“THE MAN, THE MYTH AND THE LEGEND”

By

LaMont Anthony Wright

info@gbleu.com

Sacramento CA

9190423-5548

FADE IN:

QUEEN SHEBA’S ETHIOPIAN RESTAURANT

It’s a clear day in Sacramento California, the front glass of the restaurant vibrates subtle as it contains the sweet talk shit of 3 old friends. Very rare do 3 friends maintain a friendship that lasts from grade school through adulthood. Very rare is the occasion that they get to break bread together. Extremely rare for the 3 of them to even be alive after the lives they all lived on the south side of Jamaica Queens New York. Laughter and loud baritone voices fill the empty seats that surround the 3 brothers. As inevitable as the wind changes directions, the air in the space between the men gets heavy. The tone gets real and the smiles fade; making way for tight jaws that grind teeth and serious eyes that hold old pain.

IKE TORRES

You’ve got jokes, you’ve got jokes… but you wasn’t laughing like that when I saved your life that night now were you?

NOAH HAYES

Ho boy, here it comes…

GRAFFITI BLEU

Some things never change. Since you feel so compelled to remind me of this fact every time we link up; please get the facts straight this time

NOAH HAYES

This time? Fuck that! How about no time? I’ve heard this story a million times all fucking ready.

RUSSELL CUMMINGS

Hey fellas, I don’t mind the language because there’s no customers in here. But if someone comes in you’re going to have to respect the house.

The childhood friends take their energy down a notch and take heed to the bartender’s words. The empty glasses at the bar provides the only evidence of why the noise is at a high volume in the middle of the afternoon. Russell knows the wine is talking. Yet still, he also knows that he is not in the presence of young boys who can’t hold their liquor. He is in the presence of grown men who look like they tip heavily. He refills the empty glasses with the house special “Honey Wine” and he listens to the conversation of the strangers which he finds entertaining.

IKE TORRES

Fuck outta here with all that! Y’all acting like I’m going to submit this story to the History Channel or some shit. The shit happened back in the day and I was getting drunk then just like I’m getting right now. So I apologize Noah AKA “Mr. Living Legend” if my memory is a little fuzzy. Anyway… It was the summer of 87 and me and my boys just finished crashing this party on Rockaway Boulevard right…

NOAH HAYES

You are going to tell this damn story no matter what aren’t you? OK then Ike. Get it out of your system. Facts only though! It was the summer of 86. I know because that Rakim joint was playing at the party!

GRAFFITI BLEU

Yeah… you’re right. The Wop was out that year and you almost broke your neck trying to learn that dance.

RUSSELL CUMMINGS

“First you said all you want is love and affection. Let me be your angel, and I’ll be your protection”

(The Bar Tender does the old school dance while the Noah and Bleu have fun singing along with the lyrics. Ike doesn’t find it funny though)

IKE TORRES

Can I finish? Damn!

RUSSELL CUMMINGS

My bad… handle your business.

IKE TORRES

87, 86 or whatever. Shit is was back in the day when I was running with “Boom Bash” the most feared crew in all of Queens. We didn’t give a fuck back then. We would roll a hundred deep to a party just to start some shit.

GRAFFITI BLEU

I can’t argue with that. I wasn’t even in those circles and I heard about how y’all was getting down.

IKE TORRES

You damn right you heard about how we got down. We used to scream “Boom Bash” while we was tearing shit up bro. We had irons on stash, but we just kept it on some fight shit back then. Not like it is now. They called me “Knuckles” back in the day.

GRAFFITI BLEU

Ah, ah ahhh… You called yourself “Knuckles” everybody else called your ass Ike.

RUSSELL CUMMINGS

Facts only.

IKE TORRES

Excuse me, is there a mosquito in here? God! It’s all in my ear getting on my fucking nerves! Who left the screen open?

RUSSELL CUMMINGS

Oh… I get it. You’re trying to be funny. That was almost funny too. You need to work on your timing though.

IKE TORRES

Anyway… Boom Bash rolled deep to this backyard party on Rockaway Boulevard and as usual we shut the party down by smashing a few heads in that night. The cops came but me and my man dipped on em through the alley by that car wash that used to be on 142.

NOAH HAYES

Yeah, brushless… That was my spot too.

GRAFFITI BLEU

Yours and everybody else’s.

IKE TORRES

Just so happens, the cat I was with was a graffiti artist.

GRAFFITI BLEU

He wasn’t a very good one.

IKE TORRES

I can’t argue with that. But this cat was nice with the hands though. He had won 2 Golden Glove titles. The cat was nice. Graffiti was his little side thing but still he represented for “Boom Bash” all over the city. And also coincidentally, the cat I was with had tagged the name “Boom Bash” on that opposite wall of the car wash facing the alley we was dipping through.

NOAH HAYES

Every time you tell this story, you always say that, but is that an actual fact? I mean, did you actually see him write with the spray can in his hand writing it on the wall?

Ike Torres looks over at the bartender expecting him to say “Facts only” but Russell Cummings just shrugs his shoulders at him when he notices Ike looking at him.

RUSSELL CUMMINGS

What? Look, I’m not going to give you anything predictable. Predictable isn’t funny. There’s an art to being funny. You have to keep people off balance with wit and intellect. If you knew that your mosquito joke might have worked better.

GRAFFITI BLEU

Facts only.

IKE TORRES

Jesus Christ… You mother Fu…

NOAH HAYES

OK fellas, just let him finish please so we can get this over with.

IKE TORRES

Thank you. Anyway… Guess who’s in the alley tagging a big as burner over our “Boom Bash” piece?

GRAFFITI BLEU

We all know who it was, why would you ask that?

RUSSELL CUMMINGS

Well I don’t know. I just meet you guys for the first time today. Is it you? Are you the one he’s talking about?

Russell points to Graffiti Bleu while he address him directly with his posture. Graffiti begins his reply but he is cut short by Ike.

IKE TORRES

Fuck yeah it was this motherfucker! High top fade, Cortez Nikes, Levi jeans, an orange Syracuse sweater and a shit load of empty spray cans. Bleu was straight shook when we rolled up on him in the alley.

NOAH HAYES

How do you remember details like that but can’t remember the year?

GRAFFITI BLEU

You caught me by surprise but I wasn’t all “shook”

IKE TORRES

Fuck me you wasn’t shook?!? You was shook daddy! Especially when my boy started beefing with you about painting over our shit. You did stick your chest out a little when you called him a boy though.

GRAFFITI BLEU

I called him a “Toy Boy” because that’s what he was. And if 2 guys rolled up on you in an alley where you was doing some shit you wasn’t supposed to be doing you’d be “shook” for a minute too. But I certainly wasn’t scared was I? What did I do? I swung on your man first and caught him crazy.

IKE TORRES

No, you just pissed him off. My boy was golden glove and he had a stiff jaw. He was teaching Blue how to box after that. Blue didn’t do too badly for a minute. But after my boy figured him out it was over. He got Blue on the ground and that was it.

RUSSELL CUMMINGS

That’s it? As in that’s the end of the story? I see we’ve got to work on your delivery too.

IKE TORRES

You must not do too well in the tip department.

NOAH HAYES

Well he’s not really a bar tender. He’s just helping out today. He’s one of the host here on Mahogany Wednesday’s.

IKE TORRES

I wouldn’t care if he was the host of the Tonight Show. I wasn’t talking to him. I was talking to the one’s that knew how “Boom Bash” got down back then. If we got you on the ground you got your head stomped in. But in Bleu’s case that didn’t happen. Why? Because of me, that’s why.

RUSSELL CUMMINGS

So let me get this straight. Your friend over here chose not to stomp you out and he always holds it over your head? You sure these guys are your friends?

NOAH HAYES

Well they weren’t friends back then, but I knew the both of them. So when I found out they had beef with each other, I made then squash it.

RUSSELL CUMMINGS

Made them?

GRAFFIT BLEU

Noah is one of those cats that knows everybody. That’s as true back then as it is today. He’s always had a slick way of convincing motherfuckers to act right. That’s why they call him “The Legend”

RUSSELL CUMMINGS

The Legend? Ok… so what do they call you for telling stories like that; “The Myth?”

Bleu and Noah share a laugh at Ike’s expense but Ike doesn’t find the bartender’s remark funny or condescending. He actually gives it some thought.

GRAFFITI BLEU

Don’t tell me you’re actually giving that name some thought?

IKE TORRES

I did for a minute because it’s weird and I like weird. But it sounds like some reject name of a comic book hero. Besides, a myth may or not be true. And since y’all are on this “Facts Only” kick I’ve got another fact for you funny mother fuckers.

GRAFFITI BLEU

Here we go again.

IKE TORRES

Bleu, I love you like a brother, but this rap shit and other creative shit you’re you trying to do isn’t going to make you rich son.

NOAH HAYES

Way to go Ike! You’re really being a supportive friend right now aren’t you?

IKE TORRES

What you want me do, lie to the man?

NOAH HAYES

I’m not saying that, I just don’t like the way you be caring this man sometimes. You may have spared his life or whatever but he don’t owe you shit.

IKE TORRES

I never said he did. I saw how he was able to man up against my boy back in the alley and I will always admire his heart for that. But Noah you know how Bleu is. This dude goes hard with everything. He’s writing books, doing poetry and shit. Now this dude is 40 plus making a fucking rap album. He thinks he’s the man and shit. I’m just don’t want his head to get too big that’s all. I’m just keeping it 100 with you.

NOAH HAYES

Keeping it 100 and telling a motherfucker he doesn’t have a shot isn’t the same thing. That’s your opinion. That being said, Bleu he does have a point. You’re writing books in an era where people don’t read anymore. You’re doing shows where people get mad just because they have to pay 5 dollars. And you’re making music in an era where people are always trying to copy your shit for free.

RUSSELL CUMMINGS

That’s not entirely true. I buy music from favorite artist.

NOAH HAYES

But you are an artist who respects other artist. I’m talking about your everyday person on the street. They could know Bleu’s shit is bomb but they won’t buy it because he’s independent.

IKE TORRES

See Bleu? Even Noah said you ain’t shit.

NOAH HAYES

Nobody said all that.

GRAFFITI BLEU

No, no no… Ike is entitled to his opinion. Do you having anything else to say, oh great saver of lives?

IKE TORRES

Don’t get all sensitive and shit. I’m just trying to help you out. You’re spending all your time and money on shit that ain’t gonna get you nowhere. I’m just real enough to tell you.

GRAFFITI BLEU

You don’t think I know the game by now? Do you really think I’m doing this shit strictly for the money? Do you really think you are doing me a favor by beating me over the head with your reality now; just because you and your boy didn’t stomp my head in back then? I do this shit because I can. I do this because I love to do it. But I’m not moving like a novice, I’m moving like a business man. Everything I put out is quality. If the people feel it and support it, great. If they don’t, I’m not going to be homeless and heartbroken either.

IKE TORRES

Yeah right. You mean to tell me you don’t want to blow up?

GRAFFITI BLEU

Nobody said I didn’t. But that’s the difference between you and me. I don’t need people to validate my existence. I make art that I enjoy and people that get down with me have no complaints.

RUSSELL CUMMINGS

Anytime you have friends that hate on you like that, it means you’re good at what you do.

NOAH HAYES

Hey! I’m not hating, Ike is hating!

IKE TORRES

Call it what you want but you know it’s real.

GRAFFITI BLEU

It is what it is. Believe it or not, I’m still happy to see you bastards. It’s been too long. We can sit here all day and drink more Honey Wine or we can hit the streets and do what we’ve got to do. Can I have the check please?

RUSSELL CUMMINGS

I only charged you for half of what you all drank for being good sports and all. Just do me a favor. Right down where I can find your stuff on the back of the receipt.

GRAFFITI BLEU

I’m easy to find hommie. The books are on Amazon and the music is on iTunes. But what I will right down is the website.

“g-b-l-e-u dot com”

RUSSELL CUMMINGS

Cool.

The men show love to one another showing that there are no hard feelings between them. They get into character getting ready to do whatever it is they are going to do. Then all 3 men give the bartender a firm hand shake to express the same towards him. Graffiti Bleu is the last to shake the bartender’s hand and he does so with admiration. The 3 men then walk out of the door as if the events of the day and the harsh words never took place.

FADE OUT:

THE END