Light It Up (1999) - full transcript

It was dope
living there.

My little getaway where
no one's trippin' on me.

Bustin' Js all night.

Just chillin'.

Tappin' on heaven's door.

Nothin' like Pop's crib.

It was safe there.

And I thought
it would stay that way.

Till it went postal.

Twenty-three hundred students
at Lincoln that day.

And most of them
didn't care about nothin',



except gettin' over,
gettin' blunted,

and gettin' that ass.

Take Rodney.

He gave a whole new meaning
to "super senior."

Wouldn't even have been there
if Spanky and his boys

weren't trying
to bust a cap in him.

You 187, motherfucker!

I want my loot!

Be out here
waiting on your ass all day.

After six years,

he finally had a reason
to come to school.

Now, Rivers, for him, it
was all about the Benjamins.

That's all you got?

It's gonna be
a beautiful day, sir.



He wrote the book
on getting over.

Fuck!

Shit.

Oh, goddamn it.

- And then, there was Lynn.
- Fuck!

Now, she thought she was just
a little sick that day.

But as it turns out,

I guess Jimmy's hat
wasn't wrapped too tight.

So, what did you
have to do, Lynn?

Blindfold him?

Purchase of
prom picture packages, denied.

Request for updated
American history books, denied.

Oh, and last but not least,

the motion to organize
a student career day...

Denied.

Most guys thought
Stephanie was stuck up.

Truth is, she just wanted
to get out of the 'hood

and never look back.

I hate this school.

Basically, just walk the halls.

Let the kids know
that you're here.

So they understand that breaking
the rules won't be tolerated.

Establish a presence.
Won't be any trouble.

So I'm a deterrent?

Exactly.

It doesn't work out there,

So what makes you think
it's gonna work in here?

I can imagine what you have
dealt with, Officer Jackson.

Normally, we don't get someone
of your experience in here.

Just remember,
this isn't the streets.

It's a school.

Am I making myself clear?

Jackson was a five
dollar cop with a $50 attitude.

He wanted to be
anywhere but here.

Trust me, Armstrong.

When things get ugly,

I'll just give 'em an F.

Then I'll call for backup.

Then there was Lester.

Forty?

Give me the tickets.
I'll get the rest, all right?

Yeah, right, and I'm gonna
have Madonna's next baby.

Look, man, I need some
kinda collateral. Company policy.

How about that watch?

That's no happy meal, bro.

I can't give you
this watch, man.

Look, maybe something else.

Yo, Stephanie.

Lester, whatever it is,
I don't want to hear it.

You want to ride
the space shuttle,

you gotta pay the fuel bill.

All right, how about these?

If you had a gun,
they'd call you a criminal.

All I gotta say
about Lester is that's my boy.

No matter what,
he always had my back.

Everybody wanted to blame
what went down on Lester.

Truth be told, he was
the quiet riot in all of us.

Hey, little man, what you doing?

You can't sit here.
You're blocking traffic.

I... I just need to finish this.

I said you can't sit here.

Did you hear the warning bell?

What? Hey, come on.

Move. Get up.

What, man?

I'm just waiting for a friend.

What's your name?

Julius Zacharias Malone.

My friends call me Ziggy.

Ziggy?
All right. I'm new here.

But if I tell you to move,
you move, all right?

Yo, Ziggy, you all right?
What's the problem?

Hey, this doesn't
concern you. Step back.

- My friends concern me.
- Everything's cool.

Is that right?

Yeah, that's right.

Come here for a second, son.

I'm not your son.

Lester, man, chill out.

- Oh, you like playing games?
- Love 'em.

Good. Here's one
you should know.

Assume the position.

What?

I said assume the position.

Man, you trippin'.

What's up, Lester?
Man, that's fucked up.

Don't let him put you on the wall
like that. Get the fuck outta here.

This is whack, man.

You cops think just 'cause
you got them pop guns,

you can come around here and
treat people any way you want?

Hey, that's way outta line.
You need to cool it.

Cool it.

Yo, there's the bell.

We gotta go.

Come on, Les.

This is the part where
we walk away quietly.

- Right, Officer Jackson?
- Right.

Thank you, Officer.

Come on.

Come on.

Bitch-ass cops, man.

Yo, dawg, squash that.

Hey, man, you all right?

I'm cool.

Hey, uh, yo, I brought
these for you, man.

Keep them hands warm
till you get famous.

Thanks, man.

Hey, man, we late.
Let's go. Come on.

I know
it's cold in here,

but even a frozen mind
is a terrible thing to waste.

I was gonna
show you a video today

on the power of the media
in the twentieth century,

But unfortunately...

Look at Iron Mike
with the heavy balls.

Lester, you rough, kid.

I saw you pulled by
Five-O earlier today.

Okay,
everybody, settle down.

Badass Lester.

As I was saying, unfortunately,

the VCR is busted, so we're
gonna have to go to Plan B,

which is I talk and you listen.

Just like at home.

Well, I hope not,
Rivers. I want you to pay attention.

Now, those of you
that have textbooks,

please take them out.

Those of you that don't,
please share with someone

that you don't have
a vendetta against.

It's so cold in here,
man, you can see your sentences.

Everybody,
come on, now.

Yo, Stephanie, uh...

I would like you
to turn to page ten.

We have a lot of ground
to cover today.

Media coverage of the social
movement can aid in education...

Yo, you're down with
Lauryn Hill, right?

She's at The Garden this Friday,

and I figured, you know,

it's sold out.

Maybe we could go together.

I can't, Lester.

Lester.

Stick with me on this.

So, we left off discussing
how the twentieth century

was the first time in history
that the media...

When Wanda and Tanika
heard I had these tickets,

they were sweatin' me.

I said, "Nah.
I'm saving myself."

They said,
"For who, Lester?"

"For whom, Lester?"

Now,
who else can we say

came to power over the airwaves?

Jerry Springer.

Tupac and Biggie.

Ginger Spice
and Mr. Hankey.

I said, "For the first
woman on the moon."

I said, "For the first
woman senator..."

"From New York."

I said, "For the first
president of the United States"

"who happened
to be Puerto Rican,"

if you know
what I mean, Boricua.

...and factions.

Lester, excuse me for wanting
to hold class, but I really...

Mr. Knowles,
I can't feel my legs.

We could burn some books.

There aren't enough
to keep us warm.

Let's hunt down
another room.

Everybody, come on.
Let's mount up.

And, Lester, you're with me.

Any more questions?
Rasheed?

The library's full too.

Okay, look.

Why don't you people just
hang out here for a while

until our scouts
come back, okay?

Quietly, okay?

Hey, hey, hey.
Come here.

Coach Davis told me
that you quit the team.

You're shooting bricks in class.
What's going on?

Nothing, man.

You want me to fail you?

Is that gonna get
your attention?

How's your dad's case going?

Won't be one, man.
Case closed.

They said it was an accident.

Cafeteria's bumper-to-bumper.

Three Classes.

I'm sorry about that.

How's your mom taking it?

- Bad, man. Real bad.
- Look,

why don't you come by and
see me at the end of the day?

We'll go to the gym,

play a little one-on-one.
We'll talk.

- Okay?
- Okay.

Gym's filled.

How about the auditorium?

Mr. Wittner's class.

This is really messed up,
Mr. Knowles.

Okay.

Okay, people, follow me.

Let's go see
the man behind the curtain.

And I'll cover the other class.

For crying out loud, come on!

I've got close to 35 kids
in each of these classes.

Come on!
Help me out here.

Hey, Allan, you got a minute?

Eleven o'clock, the
superintendent will be here.

Hold on a minute.
You tell him

that if he really wants to help,

to get his butt down here and
take over one of these classes.

Stop monopolizing my time
with this bullshit.

Eleven o'clock will be fine.

I know I've troubled you before

for such luxury items
like books and chairs,

but the window is still broken.

Kenny, you know I've been
on the phone for months

talking to downtown,
trying to get windowpanes.

Now, you just...
wait a minute.

Are those your students
out there in the hall?

Yeah. You can ice skate
in my classroom.

We've been everywhere.

No, Kenny, take 'em out. Get 'em
anywhere but in the hall, all right?

Come on, man.
That's a fire hazard.

You know, a fire might be
good here. Warm up the school.

Anywhere.

So, with King and Gandhi,

we've got these two great minds

on opposite sides of the world

changing the course of history.

For a cheeseburger and fries,

- what do they have in common?
- Stop it!

They're both dead.

Mr. Knowles.

Rivers.

I was just wondering,
if we know the answer,

could we substitute

a combo meal at Mickey D's
instead of this place?

Rivers, if you know the answer,
I'll super-size it.

Why do you even come to school?

Mr. Knowles,
they shared the philosophy

that violence
begets more violence.

Yes. And?

Um...

Damn, Mrs. Einstein.

Wait.
You mean she's stumped?

No. I must be
dreaming.

They were murdered, man.

Peaceful resistance
begets violence too.

- They stood up for what they believed in.
- Hey, Mr. Knowles?

Lunchtime, motherfuckers!

And you're buying!

Put your hands where
I can see 'em right now!

Give me your fucking wallet!

Give me your fucking wallet!

What the fuck do you think
this is, nigga, show and tell?

I like this shit here.

What the fuck we got right here?

I like that piece you're
flossin' on your wrist, nigga.

Why don't you go ahead
and hand that shit over?

Give me the fucking watch, now!

Lester, give it up.

- What the fuck you think this is?
- No.

No? Nigga, I got
the fuckin' shotgun!

- Give it to him!
- Give me the fuckin' watch.

Aaron, is that you?

I said no fucking talking!

Shut the fuck up!

It's Knowles.
I had you in history.

I don't know
who the hell you are.

Now sit the fuck down!

Hey, I helped you
get into Manual Arts.

It's Ken Knowles.

Mr. Knowles?

Eight, nine, ten!
He's outta here!

What were you thinking?

Taking them off campus?

There was no place
to go on campus.

I got Perez back there,
the district superintendent.

So what?

This is my pension, man.

Now, you leave me
no other choice.

Call your union rep.
You're suspended.

It figures, man.
Knowles does something righteous,

and this is how
they talk to him.

What were you thinking?

What do you mean?

You were gonna get
yourself shot over a watch?

Rob.

Hey.

What?

We really gotta talk.

Look, forget it, okay?

I don't want to talk about it.

I don't give...

I'm outta here.

Shit.

Yo, Mr. Knowles,
what's going on?

Hey, um...

I can't talk right now.
I have to leave.

What? Why?

That's not important. What's important
is that you get on to your next class.

But we have you next period.

- Yeah.
- Right.

Well, um, Armstrong's
gonna get you a sub.

- A sub?
- Yeah.

Wait. Yo, Mr. Knowles!

Sorry, guys.
They won't let me talk to you.

Mr. Knowles!

I'm really sorry, guys.

Um, Knowles just used
poor judgment.

That's all. Hmm?

Mr. Armstrong, sir.

You know the rules, young lady. What
are you... What are you doing in here?

I have Mr. Knowles again
this period, Regents Prep.

I was just wondering
where he was going.

Um, Mr. Knowles is taking
an administrative leave, okay?

Just go back to your class
until I can find you a sub.

Leave? For what?
That's not fair.

Excuse me, please.

You want to
step outside, please?

What is this?

There was no place
to have class.

You were the one who said,
"Take them anywhere."

- Uh...
- I heard you say that, Mr. Armstrong.

That's right.

This is none of your concern,
okay? Go to class.

We're supposed to
study in a room that's freezing,

and now you want to fire
one of the few decent teachers

still willing to work here?
How does that not concern me?

Look, um, Miss, uh...

Go back to your class,
all right? All of you.

Come on, go to class.

Not until you bring
Mr. Knowles back.

We want Mr. Knowles.

Yeah. Where is Mr. Knowles,
and what did you do?

We want Knowles!

We want Knowles!

Get security.

And hurry.

Get security up here right away.

That's not necessary.

Look, all she wants
is our teacher back.

I don't need your help, Lester.

You get down from there.
You're suspended.

What?

You and you, the both of you.

- Come on, man. Let's get out of here.
- Nah, man.

Get back to class right now!

No.

No?

Okay. So the two of you
don't want to leave?

I'll tell you what.
Have a seat right over there

until I contact your parents.
You're both suspended.

- What?
- Suspended for what?

Mr. Armstrong,
they didn't mean nothing.

We were just freezing
in Mr. Knowles' class.

Why don't you understand that?

Oh, well, all right. Then
you can join the two of them.

Me?

Yes, you!

You come back here, young lady!

Williams!
I know who you are.

Heads-up, Five-O!

Jackson,
where the hell have you been?

Come on, get these kids
out of here. Get him!

Steppin' through.

And take these two.

Put 'em in detention
until I call their parents.

Parents?

- Come on, get out of here.
- No parents.

Look, you don't need to call
nobody's parents or nothin'.

Look, I'm going back to class.
No problem, okay?

But you're not, eh, Ziggy?

What are you doing, man?
This is bullshit!

You had your chance.

- She's right and you know it.
- Let go of me!

I don't want no explanation.
Just go.

Let me go!

Let him go, man!

He didn't do nothing!

Ziggy!

Get up. Come on,
get on your feet. Let's go.

- No! Get your hands off me! Get off me!
- Settle down!

- Let him go!
- Get off!

Settle down, will you?
Get down!

- Get off him!
- Lester, stop it!

Let him go!
Let him go!

- Wait, wait! No, listen!
- Shut up!

Get back!

Oh, my God.

Ziggy,
give me the gun.

I can't go home.

Stay back.

I gotta go.
I can't go home.

Give me the gun, man. Come
on, man, just give me my gun back.

Put the gun down.

Easy, dawg.

Ziggy, look at me, man. Put the gun
down. You don't want to do this, listen.

- Ziggy.
- I gotta go.

Ziggy,
put it down. Please.

Put the gun down.
Give me my gun back.

Look, man.

You don't understand, okay?

It's okay.

Look, he can't go home,
Officer. Just listen to him, okay?

What, you want to go to jail?

- I can't go home!
- You wanna go to jail?

'Cause that's what's
gonna happen to you

unless you put
that gun down now!

He'll kill me, man!

Put the gun down!

He'll kill me!

Ziggy, just put it down. He'll
let you go. Right, Officer?

No problem.

He said he'll
let you go. Listen to him.

- Just give me my gun, okay?
- I'm gonna leave.

- Don't do this.
- Just give me the gun back. That's all I want.

You got it!
I give up! I give up!

No!

Shit! Ziggy,
you all right, man?

- Oh, shit.
- Get out of the way! Come on! Move it!

Move!

Son of a bitch.

What happened?

Call an ambulance.
Get the police here.

Tell 'em it's one of theirs.
Maybe they'll hurry.

- What happened?
- This little kid here shot me in my leg.

It was an accident. He
didn't mean to shoot you.

- It's not an accident.
- He was trying to leave and you wouldn't let him go.

He was trying to leave.
His back was to him.

Mr. Armstrong, I saw it.
It was an accident.

- Wait, wait. Look.
- Come on.

- Come on, get up. Get up! Take him into custody!
- It wasn't his fault.

No, listen, it was an accident!

No! No! Lester!

You goin' to jail.

Look, it wasn't his fault!

Let him go!

Lester! Lester!

- Lester!
- Armstrong!

Let him go!

What are you... Put...

Let him go!

Put that gun down, son.

You take your hands
off of him, okay?

Come on, behind me, money.
Come on, Ziggy.

Nobody's taking you anywhere.

What are you doing?
Put the gun down!

Son...

You listen to me, okay?

I want everybody
out of the school. Now.

Lester, I'm outta here.

No, wait, Rivers!
No, don't leave, man.

I need you.
You saw what happened.

Man, we gotta get out of here.

No. Armstrong, I want you
out of the school now, okay?

No! I want you and every cop
in the school out now!

Have you lost your mind?

You!

- Come on, let's go.
- No!

You leave,
he stays! Now!

- Come on!
- Go on. I'm fine.

Gotta establish
a presence, remember?

Now!

Go.

I hope you know
what you're doing, son.

Think about it.

This is the end for you.

No.

It's just the beginning.

♪ What y'all do? ♪

♪ Here we come
Blaze the eye of the storm ♪

♪ Never saw me coming ♪

♪ But I made sure
you was warned ♪

♪ In the blaze
I'm runnin' gun high ♪

♪ Soundin' the horn ♪

♪ See my glare is stunning
running by negative form ♪

♪ When I see you shunnin' ♪

I told you to let him go,

but you couldn't do that,
could you?

Better think fast, kid,
'cause every cop in Queens

is on his way
down here right now.

♪ Something's
about to jump off ♪

♪ If I feel it
Safeties come off ♪

♪ In tight situations
weak niggas run off ♪

♪ Done off
when the guns go off ♪

♪ Bla, bla ♪

♪ About to light shit up, bro ♪

♪ Quicker than cops
write shit up, bro ♪

What the fuck, man?
Yo, you wildin', yo.

We gotta get out of the hallway.

Damn. You quiet niggas
is always the ones

you gotta watch out for, man.

Put the gun down, punk!

Help me get him
out of the hallway.

I'm ghost, man.
Good luck, dawg.

I'm out of here, man.

You saw
what happened, Rivers.

All right.
All right, man.

♪ My bitches
Light it up and don't stop ♪

♪ They gonna know we real
when we let the guns pop ♪

♪ My niggas
Light it up and don't quit ♪

♪ First one move
be the first one hit ♪

Man, don't you
believe this shit?

This is the third time this week

some stupid-ass in the school
pulled that fucking alarm.

Get your
fucking hands off me!

Damn, man!

Oh, my God!

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

I don't know how many
were actually involved.

I mean, all I know is
there are good kids in there.

If you go rushing in there,
I don't know what he might do.

Everybody, if you're not
involved in this situation,

you should go now!

Move it!

Get out of here!

You people need to
get out of here!

Damn, man, we gotta go!

Get out of here!

Go! Go!

We're fucked.

Yo, Rodney!
Rodney, what's up, nigga?

Gonna be out here waiting
on your marked ass all day!

- What?
- Uh...

You might want
to get out of here.

It's a false alarm, right?

Yeah. I just thought
you should know...

Do you mind?
I'm crying here.

Ziggy shot a cop,

and Lester took over the school.

Whatever.

♪ Walk you little kiddies
through my school day ♪

♪ Sunday night I hit a party ♪

♪ Missed a Monday
I'll go Tuesday ♪

♪ Doomsday, homeroom
was looking beauty ♪

♪ The girl I wanna get
is absent ♪

♪ But I saw a cutie
but bump and flirt ♪

♪ I need to be doing
this homework to graduate ♪

Come on!

What's up?

Some fool's jacking the school!

Hell yeah!

This school?

This is Sergeant Tortino of the
New York City Police Department.

Come out with your hands up.

Use the front entrance.

You will not be hurt.

You have five minutes.
Come out with your hands up.

Come out the front entrance.

Just hold still.
Don't move.

Only
five minutes. Use the front entrance.

Come out with your hands
above your heads.

I hate when they say that.

Shit.

Just do
what he says, everybody.

They're gonna come in here,
their guns are gonna be drawn,

and there's gonna be
rounds in the chamber.

I don't want to see
anybody else get hurt here.

Les, they're gonna come
in and blast us, man.

No, man.
They're bluffing.

They got a officer down.
They're coming in here.

They won't.

How do you know that, bro?

Because we got a hostage.

- What did you say?
- Damn right.

Hostage, my ass.

They already got enough
on me and Ziggy

to send us to jail
and toss away the key.

Look, with him,
we can negotiate.

- Negotiate?
- What, are you on crack or something?

They are not
gonna listen to you.

You know what?
They better, for your sake.

Lester, this isn't you.
You're talking crazy!

Fuck that!

I'm fuckin' tired of being wrong
before I open my mouth.

I'm sick and tired of being
treated like a fuckin' criminal.

Of never being listened to!

I hear you, man.

I'm getting you out of here.

- Come on.
- No! He stays!

Go on, get out. Don't
worry about me. I'm fine.

Lester, he needs a doctor.

I don't give a shit
what he needs, okay?

But, really, if you
wanna leave, go ahead.

Go out there and have
another heart-to-heart

with the principal, Stephanie.

He's waiting for you.

With about 30 fucking cops
who are all liars.

Just like him.

He needs a doctor.

What the fuck are you...

Why you crying
like a little bitch, man?

Bullet went straight through.
Didn't hit a vein or nothin'.

Where'd you get your
medical degree, brother? Huh?

University of
Southside Queens, brother.

You
must release the officer immediately.

I'm not leaving without him.

Come out the front entrance
with your hands up.

You will not be hurt.
You have two minutes.

You guys are
gonna get killed, you know that?

Hey, yo, fellas, I'm down
with y'all and everything,

but my mom,
sh-she's gonna kick my ass.

Peace. Hey, be safe, dawg.

Soon it's just
gonna be you, slick.

No.

It'll be me and you, slick.

Thought you stepped, Ro-Ro.

You thought wrong.

Come out the front entrance

with your hands above your head,

and you will not be hurt.

You have 30 seconds.
This is your final warning.

Come out the front entrance.

Thirty seconds.
Ziggy, get down!

♪ Can't stop
Gotta eat ♪

♪ Steppin' on my feet ♪

♪ Spread love ♪

♪ Think it's sweet ♪

♪ Uh, uh, uh
All you catz don't know ♪

♪ Can't stop
Gotta eat ♪

♪ Steppin' on my feet ♪

♪ Spread love ♪

♪ Think it's sweet ♪

♪ Uh, uh, uh
All you catz don't know ♪

This is your final warning.

Tell your officers
to holster their weapons.

Who the hell are you?

Detective McDonald, HNT.

I've been assigned
as a negotiator.

I don't need one.
I got a cop down. I'm going in.

♪ You catz must not know ♪

You have no descriptions
on them.

You don't know
how many are in there.

You don't know where
they are. Stand down.

Go, go!

I said stand down!

♪ This hungry shit will make
the niggas want to kill ♪

♪ Can't stop
Gotta eat ♪

- Give it to me!
- Hey!

Stand down!

Hold your fire!
Fall back!

I said fall back!
No one will get hurt.

Walk towards me.

Kids, come towards me.

Everybody, back away.

Damn.

They're not coming in.

'Cause we got heart.

Are we gonna put it down
or what, dawg?

We can do this.

We can do this.

Lieutenant Monroe.

Detective McDonald.

Always a pleasure.

I suggest your men
establish an outer perimeter.

My people will take
the inner perimeter.

Yes, sir.

Now, Sergeant.

All right, move, Jackson!

I'm gonna need this.

They're not coming in here as
long as we got big man, right?

Yeah, look out there.

I got my orders.
Talk and walk them out.

Let's take it slow.

Remember, whatever happens,

they're still
high school students.

Lieutenant, we found them.

That's smart.

They're confirming
the officer's still alive.

High school students.

Holy shit.

What the fuck happened in here?

- Tried to tell you.
- Lynn, you should get out of here.

Yeah, you should really
not tell me what to do.

Hey.

You better take that advice

and get out of here
while you can.

They got real guns out there.

Shit,
we got a real gun in here.

Shit. If they don't kill me,
my dad will.

Thanks.

You really know
what you're doing, huh?

I volunteer at Jamaica Hospital.

You want to be
a nurse or something?

Doctor.

You must be really smart.

A kid too smart to be in here.

Let me holler at you.

Hey, yo, you held it down and
everything, know what I'm saying?

You stopped 'em once,
and all that,

But, yo, give me the heat.
Let me take care of it

once they come back in for us.

Like she said, man,

they ain't gonna stay
out there forever.

Give me the heat, man.

Yo, give me the gun, man.
You ain't bustin' that shit.

Guys! We're running
out of time here.

We need to get chains, locks,

and any kind of tools
we can get our hands on.

- I know where they're at.
- What?

We need to lock it down.

There's a gate
at the end of the stairwell.

Ain't nobody asked you, man.

You ain't running shit in here.

But I am.
Now make it happen.

Come on, come on!

Yeah, go!

Whoo!

Padlocks.

Grab these chains right here.

Come on, Ziggy.

Come on,
grab shit! Hurry up!

Grab everything!

Get everything!

Let's go, man!
Let's go!

Hurry up!
Get moving, man!

Hurry it up, man!
Lock it down!

Let's go, let's go!

Get all that!
Get everything!

This way!
Hurry up! Come on!

Let's go, let's go,
let's hurry up!

Let's hurry up!

Don't worry about me.
Keep going.

Come on, grab that junk.
This way.

I'll take the trash out. Yeah!

Yes! Yeah!

What?

I want police records,

boyfriends, girlfriends, pets.

When the parents arrive,
you brief them,

tell them how we can't
allow 'em on the phone.

Keep them informed.

Find this Mr. Knowles.

Where's my direct line
to the library?

We're just minutes away.

Second-story window, library.

I want one sniper on the ground

and the rest of the snipers
on the roofs.

Sounds like we got
one kid with a gun,

so, um, get me home for dinner.

Second team. Two Men.

We're here.

- What are you looking at?
- Just give it to me straight.

You hate your mother?

They wouldn't give you this whip
for the weekend or what?

What? They beat you up?
They chase you home?

Take your lunch money?
What? What?

Stop sweatin' me.

You know,
just 'cause you don't see 'em,

it don't mean
they ain't out there.

They're out there.

Twenty sharpshooters
with Remington 700s.

Blow a hole in you
like a baseball.

Thirty on the ground
with Colt SMGs.

Take out your kneecaps.

Tear-gas guns, lose your sight.

Keep running
your mouth, big man.

I... I need some water.

Come on, man,
I... I'm losing blood here.

I need some water.

I got...
I'm gettin' the shakes.

Hey.

You watch TV. You
know the drill. Come on.

They're gonna come in here.

And if they don't get you,

Rodney's gonna get you.

Oh.

You heard that.

Lester, son,

how long you think it's gonna be

before he takes
that gun from you?

You don't scare me, okay?

Give me the gun!

Give me the gun.

Give me the gun.

I don't want to hurt you.
Now give me the gun!

Give me the gun!

Jesus, Lester,
what are you doing?

Nothing.

Everything's cool.

Good evening,
ladies and gentlemen.

A high school shooting
is in the headlines today.

The shooting grew
out of an incident involving

a roving band of students
inside the school.

Classes were in session
when the officer was wounded

while trying to attempt
to subdue one or more...

...the bloody standoff.

Stephanie Williams along
with reputed gang members

Zacharias Malone,

Rodney Templeton,
and Lester Dewitt

threatened principal
Allan Armstrong...

Gang members?

Hey, opie, I ain't
shot nobody yet.

I stood with these people.
They're stone cold.

I tried talking to them,

but they pointed the gun
directly at me,

So I turn around and I broke.

I don't want no bullet
in my ass,

'cause they were killing,
like, five cops.

I was jumping over,
like, bodies.

I was, like, whoo, panicking,
but I had to stay calm,

'cause I'm the hero
in this situation.

Unbelievable.

Believe it.

All them As and Bs you get
don't mean jack.

You're just like the rest of us.

The fact of the matter is that there
are 2,500 students in my school.

Most of them are fine
young men and women.

The kids in there belong in
jail, not in school. That's it.

You belong in jail.

What about the kids?

Often by the time children
like these get to high school,

it's too late.

Boo! Get the fuck
out of here, man.

Boo!

...to violence.

The value of education,
the notion of good or evil.

Many of these kids are little
more than human predators,

Unburdened by the social and
moral constraints we take for granted.

You want to play like gangsters?

Now you are gangsters.

ANCHOR 3:16-year veteran of
the force, Officer Dante Jackson

made headlines recently
as one of the principals

in the Brooklyn
National Bank shootout

in which four people
were killed.

The decorated officer
was assigned

to the high school in a continuing
effort to stem school violence.

Say, word, man.
You a hero?

Now, what in the world would you
have to do to get busted down here, huh?

Yo.

This is Audrey McDonald

with the New York City
Police Department.

Who am I speaking to?

who is it?

- Hello?
- Lester.

Lester.

How you doing, Lester?

Everybody all right in there?
You all right?

Yeah, everybody's fine

as long as you don't try
to come in here.

Check the hall.

No one's gonna do that.

Everything's gonna be all right
now that I'm here.

How's Officer Jackson doing?

Sounds like he might need
some medical attention.

Pfft. Well, he shot himself
in the leg, that's all.

Bullshit! Give me the goddamn pho...

I would like to hear
the officer say he's all right.

Is that possible?

Well, anything's
possible, Audrey,

but, uh, maybe we can speak

to some of the people
on television

who have been calling us
thugs and criminals first.

Is that possible?

I can't control
the media, Lester.

Can I please speak
to Officer Jackson?

No. It ain't
happenin'.

Why?

Because I'm making
the rules. That's why.

Team One in position.

West stairway.

Gate is locked
and blocked with debris.

Advance?

Negative.
Hold your positions.

Lester, I don't know
who's right or wrong.

I don't care.

But the sooner we resolve this,

the better your chances are.

My chances? I know exactly
what my chances are.

I watch TV.

I know the drill.

Lester, at least let me
send in a doctor.

How about that, Lester?

A doctor?

No! No doctor.

Doctor'll be a cop.
He'll be armed.

How am I doing?

No doctors.

All right,
okay, no doctor.

You're in there,
and we're out here.

Tell me what you want
so we can end this.

Want from the cops?

- Lester, give me the phone.
- I'm starvin'.

How about 50 pizzas
from Pizza Hut?

Extra, extra large.

Martini, shaken
and not stirred...

Ask 'em for life insurance,
Lester. We're fucked.

Lester, don't listen to them.

Give me the phone.

Come on, Lester.

Lap dance from Cameron Diaz!

All right,
knock it off.

- Look, what do we really want?
- Jesus Christ.

- Lester, let me talk to them.
- Bob Marley's Greatest Hits.

Oh, I know, how about tickets
to Hole?

Come on, Lester,
give me the phone.

Yo, they're not
giving you anything!

I took a shot in my leg,

and this is what
you guys are asking for?

There's a whole precinct
of people outside

just waitin' for you
to say somethin'.

- Say somethin'!
- Shut up, okay?

Okay, Audrey.

Okay, you know what I want?

You know what I want
the cops to get me?

My dad.

Now deal with that.

Lester? Lester?

I need to talk
to Dewitt's father.

Only if you can channel.

He was shot and killed
three months ago.

It gets worse.

NYPD shot him.

The family filed a wrongful
death against the department.

He wasn't armed.

Jesus.

Lester...

Look, I know about your dad.

I don't want to talk about it.

Okay?

Look out there.

You say you're tired
of people not listening to you.

Well, everybody's listening.

What do you have to say?

I know you out there,
motherfuckers.

You can't fool me.

I'm minister of defense,
motherfuckers.

Y'all want to play?

Yeah, I hear you, motherfuckers!

I know you hear me!

Come on. Come halfway
up those stairs.

Jackson's gonna be toast

before you make it
to the library.

I thought you said

these weren't typical
Lincoln students.

Well, they shot a cop.

I'd say that's not typical.

Stephanie Williams,
National Dean's List.

Lester Dewitt,
point guard, 3.5 GPA.

Assistant manager
at Foot Locker?

Rivers Tremont,
science and tech magnet.

Handful of misdemeanors.

They were pretty upset
about something this morning

when they came
to your office, huh?

Now, what exactly happened
in there, Mr. Armstrong?

My son Lester
has never been arrested.

He is no criminal.

Now, what he's doing
is flat-out wrong.

I know that.

But you have to understand
that this boy, Lester,

sat in a police station
for two days,

and no one,

no one would speak to him
about his father's death.

No demands
have been specifically requested...

Fuck them silly-ass demands.

What we really want is respect.

Respect comes at the end
of a nine with a fresh clip.

Yo, Les, give Rodney here
the phone

so he can reinforce
those stereotypes

before it's too late.

Don't get it twisted, Rivers.

Just 'cause we in
this bitch together

don't mean we friends.
So don't play me.

No. I'm not playin' ya.

You're playin' with yourself.

You're about to go blind.

So much for your respect.

Fuck you!

Fuck, man!
Get off of me!

Get off of me, you bitch!

Stop it!
Get off him!

Get the fuck off me, bitch!

- What the hell's your problem?
- Get off him!

Fuck, Rod!
Break it up!

Man, get off him!

Hey, cut it out!
Cut it out! Break it up!

Break it up!

Don't fuck with me, man!
Straight up!

Break it up, man.
What are you doing?

Yo, I'm sick of his big mouth.

Without you,
he'd be a little bitch.

Look, man, I don't care what
you do when this is over, okay?

But right here, right now,

look, you're either
with them or you're with us.

What is it gonna be?

All right.

My bad.

You got it.

What you laughin' at, man?

See what I'm sayin', slick?

It's just a matter of time.

Holy shit, Ziggy.

Jesus.

Oh, my God.

I'm okay.

Just stop lookin' at me.

Who did that to you?

Hey, little man.

Who did that to you?

His old man.

See, that's why
he fought so hard,

when Armstrong wanted
to send him home.

You see what you did?

Do you?

Do you?

I'm just doing my job.

Your job?

How could I have known that?

When did you ask?

First day,

first ten minutes,

you made up in your mind
who we were.

Do we have
something real to ask for or not?

If not, what they said about us
on television might as well be true.

Look, what do we really want?

Sure was cold in
Mr. Knowles' class this morning.

That's a demand. Good.

Fix the broken window.

And get Mr. Knowles back.

Yeah, Knowles is cool.

What else?

Come on, I mean...

We could fix the leaks.
We could get some new books.

We could have a career day.

Career day?
Oh, that's a great idea,

Now that our future's so bright.

It's worth a try.
Other schools have it.

What do you need
a career for, anyway?

- You'll just use your tits to get ahead.
- Fuck you.

- I
- don't need these to get where I'm going.

What the hell is your problem?

We ain't got time
for this shit.

Can't even stop fighting.

They're never gonna
agree about anything.

Since you seem to have
all the answers, Lynn,

why don't you tell us
what it is that you want?

Yeah,
what do you want, Lynn?

What I want has nothing
to do with this school.

I won't even be here
in a few months.

Oh, yeah?
Where you gonna be?

Yeah, Lynn, where you going?

Yeah,
where you gonna be at?

Fat and sick, okay?

Fuck you guys.

Fools, man.

We ain't gettin' shit.

Dealin' with the cops, the only thing
we're gonna get is shot up or locked up.

Isn't that right, hero?

Yeah.

You're gonna end up that way
one way or another.

No, we won't.

Because everybody
out there is gonna know

that this whole thing was
an accident started by him.

That's what I want.

Hey, that ain't never
gonna happen. Ever.

Put it down.

Write it down.

Don't answer that.

The telephone
is for the Dark Ages.

I mean, if we're gonna do this,
let's do it right.

Let's go global.

What?

"First we want to say

"we did not shoot the officer."

"He shot himself
with his own gun"

"while he was struggling
to forcibly detain a student."

Hey, what's the name
of the high school in Queens

where the kids have
taken the cop hostage?

Uh, Lincoln.

I got it on my screen too.

"This all began because of
the conditions of our school."

"We are not criminals."

"We are not gang members

"as we've been portrayed
by the media.

"Officer Jackson
is not seriously hurt.

"We will remain in Lincoln High

"One,
Mr. Knowles is rehired."

"Two, students must have
a textbook for every subject."

"Three, fix the window."

"Four, repair all leaks."

"Five, establish a career day."

"Six, once a month, we
can give the teachers a test."

"Hot 97, CNN,
Howard Stern."

What the hell is "The Source"?

Books, fix the leaks, windows.

This is bullshit.

Someone in there
wants these things.

Right, you want books,
so you take a cop hostage?

They got a little power,
now they want to walk?

They got a better chance
of getting into Yale.

Chain of command?

What are you saying, Audrey?

All I'm saying is I can't make
the final decisions.

I gotta talk to my boss,
who's gotta talk to...

What you're saying is
that you can't get us anything, right?

So put somebody
on the phone who can.

Well, Lester, it takes time.

I'm gonna get you what
you want, but, you know,

you know how it works.

You gotta give us something.

I mean, it's hurting you
to keep that wounded officer.

You give us nothin',

and I'm supposed to
give you the cop?

Then what's gonna stop you

from coming in here,
huh, Audrey? Gratitude?

Lester, look.

I'd really like to hear
what happened to your dad,

from you.

Like hell you do.

Look, don't play with me,
Audrey, okay?

I... I'm not
playing you, Lester.

I know you're runnin' the show.

Using the Internet
was a brilliant idea.

I just want to help.

Many of your demands will be met

if you give me some time.

Then, Audrey...

Yes?

Meet them.

Are you done playing or what?

Come on, man, demands?
That's bullshit.

They're not gonna
give us anything

unless we start putting
his ass on the phone

and slicing off his fingers
or something.

Then you'll see how fast
she'll be correct.

I'm serious, Lester.

You know how
this is going to play out.

No.

We wait.

You wanna wait?

Wait.

But they won't.

Let's give them one.

That's what we need
to get Jackson out.

Negative.

I can't negotiate anything
if you don't...

You better find
that teacher, Detective,

Or my men will get Jackson out.

Where's this guy, Knowles?

- Hey.
- Jesus.

I mean, could I get some
fucking privacy around here?

No.

What did I
ever do to you?

Listen, princess, I'm tired
of smart and pretty girls

always looking down
on slags like me.

When have I ever?

You know what? The only reason
you know I'm alive is because I diss you.

I'm sorry.

So, fat and sick, huh?

I just wanted him to kiss me.

I never even got the kiss.

What are you gonna do?

I don't know.

It's just been, like,
the most fucked up day.

I'm really scared.

Shit, you're scared?

No. It's different for you.

You've got, like,
this confidence,

this whole thing like, uh,
above it all, you know.

I know how to put on
a good show sometimes,

but I definitely hear
what people have to say...

But, Stephanie, you don't care,
so it doesn't matter.

Everybody cares, Lynn.

Hey, you know, um...

If I would have known this whole
takeover thing was gonna happen,

I never would have fucked him.

Minister of defense, huh?

That's some funny shit.

Whatever it is
you've been smoking,

I got something better.

Tch. Let me tell you
something, man.

A nigga like me

is just a chalk mark
waiting to happen.

What the fuck you doing here?

On the real, don't give me
that movie-of-the-week bullshit.

Like, you think you got some
kind of monopoly on oppression?

Shit.
I'm the trailer park prince.

And?

You still ain't tell me
what you're doing here.

You know, my pops
used to always brag

about how his generation
gave a shit

and how we don't care
about nothin'.

You know, in the '60s,
they had Vietnam to fight over.

They had voting rights. They had
all kinds of shit. Well, you know what?

Now I got my own little
war story to tell.

And you know something?

This might give my little
bullshit life some meaning.

You feel me?

Yeah, I feel you.

I feel you.

These people are crazy.

These people
are just gangbangers,

pulling out just guns,
gasoline, M16s, TEC-9s.

I don't know where you
get them weaponry from.

I mean, it's like Iraq,
you know what I mean?

Hey, Ziggy?

Ziggy?

Um...

Take a look at your book?

Um, I'm not finished.

That's all right.
I just want to see.

Come on, Michelangelo.

Come on.

You can give me a little peek,
a little preview.

You know about Michelangelo?

A little bit.

I think that Sistine
Chapel stuff is pretty cool.

- Hmm.
- You know, God's finger reaching down

to touch his creature.

Uh, can I...

Can I...
Can I look at it?

Yeah.

My favorite.

You know, if I could be one
painter, I'd like to be Basquiat.

They call him
"The Radiant Child"

because he died so young.

I mean, the both of them,

what they do with paint...

will last forever.

My son used to draw.

Daryl, he was a tagger.

He'd use spray paints and...

Whatever.

Yeah?

What was his tag sign?

I don't know.

You never saw it?
You never asked him?

I didn't want to know.

He was breaking the law.

You should've.

Yeah, maybe.

We get out of this,

I'm gonna make sure that...

I put whoever hurt you...

in a place where they can't
never touch you again.

Yo, Ziggy,
get away from him.

Is this your son?

Where'd you get that?

You take him to Knicks games?

Help him with his homework?

Teach him to jab?

Give it back.

It's not yours.

Give it to me!

Must be real sweet.

You know, Jackson...

I bet he's out there right now.

He's worried about
his dad, the, uh, the hero.

No, son, I haven't seen
my kid in over a year.

What'd you do, Jackson, huh?

You jump all over him?
Did you beat him up, too?

That's why
they sent you down here.

I'm on leave.

What kind of leave?

Disability leave.

Disability.

What gets a cop
on disability leave?

Stress.

Man.

What do you know about stress?

My wife...

and my son...

What, they're dead?

No.

They're lost.

Lost to me, anyway.

You know what that
feels like, right?

When you lose someone,

and you can't afford
to lose them.

When your heart breaks.

When you get a parasite
in your guts.

Makes you...

do something mean
or do something stupid.

That's what
this is all about, right?

Right, Lester?

This is about your dad.

You're wrong.

- No.
- You're wrong, and you know something?

I don't give a damn
what you lost.

Yo, yo, Lester,
come here, check this out.

Look at all these people, yo.

Back off.

Ha. Damn.

Damn, look at this.

Hey, Stephanie,
Lynn, get over here.

Yo, Rodney, Rivers, man,
come check this out.

Yo, everyone, get over here.

Look at
all these people, man.

We on top
of the world, yo.

- Whoo!
- Yeah, we blowin' up!

There they are!
Look! Up there!

Hey!

- What's up? What's up?
- Whoo!

Yeah!

Whoo-hoo!

Lincoln Six!

Lincoln Six!

Lincoln Six!

- Lincoln Six!
- What?

- Lincoln Six!
- What?

Lincoln Six!

- What?
- Lincoln Six!

Man, we heard bullets.

I pushed the girl
out of the way,

'cause I don't want her
to get shot.

But one of the bullets
hit me in the ankle.

I'm just limping.

One in my culo, too,

but, man, you know,
I can't let that feel me.

Wait, wait, wait!

The crisis
continues at Lincoln High tonight

as negotiators fail
to make any headway

in their day-long standoff

with what is now believed
to be six students.

Police have been
held at bay by the group

holding Officer Dante Jackson...

Come on!

We want Knowles back!

- Yeah!
- Yeah!

Whoo!

Lincoln Six!

Lincoln Six, baby!

Stay behind
the barricade!

You're runnin' out of
options. Look out there.

All it's gonna take
is somebody throwing

a brick through a window
or firing a shot.

We got half a dozen companies
willing to repair the windows.

We got textbook
companies and roofers.

Let's give them something.

- He's here.
- They shot a cop.

I got here as fast as I could.

Yeah!

Whoo!

Man,
you fuckin' crazy.

Hey, yo, you see what happens
when you bring a gun to school?

It's a long way
from the fifth grade

when I pulled that chair
out from under you, huh?

No doubt.

You never know.
We might still be able

to make the Lauryn Hill
concert, Steph.

But you wouldn't go
with me anyway, would you?

No.

Not a chance.

Damn, girl.

You're tough.

Oh, Stephanie, Oh, my God.

- I'm sorry.
- Oh, my God.

- I don't mean to laugh.
- Look at my hair.

Looks like Jennifer Lopez
had a bad hair day.

Nah, you look good.

Yeah, kiss my ass, Rivers.

You gotta grow one first.

Yeah, right.

Tch. Lost my ghetto card
with that.

Hey, I didn't
know you were bald.

Oh, as salaamu alaikum, brother.

Whoo!

Yes, it's true. I still love
the Lakers, my brother.

Yo, I seen this face on a
milk carton or something.

- Snap.
- Aw, man.

What's wrong with your eyes?

I know, I know.
Aw, it's so embarrassing.

Oh!

Where you hidin'
the merchandise, Rivers?

You don't want to know.

Probably got a doobie
in your right pocket.

Yes. Always.

Hello, my name's Lester.

I like long, quiet
walks on the beach.

I'm a Sagittarius.

- I like to wear triple X large magnum condoms.
- Hey, I do.

- Oh, really?
- Yeah, right.

In your dreams, Les.

Sure, virgin boy.

I gotta, um...
I gotta use the head.

Yeah, man, give me the gat.

Cop has to take a leak.

Look, look, man, just
take him to the bathroom.

Don't even worry about it, man.

Just give me the gun,
I'll take him myself.

Look, go ahead and take him,
man. I'm not giving you the gun, okay?

What's the problem, yo?

Just give me the gun.
I'll be right back.

Go ahead. I'm not giving you
the gun, all right?

All right, whatever.

All right, come on, let's go.

Well, Audrey,

you see the crowd out there?

Hey, Lester, it's Knowles.

Mr. Knowles?

What's going on, man?

I'm doing what I...

I'm doing what
I had to do, Knowles.

Is everybody okay?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Everybody's fine, man,
even the cop.

They're listening, right?

Of course they are.

I hope you're not
doing this for me, man.

You have to work
the system, not jack it.

Man,
get in there, man!

I ain't no bitch like Lester.

I'll bust a cap
in your ass right now.

That's why they don't
trust you with a gun.

I don't even trust myself, man.

Get in there, man.

I cannot do it like this.

I need you to...
You gotta do it for me.

What? I ain't
with that homo shit.

- Get in there!
- Give me one of my hands, then.

I should let you
piss on yourself.

Hurry up, man!

Hey, it's Jackson!

Come on, let's go!

Get me out of here!
Guys, I'm here!

Hey!

Jackson is free.

Cut the power.

Over here!
Hey!

Everything they're saying
on TV is a lie.

Look, they just...

Oh, fuck!

Shit.

Lester?

Lester!

What the hell happened?

What's going on in there?

Somebody talk to me.
Give me a...

What's going on
in there? Come on.

Fuck. Shit.

Yo, Rodney!

I'm over
here! Jackson got away!

Any visual on the HTs?
Any visual on Jackson?

No visual on the HTs.

- Rodney!
- Rodney!

If you hear me,
say something!

We gotta get Jackson.
Hurry up!

Where are you?

Yo, I'm down here!
Hey, yo, I'm over here!

Get the sharpshooter up here.

Jackson, don't you fuckin' move!

Move away!

Freeze! Drop your weapon,
or I will fire!

He's gonna fire!

Shit,
they're firing!

They're coming in, man!

Let's go!

Who fired?

I want to know who fired!

Come on, get through it.
Cut it. Go! Go! Go!

You want war?
Come on!

Back off! Back off!

I know a place.

Come on! Come on!

Come on!
They're coming in!

Come on, y'all.
We gotta go!

Up here!

Get him up!
Come on!

Get him up!
Get his ass up there.

- Come on!
- Shit!

They're comin'!
They're comin'!

Fuck, man!

Push his fat ass upstairs!

They're comin'!
They're comin'! Get up!

- Move!
- Where we goin'?

Ziggy,
where we goin', man?

This is a fuckin' dead end!

Great. Now what?

Where we goin', man?

To my place.

Hurry. They'll
never find us in here.

They're right below us.

I'm gonna fuckin' kill you, man!

Be quiet, man.

Hey.

Be quiet.

Pete,
anything? Any visual?

Let's go! Let's go!

You all right?

Yeah, I'm okay.

Look,

they gotta know we still got him

And that he's all right.

Without letting them
know where we are?

How the hell we gonna do that?

Stop it, Rodney.

- Fuckin' stop it already.
- All right, quiet.

Hey!
They're gonna hear us.

Hey, Les.

Didn't want you to use all my
free minutes till it was worth it.

- Where's Jackson?
- We lost him.

Hallways, stairways,
classrooms, all clear.

Do you have a 20?

Got nothing
in the stairwell.

All clear.

Nothing, sir.

Hallway's clear, sir.

They're gone, sir.

What do you mean, gone?
Sweep it clean.

Copy.

We've got
a relay from 911.

It's them.

You wanna kill us, Audrey?

That it?
That's your plan?

That's the last thing
I want to have happen.

Is everyone all right?

What do you care?

The officer
shouldn't have fired.

It was an accident.

An accident?

It's always an accident
with you people.

You give us...
you give us something, okay?

You give us one of our demands.

Or Jackson will be an accident.

You hear me?
Do you hear me?

- Yes, I do.
- One thing, Audrey.

Just one thing!

Audrey,
what about our demands?

Who... Who is this?
Stephanie?

Is this you, Stephanie?

Yes.

Give us something.

Now, listen, I want you
to get what you want.

I want you all
to get what you want.

It's all bullshit,
isn't, Audrey?

Now, Stephanie,
listen to me.

If Lester does anything foolish,

if anything happens
to Officer Jackson,

it's murder.

That means
the rest of your life.

That's not bullshit.

Give us what we asked for.

I lost her.

I understand.
Yes, sir. Right.

The crowd's a problem,

but we're trying
to control them.

Yes.

- Thank you, sir.
- We have the cell number.

It's over.

I want both teams to keep
sweeping the building.

We'll move in at 0500.

You don't even know
where they are.

We'll find them.

That's less
than an hour.

Commissioner wants this over
before the morning news,

so, uh, we'll take it from here.

You've been relieved, Detective.

- What?
- You heard me.

We can give them something.

Negotiations are over.

Hey, if this were Westchester,
you'd wait for the millennium.

Yeah, well, this isn't
Westchester, Mr. Knowles.

Okay, look,
just give me the phone.

Let me try him
one more time, please.

Thanks for your help,
Mr. Knowles.

What?

Goodbye, Mr. Knowles.

Didn't have to go this way.

Yeah, well, it did.

That shit is ill.

That's beautiful.

Damn.

Hey, yo, little man,
you live here, man?

Yeah. I thought
it'd be safe here.

It's still safe.

Nah, man.

They gotta make examples
out of us now.

They gonna come in here
and smoke all of us.

God damn it, Rodney.

But they don't know
where we are.

Yeah, for how long,
huh? Huh?

They shoot first,
ask questions later...

Look, stop it, Rodney.

That's enough, all right?

- Lester...
- No, Stephanie. It's simple.

You heard what I said
on the phone.

Anybody want to leave,
there's the door.

And proud dad is...

Not so proud.

That's too bad.

Yeah.

I mean, not that
you're havin' a kid.

There's lots of famous
people that come from...

Dumb sluts who get knocked up.

You're not dumb.

What are you gonna do?

I was kind of hoping
they'd nuke us

and I wouldn't have to
worry about it anymore.

You think we should give up?

Not yet.

- Hey, what's up?
- Get your hands off me.

Yo, I say we take
his ass to the roof,

they don't give us
what we want right now,

motherfucker gonna fly.

- Not now, all right?
- No, now's the time, man.

Look, I know it's not
going to be easy,

but think about
your father, man.

He ain't take shit
from the cops.

Shut up, all right, Rodney?

You can't let them
get away with that.

Know what I'm saying?

It's payback time.

And if you bitch up
after all of this,

then you ain't shit.

Pssh. Good thing he ain't livin'
to see his son bendin' over...

Shut the fuck up.

No, that's all right.

Shoot me.

Yeah, shoot it, man.

Don't push me,
all right, Rodney?

Yeah, 'cause you're feelin' me.

I know you feelin' me.

Time to start pointing that
thing in the right direction.

Ride or die.

We're moving
through the north corridor.

There's only
one floor left, Lieutenant.

Nobody gotta die here.

Not him. Not me.

Nobody.

But you,

you're the only thing that's keeping
that kid from going over the edge.

Don't let Rodney's voice be
the last voice he hears, okay?

Medevacs are on the way.

ETA, five minutes.

All units stand by.

We move in when we
confirm their location.

Lester, I don't know
how much longer

he's going to make it
without a doctor.

I'm not willing to let
anyone die in here.

Are you?

If we don't get nothin',
what did we do it for?

I'll let Ziggy down, everybody.

Just like my dad.

They better give us something.

Look, you stood up and
you hyped up this whole city,

and we followed you.

Everybody knows who we are now.

Whatever it is that you
have to say about your father,

they will listen now.

Fuck they will.

They will.

Lester, tell me.

Tell me what happened.

We stopped at this
all-night market, right?

We'd just beat Rosemont
by about 20 points.

My dad was pumped.
So he goes,

"I wanna surprise you,
champ. Wait right here."

The cops roll up.

They fly right when he's coming
out with some Haagen-Dazs,

and they say,
"Assume the position!"

"There's a robbery nearby
and you fit the description."

He looks at them,

and he looks at me,

and he says, "No."

They say,
"Assume the position!"

Assume the position!

And they pull their guns.

My dad smiles and says,

"Gentlemen,
I'm not guilty of anything."

"I've been at a game
with my son."

Next thing I know...

He was on the ground,
knee in his back,

face on the concrete.

I move to get out of the car,

But the cop says,
"Don't move, boy!"

I try, I try to get out.

I'm trying to get out...

They shove me back,

and I gave up.

I look at my dad.

He starts breathing
all crazy and shit.

He's reaching for his pocket.

And I know what
he's reaching for.

The cops, they yell,

"Gun!"

"Gun!"

And they shot him.

They shot him.

He had asthma, Stephanie.

He was just reaching
for his goddamn inhaler.

I didn't do a thing.

I just sat there...

and I watched.

The cops said
it was an accident.

I can't let him down again.

Lester...

What have you
got for us, Audrey?

Lester, it's me, Knowles.

Knowles? Man, you...

Who else is there?

Nobody.

I'm outside at a pay phone
freezing my balls off.

I stole the cell number
from the police.

This criminal shit
must be contagious, man.

Look, Lester, the cops,

they figured out where you are
and they're coming in.

When?

Any minute.

Not even
one of my demands.

Now, Lester, listen to me.

If you want to
keep this thing alive,

then you walk out now.

We'll take this to court.

I'll stand with you.

A lot of us will. Lester,
you have to end this now.

Do you hear me?

- I hear you.
- Lester,

now just get out of there.

Yo, Knowles...

thanks, man.

Got 'em, Lieutenant.

Fourth floor.
East stairwell. Copy?

Team two and three,
proceed to east stairwell.

Then full breach.

Tell 'em we're on our way out,
okay? Then you get going.

I don't want you
or anyone to get hurt.

Us? What about you?

- What you doing, man? We're in this together.
- Get up.

- No.
- Lester.

What do you expect me to do?

- I gave them time.
- Lester, don't do this.

What did we ask for?

Knowles to be rehired
and some fucking books!

- No, you're wrong!
- Don't do this!

They were never gonna
give us anything.

They lied like they always
fucking do. Now get up!

- Come on, Rodney, help me get him up.
- Get the fuck up!

- Don't do this! Stop!
- No, Lester!

This is payback!

What are you doing?

Go now!
I gave them time!

Everybody, get out of here now!

Don't let anybody on the roof.

Fasten your seatbelts,
motherfuckers!

Just walk!

Just walk!

Keep walking!
Keep moving!

Ow!

Listen to me.

Don't do this, son.

No,
you listen to me, okay?

You know,
when I was little, man,

my dad used to walk me
every day to the school door.

And one day, he gave me
his watch, his dad's watch.

And you know what he said?

Do you know what he said?

- What?
- He said, "Be on time."

He said, "Pay attention."

He said, "Always be a man",

"so you don't end up
being some punk.

"A nobody!"

We've got movement
on the roof, sir.

One's a hostage,
one's got a gun. Copy?

Look for the clean shot
and take him out.

Yes, sir.

He didn't raise you
to end up like this, man.

I didn't want to be.
I didn't have to be.

But here I am.

I'm as dead as he is.

Keep moving.

Shit! He blocked it.

What's he doing?

Get that helicopter in here.

Shit.

Move, goddamn it!

Assume the position.

What?

I said assume the position.

- No.
- Look, I'm tired of talking!

Assume the position!

Your father said no,
now I'm saying no.

I messed up one kid's life, I'm
not about to let you mess up yours.

My father...

My father didn't have to die.

No.

He didn't.

But you think you can look me
in the eyes and pull that trigger?

They said, "Case closed."

Fuck them!

They didn't even say
they were fucking sorry.

He's gone, man.

He's gone, and I'm sorry.

I'm sorry you lost your
father. I'm so sorry.

- It's over.
- But you gotta think about him.

What about that night, remember?

When he...
When he looked at you,

and he watched
his only son playing ball,

and he smiled.

He was so proud of you.

Check...
Checkout time, slick.

He's looking at you right now.

What do you think he's thinking?

Huh?

Be a man.

- No.
- Lester!

Police! Freeze!

- Don't shoot, please!
- Don't shoot!

Give me a status report.
Who was shot?

I can't see anything, sir.

Do you have a visual
on the subject?

No visual on the
hostage. No visual on the HT.

Un-fucking-believable!

Where's the goddamn helicopter?

It's okay.

Everything's going
to be all right.

It's okay.

It's okay.
It's all right.

It's over, all right?

It's over.

Rodney, no!

I should have known
you was gonna bitch up, man!

New York City Police Department!

Let him go, Rodney!

- Put the gun down!
- Damn it, Rodney, it's over!

You ain't got the heart
to do it, I will! Fuck that!

Got a clear
on the HT, sir.

He's got the gun on Jackson.

Get down
on the ground now!

Lester!

- Put the gun down!
- I'm gonna kill him right now!

Lester!
No! Stop! No!

- Ziggy!
- Green light.

Lester!

Zig!

Somebody, help!

Oh, God. Help.

Somebody, fucking help!

Come on, buddy.
Come on, Zig, breathe.

Come on, Ziggy,
breathe. Breathe.

Oh, shit, man.

Get some help!
Get some fucking help!

Cold.

No, you fight.
You fight.

Fight, Ziggy, fight.

My boy, Les.

I'm so sorry.
I'm so sorry.

No.

For real.

I stood up, man.

Tell everybody.

No. You're not gonna die.

Promise.

They're coming, Zig.

They're coming, Zig.
Just hold on.

Just hold on.

Promise me?

I promise.

I promise.

Ziggy?

Ziggy?

Ziggy!

Lester couldn't save me.

No one could.

But like I said,

no one stood for anyone
or anything until that day.

We thought Jackson
would testify against us.

But he flipped the script
and stood for us after all.

Rodney went to the pen,

and he ended up
bendin' down and shit,

but not like you think.

I didn't believe it myself.

Lynn did her bit,
but she got bounced out

because of her kid and all.

She wrote to Stephanie
for a while,

told her she named
her kid Zacharias.

Then her letters stopped coming.

No one ever heard
from her again.

The judge took one look
at Rivers' act

and made him join the army,

figuring it would be crueler
than usual punishment.

But they were still sleepin'
on my boy Rivers,

'cause let me tell you,

it just put him
in a higher tax bracket.

Stephanie spent a year in jail.

She's at St. John's now,
pre-med.

She wants to open a free
clinic right here in Queens.

Lester spent two years upstate.

After he got out,
he came back to Lincoln.

Knowles had been rehired,

and they left my place
just like it was.

He's at City College now,
pre-law.

And every year,
Lester comes back,

and he tells them

how what we did
and what happened to me...

changed their lives too.

My boy kept his promise
after all.

Knowles once said,
"It's not how long you live,"

"but how you live
and what you leave behind."

Like the people
who drew pictures

on those caves 30,000 years ago

or the lyrics Tupac laid down.

Look, all I know for sure...

is what you do
while you're on this planet,

yo, man, that's up to you.

Peace.

♪ Ooh ♪

♪ Oh, yeah ♪

♪ I never thought you were ♪

♪ A fair-weather friend ♪

♪ You never let me down ♪

♪ You're true to the end ♪

♪ Even in the darkest hour ♪

♪ When all is lost ♪

♪ Somehow
you left the light on ♪

♪ You faced the wrong ♪

♪ And showed the world
a thing or two ♪

♪ Stood up for me and for you ♪

♪ And you should know ♪

♪ Some say it wasn't worth
the things we went through ♪

♪ Things we went through ♪

♪ I say it ain't worth
losing you ♪

♪ Losing you ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ I hope you know ♪

♪ How much you've changed
all our lives ♪

♪ Someday you'll see ♪

♪ If only through
heaven's eyes ♪

♪ Only through heaven's eyes ♪

♪ And so we can't forget ♪

♪ We've got to keep
remembering them all ♪

♪ The ones who took the fall ♪

♪ They did it for us all ♪

♪ And we should learn from it ♪

♪ Stand up
if you believe in it ♪

♪ You've got to
face the world ♪

♪ Be strong ♪

♪ Strong ♪

♪ Some say it wasn't worth
the things we went through ♪

♪ Things we went through ♪

♪ I say it ain't worth
losing you ♪

♪ Losing you ♪

♪ I hope you know ♪

♪ How much you've changed
all our lives ♪

♪ Someday you'll see ♪

♪ If only through
heaven's eyes ♪

♪ Only through heaven's ♪

♪ Heaven's eyes ♪

♪ Some say it wasn't worth
the things we went through ♪

♪ Things we went through ♪

♪ I say it ain't worth
losing you ♪

♪ Yo, how much pain
can one man take? ♪

♪ A woman and child
step over crack vials ♪

♪ Blood in the streets
Two thugs end up beefin' ♪

♪ Dilapidated playground
where kids play ♪

♪ Broke swings and glass,
dirt for grass ♪

♪ They run and they laugh ♪

♪ My city wrapped
in barbed wire ♪

♪ Flipped cars on fire ♪

♪ Abandoned buildings,
burnin' tires ♪

♪ Dope fiends shootin' up ♪

♪ Not knowin' the business ♪

♪ And doctors and lawyers
are selling crack ♪

♪ We are strong ♪

♪ No one can tell us
we're wrong ♪

♪ Heartache to heartache
we stand ♪

♪ We stand ♪

♪ Searching our lives
for so long ♪

♪ All of us knowing ♪

♪ They be on the lookout ♪

♪ For crusaders, infiltrators,
haters and traitors ♪

♪ So cravers use images
and not us, to play us ♪

♪ To save us from
the edge of destruction ♪

♪ 'Cause this ain't
a corruption ♪

♪ Is like a suction
of misery, negativity ♪

♪ Comes express delivery
in these rundown facilities ♪

♪ Bled for centuries
intensively ♪

♪ Bloodshed's
a possibility ♪

♪ While we're bred
blind, deaf, and dumb ♪

♪ Known as the living dead
in the slums ♪

♪ We live fast, die young,
live by the gun ♪

♪ Pain in my eyes ♪

♪ Trapped in these streets,
seeing thugs die ♪

♪ Blood, sweat and tears
soldiers ain't supposed to cry ♪

♪ So I wipe my eyes ♪

♪ Come inside
Thoughts of a ghetto mind ♪

♪ Last days and time ♪

♪ And the world
will respect this ♪

♪ At the end of a nine
with a fresh clip ♪

♪ Born to be
a chalk outline ♪

♪ That's why
we outta this life ♪

♪ So I light it up
and fight for my rights ♪

♪ Fight for my rights ♪

♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪

♪ We are strong ♪

♪ No one can tell us
we're wrong ♪

♪ Heartache to heartache
we stand ♪

♪ Searchin' our lives
for so long ♪

♪ All of us knowing ♪

♪ Growing up ♪

♪ Fighting in this battle ♪

♪ Will you be there ♪

♪ With me in the end ♪

♪ In this battle ♪

♪ Fighting in this battle ♪

♪ Will you be there ♪

♪ With me in the end ♪

♪ In this battle ♪

♪ Fighting in this battle ♪

♪ Here we come
Blaze the eye of the storm ♪

♪ Never saw me coming ♪

♪ But I made sure
you was warned ♪

♪ In the blaze
I'm running gun high ♪

♪ Sounding the horn ♪

♪ See my glare is stunning
running by negative form ♪

♪ When I see you shunnin' ♪

♪ Give me what I need
or I take it ♪

♪ Fuck games, pass the blame
Ain't no need to be fakin' ♪

♪ Motherfuckers
wanna bring it ♪

♪ To the point
where I'm breakin' ♪

♪ Feel the wrath in my heart ♪

♪ Nigga, ain't no mistakin' ♪

♪ My bitches
Light it up and don't stop ♪

♪ We gonna make it happen
till the last one drop ♪

♪ My niggas
Light it up and don't quit ♪

♪ In the new millennium
Don't take no shit ♪

♪ My bitches
Light it up and don't stop ♪

♪ They gonna know we real
when we let the guns pop ♪

♪ My niggas
Light it up and don't quit ♪

♪ First one move
be the first one hit ♪

Hoody-hoo!

Yeah!

♪ Get 'em up, hit 'em up,
light 'em up, light 'em up ♪

♪ Get 'em up, hit 'em up,
light 'em up, light 'em up ♪

♪ Get 'em up, hit 'em up,
light 'em up, light 'em up ♪

♪ Get 'em up, hit 'em up,
light 'em up, light 'em up ♪

♪ I hit 'em up, you lit 'em
up So get 'em up, what up? ♪

- ♪ Huh, bro? ♪
- ♪ I light it up ♪

♪ So you can hype it up
at the club ♪

♪ Show me love
we blazed to get paid ♪

♪ You can't faze 'cause, uh
I'm 'bout two steps ahead ♪

♪ Of the game, it's a shame
How could you be so lame? ♪

♪ But don't blame me, man
unless you going insane ♪

♪ I say "Woah" ♪

♪ It ain't my fault
you got caught ♪

♪ You had to return
everything that you earned ♪

♪ You had to learn ♪

♪ You play with fire
You might get burned ♪

♪ You lit 'em up and hit 'em up
You shoulda waited your turn ♪

♪ One time, two times
when I hype it up ♪

♪ And just pass it
so I can light it up ♪

♪ Get 'em up, hit 'em up,
light 'em up, light 'em up ♪

♪ Get 'em up, hit 'em up,
light 'em up, light 'em up ♪

♪ Get 'em up, hit 'em up,
light 'em up, light 'em up ♪

♪ Get 'em up, hit 'em up,
light 'em up, light 'em up ♪

♪ Light 'em up, hit 'em up ♪