Deals

Steph stood in a studio booth for five and a half hours trying to get his record deal.

“He’s got no talent, get him out of my studio,” Terrance said.

Terrance was known for being the brutalist manager in the music business and after being caught red handed with his best friend’s wife, he was trying to clean up his image with positive music and that’s when Stacey stepped into the studio. Stacey was the most inspirational singer in town and she’d just got out of a bad relationship. Her first song for Terrance almost made him cry. He had no doubt that she was the woman to take him to the top so he gave her a deal that she couldn’t refuse. He gave her complete control over her music, but she had to give him 30% of everything and she agreed. She had no one to give her advice and she had no clue that there was still a beast trying to be set free inside of Terrance. Once the contract was signed they wasted no time getting started on her first album. Word got out quickly and everyone that Terrance had scarred began to chime in.

Sledgehammer Nate, who was the brother of Terrance’s baby’s mother was at her concert and somehow got into Stacey’s dressing room after her last show on her first tour.

“He’s no good Stacey, get away from him,” he shouted while being escorted out of the dressing room by a bouncer. Stacey couldn’t help but notice strange vibes the entire show, but her performance brought the crowd to their senses. It was as though they loved her, but just didn’t like her label. 

The words of Sledgehammer Nate echoed in her ear the entire ride home. She liked being on the road but she started to get curious. For five shows she’d had sellout crowds and still no royalty check. She also kept wondering who Terrance was arguing with before they got on the tour bus to head back home. Stacey kept her cool the entire time but sadly never saw her 70% so this concerned her greatly and as her following grew things began to get more complicated.

“Good job last night, go home and get some rest, I got big plans for you,” Terrance said, putting his fingers through Stacey’s fro. He had a habit of doing this. After all, she was beautiful and she loved wearing her natural hair. Looking into her brown eyes, Terrance could feel the vibrations of her aura and gently brushed up against her caramel skin. Terrance was a big buff guy that stayed in the gym but when Stacey began to question him his true colors began to show.

“I have a question about my royalties Terrance, you know this isn’t right,” she said.

“Stacey, out of all of the people, don’t do this to me, okay,” he said.

As Terrance got closer to her she began to get nervous.

“Terrance, it’s not that serious, okay, it’s not that serious, I just want my cut,” Stacey explained.

“Do you know how much I’ve done for you and now you want to pressure me about my books. I built you and I’m still building you, you get paid when I decide to pay you. Do you understand?” Terrance replied.

Stacey began to cry, “I trusted you, and now you want to take credit for everything we’ve done so far. I have bills to pay, I don’t even have a place to stay tonight, I got evicted before the tour, I thought I would’ve been paid by now.”

Terrance lit his cigar and calmly began to puff as he backed away from Stacey, “That ain’t my fault,” he said blowing smoke in her face.

Stacey began to panic, she had no power, no help, and no where to go. The deal wasn’t a deal at all, it was a life sentence with a maniac. 

“Why? Why are you acting like this?”

“Trick, take my dress off and get out of my bus,” Terrance said.

“Are you serious? No, Terrance, no!”

Terrance then grabbed her by her hair.

“I said take it off and get out!”

Hopeless, Stacey surrendered, she took his dress off, grabbed her bag and put her flip flops on then stepped out of the tour bus in a sports bra and some gym tights. It had to be about three o’clock in the morning as she began to walk home. She couldn’t believe what just happened, she was broken and none of Terrance’s staff stood up for her or helped her, they just watched as she began walking away from the tour bus now parked on the side of their hometown studio.

This was the deal, a lesson that a young girl with nothing learned early in life and once word got out, her career would never be the same.

Terrance took everything that she’d worked for and left her with nothing before she even reached her fullest potential. 

This was the deal and Stacey’s biggest mistake was she had no leverage. Terrance used her and when she tried to stand up for herself he tossed her back to the same streets where she came from.

Her life would go on and bad karma soon landed Terrance with a life sentence for brutally killing his baby’s mother. 

Terrance had plenty of time and opportunities to make good productive deals but sadly he didn’t. Every deal left him on a crash course that he created.

Deals