Payday (2016–…): Season 1, Episode 5 - Houston - full transcript
A bomb-maker, a human trafficking interventionist, a hip hop jeweller, and an internet celebrity take advantage of Houston's free-wheeling way of doing business.
Houston.
The only American city that now
has twice the number of jobs
it had before the recession,
and the economic optimism
has inspired many to
go their own way.
For these four people, Houston
is what it's always been:
the Wild West.
The army has a great
saying: money is ammunition.
While I have the ammunition,
I'm gonna do what
I wanna do with my life.
If I get money,
I'm gonna spend it.
I'm gonna enjoy life
with it, with money.
Doesn't matter how much
we have in our bank account.
We have faith to believe that
God's gonna provide for us.
Being able to do
something I love,
that's like the best
thing in the world.
You know, down here,
there's a saying:
put your money
where your mouth is.
One city, four people,
and where they live is a
key part of who they are.
* I found a place
to sell my name *
* Along the market's promenade
* High prices
*
* Going down
* Oh the rice is burning brown
* And high prices
* Going down
*
Houston is a boomtown story,
a sprawling metropolis whose
wealth and size was built
with a Wild West mentality,
fuelled by gushing oil.
But if modern Houston still
possesses its cowboy DNA,
it also represents the
future, undergoing the largest
multicultural transformation of
any US city this past century.
*
JimmyBoi's family was
part of that transformation,
moving to Houston in
the '70s, helping to form
the largest Vietnamese
population in the States.
They had hopes of
building a better life,
and JimmyBoi has found it.
Woo woo.
Money doesn't make you happy,
but it sure as hell
doesn't make you sad.
My name is JimmyBoi.
I'm a jeweler,
The Streets Jeweler.
I call myself The
Streets Jeweler because
I come from the other side.
For 15 years I was a customer.
I dealt with some of
the biggest names,
jewelers that
everybody is going to now.
I've had some of those
big names beg me for business
because they knew
that if I went there,
my friends would go there.
And we would spend
half a million a year,
whatever it might be.
Why is it so quiet today?
It's like extra quiet today.
Johnny stepped out to meet
with a couple of clients.
Oh, okay.
I work with fine gems,
watches, precious metals,
anything, you know what I mean?
We make it.
JimmyBoi is a celebrity jeweler.
He's a huge
player on social media,
and people come to him
to make custom pieces.
Last year, I did
1.4 million in sales,
and last year was
actually my first year
as an official jeweler.
JimmyBoi's designing
an original piece
for political activist
and rapper Killer Mike.
That's that baby, right?
I've been crazy about that
statue since I was a little boy.
Nobody even knows who carved it.
It's in the Louvre Museum.
I wanted a piece like
Ghostface's eagle piece,
like Nas's QB piece.
Like I just wanted a
piece of art on my neck.
Okay, so within a week
and a half to two weeks,
I'll have the actual
replica wax version.
We'll just cast it in gold,
and you'll have it ready.
Bless, man.
I'll talk to you later, fo sho.
Just imagine, you know.
He's gonna jump out
that stage with it,
and then y'all gonna know
The Streets Jeweler
did what he did,
you know what I mean?
A solid gold design like this
could run up to $50,000,
good business for JimmyBoi.
Sam Hernandez views
money in a different way.
I've heard people say that
money is the root of all evil,
but I think that's false.
The Bible doesn't even say that.
It says that the love of
money is the root of evil.
Alright, are we all ready to go?
Yep.
Sam is the Intervention
Director for Elijah Rising,
a Christian organization
combating what they view as
the evils of Houston's
porn and sex trade.
Father God, we just thank you
for this opportunity
to bring awareness to a piece
that just kinda
breaks your heart, God.
We just pray for these
men and for these women
who are so negatively affected
by sexual exploitation, God.
Amen.
They're a band of 28 Christian
activists who work for little
r no pay, deriving their
ncome from personal donations
given to Elijah Rising.
To raise awareness, Sam leads
public van tours to areas
where the sex trade thrives.
So we're in the
Galleria area right now.
We have a high concentration
of Asian brothels in this area,
but we also have strip clubs
and online hotel prostitution.
Houston is one of the
worst cities in the nation
for human trafficking.
The trafficking routes
are really simple,
we're really close
to the Mexico border.
Also, there's a lot of
excess money in Houston.
There's a lot of
oil men who are in town
and have finances
to purchase sex.
I don't know why, but
the city's tolerated it.
So what you see I think
is a result from
what we've tolerated.
Now right here is a
more obvious place.
This is a 24-hour day spa.
If they're gonna
pretend that they're a spa,
it's actually illegal to
be opened past 10:00pm.
So the fact that they advertise
that they're 24 hours a day
already puts them in
illegal operations.
The things that happen are not
legal in a lot of these places.
I make $26,400 a year,
but I don't stay awake at night
thinking about paying my bills.
I've never gone hungry, and
I really believe it's because
I have faith my daily
bread will be there.
Yes, ma'am, I was calling up
to give y'all a head's up that
I'm gonna be setting off some
explosives here in the next--
over the next hour or so.
It's for weapons development.
We're doing research
and development.
And we're all licensed
by the ATF and everything.
Okay, thanks a lot, ma'am.
Bye-bye.
Alright, you ready?
34-year-old Sean Lindley
is an Iraq veteran,
and is now back
home in the reserves.
He's betting every cent he has
that he can turn his experience
with guns and
bombs into a business.
Shake it up one last time.
What kind of idiot sits there
and takes all their life savings
and throws it into starting
a company that builds bombs
and stuff like that?
It's a crazy idea.
*
*
Oh shit!
Shit!
Oh, that was good!
I'm from Texas, I
drive a pickup truck,
have a ranch, have more guns
than I know what to do with,
and now I make explosives.
I'm so far over in this way
being stereotypical Texas,
but then so ways
I'm not kinda thing.
44% of Texans own guns,
but Sean's got a different kind
of weapon business in mind.
My company is Texas
Machine Gun and Ordnance.
We're a type 10 federal
firearms license holder.
We're also what's called
a type 20 federal
explosives license holder.
Those two coming together
allow us to safely build
virtually any weapons
system that we want to.
*
Yeah!
When I was a kid, I've always
just really been into guns.
I remember getting my
first pistol and being like,
"Wow, this is so cool!"
kinda thing.
Then I got my first
machine gun, and it was like,
"Oh wow, this is even cooler!"
And then now I'm at the point
where we have grenade launchers
and explosives and all
kinds of serious ordnance.
In two weeks, Sean
is opening his store,
using his knowledge gained in
the army to develop and sell
military-grade firearms.
- Sean!
- Yeah?
This is Pull To Use Suicide Tab?
That one's for the lake.
Okay.
I've got three guys that
I brought aboard with me,
and so these guys are
all helping me out.
We've got a whole bunch of
different kinda rifles
we're trying to bring to
market, such as machine guns,
suppressors, short barrel
rifles, short barrel shotguns.
I honestly tell people
the best thing I ever did
was join the army.
Contrary to popular belief, you
actually make a lot of money
in the military,
especially as an officer.
Like in Iraq, I came
home with about
$100,000 in the bank.
I took basically
every penny I have,
$175,000 I've
thrown into my business.
*
Yeah, it's a shitload of money,
and that's more money than...
it's an unimaginable amount.
It's not even real to me,
I think in some ways.
But it's the
experience of doing it,
and it's a challenge, and it's a
chance for me to measure myself.
*
Someone on Facebook
called me the Miley Cyrus
of the gun world,
that we're just doing
this outrageous stuff
just to get attention.
But I was bored
with the gun market.
If I'm gonna blow my
life savings on something,
why the hell am I gonna
open Sean's Lame Gun Shop
and sit around and do what
everyone else is doing?
It's just to me...
it would be absurd.
But I just wanted to do
something different.
That is hot as hell!
Go do some stomping
over there, bro.
Shit.
*
In the past 10 years,
Houston's arts economy
has grown almost 40%.
Entertainer Tredante
wants a piece of that.
Yeah, I was getting the part.
I think I was getting the part.
I love to surprise people.
That's like the
greatest feeling to me.
So that's really why I
do half the things I do,
just so I can
blow people's minds.
Boom.
I'm Tredante Bias, and I am
a social media entertainer,
a TV entertainer.
And I'm 23, just made 23.
I don't have no arms
down to my elbows,
and I don't have my right leg.
I mean, it's not really
a condition or nothing.
I was just born like that, so...
I started drumming when
I was in the sixth grade.
I told my mama I was
gonna be a drummer.
She was like, "How
you gonna do that?"
"I don't know, I'm
gonna figure it out."
I went to buy some
wristbands the next day.
I was like okay, put 'em
on, put the sticks in them.
I'm like oh, this
can actually work.
When I got to high school,
I kinda got a little
more competitive.
Woo!
Oh, there it is.
I got dreads now.
I ain't have dreads before.
Dreads get in the way.
By the time we came
out of high school,
I was one of the top
drummers to come out,
like as a senior.
By the time I got to college,
I was all-state drummer.
My name became bigger
as the no-arm drummer.
It helped me for this whole
Tre Nubb entertainer stuff,
you could say.
I do a lot of dance videos.
And after we started
making a couple of videos,
we getting emailed for bookings.
It's about that time they
go crazy for these nubs!
I do a lot of shows,
promos, appearances.
It depends on the work, but
I make about $100 to $500.
Tredante needs to
raise $1,000 to get to LA,
where he hopes to
get his big break.
I'm moving to
California to network.
If I get out there, I'll be
able to network a little better,
move around.
I already have a
dream of being on TV,
you know, being an
entertainer, being an actor.
So if this came before that, why
not use it as a stepping stone?
Or why not use this as a
ladder to get to the TV?
People all over the
world know of Tre Nubb,
and I only want
it to get bigger.
Houston is home
to 1.4 million immigrants,
and even though they own 1 in
3 businesses in the city,
they bring home $16,000 less
than American-born citizens.
JimmyBoi's family was beginning
to establish themselves
when his mom
abandoned the family.
JimmyBoi turned to
dealing drugs to earn a living.
Methylenedioxymethamphetamine.
I learned that when
I caught my fed case.
The judge was telling
me what it was,
and I'm looking at my lawyer
like, "What is that?
What's he talking about?"
"Like that's the
stuff you-- that's MDMA."
I'm like, "Oh, okay!"
Pill Gates.
That was my nickname.
I was really moving a lot of
that at one time in my life.
Between 1999 and 2001,
I had to've made at least
a million dollars, at least.
Jimmy was arrested
and served two years
for a series of crimes.
He told his kids he was
away on business in China.
About to go pick up my daughter.
You know, she's been
spending some extra time
with her mom lately.
My daughter, she
definitely changed my life.
If I didn't have her, I'd
probably be dead or doing
life in prison right now,
to be honest with you.
Put your seatbelt on.
I don't buy toys for her.
I'm not into toys.
Funko Pops are toys.
They're not toys!
They are collectible figures!
How would I feel if I said
your GI Joe toys were, um, toys?
Hey, you're going
too far right now, dude!
That's what I thought.
You're talking about
stuff that no one--
these people don't
need to know about!
Okay...
I was gonna raise her the way
I felt I should've been raised.
Teach them discipline,
determination, dedication.
You know, growing up,
I didn't have that.
I grew up in a house
where the people--
where they just
talked down on each other.
It took me I think
like six months
to learn how to ride
a two wheel bike.
You know, my dad used
to put me on the thing,
and just grab me by the back
of my neck and be like, "Go."
And then, like, if I
couldn't do it right,
he would squeeze the
crap out of my neck.
My daughter was with her
mom, and I get a phone call.
And she was like,
"Yo, Savannah just learned
how to ride the bike."
She did it by herself.
Like she'd just fall off,
kept getting back on,
you know what I'm saying?
Um...
She wouldn't give up,
and that's what I've
been working so hard for.
Seeing something like
that makes you feel like
you're doing the right thing,
you know what I mean?
You're doing your job.
*
Sean builds pipe bombs
for private collectors,
and each one needs to be
branded and registered.
Collectors interested in buying
have to wait up to 8 months
before their background checks
with the ATF are complete.
You get folks, they never get
charged for having a pipe bomb.
They get charged for having
an unregistered pipe bomb.
The ATF requires all firearms
to have certain
identifying information.
So we come over here to
Gerald, it's fantastic work.
They're kind of for-display
pieces, it's more for fun.
You're kind of an
idiot if you blow it up,
but hey, it's your money.
You do with what
you want with it.
Even though they not
packed with explosives,
Sean sells them to a small
niche market for $175 each.
Not a large revenue stream,
but it provides a hook to
bring in more customers.
Alright.
Folks ask me, "Why do it?"
but it's just
kind of, "Why not?"
With Edmund Hillary,
he said something like,
"Why do you climb Everest?
Well, 'cause it's there."
And it's just doing it just
to do something different.
*
We didn't know which one...
Yeah, no, we'll figure it--
Nah, but it looks good.
Sean's paying $900
renting in an industrial area,
instead of 3 times that amount
in a regular shopping district.
He's betting that his
specialized clientele will go
out of their way to
buy his products there.
Opening the shop is the step.
It is the big, "Oh
my god, we're going,"
because finally I'm
committed to something,
and I'm on the hook for it.
Ah, fucker.
That broke off the tip of my...
Damn, there's that.
Are both the springs being
replaced, or just that one?
- Yeah, both of 'em.
- Okay.
Sean's gun business
opens in 10 days.
He's worried that at any
minute, the US military
d call him away, putting
$175,000 investment at risk.
I'm still in the army reserve,
and I make about $12,000 a year.
The problem is, is that
then I'm also available
for deployments and such.
And if I were to get tagged
to go on a mission right now
to Iraq, I would lose
pretty much everything.
Because I can't just be
like, "Well, be back soon,"
kind of thing with my company,
and it's not grown enough
where I can just hire
someone to do it.
I am kind of worried about that.
Is it a 15 second, 30 second...
How do you wanna do it?
This one gonna be like 25.
25?
20, somewhere up in there.
Tredante is shooting a
promotional video for a local
rapper with the help of his
friend and manager G-Mayniac.
Tredante needs $1,000
for his trip to LA,
and this shoot pays just $75.
For me, like if I'm
viral, I'm moving,
or if I'm trending at the time,
then it'll bring in more people
looking to do more
business, you know.
2012, my freshman
year in college,
and I was with my
friend, Graylind.
We were in the car just dancing,
and I was doing it right there
and posted it.
Couple hours later,
I go back, it's viral.
Then my Instagram number
went from 1,641 to 55,000
in like two days.
It's so random, just
for sending a video.
Like you never
know till you try.
Money is important because
you need money to live,
but like I'm gonna use
it for what it's for:
I'm gonna spend it.
Tredante receives a $700
disability cheque every month,
but it's not enough
to cover his expenses.
Bro, you don't like guacamole?
What is wrong with you?
No, what is wrong with you?
I pay like 350 for rent.
Phone bill is like 170.
Student loans, $170, 175.
Shoes, I get shoes every month.
I get shoes
every month, it's bad.
Man, I'm 'bout to... ugh!
Uh-oh.
What up?
Oh, you're at Top Golf?
Turn up, turn up.
Man, I need you
for a Sunday event.
You already know I'm down.
I do a lot as far
as appearances.
I show up at different parties.
Some of those places
be like club events.
One of my good friends, he's
a party promoter in Houston.
He's hosting an event.
In the next few weeks I can make
anything from 1,500 or 2,000,
like who knows?
It just depends on the event.
*
Might get some roll action,
might get some roll...
Ah, drop it!
Houston's rents are soaring,
putting the city in the top 10
hottest markets in the US.
Sam's found an unusual
way to live rent-free.
Kendleton Farms is
owned by Elijah Rising,
which is about 40 minutes
outside of the city of Houston.
That will be a place where
survivors of sex trafficking
can come and live
and heal and work.
We wanted to create
kind of this community
with healthy, safe families
that live around them.
So that's what me and my
husband here are doing,
we're helping build that.
- You gave him his medicine?
- Yeah.
Hayden's quitting his job to
work with Sam at Elijah Rising.
It's a big pay cut,
and a huge financial risk.
Two more days.
Hayden works for
a water company,
but it's not what
he feels called to,
and we've both decided that
it's time that he takes a leap
and he quits his job.
Instead of making
$36,000 a year,
he will be making
$20,000 a year.
Gosh, that's
almost like half, huh?
It's almost half, right?
Man, how exciting is that?
I'm so proud of him.
Come here, come here.
Come on, come on.
Come on, mama girl, come on.
I do not pay rent to live here.
Instead, me and Hayden
both, you know, do chores,
help with different things
here to kind of pay my rent.
No.
Stay back.
She's really, really
good with animals,
so that's a huge help.
She'll help me move things,
she's learned how to do drywall
and floors in her house.
It's amazing, she
built her own fence.
I mean, that's a big deal, man.
For a city girl,
she's doing very well.
My home is on their property.
My husband is now
full-time employed,
and I am now
full-time employed by them.
So if Elijah Rising
were to go away, I mean,
we would be starting from zero.
About 20% of veterans
that leave active duty
can't find another job.
Sean's decided to employ
himself by spending $175,000
to open a specialized gun shop.
So where did the money go?
A lot of it's gone into
the licenses and fees.
This shit ain't cheap.
I'd say $30,000 or so in that.
I probably got about
$40,000 tied up in inventory.
But I put about
$45,000 aside for me.
I'll sometimes put some of
that money back in the company
as a loan, just so I'm
keeping that money going.
And the company owes me so much
money that it's not even funny.
Oh, yeah.
There we go.
One expense is creating
a sound-absorbing room
for weapons tests.
Tom, you good?
How was that?
Oh, okay.
So we set off an alarm
with an M16, okay.
We're gonna need more
insulation for rifle covers.
The pistol though,
the 9mm, that was fine.
The firearms industry
is doing very good.
And there's a
saying, that you know,
President Obama is the best
gun salesman in the world.
And I'd have to agree with
that, because whenever
something happens and he
talks about regulations,
bans and everything else,
folks start buying guns up.
So I know that I've done that.
After Sandy Hook, I
bought a bunch of firearms
just in case that happened.
Thanks a lot, y'all
have a good evening.
*
I'm living in a less
expensive accommodation.
Having been in the army, I've
slept in the dirt, in the mud,
when it's freezing-ass cold.
So to me, as long as it's
got a nice bed to lay down on,
sleep for a few hours and
get up, it's not a big deal.
If I wanted to be rich, I could
go get a well-paying sales job
and work 80 hours
a week or whatever.
Doesn't interest me.
I'm mostly focused on
just getting this thing
off the ground.
Houston is home to
37 megachurches,
so God is not only
big business here,
but a way of life.
Christian organization Elijah
Rising is solely focused on
stopping sex trade trafficking.
They need half a million a
year in donations to cover
their costs, and if they
can't raise the funds,
Sam may not be able
to work full-time.
I know that I should be making
a lot more than $20,000 a year.
I'm totally for
making a lot of money.
You know, 100 grand a
year, something like that,
that we can really do
some really amazing things.
But I don't depend on money.
I don't see it as a
structure of safety.
I just see it as a tool to use.
These are some women
who have ads online.
A lot of them we believe
are pimp controlled.
We call them and
let them know hey,
this is who we are,
this is what we're doing.
This is the resources
that are available for you.
Some of these women
look super young.
Oh my gosh, this
girl looks like...
Chrissie, Chrissie,
look at this.
How old do you think she looks?
Yeah.
She's posting as a 24-year-old.
If they're underage,
it's terrible,
but it's the easiest as far
as police and stuff come,
like, 'cause it's
automatically trafficking.
Yeah.
Sam's willing to work for less
because it's a personal crusade.
I was exposed to pornography
when I was like 6 years old.
I was later molested
when I was 10 years old,
and I remember feeling like
I have no right to
my body anymore.
And the rest of my life as a
young women was just seeking
people and seeking men that
I thought would make me feel
beautiful, but just made
me feel like trash again.
God has brought me
to a place where I know
what's happened to me, and
I learned how to take it,
process it and release it.
It helps us to
help other people.
This is my baby right here.
This ring right here is
worth almost $120,000.
This is like one of
them Power Ranger rings,
you know what I mean?
Like, "With your
powers combined..."
JimmyBoi is working on
a gold chain pendant
for rapper Killer Mike.
It's the latest in a long line
of celebrity jewelry
he's been hired to create.
His store is
located in Houston's
Sharpstown neighbourhood,
the equivalent to the
Diamond District in New York.
The area also has the
highest crime rate in the city.
You got that chain, man?
Yeah, yeah.
Let's see this one right here.
Unless you'd like
something thicker,
but you like this one?
This one right here
will be like 12 thou.
Think I'ma do this one.
Alright, let's go to the back.
In life, you go
up and down a lot.
I've had millions, I've lost.
I've gained, I've lost.
Money is very important.
Now, depending on how you make
money a part of your life
is what makes you a
good or a bad person.
And that's why I say
like I don't love money,
but I love making it,
you know what I mean?
I don't have to have all
the nice things in the world.
It's about having
the means to survive.
Just hit me up
with anything, bro.
Let me know about that Rolex,
I'll get that situated
for you, man.
That's my everyday
type of customer.
You know, the streets.
They just spent 15,000.
You sure?
Bro, I counted it myself.
It's on camera.
We are in Beaumont, Texas.
This is where I
was born and raised.
Ah, seeing my grandmother in
there, my dad, my grandfather,
my stepmom, my brothers, their
friends, I got my friends.
So you know, it's a
nice little mixture
of a party bunch up in there.
Every other day he
was in the hospital,
and he fell down the stairs.
He got his concussion.
That's why his--
that forehead like that.
It's not that big.
I don't think it is,
it's not that big.
It's a little big.
Tredante's family
didn't treat him as different.
Their good-natured teasing
helped toughen him up
to deal with haters and
trolls on social media.
My parents, my brothers,
my sister, like they gonna
crack the jokes on me so
my feelings don't get hurt.
And I think that plays
a very big part of me
as far as the
social media stuff.
People say cruel, mean
stuff, but I'm like, tsk,
my daddy come harder than you,
you know what I'm saying?
My grandmother
tell better jokes.
If it don't bother me
when my family do it,
it's definitely not gonna
bother me if somebody random
or somebody I don't know do it.
That's looking good.
That boy got spirit.
You treat a child handicapped,
he gonna be handicapped.
We never raised him like that.
Hell, we go out there, I
put him on that lawnmower,
let him cut that grass.
You know what I mean?
In order for me to keep being
booked and keep going places,
I have to be on my phone.
- Networking.
- Networking, you know.
Networking and... See?
Grandma know.
She know about the networking.
So when you planning
on going to California?
Next week, week and a half.
Oh, okay.
Gotta go make the money.
I need to see him
progressing, and getting into
the show business that
he wants to get into.
You know, he's not gonna be
able to do videos all his life.
So you got to have
something to fall back on.
Because when you're 50, you
might not be able to do a video.
She right.
Grandma's always right.
*
JimmyBoi's business is
based on an affluent lifestyle,
and he has to live in
that world to attract
and retain his clientele.
Spending big money
on a night out
a regular business expense.
Streets Jeweler
is the businessman,
you know what I mean, but
tonight it's the alter ego.
This is JimmyBoi, the dude
that's been out there
for 16 years.
I got about a good 8,000 on me,
so that's my budget
for the night.
So we'll see what it do.
*
Jimmy, what's up?
Jimmy, what's up?
It's like even
though I'm spending money,
I'm making money.
I might spend 8 today,
but I'll make 20 tomorrow.
Whatever, you know.
We gonna do what it do.
*
Fuck, man!
Bro, I'm like wet as fuck.
I gotta dry up.
Bro, he got me good though.
That mother got me good, bro.
Alright, let's go.
Come, Lord Jesus,
to a city gotten
that's desperate for you, God.
The glory and the
majesty of the salvation!
The saving one,
the generous one...
It's true... It's true...
Thank you, God.
Welcome to Fourth
Friday Intervention.
Raise your hand if
it's your first time.
Awesome!
Yes, welcome.
Volunteers who've never
done anything like this
basically cover the city with
resources for women who are in
the sex industry who have a high
probability of trafficking.
We're here to intervene.
I want more of a
kick-down-the-door attitude
behind our outreach.
So I want my prayers,
I want your outreach,
your love to be an
instrument of holy wrath.
Okay, anyone else?
Let's see, street
team has lipsticks?
Sam and her volunteers arm
themselves with lipsticks
containing a hidden
helpline phone number.
They claim that over 50 sex
trade workers have been saved
by calling that number.
They hope to save
one more tonight.
So I've actually
never stepped foot in a spa.
You mean a spa that
they sell sex in?
- Correct.
- So far as you know.
This'll be a new experience.
Yeah, no, for sure.
Let's walk quickly,
just in case they see us
and try to lock the door.
Hold on, where
are the lipsticks?
'Kay, ready set go, quickly.
Oh, see?
Hello.
- Hi, how are you?
- Good.
Hi, we just wanted
to drop this off.
Oh no, no English,
no English, sorry.
- No English?
- Yes.
We just wanted to say
hello and say God bless you.
Sorry.
- You have a good night, okay?
- Good night, good night.
Hi, sir, how's it going?
You having a good night?
Awesome.
He seemed really uncomfortable,
but I can't tell if he
actually worked for them.
No, I think he worked for them.
Yeah, I think he did too.
Sam just finished
targeting a massage parlour
during her sex trade
intervention.
A lot of times they'll
pretend not to speak English
if they're uncomfortable.
Yeah.
As much as 25% of all
human trafficking in the US
comes through Texas, most
of it through Houston.
An estimated 85% of women
brought in by trafficking
.p in the illegal sex trade.
Sam and her volunteers have
spread out over the city,
making contact with sex
trade workers at risk.
We've seen girls on the
street almost completely nude.
Some of them
have been pimped out
since they were
like 13 years old.
Some of them are still underage.
We actually had
a lot of survivors
coming to do outreach with us.
You know, they're just like
super excited about
sharing hope, that
it's possible to get out.
Let's see what's going on.
Oh, see?
She is like nude.
Those girls have no pants on.
They do not.
Oh, they're just
lining up, the cars.
- Cars are just lining up.
- Wow.
Hey, can you hand me that
bag of lipsticks really quick?
I'm gonna run out.
Just stay close,
kind of close by.
Hey.
Changing shoes?
Could I give you
this tube of lipstick?
It has a phone number
hidden on this barcode.
It's a 24-hour helpline
if you ever need anything.
Housing, resources.
Could I give you
a tube of lipstick?
Oh, thank you.
Yeah, it has a phone
number hidden on the barcode.
Oh, okay.
- And it's a 24-hour helpline.
- Okay.
Anything you need,
they'll answer it all the time.
Y'all stay safe, okay?
They were very sweet.
Tredante is making
a paid appearance
at a Houston nightclub.
He's making $500, and now
he'll have all he needs
for his trip to LA.
I love what I do, 'cause
I get paid to have fun,
get paid to bring people's joy
and turnt-up-ness everywhere.
An adventure with Nubb.
*
I don't feel like I'm
as big as they make it seem.
I mean, I feel like
I'm on the right path,
but if you ask me, I say
I got a long way to go.
So, just keep
grinding, keep pushing.
*
*
Today, the doors open
at Sean's new gun shop.
The long process of paying off
his $175,000 investment begins.
Can y'all put on here that
these are actually
Molotov cocktails?
'Cause otherwise it looks
like we're just slinging beer.
We're not your
local liquor store.
Selling a firearm, I do
it just like a vehicle,
where if I were a car dealership
and I were to lawfully sell
a car to someone, and
they go off and get drunk
and kill a whole bunch
of people on that.
Oftentimes we forget about
there's an individual
who is choosing to cause harm.
And so that's...
I just don't really
worry about that too much.
This is a lawful product,
and it really comes down to
how the individual
is going to use it.
So yeah, like I said, this right
here is 1,350 for the receiver,
and then 360 for the barrel.
Some of this stuff
is pretty unique
in terms of what's available.
Certainly flamethrowers,
pipe bombs, stuff like that,
I don't think
I've ever seen this
at any other store
before, so it's...
Definitely not a pipe bomb or
a flamethrower, that's for sure.
Alright, so which one of y'all
is gonna be the first one
to buy stuff?
What you need is
a grenade launcher.
No, not a grenade launcher.
Problem solver
right here, 20 gauge.
What you think, buddy?
You want the problem solver?
You'd be the first
person to buy a gun here.
Will I be the first?
I will be the first
then, we'll do this.
Oh, fantastic!
Alright!
Yay!
We gotta get a picture
of this shit and put it--
Ah fuck, where's my phone?
You go into Wal-Mart, you
buy something, you walk out,
and I don't want us to be that.
We really wanna
become eventually like
more of a hangout kind of place.
We come out here and talk guns.
Four weeks ago, JimmyBoi was
hired by rapper Killer Mike
design and create a
- kilo, solid gold pendant.
It's finished.
Now he's in
Atlanta to deliver it.
*
I personally like to deliver it.
The eyes never lie, so you know
they're really happy or not.
It's a big mamma-jamma.
You know, and it's
definitely a weapon.
He's gonna have a lot of
fun wearing this thing,
put it that way.
*
What's up, bro?
And how much it weigh?
- One kilo.
- Wow.
This shit is beautiful.
It's crazy how perfect it fit.
I saw this statue in Paris.
- Mm-hmm.
- Ah man, it's crazy.
It's like fucking
9 feet up, it's amazing.
I was high as fuck,
just staring at this shit
for like 40 minutes.
But that shit, man, it's one
of my favourite pieces of art.
You know, I
really appreciate him.
And he's been a sweetheart, man,
honestly, to deal with.
Like I know I'm
aggravating as shit.
I'll call you 2,
3, 4 times a day,
and he's just always
pro, always professional,
and always accommodating.
Yeah, I'm happy,
I'm happy with it.
I think its beautiful.
If you ain't ever won
an award, award yourself.
That's an award
right there, for real!
Yeah, shit.
That thing right there.
I think it went really well.
I feel like he loved it.
I wanna hit the world by storm.
It's hot, it's hot.
My feet hot.
JimmyBoi has money in
his pocket from Killer Mike's
pendant, and he's since gained
a new client in rapper Big Boi.
But for Jimmy, it's
more about building
a legacy for his
family than money.
Ah, Jimmy!
You know, I've had a
lot more money before,
and you know, you realize
that it's not what it is
that makes you happy.
You can do it, come here.
Oh yeah, that's my boy!
All I ever really wanted was
just something I didn't have,
which was just family.
This right here,
you know what I mean,
this is priceless.
Say, "Mommy, hold on."
Mommy, hold on!
See?
10, 20 years from now,
if I'm still here,
it's not about what I used
to do or how cool I was
or how much I used to party.
It's about people
seeing my children and seeing,
"Did he do what he should've
done for his children?"
That's how I look at it.
Stop.
Sean sold almost $5,000 of
inventory on his first day.
With the store's
opening behind him,
he's doing what he wants to do.
I don't know if it's
the naughtiness of it,
the fact that it's a
felony for everyone else.
Watching a fireball,
it's just stupidly fun.
America!
- Yeah!
- Yeah!
For Mother Russia!
I always have been impressed by
people that use their wealth
for something.
They don't spend it trying to
live the rock star lifestyle and
get some grills or something
like that just to show off.
Instead that they go
out there and do stuff,
they push the limits.
Yeah, I'm working tons of hours,
I'm not making any money at it,
but I'm much happier doing
it because this is more of
an expression of
what I wanna do.
*
Hey, say man, thank you.
Now listen, don't
spend this all in one place.
You know, take care
of that right there!
Appreciate that, man.
- Catch y'all later.
- Yes, sir.
That's what I'm talking about.
Yes sir.
This is what we
came to work for.
Ready to go take a nap now!
No naps, no naps.
Yeah, we already took a nap.
I wanna be successful.
I wanna be able to take care
of the people that took care of
Tredante, not of Tre Nubb, to
know how much I appreciate 'em.
And the rest is just so
I can keep travelling and,
you know, seeing
the world, so...
I definitely see us
starting a family out here.
Being dependent on
God for everything,
and raising them in a culture
that's aware of injustice
and that it's important
to us as a family.
I think that money
is just like power.
If you have a lot of money, it
doesn't mean that it's gonna
turn you into a bad person.
I think it's a type of power
that will manifest
whatever you are.
Alright, last one, y'all.
Woo!
Yay!
*
As the nation's top job creator,
Houston has become
fertile ground for opportunity.
And its rapid growth
in diversity and size
has proven to be a good place
for these four people.
*
Mm-mm, ain't got
that left no more.
No, don't got that left no more.
Mm-mm.
The only American city that now
has twice the number of jobs
it had before the recession,
and the economic optimism
has inspired many to
go their own way.
For these four people, Houston
is what it's always been:
the Wild West.
The army has a great
saying: money is ammunition.
While I have the ammunition,
I'm gonna do what
I wanna do with my life.
If I get money,
I'm gonna spend it.
I'm gonna enjoy life
with it, with money.
Doesn't matter how much
we have in our bank account.
We have faith to believe that
God's gonna provide for us.
Being able to do
something I love,
that's like the best
thing in the world.
You know, down here,
there's a saying:
put your money
where your mouth is.
One city, four people,
and where they live is a
key part of who they are.
* I found a place
to sell my name *
* Along the market's promenade
* High prices
*
* Going down
* Oh the rice is burning brown
* And high prices
* Going down
*
Houston is a boomtown story,
a sprawling metropolis whose
wealth and size was built
with a Wild West mentality,
fuelled by gushing oil.
But if modern Houston still
possesses its cowboy DNA,
it also represents the
future, undergoing the largest
multicultural transformation of
any US city this past century.
*
JimmyBoi's family was
part of that transformation,
moving to Houston in
the '70s, helping to form
the largest Vietnamese
population in the States.
They had hopes of
building a better life,
and JimmyBoi has found it.
Woo woo.
Money doesn't make you happy,
but it sure as hell
doesn't make you sad.
My name is JimmyBoi.
I'm a jeweler,
The Streets Jeweler.
I call myself The
Streets Jeweler because
I come from the other side.
For 15 years I was a customer.
I dealt with some of
the biggest names,
jewelers that
everybody is going to now.
I've had some of those
big names beg me for business
because they knew
that if I went there,
my friends would go there.
And we would spend
half a million a year,
whatever it might be.
Why is it so quiet today?
It's like extra quiet today.
Johnny stepped out to meet
with a couple of clients.
Oh, okay.
I work with fine gems,
watches, precious metals,
anything, you know what I mean?
We make it.
JimmyBoi is a celebrity jeweler.
He's a huge
player on social media,
and people come to him
to make custom pieces.
Last year, I did
1.4 million in sales,
and last year was
actually my first year
as an official jeweler.
JimmyBoi's designing
an original piece
for political activist
and rapper Killer Mike.
That's that baby, right?
I've been crazy about that
statue since I was a little boy.
Nobody even knows who carved it.
It's in the Louvre Museum.
I wanted a piece like
Ghostface's eagle piece,
like Nas's QB piece.
Like I just wanted a
piece of art on my neck.
Okay, so within a week
and a half to two weeks,
I'll have the actual
replica wax version.
We'll just cast it in gold,
and you'll have it ready.
Bless, man.
I'll talk to you later, fo sho.
Just imagine, you know.
He's gonna jump out
that stage with it,
and then y'all gonna know
The Streets Jeweler
did what he did,
you know what I mean?
A solid gold design like this
could run up to $50,000,
good business for JimmyBoi.
Sam Hernandez views
money in a different way.
I've heard people say that
money is the root of all evil,
but I think that's false.
The Bible doesn't even say that.
It says that the love of
money is the root of evil.
Alright, are we all ready to go?
Yep.
Sam is the Intervention
Director for Elijah Rising,
a Christian organization
combating what they view as
the evils of Houston's
porn and sex trade.
Father God, we just thank you
for this opportunity
to bring awareness to a piece
that just kinda
breaks your heart, God.
We just pray for these
men and for these women
who are so negatively affected
by sexual exploitation, God.
Amen.
They're a band of 28 Christian
activists who work for little
r no pay, deriving their
ncome from personal donations
given to Elijah Rising.
To raise awareness, Sam leads
public van tours to areas
where the sex trade thrives.
So we're in the
Galleria area right now.
We have a high concentration
of Asian brothels in this area,
but we also have strip clubs
and online hotel prostitution.
Houston is one of the
worst cities in the nation
for human trafficking.
The trafficking routes
are really simple,
we're really close
to the Mexico border.
Also, there's a lot of
excess money in Houston.
There's a lot of
oil men who are in town
and have finances
to purchase sex.
I don't know why, but
the city's tolerated it.
So what you see I think
is a result from
what we've tolerated.
Now right here is a
more obvious place.
This is a 24-hour day spa.
If they're gonna
pretend that they're a spa,
it's actually illegal to
be opened past 10:00pm.
So the fact that they advertise
that they're 24 hours a day
already puts them in
illegal operations.
The things that happen are not
legal in a lot of these places.
I make $26,400 a year,
but I don't stay awake at night
thinking about paying my bills.
I've never gone hungry, and
I really believe it's because
I have faith my daily
bread will be there.
Yes, ma'am, I was calling up
to give y'all a head's up that
I'm gonna be setting off some
explosives here in the next--
over the next hour or so.
It's for weapons development.
We're doing research
and development.
And we're all licensed
by the ATF and everything.
Okay, thanks a lot, ma'am.
Bye-bye.
Alright, you ready?
34-year-old Sean Lindley
is an Iraq veteran,
and is now back
home in the reserves.
He's betting every cent he has
that he can turn his experience
with guns and
bombs into a business.
Shake it up one last time.
What kind of idiot sits there
and takes all their life savings
and throws it into starting
a company that builds bombs
and stuff like that?
It's a crazy idea.
*
*
Oh shit!
Shit!
Oh, that was good!
I'm from Texas, I
drive a pickup truck,
have a ranch, have more guns
than I know what to do with,
and now I make explosives.
I'm so far over in this way
being stereotypical Texas,
but then so ways
I'm not kinda thing.
44% of Texans own guns,
but Sean's got a different kind
of weapon business in mind.
My company is Texas
Machine Gun and Ordnance.
We're a type 10 federal
firearms license holder.
We're also what's called
a type 20 federal
explosives license holder.
Those two coming together
allow us to safely build
virtually any weapons
system that we want to.
*
Yeah!
When I was a kid, I've always
just really been into guns.
I remember getting my
first pistol and being like,
"Wow, this is so cool!"
kinda thing.
Then I got my first
machine gun, and it was like,
"Oh wow, this is even cooler!"
And then now I'm at the point
where we have grenade launchers
and explosives and all
kinds of serious ordnance.
In two weeks, Sean
is opening his store,
using his knowledge gained in
the army to develop and sell
military-grade firearms.
- Sean!
- Yeah?
This is Pull To Use Suicide Tab?
That one's for the lake.
Okay.
I've got three guys that
I brought aboard with me,
and so these guys are
all helping me out.
We've got a whole bunch of
different kinda rifles
we're trying to bring to
market, such as machine guns,
suppressors, short barrel
rifles, short barrel shotguns.
I honestly tell people
the best thing I ever did
was join the army.
Contrary to popular belief, you
actually make a lot of money
in the military,
especially as an officer.
Like in Iraq, I came
home with about
$100,000 in the bank.
I took basically
every penny I have,
$175,000 I've
thrown into my business.
*
Yeah, it's a shitload of money,
and that's more money than...
it's an unimaginable amount.
It's not even real to me,
I think in some ways.
But it's the
experience of doing it,
and it's a challenge, and it's a
chance for me to measure myself.
*
Someone on Facebook
called me the Miley Cyrus
of the gun world,
that we're just doing
this outrageous stuff
just to get attention.
But I was bored
with the gun market.
If I'm gonna blow my
life savings on something,
why the hell am I gonna
open Sean's Lame Gun Shop
and sit around and do what
everyone else is doing?
It's just to me...
it would be absurd.
But I just wanted to do
something different.
That is hot as hell!
Go do some stomping
over there, bro.
Shit.
*
In the past 10 years,
Houston's arts economy
has grown almost 40%.
Entertainer Tredante
wants a piece of that.
Yeah, I was getting the part.
I think I was getting the part.
I love to surprise people.
That's like the
greatest feeling to me.
So that's really why I
do half the things I do,
just so I can
blow people's minds.
Boom.
I'm Tredante Bias, and I am
a social media entertainer,
a TV entertainer.
And I'm 23, just made 23.
I don't have no arms
down to my elbows,
and I don't have my right leg.
I mean, it's not really
a condition or nothing.
I was just born like that, so...
I started drumming when
I was in the sixth grade.
I told my mama I was
gonna be a drummer.
She was like, "How
you gonna do that?"
"I don't know, I'm
gonna figure it out."
I went to buy some
wristbands the next day.
I was like okay, put 'em
on, put the sticks in them.
I'm like oh, this
can actually work.
When I got to high school,
I kinda got a little
more competitive.
Woo!
Oh, there it is.
I got dreads now.
I ain't have dreads before.
Dreads get in the way.
By the time we came
out of high school,
I was one of the top
drummers to come out,
like as a senior.
By the time I got to college,
I was all-state drummer.
My name became bigger
as the no-arm drummer.
It helped me for this whole
Tre Nubb entertainer stuff,
you could say.
I do a lot of dance videos.
And after we started
making a couple of videos,
we getting emailed for bookings.
It's about that time they
go crazy for these nubs!
I do a lot of shows,
promos, appearances.
It depends on the work, but
I make about $100 to $500.
Tredante needs to
raise $1,000 to get to LA,
where he hopes to
get his big break.
I'm moving to
California to network.
If I get out there, I'll be
able to network a little better,
move around.
I already have a
dream of being on TV,
you know, being an
entertainer, being an actor.
So if this came before that, why
not use it as a stepping stone?
Or why not use this as a
ladder to get to the TV?
People all over the
world know of Tre Nubb,
and I only want
it to get bigger.
Houston is home
to 1.4 million immigrants,
and even though they own 1 in
3 businesses in the city,
they bring home $16,000 less
than American-born citizens.
JimmyBoi's family was beginning
to establish themselves
when his mom
abandoned the family.
JimmyBoi turned to
dealing drugs to earn a living.
Methylenedioxymethamphetamine.
I learned that when
I caught my fed case.
The judge was telling
me what it was,
and I'm looking at my lawyer
like, "What is that?
What's he talking about?"
"Like that's the
stuff you-- that's MDMA."
I'm like, "Oh, okay!"
Pill Gates.
That was my nickname.
I was really moving a lot of
that at one time in my life.
Between 1999 and 2001,
I had to've made at least
a million dollars, at least.
Jimmy was arrested
and served two years
for a series of crimes.
He told his kids he was
away on business in China.
About to go pick up my daughter.
You know, she's been
spending some extra time
with her mom lately.
My daughter, she
definitely changed my life.
If I didn't have her, I'd
probably be dead or doing
life in prison right now,
to be honest with you.
Put your seatbelt on.
I don't buy toys for her.
I'm not into toys.
Funko Pops are toys.
They're not toys!
They are collectible figures!
How would I feel if I said
your GI Joe toys were, um, toys?
Hey, you're going
too far right now, dude!
That's what I thought.
You're talking about
stuff that no one--
these people don't
need to know about!
Okay...
I was gonna raise her the way
I felt I should've been raised.
Teach them discipline,
determination, dedication.
You know, growing up,
I didn't have that.
I grew up in a house
where the people--
where they just
talked down on each other.
It took me I think
like six months
to learn how to ride
a two wheel bike.
You know, my dad used
to put me on the thing,
and just grab me by the back
of my neck and be like, "Go."
And then, like, if I
couldn't do it right,
he would squeeze the
crap out of my neck.
My daughter was with her
mom, and I get a phone call.
And she was like,
"Yo, Savannah just learned
how to ride the bike."
She did it by herself.
Like she'd just fall off,
kept getting back on,
you know what I'm saying?
Um...
She wouldn't give up,
and that's what I've
been working so hard for.
Seeing something like
that makes you feel like
you're doing the right thing,
you know what I mean?
You're doing your job.
*
Sean builds pipe bombs
for private collectors,
and each one needs to be
branded and registered.
Collectors interested in buying
have to wait up to 8 months
before their background checks
with the ATF are complete.
You get folks, they never get
charged for having a pipe bomb.
They get charged for having
an unregistered pipe bomb.
The ATF requires all firearms
to have certain
identifying information.
So we come over here to
Gerald, it's fantastic work.
They're kind of for-display
pieces, it's more for fun.
You're kind of an
idiot if you blow it up,
but hey, it's your money.
You do with what
you want with it.
Even though they not
packed with explosives,
Sean sells them to a small
niche market for $175 each.
Not a large revenue stream,
but it provides a hook to
bring in more customers.
Alright.
Folks ask me, "Why do it?"
but it's just
kind of, "Why not?"
With Edmund Hillary,
he said something like,
"Why do you climb Everest?
Well, 'cause it's there."
And it's just doing it just
to do something different.
*
We didn't know which one...
Yeah, no, we'll figure it--
Nah, but it looks good.
Sean's paying $900
renting in an industrial area,
instead of 3 times that amount
in a regular shopping district.
He's betting that his
specialized clientele will go
out of their way to
buy his products there.
Opening the shop is the step.
It is the big, "Oh
my god, we're going,"
because finally I'm
committed to something,
and I'm on the hook for it.
Ah, fucker.
That broke off the tip of my...
Damn, there's that.
Are both the springs being
replaced, or just that one?
- Yeah, both of 'em.
- Okay.
Sean's gun business
opens in 10 days.
He's worried that at any
minute, the US military
d call him away, putting
$175,000 investment at risk.
I'm still in the army reserve,
and I make about $12,000 a year.
The problem is, is that
then I'm also available
for deployments and such.
And if I were to get tagged
to go on a mission right now
to Iraq, I would lose
pretty much everything.
Because I can't just be
like, "Well, be back soon,"
kind of thing with my company,
and it's not grown enough
where I can just hire
someone to do it.
I am kind of worried about that.
Is it a 15 second, 30 second...
How do you wanna do it?
This one gonna be like 25.
25?
20, somewhere up in there.
Tredante is shooting a
promotional video for a local
rapper with the help of his
friend and manager G-Mayniac.
Tredante needs $1,000
for his trip to LA,
and this shoot pays just $75.
For me, like if I'm
viral, I'm moving,
or if I'm trending at the time,
then it'll bring in more people
looking to do more
business, you know.
2012, my freshman
year in college,
and I was with my
friend, Graylind.
We were in the car just dancing,
and I was doing it right there
and posted it.
Couple hours later,
I go back, it's viral.
Then my Instagram number
went from 1,641 to 55,000
in like two days.
It's so random, just
for sending a video.
Like you never
know till you try.
Money is important because
you need money to live,
but like I'm gonna use
it for what it's for:
I'm gonna spend it.
Tredante receives a $700
disability cheque every month,
but it's not enough
to cover his expenses.
Bro, you don't like guacamole?
What is wrong with you?
No, what is wrong with you?
I pay like 350 for rent.
Phone bill is like 170.
Student loans, $170, 175.
Shoes, I get shoes every month.
I get shoes
every month, it's bad.
Man, I'm 'bout to... ugh!
Uh-oh.
What up?
Oh, you're at Top Golf?
Turn up, turn up.
Man, I need you
for a Sunday event.
You already know I'm down.
I do a lot as far
as appearances.
I show up at different parties.
Some of those places
be like club events.
One of my good friends, he's
a party promoter in Houston.
He's hosting an event.
In the next few weeks I can make
anything from 1,500 or 2,000,
like who knows?
It just depends on the event.
*
Might get some roll action,
might get some roll...
Ah, drop it!
Houston's rents are soaring,
putting the city in the top 10
hottest markets in the US.
Sam's found an unusual
way to live rent-free.
Kendleton Farms is
owned by Elijah Rising,
which is about 40 minutes
outside of the city of Houston.
That will be a place where
survivors of sex trafficking
can come and live
and heal and work.
We wanted to create
kind of this community
with healthy, safe families
that live around them.
So that's what me and my
husband here are doing,
we're helping build that.
- You gave him his medicine?
- Yeah.
Hayden's quitting his job to
work with Sam at Elijah Rising.
It's a big pay cut,
and a huge financial risk.
Two more days.
Hayden works for
a water company,
but it's not what
he feels called to,
and we've both decided that
it's time that he takes a leap
and he quits his job.
Instead of making
$36,000 a year,
he will be making
$20,000 a year.
Gosh, that's
almost like half, huh?
It's almost half, right?
Man, how exciting is that?
I'm so proud of him.
Come here, come here.
Come on, come on.
Come on, mama girl, come on.
I do not pay rent to live here.
Instead, me and Hayden
both, you know, do chores,
help with different things
here to kind of pay my rent.
No.
Stay back.
She's really, really
good with animals,
so that's a huge help.
She'll help me move things,
she's learned how to do drywall
and floors in her house.
It's amazing, she
built her own fence.
I mean, that's a big deal, man.
For a city girl,
she's doing very well.
My home is on their property.
My husband is now
full-time employed,
and I am now
full-time employed by them.
So if Elijah Rising
were to go away, I mean,
we would be starting from zero.
About 20% of veterans
that leave active duty
can't find another job.
Sean's decided to employ
himself by spending $175,000
to open a specialized gun shop.
So where did the money go?
A lot of it's gone into
the licenses and fees.
This shit ain't cheap.
I'd say $30,000 or so in that.
I probably got about
$40,000 tied up in inventory.
But I put about
$45,000 aside for me.
I'll sometimes put some of
that money back in the company
as a loan, just so I'm
keeping that money going.
And the company owes me so much
money that it's not even funny.
Oh, yeah.
There we go.
One expense is creating
a sound-absorbing room
for weapons tests.
Tom, you good?
How was that?
Oh, okay.
So we set off an alarm
with an M16, okay.
We're gonna need more
insulation for rifle covers.
The pistol though,
the 9mm, that was fine.
The firearms industry
is doing very good.
And there's a
saying, that you know,
President Obama is the best
gun salesman in the world.
And I'd have to agree with
that, because whenever
something happens and he
talks about regulations,
bans and everything else,
folks start buying guns up.
So I know that I've done that.
After Sandy Hook, I
bought a bunch of firearms
just in case that happened.
Thanks a lot, y'all
have a good evening.
*
I'm living in a less
expensive accommodation.
Having been in the army, I've
slept in the dirt, in the mud,
when it's freezing-ass cold.
So to me, as long as it's
got a nice bed to lay down on,
sleep for a few hours and
get up, it's not a big deal.
If I wanted to be rich, I could
go get a well-paying sales job
and work 80 hours
a week or whatever.
Doesn't interest me.
I'm mostly focused on
just getting this thing
off the ground.
Houston is home to
37 megachurches,
so God is not only
big business here,
but a way of life.
Christian organization Elijah
Rising is solely focused on
stopping sex trade trafficking.
They need half a million a
year in donations to cover
their costs, and if they
can't raise the funds,
Sam may not be able
to work full-time.
I know that I should be making
a lot more than $20,000 a year.
I'm totally for
making a lot of money.
You know, 100 grand a
year, something like that,
that we can really do
some really amazing things.
But I don't depend on money.
I don't see it as a
structure of safety.
I just see it as a tool to use.
These are some women
who have ads online.
A lot of them we believe
are pimp controlled.
We call them and
let them know hey,
this is who we are,
this is what we're doing.
This is the resources
that are available for you.
Some of these women
look super young.
Oh my gosh, this
girl looks like...
Chrissie, Chrissie,
look at this.
How old do you think she looks?
Yeah.
She's posting as a 24-year-old.
If they're underage,
it's terrible,
but it's the easiest as far
as police and stuff come,
like, 'cause it's
automatically trafficking.
Yeah.
Sam's willing to work for less
because it's a personal crusade.
I was exposed to pornography
when I was like 6 years old.
I was later molested
when I was 10 years old,
and I remember feeling like
I have no right to
my body anymore.
And the rest of my life as a
young women was just seeking
people and seeking men that
I thought would make me feel
beautiful, but just made
me feel like trash again.
God has brought me
to a place where I know
what's happened to me, and
I learned how to take it,
process it and release it.
It helps us to
help other people.
This is my baby right here.
This ring right here is
worth almost $120,000.
This is like one of
them Power Ranger rings,
you know what I mean?
Like, "With your
powers combined..."
JimmyBoi is working on
a gold chain pendant
for rapper Killer Mike.
It's the latest in a long line
of celebrity jewelry
he's been hired to create.
His store is
located in Houston's
Sharpstown neighbourhood,
the equivalent to the
Diamond District in New York.
The area also has the
highest crime rate in the city.
You got that chain, man?
Yeah, yeah.
Let's see this one right here.
Unless you'd like
something thicker,
but you like this one?
This one right here
will be like 12 thou.
Think I'ma do this one.
Alright, let's go to the back.
In life, you go
up and down a lot.
I've had millions, I've lost.
I've gained, I've lost.
Money is very important.
Now, depending on how you make
money a part of your life
is what makes you a
good or a bad person.
And that's why I say
like I don't love money,
but I love making it,
you know what I mean?
I don't have to have all
the nice things in the world.
It's about having
the means to survive.
Just hit me up
with anything, bro.
Let me know about that Rolex,
I'll get that situated
for you, man.
That's my everyday
type of customer.
You know, the streets.
They just spent 15,000.
You sure?
Bro, I counted it myself.
It's on camera.
We are in Beaumont, Texas.
This is where I
was born and raised.
Ah, seeing my grandmother in
there, my dad, my grandfather,
my stepmom, my brothers, their
friends, I got my friends.
So you know, it's a
nice little mixture
of a party bunch up in there.
Every other day he
was in the hospital,
and he fell down the stairs.
He got his concussion.
That's why his--
that forehead like that.
It's not that big.
I don't think it is,
it's not that big.
It's a little big.
Tredante's family
didn't treat him as different.
Their good-natured teasing
helped toughen him up
to deal with haters and
trolls on social media.
My parents, my brothers,
my sister, like they gonna
crack the jokes on me so
my feelings don't get hurt.
And I think that plays
a very big part of me
as far as the
social media stuff.
People say cruel, mean
stuff, but I'm like, tsk,
my daddy come harder than you,
you know what I'm saying?
My grandmother
tell better jokes.
If it don't bother me
when my family do it,
it's definitely not gonna
bother me if somebody random
or somebody I don't know do it.
That's looking good.
That boy got spirit.
You treat a child handicapped,
he gonna be handicapped.
We never raised him like that.
Hell, we go out there, I
put him on that lawnmower,
let him cut that grass.
You know what I mean?
In order for me to keep being
booked and keep going places,
I have to be on my phone.
- Networking.
- Networking, you know.
Networking and... See?
Grandma know.
She know about the networking.
So when you planning
on going to California?
Next week, week and a half.
Oh, okay.
Gotta go make the money.
I need to see him
progressing, and getting into
the show business that
he wants to get into.
You know, he's not gonna be
able to do videos all his life.
So you got to have
something to fall back on.
Because when you're 50, you
might not be able to do a video.
She right.
Grandma's always right.
*
JimmyBoi's business is
based on an affluent lifestyle,
and he has to live in
that world to attract
and retain his clientele.
Spending big money
on a night out
a regular business expense.
Streets Jeweler
is the businessman,
you know what I mean, but
tonight it's the alter ego.
This is JimmyBoi, the dude
that's been out there
for 16 years.
I got about a good 8,000 on me,
so that's my budget
for the night.
So we'll see what it do.
*
Jimmy, what's up?
Jimmy, what's up?
It's like even
though I'm spending money,
I'm making money.
I might spend 8 today,
but I'll make 20 tomorrow.
Whatever, you know.
We gonna do what it do.
*
Fuck, man!
Bro, I'm like wet as fuck.
I gotta dry up.
Bro, he got me good though.
That mother got me good, bro.
Alright, let's go.
Come, Lord Jesus,
to a city gotten
that's desperate for you, God.
The glory and the
majesty of the salvation!
The saving one,
the generous one...
It's true... It's true...
Thank you, God.
Welcome to Fourth
Friday Intervention.
Raise your hand if
it's your first time.
Awesome!
Yes, welcome.
Volunteers who've never
done anything like this
basically cover the city with
resources for women who are in
the sex industry who have a high
probability of trafficking.
We're here to intervene.
I want more of a
kick-down-the-door attitude
behind our outreach.
So I want my prayers,
I want your outreach,
your love to be an
instrument of holy wrath.
Okay, anyone else?
Let's see, street
team has lipsticks?
Sam and her volunteers arm
themselves with lipsticks
containing a hidden
helpline phone number.
They claim that over 50 sex
trade workers have been saved
by calling that number.
They hope to save
one more tonight.
So I've actually
never stepped foot in a spa.
You mean a spa that
they sell sex in?
- Correct.
- So far as you know.
This'll be a new experience.
Yeah, no, for sure.
Let's walk quickly,
just in case they see us
and try to lock the door.
Hold on, where
are the lipsticks?
'Kay, ready set go, quickly.
Oh, see?
Hello.
- Hi, how are you?
- Good.
Hi, we just wanted
to drop this off.
Oh no, no English,
no English, sorry.
- No English?
- Yes.
We just wanted to say
hello and say God bless you.
Sorry.
- You have a good night, okay?
- Good night, good night.
Hi, sir, how's it going?
You having a good night?
Awesome.
He seemed really uncomfortable,
but I can't tell if he
actually worked for them.
No, I think he worked for them.
Yeah, I think he did too.
Sam just finished
targeting a massage parlour
during her sex trade
intervention.
A lot of times they'll
pretend not to speak English
if they're uncomfortable.
Yeah.
As much as 25% of all
human trafficking in the US
comes through Texas, most
of it through Houston.
An estimated 85% of women
brought in by trafficking
.p in the illegal sex trade.
Sam and her volunteers have
spread out over the city,
making contact with sex
trade workers at risk.
We've seen girls on the
street almost completely nude.
Some of them
have been pimped out
since they were
like 13 years old.
Some of them are still underage.
We actually had
a lot of survivors
coming to do outreach with us.
You know, they're just like
super excited about
sharing hope, that
it's possible to get out.
Let's see what's going on.
Oh, see?
She is like nude.
Those girls have no pants on.
They do not.
Oh, they're just
lining up, the cars.
- Cars are just lining up.
- Wow.
Hey, can you hand me that
bag of lipsticks really quick?
I'm gonna run out.
Just stay close,
kind of close by.
Hey.
Changing shoes?
Could I give you
this tube of lipstick?
It has a phone number
hidden on this barcode.
It's a 24-hour helpline
if you ever need anything.
Housing, resources.
Could I give you
a tube of lipstick?
Oh, thank you.
Yeah, it has a phone
number hidden on the barcode.
Oh, okay.
- And it's a 24-hour helpline.
- Okay.
Anything you need,
they'll answer it all the time.
Y'all stay safe, okay?
They were very sweet.
Tredante is making
a paid appearance
at a Houston nightclub.
He's making $500, and now
he'll have all he needs
for his trip to LA.
I love what I do, 'cause
I get paid to have fun,
get paid to bring people's joy
and turnt-up-ness everywhere.
An adventure with Nubb.
*
I don't feel like I'm
as big as they make it seem.
I mean, I feel like
I'm on the right path,
but if you ask me, I say
I got a long way to go.
So, just keep
grinding, keep pushing.
*
*
Today, the doors open
at Sean's new gun shop.
The long process of paying off
his $175,000 investment begins.
Can y'all put on here that
these are actually
Molotov cocktails?
'Cause otherwise it looks
like we're just slinging beer.
We're not your
local liquor store.
Selling a firearm, I do
it just like a vehicle,
where if I were a car dealership
and I were to lawfully sell
a car to someone, and
they go off and get drunk
and kill a whole bunch
of people on that.
Oftentimes we forget about
there's an individual
who is choosing to cause harm.
And so that's...
I just don't really
worry about that too much.
This is a lawful product,
and it really comes down to
how the individual
is going to use it.
So yeah, like I said, this right
here is 1,350 for the receiver,
and then 360 for the barrel.
Some of this stuff
is pretty unique
in terms of what's available.
Certainly flamethrowers,
pipe bombs, stuff like that,
I don't think
I've ever seen this
at any other store
before, so it's...
Definitely not a pipe bomb or
a flamethrower, that's for sure.
Alright, so which one of y'all
is gonna be the first one
to buy stuff?
What you need is
a grenade launcher.
No, not a grenade launcher.
Problem solver
right here, 20 gauge.
What you think, buddy?
You want the problem solver?
You'd be the first
person to buy a gun here.
Will I be the first?
I will be the first
then, we'll do this.
Oh, fantastic!
Alright!
Yay!
We gotta get a picture
of this shit and put it--
Ah fuck, where's my phone?
You go into Wal-Mart, you
buy something, you walk out,
and I don't want us to be that.
We really wanna
become eventually like
more of a hangout kind of place.
We come out here and talk guns.
Four weeks ago, JimmyBoi was
hired by rapper Killer Mike
design and create a
- kilo, solid gold pendant.
It's finished.
Now he's in
Atlanta to deliver it.
*
I personally like to deliver it.
The eyes never lie, so you know
they're really happy or not.
It's a big mamma-jamma.
You know, and it's
definitely a weapon.
He's gonna have a lot of
fun wearing this thing,
put it that way.
*
What's up, bro?
And how much it weigh?
- One kilo.
- Wow.
This shit is beautiful.
It's crazy how perfect it fit.
I saw this statue in Paris.
- Mm-hmm.
- Ah man, it's crazy.
It's like fucking
9 feet up, it's amazing.
I was high as fuck,
just staring at this shit
for like 40 minutes.
But that shit, man, it's one
of my favourite pieces of art.
You know, I
really appreciate him.
And he's been a sweetheart, man,
honestly, to deal with.
Like I know I'm
aggravating as shit.
I'll call you 2,
3, 4 times a day,
and he's just always
pro, always professional,
and always accommodating.
Yeah, I'm happy,
I'm happy with it.
I think its beautiful.
If you ain't ever won
an award, award yourself.
That's an award
right there, for real!
Yeah, shit.
That thing right there.
I think it went really well.
I feel like he loved it.
I wanna hit the world by storm.
It's hot, it's hot.
My feet hot.
JimmyBoi has money in
his pocket from Killer Mike's
pendant, and he's since gained
a new client in rapper Big Boi.
But for Jimmy, it's
more about building
a legacy for his
family than money.
Ah, Jimmy!
You know, I've had a
lot more money before,
and you know, you realize
that it's not what it is
that makes you happy.
You can do it, come here.
Oh yeah, that's my boy!
All I ever really wanted was
just something I didn't have,
which was just family.
This right here,
you know what I mean,
this is priceless.
Say, "Mommy, hold on."
Mommy, hold on!
See?
10, 20 years from now,
if I'm still here,
it's not about what I used
to do or how cool I was
or how much I used to party.
It's about people
seeing my children and seeing,
"Did he do what he should've
done for his children?"
That's how I look at it.
Stop.
Sean sold almost $5,000 of
inventory on his first day.
With the store's
opening behind him,
he's doing what he wants to do.
I don't know if it's
the naughtiness of it,
the fact that it's a
felony for everyone else.
Watching a fireball,
it's just stupidly fun.
America!
- Yeah!
- Yeah!
For Mother Russia!
I always have been impressed by
people that use their wealth
for something.
They don't spend it trying to
live the rock star lifestyle and
get some grills or something
like that just to show off.
Instead that they go
out there and do stuff,
they push the limits.
Yeah, I'm working tons of hours,
I'm not making any money at it,
but I'm much happier doing
it because this is more of
an expression of
what I wanna do.
*
Hey, say man, thank you.
Now listen, don't
spend this all in one place.
You know, take care
of that right there!
Appreciate that, man.
- Catch y'all later.
- Yes, sir.
That's what I'm talking about.
Yes sir.
This is what we
came to work for.
Ready to go take a nap now!
No naps, no naps.
Yeah, we already took a nap.
I wanna be successful.
I wanna be able to take care
of the people that took care of
Tredante, not of Tre Nubb, to
know how much I appreciate 'em.
And the rest is just so
I can keep travelling and,
you know, seeing
the world, so...
I definitely see us
starting a family out here.
Being dependent on
God for everything,
and raising them in a culture
that's aware of injustice
and that it's important
to us as a family.
I think that money
is just like power.
If you have a lot of money, it
doesn't mean that it's gonna
turn you into a bad person.
I think it's a type of power
that will manifest
whatever you are.
Alright, last one, y'all.
Woo!
Yay!
*
As the nation's top job creator,
Houston has become
fertile ground for opportunity.
And its rapid growth
in diversity and size
has proven to be a good place
for these four people.
*
Mm-mm, ain't got
that left no more.
No, don't got that left no more.
Mm-mm.