Tyler sat in his living room, nervously tapping his foot on the floor. He glanced at his phone, waiting for the doorbell to ring again. Jamal had been his boy for years—back when the streets were all they knew and survival meant staying one step ahead of the law. But today was different. He wasn't sure how Jamal would react once he found out what Tyler had been doing since he left the gang life behind.
The bell rang, breaking his train of thought. Tyler stood up, taking a deep breath, and opened the door. Jamal greeted him with a broad grin, slapping him on the back as he stepped inside.
"Yo, T! It's been a minute, man. You really leveled up with this spot," Jamal said, looking around the apartment, clearly impressed by the spacious layout and the upscale vibe.
"Yeah, man," Tyler replied, his voice tense. "Been makin' some moves. Shit's changed."
Jamal turned, his brow furrowed at the tone in Tyler's voice. "What's up, man? You good?"
Tyler nodded and motioned for him to sit on the couch. He paced for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "Listen, Jamal, there's somethin' I need to tell you. It's big. Real big."
Jamal raised an eyebrow, sensing the weight of the conversation. "What? You ain't sellin' dope again, are you? I thought you left all that shit behind."
Tyler shook his head. "Nah, man. I ain't in the game no more. I been tryna do something different, somethin' legit."
Jamal looked relieved, but his curiosity only deepened. "A'ight, so what is it? What you been up to?"
Tyler pulled out his phone and opened YouTube. He searched for the "Resurrection" music video and handed the phone to Jamal. "You ever heard of this?"
Jamal furrowed his brow, watching the screen as the music video started to play. He recognized the song instantly—"Resurrection" had been the hottest track in the streets for weeks. The bars, the delivery, the rawness of it all—it was everywhere. Everyone was talking about the mysterious rapper behind the mask.
"Of course, I know this shit," Jamal said, still focused on the screen. "The streets been buzzin' about this dude. They call him 'Ty the Phoenix,' right? Some underground legend now. But what's this got to do with you?"
Tyler sat down across from him, leaning forward. "I am Ty the Phoenix."
Jamal froze, eyes wide as he stared at Tyler in disbelief. "Wait, what? You? You're Ty the Phoenix? Nah, you trippin'."
Tyler nodded, the tension in the air thickening. "I'm dead serious, bro. Since I left the streets, I been workin' on music. Got hooked up with Jax, did some tracks, and 'Resurrection'... that's me, man."
Jamal leaned back, processing the bombshell Tyler had just dropped. "Holy shit. You been out here blowin' up the rap game and I didn't even know. Damn, T. You serious about this?"
Tyler laughed, though there was a nervous edge to it. "Yeah, man. I had to keep it on the low. You know how it is with Rico and Carlos. I couldn't risk them findin' out, especially with everything blowin' up. I'm tryna stay out of that spotlight, but I gotta move forward, y'know?"
Jamal was quiet for a moment, still taking it all in. "Yo... I don't even know what to say. I mean, I'm proud of you, but this is wild. You went from dodgin' bullets to droppin' bars, huh?"
Tyler chuckled. "Pretty much. But now I got a new problem. I'm tryna figure out my next move. I need someone I can trust to help me manage all this."
Jamal scratched his head, trying to process everything. "I mean, it sounds crazy, but... damn, if you think I can do it, I'm down. You know I got your back, no matter what."
Tyler smiled, feeling the weight lift off his shoulders. "That's what I needed to hear. Look, we'll figure it out together. I've already been talkin' to Jax about makin' it happen. You'll learn the ropes, and I know you'll kill it."
Jamal nodded, though he still looked a bit shell-shocked. "A'ight, man. Let's do it. If you think I'm ready, then I'm down to ride. We'll take this to the top."
Tyler stood up, shaking Jamal's hand. "We gon' make it, Jamal. Ain't no stoppin' this."
Jamal smirked, finally letting the excitement settle in. "From the block to the big leagues, huh? Let's make it happen."
As the two friends sat back down to discuss the details, Tyler couldn't help but feel that the pieces were finally falling into place.