CHAPTER 2: Struggles of the Untalented

"Great day today, huh?" Parappa asked PJ as they walked down Parappa Town's main street the next morning.

"As good as any other day, I suppose," PJ replied. To be truthful, nothing much seemed out of the ordinary.

"Here we are," Parappa said as they reached the record store. They headed in and as would be expected headed right to the rap section.

"What are we doing here?" PJ asked. "Looking for your latest single?"

"Nah, just like looking at the newest members of the industry," he said as he pulled out to look at one of the records by one of the newest artists. "It's hard to believe that in today's day and age that new hits are still being released on records."

"Well it's hard to scratch a CD on a turntable," PJ comically noted.

Parappa chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose it is."

"Why do you keep looking at these new guys?" PJ asked as he pulled out a MC King Kong Mushi album to examine it. "Shouldn't you be more worried about who's above you?"

"I dunno," Parappa replied. "I suppose they remind me of me when I first started rapping. Everyone has the potential to become great at whatever they want to do, and I have the best hopes for these newcomers. If they make a living doing what they love and they believe in themselves, they're successful in my book."

Parappa ended up purchasing a few rap records while PJ bought some plain music for his DJ job.

"Say, we've usually seen Joe Chin out and about by now," PJ noted as they left the record shop.

"Hm… Yeah, you're right," Parappa agreed. "It's almost lunchtime and his limo is nowhere in sight. Perhaps he's staying at his house today."

"I wonder why?" PJ thought out loud.

OoOoO

SC slammed the play button on the boom box with his fist, stopping the music. "What was that?!" he demanded angrily.

"What was what?" Joe asked exasperated. He had been in his bedroom with SC all day. SC had found someplace in the house to rest for the night before waking up Joe bright and early the next morning (in the exact same outfit he arrived in) and they immediately started going through drills and practice. However, no matter how much Joe drilled and practiced, his rapping skill hadn't improved a bit.

"My instructions were to repeat the line, words and rhythm. The line was 'Hey c'mon, everybody get down,' and you said 'Hey everybody, Joe Chin is in the house.' Does that even sound close?"

"Well, a little…"

"It doesn't even rhyme, puppy!" SC said, louder than usual, as he slapped Joe across the face for the fifth time that evening. "Rap is poetry set to music. Prove yourself a poet!"

"I don't have to take this abuse from someone only a little more than half my size!" Joe snapped.

"Do you want Sunny or not?" SC stated more than asked.

Joe remained silent. One could almost hear the gears in his head cranking as they turned.

"I thought as much." SC rewound the tape. "If I have to go drill sergeant on you to make you into a master rapper, then sure as hell I will! From the top!" he said as he pressed the play button again and the music began.

"Welcome all, to my little house."

"Welcome all to my great big house!"

Slap. "Try again! Welcome all, to my little house."

"But I have a big house!"

"No freestyling yet!" Slap. "Try again!"

By the time it was Joe's bedtime, SC's hand was sore from all the slapping and Joe could barely carry a tune, just as before.

"You know what you are?" SC said to Joe. "You are what we in the teaching business call a difficult student!"

"How do you expect me to sing well if you keep slapping my mouth?!" Joe shouted.

"You said you didn't have to put up with my abuse," SC said as he picked up the boom box. "I don't have to put up with yours. Kiss your girlfriend goodbye, puppy, 'cause I quit!" He started to walk out and opened the door.

"W-Wait!" Joe called, causing SC to stop. "There has to be some way I can learn how to rap! We both need to get rid of Parappa!"

SC looked like he was still above to leave, but he didn't. He turned back around and extracted a music CD from the boom box. Joe didn't know what was on it since they were practicing to a cassette tape, but he knew once SC had passed it to him.

"Learn How to Rap Without Even Knowing It" the Sharpie on the label read.

"It's a self-hypnosis CD," SC explained. "Put it in a portable CD player or a stereo by your bed, put on some headphones, and play it in your sleep. Make sure you program the stereo to infinite loop. After a few nights with that going through your head, your rapping will have noticeably improved. We'll still do daily training, so don't think you're off the hook, puppy. I'll be in my room."

As SC left, Joe said one last thing. "How does that help? I don't know what room you're staying in! And I'm not a puppy! I'm seventeen!" If he continued, SC didn't hear it after he shut the bedroom door on his way out.