“.So give me reason to prove me wrong, To wash this memory clean, Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes”
At the Metropolis Theater, Link performed "Give Me Reason" with the band accompanying him. This was the New York premiere of Transformers 2, and Link was invited to perform the movie's theme song before the film started.
The performance ended with enthusiastic applause and cheers from the audience.
As Link waved to the crowd and took his seat ...
2024-08-10 05:06:28 +0000 UTC
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Link called Anna to inquire about Transformers 2 and the single.
Anna informed him that Transformers 2 had a first-day box office of $82.95 million and, after five days, grossed $201.2 million in North America, making it the second highest in the "Five-Day Box Office Record." The film also earned $162 million overseas.
Because the film was a big hit and its theme song, "Give Me Reason," perfectly matched the movie's plot, it was humorously called...
2024-08-10 05:06:10 +0000 UTC
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After some derogatory remarks about Link appeared in the media, Link Music and Dynasty Promotions filed lawsuits against several media outlets and news websites, alleging that they spread false information and infringed upon Link’s reputation. They demanded public apologies.
At the same time, the two companies arranged interviews with more than a dozen Latino and African-American figures who had interacted with Link.
These included Mario, Coach West, Morales, Coach Brooks, Manag...
2024-08-10 01:12:00 +0000 UTC
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“Isn’t this a bit too much?”
In the Brooklyn area, at the Black Gold Music Club, Eminem looked at Kanye and the others and said, “Link has already made concessions. You guys shouldn’t keep targeting him. Continuing this way will only harm everyone. Don’t forget the rap battles of the ‘90s; both sides suffered massive losses in the end.”
“Em, do you think Link’s concessions are sufficient? The fans are right. He’s just promoting his single and riding on your c...
2024-08-10 01:10:38 +0000 UTC
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Leaving the office, Link arrived at the recording studio. The studio wasn't far from the company, just about three kilometers away on Manhattan's Sixth Avenue—a twenty-minute walk or a short subway ride.
At the studio, Mars, Wiz Khalifa, B.O.B, Philip, Ali, and Lana were all present.
The studio had more than just recording rooms and music rooms; it also had a lounge, a bar, and other amenities. The group was in the bar area, smoking and drinking, filling the place with a ...
2024-08-10 00:00:05 +0000 UTC
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After the match, Link returned to the Yorkville apartment. The spicy chicken wings on the table were still hot.
"Uh! Why are you back so soon?"
Selena, Taylor, Catherine, Mrs. Mandy, and Mrs. Andrea were surprised to see Link sitting on the carpet, devouring food with his head down. They glanced at the TV, which was still showing Link’s post-match interview.
Link was thanking all his boxing, singing, and movie fans, and had distributed a hundred signed records and 2...
2024-08-09 23:00:04 +0000 UTC
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"Link, Andre Rell's uppercut is tricky. Be careful."
At the match venue, Coach Brooks warned.
"I understand!"
Link nodded, threw off his towel, and entered the boxing ring through the ropes on the left side of the ring.
"Link! The champion!"
"Go, Link!"
"Link, you're the best!"
As he stepped into the ring, thousands of spectators cheered his name loudly.
According to Madison Square Garden, all 26,000 tickets were sold out a day before the...
2024-08-09 22:00:05 +0000 UTC
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"Be careful when you get on stage. If you can't win, just surrender. Don't let anyone mess up your face."
In the Yorkville apartment, Taylor adjusted her suit and said.
"Surrender? Are you kidding? Do you know how strong I am?" Link replied, wrapping his arms around her slim waist.
Taylor gave him a sideways glance. "Don’t be too cocky. Even someone as formidable as Tyson can be defeated. You should seriously consider what Katherine suggested—switching to singing....
2024-08-09 01:27:12 +0000 UTC
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Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the boxing training gym, Link stood in front of the punching power test machine, throwing ten powerful punches at the target. His expression gradually darkened.
Despite his new song topping the Billboard Rap Chart, his mood wasn’t exactly high.
Just moments ago, he had tested his punching power and average punch weight with the machine.
The maximum punching power for his right hand was 1610 pounds, and for his left hand, it was 1440 pounds...
2024-08-09 01:26:47 +0000 UTC
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In the fourth week after the release of "I'm the One," T.I. released his single "Dead and Gone," which received endorsements from rappers like Kanye, Jay-Z, and Lil Wayne. The single's first-week downloads totaled 168,000, placing it third on the Billboard Rap Chart. Link’s "I'm the One" was pushed out of the top three, falling to eighth place, while singles from 50 Cent, Drake, and others re-entered the top five.
As the East Coast rap crew celebrated with champagne in the stud...
2024-08-09 01:26:30 +0000 UTC
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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 f...
2024-08-09 01:26:12 +0000 UTC
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When Link arrived at the Link Music studio, he saw Mars busy in the recording room with two young assistants, one white and one black.
According to Mars, the white guy was named Philip Lawrence, a technician responsible for providing equipment, sound segment selection, and references. The black guy was Ali Levin, wearing glasses and handling harmonies and accompaniment.
They were colleagues from Atlantic Records, and because of their good relationship, the three of them for...
2024-08-09 01:25:48 +0000 UTC
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The next day, before Link had even reached the office, Anna called to say that someone named Bruno Mars was there to see him. By the time Link arrived at the office, he met the legendary Mars.
Mars was Latino, with coffee-colored skin, an afro hairstyle, and a height that seemed shorter than in his music videos—about 165 cm. He had two dimples on his face.
Compared to his playful and flamboyant image in "Uptown Funk," the Mars in front of him seemed a bit green, like a sm...
2024-08-09 01:25:01 +0000 UTC
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After discussing the film with Director Allen, Link drove to Brooklyn to chat with Eminem about music. By the time he returned to his Yorkville apartment, it was past seven. The streetlights on East 80th Street had come on, and mosquitoes were buzzing around.
As Link parked his car on the side of the road, he felt a bit tired but extremely relaxed. After a busy week, he had finally crossed out all the tasks on his to-do list, marking it a fulfilling week.
Beep, beep!
...
2024-08-09 01:23:23 +0000 UTC
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Clap, clap, clap!
The movie ended, and the theater was filled with enthusiastic applause. Link saw everyone clapping and thought the film's box office performance should be good.
“Link, congratulations! You starred in a fantastic movie.”
Actress Lindsay Lohan approached him with a flirtatious gaze to congratulate him.
“Thank you!”
Link smiled.
Lohan was once a top Hollywood star with hits like Mean Girls and Herbie:...
2024-08-09 01:22:15 +0000 UTC
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*[Wednesday, Billboard Magazine Interview! Vanity Fair Exclusive Interview!]*
Swipe! A colorful pen made a bright red X across the schedule.
Link smiled lightly. The joy of a busy schedule was something only someone like him could truly understand. He adjusted his tie in front of the mirror, put on his sunglasses, and left the apartment.
At noon, a silver-gray Porsche limousine was parked in front of the Yorkville apartment.
As soon as Link appeared, th...
2024-08-09 01:19:52 +0000 UTC
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“Mr. Becker, are you off work?”
In the afternoon, at Link Music, Link received a call from Graham and was preparing to head to the recording studio when he bumped into a tall, slender girl in the hallway. She stopped and waved at him.
“You’re... Lana?”
Link looked at her, unsure.
“Mr. Becker, don’t you recognize me?”
Lana spread her arms and shrugged with a smile.
Dressed in a deep blue skirt, Lana had a slim, delicate figure with a ...
2024-08-09 01:19:33 +0000 UTC
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“How does it feel?”
Outside the Metropolis Theater, Link asked the silent Selena. Since meeting MJ, Selena had turned into a quiet, speechless person, speaking very little.
Selena tugged at his hand, blinking her big eyes. “It feels strange. It wasn’t as great as I imagined, but he’s a really nice person. I don’t know how to rate it.”
Link smiled gently. “It’s normal. Idols are like the moon—beautiful from a distance, but up close, you see a more ...
2024-08-09 01:19:12 +0000 UTC
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“Lights! It’s too dark here!”
As Link and Selena walked over, a beam of light illuminated the front row of the audience seats.
Kanye and a few others were chatting warmly with MJ offstage. They were gathered around MJ like devoted fans meeting their idol, their eyes filled with admiration and eagerness.
Link glanced at MJ in the middle of the crowd. He was tall and slim, wearing a black fedora, with a strand of curly hair falling over his forehead, and sunglasse...
2024-08-09 01:18:50 +0000 UTC
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The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. It houses numerous renowned theaters, opera houses, concert halls, and outdoor performance spaces, making it the world's largest performing arts complex.
The rehearsal for MJ's concert was taking place at the Metropolitan Opera House, one of the largest performance venues in the Lincoln Center, with a capacity of over 5,000 people.
However, each performance of MJ's co...
2024-08-09 01:18:29 +0000 UTC
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"Link, the agency is open for business. We currently have twelve employees, including three agents and five assistants. The next step is to sign artists. Do you have any recommendations?"
At the dinner table, Katherine and Mandy talked about the agency.
Last time, Link suggested starting an agency to sign and nurture potential artists. In the future, he could also place his acting contracts with this agency.
After discussing it, Katherine and Mandy thought it was a go...
2024-08-09 01:18:07 +0000 UTC
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Seeing that it was still early, Link took the opportunity to visit the Big Falls Bar that Ivanka had mentioned and met the second person she recommended.
The man was a white rock singer named Orlando Nathan. He sang well and looked decent, but he was thin with a tired face, clearly a drug addict.
Link decided against signing him. He might be talented, but he was also a troublesome talent, and Link hated trouble.
---
Ding dong! Ding dong ding dong ding dong ding ...
2024-08-09 01:17:49 +0000 UTC
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By six in the evening, as it was time to get off work, the entrance of Roortop Bar began to get crowded.
The more than ten booths on the second floor were gradually occupied by patrons.
In one of the booths near the reading rack, Link sat with his legs crossed, listening to the conversation between Eva and the female singer across from him.
The female singer, in her twenties, was dressed in a red leather jacket, jeans, and sneakers, standing over 170 cm tall with a sl...
2024-08-09 01:17:21 +0000 UTC
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In the afternoon, after finishing their training, Link drove to the Rooftop Music Bar on Third Avenue in Manhattan. He had met with director Darren Aronofsky here before and had been back a few times since, finding the environment and location convenient. However, today, Ivanka had also chosen this place for their meeting, which surprised him. He couldn't help but wonder if she was keeping tabs on him.
When he reached the second floor, it wasn't crowded. Only five of the sixteen ...
2024-08-09 01:14:25 +0000 UTC
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Thump! Thump! Thump!
In the brightly lit boxing training gym, Link, wearing a thin T-shirt and red athletic shorts, with hand wraps and gloves on, repeatedly punched the black leather sandbag hanging from the beam.
Punch after punch, the sandbag made muffled sounds as he hit it, but didn't swing much.
The sandbag was filled with iron sand, sawdust, sea sand, wheat, and sponge, weighing 100 kilograms. He could send the sandbag flying with a forceful punch, but the purp...
2024-08-09 01:14:05 +0000 UTC
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"Link, go ahead. I haven't seen your concert before. Let us see how you perform on stage."
Ms. Faith Hill said with a smile.
"I haven't seen Link's concert either, but I saw his performance at Lady Gaga's concert in Miami, the one where he ripped off his suit. It looked amazing."
Carrie Underwood said, shaking her wine bottle.
Link also recalled that concert in Miami. He originally wanted to wear a suit and sing a song honestly, but Lady Gaga thought that kind o...
2024-08-09 01:13:48 +0000 UTC
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After Mario and Reggie won the gold medals, Coach West bought them each a Porsche as a reward.
With their new sports cars, the two often went out for joyrides and even secretly participated in underground racing in the Everglades. Unfortunately, they were caught by the West Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and fined over three thousand dollars, causing a minor scandal.
After leaving Louisville, Link didn't immediately return to New York. Instead, he took a tour bus to Nas...
2024-08-09 01:13:32 +0000 UTC
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During the two-hour lunch break, Link and Dino played basketball at the stadium. At two o'clock, they returned to the competition venue to watch Mario's final match.
In the final, Mario's opponent was also a Latino boxer, Cosme Arnold, who was lean and muscular, 182 cm tall, with an arm span over 192 cm.
Just by looking at his physique, he seemed to be an agile, technical boxer with good stamina and willpower.
"Mario has met a strong opponent. It will be difficult for...
2024-08-09 01:13:04 +0000 UTC
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The 2009 USA Boxing National Championships was held in Louisville, Kentucky, in the Midwest.
Kentucky may seem unremarkable among the states, but it is the hometown of Colonel Sanders, the founder of KFC.
Louisville may also sound ordinary, but it's the birthplace of boxing legend Muhammad Ali.
The championship was held at the Cardinal Stadium, a large multi-purpose stadium that can accommodate nearly 80,000 spectators.
At noon, when Link, wearing a baseball cap...
2024-08-09 01:12:42 +0000 UTC
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"Mr. Baker, the SAT scores are out. Have you checked them?"
As Link was leaving Link Music, a young man dressed as a reporter, holding a camera, ran out from the opposite cafe and blocked his way.
Link leaned against the car door and asked, "The SAT scores are out?"
"Yes, they came out yesterday. Mr. Baker, why don't you check them now?" the young man smiled.
Link smiled slightly. He had been busy filming these days and had forgotten about the exam. He took out ...
2024-08-09 01:12:20 +0000 UTC
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