America's Top Player

Chapter 103 Brand Expansion
After returning to New York, Li Ang happened to catch the grand parade organized by the New York Women's Boxing Organization.

In fact, this kind of thing happens every day in major cities in the United States, especially in New York, the heart of the vast empire.

Environmental protection, animal protection, and vegetarianism.
This group of people messes up the city in different ways every day.

Leon stood at the window, holding a whiskey in his hand, watching the parade in the street with great interest.

Shouts, screams, outlandish costumes, and exaggerated flags filled the streets.

Phil poured himself a glass of whiskey and sat down on the sofa.

He has been touring with Cardi B for some time now, which has earned him a lot of money.

The Audemars Piguet watch shining with gold on his hand can say it all.

"Man, you said you weren't worried about Warner Records, but I remember you didn't have the habit of drinking during the day." Phil joked while drinking.

"Warner can't do anything big before my contract expires." Leon shrugged. "Leonard won't just go toe-to-toe with JAY-Z. He's a businessman."

Phil laughed, as if mocking Leon's naiveté. "Warner certainly can't do anything to you in the short term. But what about the singers under your label?"

"Robbie might not leave this company if she's your girlfriend, but I don't believe in bitch love at all."

"But where's Cuddy? Where's Ariana?"

Li Ang gave Lao Deng a cold look. As Cardi B's agent, he must have received Warner's offer for Cardi B these days.

As for Ariana, she has been in a low mood these days and has not updated her social media for a week.

Maybe it's time to find an opportunity to teach this inexperienced girl a lesson.

"Listen, Phil, you've been in this business for over 20 years. If you're not an idiot, you shouldn't believe what Leonard says."

"Warner signs hundreds of new artists every year, many of whom have achieved success on Billboard, but resources are always limited."

"If you're going to cut down your own cash cow for a few damn kickbacks, then I can only say you're a hopeless bastard."

Phil was speechless after being confronted by Leon's PUA. He could only quickly swallow a big gulp of whiskey and change the subject.

He walked over to Li Ang and pointed at the parade downstairs and jokingly said, "Believe it or not, half of these crazy people are your fans."

"So what? I like to make money from these fools." Leon spread his hands and said, "These guys never thought about one question: how can you win when the son, husband, brother and father you love are all losing?"

On both sides of the huge parade were those disheveled homeless people who pointed at the parade and cursed at it to vent their anger.

"Go the hell bxxches!"

They were once manual workers, truck drivers or veterans who ended up like this because of unemployment and divorce.
And there is a high probability that their wives and daughters are in the parade.

"Haha, you're born to be in the entertainment industry." Phil changed the subject and whispered, "Don't say these things in public. The overwhelming rumors out there won't do anything to you, but what you just said will ruin you."

"You bastard are like a piece of steel without emotions. You can sell your soul to the devil as long as there is money to be made."

"I won't hesitate!" Li Ang responded with a smile.

"Let's talk about something serious. I'm glad to see your company is on the right track. I heard you've recruited a group of experienced and motivated young people." Filka paused and then said, "But can I ask you what's going on with those Mexican guys downstairs?"

"When I came in just now, they looked at me like they wanted to kill me. Is this a record company or a gang den?"

Leon explained: "I hired those Mexicans through Aisha to ensure my safety. I don't want to end up like Tupac."

"Elsa?" Phil sneered, "She looks like Walter White from Breaking Bad... a teacher on the surface, but secretly a drug lord like Heisenberg."

It is indeed necessary to hire these fierce Latin Kings members.

Recently, in addition to dealing with the commercial challenges of Warner Records, Li Ang also has to be wary of Didi's hidden attacks.

DJ Marcus had warned him a few days ago that Diddy had been getting close to notorious Bronx gangster Duane Davis.

Duan was a witness and the person who called the police in the 1996 Tupac shooting, and was long suspected by the police of being the murderer in the case.

But thanks to Didi's operation he never spent a day in jail.

The two had already worked together in the 90s and had caused several shocking shootings in the hip-hop circle.

Relying on absolute violence, Diddy established the image of a tough gangster rap godfather.

As Didier's wealth grew, the two's connection became less close.

Now they were suddenly entangled again, which forced Li Ang to be on guard against being attacked from behind.

Duane Davis is a true professional killer.

dong dong——

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

A strong white man with a full beard and black-framed glasses walked in.

If he changed his white shirt into work clothes, he would be a typical southern redneck farmer.

Phil looked the stranger up and down, and the first sentence he said made him drop his jaw.

"Mr. Leon, this is the plan for the new single I made according to Ms. Cardi B's idea. Please take a look." The strong man's voice was as thin as a mosquito and as gentle as a girl.

It forms a sharp contrast with the rugged appearance.

Phil whispered in Leon's ear, "WTF where did this freak come from? He looks like a monster from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre."

"This is our newly hired Planning and Publicity Director, Sean. He has extensive experience in the media industry," Li Ang said with a smile. "He had a difficult childhood, so his voice is a little off."

"What? Didn't you say you hate this kind of freak the most?"

"But his expected salary is the lowest compared to his work experience." Li Ang took the document from Sean.

"Okay." Phil waved his hands helplessly.

Although this company is not big, each employee has unique skills.

It's been five months since Cardi B released her debut EP, and the buzz surrounding "Bodak Yellow" has worn off.

Now she can only rely on endless commercial performances and talk shows to maintain her presence in the entertainment industry.

This made Cuddy very unhappy.

However, her previous requests to release an album were all shelved by Li Ang.

Apocalypse Records is no longer the same as it used to be. All of its singers have proven themselves on the Billboard charts.

So now every record the company makes has to be well-made.

"What does Wap mean? Why have I never heard of this term?" Li Ang pointed at the name "Wap" in the document and felt puzzled.

Sean stood there in a daze, not knowing how to explain, but Phil was holding his stomach and laughing.

"What the fuck are you laughing at?"

"Obviously, WAP is an acronym," Phil responded.

"What's that acronym? Wireless Application Protocol? That's ridiculous."

"Nonono," Phil shook his finger. "First, you have to find out what Cady thinks about every day. That woman's mind is full of jewelry and dick. She wants to be the most famous bitch in American history."

Leon was too lazy to continue talking to Phil, so he turned to Sean and asked, "What does Wap mean?"

"WapWap stands for Wet Ass Pxxy. Miss Cardi B is truly creative," Sean hesitated for a moment before finally saying it. "What the hell?" With a burning desire for knowledge, Leon quickly flipped to the lyrics section at the back of the project plan.

Cardi B's values have once again hit a new low.

There's some xxxx in this house
Beware of bitches out there.
There's some xxx in this house
Beware of bitches out there.
I said certified freak, seven days a week
I am a recognized pervert, I never miss work seven times a week

After reading the lyrics, Li Ang was silent for half a minute, then suddenly smiled brightly, "She is such a genius!"

"Yes, no one except her can write such a song!" Phil showed a proud expression, and it was obvious that he already knew the content of the lyrics.

Crazy, obscene, shameless to the point of having no bottom line.

There is no doubt that this song will cause an uproar once it is released, and it will definitely be labeled with a "parental guidance label" by the Recording Industry Association of America.

But such a song corresponds to the current trend in America and has an extremely huge market.

The "awakened people" who are walking down the street wearing bras and nose studs are fans of this kind of music.

They are eager to use unconventional clothing, behavior, and words to express their individuality to the world, and music is no exception.

This plan includes a plan for the MV shooting, and the scale is also shocking.

Sean used his profound literary skills to accurately recreate the obscene scenes imagined by Cardi B. As Leon watched, the images even emerged in his mind.

"Is this any different from the movies produced by Buzzs Film Studio?" Leon was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

"Why do you care so much? Records are not movies. The Recording Industry Association of America does not have clear classification requirements for music products. Simply putting a "dirty label" will not affect record sales!" said Phil.

Large-scale MVs are not scarce in the market.

Madonna is a pioneer in this field.

Whether in music videos or concerts, she is always willing to show her body to her fans.

The music videos of popular female singers such as Lady Gaga and rapper Nicki Minaj also follow the same route.

But compared to Cardi B, it can only be regarded as a Disney cartoon.

If the music video for "Bodak Yellow" transported you to a late-night club, it's not hard to imagine that the final effect of "Wap" might be just as wild as Diddy's party.

"Very good, I hope this song can be released as soon as possible!" Li Ang threw the project plan on the table with a satisfied smile.

Cardi B is his most satisfying signing so far, and this black girl has never relied on his inspiration and refreshment.

"No problem, Boss. Then who do you plan to arrange to produce this record?" Sean asked.

"What do you think of Max Martin? This guy's a top-notch artist. With him in charge, this song's arrangement will reach a whole new level!"

"With Max's status, I'm afraid he won't accept this invitation. He only works for first-line singers. You are a very rare exception." Phil shook his head.

After some thought, Li Ang concluded that this was indeed the case.

The singers that Max has collaborated with include Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Backstreet Boys and many other big names.

Several different Grammy-level lineups could be arranged.

In comparison, Cardi B's status is more than one level lower.

"I will talk to Max personally, and if he disagrees I will contact other producers," said Li Ang.

Apocalypse Music currently does not have a full-time music producer, which is a very tricky problem.

Although Phil has unique insights into pop music, he cannot do the professional arranging work alone.

As for the shooting of the MV, Li Ang decided to hand it over directly to Old Mike.

His ability to control the shooting of large-scale MVs is probably only matched by the famous directors of Bazelli Film Studios.

After arranging all this, Li Ang left the company.

After returning to the apartment, he was just about to take a hot bath when the phone rang. The caller was Ariana, who had disappeared for a while.

No matter how many times Li Ang called her this week, no one answered.

Fortunately, the girl still carried out the tour plan on time, which did not affect the sales of the "Senorita" record.

To be precise, it did not prevent Li Ang from making money.

The physical album of "Senorita" sold over 100,000 copies a week after its release.

It successfully entered the TOP5 on the Billboard charts, perfectly succeeding Robbie's "Faded".

Even in areas with large Latino populations such as Texas and Florida, its sales are comparable to Adele's masterpiece "21".

Since the release of this album, people have realized that "Rolling in the deep" is just the appetizer of this album.
"21" topped the album sales charts in many countries around the world.

In the most authoritative Billboard rankings, the works in this album occupy three seats in the Billboard TOP5, taking the top two positions.

Not since the days of Michael Jackson and Mariah Carey has a singer been able to pull off such a reign of terror.

"Hey." After the call was connected, Li Ang deliberately put on a cold attitude.

"Le Ang, are you free now? I want to see you."

Hearing that Ariana's tone was finally no longer tearful, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let's do it another time. I have something to do right now." Li Ang continued to play hard to get, hoping to completely cure the girl's problem of losing control of her emotions.

But Ariana's attitude was uncharacteristically firm, "No, I want to see you now!"

"Now!"

Leon felt that Ariana's voice was trembling a little, and when he thought of that torturous cry, he quickly agreed.

"Okay, where are you now?"

"Columbia Street, in my apartment."

"Wait for me, I'll be there soon."

Columbia Street was not far from Henry Street where Leon rented a house. After a ten-minute drive, he arrived at Ariana's apartment.

The person who opened the door was Ariana's gay brother. As soon as Leon entered the room, he was attacked by the other party's contempt.

This apartment is at least twice as big as the one Leon rented. As a rich girl, Ariana can definitely afford it even if she doesn't become a singer.

At this moment she was sitting at the Steinway piano in the middle of the living room.

"Are you ready?" Ariana raised her chin and asked proudly.

"What are you ready for?"

“Enjoy my show!”

Before anyone could respond, her slender fingers were already flying up and down between the black and white grids, demonstrating her extremely high level of playing skills.

"All we have to do is get back to the top. I love this feeling of being with you. I love it so much that I can't help myself!"

As soon as Ariana opened her mouth, Leon felt that her voice sounded familiar.

The song she was performing at that moment was "The Way", which was rejected by everyone at the Apocalypse Music Conference.

“This girl is really too stubborn.”

(End of this chapter)