boxer to hollywood

At the end of February, Wiz Khalifa released his second rap album, *Deal Or No Deal*.

The album featured five rap songs co-written with Link, including "Black and Yellow," "We Own It," and "Hello Hello," as well as 11 tracks Wiz had accumulated over the years, such as "Chewy" and "Friendly."

In its first week, the album sold 213,000 copies, landing second on the charts, just 12,000 copies short of the top spot. It had a good chance of becoming the number one album the following week.

The song "Black and Yellow" shot up to third on the singles chart, with "We Own It," "Hello Hello," and "Friendly" entering the top 100.

Wiz Khalifa became the fourth artist under Link Music to release an album, and the impressive debut sales once again highlighted Link Music's reputation as a 'hitmaker.'

Unfortunately, in the second week of *Deal Or No Deal*'s release, Justin Bieber's second studio album *My World 2.0* was released in the U.S., selling 283,000 copies in its first week and taking the top spot on the Billboard album chart. Justin Bieber also became the youngest male artist to achieve a number-one album on the U.S. Billboard chart.

Wiz Khalifa's *Deal Or No Deal* dropped to third place with 168,000 copies, while Lady Antebellum's *Need You Now* was second with 183,000 copies. Ke$ha's *Animal* was fourth with 124,000 copies.

During the same week, Link found time to attend the 82nd Academy Awards held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

The movie *The Fighter*, in which he starred, received eight nominations at this year's Oscars, just one less than *Avatar* and *The Hurt Locker*, making it a popular contender.

Link also received a nomination for Best Original Song for the movie's song "The Fighter." In addition, he was invited to present the award for Best Original Score alongside Jennifer Lopez.

Upon arriving at the backstage area of the Kodak Theatre from the red carpet, Link encountered numerous big-name stars.

Tom Hanks, Sean Penn, Cameron Diaz, Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Carey Mulligan, Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams, Charlize Theron, Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Oprah Winfrey, and over a hundred other top movie stars were present.

Link also saw some familiar faces, including Ryan Reynolds, whom he had met once before, Latin pop queen Jennifer Lopez, Bradley Cooper, who co-starred in *Valentine's Day*, and Miley Cyrus and Kristen Stewart, who he knew relatively well.

"Wow, Mr. Link Baker, what brings you here?"

As Link entered the hall, a tall, middle-aged man suddenly approached him, extending his hand enthusiastically. "I'm a fan of your boxing. Your fights are awesome. Can we take a picture together?"

Link looked at the sudden intruder.

The man, in his forties, had a large chin and a fierce look. He wore a loose-fitting suit that made him stand out among the well-dressed stars around him.

It was none other than Hollywood's renowned 'maverick director', a master of violent aesthetics at film festivals, who had directed classics like *Reservoir Dogs*, *Pulp Fiction*, *Kill Bill*, and *Sin City*. This year, he was nominated for Best Director for *Inglourious Basterds*.

Quentin Tarantino.

"Hello, Director Tarantino. I'm also a fan of yours," Link said, shaking his hand.

This wasn't mere flattery; Link genuinely admired *Kill Bill* and *Pulp Fiction*, even having mimicked some of the dance scenes in his leisure time.

"Haha, that's great! Mutual admiration," Quentin Tarantino said, signaling his assistant for a photo as he pulled Link closer.

"Link, what brings you here?" Quentin asked.

Before Link could answer, Kate Winslet walked by and stopped upon seeing them, smiling. "Hi, Director Tarantino, Link's movie *The Fighter* received eight nominations, and he got a nomination too. Didn't you know?"

"Really? Link, you're an actor too? And you got an Oscar nomination for Best Actor? Wow, that's unbelievable. Wait, I don't recall seeing you among the Best Actor nominees," Quentin Tarantino said, clearly having not seen *The Fighter*.

Link didn't mind and explained that he was nominated for Best Original Song, not Best Actor.

"Oh, I remember now. You're also a singer. I've heard *Legends Never Die* and *See You Again*. Wow, you're a world champion boxer who also sings so well. How are you so talented?" Quentin exclaimed, gesturing wildly.

"Link's acting is quite good too. You should watch his performance in *The Fighter*. He's better than many new actors," Kate Winslet praised with a smile.

Link smiled and thanked her.

At 36, Kate Winslet looked older than in *Titanic* but still stunning. She wore a platinum strapless gown matching her hair color, shining under the bright lights of the hall.

Last year, she won the Oscar for Best Actress for *The Reader* and was a presenter for this year's Best Actor award.

"Alright, I'll definitely watch *The Fighter* when I get the chance. Link, you're my idol. I hope you continue boxing and win more titles in the future," Quentin said, his interest in boxing evident as he returned to the topic.

"Definitely!" Link said, bumping fists with him.

Quentin called his assistant over for another group photo with Link and Kate Winslet.

After Quentin left, Link and Kate chatted briefly.

They had never met before, but Link had mentioned her as his childhood goddess at London Airport last year.

Kate teased him a bit and exchanged contact information, suggesting they work together in the future.

Link invited her to his concert in London, and she accepted.

After Kate left, Link observed the hall filled with movie stars. Before the award ceremony began, everyone in their finest attire mingled in the hall, drinking and chatting like a grand star-studded party.

Adjusting his black bow tie, Link stepped into the party, greeting familiar faces among the movie stars.

In the boxing and music world, he was a top-tier star, but in the film industry, he was still second-tier in terms of public recognition, trailing behind many actors present.

Since he planned to deepen his roots in the entertainment industry, getting to know more people would be beneficial.

His proactive approach was well-received by the actors, who warmly responded to his greetings.

The reason was simple: Link was famous and highly profitable. A single boxing match earned him $40-50 million, more than many could make from movie box office returns. Some actors couldn't earn in ten years what Link made in five minutes.

In this capitalist society, wealth was king.

Additionally, in the entertainment hierarchy, singers generally held a higher status than actors.

In art history, music had a longer history than drama, and musicians and composers held higher artistic status and respect than playwrights, with a greater cultural impact.

Many actors in the hall admired rock and blues artists like Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, John Lennon, and Michael Jackson.

But few singers were fervent fans of any actor. Even if they reached the level of Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, or Tom Hanks, it was more about admiration than idolization.

In terms of earning power, singers generally earned more, faster, and stronger.

In Hollywood, fewer than 50 actors commanded over $30 million or received box office cuts, marking them as top-tier.

Most actors saw their popularity wane with age, or their new movies flopped, causing their pay to drop.

In the music industry, many artists earned over $20 million annually from album sales, concert tickets, and song rights.

For example, in 2009, Michael Jackson earned over $100 million from album sales and song rights. Link also earned over $100 million from albums, ads, and concerts. Lady Gaga, Madonna, Taylor, Mariah Carey, Jay-Z, Eminem, Kanye, Britney Spears, Linkin Park, Green Day, Coldplay, and P!nk all made over $20 million annually.

Some singers lived off a single hit song for a lifetime. Mariah Carey earned millions every year from the royalties of her Christmas song *All I Want for Christmas Is You*.

Link's motivational songs like "Unstoppable," "The Fighter," "Chase the Sun," "American Dream," and "Believer," frequently played at sports events since their release last year, earned millions in royalties annually.

Actors needed to continually work to maintain their fame, status, and a comfortable lifestyle. Given the abundance of actors and rapid turnover, the competition was fiercer, making it harder to earn money.

This was why many actors turned to singing once they became famous.

Facing greetings from a billionaire like Link, even the less pretentious actors responded warmly.

However, there was a group that didn't pay much attention to Link: the Black actors, including Forest Whitaker and Jamie Foxx.

After last March's 'Grammy incident,' these individuals publicly criticized Link, accusing him of racism. Although 50 Cent and Lil Wayne later apologized publicly, these actors remained silent.

Even if Link wanted to reconcile, he couldn't be the one to extend the olive branch first, as rejection would be too awkward.

"Hey, Link, over here!" Miley Cyrus, the cheerful girl, waved enthusiastically as Link bid farewell to Robert Downey Jr. and was about to chat with the handsome Keanu Reeves. She was one of the presenters for the Original Song award this year.

Surrounding Miley were Amanda Seyfried, Penélope Cruz, and the expressionless

Kristen Stewart.

Link waved back and walked over.

(End of Chapter)