"Be The Best!"

One day I was transferring from the E train to the D train at the 7th Avenue station.

As I walked down the stairs, I heard this sick drumming underneath.

A black guy was burning it below the staircase, sweating like mad, people were bobbing their heads and smiling while he plays, dollar bills kept on adding up in the tip bucket.

The B train came, the crowd went off, leaving behind waiting for my D train. The drummer finally stopped and checked his tip bucket.

"I wanna stop, but they won't let me!" he talked to me.

I said, "Cuz you bad man."

"I know!" he replied with full confidence.

So I asked him, "So where else do you play man?"

He said, "Oh, let's see... Miami Beach, South Carolina, Philadelphia..." he named a few big places. I looked at him, obviously with a ray disbelief. He then told me, "I tour around with Anita Baker man, you know her?"

I was thinking to myself, "No fuckin' way!", answering, "Yeah of course! Wow!"

Then he said, "Yeah man, I'm not those little subway musicians, this is my practice session, ah (I) been doin' this for 8 years or so now, practicing in the subway."

So I asked him if he plays around the City a lot, he said, "Nah man, I don't play no small clubs man. Payin' me 300 bucks and wantin' me to play 5 hours man? That's ridiculous! I get the same rate touring working less hours!" Then he looked at my violin on my back, "So what do you play? A trumpet?"

I said, "No, it's a violin." Right then, D train arrived at the station, so I said bye to him and walked over to the train.

He said, "Whatever it is (you play), practice! Be the best!"

I turned my head back and answered, "OK man! Will do!"

He yelled once again before the train doors closed, "BE THE BEST!"