The sun had barely dipped below the skyline when Mitsunari arrived at Stax Entertainment's main studio, a familiar place now layered with the echoes of creativity, sweat, and late-night breakthroughs. He had been here countless times but tonight was different. Tonight, Jeren from TurnUp was coming by for the first time to work on what could be one of the most explosive collaborations on Mitsunari's debut album.
Tao was already inside, tweaking some drums on a beat he'd been working on earlier that week. The lights were dimmed low, casting the studio in warm amber hues, and the monitors pulsed with soft waves of sound. As Mitsunari walked in, Tao looked up, offering a grin and a fist bump.
"Jeren's on the way?" Tao asked, eyes flickering toward the door.
"Yeah," Mitsunari replied, tossing his bag down. "He just texted. He's five minutes out. I'm hyped, man. We've talked about this collab since the variety show."
Tao leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "You two got similar energy—raw, thoughtful, sharp. But different flavors. If this hits right, it's gonna hit."
The door opened just then, and Jeren stepped in. He wore a leather jacket over a hoodie, hair tied back loosely, and an easy smile on his face. "Yo," he said, nodding to both of them as he entered. "This studio's got a vibe."
Mitsunari got up to greet him, and the two rappers exchanged a handshake that turned into a bro-hug. The chemistry was immediate, the kind you couldn't fake. Tao stood up too, shaking Jeren's hand and welcoming him in.
"Glad you made it," Mitsunari said as they all took seats. "Been thinking about what kind of track we should do. Something that really plays to both our strengths."
Jeren nodded, his gaze scanning the gear, the pads, the mic booth. "You more melodic. I've been hitting that gritty, aggressive tone lately. Could be cool to mix it and talk about the grind, the come up, how we see the game different but respect it the same."
Tao turned in his chair, fingers hovering over his laptop. "I've got a couple beats we could test out. One's darker, got a haunting piano loop. Another one's more old-school cypher style with no frills, just bars."
"Let's hear the darker one first," Mitsunari said. "Wanna feel that tension. Something cinematic."
Tao played the beat. A creeping piano line crept through thick bass and a sharp snare. The atmosphere was dense but hypnotic. Jeren leaned forward as it played, bobbing his head. Mitsunari's fingers tapped on the desk unconsciously, his brain already forming lines.
"This got weight," Jeren said. "Feels like we could tell a real story on this. Like… not just flexing but explaining. Why we are the way we are."
Mitsunari agreed. "Yeah. Talk about expectations, critics, how we've handled pressure. I think this could be track number ten on the album. A turning point kind of song."
They sat in silence for a few moments as the beat looped. Jeren reached for his phone and started jotting down some lines. "What if we start it off trading short bars? You go four, I go four. Back and forth like a conversation."
"That could be fire," Mitsunari said. "Gives it momentum. Keeps it sharp."
Tao nodded in approval. "Do it like a dual monologue. Each of you telling your truth but hearing each other out too. That contrast would give it bite."
As they started brainstorming concepts, Jeren said, "I wanna call it 'Smoke & Mirrors' Like, how the world sees us isn't always what's real. There's smoke, there's distractions and illusions but we're holding mirrors up to ourselves."
Mitsunari's eyes lit up. "That's poetic as hell, man. Smoke & Mirrors. Yeah, I'm feeling that. Could even end the track with us both on the hook, layered vocals."
Tao switched gears, beginning to construct a skeleton arrangement. He looped the piano progression and added a heavier kick. "Write out a few starter bars," he said. "Let's see what chemistry you're cooking."
Mitsunari stood, walking to the corner of the room, mumbling lines under his breath. Jeren sat with his phone open, his thumb moving fast across the screen. In ten minutes, they had a draft of the first sixteen bars were dense, raw, and full of character.
Tao encouraged them to record a rough take. Mitsunari stepped into the booth first, headphones on, voice steady. His first bars dripped with conviction. Then Jeren stepped in, his voice grittier, more aggressive, but perfectly matching the vibe.
Listening back to the raw track, all three of them knew they had something special. Tao added a few atmospheric synths and layered a reverb tail on the final line. The beat pulsed with soul and edge.
"Second verse, we should flip perspectives," Jeren suggested. "Like, I rap about your life as if I'm you. You do the same. Put ourselves in each other's shoes."
Mitsunari smirked. "That's genius. Really lean into empathy. Gives the track depth."
As the hours passed, they refined the structure, polished the lyrics, and tightened the delivery. Tao was meticulous, offering feedback on syllable timing, vocal layering, and transitions.
By midnight, the track had a clear identity. Mitsunari and Jeren listened back quietly in the control room, both nodding along. The song had become more than just a collaboration as it was a fusion of philosophies.
"This is it," Mitsunari said softly. "This is what I wanted for my debut. Not just a banger. A statement."
Jeren leaned back, stretching. "We just carved something real. Glad I pulled up."
Tao saved the session, labeling it "Track 10.. Smoke & Mirrors." He looked over at them with a grin. "Two more verses and some final touches, and we've got a masterpiece."
As they packed up, Mitsunari clapped Jeren on the back. "Let's finish it next week. You free Tuesday?"
"Locked in," Jeren said. "Let's keep the fire going."
And with that, the two artists walked out into the night, one step closer to defining their legacies through the power of collaboration.