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Authors: Elisabeth Grace
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surrounded by people kissing my ass. Either because they work for me or want something from me. It was nice to get to know someone who thought of me as Mason, not Mason-Nash-hip-hop-artist. Normally when I meet someone for the first time they know who I am and already have preconceived notions of what that means.”
I was pissed that he’d lied to me but I could understand why he’d done it. How was it any different than when people had seen my video and decided they knew me from that one act? The fact that I understood where he was coming from made it hard for me to stay angry with him. Which made me angry with myself.
I sat quietly processing the information. I wasn’t sure what to think. On one hand he’d been dishonest with me. On the other hand I could totally relate to why. I was also trying to wrap my brain around the fact that he was a real life, honest-to-God celebrity. I’d never seen, let alone had a make-out session with someone famous before. It was unnerving.
“I understand why you kept it from me. I don’t like it though,” I finally said.
He reached across the table and took my hand in his. “I’m sorry. I wanted you to get to know me. The real me. People don’t treat you the same when you’re famous. That sounds pompous to call myself famous I know, but it’s the truth. People are just…different when they know you’re in the public eye.”
The public eye. I hadn’t even gotten that far in my thinking. Mason must live his life in the public eye.
“Ellie, I really am sorry. I would have told you soon, after you knew me a bit better. I didn’t want you to find out like this but I did want you to find out. I never planned not to tell you.”
“How did you get into hip-hop?”
Mason visibly relaxed now that I was engaging him with questions about his career. “When I was a teenager, money was tight. I was always good at putting rhymes together so when I saw there was a free-styling competition in our area I decided to compete. I won the first one I entered. The crowd was really into it, cheering me on and screaming whenever I got a good diss in on the other guy. It was a good way to earn a few extra bucks and it didn’t involve selling drugs like most of my other friends were doing, so I’d compete in any contests I could get to. I won most of them and somehow word spread to Troy—he’s my manager. He sought me out, offered to rep me and show me the ropes. That was more than five years ago.”
“Do you like it?”
“I like the position I’m in now better than the one I was in before, I’ll say that.”
“I’ll bet. It doesn’t hurt having attractive girls come up to your table to talk to you.” I tried to keep the irritated tone out of my voice but wasn’t sure I was entirely successful.
“You’re wrong about that. I’ll admit, at first it was cool. A good ego boost. But after a while you realize that even though the fans think they love you, they really don’t even know you. They love the product and the packaging you provide them with. The product is my music, I’m the packaging. They love the persona they see reflected in the media.”
I was trying really hard to be angry with Mason but the more he explained himself the more I understood his thinking. The lack of privacy would make me crazy. I’d had trouble coping with the small amount of attention I’d gotten from the viral video. I can’t imagine the drain of dealing with that on a daily basis. “Does that happen often? People coming up to ask for your autograph?”
He shrugged. “It does. It depends what city I’m in.”
“And here I thought all those people were looking at our table to see what the fish special was.”
Mason laughed. “I didn’t think anyone would recognize me tonight. Not that I was trying to keep it from you, I just didn’t want our date to become all about the fame thing.”
I knew what he was saying. I’d had a couple similar experiences the odd time I’d been
I was pissed that he’d lied to me but I could understand why he’d done it. How was it any different than when people had seen my video and decided they knew me from that one act? The fact that I understood where he was coming from made it hard for me to stay angry with him. Which made me angry with myself.
I sat quietly processing the information. I wasn’t sure what to think. On one hand he’d been dishonest with me. On the other hand I could totally relate to why. I was also trying to wrap my brain around the fact that he was a real life, honest-to-God celebrity. I’d never seen, let alone had a make-out session with someone famous before. It was unnerving.
“I understand why you kept it from me. I don’t like it though,” I finally said.
He reached across the table and took my hand in his. “I’m sorry. I wanted you to get to know me. The real me. People don’t treat you the same when you’re famous. That sounds pompous to call myself famous I know, but it’s the truth. People are just…different when they know you’re in the public eye.”
The public eye. I hadn’t even gotten that far in my thinking. Mason must live his life in the public eye.
“Ellie, I really am sorry. I would have told you soon, after you knew me a bit better. I didn’t want you to find out like this but I did want you to find out. I never planned not to tell you.”
“How did you get into hip-hop?”
Mason visibly relaxed now that I was engaging him with questions about his career. “When I was a teenager, money was tight. I was always good at putting rhymes together so when I saw there was a free-styling competition in our area I decided to compete. I won the first one I entered. The crowd was really into it, cheering me on and screaming whenever I got a good diss in on the other guy. It was a good way to earn a few extra bucks and it didn’t involve selling drugs like most of my other friends were doing, so I’d compete in any contests I could get to. I won most of them and somehow word spread to Troy—he’s my manager. He sought me out, offered to rep me and show me the ropes. That was more than five years ago.”
“Do you like it?”
“I like the position I’m in now better than the one I was in before, I’ll say that.”
“I’ll bet. It doesn’t hurt having attractive girls come up to your table to talk to you.” I tried to keep the irritated tone out of my voice but wasn’t sure I was entirely successful.
“You’re wrong about that. I’ll admit, at first it was cool. A good ego boost. But after a while you realize that even though the fans think they love you, they really don’t even know you. They love the product and the packaging you provide them with. The product is my music, I’m the packaging. They love the persona they see reflected in the media.”
I was trying really hard to be angry with Mason but the more he explained himself the more I understood his thinking. The lack of privacy would make me crazy. I’d had trouble coping with the small amount of attention I’d gotten from the viral video. I can’t imagine the drain of dealing with that on a daily basis. “Does that happen often? People coming up to ask for your autograph?”
He shrugged. “It does. It depends what city I’m in.”
“And here I thought all those people were looking at our table to see what the fish special was.”
Mason laughed. “I didn’t think anyone would recognize me tonight. Not that I was trying to keep it from you, I just didn’t want our date to become all about the fame thing.”
I knew what he was saying. I’d had a couple similar experiences the odd time I’d been
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