Introduction To Hard 2 Da Kore (Hard2daKore Book 1)

by Mike Middleton

  “Yeah, I think that was her name, I thought that y’all was goin’ together the way she used to come by the shop all the time.” I said. “Nah, not at all that’s just my peoples, she ain’t my girl or no shit like that. We just got a really good understandin goin on. I don’t trust them chicks like that Kore.” Mike stated. “Why not?” I asked. Mike smirked and paused before answering. “On the real Kore, and I’m talking for real for real, I’d rather be that side nigga to a chick than they main dude. Let them boyfriends and husbands catch the hell with them chicks. I ain’t got time for all of that, I just wanna hit it with no strings attached.” Mike explained. “Not all chicks are like that tho Mike. It’s some decent women out there, look at my girl. We been together for mad years, and I know, and when I say I know i mean, I know she loves me, just like she knows I love her. That’s just way we feel about each other. We just know it because we feel it. You never been in love before?” I asked.

  “Yeah, I guess I can say I tried that love shit you talking about. Listen dawg, all the chicks I ever tried to love either fucked around on me with a nigga that had more, or sometimes just up and walked out on me. Look at my bitchass moms. She walked out on me as soon as I was born. She ain’t even try to get to know me and she cut out on me. So yeah, I guess I been in love with a couple of chicks before, but most of these broads, all they want is doe from a nigga, and getting’ fucked good, that’s about it. Yeah, so I guess that’s why I am the way I am now, that shit y’all call love. Niggas and chicks don’t love the same Kore. While a nigga be loving them, they be loving on shit like clothes and purses and real estate and hot wheels ‘n shit like that, feel me?

  They want a nigga with potential and credentials feel me? And all niggas be wantin is to fuck as many bad bitches he could fuck.” Mike continued to explain. "Yo check this out Kore, I asked this one chick one time why she love me and what not? And I mean this chick was bad as hell too. I’m winin’ an’ dinin’ her you kno’ all that goody good lover boy shit. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t feelin’ this broad too dawg. I thought she was feelin’ me. We kinda was caring about each other. She used to tell me that she loved me, but I was on some shit like, yeah right, ok, I love you too boo type shit. So one day out of the blue she was like, I don’t just love you Mike, I’m in love with you, and I was like whoa, you in love with me?

  So somethin’ in my head told me to ask her. What are you in love with about me? So I asked her, and you know what she said to me Kore?” Mike asked, sounding almost bewildered as he thought back into his past. “No what?” I replied, feeling almost nervous as to what was about to come out of his mouth next. “She said she was in love with me because I was funny, and that I knew how to make her laugh. That was it Kore, because I was funny. Psss, like I’m some type of joker clown ass nigga or somethin. I mean I was kickin’ some real “im feelin’ you boo” type shit to this chick and the only thing that she could think to remember was that I was funny?

  Now I know I can be a funny mafucka at times, but damn dawg. So now how the fuck this chick expects me to take her being in love with me seriously, when all she thinks I am is a joke? But that was iight I was cool with that, and I still had a lotta love for her, and for all the rest of them for that matter. I got love for em no doubt, but love em, nah Kore, never that.” Mike said seriously as he shook his head. “Maybe, you just ain’t find the right one yet.” I said. “Yeah, you probably right, maybe I didn’t find the right one yet, but you ever think maybe the right one ain’t find me yet, or maybe ain’t no such thing as the right one, or maybe they all the right ones. I don’t know Kore, but that‘s why the only thing I need from a chick nowadays is some good head and some good sex.” Mike said. I can only guess that with all of Mike’s bad experiences with women, starting with his mother leaving him as a child, kinda turned his heart into an icebox when it came to building any serious type relationships with women. I thought as we walked towards my apartment.

  “Hey yo Mike, look at that fuckin Bentley Coupe over there, that shit smoking!’ I be seein’ a black one just like that one sometimes, but it’s laced with all the mega blingy bling trimmings. Nobody knows who be drivin’ that shit though.” I said while we watched the car cruise by us slowly. "That’s probably one of them niggas from across the water in New York, they be gettin’ money like that.” He explained. “Shiiit, I wish I was makin’ that kinda money, I’d sure as hell cop me some shit like that too, with a bangin ass system.” I said to him. “Hells yeah! Me too, who wouldn’t? I think I saw that black one you talkin about too, that shit it hot too for real. Never saw the driving either. Them tints is crazy dark, but Kore, c’mon. We’ll never get no ride like that workin at that bullshit ass shop for that bullshitty ass money.” Mike said. We both grew silent for a minute as I thought about my next question which had been on my mind for a minute now.

  “Yo Mike, you my peoples right?” I asked. “Yeah, of course.” He responded with a questioned look on his face. “And you know you can trust me too don’t you?” I asked. “Yeah, but why you asking me all of this Kore?” Mike replied. I was always kinda skeptical about what Mike was into because of how he seemed to disappear after work, but maybe I’m just buggin. I thought, so I said. “Never mind yo, it’s nothin.” I said. “If it was nothin then you wouldn’t have asked me could I trust you.” He said, and he was right, so I decided to just come out and ask him what I been wondering for a while now. “Yo, you be sellin drugs Mike?” I asked. “Why you asked that?” He replied with a puzzled look on his face. “Because yo, I don’t ever hear you complain about money, or bills or anything. When we get paid you don’t even look at your check. You just shove it in your pocket like it ain’t nothin, like you don’t really need it or somethin.” I said to him. Mike looked at me. “Yo, I didn’t I just say we don’t be makin no money workin at that bullshitty ass shop? That’s because it ain’t nothing, it’s not like we really makin enough money to live off of. Not working there anyway, but you my man Kore so ima keep it real with you Iight? I ain’t gonna lie. I might flip a few dollars every now and then to keep on top of thangs you know? A little weed ain’t never hurt nobody.” He explained. Can’t say I’m not surprised. I thought, then asked. “Yo, you don’t be scared the cops might catch you?” I asked him.

  “Maaan fuck the police. I don’t do it all the time, and I never hold shit on me. I got other people for that.” He explained. “Do you make enough money to buy one of those Bentleys we just saw?” I asked. “What? Hellll no, shit if I did then I’d definitely have me one of them shits on the street. Shiiit I’d buy you one if I was makin’ that much doe my nikka.” He joked as we walked to my crib. “Well I guess a little weed money don’t hurt either. Shit, I be smokin’ weed too so I can’t say shit even if I wanted to. Hey, if it helps with the bills I guess you gotta do what you gotta do. I can’t fuck with them police though, not the way they be killin jokers nowadays. I ain’t tryina die for nothin.” I said. “I hear you bruh, but I gotta do what I gotta do.” I ain’t tryin’ to be hungry in this lifetime.” Mike said as we crossed the busy Tunrpike highway traffic and continued out homeboy stroll to my crib.

  7

  UP IN MY CRIB

  (Korey)

  By the time we got to my apartment Mike was ready to go home, but I convinced him to come in for a few minutes. I unlocked the door and opened it slightly, peeking to see if my girl was home. “Sinni you home! Gimme a second Mike let me see if my girl in there.” I said as I went into my apartment and looked around. “You home!?” I said loudly as I headed towards the bedroom. No one answered as I checked the bedroom and bathroom. “Yo Mike, come in!” I yelled from the bedroom. Mike came in and sat down on my couch. I washed my hands and went into the living room where he was. “Nice place Kore, I didn’t know you had good taste like this.” Mike said.

  “Well, my girl picked out most of this stuff, even though she wasn’t stayin with me yet.” I told him. My crib wasn’t too bad for a one bedroom. “I just got this seve
nty-two inch flat screen last month. That shit cost a mafucka too, that’s why I been trying to put in a lot of overtime at work. Yo Mike you want something to eat or drink?” I asked him. “Na I’m aight.” He said as he got up and walked over to my stereo system and turned it on. Nas’s “One Mic” started playing. “Yo Kore, we probably woulda blown them niggas out in that game today if we would’ve gotten there sooner.” Mike said as he grooved on. “True, but I’m just glad we finally beat ‘em, we been tryina beat them niggas for the longest. On the real, if you wasn’t playin we probably would’ve lost to them niggaz again.” I confessed.

  “Yo, I hate losin at anything. Yo, you still writin rhymes Kore?” He asked. “Yeah sometimes, it’s more like a hobby now though. My cousin Jay be tryin to get me to enter rap contests. He always be goin to parties and hangin’ out with rappers and singers and what not.” I said. “Yo Kore, you been writin’ rhymes since before high school. Why you never tried to go into the industry?” He asked. “I thought about it, but I don’t think niggas’ll buy my shit, and plus it’s already about a million mafuckas rappin now anyway. I thought about it though, shit sometimes I even dream about it.” I told him. “Then why don’t you go for it then. It couldn’t hurt to try. You never know, you might blow up and be a big time star.” He said. “Yo Kore let me hear some of your rhymes.” Mike asked.

  “You for real?” I asked. “Hell yeah I’m for real, let me check you out, I’ll let you know if your shit is tight or not.” He said. “Iight hold up, I’ll be right back.” I told him, then went into the bedroom to get some of my rhymes that I had in my closet. I grabbed some of my latest writings then headed back into the living room. “You mean to tell me that all those are raps?” Mike asked. “Yeah well, most of these are kinda old but I always hold on to them. I like to kick ‘em sometimes. It’s been a while since I kicked any of these though. I be workin a lot so I don’t be writing like I used to, and now that me and my girl live together I hardly ever have time to write anymore.” I said as I shuffled through the papers. “Ahh here it tis, yo this CD right here, ain’t got nothing but hardass instrumentals beats on it.” I said as I put the CD into my stereo system and hit play. The music spilled out while I got prepared to recite my rhymes to Mike. “Iight yo, now don’t laugh if I fuck up. I ain’t have time to memorize any of these yet, so I gotta read them off of these for now.” I said. “Never mind that, however or whatever you gotta read it from my nigga, go head spit that shit.” Mike said excitedly. I listened closely to the beat, trying to catch the right repetition. Ok, here it comes:

  “Check it, yo gimme some water so I can wet up my lips I’m gettin ready for warfare now watch how niggas get dissed, in this War of Da Words shit I make minds split one on one, or you can go and get cha click ICU snake niggas runnin round frontin yall spineless and mindless, and crazy ass fuck for tryin’ this I find it funny how you niggas say your word is bond but you ain’t sayin shit, if ya wordz ain’t strong if u ain’t kickin dat Hard2daKore, u ain’t sayin jack I saw ya CD in da record store--on dat cheap rack-unh! now peep that, ya big mouth--stop screamin’ so loud ICU still--don’t know what da the fuck u talkin about I heard dey still-throwin’ shit at u from outta da crowd I heard ya shit was so bad--they wound up throwin u out now ya ass just got kicked 2 da curb---u fuckin herb ‘cause you ain’t forrr, (what?) DA WAR OF DA WORDS!”

  Mike was nodding his head to the beat, as I waited for his response. “Yo Kore, that shit right there was dope as hell son! I didn’t know you had skills like that word up! Nigga, you’d be a fuckin’ fool if you didn’t do somethin’ with that talent. Ok, shit all them papers you got right there. I know you got some more so go ‘head rip some more of that shit my nigga!” Mike yelled excitedly as the beat continued to play. So I continued.

  O.k. now gimme your best shot nigga, I can take it like Betty Crocker, whippin shit up, so I can bake it and eat it too--you tryina play me--but I played you since yall already know who Da Mann, I’ma see it through dem trick niggas love to bite, and hog up the mic like Jimmy Walker you’ll be callin me Kid--Dy-No-Miiite I shine like dat bright light shiiit, I’m outta siiight and I ignite like gunpowder, about to blow up this site late at night--I pack heat when I creep leave you dead like raw meat nigga, aint nothin sweet about me--u done fucked around an took the wrong route--see? Now watch me…“Whoooa that’s it my nikka!” Mike interrupted abruptly. I stopped quickly. “What’s the matter, what happened, did you like it?” I asked.

  “What! Did I like it? Word up Kore, that shit right there is fire water baby!” Mike cheered. Yo, you should definitely listen to your cousin and try to get some type of deal or somethin. You gotta be mad careful though, because a lotta them music industry mafuc…” Mike’s sentence was broken by the sound of the door unlocking. It must be Sinnimin. I thought. We both got quiet as the door slowly opened.

  8

  SINNIMIN’S HOME

  (Korey)

  The door opened slowly and in walked my girl. She was carrying a couple of shopping bags and looking upset as she walked through the door and went straight into the bedroom without saying a word to me or Mike. “Yo, what’s up with your girl? She looks kinda heated.” Mike asked. “She always looks like that, she’ll be Iight.” I answered. “Yo well look, I’m ‘bout to be out. I’m goin’ outta town for the weekend.” I’m goin’ to see this chick Virginia from VA., so I’ma get up with you on Tuesday”. He said.

  “Virginia from Virginia huh? Ha ha, that’s bugged out.” I said. “Yeah, and she got money too.” He said. “No work for you Monday?” I asked. “Nah, I told Sal I wasn’t comin’ in because of my sick grandmother.” Mike explained. “Your grandmother’s sick, and he believed that shit?” I asked. “Helll yeah, what else could he do?” Mike smirked. “Like that fat mafucka give a fuck how sick she is and what not? Well, check it out Kore, I’ma holla at you later, and yo real talk, don’t let that talent go to waste, betta use it before you lose it my nigga.” He added.

  As soon as I opened the door to let Mike out the telephone rang. Mike walked into the hallway and turned around. “Korey, it’s your mother!” Sinnimin yelled from the bedroom. “Iight, I’m comin!” I answered. “Iight be easy son.” Mike said and gave me a brief hug then walked down the hallway. I shut the door behind him, then went over and picked up the cordless phone off my couch. I could overhear my girl and my moms talking, so I decided to listen in for a few. “Yes, I got let go from my old job a few weeks ago. It wasn’t paying much anyway, not for all the work I was doing.” She explained. “Well, you have to just keep looking. I’m pretty sure something good is going to come along for you.” My moms inspired. “Hey, what’s up mommy dearest how’s my number one lady?” I said.

  “Hey son, I’m alright I guess. I’d be a lot better if your brother Kevin wasn’t acting up again. I called Tyrone to see if he could come over and talk some sense into him, but he didn’t answer. I was hoping maybe you could come over and talk to him?” My moms asked. “Well okay Mrs. Jackson, I’ll talk to you later okay?” Sinnimin said. Oh, I thought she hung up the phone. “Okay baby, you keep looking and good luck to you dear, you can call me sometimes okay?” My moms said. “Okay, Korey can I speak to you when you finish talking to your mother.” Sinnimin asked. “Alright.” I replied. Sinnimin hung up the phone as my moms continued to bring me up to speed on my little brother Kevin. “So, what’s up with Kev ma, what he done did now?” I joked, thinking that it was the usual music too loud stuff.

  “It’s the same ol’ thing, but he’s getting worse. Kevin done lost his mind and cussed at me today, and i’m getting tired of all his talking back to me with his smart mouth. He doesn’t respect my house with all that loud music blasting. The other day he tells me to get out of his room, like he’s paying some kinda damn rent or bills around here or something.

  His sixth period teacher called yesterday and said that he hasn’t been to her class all week. He’s only fifteen and he talks like he’s thirty-something. Around here acting
like he’s so damn hard.” My moms complained. “Where is he now?” I asked. “In his room with his hoodlum friends with the damn door locked. Oh, and can you believe he went and put a lock on his damn bedroom door!? I’m sorry Korey, but sometimes your brother makes me forget that I’m a Christian. He walks away from me when I’m talking to him. I’m ready to kick him out, I can’t take this. I already raised all of y’all, and I’m getting too old for this shit...”

  The more my moms riffed the angrier I got. “Kev must’ve flipped his little fuckin lid. Fuck that I’ma put my foot in his fuckin ass when I get there ma.” That’s what I thought about saying as my mom riffed on. “Ok Ma, ok Ma, I’ll come over and talk to him, I’ll be there in a little while.” Hey Ma did you, did you just say shit? I joked, trying to humor her a little so she would calm down. She chuckled. “I’m sorry for calling you about all of this Korey, he just has me upset right now, but I’ll be ok. I’ll see you when you get here.” She said. “Okay Ma.” I said and we both hung up.

  After I hung up with my moms I walked into the bedroom where my girl was and was startled by the way she was looking. She was wearing a red full length leather coat with some red high heeled stilettos. I looked her up and down, head to toe. “Damn little Red Ridin’ Hood you gots to be real careful when you strolling up through these here Woods. You might get yourself caught up by a big bad wolf or somethin . You know how some people be turnin real bad real fast up in here, grrrrr.” I snarled as my lust for my girl came over me.