A scolding war between the top performers was particularly lively in the first month of 2003.

The U.S. media, which doesn't make a big deal to watch, even listed Mary Carey's response to Eminem's song last year: "Clown."

At that time, many media reporters thought that Mariah Carey's song was echoing Zhou Yi's blog post that Eminem himself changed his name and surname, and ridiculed the latter for going to Gotham as a clown to match Batman, so it was nicknamed a mixed doubles.

However, it is a pity that the song "Clown" did not make it to the overall B chart, and like Eminem's song "Idiot" (idiot) by diss Zhou Yi in November last year, it just entered the category chart in a low position and showed his face on it.

But now it's different.

Zhou Yi's "Enemy" made its debut on the list and entered the top 100 on the B list with its excellent song quality, which is undoubtedly an overwhelming result compared to Eminem and Mariah Carey.

In terms of popularity, Zhou Yi's song can kill them tenfold or even a hundred times, which can be said to be far ahead.

At this moment, no matter how many interest groups there are within Warner, they have temporarily unified into one heart for Zhou Yi's achievements - the matter has come to this, and making money is important.

The factory machines were about to smoke, and Warner's board of directors had to go to the factory to screw and assemble the singles.

That's it, the genuine version still can't catch up with the speed of piracy. Basically, every time a single disc is sold, there are hundreds of pirated links downloaded, even if Warner has begun to chase after it, there is nothing to do.

At the beginning of 2003, both the Eastern and Western music scenes began to officially enter the era of piracy.

This had to make Warner Records once again pay attention to the cooperation proposal put forward by Steve Jobs from Apple-

As the spokesperson of Zhou Yi when he was away, Zhou Jianhui also met Steve Jobs, who came to talk about cooperation in person under the introduction of little Edgar.

"Within six months, our current goal at Apple is to sell 1 million licensed songs within six months of the official launch on the music store."

As a super-rich man with a net worth of more than a billion dollars, who was kicked out of Apple in the past and was able to found Pixar Animation Studios, and made a name for himself again with "Toy Story", Jobs is very clear when talking about his entertainment strategy.

He understands the entertainment industry.

This is also the reason why Edgar Jr., who wants to buy Warner Records, knows Jobs, who wants to cooperate with Warner, and now appears in front of Zhou Jianhui.

"Spike is a superstar, and if he's willing to join, I think that number can be drastically reduced. It could be four months, or it could be three months. ”

Facing Zhou Jianhui, Steve Jobs unabashedly expressed his appreciation for Zhou Yi's appeal: "If Spike is willing to settle in, then we will provide him with an unprecedented share contract, and we will only take 10%.

"At the same time, we are also willing to sign him to a three-year endorsement contract to ask him to be the face of the new generation of iPod music players......"

He was in contact with many other Warners superstars, such as Madonna and Linkin Park, but the idea of the music store was never approved by their respective groups.

Zhou Yi is the only team willing to approach him when the market prospects are unclear, and the intention to sign a contract is still very large, plus he is indeed very greedy for Zhou Yi's popularity in the United States, which is even more popular than his fellow countryman Yao Ming.

According to Jobs's original vision, he actually wanted to open a five-five relationship with the record company.

But in the end, the cruel reality taught him to be a man, and the five major record companies, including Warner and Sony, all chose to refuse without exception, and there was nothing to talk about.

After countless negotiations, the final share was fixed at 30% for Apple and 70% for the record company.

But even so, it was only a preliminary completion of some of the songs in the record company's copyright library, and none of those superstars came, which is why Jobs initially set a goal of selling 1 million songs in six months.

In his opinion, the iTunes Music Store, which lacks a superstar to open the way, can reach this result in six months, which is enough to open champagne.

There is no way to do it.

To be honest, Zhou Jianhui is not very optimistic about Jobs's music model.

He has already tasted a similar model in China, that is, Baidu MP3, which was launched at the end of last year.

In his opinion, the willingness to pay for songs on the Internet is too low, and singers can't get a lot of money at all. Not to mention that the means of network anti-theft cannot keep up at all, and the speed of Internet transmission is fast. As soon as your genuine song hit the shelves, dozens of versions of pirated music appeared for people to download MP3.

Internet piracy in the United States is even worse than in China.

It's still making a of money.

If it weren't for Zhou Yi's repeated insistence, he would have withdrawn a long time ago.

"Ipod spokesperson?"

In China, Zhou Yi, who basically communicates with Zhou Jianhui by phone every day, was slightly surprised: "Isn't this thing endorsed by Jobs himself?" ”

"It was before, and now it is now. This music store was born to bundle a new generation of iPods, and how could he be on it himself if he could find heavyweight musicians to endorse him. ”

Zhou Jianhui sneered: "Don't look at what Jobs said nicely, it's just to shape the style."

"He also said that the computer does not invite a spokesperson, according to my news, Yao Ming, who plays in the NBA in our country, has been targeted by him, and is ready to invite Yao Ming to be the spokesperson of the new generation of Apple computers, just because Yao Ming is very popular now."

It's really like the reincarnation of Steve Jobs is extremely high.

"What does the contract say?"

Zhou Yi became interested and curious about how much money Jobs would give.

"$8 million for three years, it's pretty good, he really understands the entertainment industry."

As Zhou Yi's first music-related endorsement product in the United States, the starting price given by Jobs is actually very good, and it can even be said that there is a premium for this thing.

Normally, the top MP3 endorsement fee on the market is only five or six million.

After all, Potian is just a music player, and I don't know how many companies on the market are doing it.

“…… Try to see if you can add a tiered clause that has to limit how many songs I sell in the Apple Music store. For example, 300,000 first steps, 600,000 first ladders, millions of sales and recalculated remuneration and dividend clauses, and so on. ”

Rubbing his chin, Zhou Yi, who had a bad stomach, put forward a condition for Zhou Jianhui that made him feel confused.

What do these mean?

Is this in the stud apple?

Don't you kid refuse to gamble?

Such a big gamble?

"Why are you embarrassed to laugh at Jie Lun for going to the casino to give money to others?"

Cheng Hao's home, living room.

After Zhou Yi hung up the phone, Sun Yanzi, who was holding a plate of fruit in his hand, sat cross-legged on the sofa, looking at him with a strange face.

She can guess with her own mind that if Apple really accepts this plan, it will definitely greatly reduce the endorsement fee, which is a typical risk hedging for businesses.

"I'm not gambling, it's called investment, you know a fart."

Zhou Yi stretched out his hand to take the fruit plate that Cheng Hao handed him, and said comfortably: "You must win, okay?" ”

How can you call a bet when you can see the results?

He was born with this memory, and if it is not closed, it will not be opened.

As long as Jobs's pain point is hit, it is not a problem to get tens of millions of dollars more in three years with the ladder clause, and at the moment of signing the contract, Jobs may have to thank him vigorously.

After all, now that he himself is worried about the future of the music store, and his goals are extremely conservative, this is the perfect opportunity to pick up a handful of wool.

Fuck, let your dog make ios so closed, he was disgusted by ios's closure mechanism in his last life.

When I mixed the readership, I also heard that there was an unlucky guy who wrote a novel at the starting point and registered an account with an Apple ID, but after registering to write a novel, he found that he couldn't even manage the novel comment area in the starting point app, and he couldn't draw a monthly ticket lottery, and he couldn't even hang the readership account on the introduction of the book.

What a terrible word.

"Are you investing in something that is currently profitable? Dark Lamp? ”

Sun Yanzi bit her fork, laughed, and squeezed her eyebrows at Cheng Hao with bad intentions: "You're right, Cheng Hao?" ”

"Judging from the current recovery rate of the stock prices of major companies and the reports submitted by the company's personnel stationed on the board of directors of each company, although the return on capital has not yet been recovered, it is just around the corner."

Cheng Hao, who was overjoyed, finally saved the man's respect: "Actually, stocks like Moutai are still rising steadily, but the amplitude is not very high." ”

"Oh, vulgar."

Zhou Yi, who didn't hear it at all, pursed his lips disdainfully, and his eyes were immediately attracted by the sound of the news broadcast on the TV screen as background music-

It is reported that the new single released by China's young singer Zhou Yi in the United States has exceeded 560,000 so far, becoming the first singer to sell more than 500,000 copies in the United States within the first week of single release since the beginning of 2003.

Yao Ming, a young player who competes in the NBA in the United States, recently said in an interview that he is a loyal fan of Zhou Yi......

When the camera was shown to CCTV's location reporters, a group of blacks and whites with Team Rocket logos on their clothes and singing "Enemy" appeared on the side of the road behind them-

"Your words up on the wall as you're praying for my fall"

"And the laughter in the halls and the names that I've been called

"I stack it in my mind and I'm waiting for the time

"When I show you, what it's like to be words, spit in a mic, don't try to escape, ~~"

The heartfelt chanting and chorus of passers-by can't be faked under the CCTV camera, especially the neat and uniform behavior of the crowd at this point.

"Hello, sorry excuse me, are you Spike fans?"

"Spike? Oh, yes, I'm going to love this guy to death. ”

A brown-haired dude with a blonde hottie in his arms is visibly excited when facing the camera: "Spike is amazing! He's right, Eminem is the clown! He should go back to Gotham! ”

"We're going to propose this song as a halftime repertoire! It's just amazing! ”

“……”

Obviously, there should have been some interviews after this, but the CCTV editing was either silenced and replaced with a reporter's voice or narration, or it was simply cut out.

Zhou Yi was very dissatisfied with this-

Can't you put more?

I don't really want to watch Zhou Yi's endless Sun Yanzi jumped up from the sofa with his hands and feet, grabbed the remote control, and tuned to Hunan Station to watch the replay of Happy Camp-

She doesn't like variety shows very much, but she prefers to watch variety shows to relax.

Especially "Happy Camp", a variety show that is really fun.

Naturally, these two started a battle for the remote control in Cheng Hao's house like two bear children, Cheng Hao, who was used to it, shook his head helplessly, picked up his fruit plate and sat on the side to read the magazine, while letting the two of them fight for me on the sofa, and the years are quiet.

Since moving into a new home, at first, Sun Yanzi came to eat in the name of learning cooking, and later Zhou Yi, who didn't know what his face was, was too lazy to eat the food brought back by the assistant.

Then, her home became a place where the three of them would stay as long as they rested, and the originally empty living room became lively.

"Oh yes, Cheng Hao, are you going to the United States to find your uncle and aunt during the Chinese New Year this year? Or stay in the country? ”

After all, Sun Yanzi, who still couldn't twist his thick thighs with thin arms, turned his eyes to his good girlfriend who had been quiet for many years, and said curiously.

"My mother won't let me go, saying that it's too troublesome to go back and forth, and I can stay in the country with peace of mind."

Cheng Hao, who talked about his parents, shook his head: "My dad's treatment over there is very good, and it is estimated that he will be transferred back to a nursing home in China around June this year." ”

"That's ......"

Sun Yanzi nodded clearly, and then suddenly got up from the sofa, reached out and grabbed his bag, and reached out to touch it for a long time with his tongue-

Cheng Hao was a little strange: "Why are you asking this?" ”

"Dangdang!"

Sun Yanzi, who touched an envelope, pulled it out of her bag and held it up in front of Cheng Hao as if she was showing some treasure, grinning with big teeth: "Are you interested in accompanying me to the Spring Festival Gala for the New Year?" Xiao Yaxuan and I are so lonely, Zhou Yi and we are not in the same period of time. ”

“……”

Cheng Hao blinked, looked at Sun Yanzi, who had a smile as bright as a sunflower, as if he thought of something, and swallowed the words that came to his mouth back into his stomach, and took the envelope: "Okay, then it's decided." ”

“nice！”

Seeing that Cheng Hao accepted the envelope, Sun Yanzi briefly blinked her right eye alone and gave her a wink. While shouting happily, he didn't forget to give her a thumbs up, and her short ear-length hair shook with joy: "Let's celebrate the New Year together." ”

Zhou Yi, who was sitting on the side, watched the scene of the exchange between the two, and while chewing the fruit, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but raise a slight arc.

Is Sun Yanzi short of people for the New Year?

There is obviously no shortage this year, and Xiao Yaxuan has been with her.

"Cheng Hao, if she doesn't go to her parents' side for the New Year, why don't you just invite her to celebrate the New Year with us, there are more people, and she won't feel lonely."

This is what Sun Yanzi said when she first discussed it with him.

Having crossed the ocean to China to work hard, she obviously understands how uncomfortable it is to be lonely during the Chinese New Year, which is why she came to eat under the pretext of learning cooking skills in the first place.

Of course, it is definitely not because she is hungry and cooks deliciously, it is 10,000 times better than her.

Definitely not!

The next day, the energetic Sun Yanzi met with Xiao Yaxuan again and entered the CCTV studio hall.

The 2003 CCTV Spring Festival Gala of the Year of the Goat has entered the final rehearsal stage, and at this point, the big-hearted Zhou Yi's ass can sit steadily.

Even Zhao Benshan, a regular visitor to the Spring Festival Gala, is nervous, correcting his own small mistakes and striving for excellence.

As a template for the old to bring the new, Sun Yanzi, who went to the Spring Festival Gala for the second time, also brought a Xiao Yaxuan who went to the Spring Festival Gala for the first time. Therefore, no matter how many rehearsals there are, the two of them did not play drums in their hearts when they were at the rehearsal site, for fear that the show would be brushed down.

In fact, if it weren't for the song "Mom and Dad" that the two of them were going to sing was more in line with the traditional concept of Chinese, they might be the ones who were brushed down.

As a family-oriented pop song, the song "Mom and Dad" they sang successfully squeezed out the "Reunion" sung by 7 singers in the system at the end, and became the last show before the clock struck zero.

As for Zhou Yi, he squeezed out the quota of Guo Fucheng, the former Warner's first brother.

Originally, Guo Fucheng was going to sing "Get Moving" at this Spring Festival Gala, but now it is gone, replaced by his "Young China Says".

Because of Zhou Yi's achievements and prestige, no one objected to this decision, and Guo Fucheng's own focus went to the film industry, so there was no opinion.

"I heard that your overseas grades have exploded again, congratulations."

In the studio hall, Zhang Baizhi, who sang the audience song "DV Tonight" with Xie Xiaodong this year, did not mean to avoid suspicion because of his boyfriend Xie Tingfeng, and still warmly greeted Zhou Yi, the "boyfriend's old enemy" who arrived at the scene, when his boyfriend had an accident.

How to say it, you can't tell if she's brainless or just so unsophisticated.

However, considering the behavior of this person who dared to take a photo with Brother Guanxi after the photo incident and publish it publicly, Zhou Yi is more inclined that she may not have the brain to avoid lightning.

"That rap rap of yours, the speed of speech is so fast, how did you do it?"

……………………

"Honestly, I don't know."

On the evening of January 24, on a variety show in the United States.

Faced with the host's question, Maria Carey, as a guest, also shook her head: "Actually, I have tried many times in private, but obviously I don't have this talent for rapping, I have to say that this is a pity, I think Spike's rap is fast enough to become a teaching material." ”

"Better than Eminem?"

"Eminem? Who? I didn't know him at all. ”

Maria Carey flicked her blonde hair and shrugged her shoulders at the camera: "Spike's score on this song speaks for itself. In fact, I do think so, and I'm not lying.

"I can start a challenge and give someone in the room a thousand dollars if they can sing the rap in its entirety."

The challenge launched by Mary Carey, who looks like a wealthy person, is unfamiliar to the host-

No, you can still play like this propaganda?

(End of chapter)