go to play it?’

  ‘Right here,’ said Mr Lang, pointing to his computer. ‘This thing has two forty-watt sub woofer speakers. It’s, erm, well it’s heavy.’

  Marga Man went and stood by the computer. He put his hand in the inside pocket of his jacket as if to get the CD, but he kept his hand there and began to make a speech.

  ‘Yes, well, right now I have something to say, is a little announcement ting yu know. Now, for de first time, right here, right now, I can show yu de finished CD single, in its own case wid photographs, artwork done, and everything.’ He took the CD out of his pocket and held the front cover so that all could see.

  ‘Yes,’ said Ray, on seeing himself posing on the front cover in front of the other two.

  ‘Now that’s cool,’ said Tyrone.

  ‘Nice one,’ said Prem.

  ‘Nice what?’ said his mother.

  ‘It’s just nice,’ said Prem. ‘That record’s going to be in the shops soon.’

  ‘That’s right,’ said Marga Man. ‘And dat’s another ting, we have a release date two weeks from today, and next week we need two days to do a video shoot. The idea dat I put to dem is dat we do de shoot local, partly in de studio and some in Epping Forest, and they went for it. And one more ting, there is a very large cheque in de post.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Nice.’

  ‘Great,’ the boys all shouted as they touched fists.

  ‘Yes, very good,’ said Mr Lang. ‘So now, let’s hear this bad beat.’

  Marga Man put the CD in the drive drawer and let it play. The boys’ heads started nodding, the mothers listened impassively, and Mr Lang wasn’t happy with the sound. He went over to the computer, guided the cursor to the Stop button, and began to play the CD again. This time he raised the volume, and then he pumped up the low frequencies on the bass.

  The boys beamed happiness, the mothers didn’t, and Marga Man looked like a jolly Jamaican Father Christmas as he began to produce copies of the CD from various pockets of his multi-pocketed coat and hand them to all present. Various degrees of interest were shown as the mothers examined the artwork. Mrs Sharma even managed a very slight smile, but as Mr Lang listened to the recording he knew how much work had gone in it. When the two mixes had been played he stood next to Marga Man to say his piece.

  ‘This is really superb,’ he said. ‘I’m very impressed. I knew that you had been getting on well on the technological side of things, and I knew you had plans to record, but I must say I had no idea that you had gone this far. Well done, all of you, well done.’ He clapped his hands four times before he realised that no one was joining in with him, then he stopped. ‘Well, that will be all, unless any of you have any questions or concerns that you would like to raise.’

  ‘Yes, I have a concern,’ said Tyrone’s mother, directing her words at Marga Man. ‘You are supposed to be managing these boys, and now you make a record and you have a bank account and business and all them things, but who are you? I am not being funny, I don’t want to cause offence or anything like that, but we only hear about you, we don’t know you. All we hear is that you’re cool, and you’re safe, and you’re sound, but that is not enough, especially now that you’ve gone into business with our children and that money is involved. And another thing that I wonder, are these boys ready to actually go into a business arrangement now? They are just children.’

  ‘That’s right,’ said Prem’s mother. ‘Me and my husband have talked about this already at home, but now that we are all together we should talk about it. This is important.’

  Marga Man responded confidently. ‘Yes, I can understand what you’re saying, and if I was in your position I would ask de same questions. All I can say is dis. I care ’bout these boys too, like you I don’t want to see dem on de streets doing nothing, and I don’t want to know dat dem ending up in de police station. But I know dat what dem love is music, and dem have musical skills of de highest order. Yes dem can do dis music ting without me, but I know ’bout de business side of tings, I can guide dem. We have set up our business in a cooperative way, but yo, dis wasn’t my idea, dis was de way de boys wanted it. And yu know what, although it is a co-op, it is set up so dat if de main body of de band is not happy wid de manager they can sack him any time. So as soon as they are not happy with me dem can get rid of me. I can’t get rid of dem, but dem can get rid of me as quick as Jack Flash.’

  ‘Well, that sounds pretty reasonable to me,’ Ray’s mother said. ‘But what about the money that you just get, and money that you will get in the future? Who is in control of all that?’

  ‘OK,’ Marga Man continued. ‘As was de wish of de boys, we have equal control, is like we are all directors. The arrangement I set up wid de bank says dat all cheques must be signed by two people. Now when it comes to buying equipment or other tings like dat, we must all agree upon it, and de money will come from de account. When we decide to pay ourselves again we must all agree on de amount and we will all get an equal share, unless we agree otherwise. For example, right now I am proposing dat de boys take out some money from de payment we are about to receive in order to get some clothes. They need to look cool yu know, video shoots and tings like dat demand sharp-looking brothers. I will not be including myself in dis withdrawal ’cause I look cool already.’

  The boys laughed.

  ‘And I also tink dat after dem work so hard de boys need some spending money, not too much, just enough to give dem a chance to taste de good life, yu know what I mean. So de way we doing tings is simple and straightforward, I know dat we can make dis ting work so everyting must be above board, transparent yu know, boni fido.’

  ‘It’s bona fide,’ said Prem, trying to whisper across the room, ‘not boni fido.’

  Mr Lang began to straighten the files on his desk. ‘Well, that sounds like a wonderful idea to me, but to be perfectly honest I think those are things you can talk about between yourselves. I’m a little pushed for time at the moment, so if you don’t mind I think we should wrap up now.’

  Outside Mr Lang’s office Marga Man began to pull brown envelopes from his multi-pocketed coat. He handed one to each of the mothers.

  ‘Dat is bank business. De bank needs de signatures of de parents because of de ages of de boys yu see, so just sign de form and everyting will be cool. If yu have any questions just ask me, or seek advice from an independent financial adviser, as they say in de commercials. Don’t worry, all is good. ’

  Tyrone and Ray’s mothers took the envelopes with some hesitation, but Prem’s mother kept her hand firmly at her side.

  ‘Is nothing to worry about. Tink of it like dis, yu son is a businessman now, a director, we doing tings properly, boni fido. And him don’t really have nothing to lose ’cause there is no
up-front financial investment, him only investing him talent.’

  Prem’s mother slowly held out her hand.

  ‘Yes, missus,’ Marga Man said, nodding his head and handing her the envelope. ‘Strictly business.’

  * * *

  That weekend the boys went on a shopping spree. On Saturday they explored Stratford and Ilford shopping centres before heading for the West End where, despite having to travel by bus, they really began to act like a rap band. In the past they would have been looked upon as suspicious in most of the shops but now they were desirables, and the cheesy chat-up lines they delivered to the most beautiful shop assistants were greeted with smiles as they were accompanied to changing rooms. The clothes they were trying on had to work well in movement, and so the boys entertained many other customers as they danced in front of mirrors. On Sunday they went for haircuts. Each haircut was different – each one of them wore a different map of tramlines on their head.

  Come Monday they were back in the classroom but on Tuesday it was time to start the video shoot. There was no concept to it and no story, just a performance to camera with a few extra-big men to make it look a bit tough, and a few skinny models to make it look sexy, all provided at the expense of the record company. It was harder work than the band had thought it would be – they thought that they could get through it all quite quickly, but the director made them do several takes of every section. And they didn’t like miming. When they had to mime for the indoor shots away from the public it wasn’t too bad, but they felt silly when they began to shoot in the park and crowds gathered to see what was happening.

  Word was beginning to get around. The three boys who had become known for their confrontational behaviour and for continually chasing girls were now generating positive rumours. But these became more than just rumours three weeks later when, one week after its release, the single ‘War Cry’ was at number nine in the charts. Radio stations all over Britain were constantly playing it and it was receiving considerable airplay around the world too. To the boys’ delight it was even being well received by both commentators and fans in North America. However, the video turned out to be disappointing for the boys, as the female models’ butts and crotches seemed to take up more scene time than the boys themselves. It was played on a couple of Saturday morning kids’ shows, but when the band received an offer to appear on Top of the Pops, the video was forgotten and they had to have their first major debate.