As an independent artist in the process of building his brand, Amir had recently dropped his first mixtape, 'House of Balloons', introducing the world to a dark yet intoxicating sound captured simply using his laptop and a microphone he'd borrowed from a friend.
Unlike many underground artists, whose releases were merely a drop in the ocean of debut projects that circulated online, Amir's music had caused a stir amongst labels.
"There's something here, man. I can feel it."
The young man turned off the stereo and spun round in his chair to face the desk, a knowing smile on his face. Elijah Harris, deputy of A&R at WSP Records. He was known for seeking out up-and-coming eclectic artists, often going against the grain of the type of roster the head of the label wished to promote. He'd reached out to Amir upon hearing the mixtape online, catching on to the potential he could hear in its sound.
"The only thing is.." Elijah grimaced. "To sign you, I'd have to get Mark on side, and he's not keen on explicit themes in music. He says it narrows the potential audience."
"Well it's not music for a kid's fucking birthday party, I think that's pretty clear." Amir scoffed, prompting a slight humoured grin from Elijah. He laid his hands down on the desk, prepared to give Amir an offer.
"Look, give me a week. If I can get him on side, I can make you the biggest artist this country's seen in decades. Fuck it, the world even. This mixtape's just the beginning. You need a crew behind you to launch this." Elijah told him, a more serious tone to his voice now. He saw the potential in Amir and his music, he just needed time to get everyone on board.
Amir contemplated this for a moment. Looking across the desk he could see the enthusiasm in Elijah's eyes. The recognition he'd been seeking to finally turn his passion into a career.
"Fine. One week to convince Mark. The biggest artist seen in decades? I'm holding you to that." Amir joked slyly.