Rhythm and Ray: A DJ’s Journey

[Chapter 83: Beats]

"You can say whatever you want, but after the music video shoot, we owe each other nothing! After I go back, I won't log into your social network anymore." Elizabeth walked in and said bluntly, turning her head to the side and leaning against the table in the room. "Besides, you don't need me anymore," she mumbled, her brow furrowed as if she were waiting for Ryan to reassure her.

By today, the music video shoot was nearing its end, and the women had completed their parts.

Ryan nodded, "Okay."

Elizabeth widened her eyes, realizing Ryan hadn't offered her a way out.

"What did you just say?" Elizabeth asked, confused.

"I said you can leave whenever you want," Ryan replied, his expression unchanged.

Elizabeth had already fulfilled her part, and staying would only complicate things for her. It was better to walk away sooner rather than later.

"Fine, I'm leaving then, you jerk!" Elizabeth snapped, although her legs remained glued to the ground.

"I thought you were better than this. I can't believe you turned out to be such a person..." Elizabeth continued, listing off her disappointments. "I really misjudged you!"

She went on for a while, repeating a few key phrases.

"Are you leaving or not?"

"Fine, I'll go!"

"Don't think I won't!"

"I'm really going!" Even though Elizabeth spoke defiantly, she hesitated, turning back several times.

After a few minutes, she finally left the room, sulking.

...

"Okay, pull back the camera, wide shot, cheering crowd! Great job, everyone!" Trey announced that the music video shoot was wrapped up. They had filmed it over four days, employing dozens of background actors, including big names like Paris Hilton guest-starring, making it quite a production.

Ryan stepped off the DJ stand, which was an extra set for the final part of the music video. He looked at the cheering crowd; they were all young girls. These "extras" had been referred by Mary Jane, and not only had it cost nothing, but Mary also gave Ryan a little extra money as a form of fee under Ryan's "special reminder."

Ryan glanced around; Elizabeth had left the night before, but everyone else was still around.

"Ryan, there's a package for you, and your name is on the recipient," a staff member suddenly called out, informing him that someone had just delivered a rush order.

"My package?" Ryan said, puzzled. Who would send him a package? And how did they even know the address of the music video shoot?

Ryan walked over suspiciously, and at that moment, Daddario, Irina, Paris, and Trey gathered around.

The package was a large cardboard box, with a label showing the sender's address.

"It's not a bomb, is it?!" Paris exclaimed, looking frightened.

"Not a chance." Ryan saw that it was sent from Santa Monica, Los Angeles, from Interscope Records.

Interscope was arguably the most renowned label on the West Coast and one of the subsidiary labels under Universal Music Group, similar to The Island Def Jam. Interscope had been created from the consolidation of three record companies, officially known as the Interscope Geffen A&M Music Group, and it was home to many famous artists.

Ryan was technically signed under Republic Records, a sister company of Interscope, but there were no business ties between them.

He instructed someone to open the box, revealing neatly packed units inside. It turned out to be headphones.

At the bottom of the vibrant red headphones, it read, "Beats by Dre."

"Dr. Dre's headphones? A sample?" Paris just reached in and pulled one out, tearing open the packaging to reveal a brand-new, unopened pair.

Ryan counted; there were eight pairs in the box.

Monster Cable, the manufacturer, was a well-known audio equipment maker, and Beats was a separate brand. They were in close collaboration at the time, with Monster providing manufacturing, distribution, and after-sales service.

Ryan didn't think he was important enough for Dre to send him samples personally.

...

After a moment's thought, Ryan decided to call Scooter.

"Crap, I completely forgot about this. I've been swamped these last few days, and not just because of you. Since the headphones have arrived, you might as well wear them, just remember to feature them in the music video," Scott instructed.

These weren't samples; they were product placements.

"Sponsors?"

"Not quite, you know this is a friendship placement from Jimmy. He's got a new project going on." Scooter elaborated.

The Jimmy Scooter he referred to was Jimmy Iovine, the chairman of Interscope and on the same level as Antonio 'L.A.' Reid, but Jimmy held a higher status in the music world. He had been involved in music production since the Beatles era. Interscope was founded by him, making him a key player.

Given his position, most people in the American music circle would bend over backward for him.

He was also the mastermind behind Beats, with Beats by Dre being one of its product lines. The connection between Dre and Beats was similar to that of Jordan and Air Jordans.

During that time, Jimmy had not only recruited Dre but also P. Diddy to launch DiddyBeats, focusing on a sleek, dark visual style. Unfortunately, that line didn't sell as well and was eventually dropped, often overlooked.

"But the music video is already done, and the crew has disbanded," Ryan pointed out.

"Shit! I need to call Jimmy's assistant." Scooter hung up quickly.

...

The product placement was left hanging, and Ryan decided to give away a few pairs to people he was closer with, keeping one for himself.

"This is an unreleased product!" Paris exclaimed, excitedly taking a selfie with the headphones. It wouldn't be long before that picture appeared on her social media.

"If it's an unreleased product, secondhand resale prices are going to be sky-high, right? It's designed by a huge star," Daddario started calculating how she could profit from the headphones, as she had received a pair as well.

...

A short while later, Scooter called back, informing Ryan he needed to wear the headphones during nightclub tours and post photos of himself wearing them online.

"If the headphones malfunction, it could mess up the songs, and in serious cases, it could be considered a performance failure," Ryan mentioned.

"Just wear them for appearance's sake, take the picture, then switch back to your own headphones," Scooter replied.

Ryan hung up, feeling slightly annoyed.

Jimmy had called Scooter, the deal got done, and Scooter was the one who got to show face in front of Jimmy while Ryan ended up with nothing.

But from another perspective, he was at least getting attention from someone as significant as Jimmy.

...

It was already ten at night, the entire crew had wrapped up for dinner and was heading home early the next day.

Ryan looked at Trey beside him, noticing a hint of sadness on her face, and decided to ask about it.

Trey put down her utensils, looking at Ryan: "Have you thought about moving to Florida?"

'Moving to Florida?' He had thought about it quite a lot.

Ryan learned that Trey's father back home in Florida had been diagnosed with cancer and it had already spread. Unfortunately, he likely wouldn't make it until the next year, and Trey was planning to move back soon to be with him.

"Of course! I can go with you and help out. What do you think?" Ryan nodded, trying to be supportive.

"Thank you, I was worried you wouldn't want to go back since Taylor is in Nashville," Trey took a deep breath.

"You need support right now. Will you be okay financially?" Ryan asked.

"If possible, can I borrow some from you?" Trey explained it was for a medication that was quite expensive, but the doctor had said it could extend his life, and she was short on cash at the moment.

"Not a problem at all," Ryan assured her.

...

Late that night, Daddario knocked on Ryan's door again; this time, Ryan was alone in the room.

"What are your plans now that filming is done?" Ryan asked, looking over at her.

"Not much at the moment," Daddario shook her head. As a small-time actress, this music video had already given her tremendous exposure, but such exposure needed time to mature, and it didn't guarantee that she would consistently secure roles afterward.

Hollywood was definitely tougher to break into than the modeling scene in New York. Opportunity, skill, and means were all essential.

As for Taylor's "spy mission," that was over now.

"I have an idea; would you like to become my personal assistant?" Ryan suggested.

*****

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