Empire (2015–…): Season 2, Episode 18 - Episode #2.18 - full transcript
Previously on Empire...
Looks like Bunkie been real
tight with Shyne Johnson.
Them four dealers you
killed back in the day?
You is a murderer.
(GRUNTING)
Will you marry me?
- Yes.
- (CROWD CHEERING)
ANIKA: You think that
someone pushed you?
RHONDA: I don't know.
Look, I know you a Fed, Tariq,
so you better not be planning on
putting the squeeze on my sister
to try to come for me or my family.
- MAN: Gun!
- No, no, no! Stop, Freda! No!
- (GUNSHOT, PEOPLE SCREAMING)
- Jamal!
Mr. and Mrs. Lyon?
(PIANO PLAYING GENTLE MELODY)
VERONICA: ♪ You say you're right ♪
♪ I'll say you're wrong ♪
♪ You'll be polite... ♪
Hey!
♪ But continue on... ♪
HAKEEM: You look like
you lost some weight, man.
How you doing, man? You good, brother?
Miss you, man.
We're so glad you're back!
It's been so long.
♪ Ooh... ♪
♪ You say it's night ♪
♪ And I'll say it's morning ♪
♪ You'll see the light ♪
♪ And pretend you don't ♪
♪ And I'll close the blinds ♪
♪ If you really want me to ♪
♪ If that's what you want to do ♪
♪ But life has its own ♪
♪ Arranges ♪
♪ As time passes on ♪
♪ And changes ♪
♪ The hourglass moves on a grain ♪
♪ And our path is torn and strained. ♪
You better sing, girl!
HAKEEM: Yeah, V. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Something like that.
What do you think? It's hot, right?
Think it'll be great for
your brother's wedding.
Yeah, I want you and V
to sing it together.
It's dope, right?
It's beautiful, Veronica.
Thanks, Jamal.
Told you. (LAUGHS)
Y'all got to find somebody else
to sing it with you though,
'cause I'm not gonna perform.
COOKIE: No. Yes, you are, Jamal.
You just saying that 'cause
you're tired right now.
Look, your father turned his
gym into a rehab just for you.
No, what I actually did,
I got the top physical therapist,
the same dude that put
Peyton Manning together
after that big old neck injury of his.
He said he's gonna have you
in tip-top shape in a couple weeks, son.
COOKIE: See?
Look, we... we want you
to sing at our wedding.
Yes, we would love that.
Look, Dre even got ordained
so he can do the ceremony.
(LAUGHS)
HAKEEM: He gonna marry us, Mal.
So I want both of my
brothers to be there.
Period.
Maybe we should leave him
alone, let him get some rest.
Look, we can even postpone
it if you're not feeling...
I ain't singing no more, all right?
I'm sorry, man. I'm just...
I'm just tired.
(VOICE BREAKING): Ain't y'all tired?
The same damn cycle all the time.
Just death and incarceration.
We could change that cycle.
I ain't singing again until we do.
Come on, man. What are
you talking about?
Don't you realize if it
hadn't been for you,
I might not even be here, man.
You ain't got to thank me for that, Dad.
No, no. I mean... I mean, you
took a bullet for me, baby.
That's something I will never forget.
How's Freda?
(LAUGHS)
You mean the girl that
tried to shoot me?
She's a victim in this. She is.
She's a victim, too.
Just like him and me and him.
- Jamal.
- LEAH: Dwight,
you and them kids
is paying for the crimes of your daddy.
Dwight, Dwight, hide over here. Here.
Shh.
(GRUNTING)
- What are you talking about, Grandma?
- COOKIE: Okay.
Jamal is grumpy because he's tired.
He ain't never been shot before.
- (CHUCKLES)
- So I'm gonna take him to his room.
You said our grandfather was a cop.
My daddy was a cop.
Okay.
It's time for you to take your nap.
Juanita's gonna bring you
up a nice little brandy.
Come on.
Say good-bye to everybody.
Good-bye to everybody.
LUCIOUS: You're lucky Thirsty caught you
before you blabbed to
all those reporters.
You keep squeezing my arm,
and I'm gonna check your
damn mouth with my foot.
(QUIETLY): Look, this is my house.
I'm the only one that talks
to my children about my past.
Is that clear?
Tell them the truth.
Juanita!
I'm worried about him.
I mean, and it's not because
he doesn't want to do physical therapy.
- He seems off, Lucious.
- Yeah.
Doctors said he should
be walking, but, um...
he don't want to do music.
Yeah, that's what concerns me.
- (KNOCKING ON DOOR)
- Come in.
I got Ms. Calhoun for you.
Hey.
How's my grandbaby?
He's a little stressed out
right now, to be honest.
Do you have a moment where I
can speak with you privately?
(LAUGHS)
Cookie and me ain't got no secrets.
Girl, sit down.
I was picked up by a
couple of federal agents
the other day.
Tariq. I told your ass.
After they told me what they
might have wanted from me,
I absolutely demanded
to be allowed to leave.
THIRSTY: Yeah, but now, of course,
they're gonna try to subpoena her.
Can't let that happen.
We're gonna get 24-hour
security around you.
COOKIE: Okay, what did they say?
What kind of questions did they ask you?
They were asking a lot.
I didn't answer any of them.
Girl, you remember something.
They said something about
a guy named Shyne Johnson, Shyne?
Shyne Johnson?
I knew I heard your
voice, you evil bitch!
(SCREAMS)
- Whoa, whoa, whoa!
- (ALL SHOUTING)
(SCREAMS) Oh, my God!
I got her. I got you. I got you.
- Come on, come on.
- Get off of me, Dre!
- It's okay, let me see.
- Oh, my God.
What in the hell is wrong with you?!
- I know you pushed me, bitch!
- What?!
RHONDA: Get off of me! Ow!
- Calm down.
- Get off of me!
No, that's a wild accusation to make!
I passed out on the way down,
and then I woke up and I saw your shoes.
The bottom of those
red Louboutins you love so much.
- Oh, my God, she's crazy!
- LUCIOUS: Wait, no, no, no.
Rhonda, a whole lot of
women rock them shoes.
I got a pair.
- LUCIOUS: Rhonda...
- You're on her side now?
I'm on nobody's side, but I'm saying
I can't see her doing that.
Okay, wait a minute.
Hold up. So, Rhonda,
you really think pearl-clutching
debutante Anika
pushed you down the steps?
I know you did it.
How could I do something
like that to you, Rhonda?
Oh, shut up, bitch!
Tell 'em, Dre.
(SIGHS) Tell 'em.
Dre?
We're sorry.
Wow.
- We are sorry, Pop.
- Sorry?
I don't know what's going on here.
We didn't mean to come
into your office...
We're sorry?
...like this, with this type of energy.
- (LAUGHS)
- We're very sorry.
You are pathetic!
- Sorry about that.
- Is she okay?
Yeah, it's okay.
Oh, my God, she is crazy!
I could never do something like that!
Okay, go clean her up. Calm her down.
I got you. I got you.
Before she lose the baby.
Hey, and stay with her till we get her
- some security.
- I'm on it.
She won't be subpoenaed.
Now that I'm not
carrying his grandchild,
we are nothing to him again.
And he's gonna let her get away with it.
They don't believe it, Rhonda.
What?
They don't believe it.
And neither do I.
What?
What about your visions, huh?
It's part of my illness, baby.
You said so yourself.
Well, if God was telling you
that somebody pushed me down the stairs,
I might have to start
actually believing in him.
Well, what do you want us to do?
What I did for you.
With Vernon.
I didn't hesitate.
It was self-defense, Rhonda.
- Oh, God.
- It was self-defense.
Come on.
You know, your brothers are
both musicians, right?
They got that from Lucious.
But what you got,
aside from his mother's illness,
is his killer instinct.
JUANITA: Mr. Andre?
(CLEARS THROAT)
Thank you, Juanita.
(SIGHS)
(SNIFFLES)
- You don't mean that.
- Oh, I do.
I definitely mean it.
So, when you become the
man that I married,
the man who's willing to do
what needs to be done...
- Mm.
- ...have him give me a call
'cause I really miss him.
(CHUCKLES): Okay.
Mm-hmm. Yeah, laugh all you want.
I told your ass Tariq
was gonna be a problem.
Nah, he ain't the problem.
We got too many people in common.
Problem is...
What?
(OPERA MUSIC PLAYING,
VOLUME GROWS LOUDER)
Ugh. (CLICKS TONGUE)
What is it, Lucious?
You know, after you got locked up,
- I had to put in work on a couple cats.
- Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Drug dealers.
The three horsemen who wanted us dead.
I got it.
Yeah, well, there was a fourth horseman.
First three was to protect our family.
But that last one, that was a job.
(SIGHS)
Who were you working for, Lucious?
You know who I was working for.
You was the one that let
them hear my music.
Tommy Davoni and Rosey Perkins?
Exactly.
They were cutting a record
with this new artist
that turned out to be a real loudmouth.
Selling wolf tickets,
threatening all the other artists,
and so they wanted him handled.
And Shyne and me got the memo.
You do realize the Feds aren't
gonna let this go, right?
(SIGHS)
Who else knows?
You, me and Tommy and Rosey.
(CLICKS TONGUE, SIGHS)
But the both of them,
they coming to Hakeem's
wedding, you know.
We still tight.
And they're legit now, so they
got just as much to lose.
Right, right. And that's why
the Feds are all over Shyne.
Yeah, but Shyne... he's
a idiot thug, you know.
He ain't no snitch.
Know our past got to stay buried.
Mm-hmm.
No one can know about this.
♪ I got broads in Atlanta ♪
♪ Twistin' dope, lean, and the Fanta ♪
♪ Credit cards and the scammers ♪
♪ Hittin' off licks in the bando ♪
♪ Black X6, Phantom... ♪
Is this Shyne's spot?
♪ Going out like I'm Montana ♪
♪ Hundred killers, hundred hammers ♪
♪ Black X6, Phantom ♪
♪ White X6, Panda... ♪
SHYNE: How long's it take
to go around the corner
and get some Twizzlers?
I sent him out 30 minutes
ago, and he still ain't back.
If he not here in the next minute,
I'm gonna put his ass in a box, too.
Told him to go get Twizzlers,
not the damn Holy Grail!
(LAUGHS)
Hey, Shyne.
That better be my Twizzlers.
You expecting Cookie Lyon?
She on her way up.
She late.
♪ Black X6, Phantom ♪
♪ White X6, Panda ♪
♪ Pocket swole, Danny ♪
♪ Selling bar, candy ♪
♪ Man, I'm the macho like Randy ♪
♪ The choppa go Oscar for Grammy ♪
♪ You need to pull up ya panty ♪
♪ Hope you killas understand me... ♪
Mario.
Let her in.
♪ Panda. ♪
(SIGHS) Look.
All I'm saying is if one
of y'all goes down,
all of y'all go down.
So don't you think it'd be smart
if y'all had each other's backs?
Lucious cut me out.
He owe me profits on his record.
(SCOFFS)
Shyne, you know damn well
you ain't have nothing
to do with that record.
(SIGHS)
Okay, look.
How much is it gonna
take to make this right?
I don't want his money.
Well, what do you want, Shyne?
I want a publishing deal
for my nephew Joey.
This kid hella talented.
He can't catch a break out here.
Mm, sorry to hear that.
- Sorry...
- Check this out.
♪ It's Hakeem the Dream, I
ain't talking about Olajuwon ♪
♪ Uh-uh, it's the Empire's El Capo-tin ♪
♪ And we don't care who we stepping on ♪
♪ He better know who you're betting on ♪
♪ Make sure your weapon drawn
'cause we shooting... ♪
Here, Shyne.
These ain't Twizzlers!
Okay.
(MUSIC STOPS)
Done.
And I want Hakeem to record it.
I can make that happen.
And...
I want to come to that wedding.
See, everybody in the
industry got invited but me.
And I got to say...
my feelings are hurt.
(SIGHS)
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
It's good to be home, right?
Yeah, sure.
Yo, I'm tired of being your nurse, bro.
I got other things to do, okay?
I'm getting married in two days.
All right, that's cool,
'cause first of all,
I don't need y'all to babysit my ass.
So be gone.
- You sure?
- I'm certain.
You sure? We can put a
movie on or a game.
I don't want to watch no damn game.
You're dismissed. Go.
All right, hit me up
if you need something.
Bye. I love you.
Love you, too, fool.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
(CLEARS THROAT)
So, Rhonda really left?
Yeah, we got a friend from college
who's, uh, starting up a
jewelry company in L.A.
She went to check it out.
She'll be back.
Yeah, yeah. Of course she'll be back.
And don't tell Jamal, okay?
I don't want to give him
anything else to brood about.
Look, I'm worried about him, Dre.
Yeah, me, too.
And everybody's trying
to help him, you know?
Me, you, Cookie, Becky.
Everybody except...
Lucious.
(CHUCKLES)
Come on, man.
When's the last time
Lucious went out of his
way to help anybody?
Especially one of his own sons.
(DOOR BUZZING, LOCK CLICKS)
You got ten minutes.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
You know you broke my heart, Freda.
Why would you try and shoot me?
You know why.
I don't know why.
You killed my father.
Carol told me.
Why would you listen to a crackhead?
Look, the last conversation
I had with your father
was about you.
Why do you think I tried to reach out
to you in the first place?
'Cause you felt guilty.
The circumstances under which
me and your father grew up,
the violence?
That's why, when I saw you
when you came to visit him,
and I saw this talent in you that...
that was something worth saving.
Promise you,
I never laid a finger on your daddy.
But this ain't about him no more.
This is about my son.
This is about Jamal.
You care about him, right?
You know I care about him.
Yeah, well, he's in a
real bad place right now.
And no matter how you spin it,
he's in that place because of
the choices that you made.
Now...
I don't really care what
anybody think about me.
Yeah, I'm a selfish son of a bitch.
Life made me like this.
But...
Jamal's not.
And I'm here to help him.
And I can't do that without you.
I wrote something.
Here.
(HIP-HOP BEAT PLAYING OVER PHONE)
If you can start this over,
- I think I got something.
- (MUSIC STOPS)
Well, if you got something,
why don't we just record it?
(HIP-HOP BEAT PLAYING OVER PHONE)
♪ I wake up in the morning,
what I'm thankful for ♪
♪ But you, my God, is
what I'm thankful for ♪
♪ I can see my life, it
flash behind yours ♪
♪ But when I look at you,
I'm seeing so much more ♪
♪ I thank God I could never
get enough of this ♪
♪ Now I'm hearing they want
me, I'm such a lucky bitch ♪
♪ I'm no killa, but on me
I'm-a clutch the fifth ♪
♪ But when I'm with you,
boy, we on a different tip ♪
♪ A different tip, I'm a survivor ♪
♪ You know I been through this,
it's like I live through this ♪
♪ Everybody know Freda, she
hit the ground and go ♪
♪ You put me in the booth and
we tore it down fo' sho' ♪
♪ It was time when I didn't have
nothing, you was there for me ♪
♪ Instead of pretending, acting
just like you cared for me... ♪
Hey, Mal.
I went to see Freda today.
What'd she say?
Not much to me.
She was, uh, stubborn till the end.
I offered to help her with
her legal representation,
but she refused.
It's 'cause she has integrity, Dad.
Yeah, well, in the end, she accepted it.
She wanted me to give you something.
And just so you know,
I ended the cycle today.
She ain't mad no more.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
(ELEVATOR DOORS CLOSE)
FREDA: ♪ I wake up in the morning ♪
♪ What I'm thankful for ♪
♪ But you, my God, is
what I'm thankful for ♪
♪ I can see my life, it
flash behind yours ♪
♪ But when I look at you,
I'm seeing so much more ♪
♪ I thank God I could never
get enough of this ♪
♪ Now I'm hearing they want
me, I'm such a lucky bitch ♪
♪ I'm no killa, but on me
I'm-a clutch the fifth ♪
♪ But when I'm with you,
boy, we on a different tip ♪
♪ A different tip, I'm a survivor ♪
♪ You know I been through this,
it's like I live through this ♪
♪ Everybody know Freda, she
hit the ground and go ♪
♪ You put me in the booth and
we tore it down fo' sho' ♪
♪ It was time when I didn't have
nothing, you was there for me ♪
♪ Instead of pretending, acting
just like you cared for me ♪
♪ And you now I never ran,
never will, homie... ♪
(MUSIC STOPS)
♪ There's been a few times you cried ♪
(CLEARS THROAT SOFTLY)
♪ And even more times they lied ♪
♪ Messing with the wrong crowd ♪
♪ Feeling like a big cloud's... ♪
♪ There's been a few times you cried ♪
♪ Even more times they lied ♪
♪ Messing with the wrong crowd,
feeling like a big cloud's... ♪
♪ La, la, la ♪
♪ Suddenly the guards have changed ♪
♪ I'm whispering your name. ♪
(SILVERWARE CLINKING ON GLASS)
Toast!
To the new couple.
To Laura and Hakeem.
Tomorrow, you two will
be joined together
in holy matrimony under the Lyon banner
to carry on the Empire.
- Amen.
- Cheers!
- Turn up!
- Cheers.
(CLEARS THROAT)
Maria tells me Shyne Johnson
is coming to the wedding.
Is this true?
Who's Shyne Johnson?
One of the most notorious
thugs in hip-hop.
You've read about him, sweetie.
He shot up
that club in Vegas.
He did time for beating
that white rapper.
- (CHUCKLES)
- Just someone
I wouldn't feel too comfortable
having at my daughter's wedding.
Well, Shyne's an old family friend.
He's not gonna be a problem.
ARTURO: Well, it's a problem for us.
MARIA: We would really
rather he didn't attend.
Look, Maria, Arturo,
they're my parents' people, okay?
I respect where they come from.
Mom and Dad,
one of the main reasons
I'm marrying Laura
is to break away from that history.
Just like Jamal said.
We're gonna start our own family.
Right, babe?
And we ain't gonna listen
to none of that mess.
You and me gonna end the cycle, baby.
Cheers up.
- MARIA: Cheers.
- ARTURO: Cheers.
ALL: Cheers.
(PLAYING UP-TEMPO MUSIC)
Y'all, stop, stop, stop!
You both are good.
T.T., your cello is
getting completely lost.
So in between the vocals,
you need to make it soar
a little bit more.
Come on, that's a real moment.
It's for my brother's wedding.
It's got to soar. Soar!
Measure 65 again.
(UP-TEMPO MUSIC RESUMES)
LUCIOUS: Well, our first priority
is getting out new albums
for Hakeem and Jamal.
Jamal?
Well, I had a little talk with him,
and I'm pretty sure some
music is gonna come from it.
So, any thoughts?
Mom, Dad, come quick. It's an emergency.
Give us a minute.
She just ran right out
there before her bodyguard
could stop her.
COOKIE: Oh, my God.
Anika!
(WIND WHISTLING SOFTLY)
- COOKIE: Anika?
- HAKEEM: Mom.
Anika! What's going on?
Get back.
Anika?
What's going on, baby?
Huh?
I'd rather kill myself
than to be forced to snitch on Lucious.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
We're not gonna let that happen to you.
They're gonna make me testify.
They're gonna put me in
the witness protection program.
I can't do that.
COOKIE: Tell her, Lucious.
Hey, I got good news for you.
Thirsty found out that the
Feds got to put on their trial
- before the grand jury...
- (SCREAMS)
...in a day and a half, sweetheart.
So all you got to do is be
cool for two more days.
Anika?
Look...
I know we had bad blood between us.
But you are carrying a life.
My grandson.
So you'll never be alone.
You hear me?
'Cause I know what that feels like.
(ANIKA SOBBING SOFTLY)
You're a Lyon now.
Okay?
Isn't that what you always wanted?
Huh?
To be one of us?
Yeah?
I know.
It's gonna be okay. I know.
- (SOBBING)
- It's gonna be all right.
Come on. It's gonna be all right.
Come on.
Hey, check it out.
- Let's take it from the bridge, huh?
- Okay.
Everybody ready?
Two, three,
four, one...
♪ Whoa-o, whoa-o, whoa ♪
♪ Ooh, ooh-ooh ♪
♪ Ooh, ooh-ooh... ♪
D-MAJOR: You know I came by
the hospital to visit you, but
your dad didn't let me in.
♪ Ooh, ooh-ooh ♪
♪ I'm-a keep on loving ♪
♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Ooh, ooh... ♪
Y'all. Y'all.
- Jeff. Jeff.
- (SINGING STOPS)
First of all, I love it.
- JEFF: Thank you, man.
- I really do.
Um, the only change that I would say is
there's a moment where
I'm singing, um...
♪ I'm gonna keep on loving you. ♪
So instead of, um...
instead of just doing the "oohs,"
can we just say, uh... ♪ Loving you. ♪
- Oh, yeah, I like that.
- Yeah.
Everybody got that?
Two, three, four, one...
♪ Whoa-o, whoa-o, whoa ♪
♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Just keep on loving you ♪
- ♪ Loving you... ♪
- Ah! (HISSES)
No, no, no, no, I'm
good, I'm good, I'm good.
You all right?
- You sure?
- Yeah, yeah, I'm good.
Uh, you know what?
Let's just continue this later,
when Jamal feels a little better...
No. Absolutely not.
Do not listen to him. Come on, y'all.
We have to be done by tomorrow.
I'm fine. Come on.
I'm okay.
- Yeah?
- I'm fine.
Calm that ass down.
- Two, three, four, one, two...
- Come on, y'all, let's sing.
♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Said it feels good ♪
♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Just to keep on loving you ♪
- ♪ Hey, said it feels good ♪
- ♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Just to keep on loving you, oh ♪
- ♪ Said, oh, baby ♪
- ♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Ooh ♪
♪ Loving you ♪
(IMITATING PERCUSSION)
♪ Loving you... ♪
What you did for Jamal...
nobody else could've done that, Lucious.
Come on.
Got me over here thinking
maybe you ain't the devil after all.
(LAUGHS)
What, you think I care about that boy?
He make me a whole lot of money.
- Ah!
- Stop it.
You know I like it
when you do it harder.
Oh, God.
I swear, I hope all this
crap is over with the Feds.
Especially when they come up
empty with the grand jury.
Mm.
Yeah, well, they seem
to have backed off.
Maybe Tariq the Freak
got his wrist slapped.
(CHUCKLES)
You know, none of this
stuff would've happened
if you'd been around.
I was never any good without you.
All right, Lucious.
- Stop all that talk, man.
- What?
(LAUGHS)
You know that never ends
well for me and you.
Cut it out.
I should've never let you go.
There's a reason I never
married anybody else.
Look, let's just get your
son married tomorrow.
Maybe we'll talk.
- Ooh, I like maybe.
- (SCOFFS)
Let's toast to maybe.
Maybe.
- Maybe.
- Maybe.
Maybe if that noodle works.
Give me one of them blue pills.
(BOTH LAUGHING)
Good-bye, Lucious.
- Dirty old man.
- Mm!
- Hmm.
- I like watching you walk away.
I know you do.
Twerk it for me.
- Ah, ah, ah...!
- (LAUGHS)
Get your ones out. Ah, ah...!
♪ I can show you something ♪
♪ That ain't none of them can ♪
♪ 'Cause I, 'cause I ♪
♪ 'Cause I ain't too cool to dance... ♪
So handsome.
Even you, Hakeem.
I don't know why I
thought you were ugly.
- (LAUGHS)
- Grandma.
- Really?
- (CHUCKLES)
Grandma, what did you mean when
you said that we were, um,
paying for the crimes of Dad's dad?
Dwight don't want me talking about that.
Well, we are who we are, Grandma,
despite whether our father
wants to talk about it.
Well, you're right.
You can't escape it.
It's in him, it's in
most of his cousins,
it's bound to be
in you three.
Or at least one of you.
As for Joe...
well, Joe got what he deserved.
Wait, Joe?
That's... that's our grandfather.
(GRUNTING)
You're a dead man, Joe.
He saw his father die in front of him?
Who shot him?
Don't believe anything she tell you.
Actually, she was just telling
us how handsome we all look.
Right, Grandma?
Mm-hmm.
ANDRE: Come on, Hakeem.
Let's go welcome your guests, man.
- Let's go.
- (SIGHS)
- Why we got to do it?
- Why we got to do it?
'Cause it's your job!
♪ You say we fight ♪
♪ I'll say we argue ♪
♪ Maybe you're right ♪
♪ That we really are through... ♪
Hakeem, I'm mad at y'all.
Y'all ain't got no chicken,
no pork chops, no nothing.
Hi!
I had to bring my own doughnut.
Get that out of here, Porsha.
Give me a hug.
♪ That's what I'm gonna do... ♪
Hi.
♪ You say it's mine... ♪
Well, Rosey, you don't
look a day over 60.
You know I roll younger than
that, Cookie. Talk to me.
You better watch out. Don't
you piss Lucious off.
Ooh.
(LAUGHS)
Hey, there he is.
Man of the hour.
Congratulations, Hakeem.
Thank you, thank you.
Sure you ready to do this, young man?
I did it three times,
and now I got three alimony checks.
- (LAUGHTER)
- Cut it out.
Look, I never been so
sure about anything.
- All right. Good luck to you.
- Okay?
Rosey!
- (LAUGHS)
- What's up, my brother?
- All right.
- Tommy, Tommy.
- How are you, my friend?
- Thank you all for coming.
Y'all know my son Jamal.
Yeah. I been watching your every move.
I was proud of you at the ASAs.
Well, thank you.
Yeah, the whole world was proud of him.
I'm talking about before he
took that bullet for you, L.
I can't wait to hear what you do
when you cut loose your
father and mother.
- No.
- Why you trying to start stuff, man?
Man, eagle got to fly.
No, no, it's all love, you know?
I am doing my new single though.
And it's, uh, it's produced by D-Major.
All right.
♪ That's what you want me to ♪
♪ Ooh... ♪
- Yes.
- Yes!
- (CROWD CHEERING)
- Fantastic!
One of our number one artists.
(CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)
(RAUCOUS LAUGHTER)
(LAUGHTER, CHATTER)
Oh, what's that?
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, hold on.
♪ Let the champagne spill... ♪
Hold that, baby. Uh.
- Mmm!
- (GIGGLES)
Mmm! Mmm.
(LAUGHS)
Look at that clown. You invited Shyne?
He brought hookers to
your son's wedding.
Oh, oh! Uh! Look at that!
(LAUGHING)
I'm out of here, L.
- No, no, no, no, no. Come on.
- No, no, no, no.
Come with us into the other room.
Feds is still sniffing around,
and we have to make sure Shyne behaves.
It's precautionary, mostly.
Mad 'cause they got a
bag full of nothing,
just a lame-ass task
force who came up empty
on something I didn't do.
Free Lucious.
Hell of a concert.
COOKIE: Yes, thank you.
Now, uh, you guys know
how the Feds work,
or else you wouldn't have stayed
clear of them all these years.
So it is very important
that we keep Shyne
as a part of our circle of silence.
Yeah, but if somebody
already gave them Shyne...
It means Shyne's not our only problem.
(SIGHS)
Well, there was a couple
of friends that...
Let's just say they're not
around to snitch anymore.
LUCIOUS: They've recently retired.
Now, Shyne on the other hand,
you know, he's just a kid.
He wants to be part of the club again.
All right, Lucious.
But nothing good can come
from Shyne's punk ass.
Understood.
We'll just entertain
him for a bit, okay?
Let's go do this wedding.
That's a plan.
We love you, my darling.
We only want the best for you.
We hope Hakeem keeps you safe.
♪ ♪
(SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)
(CHUCKLES) I'm putting you
all on notice right now.
My brother about to drop this album.
All y'all gonna want a piece
of this one. It's hot.
Hey, I know it's all crazy,
but it's all gonna work out, okay?
Thank you for coming, Anika.
Anika Calhoun, you've been served.
- See you in court.
- What?!
(PEOPLE GASPING)
- No!
- What's happening?
COOKIE: Stop! Stop her!
- Move!
- MAN: Sir, get out of the way!
Get off!
Get off!
Mm-hmm. Grand jury.
What the hell is going on?
SHYNE: What?!
Get off me!
Get off me!
ARTURO: This is exactly
what I was talking about.
I'm putting a stop to it.
Shyne, you're a damn fool!
That's why we dumped you the first time
and why we keep your
ghetto ass in place!
HAKEEM: Laura, wait!
(SOBS)
Baby, I got it all under control.
It was just a little argument.
It's gonna be okay.
It's not okay anymore, Hakeem.
I can't.
This isn't gonna be my life.
- I'm sorry.
- Baby, I'm sorry.
I can't do this.
Let go of me!
It's gonna be all right.
You're all a bunch of thugs.
Please don't go.
LUCIOUS: Okay.
Everybody get the hell out of here.
Go on!
Now!
I said go!
- Walk away. Go!
- Lucious, stop it!
LUCIOUS: I'm not playing!
Webb, shut the door!
ANIKA: All right, look,
just tell me what to do.
I'll do whatever it takes
in order to not testify.
Okay, the hell with it.
Thirsty,
- if Anika and I get married...
- Wait, what?
...the Feds can't force her to testify...
right or wrong?
- Lucious.
- THIRSTY: That thought crossed my mind,
but you'd need a marriage license.
The Feds would definitely block that.
We already got that covered
when we were engaged in D.C.
Lucious! I'm warning you.
You're warning me what?
No, you can't do it. This is my wedding.
She carrying my baby.
Yeah, man, are we sick or something?
Is... We were supposed to end the cycle.
Cycle ends when it's ready to end.
Till then, we do what we have to do.
I did not save this bitch's life
so that she could ruin mine.
There's got to be another way.
No, there ain't no other way.
Look, look, this is just a paper game.
It ain't real. It doesn't
affect where you and I are.
THIRSTY: Hey, Lucious, this
has to be done tonight.
We're ride or die.
I need you on this one.
You got to ride with me on this one.
(SCOFFS)
Y'all know I love you, right?
You know.
And I'm-a do whatever I can...
to save my family.
But me and your daddy...
I can't do this.
Get your hands off me!
(BREATH QUIVERING)
Ma.
No. No.
Anika Calhoun, do you take Lucious Lyon
to be your lawfully wedded husband?
I do.
ANDRE: Lucious Lyon,
do you take Anika Calhoun
to be your wife?
I do.
ANDRE: With the powers conferred on me
by the state of New York, before God...
...and your family,
I declare you're married.
You may kiss the bride.
Sing.
THIRSTY: You heard your father.
Get up and sing.
I know you pushed her.
Excuse me for a minute, please.
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
So it just never occurred to you
that this kid is gonna be...
you're gonna be his
daddy and granddaddy.
It is what it is.
THIRSTY: Yo, heads up.
It's Tariq Cousins.
Ooh. What's up, brother?
- Huh?
- HAKEEM: Who's Tariq?
Congratulate you on
your unholy matrimony.
- Amen.
- Mm.
Why y'all keep chasing
after me, man, when you
keep coming up empty?
Why-why waste the
taxpayers' money like that?
Means we're well funded.
Believe me, we just getting started.
Dwight, what's your half
brother doing here?
Kill me.
You'll go down
for killing a cop.
And your son will grow
up without a father.
That boy ain't my son, Joe.
He's yours.
Now him and Dwight will both
grow up without a father.
Daddy!
Daddy! Dad, Dad, Dad!
Dad!
Daddy!
Dad...
Oh, you really didn't know, huh?
Yeah, our father was a good cop, Dwight.
But a bad man.
I guess we each got half of him, man.
My name Lucious.
And, baby, I ain't got no family.
Hey, Dre, get my wife.
THIRSTY: I got it.
(CHUCKLES)
♪ ♪
(GRUNTS)
(GASPING)
(SCREAMING)
You wanted that devil child
to be the only heir to
the throne, didn't you?
Didn't you?!
You're damn right I did, you bitch!
(SCREAMS)
(BOTH GRUNTING)
- (BLOODCURDLING SCREAM)
- No!
Looks like Bunkie been real
tight with Shyne Johnson.
Them four dealers you
killed back in the day?
You is a murderer.
(GRUNTING)
Will you marry me?
- Yes.
- (CROWD CHEERING)
ANIKA: You think that
someone pushed you?
RHONDA: I don't know.
Look, I know you a Fed, Tariq,
so you better not be planning on
putting the squeeze on my sister
to try to come for me or my family.
- MAN: Gun!
- No, no, no! Stop, Freda! No!
- (GUNSHOT, PEOPLE SCREAMING)
- Jamal!
Mr. and Mrs. Lyon?
(PIANO PLAYING GENTLE MELODY)
VERONICA: ♪ You say you're right ♪
♪ I'll say you're wrong ♪
♪ You'll be polite... ♪
Hey!
♪ But continue on... ♪
HAKEEM: You look like
you lost some weight, man.
How you doing, man? You good, brother?
Miss you, man.
We're so glad you're back!
It's been so long.
♪ Ooh... ♪
♪ You say it's night ♪
♪ And I'll say it's morning ♪
♪ You'll see the light ♪
♪ And pretend you don't ♪
♪ And I'll close the blinds ♪
♪ If you really want me to ♪
♪ If that's what you want to do ♪
♪ But life has its own ♪
♪ Arranges ♪
♪ As time passes on ♪
♪ And changes ♪
♪ The hourglass moves on a grain ♪
♪ And our path is torn and strained. ♪
You better sing, girl!
HAKEEM: Yeah, V. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Something like that.
What do you think? It's hot, right?
Think it'll be great for
your brother's wedding.
Yeah, I want you and V
to sing it together.
It's dope, right?
It's beautiful, Veronica.
Thanks, Jamal.
Told you. (LAUGHS)
Y'all got to find somebody else
to sing it with you though,
'cause I'm not gonna perform.
COOKIE: No. Yes, you are, Jamal.
You just saying that 'cause
you're tired right now.
Look, your father turned his
gym into a rehab just for you.
No, what I actually did,
I got the top physical therapist,
the same dude that put
Peyton Manning together
after that big old neck injury of his.
He said he's gonna have you
in tip-top shape in a couple weeks, son.
COOKIE: See?
Look, we... we want you
to sing at our wedding.
Yes, we would love that.
Look, Dre even got ordained
so he can do the ceremony.
(LAUGHS)
HAKEEM: He gonna marry us, Mal.
So I want both of my
brothers to be there.
Period.
Maybe we should leave him
alone, let him get some rest.
Look, we can even postpone
it if you're not feeling...
I ain't singing no more, all right?
I'm sorry, man. I'm just...
I'm just tired.
(VOICE BREAKING): Ain't y'all tired?
The same damn cycle all the time.
Just death and incarceration.
We could change that cycle.
I ain't singing again until we do.
Come on, man. What are
you talking about?
Don't you realize if it
hadn't been for you,
I might not even be here, man.
You ain't got to thank me for that, Dad.
No, no. I mean... I mean, you
took a bullet for me, baby.
That's something I will never forget.
How's Freda?
(LAUGHS)
You mean the girl that
tried to shoot me?
She's a victim in this. She is.
She's a victim, too.
Just like him and me and him.
- Jamal.
- LEAH: Dwight,
you and them kids
is paying for the crimes of your daddy.
Dwight, Dwight, hide over here. Here.
Shh.
(GRUNTING)
- What are you talking about, Grandma?
- COOKIE: Okay.
Jamal is grumpy because he's tired.
He ain't never been shot before.
- (CHUCKLES)
- So I'm gonna take him to his room.
You said our grandfather was a cop.
My daddy was a cop.
Okay.
It's time for you to take your nap.
Juanita's gonna bring you
up a nice little brandy.
Come on.
Say good-bye to everybody.
Good-bye to everybody.
LUCIOUS: You're lucky Thirsty caught you
before you blabbed to
all those reporters.
You keep squeezing my arm,
and I'm gonna check your
damn mouth with my foot.
(QUIETLY): Look, this is my house.
I'm the only one that talks
to my children about my past.
Is that clear?
Tell them the truth.
Juanita!
I'm worried about him.
I mean, and it's not because
he doesn't want to do physical therapy.
- He seems off, Lucious.
- Yeah.
Doctors said he should
be walking, but, um...
he don't want to do music.
Yeah, that's what concerns me.
- (KNOCKING ON DOOR)
- Come in.
I got Ms. Calhoun for you.
Hey.
How's my grandbaby?
He's a little stressed out
right now, to be honest.
Do you have a moment where I
can speak with you privately?
(LAUGHS)
Cookie and me ain't got no secrets.
Girl, sit down.
I was picked up by a
couple of federal agents
the other day.
Tariq. I told your ass.
After they told me what they
might have wanted from me,
I absolutely demanded
to be allowed to leave.
THIRSTY: Yeah, but now, of course,
they're gonna try to subpoena her.
Can't let that happen.
We're gonna get 24-hour
security around you.
COOKIE: Okay, what did they say?
What kind of questions did they ask you?
They were asking a lot.
I didn't answer any of them.
Girl, you remember something.
They said something about
a guy named Shyne Johnson, Shyne?
Shyne Johnson?
I knew I heard your
voice, you evil bitch!
(SCREAMS)
- Whoa, whoa, whoa!
- (ALL SHOUTING)
(SCREAMS) Oh, my God!
I got her. I got you. I got you.
- Come on, come on.
- Get off of me, Dre!
- It's okay, let me see.
- Oh, my God.
What in the hell is wrong with you?!
- I know you pushed me, bitch!
- What?!
RHONDA: Get off of me! Ow!
- Calm down.
- Get off of me!
No, that's a wild accusation to make!
I passed out on the way down,
and then I woke up and I saw your shoes.
The bottom of those
red Louboutins you love so much.
- Oh, my God, she's crazy!
- LUCIOUS: Wait, no, no, no.
Rhonda, a whole lot of
women rock them shoes.
I got a pair.
- LUCIOUS: Rhonda...
- You're on her side now?
I'm on nobody's side, but I'm saying
I can't see her doing that.
Okay, wait a minute.
Hold up. So, Rhonda,
you really think pearl-clutching
debutante Anika
pushed you down the steps?
I know you did it.
How could I do something
like that to you, Rhonda?
Oh, shut up, bitch!
Tell 'em, Dre.
(SIGHS) Tell 'em.
Dre?
We're sorry.
Wow.
- We are sorry, Pop.
- Sorry?
I don't know what's going on here.
We didn't mean to come
into your office...
We're sorry?
...like this, with this type of energy.
- (LAUGHS)
- We're very sorry.
You are pathetic!
- Sorry about that.
- Is she okay?
Yeah, it's okay.
Oh, my God, she is crazy!
I could never do something like that!
Okay, go clean her up. Calm her down.
I got you. I got you.
Before she lose the baby.
Hey, and stay with her till we get her
- some security.
- I'm on it.
She won't be subpoenaed.
Now that I'm not
carrying his grandchild,
we are nothing to him again.
And he's gonna let her get away with it.
They don't believe it, Rhonda.
What?
They don't believe it.
And neither do I.
What?
What about your visions, huh?
It's part of my illness, baby.
You said so yourself.
Well, if God was telling you
that somebody pushed me down the stairs,
I might have to start
actually believing in him.
Well, what do you want us to do?
What I did for you.
With Vernon.
I didn't hesitate.
It was self-defense, Rhonda.
- Oh, God.
- It was self-defense.
Come on.
You know, your brothers are
both musicians, right?
They got that from Lucious.
But what you got,
aside from his mother's illness,
is his killer instinct.
JUANITA: Mr. Andre?
(CLEARS THROAT)
Thank you, Juanita.
(SIGHS)
(SNIFFLES)
- You don't mean that.
- Oh, I do.
I definitely mean it.
So, when you become the
man that I married,
the man who's willing to do
what needs to be done...
- Mm.
- ...have him give me a call
'cause I really miss him.
(CHUCKLES): Okay.
Mm-hmm. Yeah, laugh all you want.
I told your ass Tariq
was gonna be a problem.
Nah, he ain't the problem.
We got too many people in common.
Problem is...
What?
(OPERA MUSIC PLAYING,
VOLUME GROWS LOUDER)
Ugh. (CLICKS TONGUE)
What is it, Lucious?
You know, after you got locked up,
- I had to put in work on a couple cats.
- Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Drug dealers.
The three horsemen who wanted us dead.
I got it.
Yeah, well, there was a fourth horseman.
First three was to protect our family.
But that last one, that was a job.
(SIGHS)
Who were you working for, Lucious?
You know who I was working for.
You was the one that let
them hear my music.
Tommy Davoni and Rosey Perkins?
Exactly.
They were cutting a record
with this new artist
that turned out to be a real loudmouth.
Selling wolf tickets,
threatening all the other artists,
and so they wanted him handled.
And Shyne and me got the memo.
You do realize the Feds aren't
gonna let this go, right?
(SIGHS)
Who else knows?
You, me and Tommy and Rosey.
(CLICKS TONGUE, SIGHS)
But the both of them,
they coming to Hakeem's
wedding, you know.
We still tight.
And they're legit now, so they
got just as much to lose.
Right, right. And that's why
the Feds are all over Shyne.
Yeah, but Shyne... he's
a idiot thug, you know.
He ain't no snitch.
Know our past got to stay buried.
Mm-hmm.
No one can know about this.
♪ I got broads in Atlanta ♪
♪ Twistin' dope, lean, and the Fanta ♪
♪ Credit cards and the scammers ♪
♪ Hittin' off licks in the bando ♪
♪ Black X6, Phantom... ♪
Is this Shyne's spot?
♪ Going out like I'm Montana ♪
♪ Hundred killers, hundred hammers ♪
♪ Black X6, Phantom ♪
♪ White X6, Panda... ♪
SHYNE: How long's it take
to go around the corner
and get some Twizzlers?
I sent him out 30 minutes
ago, and he still ain't back.
If he not here in the next minute,
I'm gonna put his ass in a box, too.
Told him to go get Twizzlers,
not the damn Holy Grail!
(LAUGHS)
Hey, Shyne.
That better be my Twizzlers.
You expecting Cookie Lyon?
She on her way up.
She late.
♪ Black X6, Phantom ♪
♪ White X6, Panda ♪
♪ Pocket swole, Danny ♪
♪ Selling bar, candy ♪
♪ Man, I'm the macho like Randy ♪
♪ The choppa go Oscar for Grammy ♪
♪ You need to pull up ya panty ♪
♪ Hope you killas understand me... ♪
Mario.
Let her in.
♪ Panda. ♪
(SIGHS) Look.
All I'm saying is if one
of y'all goes down,
all of y'all go down.
So don't you think it'd be smart
if y'all had each other's backs?
Lucious cut me out.
He owe me profits on his record.
(SCOFFS)
Shyne, you know damn well
you ain't have nothing
to do with that record.
(SIGHS)
Okay, look.
How much is it gonna
take to make this right?
I don't want his money.
Well, what do you want, Shyne?
I want a publishing deal
for my nephew Joey.
This kid hella talented.
He can't catch a break out here.
Mm, sorry to hear that.
- Sorry...
- Check this out.
♪ It's Hakeem the Dream, I
ain't talking about Olajuwon ♪
♪ Uh-uh, it's the Empire's El Capo-tin ♪
♪ And we don't care who we stepping on ♪
♪ He better know who you're betting on ♪
♪ Make sure your weapon drawn
'cause we shooting... ♪
Here, Shyne.
These ain't Twizzlers!
Okay.
(MUSIC STOPS)
Done.
And I want Hakeem to record it.
I can make that happen.
And...
I want to come to that wedding.
See, everybody in the
industry got invited but me.
And I got to say...
my feelings are hurt.
(SIGHS)
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
It's good to be home, right?
Yeah, sure.
Yo, I'm tired of being your nurse, bro.
I got other things to do, okay?
I'm getting married in two days.
All right, that's cool,
'cause first of all,
I don't need y'all to babysit my ass.
So be gone.
- You sure?
- I'm certain.
You sure? We can put a
movie on or a game.
I don't want to watch no damn game.
You're dismissed. Go.
All right, hit me up
if you need something.
Bye. I love you.
Love you, too, fool.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
(CLEARS THROAT)
So, Rhonda really left?
Yeah, we got a friend from college
who's, uh, starting up a
jewelry company in L.A.
She went to check it out.
She'll be back.
Yeah, yeah. Of course she'll be back.
And don't tell Jamal, okay?
I don't want to give him
anything else to brood about.
Look, I'm worried about him, Dre.
Yeah, me, too.
And everybody's trying
to help him, you know?
Me, you, Cookie, Becky.
Everybody except...
Lucious.
(CHUCKLES)
Come on, man.
When's the last time
Lucious went out of his
way to help anybody?
Especially one of his own sons.
(DOOR BUZZING, LOCK CLICKS)
You got ten minutes.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
You know you broke my heart, Freda.
Why would you try and shoot me?
You know why.
I don't know why.
You killed my father.
Carol told me.
Why would you listen to a crackhead?
Look, the last conversation
I had with your father
was about you.
Why do you think I tried to reach out
to you in the first place?
'Cause you felt guilty.
The circumstances under which
me and your father grew up,
the violence?
That's why, when I saw you
when you came to visit him,
and I saw this talent in you that...
that was something worth saving.
Promise you,
I never laid a finger on your daddy.
But this ain't about him no more.
This is about my son.
This is about Jamal.
You care about him, right?
You know I care about him.
Yeah, well, he's in a
real bad place right now.
And no matter how you spin it,
he's in that place because of
the choices that you made.
Now...
I don't really care what
anybody think about me.
Yeah, I'm a selfish son of a bitch.
Life made me like this.
But...
Jamal's not.
And I'm here to help him.
And I can't do that without you.
I wrote something.
Here.
(HIP-HOP BEAT PLAYING OVER PHONE)
If you can start this over,
- I think I got something.
- (MUSIC STOPS)
Well, if you got something,
why don't we just record it?
(HIP-HOP BEAT PLAYING OVER PHONE)
♪ I wake up in the morning,
what I'm thankful for ♪
♪ But you, my God, is
what I'm thankful for ♪
♪ I can see my life, it
flash behind yours ♪
♪ But when I look at you,
I'm seeing so much more ♪
♪ I thank God I could never
get enough of this ♪
♪ Now I'm hearing they want
me, I'm such a lucky bitch ♪
♪ I'm no killa, but on me
I'm-a clutch the fifth ♪
♪ But when I'm with you,
boy, we on a different tip ♪
♪ A different tip, I'm a survivor ♪
♪ You know I been through this,
it's like I live through this ♪
♪ Everybody know Freda, she
hit the ground and go ♪
♪ You put me in the booth and
we tore it down fo' sho' ♪
♪ It was time when I didn't have
nothing, you was there for me ♪
♪ Instead of pretending, acting
just like you cared for me... ♪
Hey, Mal.
I went to see Freda today.
What'd she say?
Not much to me.
She was, uh, stubborn till the end.
I offered to help her with
her legal representation,
but she refused.
It's 'cause she has integrity, Dad.
Yeah, well, in the end, she accepted it.
She wanted me to give you something.
And just so you know,
I ended the cycle today.
She ain't mad no more.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
(ELEVATOR DOORS CLOSE)
FREDA: ♪ I wake up in the morning ♪
♪ What I'm thankful for ♪
♪ But you, my God, is
what I'm thankful for ♪
♪ I can see my life, it
flash behind yours ♪
♪ But when I look at you,
I'm seeing so much more ♪
♪ I thank God I could never
get enough of this ♪
♪ Now I'm hearing they want
me, I'm such a lucky bitch ♪
♪ I'm no killa, but on me
I'm-a clutch the fifth ♪
♪ But when I'm with you,
boy, we on a different tip ♪
♪ A different tip, I'm a survivor ♪
♪ You know I been through this,
it's like I live through this ♪
♪ Everybody know Freda, she
hit the ground and go ♪
♪ You put me in the booth and
we tore it down fo' sho' ♪
♪ It was time when I didn't have
nothing, you was there for me ♪
♪ Instead of pretending, acting
just like you cared for me ♪
♪ And you now I never ran,
never will, homie... ♪
(MUSIC STOPS)
♪ There's been a few times you cried ♪
(CLEARS THROAT SOFTLY)
♪ And even more times they lied ♪
♪ Messing with the wrong crowd ♪
♪ Feeling like a big cloud's... ♪
♪ There's been a few times you cried ♪
♪ Even more times they lied ♪
♪ Messing with the wrong crowd,
feeling like a big cloud's... ♪
♪ La, la, la ♪
♪ Suddenly the guards have changed ♪
♪ I'm whispering your name. ♪
(SILVERWARE CLINKING ON GLASS)
Toast!
To the new couple.
To Laura and Hakeem.
Tomorrow, you two will
be joined together
in holy matrimony under the Lyon banner
to carry on the Empire.
- Amen.
- Cheers!
- Turn up!
- Cheers.
(CLEARS THROAT)
Maria tells me Shyne Johnson
is coming to the wedding.
Is this true?
Who's Shyne Johnson?
One of the most notorious
thugs in hip-hop.
You've read about him, sweetie.
He shot up
that club in Vegas.
He did time for beating
that white rapper.
- (CHUCKLES)
- Just someone
I wouldn't feel too comfortable
having at my daughter's wedding.
Well, Shyne's an old family friend.
He's not gonna be a problem.
ARTURO: Well, it's a problem for us.
MARIA: We would really
rather he didn't attend.
Look, Maria, Arturo,
they're my parents' people, okay?
I respect where they come from.
Mom and Dad,
one of the main reasons
I'm marrying Laura
is to break away from that history.
Just like Jamal said.
We're gonna start our own family.
Right, babe?
And we ain't gonna listen
to none of that mess.
You and me gonna end the cycle, baby.
Cheers up.
- MARIA: Cheers.
- ARTURO: Cheers.
ALL: Cheers.
(PLAYING UP-TEMPO MUSIC)
Y'all, stop, stop, stop!
You both are good.
T.T., your cello is
getting completely lost.
So in between the vocals,
you need to make it soar
a little bit more.
Come on, that's a real moment.
It's for my brother's wedding.
It's got to soar. Soar!
Measure 65 again.
(UP-TEMPO MUSIC RESUMES)
LUCIOUS: Well, our first priority
is getting out new albums
for Hakeem and Jamal.
Jamal?
Well, I had a little talk with him,
and I'm pretty sure some
music is gonna come from it.
So, any thoughts?
Mom, Dad, come quick. It's an emergency.
Give us a minute.
She just ran right out
there before her bodyguard
could stop her.
COOKIE: Oh, my God.
Anika!
(WIND WHISTLING SOFTLY)
- COOKIE: Anika?
- HAKEEM: Mom.
Anika! What's going on?
Get back.
Anika?
What's going on, baby?
Huh?
I'd rather kill myself
than to be forced to snitch on Lucious.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
We're not gonna let that happen to you.
They're gonna make me testify.
They're gonna put me in
the witness protection program.
I can't do that.
COOKIE: Tell her, Lucious.
Hey, I got good news for you.
Thirsty found out that the
Feds got to put on their trial
- before the grand jury...
- (SCREAMS)
...in a day and a half, sweetheart.
So all you got to do is be
cool for two more days.
Anika?
Look...
I know we had bad blood between us.
But you are carrying a life.
My grandson.
So you'll never be alone.
You hear me?
'Cause I know what that feels like.
(ANIKA SOBBING SOFTLY)
You're a Lyon now.
Okay?
Isn't that what you always wanted?
Huh?
To be one of us?
Yeah?
I know.
It's gonna be okay. I know.
- (SOBBING)
- It's gonna be all right.
Come on. It's gonna be all right.
Come on.
Hey, check it out.
- Let's take it from the bridge, huh?
- Okay.
Everybody ready?
Two, three,
four, one...
♪ Whoa-o, whoa-o, whoa ♪
♪ Ooh, ooh-ooh ♪
♪ Ooh, ooh-ooh... ♪
D-MAJOR: You know I came by
the hospital to visit you, but
your dad didn't let me in.
♪ Ooh, ooh-ooh ♪
♪ I'm-a keep on loving ♪
♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Ooh, ooh... ♪
Y'all. Y'all.
- Jeff. Jeff.
- (SINGING STOPS)
First of all, I love it.
- JEFF: Thank you, man.
- I really do.
Um, the only change that I would say is
there's a moment where
I'm singing, um...
♪ I'm gonna keep on loving you. ♪
So instead of, um...
instead of just doing the "oohs,"
can we just say, uh... ♪ Loving you. ♪
- Oh, yeah, I like that.
- Yeah.
Everybody got that?
Two, three, four, one...
♪ Whoa-o, whoa-o, whoa ♪
♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Just keep on loving you ♪
- ♪ Loving you... ♪
- Ah! (HISSES)
No, no, no, no, I'm
good, I'm good, I'm good.
You all right?
- You sure?
- Yeah, yeah, I'm good.
Uh, you know what?
Let's just continue this later,
when Jamal feels a little better...
No. Absolutely not.
Do not listen to him. Come on, y'all.
We have to be done by tomorrow.
I'm fine. Come on.
I'm okay.
- Yeah?
- I'm fine.
Calm that ass down.
- Two, three, four, one, two...
- Come on, y'all, let's sing.
♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Said it feels good ♪
♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Just to keep on loving you ♪
- ♪ Hey, said it feels good ♪
- ♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Just to keep on loving you, oh ♪
- ♪ Said, oh, baby ♪
- ♪ Loving you ♪
♪ Ooh ♪
♪ Loving you ♪
(IMITATING PERCUSSION)
♪ Loving you... ♪
What you did for Jamal...
nobody else could've done that, Lucious.
Come on.
Got me over here thinking
maybe you ain't the devil after all.
(LAUGHS)
What, you think I care about that boy?
He make me a whole lot of money.
- Ah!
- Stop it.
You know I like it
when you do it harder.
Oh, God.
I swear, I hope all this
crap is over with the Feds.
Especially when they come up
empty with the grand jury.
Mm.
Yeah, well, they seem
to have backed off.
Maybe Tariq the Freak
got his wrist slapped.
(CHUCKLES)
You know, none of this
stuff would've happened
if you'd been around.
I was never any good without you.
All right, Lucious.
- Stop all that talk, man.
- What?
(LAUGHS)
You know that never ends
well for me and you.
Cut it out.
I should've never let you go.
There's a reason I never
married anybody else.
Look, let's just get your
son married tomorrow.
Maybe we'll talk.
- Ooh, I like maybe.
- (SCOFFS)
Let's toast to maybe.
Maybe.
- Maybe.
- Maybe.
Maybe if that noodle works.
Give me one of them blue pills.
(BOTH LAUGHING)
Good-bye, Lucious.
- Dirty old man.
- Mm!
- Hmm.
- I like watching you walk away.
I know you do.
Twerk it for me.
- Ah, ah, ah...!
- (LAUGHS)
Get your ones out. Ah, ah...!
♪ I can show you something ♪
♪ That ain't none of them can ♪
♪ 'Cause I, 'cause I ♪
♪ 'Cause I ain't too cool to dance... ♪
So handsome.
Even you, Hakeem.
I don't know why I
thought you were ugly.
- (LAUGHS)
- Grandma.
- Really?
- (CHUCKLES)
Grandma, what did you mean when
you said that we were, um,
paying for the crimes of Dad's dad?
Dwight don't want me talking about that.
Well, we are who we are, Grandma,
despite whether our father
wants to talk about it.
Well, you're right.
You can't escape it.
It's in him, it's in
most of his cousins,
it's bound to be
in you three.
Or at least one of you.
As for Joe...
well, Joe got what he deserved.
Wait, Joe?
That's... that's our grandfather.
(GRUNTING)
You're a dead man, Joe.
He saw his father die in front of him?
Who shot him?
Don't believe anything she tell you.
Actually, she was just telling
us how handsome we all look.
Right, Grandma?
Mm-hmm.
ANDRE: Come on, Hakeem.
Let's go welcome your guests, man.
- Let's go.
- (SIGHS)
- Why we got to do it?
- Why we got to do it?
'Cause it's your job!
♪ You say we fight ♪
♪ I'll say we argue ♪
♪ Maybe you're right ♪
♪ That we really are through... ♪
Hakeem, I'm mad at y'all.
Y'all ain't got no chicken,
no pork chops, no nothing.
Hi!
I had to bring my own doughnut.
Get that out of here, Porsha.
Give me a hug.
♪ That's what I'm gonna do... ♪
Hi.
♪ You say it's mine... ♪
Well, Rosey, you don't
look a day over 60.
You know I roll younger than
that, Cookie. Talk to me.
You better watch out. Don't
you piss Lucious off.
Ooh.
(LAUGHS)
Hey, there he is.
Man of the hour.
Congratulations, Hakeem.
Thank you, thank you.
Sure you ready to do this, young man?
I did it three times,
and now I got three alimony checks.
- (LAUGHTER)
- Cut it out.
Look, I never been so
sure about anything.
- All right. Good luck to you.
- Okay?
Rosey!
- (LAUGHS)
- What's up, my brother?
- All right.
- Tommy, Tommy.
- How are you, my friend?
- Thank you all for coming.
Y'all know my son Jamal.
Yeah. I been watching your every move.
I was proud of you at the ASAs.
Well, thank you.
Yeah, the whole world was proud of him.
I'm talking about before he
took that bullet for you, L.
I can't wait to hear what you do
when you cut loose your
father and mother.
- No.
- Why you trying to start stuff, man?
Man, eagle got to fly.
No, no, it's all love, you know?
I am doing my new single though.
And it's, uh, it's produced by D-Major.
All right.
♪ That's what you want me to ♪
♪ Ooh... ♪
- Yes.
- Yes!
- (CROWD CHEERING)
- Fantastic!
One of our number one artists.
(CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)
(RAUCOUS LAUGHTER)
(LAUGHTER, CHATTER)
Oh, what's that?
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, hold on.
♪ Let the champagne spill... ♪
Hold that, baby. Uh.
- Mmm!
- (GIGGLES)
Mmm! Mmm.
(LAUGHS)
Look at that clown. You invited Shyne?
He brought hookers to
your son's wedding.
Oh, oh! Uh! Look at that!
(LAUGHING)
I'm out of here, L.
- No, no, no, no, no. Come on.
- No, no, no, no.
Come with us into the other room.
Feds is still sniffing around,
and we have to make sure Shyne behaves.
It's precautionary, mostly.
Mad 'cause they got a
bag full of nothing,
just a lame-ass task
force who came up empty
on something I didn't do.
Free Lucious.
Hell of a concert.
COOKIE: Yes, thank you.
Now, uh, you guys know
how the Feds work,
or else you wouldn't have stayed
clear of them all these years.
So it is very important
that we keep Shyne
as a part of our circle of silence.
Yeah, but if somebody
already gave them Shyne...
It means Shyne's not our only problem.
(SIGHS)
Well, there was a couple
of friends that...
Let's just say they're not
around to snitch anymore.
LUCIOUS: They've recently retired.
Now, Shyne on the other hand,
you know, he's just a kid.
He wants to be part of the club again.
All right, Lucious.
But nothing good can come
from Shyne's punk ass.
Understood.
We'll just entertain
him for a bit, okay?
Let's go do this wedding.
That's a plan.
We love you, my darling.
We only want the best for you.
We hope Hakeem keeps you safe.
♪ ♪
(SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)
(CHUCKLES) I'm putting you
all on notice right now.
My brother about to drop this album.
All y'all gonna want a piece
of this one. It's hot.
Hey, I know it's all crazy,
but it's all gonna work out, okay?
Thank you for coming, Anika.
Anika Calhoun, you've been served.
- See you in court.
- What?!
(PEOPLE GASPING)
- No!
- What's happening?
COOKIE: Stop! Stop her!
- Move!
- MAN: Sir, get out of the way!
Get off!
Get off!
Mm-hmm. Grand jury.
What the hell is going on?
SHYNE: What?!
Get off me!
Get off me!
ARTURO: This is exactly
what I was talking about.
I'm putting a stop to it.
Shyne, you're a damn fool!
That's why we dumped you the first time
and why we keep your
ghetto ass in place!
HAKEEM: Laura, wait!
(SOBS)
Baby, I got it all under control.
It was just a little argument.
It's gonna be okay.
It's not okay anymore, Hakeem.
I can't.
This isn't gonna be my life.
- I'm sorry.
- Baby, I'm sorry.
I can't do this.
Let go of me!
It's gonna be all right.
You're all a bunch of thugs.
Please don't go.
LUCIOUS: Okay.
Everybody get the hell out of here.
Go on!
Now!
I said go!
- Walk away. Go!
- Lucious, stop it!
LUCIOUS: I'm not playing!
Webb, shut the door!
ANIKA: All right, look,
just tell me what to do.
I'll do whatever it takes
in order to not testify.
Okay, the hell with it.
Thirsty,
- if Anika and I get married...
- Wait, what?
...the Feds can't force her to testify...
right or wrong?
- Lucious.
- THIRSTY: That thought crossed my mind,
but you'd need a marriage license.
The Feds would definitely block that.
We already got that covered
when we were engaged in D.C.
Lucious! I'm warning you.
You're warning me what?
No, you can't do it. This is my wedding.
She carrying my baby.
Yeah, man, are we sick or something?
Is... We were supposed to end the cycle.
Cycle ends when it's ready to end.
Till then, we do what we have to do.
I did not save this bitch's life
so that she could ruin mine.
There's got to be another way.
No, there ain't no other way.
Look, look, this is just a paper game.
It ain't real. It doesn't
affect where you and I are.
THIRSTY: Hey, Lucious, this
has to be done tonight.
We're ride or die.
I need you on this one.
You got to ride with me on this one.
(SCOFFS)
Y'all know I love you, right?
You know.
And I'm-a do whatever I can...
to save my family.
But me and your daddy...
I can't do this.
Get your hands off me!
(BREATH QUIVERING)
Ma.
No. No.
Anika Calhoun, do you take Lucious Lyon
to be your lawfully wedded husband?
I do.
ANDRE: Lucious Lyon,
do you take Anika Calhoun
to be your wife?
I do.
ANDRE: With the powers conferred on me
by the state of New York, before God...
...and your family,
I declare you're married.
You may kiss the bride.
Sing.
THIRSTY: You heard your father.
Get up and sing.
I know you pushed her.
Excuse me for a minute, please.
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
So it just never occurred to you
that this kid is gonna be...
you're gonna be his
daddy and granddaddy.
It is what it is.
THIRSTY: Yo, heads up.
It's Tariq Cousins.
Ooh. What's up, brother?
- Huh?
- HAKEEM: Who's Tariq?
Congratulate you on
your unholy matrimony.
- Amen.
- Mm.
Why y'all keep chasing
after me, man, when you
keep coming up empty?
Why-why waste the
taxpayers' money like that?
Means we're well funded.
Believe me, we just getting started.
Dwight, what's your half
brother doing here?
Kill me.
You'll go down
for killing a cop.
And your son will grow
up without a father.
That boy ain't my son, Joe.
He's yours.
Now him and Dwight will both
grow up without a father.
Daddy!
Daddy! Dad, Dad, Dad!
Dad!
Daddy!
Dad...
Oh, you really didn't know, huh?
Yeah, our father was a good cop, Dwight.
But a bad man.
I guess we each got half of him, man.
My name Lucious.
And, baby, I ain't got no family.
Hey, Dre, get my wife.
THIRSTY: I got it.
(CHUCKLES)
♪ ♪
(GRUNTS)
(GASPING)
(SCREAMING)
You wanted that devil child
to be the only heir to
the throne, didn't you?
Didn't you?!
You're damn right I did, you bitch!
(SCREAMS)
(BOTH GRUNTING)
- (BLOODCURDLING SCREAM)
- No!