Drop Squad (1994) - full transcript

We're back.
Welcome back to WBLB.

I'm Leo Yurby sitting in
for Brother Raheim Muhammad.

This afternoon I'm joined
by Police Chief Willy Styles,

community activist
Brother Jamal,

as well as avowed conservative, Dr. Norris Fleet,

author of the controversial new bookStop Beggin', My People.

Respect to you, brothers. A pleasure, Mr. Yurby.

Peace, Brother Yurby. It's good to be here today.

If you're just joining us, our
topic is community policing...

as it relates to self-determination and freedom of mind.

Now, we've been talking about looking out for ourselves.



I believe, Brother Jamal,
you had just mentioned a group referred to as the DROP Crew?

It's the DROP Squad. Thank you, Brother Jamal.
Respect.

Dr. Fleet, you were responding
to Brother Jamal's comment. Yes, Leo.

I'm simply saying we cannot take matters into our own hands. Why not?

Vigilantism is not the answer
to our problems.

Black people must work within
the established framework.

Allowing thugs to roam the streets, unchecked,

armed with their own agenda,
is detrimental and embarrassing. Respect, brothers.

Brother Fleet, last time I checked,
there was a war going on.

If the DROP Squad exists,
and they're effective--

The DROP Squad does exist,
and they're breaking the law, plain and simple.

Hey, yo, maybe this ain't got
nothing to do with "the law."

What gives these maniacs the right to snatch people off the street?

What will this do
to the Afro-Americans? Hold on now, Doc.



Brother Yurby, Brother Jamal,
I'm from them same streets.Five-0.

It's gonna take a whole lot
more than some DROP Squad...

to make any difference.
Respect, Chief Styles,

but maybe these people
have the right idea.This is bullshit.

Maybe it's just about doin'
whatever's necessary...

to save the souls
of black people.Right here in this damn room!

Brother Yurby--
and young man, you listen too.

Those fools are breaking the law.
When we find them, and we will,

we're gonna shut them down. Hey, we're gonna shut 'em down.

Cops, Roc. Two of them.
I don't think they saw us.

Got everything? Yeah.

Where to, Black? Rollin' on the river.

- Head over to the new spot.
- Head to the new spot. - You comin'?

No, we'll circle the block,
see if they follow y'all.

You and Stokely stay on schedule.
Business as usual.

I don't know,
Councilman.

Community action people gonna raise
too big a stink about this in the press.

My people have a history
of dealing with disappointment.

Let me handle them, okay?
I am their representative, right?

I'll handle things
from here on out.

Hello? Hello?
Yes, sir, hold on.

Cool your foot.
I come check this in.

Everyone gotta rush,
rush these days.

Yes, sir? My secretary called down
for my car.

Sorry.
What's your name again? Councilman Jenkins.

Blood clot!
Me see your face on TV all the time!

Where's the other guy
who's suppose to be here? Him call in sick.

Man always callin' in sick and expect me for doin' job.
Not like that.

This business
for the white ones.

They say if you're white,
you're all right.

If you're brown,
you have to look down.

If you're black,
you have to stand back. I not like that.

Could you hurry it up,
please?

Ohh.
He's a big spender.

Soon come, hear?

Who's out there?

I want to try this
Martin Luther King special.

Martin Luther King,
in the house!

Can I get that Clarence Thomas
waffle breakfast?

You got it.
Clarence Thomas, in the house!

What's good lookin'? Everything in here is good.

Be right with you,
sugar.

Can I help you?

Um, I'm looking for someone
from the DROP Squad.

I beg your pardon? The DROP Squad.

Ain't they the niggers who supposedly deprogram folks?

You don't believe
in that old tale, do you?

I was told I could reach them
through this restaurant.

Is that right?

Well, baby, somebody's been playin' with you.
Them folks don't exist.

How do you know? Baby, there ain't no
organization of niggers...

running around kidnapping
black folk off the street.

I tell you something else.

I believe that's a rumor white folks started up.
I really do.

- Why would they do that?
- Wishful thinking.

We having a sale on shirts today.
You interested?

I don't think so.
Thanks.

Come in here,
ask me about some kind of DROP Squad.

Why would a sister like you
be looking for the DROP Squad?

Why? Do you know
how I can contact them?

Do you mind?

You can't contact them because,
like the man said, they don't exist.

And who are you?

- What would you need with a bunch like that?
- It's my brother, Bruford.

What's wrong with him,
besides his name?

I wish I knew.

He's changing.

Yeah.
People change every day.

Yeah, well,
not like this.

It's like for the past
year or so, he's--

He's been moving farther
and farther away from us."Us"?

Us. His family.

We never see him.

We never hear from him.

Look,
he needs to be dropped.

Now, do you know how
I can contact them or not?

I wish I did, sister.

Seems like you really need them.
But they're a myth.

Good luck with your brother.

Hey, yo, Fat, I ain't waitin' on your ass all day.
You wanna buy or what?

Meet me
back at the crib.

Yo, man,
why you sweatin' me about some damn telephones?

Who you get 'em from? You think I stole 'em?
Fuck it then! Forget it.

Damn, man. Hold up,
hold up, hold up.

How much? That's better.

Buck fifty.Shit.

You think I'm trippin'?
These are top-of-the-line, G; flip-up, I Spyjobs.

You wanna see 'em or what?
Don't cost you a dollar to see it. What's up?

Go ahead.All right.

Why you look so damn
familiar to me, man?'Cause I got a big family, G.

I don't feel like haulin' that.
In the back to the right.

Check 'em out.
Yeah.Who's that?

Hey, motherfucker,
what you doin'? Get off me!

Trev, come on!
Drive! Come on! Come on!

Y'all made the wrong move, man.
I'm gonna have y'all hurt...

real bad.What's the reason
for the drama, brother?

I'm gonna give you some drama. Uh-uh.
Imagine that.

It's hot, I'm tired
and I ain't in the mood...

for no fake gangster shit
from you.

- Now sit back and chill.
- Good work, Stoke.

Hello, this is Lenora Jamison.

Yeah, I spoke to someone
about my brother.

And? And...

I think it's time.

Yo, Trev.
All right, he did call. Good foot.

He was trippin', man; callin' the lady,
buggin' her all the time.

You know what I'm sayin'? No, no, no.
Look, I wasn't in the mood for no dumb shit.

Yeah, no, come on, man. Believe me,
Flip is a big boy. He'll get over it.

Hey, you know, check it out.
I got another promotion.

Goddamn! Hey, yo, I heard enough.
Yo, Trevor.

Yo, good to go.

Yeah. Later.

Y'all, movin' into position.

Holy shit, Lenora.

Yo, you see anybody
around here, man?

I expect that be the least of your problems right about now.

Bruford? Lenny, why did you
have me meet you here?

Uh, I just wanted
to talk to you.

Talk to me about what?
What's up with Jamison?

Oh, shit! Cold sweat!
Cold sweat! Get him!

Wait! No!
Don't hurt him! Fuck him!

Get that motherfucker, X!

Don't hurt him!

Get the fuck off me!

Oh, God, don't hurt him!

Move! I said put that
motherfucker in there!

Don't hurt him! Now, move!

Hootie-hoo!

Hootie-hoo!

Hurry up, man, okay?
Come on.

I'm pushin', man.Would you push?

Yo, we're sorry we're late.
We got fresh bread here.

Sorry.

All right.

In he goes.Roll him in.
Roll him in.

Yeah, boy.Trevor--

Give this boy his number, man.
What's up?

Welcome, my brother.
You are number 186.

Hootie-hoo, baby.

Welcome, gentlemen.

Come on,
let's move him out.

Come on, boy.There you go.
Pick him up, pick him up.

Where am I? You're with friends.

Name? Jamison, Bruford Jr.

Ah, the bump.
Huh.

Okay, Rocky wants him taken straight in the cell.
He's already viewed his file.

Call Rocky and tell him
186 is in the house! Lenny, Lenny.

Any problems
with him? Peace.

Hey, my mouth is dry.
My mouth is dry!

All right, I'm getting
pissed off now!

Y'all better let me go.Shut up!

Who's your mother?
Who's your mother? Let me go!

Garvey,
I'm outta here.Peace.

I'm gonna save
your soul, brother.

You call yourself
a minister.

Reverend...
L.J. Beekins,

the grandest quencher
of the all-righteous...

and all-powerful Church
of the Everlasting...

Grace and Faith,
Incorporated.

My flock will bring the wrath
of his most holy down on you.

Your flock
had you dropped, fool.

What are you doing? I can see you're gonna give us
one hell of a time, aren't you?

Come on, man.Your deprogrammer will be
right with you, all right?

My what?
Hey, hey, look, man.

Somebody made a mistake, man.
My name is--

Bruford R. Jamison, Jr.
I know that, punk.

Hey.

You ain't nothin'. You're their little blacky,
their little slave boy.

Listen, you call me sir,
all right? You ain't.

Hey, look, look, look.
Ain't nobody make motherfuckers take that shit, all right?

Yeah, but you dealin' death
and destruction to your--Hey, look!

I'm gonna do what I gotta do!
All right?

Yeah.
Yeah, and we're gonna do the same...

boy. Fuck you!

Reverend Beekins
ain't budgin', man.

Old school habits
die hard, brother.

You oughta let me have him
for about 30 seconds.

Rocky in his office?
Everything cool, brother? Yeah, man, in control.

Oh, I know that's not
swine you eatin'!

You get full of that pig,
you be too slow to be useful when the revolution jumps!

Oh, snap, is the revolution
this week?

A whole generation wasted!

All I wanna know, my brother,
is it gonna be televised?

Lenny, why did you
have me meet you here?

I wanted to talk to you.Talk to me about what?

Cold sweat! Cold sweat!
Get that motherfucker!

All right.
Thank you.

How you doin'? Hello.
How are you?

Good, good.
Let me get a cocoa bread to go.

Sure.

I don't need napkins.
That's okay.

Dollar? Thank you.

Why the fuck can't we get
a simple drop straight?

Hmm?

Why are men runnin' around
like goddamn Heckle and Jeckle?

Wasn't my call, Roc.Then whose call was it?

Oh, mind if I talk
to you for a minute?

...thinkin' about, man?

- Shut it down!
- What you want, fool?

They're killing me!

They're killing me!

Check with Trevor! Wait for the all clear!
Wait for the all clear!

The love of money
is the root of all evil.

Nothing wrong with money.
Money's good.

Vengeance is mine
sayeth the Lord!

Shut up.

Same cop
from 119th Street? Yeah, Roc.

How many people
do you have in back?

Cut the volume.

You've been getting
some extra deliveries.

Extra deliveries?

What deliveries? You usually get
two or three a day.

Please, Lieutenant,
what is it you want to know from me?

Well, I'm trying to ask you.
I'm not trying to upset you.

Just a couple of questions.
I know it's hot.

Look, Lieutenant--
Johnson, right.Johnson.

Okay.Listen, you've been
a great help.

You've been a great help.
You have a good day.Thank you.

You too.Okay.

And y'all wanna know
why I'm worried.

They're in our house, man!

Fucking walking around
upstairs!

This ain't no fucking joke.

Hey, brother,
we know that. Then act like it!

- We gotta rap, Roc.
- About what?

See what I'm sayin'?
He not even tryin' to listen.

'Cause you ain't got
nothin' new to say, X. Brother,

everything I've been
telling you is new.

That's the problem.
You don't seem to understand that!

Rocky, we ain't as effective as we used to be.
That's it.

That's bullshit. No,
that's not bullshit!

You said it yourself.
That brother brought the police back on us.

Now, would that have happened five,
six years ago? Would it?

So what's your suggestion?

It's time to change
the groove.

You are tying our hands
with this "talk to 'em" rap.

Some of these people need
an ass whippin', Rocky,

and you know that!

It's not the way
we do things, man.

Hey, it's your show,
brother.

Garvey.

I'll think about it.

Sucker, get the--
Get off me!

Get the fuck off me, boy!

Hey, shut the fuck up, man!
Stay off me, you hear me?

Oh, come on, Bruford, be real!

I mean,
just look at the albums.

These were the hottest albums
around back in the days.

And you guys used to flock to the stores just to see 'em.

Are you that different now
that you're a company man?

Huh?

What is your problem,
brother?

Why are you so ashamed
of yourself?

I'm ashamed of myself because I don't tie people to chairs for a living?

Black people kidnapping black people.
Is that really something to be proud of?

Black people kidnapping
confused niggers is.

I think you're the one
that's confused.Excuse me?

Last time I checked,
I had a right to live my life any way I wanted to.

My responsibility,
first and foremost, is to myself.

If we can convince Cone Petagro & Petagro
is the wrong team to go with on this one,

I think we'll have no problem
selling them on our concept.

As you know,
Petagro has a strong hold on the colored community.

- African-American.
- Of course.

We feel our campaign for
Mumbling Jack Malt Liquor...

far surpasses
anything they've done.

Now, research tells us that
this is the perfect time...

to pitch this product
to these people.

And this is...
the perfect pitch.

Good job, Griggs.
Lovely girl.

Thank you, sir.

And of course we'll back this up with lots of radio.

- Jamison?
- Uh, yes, sir.

This is the direction
that we're moving in.

♪ Pass me
the Mumbling Jack, boy ♪

♪ Now when you're with your freak, yeah,
kid don't be stumblin' ♪

♪ Walkin' around like
your stomach was rumblin' ♪

♪ You want it down with it You want it real crumblin' ♪

♪ Drink it in the brew
that I have for mumblin' ♪

♪ Mumbling for the girls
that kill me ♪

♪ Mumbling Jack Malt Liquor
gets ya cozy ♪

♪ Ho's on your tip That's the way you solve the beat ♪

♪ Kick the Mumbling Jack, kid
or just stay lonely ♪♪

Yo, now this right here
is Knucklehead.

And Mumbling Jack is all that.
You know what I'm sayin'? Ow!

Mumbling Jack Malt Liquor,
available everywhere...

black people are served.Excellent. He has quite a way
with a lyric. Good choice.

Thank you, sir.
Excuse me.

I think this is
kind of... offensive.

- Say again?
- Well, uh,

besides perpetuating
African-American stereotypes,

it is offensive against African-American women,
all women.

These are the people
that buy the product.

Obviously,
we need to appeal to them.

Why does she have to have
the bottle between her legs?

Where else would it go?

And why do we have to refer
to the sister as a "ho"? We're simply speaking...

- in the vernacular of the target audience.
- Says who?

Evans, Jamison,
what's your feedback?

Well, it does have
a certain appeal.

Of course it does.
Makes me thirsty just looking at it.

I am not arguing
its effectiveness here.

But do we really need
to put something like this...

in the African-American
community? Well, uh,

nobody drinks Mumbling Jack
in my neighborhood.

Jamison.

Oh, uh--

Uh, well, sir, I'm, um--

I'm inclined
to agree with Evans.

I think this is just the punch
the campaign needs, sir.

Good. Let's get them up
by next week.

That's all for today.

Thanks a lot, brother.

Man, I cannot
believe this shit.

What in the hell
just happened in there? Oh, come on, Kyra.

The spots weren't that bad.Bullshit.
And you know it.

Why are you helping them push this shit on our people?

Oh, come on, Kyra.
We're in advertising, remember? Hello?

This ain't advertising.
It's genocide.

Genocide? Yes.

I'm sorry, baby,
but it ain't that deep, really.

Hey, hey, y'all.

Janet. Janet. Janet.

You're the senior member of this team.
Can't you talk some sense into Sweeney?

Well, the spot has already
gone into production, babe.But--

It's a done deal.Oh, man, what is wrong
with these people?

I just hit a home run
with that Mumbling Jack ad.

What's happening
with your thing?

I'm fighting Sweeney on this General Otis Fried Chicken account.

He wants to call it
the "Gospelpak."

Have you ever?
And he was serious too.

Rosette knows what
I'm talking about.

Wings, potatoes, biscuits,
and now get this.

On the napkins,
a verse of scripture printed right on the front.

I had to walk out
of the room.Hello.

Bruford, your cousin's
on line three.

Kyra, Sweeney wants to see you. Oh, shit.

Hello. Yeah, Flip,
what's up? Hey, Bru! It's Flip.

I really need
to talk to you.Yeah.

Yeah, but I can't talk
about this right now. That's gotta go down right now.

Yeah, all right.
Okay, later. Thanks.

Minority Development.

Bruford, I need
to talk to you.

I've got an office full of angry Latinos.
This is really getting to be bullshit.

¿Que? Oh, not you.
Lo siento.

This is getting way out of hand.
I can't take it anymore.

I need a couple of minutes
of your time. Bruford--Look, I gotta go.

Hold up, hold up. What's the word,
Dobbs?

Yeah, who's out next? Don't know.

Checked every trash can
in the place. No new memos.

All right, Dobbs.
Let yourself out, huh?

Hey, I believe y'all
owe me some money.

Beat it, old man.
No info, no money.That's right.

You see, that's the problem
with you new Negroes.

Y'all ain't got no respect.

No respect for your elders,
no respect for yourselves, nobody.

Big execs, huh? Well, y'all
ain't no different than me.

Y'all don't know nothin' about
what's goin' on in this company.

Oh, and you do?

You're just jealous because you've
been pushin' that broom for 15 years...

and ain't got a goddamn thing
to show for it!

I got my integrity.
I got my pride.

I don't need to have folks go checkin' around trash baskets...

to see if
I still got a job.

Oh, man, go home
and put on some lotion.

Ain't y'all got no pride?

Ain't you?

Well, money
ain't everything, boy.

I'm sure there'll be
plenty of news...

this afternoon
after the meeting.

What meeting?
Head of department meeting.

Started a while ago.
Didn't y'all get a memo?

I know I didn't throw it away.
I'll find out what's going on.

It's gotta be in here, man.

It ain't just about you! You got Rocky on edge
with all the mess-ups, man.

He's gonna see this shit here
and wanna kick somebody's ass.Man, chill out.

Z knows what she's doin'.
She's just messin' with his head a little bit.

You ever read
The Bluest Eye?

What? It's a book
by Toni Morrison.

She won a Pulitzer.Yeah, look, I know
who Toni Morrison is.

You should check it out.

I'm gonna treat you like you
treat your people, Councilman!

Councilman, you're a dog!
Get over there! Tell the truth!

Tell the truth! I stole the money!

Tell the truth!
Who are you? I stole the money!

I stole the money! Who are you? Who are you?
Who are you?

Tell the truth!
Tell the truth! Tell the truth!

Bring that motherfucker
out here!

Bullshit author that you are,
you call this knowledge?

Tellin' my man I need a smack every now and then?

"At times the African brother needs to administer...

"discipline
to the African sister.

"He may strike you,
but it is necessary...

if he is to return to his
place of regal glory."

My Afro-centrifugal postulate
is the result of hours...

of imperial research.

What kind of research
are you doing here?

I was simply joking
with my publicist.

And I guess the dough boy can smack
you around when you get out of line too.

Wh-What's up? What's up?
What's up, huh? Huh? Stokely, easy, okay?

You gonna beat some sense
into me, motherfucker?

Huh? Huh?
Come on with it!

You come on with it! You're cool, man. You're
cool, but you got no groove.

Man, you stuck
in the '60s, boy.

Oh, you think you're
gonna change me? Huh?

You think you're gonna change me?
Well, fuck you and this bitch!

Y'all don't know Fat Money,
boy!

Porky Pig ass.

Call her
bitch again...

and I'm gonna get
to know you, Nino.

You better save
your strength, punk.Hmm.

What the fuck
you lookin' at?

I don't know.
I don't know.

I'm 23 years old and you got me feelin' like a very old woman.

I don't understand you
at all! And you never will, ho.

Stokely! Stokely, Stokely, stop!
What the fuck's your fuckin' problem?

I'm gonna string
your fuckin' ass up.Stoke. Stoke, please!

That's all
you got, boy?

That shit was
faggoty, boy!

Doesn't anything
matter to you?

Oh, yeah.
Gettin' paid!

You got anything better
to offer me? Huh?

Y'all s--

Y'all motherfuckers is
corny, I'm tellin' you.

Corny.
So wake me up when y'all get ready to let me outta here.

I'm gonna sleep now.

Obviously, we got a problem.

What's happenin'?
Hmm?

I know one of y'all
got an answer.

Twice in two weeks the cops
have been on our shit.

Somethin' ain't right.

Y'all are gettin' sloppy, man.

Now, we got lucky this time,

but ain't gonna be
no next time.

Maybe if y'all did things
by the book--

Maybe it's time
for a new book.

X, I ain't in the mood, man.
We change tactics when I say so.

How you sound, man?
You not in the mood. When yousay so.

We're the ones that gotta
make this shit work.

Hell, Rocky,
you're not even around. Say what?

I'm sayin' you're
not even around, Rocky.

When was the last time
you deprogrammed somebody?

You don't know what we gotta do in
there because you ain't been in there!

I ain't been in there?
I founded the DROP Squad, man.

We know that!
But this ain't the '80s, brother, it's the '90s!

And shit's
a whole lot more intense!

We do whatever we gotta do
to get the point across.

That's why people come to us. X, listen to me, man.

We do one thing.
We talk to people.

Period. We don't hit 'em,
and we don't threaten 'em.

The problem is, Roc,

these cats today, they ain't
tryin' to hear nothin', man.

You gotta get
their attention first.

Garvey, I don't need you guys
freelancin' on me, man.

Ain't nobody freelancin'
on you, brother. We got a system that works.

Just stick with it.
All right?

All right.

Excuse me.

Um, I need to talk
to somebody in charge, please.

Bruford R. Jamison, Jr.

Your boss man
must love you.

Look, man, I,
uh-- I just wrapped up the biggest project of my career.

Mm-hmm.Whoo!

It's gonna be my last one
unless I get outta here.

Now, come on, y'all made your point, okay?
Can I just get outta here?

What's the matter, Bruford?
Can't you miss a few days from work?

I got bills to pay
like everybody else.

Now, y'all are messin'
with my livelihood, man.Stop whinin', man.

Whinin'! Whinin'!

Maybe you need
to lose that gig.

Maybe that will put your ass
back in touch with reality.Reality.

Reality!
Reality, boy! Reality, reality. Wake up!

Y'all the ones that's
out of touch with reality!

Don't piss
your pants, brother.

Them white boys don't even know you're gone,
believe me.

Hey, how ya doin? I'm serious.

Kyra thought she was all that,
and the devil kicked her to the curb.

You got to know
how to play it smart.You're late.

White man wouldn't let go
of my nigger toe.Thanks.

How you feelin'?
Aw, shut up.

I got the I-hate-my-job,
but-times-are-too-tight to-quit blues.

How you sound, girl.

There's got to be a better way to serve the community.

What are you talkin' about?
You do a lot of good things with the community.

Hey, didn't you get the company to participate
in the National Black Family Reunion? Huh?

Right. They sponsored
a jump rope contest.

"Jump for Freedom."
What's that?

I was out there jumpin'
for my freedom.

It's not funny.

All I do all day long is spend my time
explaining away their bad judgment.

See, baby, that's your problem.
You keep thinkin' they have the best interests...

of the community at heart.
Uh-uh.

Honey, I know whose best interests they have at heart.

Y'all just kill me
with this "they" stuff.

We are "they."

Bruford, you helped
come up with that...

old, crazy Mumbling Jack
campaign, didn't you?

Rosette, you're just mad because I didn't
let your drunk behind pose for the poster.

So, Rosie,
why don't you let me give you a hand on this General Otis thing?

I'll get us both a raise.

So what's your idea?

A half-naked lady with a chicken
in between her legs?

Girl, please!

Ha, ha, ha.
Girl, that was just a beer ad.

I didn't see the need for a black history lesson, okay?

I'll just pass on your help,
thank you very much.

Look, we get paid to sell goods
to black people. Period. That's right.

By any means necessary, right?

If you want to get deep about it,
go ahead, but I understood that comin' in.

Let me ask you a question. If you're a vegetarian,
do you work at a meat factory?

Bruford, it's not that simple,
and you know it.

It's as simple as using
your common sense.

If you know Mumbling Jack is gonna tear up your liver,
don't buy it.

Seriously. I mean, why make it
a black-white thing, Rosette?

Right! If white folks drank this, we'd be trying to sell it to them too.

- But they don't!
- Right! So what are we supposed to do?

Chase behind black folks
and hold their hands...

and tell them don't eat this,
don't drink that, don't buy--

Folks gotta make
their own decisions. That's right.

It's not my personal
responsibility.

It's not.

You ain't nothin' but a token. Token!

Token! Your whole
department is bullshit!

Bullshit! A bunch of over-privileged
Negroes!

Negroes! Tryin' to out-white
each other!

Whitewash! Over-privileged? Huh?
I earned my damn job!

You ain't earned shit!
Shit! Shit!

It was earned for you by a lot of people you seem to wanna forget!

I haven't forgotten anybody.
Look, I don't need to explain.

Oh, brother, please!
You forget whoever they pay you to forget!

And you probably couldn't wait to sell Kyra out!

Sellout, sellout,
sellout! No, no, no!

Kyra couldn't cut it.
No, she couldn't cut it, and she quit!

She was confused.
I'm not.

Look, it's a game,
you know?

Sometimes in that game you gotta
separate your politics from your goals.

Sellout! All right. So what
would you have me do?

Go in there and start
makin' demands?

It's their company.

This is bullshit. I don't
need explain myself to you...

or anybody else.Yeah, eloquent,
but incorrect,

seein' as you're the one
tied to the chair.Like a dog!

Wrong! Let me tell you
what I think.

I don't care what you think.
You don't know my life or what I'm livin'.

Nigger, I got you, baby!
Right here!

I only need to know a fraction of this to know your sorry ass!

Motherfuckers like you laugh at nigger jokes with your white friends!

Nigger, nigger, nigger,
nigger, nigger, nigger! With niggers like y'all,

that's all we'll ever be
to them, a joke! Funny, brother!

No, it ain't funny.

Y'all think y'all got it all
figured out, don't you? Huh?

Y'all don't know shit, man.

Y'all don't know shit
about reality.

Y'all couldn't handle it
anyway, you know?

Brother, for you this is reality.
You should start to deal with that!

Yeah? Well, you should kiss my natural black ass,
you bald-headed piece of--

Oh! All right!

Get all the rest you can, baby.
You gonna need it.

Uh-huh.

It's all right.
I got all day.

Huey, give our boy
a black history minute.

I ain't goin' nowhere.

I ain't goin'
nowhere.Z.

Garvey.
Man, I told you.

Welcome to the wonderful world of the Negro.
Damn.

Heritage International
presents "The Negro."Look, Z,

I don't want you
to get into trouble.

Come with me as we return... I'm gonna send you over
with Miss Ibo.

To the glorious state
of Mississippi.

The year is 1876.
- Milford County.And what are you gonna do?

Hell, we've tried
everything.

Now we gonna
do it my way.

They got us again.

Yeah.
How ya doin', babe?

Come in right through the front damn window.
You need a revolvin' door.

Why don't you check upstairs,
see what else they might have taken.

Better yet,
why don't you lay your shit out in the street?

Come on, son.
A little sweat ain't gonna kill you.

Go get your
hammer and nails.

I don't know when they are gonna realize
that I am just here to help them, man.

Sometimes black people just--Black ain't got nothin'
to do with it, brother.

You got shit to get stole,
it's gonna get stole. It's simple as that.

You got to adjust
to reality.

What you plan on doin' with that
little-ass piece of wood, son? George Truelove, Esquire.

Oh, brother.

Brother, brother.

Oh, my man.
What happened to you here?

Man, they hit me again.

They took everything this time--
All the machines, everything.

Man gets robbed more
than the homeless peoples.Shit.

Look, Rocky. Look here.
I got some breakfast links in the car, 20 to the pack.

Let you have them
for five dollars.

Let me think about that,
Frankman.Okay.

Somebody dropped
the dime on us, man.

Brought the cops
this time, so...

we gotta move.Again.

Yeah.

You can't make mistakes, Roc.
Not now.

Not since you made
the big times.

That's you, isn't it?

Yeah.

Real nice, Roc.
That's real nice, brother.

I think you're letting
this thing get outta hand.

I mean, come on, Roc.
We used to bring people to your house, you remember?

I mean, we talked to them.
We were never a bunch of vigilantes, man.

We didn't go around kidnappin' people and bangin' their heads.

- Is that what you think we're about now?
- These days, yes.

From what I'm hearin',
you guys are more into beat-downs than you are enlightenment.

Maybe things are just a lot different than when we started, Skeeter.

You tryin' to convince me or you
tryin' to convince yourself?

Hmm?

Look, brother.

Now you know I'm always
gonna support you, Roc.

But this ain't about beatin' folks' heads, man.
It never was.

Hey, Bru!

Feelin' black yet?

Those little sissies.

Look, there's
Bruford, Jr. And Flip.

Lord, you couldn't keep
those boys apart.

Oh, they're too precious.

Hey.
There's my Bubu. Hey, Bu.

What's up there, boy? Hey, Pop. Hey, Des.
Hey, what's up, big head?

Ma, you gotta call me Bubu?I've always
called you Bubu.

Flip's downstairs.
He's been tryin' to get ahold of you.

I'll go get him. No, Des, you don't
have to get up.

I'm just gonna
drop off my laun-- No, I'll go get him!

Come in the kitchen with me, Bruford.
Flip! Bubu's up here!

What's happenin', Bu?

Come here, man.What's up?

What's up, Flip?
How you doin'?

Long time no see. I'm glad you're here.
Hey, we need to rap.

Aunt Lucy, you got anything to drink?
Sit down and eat some dinner.

I fixed you a plate
and left you a soda.Oh, thanks, Aunt Lucy.

Come out with me, Desiree.
Lenora? Bu.

Yeah? You lookin' good, like you're
doin' all right for yourself.

Hey, man, everything's cool.
Same old, same old.

Hey, I saw Skip the Trip.
He used to play bass with us. Remember?

Oh, yeah, man.
Doodle brother, right?

He said he hadn't
seen you in a while.

I said, well, Bubu's
workin' downtown.

He ain't got time to be
hangin' around here.

Ah, come on, man. I hang out sometimes.
I just got other things to do.

I hear you, brother.

That's what
I'm talkin' about.

I get a gig like you got,
start cuttin' these niggers loose.

Oh, yeah?

I tell you what
I was wonderin'.

You know Desiree
about to drop.

I'm gonna be needin' me
a real job, you know?

I was hopin' you'd put in a word for me where you work.

Yeah, but, Flip, man,
it ain't that easy, man.

I ain't talkin' about
no executive spot, man.

I'll work in the mail room.
I'll be a runner, anything. I just need a gig.

Yeah, I know that,
but--Hey, come on, man.

We family, right?

Ah, come on, Flip, man,
don't give me the guilties.

Of course we're family.Then hook me up.

Flip, man, I've told you
a hundred times.

You gotta go to personnel and put in an application like everybody else.

I can't make them white folks
give you a job.

When you gonna do that, man? Hey, I'm gonna
get down there.

Well, when you do that,
then we can talk, man.

Flip, man,
you're my boy, but...

you ain't doin' what you're
supposed to be doin', man.

You know, it's--

I'm sorry, man.
Hey, man, I gotta roll.

I hear you.

Hey, look at us.

Me covered with basement soot,
and you wearin' $500 watches.

Times sure
have changed, huh?

Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, I guess so, man.

Hey, man, gotta roll.

XB's in the house! Oh, shit.

Huey, tell Harriet to let me know if Rocky comes in.

Hey, Bruford.

What's up, man?
You know what?

I sure would hate to be a blue-shirt, button-on-the-collar,

wing-tip-shoe-wearin'
motherfucker and be here.

XB's in the house, man.What's up, X?

XB, meaning Extra Black!

B-l-a-c-k m-a-n!

What'd I get?

Hootie-hoo.Hootie-hoo.

So what's with Bruford now?

I hear, what we have here
is a failure to communicate.

Well, I'm here to help you
get your mind right.

Go ahead, man.
Get outta my face.I'm gonna get in your face, boy.

From now on your name is Toby.

Whenever I call you, you will respond thusly,
"Shakin' it over here, boss."

Yeah, right.I ain't bullshittin'
with you.

No rest for the weary, Toby.

Shakin' it over here, boss.You're damn skippy
you're shakin' it.

I am so tired of all this
blacker than thou bullshit!

You're tired?
What's this bullshit, Toby?

Let him taste some
of that Mumbling Jack, X.Huh? Huh?

Shakin' it over here, boss! You're damn skippy
you're shakin' it!

You think you can just walk around and say and do anything you want...

without gettin'
called on it, huh?

You're wrong! You're wrong!
Oh, no, no! I'm callin' you on it!

You're not gonna sell this shit
in my neighborhood!

You're not gonna sell me to your white boys!
I'm gonna force you to deal with me!

I'm gonna ride your ass
until you respect me!

Do you hear me?
I'm not going away!

Does this boy know
he is shit? I doubt it, X.

What'd I get?

All right, Bru. Let's see
if your memory is good.

I...

Bruford R. Jamison, Jr.,

do hereby recognize
that my craving...

for total assimilation...

Mm-hmm.

Was created in me...

in contempt
for my physical self...

and destroyed
my ability...

to appreciate
and remember my past.

And that--
It's not that simple, man!

All right,
y'all tell me, huh?

Now how am I supposed to get them to
trust me and y'all respect me, huh? Huh?

Aw, fuck it, man. Y'all don't know, man.
Y'all don't know shit!

That's bullshit, brother.
You ain't special. I've been there too.

Oh, yeah? What happened, baldy?
You couldn't cut it?

Watch it, motherfucker!
I could cut it!

Turn me loose, X!
No, I just woke up so I could enlighten knuckleheads like you!

So, is this how you...

enlighten everybody?

Huh? Brother?

Or just me?

There's no struggle,

there's no progress, brother.

"We wear the masks...

that grins and lies."

Now you look that up
when you're over there.

I am having serious problems with the packaging of this deal--

Sir, I think what
Rosette means is that...

if we go with the more traditional approach,
it's going to be ineffective.

But if we take a more
satirical approach,

which is something that I've
developed right here, um,

I think it's humorous,
but at the same time it's very effective.

Bruford here. Actually,
I'm out, so leave a message.

Hey, Bu, this is Flip.
Where ya at?

I really need to talk to ya.
Call me at Aunt Tilly's.

Shit.

Well, Bruford, congratulations.
I'm sure you'll have a very successful campaign.

Why, thank you, sir.

Congratulations, Bruford.

Thank you.

So, did you get
what you wanted?

Hey, how about a drink, huh?

Don't play me
like I'm stupid, boy.

Rosie, if you're upset because Sweeney gave
me the General Otis account, don't worry.

- I gave you credit.
- Upset?

Well, I don't want credit
for that shit!

You knew what I was
fighting against, but you--

Oh, you just couldn't wait to get in there and
play the role of company man, could you?

You sold us out!
Just like you did with Kyra.

Just how many asses you willing to kiss, nigger?

Rosie, this ain't
about kissing ass.

It's about getting the job done.

Oh, I understand.

Completely.

Yo, Roc, we released Fat Money, and here's the Jamison file.

Yeah, Bruford Jamison's
providing the letter.

He works here in
Minority Development.What's up?

Hold on, please.

Who's that?
That Jamison's brother?

Jamison doesn't have a brother.

Then who's this?

This is a tape from his job.Everything's here except
your reference letter.

Yeah, Bruford Jamison's providing the letter.
He works here in Minority Development.

You seen any of this?
X didn't look at it either, did he?

Why you fightin' me
on this, Garvey?

You plannin' on breaking off
from us, brother,

startin' your own thing?

I love the DROP Squad, Rocky.

I believe in what
we're doin', but...

we losin' our edge, man.

It's time for us to redefine how far we're willin' to go.

Now either we gonna come strong like black men should,
or we gonna become an old wives' tale.

- Where does it stop, Garvey?
- Time dictates agenda.

Well, maybe it's time I gather
some information of my own.

According to Jamison's sister's information, Jamison's people...

are from some small town
in Maryland.

I'm gonna take Trevor and see what I can find out.

Now, Garvey,

I'm leavin' you
in charge.

No rough stuff.

All right?

No rough stuff.

How you doing?

Okay.

We're looking
for Otha Jamison.

Otha? Police.
Yo.

Hell,
these ain't the police.

Why don't you get yourself something cold to drink.
I'll take care of this.

Boy, y'all a long way
from 119th Street, huh?

What you know
about 119th Street, man?

Hey, relax, cool breeze.

I've raised some hell
in my time. I know about y'all.

What do you know, brother?

Man, you kill me. Gettin' all serious,
lip pokin' out like that.

Remind me of Robeson in that
picture The Emperor Jones.

Man, you somethin' else.

Hey, man, let me tell you something,
all right? This ain't no laughing matter.

We ain't got no time to stand around this dust bowl hee-hawing with you.
You understand?

Let me tell you something,
young brother.

I walked the line
long before y'all arrived.

Now you try holdin' hands with a skinny teenager and a preacher...

while a cracker raise a goddamn 12-gauge shotgun across your lip.

- Now that's serious business.
- Mr. Jamison,

we didn't mean
any disrespect.

No, you and Emperor here think things didn't start until y'all come along.

Well, it didn't!
Y'all is just the next phase.

Now, you got my nephew, right?

You need some
information, right? Yes, sir.

All right, Bubu, Flip, they cousins,
but they more like brothers.

They spend their summers
down here.

Flip?
Yeah.

Tilly's boy. They stay
down the road a piece.They?

Flip. Desiree. The baby!

Oh, hell, man!
Y'all need to do y'all homework.

Um,

respect, man.

Thanks for your time.

Goddamn.

Bubba!
Bring me some of that hogshead cheese back there, boy.

And some crackers.
And a strawberry soda.

One pretty lady! No!
It's your mother and you didn't even know who she is!

It's a damn shame.
A damn shame!

Who is this?
Who is this?

Who is that? Recognize this?
Can you see it?

Eyes, nose look familiar?
Can you see it?

So, we goin' by your folks
this weekend?

Hmm?
Yeah.

Thanks for reminding me.

Bruford, why you always dissing your people like that, huh?

What are you talking about?
I'm not dissing anybody.

Look, I'm just trying
to prepare you.

My family's out.

They get drunk and loud
and embarrassing.

Bruford. You need
to check yourself.What?

I'm about to shoot the biggest
campaign of my career, right?

You know the thing
I got to worry about the most? What?

My cousin Flip sweatin' me about gettin' him a job at the firm.
Yeah, right.

Baby, that boy ain't had
a steady job in three years.

Now, okay, I extend myself, I get him in there.
You know what he's gonna do?

He's gonna fuck me.And how is he
gonna do that?

You know those white boys
downtown, they think,

"Oh, Bruford, he's a...

"a safe Negro.

"He hangs out with all
the other safe Negroes...

and he does whatever
safe Negroes do."

All right. That's cool.

But I get that brother in there and then
he goes into his regular nigger act...

and then all of a sudden
they start thinkin', "Whoa.

"You know, maybe Bruford
ain't all that safe.

I mean, he brought him in,
he must be like him." No, no, I can't have it.

Baby, I think you
flatter yourself. I do.

Because to those white boys downtown,
you might already be a regular nigger.

I think you ought to be a whole lot more concerned
with bringing their bullshit home with you.

Yeah, well, I guess you have me all figured out,
don't you, June?

Shoot at him! Knock some sense
into that fool!

He don't know who he is.
It's a damn shame.

DROP Squad!

They're all your family!
See it? They're all your family!

They're all you! They're all you!

It's all too much for ya now,
isn't it, Bubu?

The devil's beatin' his wife!

Bruford, save the food!

Grab some food
here, boy!

Go ahead!
Grab that, Mother!

Make it all runny
with it.Hey, Ma.

Hey, Bruford.Hey, Ma, this is
a friend of mine.

This is June.
This is my mother.Hi.

Is this your girlfriend,
Bubu? Uh, yeah.

He don't never bring none of his friends back to the house.
Grab that.

Let's go now, girl.

You the man.
I'm gonna get with ya. Peace.

Yo, Bubu, what up, baby? What's up,
what's up, what's up, what's up, what's up?

My nigger, my nigger.Yeah, what's up, man?
How you doin'?

Yo, you the man,
I'm the squirrel just tryin' to get a nut.

Yo, I heard you brought your lady with you.
What's up?

Yeah, man, she's, um,
she's back there with my mom.She is? She is?

Yo, I was just wonderin', man.
What happened between you and Flip, man?

I didn't know anything
happened between us.Yeah, man, well, you know,

I thought brotherman had it going on.
You hooked him up with the gig and shit.

Yo, now he talkin' about
leavin' town. What's up? I don't know, Luke.

Well, how did
his interview go, man? Luke, I don't know.

Look, him and Des had the baby.
Maybe they decided they didn't want to raise it up here.

I don't know, brother.Well, you know, that's
a point. Maybe, maybe.

All right, well, I'm gonna check you out 'cause
I see a little bootenanny happenin' over there.

You know what I'm sayin'?
You my nigger though. You my nigger!

Yeah, that's you.
All right. Yo.All right, man.

Don't run from me, girl.
We cousins.

Y'all want to see
some copies of my baby's book? Shoot.

I'm signing autographed copies. I'll be right there.
Hi, sweetheart!

And I'm telling you, Bru, the world is changin'.
I see it with my own self eyes.

I see it, and there's more and more young
people that's comin' back to the church.

Is this your pie
or Creola's pie? That's my pie, girl.

Oh, yeah,
that's it.That ain't Creola's pie.

Where's Creola's pie? Here it is,
'cause it ain't been eaten.

Hi, Creola.

How y'all doin'?
Thank you.I like your hair.

You like her hair because
she's not wearin' her wig.Shh, Mom.

I'm cheatin'.Is that mine? Is that mine?
Is that mine or what?

What you gonna play?
What y'all gonna play?

Is that mine?
Hey! Yeah!

That's it, baby.
Come on, partner.Go ahead. Go ahead.

Yo, yo, Bubu, man.
Why y'all call me Stink, man, huh?

Y'all been callin' me Stink ever since the third grade.
What's up?

Hey, it's just a nickname,
brother. Just a nickname.Oh, like Bubu?

Bubu, Stink, Stink
and Bubu? Okay.

Oh, oh, oh, let me get this for you.
Look here, look here.

Don't hurt yourself.

Here you go, Bubu.
Mmm-mmm-mmm.

And you are? I'm sorry.
Um, Luke this is June.

- June, this is my cousin--
- Stink. That's what they call me.

Stink Jones.
The pleasure's all mine.Nice to meet you.

Mmm-mmm-mmm.
Just turn around here, girl.

Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm.

You got a boss 98
on you, baby.I beg your pardon?

She got a bad doo-doo maker.

Boss 98, boy.

Good try.Hey, Bruford!

Hey.Hey, boy.
Hey.

What you drinkin' there,
boy? Scotch? That's my goddamn scotch.

All right,
Tilly, down.Say, by the way,

the Gospel Troubadours are going to be at Mount Cypress this Sunday.

You going to be there
to see us? Uh, this Sunday?

You don't have
to speak to me, Bruford.I'm sorry, Aunt Tilly.

How you doin'?I'm okay. My ankles been
swellin' up on me lately.

Tilly, the boy asked you
nothin' about your feet.

I ain't talkin'
about my goddamn feet.

My nephew asked me about my ankles.
I don't see what that got to do with you.

Nobody care about your ankles,
your feet, no other part of your fat ass.

Now my ass is not fat! I was
Miss Sepia runner-up of 1952.

Go to hell! So how's everything
down there where you workin'?

Oh, fine.
Um, I brought y'all a copy of my new commercial.

Ooh, all right now.
Is that right?

Boy, you like that
Wall Street stuff?

I don't work
on Wall Street.Say, Bubu,

you think you could steer me into the right stocks and things?

Uncle Omar, I don't
work on Wall Street.

No. Anyway, guess what?
I got Spike Lee to be in my commercial.

That Spike Lee. You see,
that's the boy who made them movies with Michael Jordan.

That's the child that wrote
the movie She Don't Have It.

Um-- I don't know about
y'all, but I'm gettin' hungry.

Lucy? Lucy?
Where's the food? It's comin'. It's comin'.

Um, anyway, before y'all eat,
can y'all just take a look at my commercial?

- It's gonna just take a minute. I promise.
- Hey, everybody,

Bubu's got a movie he wants to show us.
Come on in.

No, no, no. No, no, no, no.
It's not a movie, it's a commercial.

It starts airing nationally tomorrow,
but I wanted y'all to be the first to see it...

to, you know,
tell me what you think.Okay.

We've been waitin'
for this. Shh. Hope it ain't a long movie.

What are you
stoppin' for, girl?

I gots to get on home,
fix me somethin' to eat...

'cause I'm hungry! I know! I know!
Why you suppose we here?

What you talkin' 'bout, girl?

I'm talkin' 'bout chicken.
What else?

Can I's a-help ya? You sure can!

Ten Gospelpaks, please.Gospelpaks?
What's them?

What's them?
Announcer, please school these sisters.

General Otis is proud
to introduce the Gospelpak.

Ten creole wings, biscuits, greens,
mashed potatoes and Praise-His-Name napkins...

with a verse of scripture
printed right on the front.

You know, the General uses
only the finest ingredients...

and plumpest birds to bring you the tastiest chicken possible.

Take a bucket home to the family or dine with the General...

in his new
Upper Room dining areas.

It's a blessing
to eat chicken this good.

Whew, girl!
Eatin' chicken this good's...

like dyin' and goin'
to heaven! Mm-mm, it sure is, girl.

But now you can have
your piece on earth!

Let me get some. Ow! Hands off, Spike.
That's my piece!

Bubu! Ma, it was a parody.

Fat singers.
Why they got to be so fat?

That's part of the joke, Pop.
You didn't get it?

You know,
we used to march to get away from stuff like that.

What's wrong
with you, boy?

Where'd you get
that choir, boy?

Gospel Troubadours
could have done that.

I don't know about you,
but it made me hungry.

Yo, Bu, man, with that pack thing,
can you get coleslaw instead of mashed potatoes?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You sure can.Hey, well, then,
I'm with it, man.

They don't pay you enough
to do that, boy.

Look, Uncle Otha, no disrespect,
but, man, this is advertising.

This is out it works on Madison Avenue.
It's not what you do. It's not selling used cars, man.

Bruford, the game
they're running on you,

they developed
on your daddy and me.

Don't misunderstand me.
I'm a businessman and a good one.

I like money too,
and ain't nothin' wrong with makin' a pile of it.

But some things
you don't sell.

You remember that.

What's your rush, Bubu?

I'm really not in the mood
for you, Lenora. Okay? Yeah, well, I'm not surprised.

You need to check yourself,
big brother. You really do.

Okay, I'll do that.While you're at it, why don't
you ask Flip how he's doing?

I mean, since you were so kind to put in a
good word for him at work and everything.

Lenny, I don't have time
for this. Come on, June.

No, no, you come on.

I don't even know you
anymore. Okay?

You come from these same streets, man.
It wasn't that long ago.

You know, Lenny,
it's real easy for you to talk about what I ain't doin'.

You're too scared
to even leave this house.This is my home.

Yours too. Maybe
you should remember that!

No, no, no, no.
My home is downtown.

Look, I don't need
some lecture from you.

Who do you think you are
to pass judgment on me anyway?

I'm the one who's sick and tired of you acting like you're ashamed of us.

Oh, you're tired?
I'm tired of you trying to tell me how to live my life!

Yeah, while you're sittin' up here in Mommy
and Daddy's house talkin' about the world,

I'm out there every day gettin' my ass kicked by it,
so back the fuck off me! Just--

Get in the car.

Hello, this is Lenora Jamison.

Yeah, I talked to someone
about my brother.

And--
I think it's time.

It's all too much
for you, isn't it, Bubu?

- Bubu.
- Bubu.

That's what your grandmother
used to call you, isn't it?

- Or do you even remember?
- You're too far away now, aren't you?

It's all so vague.

See, Bruford, I know where it starts.
Yeah, I been there.

- I've been there.
- You've got new friends and new ideas.

- Something's got to go.
- So, you decide to cut your whole life loose.

You decide to forget
about your past.

All that embarrassing shit that other black folks do. That, that ain't you.

No, not no more. You've become a new-style Negro.

You figure the way to get
what you want and keep it--

...is to put those old ways up
and the people with them.

But do you even remember, Bubu?

Do you even remember...

those people you try
so hard to forget?

To forget?

- To forget? To forget?
- Bubu.

- To forget?
- It's a damn shame.

♪♪

Let's see who's the fastest.

Go! Uh-oh,
you gonna race?I'll beat you.

Hey, Ricky, what you doin'?
Tryin' to kill yourself, man?

No.

Um, excuse me.

Are you with the DROP Squad? I beg your pardon?

I was told to meet someone--Hey, Ricky,
tie your sneaker, babe.

Is that your game
you playin'? Yeah. Yeah.

All right, let's see how
fast you can go to the top.

What you gonna do
when you get there?

Look, uh, if you're not with them,
then what I'm sayin' makes no sense, okay?

But if you are,

you've had my brother for two weeks,
and that's too long.

I want him released.

It's Fat Money.
Yo, Fat, where you been, man?

Hey, you guys, be careful,
all right? I'll see you next week.

Bye.
Good-bye.

I changed my mind, okay?
I want him out.

Do you hear me?
Fuck that shit.

Hey, motherfucker, we ain't
got shit to talk about!

B, let's get the fuck out of here.
Yo, chill, Fat. Chill. Chill.

Fuck you then, man!
Fuck you, bitch! Let's get the fuck out of here.

Oh, shit!
Run! Run!

Yo, he just pumped
Fat money, man!

Oh, no, baby! Wake
up, baby! Wake up! Oh, no!

Who is that? Damn, that's Fat Money.
He got pumped!

I got to get back
to the yard in a minute.

Hey, is Bu in some
kind of trouble? No, no, as a matter of fact,

um,
we're trying to help him.

Bubu's a good man.

With the job he's got, he's just busy,
that's all. The city'll do that to you.

Flip?
Hmm? Hey, baby.

Hey, sorry I took so long.
The bus just up and stopped.

Hey, baby, uh,
this is Rocky and, uh, Trevor, was it?

They came down from the city to talk to me about Bruford.

I can tell you all you need to know about him in one word.

He's trifling.
How's my baby? She's sleeping.

Miss Macom.
What did Bruford do?

Hey, nothin'.
Bru didn't do nothing.

Yeah, you got that right.
I don't trust Bruford no further-- Desiree.

Anything you can tell me about Bruford might be helpful.

Anything at all.

No, these men want to know about Bruford.
Why don't you go on and tell 'em?

I tried to get
somethin' goin' on.

I ran out of time,
that's all.

What does that mean?

Flip, tell 'im.
Tell the truth and shame the devil.

How'd the trip go? All right, man.
Real good.

I think we got him.

I sent Trevor over to the squad
to check out everything.That's cool, Roc.

We, uh, we need
to rap, man.Yeah? What's up?

You know that
kid we had?

Fat Money? Yeah.

He's dead.

What happened, man?

Somebody shot him, man.

Mali took it pretty hard, man.
She, um-- She quit.

I couldn't talk her
out of it.

Hey, Roc,

did you ever get a chance
to rap with him, man?

No.

I got hung up.

Yeah, man.

This shit's getting
crazy, ain't it?

- Wake up, Bruford!
- Bru, it's for your own good, man!

Bubu, what's up? They told me about you.
Oh, look at you! You look a mess!

What the boys at the club say,
huh? What will they say?

You don't deserve
them damn dreads!

Oh, my God, Bruford,
your 'fro is so fucked up.

Just one dollar, Bubu.
What's up? Take 'em all!

Let me help you out!
Here we go! Here!

Oh, my God, he needs a blowout!
Tick, tick, tick, boom!

♪ Hey,
ho What's the matter with your afro that won't grow ♪

♪ Ain't you a natural ♪

A dollar to fuck you there! Bruford, let me borrow
your spaceship, man.

- I want to take your sister out!
- I've changed, I've changed.

You've changed
a little bit too much.

You've changed into something nobody can get with,
not even your family.

You don't even know
who you are, man.

Stop me when something piques
your interest! Jomo Kenyatta.Who are you?

Governor Orval Faubus.
Flashlight. Emmett Till. Who are you?

Autherine Lucy. Jack Purcells.
Martin Delaney. Who are you?

John Carlos. Tommy Smith.
U.N.I.A. Who are you?

Sharpeville. DROP Squad.
Who are you?

Deprogramming and
Restoration of Pride.Who are you?

Hit your shit, Toby!
Hit your shit, Toby!

Hit your shit,
Toby!I'm shakin' it over here, boss.

I'm shakin' it over here, boss.I don't see you
shakin' shit!

I swear to God, I'm shakin' it!X! X!

What do y'all want from me? X! X!

What do you want from me?
What do you want?

What do you want from me?

Please,
what do you want from me?

Thanks for minding
the store, Garvey.

What do y'all
want from me? What do we want, Bu?

Right now we just want
you to listen, brother.

Huey.

You've got everything here except your reference letter.

Uh, yeah. Bruford Jamison's
providing the letter.

He works here
in Minority Development.

Uh, hold on. Hello?

He says I should tell
Mr. Jamison it's Flip.

Mr. Macon says Mr.
Jamison has agreed to provide us with a reference for him today.

I, uh-- Jamison's
busy right now.

This will only take a minute.
We do need the reference to--

Yeah, right, okay.
But I'm busy right now.

I don't have time
for this, okay?I'm afraid we can't wait, sir.

Hello? I'm sorry. Mr.
Jamison isn't available.

What are you talkin' about?

Did you talk
to Bruford Jamison? Yes, sir. And if he's unable--

Call him again, please.
Call him again! Sir, I--

Perhaps you can come back
at another time.Give me the phone, man.

I'll call him.Sir, you're gonna
have to leave.

Hey, hold on.
You ain't gotta be puttin' your hands on me.

Then let's go.I said you ain't gotta be
puttin' your hands--

Hey, Bruford!
What about Desiree and the baby?

You know I need this job!
Bruford! Bruford!

Hmm.

Who is that?

Anybody know who that is?

You know who that is, Bu?

I think you do, brother.

I think...
you know exactly...

who it is.

Flip. Help me, Flip. Help me.

Oh, man,
look how they got you.

Y'all got to have him all trussed up like he's some kind of animal?

Get him a chair.

Have a seat, brother.

They wanted me
to talk to you.

Hell, I don't
know what to say.

You and me, we were,
we were Cisco and Pancho, remember, man?

I know.
It was a long time ago.

And it looks like you grew up
and I didn't. I know.

Oh, but we were tight, man.

I-I'm not tryin' to say that
you turned your back on me.

'Cause I know you'd never do that.
Just like I'd never turn mine on you.

Hey, man.
Leave him. He's okay.

Me and Des,
we're gonna be all right.

I love you, Bu,

but I needed you.

I know a lot of it was on me,
and I don't deny that.

I just needed you
a little bit.

You were my brother,
you know?

Please, I need you.

I need you.

You know, Bu, Yes?

Sometimes when you
get over the wall,

you got to throw
a rope back,

not help them
build it higher.

You can't earn your way
out of this, brother.

You and me,

we're linked.

These are always gonna
be your people, man.

Always.

So, you just can't be responsible for yourself.

'Cause you're not
in this alone.

And more importantly,

you didn't get where you are today by yourself.

Come back, brother.

I'm through
with this guy.

You're free to go, Bu.

Garvey,
it's on you.

"We wear the mask
that grins and lies."

No. Please.

Dunbar, right?

I thought a lot
about that line.

The thing is, brother,

some of us have to wear the mask in order to survive.

But you--

You can't wait
to wear it.

Come on.

I'll take you home.

Oh, Flip.

Help me, Flip.

Come on.

I'll take you home.

How ya been? Is that concern I hear?

How've I been?

I've been busy.

You know, I'm just, uh,
sortin' some things out here.

Uh, that is what I'm supposed
to be doing, right? Huh?

You know, gettin' in touch
with myself.

- I didn't know what else to do.
- You didn't know a lot of things.

If I thought they would hurt you,
I wouldn't have called them.

Yeah, well, if I knew they were
gonna do what they did to me,

I guess I would have
ran faster.

You were out of control.You were way the fuck
out of line!

I love you.
Y-You know that.

But if it meant you'd come back to us,
I can't say that I wouldn't do it again.

Lenny...

I haven't gone anywhere.

I mean, at least, not any place
I can't come back from.

Bruford, you can call me at home if you need to talk, okay?

I'll see ya.

That's two dollars,
my brother.

Come on and get one
of these specials, man.

What's a Rodney King? That's a scrambled egg sandwich.
Good choice.

Check this T-shirt out, man.Oh, no thank you, man.

Everybody gonna be wearin' 'em.It doesn't bother you
to exploit folks like that?

A lot of those people
paid a heavy price for us.Better me than the white man.

This is business.We're gonna employ
qualified members...

of our homeless community
as laborers on this project, That Jenkins is a good man.

So that they can have a stake in the building of their own futures.

Is it true that the F.B.I. pressed you into this project?

The F.B.I.N.--
Frustrated Black Folk In Need.

Look here, I got them Polish franks today.
Eight to the pack, buns to match.

But, look here, come on out to the car with me.
I got a bargain for you.

I'm with that.

Come on, man,
look at this here meat.You got any scrapple?

Hootie-hoo!
Put that on a T-shirt.

Garvey,
I'm outta here.

Take him down.
Get him squared away.Done.

Trevor, call Harriet.
Tell her we're on our way. Cool!

Let's go!
We're outta here! Y'all go ahead.

I'll catch up.
Where ya goin', Roc?

I'm gonna leave it
in your hands, brother.

What you talkin' about?

Talkin' about steppin' down.

You're quittin'! Look...

maybe my way just
doesn't work anymore.

Roc, I know we disagree
on things, but... Garvey.

We've always--You know, I never even
talked to Fat Money.

I just let him go back
out into the street, man.

I never even talked
to him, Garvey.

Peace.

Come back, brother.

Yo, Roc!

Let's talk.

We're back.
Welcome back to WBLB.

I'm Leo Yurby sitting in
for brother Raheim Muhammad.

This afternoon I'm joined
by Police Chief Willy Styles,

community activist
Brother Jamal,

as well as avowed conservative
Dr. Norris Fleet.

What gives these maniacs the right to snatch people off the street?

Maniacs? Where will that lead?
If we had an ongoing debate...

and we couldn't come to terms,
what would happen?

I'd probably bust you
in the grill. Hold on, caller.

Respect now. Oh, I'm sorry.

Respect, brother.
Respect.

Come back, brother.