*Chapter 332: It's All Link's Fault*

"Drake, Chris, what happened over there?"

Drake and Chris Brown had just turned a corner in the hallway when they suddenly saw Beyoncé standing in front of them.

Beyoncé was wearing a stylish plaid shirt and a knee-length straight skirt, showcasing her ample chest and full hips. Her slender, flexible waist was cinched with a white belt, making her look fashionable, sexy, and very hot.

Drake stared for a moment, then snapped back to reality and said, "Puff Daddy brought a few people to see Jay-Z."

"Oh? Who?"

"Josh Epstein and a few others."

Drake listed a few names.

Beyoncé raised her thick, long eyebrows and looked at Drake and Chris with her charming eyes, her gaze falling on Drake. "Why did Eminem and 50 Cent leave with such sour faces? Did they have a disagreement?"

Drake hesitated for a moment, then recounted what he had just heard, including Eminem accusing Puff Daddy and the others, and persuading Jay-Z.

"Are they planning to deal with Link this way? Did Jay-Z agree?"

Beyoncé blinked her long eyelashes and asked.

"Jay-Z didn't oppose it," Drake said.

Beyoncé pondered for a moment, asked the two about their albums and new songs, then swayed her sexy waist and walked away in high heels, leaving a charming fragrance behind.

Drake couldn't help but swallow as he watched her full, curvaceous hips.

"Jay-Z just told us not to tell anyone about this, but you told Beyoncé," Chris Brown said.

"Is Beyoncé 'anyone'? She's the boss's wife. Besides, I also think Jay-Z, Puff Daddy, and the others are not doing the right thing. Maybe Beyoncé will persuade him," Drake said.

"Sigh, it's all that bastard Link's fault. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be in this mess. Damn it!" Chris Brown cursed.

Drake shrugged, not disagreeing with him. It was indeed all Link's fault.

He was Canadian, initially starting as an actor, playing minor roles in shows like "Degrassi: The Next Generation" and "Charlie Bartlett."

Influenced by Jay-Z, he began singing.

Starting in 2006, he released several original rap songs online, catching the attention of Lil Wayne. In 2008, he signed with Lil Wayne's record company and joined the East Coast rap team.

When he first joined, Jay-Z was the big shot in the East Coast rap team, with Beyoncé, Eminem, Kanye, Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, T.I., and Usher as top-tier artists.

There were also popular artists like Rihanna, Chris Brown, Pharrell Williams, Ludacris, Alicia Keys, and Nicki Minaj.

At that time, the East Coast rap team was very powerful in the music industry, with significant influence.

Even superstars like MJ, Madonna, Mariah Carey, and Justin Timberlake sought collaborations.

Drake thought the East Coast rap team was very cool and believed that following them would lead to success.

But starting in 2009, things began to go downhill.

Besides changes in the music market, with the rapid development of pop and country music squeezing the rap music market, another important reason was Link.

When Link entered the music industry, he had just defeated Tyson and Jermaine in the boxing ring and was very famous, wanting to cross over into singing.

Kanye and the others were unhappy with Link and publicly belittled his new album, thinking that as a newcomer, Link wouldn't be able to withstand the pressure and his album would flop.

But things didn't go as expected.

Link's new album was surprisingly good and very popular in the market.

In the first month, it sold over a million copies in the US, surpassing many top-tier artists' albums and even topping the Billboard 200 chart, overshadowing Kanye, T.I., and Usher's new albums.

This infuriated Kanye and the others, who thought Link was just a small fry they could easily crush.

But when they tried, they found out he was a Transformer, knocking them over and embarrassing them in the media.

This led to Lil Wayne confronting Link on the Grammy stage in 2009.

They thought Link would back down, but they were wrong. Link was a real tough guy. Outside the Grammy venue, he not only confronted Kanye and Lil Wayne but also targeted Washington, sparking a media frenzy.

For over a month, they mobilized many black celebrities and fans, trying to label Link as a racist, hoping he would apologize and quit the industry.

But Link didn't back down. Under immense public pressure, he wrote "Give Me Reason" to fight back, turning it into a social issue.

Even Washington had to step in, asking the East Coast rap team to back down.

Eventually, Lil Wayne and 50 Cent were forced to apologize, marking Link's victory in the first round, and the East Coast rap team's defeat.

In the second round, Link announced his entry into the rap world. The East Coast rap team united against him but was defeated by his song "See You Again," which dominated the charts for three months, leaving the rap world in disarray.

In the third round, Link and Jay-Z competed on the album charts. Despite Jay-Z enlisting many top-tier stars to promote his album, he couldn't beat Link's various tactics, including boxing matches, lottery events, swimming competitions, and scandal hype.

The East Coast rap team lost again.

The battle continued into early this year. The East Coast rap team joined forces with Justin Bieber and marketing expert Scooter, planning to surround and defeat Link's new album with three albums.

But the result was disastrous.

Not only did their albums not sell well, but even Scooter and Justin Bieber were absorbed by Link Music, becoming Link's subordinates. Kanye and Usher were also controlled by Link, indirectly becoming his subordinates.

Kanye became depressed and went to Hawaii to rest and write songs, hoping to regain his reputation with his next album.

Usher, who collaborated with 15 top producers to create a dream album, sold just over a million copies in two months, less than a quarter of Link's new album.

Usher also became depressed, staying home all day.

Four battles, four defeats. The once thriving East Coast rap team was torn apart.

Now Jay-Z was preparing for the fifth round of counterattacks, but internal conflicts arose before it even started, with Eminem and 50 Cent no longer participating.

Drake shook his head helplessly. Link was indeed not a good person. If it weren't for him, the East Coast rap team wouldn't be in this mess.

"Let's go, have a drink," Chris Brown called.

Drake shrugged, took one last look at the sexy figure disappearing down the hallway, sniffed, and followed down the stairs.

(End of Chapter).