kick in like this, ‘Huh, yeah now all the cheddar’s gone. Wishing you was never born’, ” Coco explained to Da Crew.
“Wait up. Back da fuck up. All we say is, ‘huh now all the cheddar’s gone…wishing you was never born?’” Josephine complained. “That’s it? Well, the shit sounds like it had some potential. But we gotta be saying more than just one line. Or that’s wack.”
“I agree with Jo. And also it sounds like some kinda suicide Tracy Chapman song. Do you think people will start blaming us when they start jumping from buildings?” Danielle asked.
“I could see it now,” Josephine deadpanned. “This just in—A trio of men leaped from a thirty- story apartment building in the city after listening to the lyrics of Coco’s latest song.”
“Oh, so y’all gonna bail on the P.H. tip? Ahight, Kool ‘n’ da Gang then, yo.” Coco said.
“Seriously, it has potential, but it needs a little work,” Josephine said with mock-tenderness. “I don’t think it will sell in today’s market, anyway. All the songs that hitting are songs about lick me up and lick me down, bump and grind. Shit…you know wit sex on the platter. You feel me? You can’t even get a hit with something that is positive for sisters.” Josephine concluded.
“Uh-oh, here we go with the sister shit again. Here, smoke some more,” Danielle said as she passed the last half of the cigarette to Coco.
“Ahight yo, if y’all wanna just keep dancing and singing other people’s old stuff, then we’re a group of—”
“A group of what?” Danielle asked.
“Imitators. There’s nothing original about our stuff.” Coco said with so much disdain that the other girls took exception to the statement.
“Yeah, but damn near everyone sez we’ve got the dopest steps. Come on, we got a little sump’n, sump’n.” Josephine added.
“Yeah, well I think we’ve got more. Lots more skills than we’re showing, yo. More dance moves. It’s in us, we just gotta find a way to bring it.” Coco said.
“It takes time to happen. We’ve got to get more popular,” Josephine said.
“I thought that’s why we did the club gigs on the weekends and the talent shows at school. That’s to bring us out there to the public.” Coco took a drag on the cigarette before continuing.
“No doubt. We’ve got to establish a fan base. Then start beating ‘em in their heads with joints after joints.”
“We can’t serve up no trash. Heads will walk.” Josephine said with a stiff upper lip. “No matter who you are no one is gonna support garbage all the time.”
“We need a record deal. We could sing and do our own videos. We wouldn’t just be dancing in other people’s videos. We would be starring in our own joints, yo. Think about it,” Coco said elatedly. She took the last drag and flicked the butt away, over the heads of the other girls. They listened intently. “We need someone to make the beats for us, yo,” Coco said.
“Yeah, and some lyrics,” Danielle said.
“Get a brother who could rap and we would be in it like that,” Josephine said, snapping her fingers.
“Not just any brother. We gotta have a brother who has thug appeal and who can rhyme wit da hardcore Ghetto steez,” Danielle agreed.
“Who do we know like that, y’all?” Josephine asked.
“There’s Silky Black, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre…” Danielle started but Coco interrupted.
“Like this and like that and this and a creep to the next episode. Niggas be creeping and they creeping and they creeping. They ain’t gonna stop trying till we let them in…” Coco sang and high-five the girls.
“Like I said before she came through the door, who do we know like that?” Josephine asked.
“We now know Eric Ascot’s niece.” Danielle said and the other girls gave her the wide eyed look. “You know the one with the ride,” she added.
“Let’s not even go there, yo. Leave it alone,” Coco said. But her plea seemed too weak and didn’t convince Josephine or Danielle. Neither said anything, but somehow the discussion ended on an unsettling note. “Let’s go get sump’n to eat and work on our steps.” Coco suggested. She turned away sharply, avoiding further discussion. Coco folded the paper with her lyrics and placed it in her Jansport. They headed for McDonald’s about three hundred feet away. She stopped suddenly as if reconsidering, and said, “Let’s make tracks to da chicken place, yo. I feel like some chicken, today.”
Both Josephine and Danielle had caught up with her. They watched Coco, who continued with her bop. She slowly reached for a cigarette and stepped into a doorway to light it. The wind was brisk on this bright and sunny Monday, blowing the litter around the sidewalk in a swirl. Each time a pile landed, the wind would blow again, and the litter would float once more, and then settle again.
The girls walked to the chicken place, hands in pockets, shades over their eyes, thoughts shrouded in silence. They ordered chicken and biscuits. Coco opted for honey with her chicken.
“Why do you always get damn honey with your chicken?” Josephine asked. “That’s some straight down south shit,” she continued.
“The fried chicken just taste a little bit better when it’s sweetened. Anyways—” Before they could fully discuss honey and chicken, a schoolmate came by and asked about the upcoming talent show and contest.
“Y’all entering the talent jump-off, that Busta be throwing urr-year?” The teen asked.
“Yeah, yeah. It’ll be on in about two weeks,” Josephine said.
“Y’all should stomp the comp, but good luck, ahight.” The teen said and walked away. He rejoined a group from the school.
“Good-looking out,” Josephine and Danielle both chorused. Coco looked up momentarily, but said nothing. She continued chewing and nodded at the questioner, who was leaving with both of his friends and said:
“Now you know these scrubs were testing their game, yo… Niggas.” She stretched out the last syllable then Coco broke out in laughter.
“They weren’t bad looking though, were they?” Josephine asked.
“Yeah, but y’all attract ‘em like honey to a bee,” Coco said.
“Well, their pickup line was kinda corny,” Josephine said.
“Speaking of pickup, I need to pick up on my calc. The test is Wednesday.” Coco said.
“Aw c’mon, Coco, you know you don’t have to study that hard. You’re one good lyric away from being a musical genius and a couple of tests from being on scholarship,” Josephine said.
“Just trying to be all I can be, yo.” Coco replied.
“Aw, listen to her,” Danielle said. “Now you trying to be modest?” There was a touch of sarcasm in her voice.
“Not
