Around eight o'clock the next morning, Leon was still in a dream when he vaguely felt a warm touch on his cheek. He opened his eyes in a daze and saw Taylor's figure blinking her eyelashes and smiling sweetly at him.
"I have to go, honey. Remember, you can't refuse my calls no matter when~"
After speaking, she turned and left the love nest in Beverly Hills, got into the commercial van surrounded by her assistant team, and headed to Los Angeles International Airport for a flight to Louisville.
This time, her footprints will cover all major southern cities, completing the third stage of the "Speak Now" tour.
From after the Christmas holiday until next March, there will be a long tour gap period, followed by the fourth stage "Oceania" tour.
By then, the tour, which lasted for a year with a total of 111 shows, will completely end.
After a simple wash, Leon dialed Dre's number. The two agreed to meet in Bel-Air to make the final effort for Eminem's performance in The Rap of America.
Just put down the phone, the ringtone rang again.
Tim's nagging came from the other end of the phone. "Why did you suddenly run to Los Angeles? Listen, spray less trash talk on social media and cause less trouble; this is no good for you..."
The other party's tone carried a hint of resentment, and the reason was easy to guess.
Regarding Leon's black traffic hype plan, Columbia Records mostly supports or even condones it.
The premise is to find valuable hype targets and not get himself into prison.
The old melon between Eminem and Mariah Carey has long lost its commercial value, and even tabloid magazines are no longer interested in it.
Leon's puzzling operation of firing shots on Blue Bird was incomprehensible to Tim, who once regarded it as a young man proud of his appearance looking for trouble.
Until hearing the news of inspiration for new works from his mouth, the other party immediately changed his face, flattering in his words, daring not complain a bit anymore.
Bel-Air is a famous wealthy community in Los Angeles, forming the famous Platinum Triangle of Los Angeles with the adjacent Holmby Hills and Beverly Hills.
Different from the flamboyant Beverly Hills, this place has more "old money" temperament and is the favorite of most film investors and corporate executives.
Dre chose to settle here among his more than ten properties. It is not difficult to see the tendency to lean towards old money capitalists.
On the way to Bel-Air, Leon clasped his hands behind his head, staring blankly out the window.
Thinking about the recording issue of Shallow.
In terms of song quality alone, this is undoubtedly a masterpiece.
The high-pitched and poignant chorus can pull people back to the golden age of "big vocals" in the 90s in a second.
But the problem is that the most brilliant part of the whole song lies in the female vocal section. Who will feature became a problem that must be solved before the official recording starts.
The names of four female singers popped up in his head.
Beyoncé's solid singing skills and rich voice can perfectly master this song;
Although Ariana's voice thickness is slightly insufficient and her aura is weaker, she can definitely complete the task relying on the singing skills exercised on Broadway;
Taylor's voice is too sweet and not very suitable for Shallow, but featuring her would be the gameplay with the highest topic degree;
The last choice is the original singer of the song, Lady Gaga.
She and Leon, one is a rebellious female singer, the other is a highly controversial male singer.
Both are the most maverick existences in the current music scene. If cooperation can be facilitated, the heat can be foreseen.
After struggling for more than ten minutes, he still couldn't make a decision. Dre's huge manor had appeared in his vision.
A distinct advantage of Bel-Air real estate compared to Beverly Hills is the area.
Dre's mansion looks mainly white from the outside, and the land area and size are not inferior to Diddy's mansion in Long Island.
This has broken away from the scope of a big house; it is more appropriate to call it a manor.
Leon called Dre, and two minutes later, he walked into the manor under the guidance of the housekeeper.
A large lawn in front of the white house was transformed into a small golf course. A tall and thin figure like a bamboo pole could be seen from a distance.
Snoop Dogg, the current flag-bearer of West Coast rap, wearing an indigo floral T-shirt, a blunt in his mouth, bent over and clumsily made a swinging motion.
"Snoop!"
"Leon Bro~" Snoop lowered his sunglasses. Seeing Leon's figure, he immediately dropped the club and welcomed him. "Haven't seen you for a while, Bro, but I listen to your works every day."
"By the way, how did you come up with such a genius idea of combining rap and country music?" Saying that, the two shook hands first and then bumped fists.
Compared to 50 Cent and Kendrick, Leon is not that familiar with this West Coast legend.
The first meeting between the two was at the NBA Christmas game last year. At that time, Leon was just a slightly famous newcomer, a soldier under JAY-Z.
After exchanging pleasantries for less than two minutes, under Dre's greeting, the two walked into the white house. The room was full of familiar figures—50 Cent, Kendrick, Eminem...
Famous black actor Denzel Washington also appeared here unexpectedly.
Dre made a cameo appearance in his movie Training Day in 2001. Since then, the two have formed a deep friendship.
As soon as Leon entered the door, he attracted everyone's attention. 50 Cent got up and gave him a signature bear hug.
Pushing 50 Cent away, he teased: "This looks like a black Mafia family gathering. Are you forcing Eminem to sign some territory cession agreement?"
Eminem's originally serious expression couldn't hold it immediately, shaking his head while laughing.
Leon deliberately sat beside him and said with a smile: "Now you don't have to be nervous; you are no longer the only white person in this room."
With two jokes, he quickly integrated into the relaxed atmosphere here.
Dre snapped his fingers to summon the housekeeper. Two minutes later, whiskey and expensive Cuban aged cigars were placed in front of everyone.
"Today's theme is family, a family gathering. Everyone hasn't gathered together to have a good chat for a while." Dre puffed smoke and said with the absolute big brother attitude: "Although everyone enjoys making money, occasionally we need to stop and enjoy life. Enjoying with brothers is meaningful."
"Boss is right! I think something is missing here. How about calling some chicks over to cheer up~" Just as 50 Cent finished speaking, Kendrick also started booing on the side.
"Of course, the girls are on their way. Soon butts of various colors will fill every corner here." Dre raised his glass and scanned around. "Cheers to family!"
"Cheers!"
After two glasses of whiskey, the atmosphere became more relaxed and active.
More than ten minutes later, the first batch of call girls arrived. Although they had different skin colors and looks, the common point lay in the plump taillights and technologically-enhanced chests.
Investing heavily in medical beauty on the body, one can tell at a glance that they are high-end call girls hanging out in wealthy areas all year round.
Eminem held a black girl who looked like Mariah Carey, chatting with Dre while puffing smoke.
Leon wanted to take advantage of the alcohol to get closer, but Denzel Washington leaned over to his side.
Opening with a bombardment of flattery, "It's my honor to meet you here at Dre's. I've wanted to know you, a talented young man, for a long time. Straight Outta Compton is the best black movie in history. I have no doubt it can bring back big awards at the Oscars next year."
"Me too, buddy. You are the greatest black actor in history. I've been your fan since I was a child..."
After a simple probe, Washington breathed a sigh of relief. In front of "Street Jesus," he had absolutely no big shot aura.
Although he played the legendary New York drug lord Frank Lucas in the movie American Gangster, after all, that was just a movie.
Compared to this young man in front of him who was involved in violent conflicts many times, he really couldn't talk about any rank on the street.
"I've been following your war of words with Will Smith these days. His attack on you is simply unreasonable, like a child throwing a tantrum..."
Before the other party finished speaking, Leon interrupted him. "There is no war of words between Will and me; I'm passively fighting back. I agree with your point of view very much. He is like a mama's boy who never grows up; his wife Jada is more like his mother."
"You are absolutely right! That guy is an out-and-out bastard and hypocrite!" Mentioning Will's name, Washington seemed to have a stomach full of trash talk to spray.
The reason is not difficult to guess. Seats for black actors in Hollywood are limited. There are only three recognized super-first-class black actors: Denzel Washington, Will Smith, and Morgan Freeman.
Among them, the ecological niche overlap between Will Smith and Denzel Washington is extremely high.
When attending major award ceremonies, the two always show a friendly attitude towards each other, but this is just routine acting in the entertainment industry.
Male animals in extreme competitive relationships cannot live in peace.
Even father-son relationships cannot be spared in extreme competition.
There is only one position for the emperor. Stories of mutual persecution between old emperors and heirs have been staged repeatedly in history.
From multiple movies with the same theme such as I Am Legend vs. The Book of Eli, and Ali vs. The Hurricane, one can catch a glimpse of how fierce the comprehensive competition between Will and Washington is.
There are wins and losses between the two. Will has an absolute leading advantage in commercial value, but lags far behind Washington in reputation and award nominations.
"Listen buddy, Will is calling on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to boycott Straight Outta Compton. If your movie registers for the Oscar selection, he will do his best to prevent this movie from entering the nomination list." Washington pushed away the girl beside him and reminded in a low voice pretending to be mysterious.
"I know, but this won't happen." Leon pretended not to care. "I already have a deep understanding of this industry. If he still treats me as a rookie who can be manipulated at will, he is very wrong. I will make him pay the price."
When he first entered the film industry, Leon's head was full of thoughts of grabbing a handful and running.
With the start of shooting Ready Player One and the formal establishment of SLW Apocalypse film company, he no longer has a playful mentality.
Box office and awards are equally important for a start-up independent production company.
Based on the simple truth of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend," Leon followed the topic to win over Washington. "My film company is on the way to expansion. We will shoot at least two new movies this year. Will's little tricks can't affect me at all. Thank you for telling me all this. If there is a chance, I look forward to working with you, a great actor."
Light flashed in Washington's eyes, and he immediately patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, buddy. I have many friends in AMPAS. I will do my best to prevent such injustice from happening at the Oscars!"
Leon curved the corners of his mouth, raised his glass and said, "Just like Dre said, everyone sitting in this room is family. For friends, I always treat them with the best wine, while for enemies, only shotguns welcome them."
Washington's smile froze immediately. After stunning for two seconds, he recovered. "Cheers, Fck Will!"
"Fck Will~" The two clinked glasses and swallowed a big mouthful of whiskey.
When the party reached its climax, 50 Cent proposed taking the girls to the outdoor pool to play diving games. Kendrick and Snoop responded positively.
But Eminem declined the invitation. After finishing the conversation with Dre, he took the initiative to lean towards Leon.
His expression was always serious, but this did not represent his true thoughts.
People who use drugs or alcohol for a long time often give people a melancholy and serious feeling due to nerve damage.
After half a minute of silence, he took advantage of the alcohol to speak: "Bro, I talked a lot with Dre just now. Thank you for what you did for me."
In this beef between him and Mariah Carey, almost no one stood by his side. Most people treated him as a delusional maniac with a fried brain.
He tried to change this situation. In 2010, he created the single No Love and actively invited his old rival Lil Wayne to feature.
But this cooperation received the opposite effect. Eminem performed too brilliantly in the cooperation, dedicating one of the best verses of his career, completely overshadowing Lil Wayne.
Under the provocation of haters, the two sides went into opposition again.
"You don't need to thank me, buddy. We are family. I will never forget how the West Coast family supported me when I was attacked by Diddy and his group." Leon said, "Kendrick took a slap for me, 50 Cent stood up for me in the nightclub. Now I just gave Nick that bastard a small warning on social media; such a small matter is simply insignificant."
The sincere big-picture speech moved Eminem endlessly, lowering his head, not knowing what he was thinking.
Although Leon has always worked closely with the West Coast, Eminem has never had a good impression of him.
Two people with strong personalities naturally have rejection reactions, especially after witnessing Leon creating garbage news to occupy headlines all day long.
"Soon I will write a highly lethal diss track for Kendrick to get his face back. Whether it's Drake or Will Smith, they must pay their debts!" To win Eminem's trust, Leon did what he was best at—painting big pictures (making empty promises).
Although there was not even a shadow of the diss work now.
A "sincere" conversation moved Eminem very much, re-examining and accepting this family member in his heart.
At this time, he extended his right hand proactively, light in his eyes. "I'm sorry for the previous things. You know I'm going through some tough times."
"It doesn't matter; everyone has difficulties. I understand very well, even if that person is Eminem." Leon put his hand over, and the two clasped hands in a wrestling posture.
"The finals of The Rap of America are in a week, right? Don't worry, I will bring out my best state then."
"Your joining will make our program reach its peak!"
Seeing that the matter between the two was resolved, Dre smiled and walked over, sitting between them.
Putting his arms on their shoulders with the attitude of a big brother, "This is what I hope to see. Homies unite to do big business. There will be more opportunities for our cooperation in the future, right Leon?"
"Of course." Leon turned his head and glanced at Dre, drank the remaining wine in the cup in one gulp, and lowered his voice: "You know, since my debut, no one has done me a great favor, and no one has committed a great evil against me."
"And I, have paid them all back double."