It's No Secret: From Nas to Jay-Z, From Seduction to Scandal--A Hip-Hop Helen of Troy Tells All by Carmen Bryan

Author:Carmen Bryan [Bryan, Carmen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781416537205
Amazon: 1416537201
Publisher: Gallery Books/G-Unit
Published: 2007-11-06T00:00:00+00:00

The next morning I made plans to have breakfast at Rennette’s. Destiny, who was two at the time, had asked if she could spend the day with Grandma Ann, which is what she called Mrs. Jones, so I dropped her off there on my way to Rennette’s. Before leaving I scrambled around the house for my house keys and came across the folded piece of paper with Shawn’s number on it. “I think I’ll hold on to this.” I slipped the number back in my purse and was out the door. En route, Nas called on my cell phone.

“You are playing yaself,” Nas barked. “Where were you last night? And don’t lie because I called and your sister answered the phone. You was out shaking ya ass all night when you should have been home with Destiny.” Blah blah blah, I had tuned Nas out. There was no reasoning with him. His idea of the ideal woman was pregnant, barefoot and in the kitchen. “No man wants a chick with kids, Carm, don’t you know that.” His double standard was unchanging: Men were hounds according to birthright but women should remain angels regardless.

After hanging up on Nas, I pulled my little piece of paper out of my purse with Shawn’s number on it and stuffed it in my back pocket. I’d be giving him a call later.

After I hugged Destiny goodbye, I talked to Shelly for a minute. Mrs. Jones came wearily into the living room. Her face lacked its usual glow.

“What’s wrong, Mrs. Jones?” I asked.

“I’m okay. Just tired. I sure wish Nas would retire me. What he wears on his arm, I have to work a whole year to earn.” Mrs. Jones was getting up in age and her full-time job at the post office was starting to wear on her. “I just can’t wait until I can retire and get my house and start my garden.”

Jabari stormed in from the bedroom. “Ma, Nas is never going to buy you a house,” he said bitterly. “I don’t know why you keep saying that. He’s never going to buy you your own crib. He’ll move you into his spot, but that’s about it.”

Mrs. Jones was hurt. She kept a stiff upper lip, but her eyes began to tear.

“Jabari, why would you say that?” Shelly demanded.

“It’s true!” Jabari felt he was speaking truth to power and wouldn’t be stopped. “And I’m telling you right now, Carm, if something happens with you and my brother and ya’ll break up, he ain’t gonna wanna see you do good either. Even though you have his daughter, if you ain’t with my brother, he’s not gonna want to see ya’ll chilling in a house or chilling, period.”

Mrs. Jones started to sob and Jabari finally realized he had said too much.

“I’m sorry, Ma,” he consoled. “I take that back. Nas is going to buy you a crib. Okay, Ma?”

At first I thought Jabari was hating on Nas out of pure jealousy. Then it hit me.

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