*Chapter 172: Joining Forces to Suppress*

In fact, it only took one day for Ivanka to obtain Mars' and his team's contracts from Atlantic Records, and not a single cent in breach of contract fees was paid.

Atlantic Records’ condition was to obtain the overseas distribution rights for Link's second album. Ivanka did not agree to this.

Link’s first album's overseas distribution was handled by Universal Music, and the cooperation had been pleasant. Therefore, they planned to continue working with Universal Music for the second album and had no intention of changing partners.

However, Ivanka proposed granting Atlantic Records the distribution rights for the South American region. After consideration, Atlantic Records agreed to let them go.

As a popular singer, Link’s first album sold nearly 5 million copies worldwide, and the second album's sales were expected to be just as strong. Securing distribution rights for a region was clearly more valuable than three newcomers behind the scenes.

Atlantic Records had hundreds of people like Mars, so they did not feel particularly regretful.

"Bruno, Philip, Ali, welcome to Link Music," Link said after signing the contract, extending his hand to shake with Mars and his team.

"Thank you, Mr. Beck!" Mars said excitedly, shaking his hand and stealing a glance at Lana Del Rey who was passing by outside the window. He suddenly realized that he truly liked Link Music and found it great.

Link also noticed Mars' gaze and turned to see Ivanka passing by outside. He was secretly surprised. Mars liked Ms. Ivanka? That was quite bold.

After Mars joined Link Music, the recording for the two rap songs was completed quickly.

"Lighters" was a collaboration between Mars, B.O.B, and Ali Levin.

"I'm the One" was completed with Link and the singer Wiz Khalifa.

Wiz Khalifa was a friend of Snoop Dogg and was part of West Coast rap. When Link Music invited Snoop Dogg, he recommended Wiz Khalifa.

Wiz Khalifa debuted in 2006, and at 22 years old this year, he was tall and lean with tattoos covering his body.

His representative work was "See You Again," which he performed alongside the likes of Taylor Swift, although it had not yet been released at this time.

"How does it feel?" Link asked after playing "I'm the One" in the studio's lounge, looking at Graham, Mars, and Wiz Khalifa.

"Out of ten, how many points would you give it?"

"10 points!" Wiz Khalifa said, blowing out a smoke ring with a smile. "Link, you should be confident about our collaboration."

Mars nodded and said, "The rhythm of this song is great, and your collaboration with Wiz is also very good. I’d give it at least nine points."

Graham also thought it was good. Mars exceeded his expectations, and after the song was completed, it was of high quality and comparable to current rap songs on the charts.

"I hope you're right. I don't want to be mocked by Kanye and the others after the release."

"Don’t worry, they won’t have a chance."

After receiving everyone's approval, Link's first rap song "I'm the One" was officially released on major digital music platforms in the U.S., and he also tweeted about it.

“Rap song 'I'm the One,' thanks to Wiz Khalifa!”

Shortly after his tweet, tens of thousands of fans commented, praising the song and looking forward to his rap album release.

Lady Gaga and a few acquaintances left comments and likes, congratulating him on his successful crossover.

In the first week after its release, "I'm the One" sold 171,000 copies on digital platforms like Amazon and iTunes, with over 12 million online streams and over 100 million radio plays.

It quickly climbed to 48th place on the Billboard Hot 100 and 4th place on the Billboard Rap/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Among the songs on the rap chart, it only trailed behind Eminem's "We Made You," Lil Wayne and Rihanna's "Live Your Life," and Drake’s single "Best I Ever Had."

As a newcomer in the rap industry, Link's debut single surpassed many established rap artists in sales and streaming numbers, making a significant impact in the music world.

The media widely reported on this.

Billboard magazine commented that the song’s entry into the top ten of the rap chart in its first week was primarily due to its high quality and the great chemistry between Link and Wiz, calling it a “remarkable” rap song.

The New York Post stated that "I'm the One" hitting the Billboard Hot 100 and top ten on the rap chart in its first week proved that Link’s crossover into music was successful. He was not only a boxing star but also had high popularity in the music industry.

The Chicago Forum praised the song's high level of songwriting, perfectly blending electronic, pop, and rap music, further proving Link's musical talent and placing him among the most anticipated new artists of 2008/09, alongside Lady Gaga, Adele, and Katy Perry.

Netizens humorously referred to him as “Three and One King.”

However, after Link’s new song was released, there were also some negative comments online.

Some haters came out to criticize him, claiming that his rap song "I'm the One" and self-proclaimed status as the best rapper was a declaration of war against Kanye and other rap artists.

Haters also urged Kanye, Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, Eminem, Jay-Z, and other top rappers to respond.

Regarding the online comments, Link, busy with school sports events, chose to ignore them.

Kanye and the others did not make any public statements either.

It wasn't until the second week that "I'm the One" climbed to 23rd place on the Billboard Hot 100 and 2nd place on the rap chart, overtaking Drake and Lil Wayne’s songs.

“How is this possible? Link, a pop singer, has so few rap fans. How could his new song have so many listeners?” 50 Cent asked, looking at the Billboard magazine with disbelief in a Brooklyn club.

“Could those numbers be fake?” Drake asked, annoyed.

His new song "Best I Ever Had," released in March, had stayed in the top three of the rap chart for over six weeks. Last week, his song was pushed out of the top three, which upset him.

“Impossible. Billboard has been around for over 100 years, and their credibility relies on accuracy. Their data can’t be wrong,” Lil Wayne said, holding a pool cue.

“But why did his performance do so well? I’ve heard the song, and it's quite average,” Drake said disdainfully.

“Average? I think it's pretty good,” Eminem said, leaning on the pool table and hitting the cue ball.

“Don’t get too happy, Em. You’re number one and he’s number two. Watch out next week if he surpasses you,” Lil Wayne warned, poking Eminem with his cue.

“Fuck it! So what are you guys planning to do? Prevent fans from listening to his song? Or use a gun to take him out?” Eminem joked.

50 Cent, Lil Wayne, and others shook their heads.

In the 90s, gangsta rap was very popular and consistently top in sales among various music genres.

However, after several shooting incidents in the 90s, including the murders of Tupac and B.I.G, many rap artists involved in gangs were dropped by record companies, and rap music was affected to some extent.

Using violence against Link would not be appropriate.

“I have a good idea,” Eminem said, leaning against the table with a beer and smiling. “Link is a pop singer who crossed over to rap with impressive results. You guys can also cross over to pop and crush him on the pop charts.”

Lil Wayne and the others quickly shook their heads. Pop music was not that simple; it's more competitive, and it’s not easy for anyone to stand out, let alone hit the charts.

They realized that Link, who managed to establish himself in the music industry within a year, and now made it onto the rap charts, indeed had some skill.

However, admitting Link’s prowess was absolutely out of the question.

“Why don’t we speed up and release a few singles early to push Link’s song down?” 50 Cent suggested.

“That’s a good idea. Kanye has a single planned for next month. Let’s persuade him to release it earlier,” Lil Wayne said, stroking his chin.

Everyone agreed it was a good idea, so they put down their drinks and pool cues and left the club.

Eminem looked at the empty entertainment room, cursed, and picked up his clothes to leave.

---

In the third week after the release of "I'm the One," Kanye released his rap single "Monster" ahead of schedule.

Singers like Lil Wayne, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, T.I., Puff Daddy, Sean Carter, Drake, Chris Brown, and Busta Rhymes promoted the single through various social media platforms.

On the release day, "Monster" had 174,000 downloads across major platforms, surpassing "I'm the One’s" first-week digital downloads.

In its first week, it broke 600,000 downloads, becoming the highest first-week download song of 2009.

"Monster" also jumped to 9th place on the Billboard Hot 100 and 1st place on the rap songs chart, while Link’s "I'm the One" fell to 22nd on the Billboard Hot 100 and 3rd on the rap chart.

The media reported that Kanye’s early release of the single might be targeting Link, and no reconciliation had been reached between them.

Reporters sought confirmation.

Kanye's music manager stated that Kanye was preparing to release the single anyway and it had nothing to do with Link.

Kanye's fans saw his new song surpassing Link in sales

 and preventing "I'm the One" from taking the top spot on the rap chart as a huge victory, restoring the face of rap artists.

Many haters went to Link’s Twitter comments, telling him to listen to Kanye’s new song and claiming Kanye’s new track was a hundred times better than "I'm the One."

They suggested that since "I'm the One" did not reach first place, Link should rename it "I'm the Three" or "I'm the Loser."

“61,400 downloads in the first week for 'Monster'? Kanye is indeed impressive,” Link said, looking at the newspaper.

He was a bit envious of Kanye's popularity.

Currently, he was only considered a top-tier singer in the music industry. Compared to top stars like Kanye, there was a huge gap in influence and fan numbers, which could not be bridged by just a few singles or albums. It required time to build a loyal fan base.

“Boss, the haters' comments are too excessive. Should we respond?” Anna asked.

“No need! Responding with words is too weak and costly, not worth it. I prefer to use actual actions to prove that I’m the best,” Link shook his head, took off his towel, and jumped into the pool in his swimsuit.

(End of Chapter)