Blown up?
Leon still didn't quite get what T-Ray meant. Even if the nightclub gig was a smashing success, there was no way it would make him a household name overnight.
Filled with questions, he rushed over to the Black Panther Records office on Chester Street.
To his surprise, Phil was there too. Both men were glued to the TV screen, eyes unblinking.
Seeming to read Leon's mind, Phil spoke first. "I know what you want to ask. The girl left as soon as she woke up. She asked me to say thank you."
"Fk! Forget about the women! Bro, you missed the most important moment!" T-Ray jumped up and down with the remote control like an excited gorilla. "You were on TV, you bastard! Did you know that?!"
T-Ray whipped out his phone and shoved it in Leon's face. "Lucky for you, I was considerate enough to record the whole thing. Otherwise, you really would have missed this historic moment."
Playing on the grainy screen of T-Ray's phone was a clip from Brooklyn Morning News, broadcast live just an hour ago.
Around the 30-second mark, footage of Leon performing Take Me to Church at the Sheepshead Bay nightclub actually appeared on screen!
Although it was only ten seconds, getting face time on TV was precious. It meant he had officially become a public figure.
At the end of the segment, the anchor even thoughtfully told the audience that Street Jesus's single was now on sale at record stores across the East Coast—basically a free commercial.
Who paid to promote me?
That was Leon's first reaction.
T-Ray was so hyped his mouth hadn't closed once. "There were media people at the club last night. They gave your performance rave reviews."
"Getting on TV is just the start... Senior critic Owens from Rolling Stone has decided to dedicate a small column to you in the latest issue."
"You should know what that means."
Hearing this, Leon finally smiled. He couldn't hold it back anymore.
Founded in 1967, Rolling Stone was widely considered the most influential music magazine of the last half-century. Even getting a tiny corner in the most obscure section of the magazine was something countless newcomers begged for but never got.
If appearing on TV meant Leon had officially entered the public eye, appearing in Rolling Stone meant he had gained professional recognition.
Either way, it meant he had torn off the labels of "amateur" and "hobbyist" and become a professional singer.
T-Ray turned to the corner of the office, wiggled his massive body to open the safe, and pulled out several stacks of cash. "This is the take from last night's show. Take it. You earned it."
Leon was surprised. This was the first time the stingy gangster had been so straightforward about splitting money. Last time, they had nearly come to blows over it.
He took the cash and counted it. Mixed in with the twenties were actually a few hundred-dollar bills. Since crossing over, he had never touched such large denominations with his own hands.
The total performance fee was $10,000. According to the agreed split, Leon took home $5,800 after taxes.
Phil watched with envy, swallowing hard. He silently vowed to poach this cash cow as soon as possible.
"Stop counting, bro. That's just chump change..." T-Ray patted Leon on the shoulder.
You call this chump change?
Bonnie would have to shake her ass at drunks countless times to make this much. In Brownsville, this was enough to cover all expenses for a family of three for two months.
"Walk down the street now, and you can find your record in any store."
"We're gonna be rich..."
---
Life wasn't exactly relaxing for Leon in the days that followed. Unless T-Ray sent a car for him, he didn't dare walk the streets alone.
A white guy in Brownsville stood out enough as it was. Now that the streets were buzzing about a local celebrity, the risk of kidnapping was very real if he wasn't careful.
On top of that, Bonnie's demands on Leon became increasingly outrageous. To latch onto his rising star and hitch a ride on the fame express, she was practically pulling moves from the Kama Sutra.
She performed a magic trick that made a rolling pin disappear instantly—something even professional adult film stars would struggle with.
"Street Jesus" was becoming a cultural symbol here, representing the rebellious spirit of the ghetto. Graffiti based on Leon's image was popping up everywhere.
But his top priority right now was waiting for the record royalties to hit his account so he could get the hell out of this poverty-stricken neighborhood.
With critics giving the single high scores and the continuous bombardment of promotion from radio stations across Brooklyn, sales of Take Me to Church kept climbing.
A week later, cumulative sales broke 20,000 copies. Putting aside those once-in-a-generation phenomenon rookies, this result was already astounding.
Now, Leon was even dreaming of drowning in cash.
"Congrats, bro! You made the Billboard Hot 100!"
What?!
The news T-Ray brought was like a nuclear bomb detonating in Leon's brain. The corners of his mouth shot up like the recoil of an AK-47—impossible to suppress.
Compared to debuting on the Billboard chart, being on the news or in Rolling Stone was just an appetizer.
While the Grammys are considered the most prestigious awards in the global music industry, the true measure of a singer's popularity and commercial value is Billboard. It is widely regarded as the most authoritative music chart in the US.
And among its countless sub-charts, the Hot 100 carries the most weight. If a singer gets a song on this list, it basically means they're set for life.
On the current chart, number one was Eminem and Rihanna's Love the Way You Lie. Number two was West Coast king Snoop Dogg and Katy Perry with California Gurls.
Take Me to Church had galloped out like a dark horse, rising from obscurity to rocket up the charts. Currently, it sat at No. 91, and the trend was clearly pointing upward.
Even at the tail end of the list, this achievement was enough to satisfy Leon. Seeing his name alongside giants like Eminem and Snoop Dogg made everything feel surreal.
T-Ray cracked open a bottle of Macallan 21 he had been saving for ages and shouted to Leon, "Don't be surprised. In 2008, that crazy chick Lady Gaga came out of nowhere and conquered America overnight."
"Get used to your new status. Your schedule is going to be packed for a long time."
"You've been reborn, bro!"
"Wake up! There's endless money waiting to jump into your pocket! Endless btches waiting for you to conquer them!"