Recording:Boyz n the hood

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(Y'all sorry if it now kinda doesn't make sense I'm tryna like get everything sorted first before finally moving into the love story if y'all understand but anyway)

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The next morning crept in slow, heavy with the haze of the night before. The sky was gray, moody even, like it knew the energy in the air was shifting.

Inside the small studio Dre had been calling home base,and it was lowkey.

No pressure, no planning. Just vibes. Everyone was lounging around like the music was their second oxygen.

Vinyls scattered across the table, cigarettes everywhere, and the distant sound of the beat Dre had been obsessing over looping in the background.

Ren, Cube, Yella, and Dre were already there, passing around snacks and half-finished blunts, the kind of hangout where you talk life, talk dreams, and talk shit-all in the same breath.

Then Eazy rolled through. He walked in like he wasn't sure if he was staying, just posted near the door at first, sunglasses on, cool as ever. But Ren saw through him. He wanted to be

there.

"What's up?" Dre greeted him, nodding toward a spot on the couch.

Eazy shrugged and dropped down casually. "Nothin'. Just figured I'd see what y'all was on."

Cube glanced up from his rhyme book. "Look who finally showin' up like he part of the crew."

Eazy shot him a lazy smirk. "Man, please. I am the crew."

That got a few chuckles. It was always like that between them-competitive tension with a layer of brotherhood underneath. Like they liked each other... but also, kinda didn't. Not all the way.

After a few minutes of banter and beats, Eazy leaned forward, elbows on knees, and said, "Aight... I'm in."

Everyone looked at him.

"In what?" Dre asked, even though he already knew.

"The label. Let's do it."

The room went crazy. Ren stood up and smacked his hand. "Finally, bro!"

Cube tossed his pen and stood too, yelling, "There it is! That's what I'm talkin' about!"

Even Dre grinned. "You serious?"

Eazy nodded. "Dead serious."

Cube clapped him on the back and grabbed a soda. "You late, but you here."

Eazy smiled for a split second-until Cube, sipping his drink, casually said, "Yo, where Korina at though? I ain't seen her all day."

Like a switch flipped in Eazy's mind.

He stiffened, the grin fading. "Why you askin' about her?"

Cube blinked, confused. "What? I'm just sayin'. She usually be around. Damn."

Eazy looked away, jaw tight. "She probably with her other friends. Or you."

That caught everyone off guard.

"Ooshit looks like there gon be some issues in this bitch"Yella said ,speaking into Ren's ear

Cube raised an eyebrow. "...You good, E?"

Ren's eyes narrowed. "Ayo, come here," he said to Eazy, grabbing his elbow.

Eazy resisted at first. "What?"

"Come here, man."

Ren pulled him to the side, away from the others, and shut the studio door behind them. They were in the hallway now, just the two of them.

Ren crossed his arms. "You really gon' blow this up over some jealousy?"

Eazy rolled his eyes. "It ain't jealousy."

"Then what is it?"

Eazy stayed quiet.

Ren exhaled. "Look, I ain't tryna be all up in your business, but I see it. You care about her, but you don't act like it. You act like you wanna keep her close while pushin' her away."

"She don't listen," Eazy muttered.

Ren shook his head. "She don't trust you. And why would she? You act cool one minute and cold the next. But Cube? He there. He listenin', not stressin' her out. So yeah-she gravitatin' to that."

Eazy's jaw flexed. "So what? You sayin' she gon' end up with Cube?"

"I'm sayin'... if you don't make a move-if you don't try-you gon' lose her."

Eazy looked down.

Ren stepped closer. "You built for this music shit. But are you built for her? 'Cause if you're not, she gon' be gone. And you gon' have to watch Cube step in and be everything you wasn't."

That sat heavy on Eazy's chest.

Ren walked off without saying another word._______________◍⁠•◍✧__◍⁠•◍✧⁠________________

"What the fuck is ganking,and what the hell is a 6-4?"one of them asks.

"Nah hell no,there's way too much cursing for radio play"another one remarks.

"Ganking is when you yack somebody and a 6-4 is a car,a 6-4 impala"cube explained.

"Listen man this shit ain't gon work out,not at all"one of the members said as they started giving up on the track.

"And I mean, besides,who gives a fuck about Compton?" He asked.

"Ay,ay,ay you got something to say about Compton?"

They now weren't saying anything as everyone in the room now exchanged glances.

that's what I thought ....now just get the lines ready so I can get this shit over with"Dre said.

"Listen man as I said,this shit ain't gon work man,Im done with this shit"one of the members said while walking out as the others followed"

Dre groaned in annoyance.

One of the members muttered soemthing under their breath before walking out, seemingly catching the attention of cube.

"Ay you got shit to say,then say it louder?"he challenged them.

They had a stare down before Yella came in to stop things from escalating.

"Yeah get the fuck out witch'yo fake ass rapping looking ass"cube said to them as they walked out.

"Fuck you!"one of them said whilst walking out.

"Wearing a .....ain't gon make you LL Cool J"

They had already been out of the building.

"Well guess we ain't got no talent no'mo"Eazy said chuckling.

They all looked at him.

"I mean ,how we gon sell records if we ain't got no talent?"he siad holding up a bottle of beer a smile on his face.

Dre thought for a moment before standing up,"why don't you do this shit E?"he asked him.

Eazy stared at him as if he had spoken a new language.

"Nah"he said simply shaking his head.

"Ah come on E'why can't you?" Cube asked.

"Cause I'm not a rapper",there's your rapper".He said pointing towards Cube.

"I can't ,I'm already in a group man,Jinx and then will kill me if the ever found out."Cube said his voice low and desperate.

"Well then I guess you could go and waste your life on Jinx and he backyard boogie band or whatever,mean I'on know"he said taking a sip of the bottle he was holding.

"And you also ain't doing nothing"Cube said

Eazy shrugged seeming unbothered.

"Listen I'm the Berry Gordy of this shit so right now that ain't my focus,you said I should just put some money in and you would find me some talents ,so when y'all are ready here I am"he said

""Come on man"Yella said.

"But I mean this it's your money so,I said I'm gon find you some talent and sell records ,I ain't say nothing about signing so I mean..." Dre said taking a few steps backward hoping Eazy would finally listen.

He thought for a few seconds "I'm not sold"

"Nigga whatcu mean you not sold?"Dre asked him.

"Ya know your kinda being a hi right now E"

...................

"Unless you scared"Cube challenged.

"I ain't scared of shit"Eazy iAd finally agreeing one doing it.

They called hik.uo before finally getting started on it.

Back inside, the session picked back up. Cube had taken over the mic again, spit a few lines that had everyone hyped. Then Dre cut the beat.

"Yo," Dre said, looking at Eazy. "You ready to stop playin' yet?"

Eazy raised an eyebrow. "What now?"

"You said you in. Time to show you in. Spit something."

Eazy hesitated. "Ain't nobody tryna hear me rap."

Cube grinned. "That's how I felt 'til I tried it. Now look."

Dre stepped up. "You got the sound. That voice alone? People gon' listen. Come on, E."

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After the recording of Boyz n the hood the members had came back the next day here to listen to the final version of the song.

The beat had stopped, but the energy still lingered. Eazy's verse-raw and messy in some spots, but full of heart-hung in the air like smoke. The speakers crackled a little as Dre leaned back from the board, letting the silence take over.

For a second, nobody said a thing.

Then Ren clapped his hands once. "Okay! Okay, E! That's what I'm talkin' about!"

Yella nodded, wide-eyed. "I didn't even know you had it like that, man."

Cube grinned, half-surprised and half-hyped. "Alright then, Eazy-E."

I was near the back of the room, leaning against the wall, arms folded. I hadn't expected much when I walked in-just another studio night. But that track? It pulled me in.

"Eazy that was a good one song down 11 more songs to go" Dre said I looked up and met Eazy's eyes for a second.

"That was good," I said, my voice even. "Like... actually good."

He blinked, caught off guard. "You serious?"

I shrugged. "If I wasn't, I wouldn't say anything."

There was a flicker of something in his face. Not cocky for once-just quiet surprise.

The rest of the guys were still laughing and hyping him up when Ren stretched and groaned. "Yo, I need food. I'm starving."

Dre looked at the clock. "Y'all tryna head out? We been here for hours."

Yella nodded. "Yeah, let's go grab somethin'."

Cube grabbed his hoodie. "C'mon, let's hit that joint down the block."

They started heading for the door, but I didn't move. And neither did Eazy.

"Korina," Dre said as he passed, "you coming?"

"I'll catch up," I replied.

Eazy didn't say anything, but as the door clicked shut behind them, I turned toward him.

He was sitting on the armrest of a couch, hands dangling between his knees, staring down at the floor.

"Didn't think I could rap, huh?" he finally said.

"Honestly?" I walked over and sat on the opposite couch. "I didn't."

He chuckled softly. "Yeah. I ain't no Cube. But I wanted to prove somethin'."

"To who? Us? Or yourself?"

He looked at me, a bit surprised by the question. "Both, maybe."

I nodded, letting the silence stretch for a beat.

"I'm not used to this," he said quietly. "This whole... talkin' to you without fightin'. You always got somethin' slick to say."

"And you always gave me a reason," I fired back, but the tone was softer than usual.

He smirked. "Fair."

I watched him for a second. There was something different in his energy tonight. Less walls, more weight. Like he finally took the mask off, even if just for a second.

"You ever think maybe you just got too much pride?" I asked.

He exhaled. "Every damn day. But when you come from where I come from... sometimes pride's all you got."

That landed. I didn't respond right away.

He leaned forward a bit. "I ain't tryna be the bad guy, K. I just... I don't know how to not mess stuff up."

I looked down at my hands, then back up at him.

"You don't gotta be perfect," I said. "You just gotta try."

Before he could respond, the door burst open.

Cube stormed in, face tight. "Man, fuck the police!"

Ren followed, looking heated. "They was out there wildin' for no reason. Just rolled up and started askin' hella questions."

Dre was right behind them, silent but clearly pissed.

"What happened?" I stood up.

"They stopped us right outside the building," Cube said. "Asked what we was doin' here, who owned the car, where we was headed-like we ain't allowed to exist."

"They didn't care we had keys to the place," Yella added. "Didn't matter."

Everyone stood still for a second, letting the heat of the moment sit.

Then Cube said again, quieter this time, almost to himself: "Man, fuck the police. Always out here tryna shut us down."

Dre, who had been pacing, suddenly stopped.

He looked at Cube. "Say that again."

Cube blinked. "What?"

"That. What you just said."

"Fuck the police?"

Dre slowly nodded. "...That's it. That's the track."

Everyone looked at him.

"What you mean?" Ren asked.

"I mean," Dre said, his eyes lighting up, "that's what people need to hear. That's what we say. No sugar-coatin'. No love songs. Just what's real."

Cube grinned. "I got verses for days. Say the word."

"I'll build the beat," Dre said, already walking toward the boards again. "This is bigger than us."

The room shifted again-this time with purpose. Like the anger got transformed into something sharp. Focused.

I watched as the guys surrounded Dre, talking plans, tossing out bars, getting loud again-but this time in a different way.

And when I glanced back at Eazy, he wasn't watching them.

He was watching me.

For a second, neither of us said anything. But there was something in the air between us. Something that hadn't been there before.

Maybe it was respect.

Maybe it was understanding.

Or maybe... just maybe... he wasn't so bad after all.