FIFTY-ONE
Inside the club there was hollering and hooting as Coco rocked the microphone and the crowd moved to the beat. All through the club the heads bobbed to Coco’s masterful flow. She sang and danced, performing magnificently like she never had before.
“Bring that beat down some. This goes out to all my peeps, who may be down and think there’s no way they can get up… yeah. I been there, yeah. And I’d like to say thanks to my team, Eric Ascot producer of the year. Uptown’s own, Silky Blizack, Show Biz, my girls, Jo and Dee. Yeah… Thanks y’all, I’m still here. RIP, to Miss Katie, my Godmother, I’ll always love you. Rip to my girl Bebop, and the one and only Danielle, there’ll never be another like her. But life goes on and for that we gotta give thanks and praises to God…”
When you look inside my life you’ll see
Pain and heartaches rolling through me…
Josephine sang as she bounded on stage. She immediately launched into a crowd pleaser duet with Coco.
When you look inside my life you’ll see
Pain and heartaches rolling through me
Can’t let that stop me no never not being me…
The girls sang and Coco busted out her rap.
“Yeah, one two it’s C-O-C-O...
Just clap your hands
Everybody act like you know...
God gave me the gift to spit this sh...
The ability to rise above this sh...
You know me sometimes low-key
But when I smoke on dro
It’s like oh no she’s loco
But I’m straight up being me…Coco…”
“Go Coco, go Coco… Go…Yo, you own this girl…”
The audience sang along.
“Whose house…?” Coco asked.
“Coco’s …” The crowd roared.
Having pleased the club audience with her verbal skills, Coco dropped the microphone and let her body shake. The uptown flavor of the Hip Hop sound blasted through the speakers. She raised her middle fingers bobbed her head and then bopped off the stage; the chanting of the sweaty crowd rang loud in the air.
Deedee and Eric greeted the girls. They stood offstage watching the featured act. Coco lit a cigarette.
“Your performance was great. Congratulations, Coco,” Eric said hugging Coco.
“What about my vocals? What am I? Chopped liver?” Josephine joked.
“No, you’re not. Jo c’mon girl, you were there too. Coco was in a zone that’s all. You both did your thing up there onstage,” Eric said.
“I’ve been crying all day and now most of the night. My eyes can’t stay dry. I love you Jo. I’m soo happy for you. Coco you’ve come along way. Tonight you owned the house.” Deedee said and the girls hugged, while Eric smiled.
Outside on the streets, Lil’ Long struggled in the back seat of the cab. He wanted to get to the club, but realized that he was not going there. Desert Eagles locked and loaded, he fired at the driver, to no avail. Angrily, Lil’ Long ducked as bullets ricocheted off the bulletproof glass that separated driver and passenger. He sat back in the yellow cab.
Further down the road, the driver glanced back to see Lil’ Long firing into the door until it was open. She tried to bail out, but the bullets from Lil’ Long’s guns scorched her flesh. She became distracted and the cab hit an embankment and flew onto the oncoming lane. A motorcycle rolled up to the driver.
“Are you okay?” the motorcyclist asked.
The driver shakily got up and got on the motorcycle.
“We have to kill him.” The motorcyclist said. “Igor’s word was to bury him alive.” They rode off.
Lil’ Long crawled with some difficulty, slowly from under the car. Groggily he moved away from the car. He gathered his wits and raced to safety. He hailed a cab.