“First off, nigga, Crown and Harlem need to get got. And I know that’s where Crown be at sometimes, so if he was there, I ain’t give a fuck if it was Magic’s place or not. We was gonna light him and his chicks the fuck up early, my nigga. And if Magic would have gotten in the way—oh well, it would have been R.I.P for that O.G.”
“Rufus, is you crazy? Nigga, it don’t work that way!”
“Then tell me, YB, how the fuck does it work? Huh, nigga? We got fuckin’ burnt last night by these bitch-ass niggas and you comin’ up in my face beefing over some politics shit? Nigga, this ain’t back in the day, this shit is now! The streets are harder and a nigga gotta get got if he fucks wit’ us, YB. You hear me, nigga?”
“Nigga, you know what the fuck I’m talkin’ about! You ain’t had to run up in Magic’s spot like that. We could have got at Crown another way.”
“YB, I ain’t fuckin’ hearing you right now. You know how much we lost out on last night? After the shooting, police ran up in our shit, confiscated four keys of H and we lost out on fifty Gs. Nigga, I ain’t lettin’ this shit blow over! There will be blood spilled for this shit here,” Rufus exclaimed.
“Damn! Fuck!” YB cursed.
“Yeah, nigga, think about it. Think about it long and hard on that shit we gotta pay back to the Mexicans. That’s fuckin’ money out our pockets, nigga. And you think niggas still gonna continue to breathe over this shit, here? Fuck outta here! I’m puttin’ a hit out on them niggas, YB. Let ’em know we about to set shit off up in this city!”
YB just looked at his cousin. “What gave Harlem a reason to shoot up our spot in the first place? I know I got beef wit’ Crown, but it ain’t to the point where the nigga needed to come at us, knowing we gonna retaliate.”
“I don’t know, nigga. He be hating on the money we gettin’, nigga.”
YB examined his cousin closely. “What you do to Toy-T after I drove off the other day?”
“Fuck that bitch-ass nigga!” Rufus took another sip from his forty.
“Don’t lie to me, Rufus. What you do to that li’l nigga?”
Rufus sucked his teeth and glared at his cousin. “I tapped that nigga on his dumb fuckin’ face with the burner, a’ight? You happy, cuz? I sent a nasty message to his dumb fuckin’ cousin.”
YB was heated. “Rufus, what the fuck did I tell you? Let the nigga be! You should have let him be, nigga. Now your stupidity cost us our fuckin’ spot!”
“Yo cuz, watch who the fuck you’re talkin’ to,” Rufus warned. He dropped the beer bottle and stepped to YB.
“Rufus, back the fuck down, ’cause I ain’t in the mood right now,” YB growled.
“What, nigga?” Rufus was incredulous. “That bitch-ass nigga Harlem done shot up our spot and you comin’ at me, beefing? Nigga, you need to take your anger out on that muthafucka, you hear me? Early! I should have murdered that nigga Toy-T!”
YB sighed. Rufus just didn’t get it. “Nigga, until I work this shit out wit’ Magic, you don’t do shit.”
“Nigga, what? I know you ain’t serious!” Rufus looked at YB as if he’d gone completely crazy.
“Rufus, calm the fuck down.”
“Calm the fuck down? Nigga, is you fuckin’ serious? I’m ’bout to raise hell up in this bitch and all you care about is that nigga Magic and his spot? You gettin’ soft on me, YB, ’cause I know our niggas ain’t get put in the ground for nothing and we out money and dope, too! Nigga, I’m gon’ do me and let these streets know how I get down in case they fuckin’ forgot.” Rufus finished his speech with a strong passion.
“Rufus, all I’m asking of you is to think before you react,” YB reasoned.
“Nigga, that’s the difference between me and you. I ain’t scared to get my hands dirty, nigga. I’m always ready to pop off and I always got your back, cuz, but you—you tryin’ to be like Magic and Magic is washed the fuck up. Him and his kind don’t rock like that around here no more. Times have changed, YB, and you better
know what year you in, nigga, before you get got too.”
YB frowned. “You threatening me, Rufus?”
“Nigga, I ain’t sayin’ shit but just tryin’ to open your eyes, cuz. To let you know that what I did to Toy-T is nuthin’ compared to what I’m gonna do to Crown and Harlem when I see them niggas. Now, you go check Magic and babysit that nigga while I’m gonna be the one holding down business out here, like I always do.” Rufus walked toward his truck with his lady following right behind him. Before Rufus got in, he turned to look at YB and said, “I got love for you, my nigga, but this shit here is way past words and trying to make amends. This is what I do best, YB, so respect that shit.”
Rufus got into his truck and drove off, leaving YB standing on the sidewalk to think about his words.
15
YB went to see Magic that same day. It was one pm when YB walked into the empty club. He wanted to apologize to Magic in person for his cousin’s stupid actions.
Unlike Rufus, YB respected Magic and his style. He knew that there was a lot to learn from him and appreciated their conversations. Some people thought that Magic was just a washed-up gangster running a hole-in-the-wall strip club, but YB knew the power, influence, and wisdom that he still had in the streets.