Lip Sync Battle (2015–…): Season 1, Episode 18 - Terrence Howard vs. Taraji P. Henson, Part 2 - full transcript

[T. Rex's "20th Century Boy" playing]

♪ Friends say it's fine,
friends say it's good ♪

♪ Everybody says it's
just like rock 'n' roll ♪

♪ Ohhhhhhh ♪

♪ Well, it's plain to see
you were meant for me, yeah ♪

♪ And I'm your boy, your 20th century toy ♪

[Feedback]

[Cheers and applause]

Welcome to the season
finale of "Lip Sync Battle."

Tonight, we've got the two superstars

from the biggest show on TV, "Empire."



We're heading into round 2, where our stars

pump up the volume

with full-blown concert-level performances.

But first, we're gonna do something

we've never done before on "LSB."

Our two contenders are performing together.

[Cheers and applause]

Now, you know Terrence and Taraji

from their incredible onscreen
chemistry in "Empire," right?

[Cheers and applause]

But we fell in love with
them first in "Hustle & Flow."

Ooh!

[Cheers and applause]

So, here with the Oscar-winning
song from that movie,



"It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp,"

here's Terrence Howard
and Taraji P. Henson.

[Cheers and applause]

♪ You know it's hard out here for a pimp ♪

♪ You ain't knowin' ♪

♪ When he tryin' to get
this money for the rent ♪

♪ You ain't knowin' ♪

♪ For the Cadillacs and gas money spent ♪

♪ You ain't knowin' ♪

♪ Or have a whole lot of bitches talkin' ♪

♪ You ain't knowin' ♪

♪ In my eyes, I done seen some
crazy thangs in the streets ♪

♪ Got a couple of hoes workin'
on the tray just for me ♪

♪ But I gotta keep my game
tight like Kobe on game night ♪

♪ Like takin' from a ho
girl don't know no better ♪

♪ I know that ain't right ♪

♪ Done seen people killed ♪

♪ Done seen people deal ♪

♪ Done seen people live
in poverty with no meals ♪

♪ It's up where I live,
but that's just how it is ♪

♪ It might be new to you, but
it's been like this for years ♪

♪ North Memphis where I'm
from, I'm 7th Street bound ♪

♪ Where all the time end
up lost and never found ♪

♪ Man, these girls think we
prove thangs, leave a big head ♪

♪ They come hopin' every night
they don't end up bein' dead ♪

♪ Wait, I got a snow bunny,
and a black girl, too ♪

♪ You pay the right price
and they'll both do you ♪

♪ That's the way the game goes ♪

♪ Gotta keep it strictly pimpin' ♪

♪ Gotta have my hustle tight ♪

♪ Makin' change off these women, yeah ♪

♪ You know it's hard out here for a pimp ♪

♪ You ain't knowin' ♪

♪ When he tryin' to get
his money for the rent ♪

♪ You ain't knowin' ♪

♪ For the Cadillacs and gas money spent ♪

♪ You ain't knowin' ♪

♪ Or have a whole lot of bitches talkin' ♪

♪ You ain't knowin' ♪

[Cheers and applause]

[Laughter]

Ooh!

- [Cheers and applause]
- LL COOL J: Wow!

Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on.

You guys, come here. You guys, you guys.

[Speaking indistinctly]

[Henson laughs]

The sparks are flying.

Give it up for Terrence and Taraji!

[Cheers and applause intensify]

Taraji P. Henson!

Terrence Howard!

When we come back, round 2 is on.

"Lip Sync Battle"...

the "Empire" season finale continues.

♪ It's hard out here for a pimp ♪

♪ You ain't knowin' ♪

♪ When he tryin' to get
his money for the rent ♪

♪ You ain't knowin' ♪

LL COOL J: Download Rouse Social
and follow "Lip Sync Battle."

♪ Everybody says it's
just like rock 'n' roll ♪

Welcome back to the season finale.

Tonight is all about "Empire."

We got the two stars from
that show in the house,

Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson,

and they're clashing in a lip-sync battle.

Now, Chrissy... Chrissy,
what can we expect in round 2?

Okay, the first round was
great, but I got to say,

I saw rehearsal, and
they are gonna kill it.

These next performances
are gonna be, I think,

the most epic performances
we've had all season.

Are you guys ready?

[Cheers and applause]

Are you ready? Are you ready?

All right.

I'm serious.

Up first, he's an Oscar-nominated actor,

so let's see how Terrence got ready

for this do-or-die performance.

[Cheers and applause]

HOWARD: I don't really do much preparation.

I mean, I'm an average kind of guy.

"It's Terrence Howard!"

You come out ready for battle.

Yeah, I can do that!

Yeah, it's just an average life for me.

Wow! Now, this is mine?!

Yeah.

_

_

It's hard. It's really hard.

I don't know or even understand

how my people think I
ask for special things.

_

[Laughs]

Jesus could come by at any time

and ask me to be a part
of his entourage, you know?

All right, I [bleep] up.

Like y'all ain't never [bleep]
up before in your lives.

- It happens, man!
- WOMAN: Whoo!

To do good work, you just show up.

But to do great work, you have to show up

and be simple about being spectacular.

[Snaps fingers]

That's the only way to do it, you know?

That's how I think God does it.

That's a long [bleep] song.

[Laughter]

Can we shorten that a little bit?

No. Too late. Nope.

Taraji... she's a journeyman actor.

She's just been at it for
a short period of time,

and she doesn't really
know how to be simple.

No, we're good. We can...

You need to go learn your rap.

Are you ready to try
the scales one more time?

Yes, I... Well, you lead.

[Singing scale]

- [No audio]
- Perfect.

You know, they say it's
hard out here for a pimp,

but that's only when you don't do it right.

[Cheers and applause]

[Intro to The Commodores'
"She's a Brick House" plays]

Unh!

- Unh.
- Whoo!

♪ She's a brick house ♪

♪ We're together, everybody knows ♪

♪ This is how the story goes ♪

♪ She knows she's got everything ♪

♪ That a woman needs to get a man ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah ♪

♪ How can she lose with what she use? ♪

♪ 36-24-36, ow, what a winning hand ♪

♪ Oh, she's a brick house ♪

♪ She's mighty mighty, just
lettin' it all hang out ♪

♪ Hey, she's a brick house ♪

♪ Oh, that lady's stacked, and that's a fact ♪

♪ Ain't holding nothing back ♪

♪ Ow, she's a brick house ♪

I can't get enough of this [bleep].

♪ Yeah, she's the one, the
only one built like an Amazon ♪

♪ Mm ♪

♪ The clothes she wears, her sexy ways ♪

♪ Make an old man wish for
younger days, yeah, yeah ♪

♪ She knows she's built
and knows how to please ♪

♪ Sure enough to knock a
strong man to his knees ♪

♪ 'Cause she's a brick house ♪

♪ Yeah, she's mighty mighty,
just letting it all hang out ♪

♪ Ow, brick house ♪

♪ Yeah, she's the one, the
only one built like an Amazon ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ Shake it down, shake it
down, shake it down now ♪

♪ Shake it down, shake it
down, shake it down now ♪

♪ Shake it down, shake it
down, shake it down now ♪

♪ Shake it down, shake it
down, shake it, shake it ♪

♪ Shake it down, shake it
down, shake it down now ♪

♪ Shake it down, shake it
down, shake it down now ♪

♪ Shake it down, shake it
down, shake it down now ♪

♪ Shake it down, shake it down, shake it! ♪

[Song ends]

[Cheers and applause]

[Laughs]

That was crazy.

Terrence Howard, everybody.

[Cheers and applause]

Yo, "T."

I'm Rick James, bitch!

[Laughter]

You know, LL, this is some crazy stuff.

This is the craziest night of my life.

[Laughter and applause]

But like all you people,
I like Taraji, too.

[Laughs]

[Crowd cheers]

Yo, Terrence.

Terrence, I got to ask you now...

now, that was originally
a Commodores song, right?

But what... you're doing
the Rick James look.

Now, make me understand...

it's "Brick House," not "Rick House."

Brick... What? What?

Rick James does whatever
the... he wants to do.

[Laughter]

[Cheers and applause]

Oh, my God.

- Can I go sit down now?
- No. No, no, no.

Hold on.

I want some water.

- LL COOL J: Yeah, I remember, Rick...
- [Laughs]

- Y'all believe in water in this place?
- Hold on.

I'm gonna get you some water.
I'm gonna get you some water.

Let me get you some water.

I want water!

LL COOL J: Mr. James.

- Get Rick his water!
- Mr. James.

Mr. James, Mr. James.

Have some water.

- Have some water.
- Thank you.

I remember...

Love Rick James, man.

I used to listen to his
records when I was a little kid.

[Laughter]

I remember he called my office one time

when I was a little kid, and
he said it was Rick James.

I was shocked, so I just
put him on hold for a second

to get my mind and my thoughts right.

Picked the phone back up... he hung up.

[Laughter]

He probably found a kilo.

[Laughter]

Terrence, have a seat
next to Taraji, please.

Give it up for Terrence Howard.

[Cheers and applause]

HENSON: Whoo! You did that.

You did that. That's hilarious.

[Laughing] That's hilarious.

All right, Chrissy... Chrissy,
you always dress magnificently.

- You always look amazing, always got style.
- TEIGEN: Thank you.

So [laughs] what are your thoughts

on Terrence James' outfit?

[Laughing] His whole
crotch is out right now.

Look at his crotch.

LL COOL J: Yo, that
leather... that leather crotch.

- That was his crotch.
- The crotch. That leather crotch.

Look at the boots... the
boots are Wonder Woman.

- [Cheers and applause]
- There's a thong.

He had on a thong.

[Laughter]

Yo, it truly is hard out
here for a pimp, ain't it?

[Laughter]

Sometimes, you got to be a bitch.

[Laughter and applause]

Well, everybody, Terrence has hustle,

but let's see if Taraji has flow.

Only one can win the championship belt

when the battles continue!

♪ Ow, she's a brick house ♪

♪ We're together, everybody knows ♪

♪ This is how the story... ♪

♪ Everybody says it's
just like rock 'n' roll ♪

Welcome back to the season
finale of "Lip Sync Battle."

Two stars from TV's
hottest drama, "Empire,"

are getting dramatic in a
fiery lip-sync throwdown.

We just saw Terrence show us

- a lot more than a great performance.
- [Cheers and applause]

Now it's time for his costar
from "Empire" to hit back.

Taraji has a career full of killer roles.

Let's see how she prepped

for this winner-takes-all performance.

- [Cheers and applause]
- WOMAN: And cue music.

Are these real drinks?

I came to do this show because I get to let

my inner rock star live

because my people won't
let me roll like this.

They won't let me live.

You can do whatever you want.

_

No, she breaks things

and throws things and
bashes people's heads in.

Bye-bye. Good luck, bitch.

Boo! Boooo!

- Where's my pink hair?
- Oh.

You're fired! And then there's the diva.

WOMAN: Taraji, you can just
stay down here for the...

Unh-unh-unh-unh! Unh-unh. I'm on it!

I'm sorry. We just have to break for...

- You're fired!
- Thank you so much.

_

Aaaaahhh!

You hear that?

Black Sabbath, baby!

Nine Inch Nails, bitch!

Crowd goes nuts!

[Cheers and applause]

So, this is for me to just shine.

Let me live.

Can I live?

[Cheers and applause]

[Intro to Madonna's "Material Girl" plays]

♪ Some boys kiss me, some boys hug me ♪

♪ I think they're okay ♪

♪ If they don't give me proper
credit, I just walk away ♪

♪ They can beg, and they can plead ♪

♪ But they can't see the light ♪

♪ That's right ♪

♪ 'Cause the boy with the cold,
hard cash is always Mr. Right ♪

♪ 'Cause we are living in a material world ♪

♪ And I am a material girl ♪

♪ Living in a material world ♪

♪ Material ♪

♪ Living in a material world ♪

♪ Ah, ah ♪

♪ Living in a material world ♪

♪ Material ♪

♪ Living in a material world ♪

♪ Boys may come, and boys may go ♪

♪ And that's all right, you see ♪

♪ Experience has made me rich ♪

♪ And now they're after me ♪

♪ 'Cause everybody's
living in a material world ♪

♪ And I am a material girl ♪

♪ You know that we are
living in a material world ♪

♪ And I am a material girl ♪

♪ A material ♪

♪ A material ♪

- ♪ A material ♪
- [Cheers and applause]

- [Cheers and applause continue]
- [Whistles]

Wow.

HENSON: You know what, Mary?

It's not easy doing what you all do...

like, performing on the stage

and singing and being able
to keep a note and breathe...

that is hard, and I'm lip-syncing.

- Yeah.
- [Laughter]

You got that... you got
that leopard print on, too.

That, you know...

- [Purrs]
- Yeah.

[Laughter]

So, Terrence, you play a kingmaker on TV.

Was that gold, or was that platinum?

What was that?

I'm Rick James, bitch.

[Laughter]

[Cheers and applause]

LL COOL J: Yo, my knees are weak right now.

I'm gonna fall out.

He's not that funny.

- [Laughter]
- Ah!

So, Taraji...

Yes?

- ... in all your blonde loveliness...
- Yes.

... head on over there, join
the crew over in the VIP lounge.

- [Cheers and applause]
- TEIGEN: Wow.

I want to go to my material
girl... my material girl...

I don't like material things.

LL COOL J: ... Miss Chrissy Teigen.

- Hi.
- [Laughter]

[Cheers and applause]

I know you were loving that,
so tell us something good.

What do you think?

I love that she gave me, like,

a cookie Madonna version
with her leopard dress.

She was like, "I'm not doing
pink. I'm gonna make this leopard."

[Laughs] It looks fantastic.

[Crowd cheers]

This is the first time

we've had someone
lip-sync upside down, too,

so we got to give it up for that.

So I win! I win!

- Whoo!
- [Cheers and applause]

I will say, LL,

these two gave us the best
performances of the year.

I'm, like, not even kidding you.

I'm not joking.

Well, on this show, both stars
just set it off in round 2.

When we come back,

one of them is gonna
walk away with the title.

"Lip Sync: Empire" chooses a victor

when the finale continues.

♪ 'Cause we are living
in a material world ♪

♪ And I am a material girl ♪

♪ You know... ♪

♪ Everybody says it's
just like rock 'n' roll ♪

Welcome back to the "LSB" season finale.

It's an all "Empire" showdown,
and it all comes down to this.

Our onscreen duo faced off

with their version of "It's
Hard Out Here for a Pimp,"

then clashed in a
full-force lip-sync battle,

and now one of them

is gonna get the
championship belt right there.

- HENSON: Ahh!
- [Cheers and applause]

All right?

I want it! I want it! I want it!

No, I want it! I want it! I want it!

Before we let you decide who the winner is,

let's take a look back
at their performances.

♪ You see, I wouldn't change my life ♪

♪ My life's just... ♪

♪ I ain't gon' let nothing get in my way ♪

♪ No ♪

♪ No matter what nobody has to say ♪

♪ Whoa-oh, oh-oh ♪

♪ Girl, whatever you ask
me, you know, I could do ♪

♪ Baby, yeah ♪

♪ I'll make love to you ♪

♪ Like you want me to ♪

♪ Oooh ♪

♪ And I'll hold you tight ♪

♪ Hold you tight ♪

♪ Baby ♪

♪ All through the night ♪

♪ I'll make love to you ♪

♪ She's a brick house ♪

♪ Oh, that lady's stacked, and that's a fact ♪

♪ Ain't holding nothing back ♪

♪ Ow, she's a brick house ♪

♪ 'Cause we are living in a material world ♪

♪ And I am a material girl ♪

♪ A material ♪

♪ A material ♪

[Cheers and applause]

Who rules the "Lip Sync" kingdom,

and where is the "LSB" belt?

Chrissy, let's do this thing.

All right.

All season long, it's
been building up to this.

- Is the champ...
- [Sighs]

... Taraji P. Henson...

[Cheers and applause]

[Dramatic music plays]

... or...

Terrence Howard?

[Loud cheers and applause]

For the empire!

The empire!

The empire!

And tonight's "Lip Sync
Battle" champion is...

Terrence Howard.

[Cheers and applause]

Thank you to all my fans.

Thank y'all!

I'm Rick James, bitch!

[Laughs]

LL COOL J: Taraji, come over here.

Come here, Taraji.

You're looking all
beautiful. Come on over here.

Come on over here. Come on over here.

Look...

- No, you didn't vote for me! Leave me alone!
- Look, Taraji...

... you did a great job.

Give it up for Taraji, everybody.

[Cheers and applause]

Well, I hope you had as much fun
watching it as we had making it.

And thanks to all the stars
who set season one on fire

and, of course, my girl Chrissy Teigen.

[Cheers and applause]

I'm LL Cool J.

I'll see you next season
on "Lip Sync Battle."

Knock 'em out the box, L.

Knock 'em out, L.

[Cheers and applause]

1, 2. 1, 2. Come on, Taraji.

♪ You know I love music ♪

♪ And every time I hear something hot ♪

♪ It makes me wanna move ♪

♪ It makes me wanna have fun ♪

Mary J. Blige, everybody!

♪ But it's something about
this joint right here ♪

♪ This joint right here ♪

♪ Its makes me wanna ♪

Whoo!

♪ Let it go ♪

♪ Can't let this thing called
love get away from you ♪

♪ Feel free right now, go
and do what you want to do ♪

♪ Can't let nobody take it away
from you, from me, from we ♪

♪ No time for moping around ♪

♪ Are you kidding? ♪

♪ And no time for negative
vibes, 'cause I'm winning ♪

♪ It's been a long week, I put in my hardest ♪

♪ Gonna live my life ♪

♪ Feels so good to get it right ♪

♪ So I like what I see
when I'm looking at me ♪

♪ When I'm walking past the mirror ♪

♪ No stress through the
night, at a time in my life ♪

♪ Ain't worried about if you feel it ♪

♪ Feel it ♪

♪ Got my head on straight,
I got my mind right ♪

♪ I ain't gonna let you kill it ♪

Hands in the air! Hands in the air!

♪ You see, I wouldn't change my life ♪

LL COOL J: Hands in the
air! Hands in the air!

♪ My life's just fine, fine,
fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh ♪

Everybody!

♪ Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine ♪

- What?
- ♪ Ooooh ♪

♪ Just fine, fine, fine, fine, fine ♪

LL COOL J: Let's hear it for
all the "LSB" fans out there.

We love you! "Lip Sync Battle" loves you!

♪ I ain't gon' let
nothing get in my way ♪

♪ No ♪

Hands up! Hands up!

♪ No matter what no... ♪