America's Top Player

Chapter 34 The Age of Entertainment to Death

A week later, Phil had submitted all the documents to the New York Tax Department, but due to the impressive efficiency of the US government agencies, the process is still underway.

The thoughtful assistant Bonnie gave Leon a small surprise. With her help, the official YouTube channel of Apocalypse Label was established, which currently has more than 5000 followers.

Leon commented on this: "It seems this woman is good at more than just magic tricks to please men."

He made some magical changes to Phil's office as quickly as possible during this week, repainting the original mottled walls and replacing the chandeliers that were older than his grandmother with LED lights.

Since Phil's office space is limited, in order to maximize the functionality of the recording studio, Li Ang only left a small office area for Phil when planning the partitions, facing the toilet.

Although Phil showed resistance to this, he had no choice but to accept it.

For a record company, a high-quality recording studio is the foundation of the entire business.

The recording studio is already filled with equipment that Li Ang bought from the second-hand market. Although they are second-hand goods, he still invested heavily in them.

I spent over $20,000 on a second-hand dual-block BMD mixing console alone.

Including the investment in decoration and other auxiliary equipment, nearly $40,000 had been spent before the album was even recorded.

If he continues to squander money at this rate, he'll probably go bankrupt before the album is officially released.

Fortunately, Li Ang had just received the dividends from last week's record sales from Roc Company. The sales of more than 40,000 vinyl and CDs brought him a profit of up to 50,000 US dollars.

The contribution of vinyl records is indispensable. Although its printing and distribution costs are usually ten times that of CD records, this also means higher profits.

In addition, he also earned a lot of money from commercial performances during this period. Overall, his money-printing machine, which was running at full speed, earned more than 90,000 US dollars during this period.

Judging from the current situation, this money is enough to cover all subsequent expenses.

Although Phil has made great achievements in pop music, he is not so good at rap.

Li Ang knew nothing about this. In his impression, rap meant "Pussidick" and "I am the best in the world, you are all trash."

In order to better guide Cardi B's recording process, he specifically asked Davis to serve as the recording director of this album.

Although Davis has no creative talent, his long career as a battle MC has given him a magician's control over rhythm and drum beats.

When Nicholas, whose life was in a gloom, heard the news, he was so excited that he burst into tears. He said that he would not let Leon down and would use a perfect album to show the American people Cardi's dirty taillights.

I put my hand above my hip
I put my hand on the taillight
I bet you dip he dip she dip
You'll all be scared away.
This shxt is hot like a stove
It's as hot as a furnace

My pxxxy glitter as gold
My tunnel is as precious as gold

If these lyrics were released directly into the market, they would probably shatter the three views of most listeners.

Cardi B has been working in a strip club to earn money, and Bonnie, who also comes from there, looked shocked during the recording.

But Li Ang and others have long been accustomed to it. This girl has even more powerful tricks, but they may not be accepted by the current market.

So the first EP (mini album) selected the least explicit songs from the hundreds of obscene songs created by Cardi B.

"Yes, that's it! Pay attention to the tone when you rhyme! Make it hotter!" "Don't immerse yourself in your own world, the accompaniment is the soul! You have to stick to the drum beat!"

Davis was yelling at the top of his lungs in front of the mixing console, and it was obvious that he was very dedicated to his job.

Phil was also offering emotional guidance: "That's not enough, Cuddy! Release all your emotions! Show the whole of New York who is the dirtiest and most vulgar woman here!"

Under the careful guidance of the two, "Bodak Yellow", the title song of the album, was recorded in less than two days from demo to finished product.

"Is that the end?" The incredible speed left Leon confused.

Davis let out a smug smile. "Bro~ This is already considered slow. Rap is all about efficiency! As long as the feeling is right, recording is like surfing the accompaniment!"

The remaining four songs progressed even faster. An EP containing five songs was recorded within a week, a speed comparable to that of an industrial assembly line.

The next highlight is the MV shooting. It is not surprising that a well-produced MV costs millions of dollars.

Famous director, photography team, and luxurious guest lineup.
Those works that are nominated for the MTV Video Music Awards are all produced with a lot of money.

Li Ang hasn't even found his own MV yet, so naturally he can't invest much resources in Cardi B.

Everything is done in the style of a ghetto gang singer, without the need for a gorgeous set, a luxurious cast, or dazzling jewelry.
Show the audience what they like to see!
What's the most important thing for a female rapper to attract an audience?
Buttocks! Buttocks! Damn buttocks!
In order to perfectly blend in with the obscene lyrics, Leon decided to shoot the MV at the midnight club where Bonnie once worked, with the experienced Phil as the guest director.

Hearing that there was a chance to appear in the music video, the girls in the club transformed into hungry she-wolves!
Their bodies are squeezed together, and everyone wants to occupy the most conspicuous position in the center of the camera!
When Phil gave the "action" command, they started shaking their bodies at full speed. The decadent scene made the whole club look like the city of Sodom in the fable that was punished by God!
Li Ang looked at everything in front of him with greedy eyes. What he coveted was not the bodies of these girls but the money that was about to come into his hands.

The most explicit MV currently on the market is only that of Lady Gaga, but he can feel that the audience's desires are more than that, and this sector needs more desires to fill.

Those traditional American values, Puritan ideas, and family concepts are disappearing at an alarming rate under the tide of the new era.
In this age of entertainment to death, moral constraints on individuals seem to have become a kind of shackles, and dopamine has blinded everyone's mind.

Dopamine rules all!
Phil expressed his admiration for Leon's amazing leadership ability and kept flattering him on the way back after the filming.

"By the way, I have a surprise for you."

"What surprise?"

"You've been invited as a guest to next month's MTV Video Music Awards!"

"Is this considered a surprise?"

Li Ang curled his lips and didn't take it seriously at all. He thought he was nominated for an MTV Award.

The weight of this award in the music industry is second only to the Grammy, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it is on par with it.

The Grammy Awards focus on the quality of the music itself, while the MTV Awards focus on the audio-visual experience of the MV.

Actually, he is not completely without the chance of being nominated. The MV of "Take Me to Church" has been widely praised by music critics.

But unfortunately, nominations for this kind of award usually require one to apply in advance, and when the MTV Awards nominations opened, he was still performing at the subway station.

(End of this chapter)