America's Top Player

Chapter 108 Thank You Beyoncé

Robbie's on-the-spot reaction caught everyone off guard, and he successfully transformed the farce into a live confession.

The scene erupted in waves of cheers and applause.

She bowed deeply to the audience, and before leaving the stage, she gave Leon in the distance a death stare.

"It seems that your girlfriend has adapted well to this world of fame and fortune." Beyoncé watched everything that had just happened with a smile on her face the whole time.

Leon could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Robbie was a true contrast woman.

On the surface, she looks like a sweet and delicious blonde sweetheart, but inside she has a wild and mischievous soul.

Just when Quincy Jones was presenting an award to his female disciple Spalding, Li Ang secretly sent a message to Beyoncé.

The two of them went to a corner of the venue without telling their partners as if they were having an affair.

After a round of flirting, Li Ang bared his fangs. "Ms. Beyoncé, are you familiar with Mr. Quincy Jones, the man sitting next to you?"

Quincy's wheelchair was in the first row, about five meters away from Beyoncé.

Li Ang was worried that if he rashly approached the other party, it would seem that he was too purposeful and he would not be able to gain any advantage from this old fox.

Given Beyoncé's current status in the entertainment industry, Jones would have had to stand up and toast if he weren't in a wheelchair.

Letting her act as a matchmaker is undoubtedly the best choice.

"Of course you know Mr. Jones." Beyoncé said with a surprised expression. "Come to think of it, you weren't even born when Jones became famous in the record industry."

Li Ang didn't show any sign of unnaturalness at all, and said casually:
"I have great respect for this legend who has won 28 Grammy Awards. Every young singer should remember the contributions of these veteran artists."

Beyoncé smiled like an aunt.

She has always believed that Li Ang's villain image is the result of ROC company's hype and smear campaign.

Most talented singers are controversial figures when they are young.

She poked Li Ang's chest with her finger and said, "You are such a humble and kind boy."

The award ceremony was already halfway through, and the award for Best Pop Female Singer of the Year once again fell into Lady Gaga's hands without any suspense.

Bruno Mars, who gave a car to Leon in the casino, won the Best Male Pop Singer of the Year award.

His biggest rival is the late superstar MJ, who released a memorial album "This Is It" after his death.

"Nominees for Best Rock Album of the Year are Muse's 'The Resistance' and Neil Young's 'Reprise'."

"And Leon Smith's 'Demons'."

Award presenter Jennifer Lopez took the envelope from the host and tore it open.

"The winner of the 53rd Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album of the Year is Leon Smith's "Demons"!"

There was sparse applause at the scene, and everyone except Apocalypse Music was as happy as if it were Christmas.

Those senior veterans in the music industry and superstar singers from the 1980s and 1990s were whispering to each other and searching everywhere for Li Ang.

They were eagerly waiting to see how this notorious villain, who was constantly surrounded by negative news and described by the media, would react when he accepted the award.

In a highly controversial figure like Li Ang, one can see the shadows of rock and gangster rappers from the 1980s and 1990s.

"Excuse me, Ms. Beyoncé. I'm going to receive an award and will be back soon."

“Enjoy this moment!”

Li Ang jogged from the corner and suddenly appeared on the stage.

The host didn't even see where he came from.

Li Ang first gave a warm hug to the award presenter Jennifer and said, "Long time no see, Ms. Jennifer~"

"Fate is truly incredible. I never thought we would meet again this way." Jennifer hugged him tightly, going beyond the realm of politeness. "Congratulations! Your music has given hope and strength to so many people!"

Li Ang was not polite at all. He held the trophy in one hand and wrapped the other hand around Jennifer's waist.

Mariah Carey, Green Day, famous producer Dave Hall and other well-known celebrities all stretched their necks to stare at the young man in a suit on the stage.

In contrast, Diddy and his little brothers looked as pale as death.

I can only sneer from time to time.

Li Ang first adjusted the position of the microphone, then held the small golden speaker and scanned the guests in the audience.

After a moment of silence, he said in a deep voice: "This trophy is a recognition of me. Everyone knows that I have been in trouble since my debut, but in the end I always managed to get out of the quagmire."

"Similarly, I have caused trouble and distress to many people, and now I speak to them from the bottom of my heart. I want to take this opportunity to apologize."

The emotional speech quickly aroused the emotions of the guests, who nodded and applauded.

It is normal for a young man to stand on the highest stage of world music at the age of 20 and lose himself in the temptation of wealth, power and beauty.

This sounds like a story about a prodigal son's growth, but Li Ang's next remarks immediately slapped everyone in the face.

Li Ang clutched the trophy, his eyes blazing with fire. "How could I possibly apologize?!"

"This is a trophy I earned through my talent and sweat. No one deserves my apology."

"Listen, I'll never apologize to anyone!"

The scene fell into silence, and the guests looked at each other in disbelief.

Such an outrageous statement is rare in the history of the Grammy Awards, and everyone knows who the opponent Leon is alluding to is.

The provocative nature of this statement is comparable to Kanye West's provocation to Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Awards.

"Fxxk! Can anyone tell me how much this guy drank just now?" Phil slapped his forehead. He knew that this was Leon's trick to create a topic.

To put it more seriously, this is a subtle provocation to rivals led by P. Diddy and Warner Records in front of music fans all over the world.

Cardi B was completely driven crazy by this speech. She stood on her seat and shouted Li Ang's name.

Li Ang turned to look at the host's embarrassed expression and continued, "I'd like to thank the producer of this album, Mr. Max Martin. Without him, this album wouldn't have reached this level."

"Next, I would like to thank my girlfriend, who always gives me understanding and support."

The gloom on Robbie's face disappeared, and he was even more excited than when he stepped onto the podium just now.

"I also want to thank the entire staff of Apocalypse Music and the woman who stood behind me."

"Ms. Beyoncé!"

When Beyoncé's name was mentioned, all the guests applauded quickly. This was the first time that Li Ang had received such loud applause since he took the stage.

Beyoncé had a relieved smile on her face, in contrast to her husband JYA-Z who was beside her.

The King of New York's charcoal-black face turned purple.

His inner thoughts were: My wife is the woman behind you, so what am I?
What made him even more angry was that Li Ang thanked everyone in his acceptance speech except ROC Kingdom.

Anyone with a discerning eye knows what this signal is.

At this time, P. Diddy walked quietly to JAY-Z, and the two were whispering about something.

"Leon!" "Boss!"

"Honey!"

"Congratulations! Your speech was impeccable!"

As soon as Li Ang returned to his seat, the three female generals under Tianqi pounced on him.

Although he only won one award, he attracted the most camera attention in the audience with his controversial acceptance speech and the presence of beautiful women around him.

The unfamiliar faces around him also stood up and shook hands with Li Ang to congratulate him.

"Le Ang, my bro~" A short figure walked over from a distance holding the Golden Trumpet Trophy.

Bruno Mars received seven nominations at this year's Grammy Awards and won the Best Male Pop Vocalist of the Year award.

"Long time no see, Mars~" Leon hugged and greeted the other party.

This was the first time the two had met since becoming Texas Hold'em friends in Atlantic City.

"Looks like someone's going to explode tonight," Mars whispered, covering his mouth. "You were targeting Diddy, right? I saw it clearly from sitting next to him. His little brothers, Pip Paul, those idiots, almost rushed onto the stage to teach you a lesson."

Li Ang spread his hands and said, "I'm not targeting anyone. They're just taking it for granted."

"Haha~ I know you, Bro! Your album is selling really well. When can we go to Las Vegas and have some fun?"

"My luck has been amazing lately! With my luck, we can rule the casino!"

Li Ang rolled his eyes and kept making excuses. This gambler was really hopeless.

If this continues, even if this guy is very talented and wins a Grammy every year, he will probably fall into financial crisis.

Casinos are not afraid of you winning, they are only afraid that you don’t gamble.

While chatting with Mars, Leon's eyes were attracted by a tall figure beside him.

Taylor Swift, although she did not win any awards this year, she still dressed very strikingly and eye-catchingly.

A black low-cut sequined tight skirt, heavy makeup with a very Germanic style, and a tall figure.

If she hadn't been a singer, she could have competed with Miranda Kerr on the Victoria's Secret stage.

"Congratulations, my friends say that Rock Album of the Year belongs to Muse, but I bet it will be you~" Taylor raised the corners of his mouth, and his voice was as lazy as a female cat.

"why?"

"I don't know either. It's just a feeling." Taylor spread his hands. "To be honest, I'm not surprised that you won the award. What surprised me most was that you actually let Robbie step onto the Grammy stage."

"This is a miracle."

Li Ang laughed out loud. Taylor never forgot to tease her best friend wherever she went.

After a brief celebration, the award ceremony came to an end.

Led by Beyoncé, Leon approached Quincy Jones's table.

Although Jones was extremely glorious before the millennium, he now seems very lonely. His classmates are all academic music experts, but there is no heavyweight singer.

Ever since he publicly betrayed MJ, not many people are willing to get along with such a profit-seeking old scumbag.

Besides, he is too old and has reached the age where he has been completely abandoned by this circle.

"Hi~Mr. Jones~"

Beyoncé patted Jones's shoulder from behind. He turned around and was startled for a moment, almost jumping out of his wheelchair with excitement.

"Ms. Beyoncé~ No one is more beautiful than you tonight~"

Jones never expected that Beyoncé, a current pop star with wealth, fame, and power, would take the initiative to talk to him, an old man in his twilight years.

"Let me introduce you to this young man, Li Ang. He just won the Best Rock Album of the Year award. You should have noticed."

Li Ang shook hands with Jones and said, "I have admired you for a long time, Mr. Jones. Your collaboration with MJ is the greatest mutual achievement in music history."

"You, like Louis Armstrong, are great monuments in the history of black music."

The old fox Jones was not stunned by Leon's sugar-coated bullets, but just responded with a series of noises.

As the founder of Vibe, the largest hip-hop magazine in the United States, Li Ang knows those street stories in more detail than anyone else.

The young man in front of me is not someone who can be underestimated.

After a brief greeting, Leon pulled out a chair and sat down next to Jones. "I'm investing in a movie about black music."

"I heard about this. I still have a photo of me and NWA in my bedroom. I often think of the smile of Big E." Jones rolled his cloudy eyes from time to time, as if trying to guess what the other person was thinking.

To him, it sounded like an absolute joke that a white young rock singer was going to make a black hip-hop movie.

Yet it did happen.

"If you want to make a good movie like this, you need to have a sufficient understanding of black music." Li Ang continued to induce.

"I agree. Jazz and hip-hop may seem unrelated, but they share a clear thread of development. They are both treasures of our black art." Jones nodded.

"So, I need a master who understands black music to guide us, and I think there is no one better than you."

"Me? I already have one foot halfway into the coffin."

The conversation between the two seemed calm, but in fact they were testing each other.

Jones wants to understand the other party's purpose in approaching him, while Leon wants to gain the other party's trust and then try to get "Vibe" into his possession.

"Your existence is almost equivalent to the entire history of black music. No black person has achieved such brilliant achievements as yours." Li became emotional when he said this.

He grabbed Jones's hand and said, "Everyone thinks this is a bad idea. But I have my reasons for doing it."

"What's the reason?" Jones kept smiling on the surface, but what he was actually thinking was: You stupid idiot, get ready to lose your pants!
NWA has been disbanded for more than ten years. Who would spend money to buy a ticket to watch a long and boring biopic?
"Actually, it's a charity to inspire more low-income black people." Li Ang's eyes were full of sincerity.

The word charity quickly captured Jones's attention.

He is nearly 80 years old and is immersed in "charity". At this age when he needs help even when peeing, charity is his only way to maintain his fame and influence.

Li Ang keenly caught Jones's interest and continued, "I grew up in Brownsville, which is a black area, you know."

"I understand the struggles of the black community better than anyone else: food stamps, expiring food, violence, single mothers. No one understands these things better than me!"

"The purpose of making the movie 'Straight Outta Compton' is to empower those black people at the bottom of society who have lost hope, so that they have the courage to break free from their predicament!"

After listening to Leon's grand narrative, Jones was obviously stunned for a moment.

Does this white guy really have such a big vision?

Although his mind was full of doubts, he couldn't find any loopholes in the other party's arguments.

Besides what Leon said, this movie is for black teenagers across America.
Otherwise, who would make a movie that has a 90% chance of failing?
After two minutes of silence, Jones said in a deep voice, "What a noble ideal! You are an extraordinary young man."

Li Ang's smile was harder to suppress than AK's. He suppressed his smile and replied seriously, "I sincerely invite you to be the art director of Straight Outta Compton!"

(End of this chapter)