The Call
It had been a week since I dropped No Fear, the track that seemed to set everything in motion. The one that had the streets buzzing and my name echoing in places I'd never expected. The whole neighborhood was talking, but it didn't stop there. The song went viral, spread across the city like wildfire, and people were hitting me up from all over. It wasn't just the city; it was the entire scene. The comments flooded in, and I couldn't scroll through my timeline without seeing No Fear mentioned. It was like a shift in the air, and I could feel it.
But that wasn't all. What really got the ball rolling, what put me on the map in a way I didn't see coming, was the diss track. The one I'd written after Blaze humiliated me in front of the whole crowd. Everyone had written me off that night, laughing like I'd never recover. But I took the L and turned it into fuel. And now that diss track, Don't Forget, was the one everyone was talking about.
People couldn't stop talking about how I came back after bombing my first round, how I had turned the tables on Blaze. The way the crowd went crazy when I hit him with that fire—my words cut deep. They knew it. Blaze knew it. And now, I was getting calls left and right, people wanting to know who I was and what I had to offer.
But it wasn't just the streets. It wasn't just local buzz. The song had gone viral, picked up momentum online, and before I knew it, Don't Forget was on every playlist. Blogs started writing about it. People from outside the city were sending me messages. The diss track had gone beyond a one-off revenge piece; it had become my anthem.
On YouTube, the lyric video for Don't Forget was already sitting at 850K views in just a week. Fans were commenting, creating reaction videos, and sharing the track. Every time I checked, the number kept growing.
No Fear was also steadily climbing sitting at 100K views.
On TikTok, the song had started a whole new wave. The hashtag #DontForgetChallenge had exploded, with clips of people rapping along, using the track for dance challenges, or just vibing to it. There were 2.3 million views under that hashtag alone. Kids from all over were using it to talk their shit, calling out people who doubted them—just like I had with Blaze. The energy was contagious.
As for Instagram, I watched my followers surge from 1K to 30K in less than a week. Everyone from local influencers to people in the game were reposting my clips. I didn't have to tell anyone what track they were vibing to because it was everywhere. Stories, posts, tags—people were running with it. I was getting tagged in memes, battle clips, and fan edits. It felt surreal to see my face all over my feed.
But that wasn't all. What really put me on the map in a way I didn't expect was the message I got.
I was sitting in my makeshift studio one late night, working on some new ideas. My phone buzzed, and I picked it up without thinking, expecting it to be a fan or a random message about the track. But when I saw the name, my heart skipped a beat.
Lil Baby.
The verified checkmark next to the name was unmistakable. I froze for a second, staring at the screen like it might disappear any second. It was him. The same guy who had been dominating the charts, dropping hits back-to-back. And here he was, sliding into my DMs.
I opened it slowly, trying to keep my cool, but my pulse was racing.
Lil Baby:
"Yo, this the real Lil Baby. That track you dropped, 'No Fear,' is hard. I been keeping tabs on you. Let's link up for a collab. What's good? Hit me back ASAP."
I blinked twice, my mind trying to process what I was seeing. Was this real? My hand shook slightly as I reread it. It wasn't a fake account or some random producer trying to pitch me. This was Lil Baby himself.
I threw my phone on the couch, pacing back and forth in the small space. My heart was beating out of my chest. This was the kind of opportunity that didn't come around twice, and here it was, right in front of me. A direct line to one of the biggest names in rap. I had to act fast.
I grabbed my phone again, my hands trembling slightly, and fired back a response.
KJ:
"Yo, what's up? Appreciate the love! I've been grinding hard and it means a lot to hear that from you. Let's make something legendary."
I hit send before I could second guess myself. Now, I just had to wait. My mind raced through a thousand thoughts. What would the collab be like? Would I get the chance to work with him on a track that could change everything? This was a game-changer, and I knew it.
Minutes felt like hours. I tried to stay focused, but my mind kept drifting back to the message. Every buzz from my phone had me hoping it was him again.
Then it came.
Lil Baby:
"Bet. I'm in Atlanta next week. Let's make this happen. I'll send you the details."
I couldn't contain the grin that spread across my face. I immediately shot a quick message to Rico. He'd been with me from the start, pushing me to take this music thing seriously. Now, it was all about to pay off.
KJ:
"Yo, I just got a message from Lil Baby. He wants to collab. I'm flying to Atlanta next week. This is it."
I didn't need to explain more. Rico knew exactly what that meant.
Rico:
"No way, bro. This is huge. You've earned this, KJ. Let's go. I'll be here when you get back."
The anticipation of the upcoming trip had me shaking with excitement, but I still had work to do. I couldn't just sit back and wait for everything to fall into place. My track No Fear wasn't just an instant hit; it was the result of years of hard work, building my sound, and sharpening my skills. But it had all started with the diss track. The one where I went at Blaze and proved I wasn't someone to mess with.
The No Fear track had solidified me as a contender, but Don't Forget had been my declaration of war. It wasn't just a diss; it was my redemption. And now, I had Lil Baby wanting to work with me. This was the beginning of something bigger, but I couldn't forget how far I'd come.
I packed my bags that night, ready to leave for Atlanta. But before I did, I sat back in front of the mic, letting the beats play through the speakers. I could feel the energy surging through me, the momentum building.
My phone buzzed again.
Lil Baby:
"Don't sleep on this. It's your time."
I let the words sink in. This was it. This was my time.
I was no longer just the kid who'd gotten laughed at. I wasn't just the guy who'd bombed his first battle and bounced back with a diss. Now, I was ready to step into the next level. With No Fear still climbing, Don't Forget cementing my name in the streets, and now this collab with Lil Baby—it was clear.
The world was about to know who KJ was.
And I wasn't about to let anyone forget.