The Chi (2018–…): Season 2, Episode 2 - Every Day I'm Hustlin' - full transcript
Previously on The Chi...
You said you wanted your
gun back, so now we even.
You keep it. And we not even yet.
Not till I say so.
You called DCFS on me.
They been coming to my house, Emmett.
You ain't gon' see him!
- I need to question your son.
- About what?
The murder of Charles "Coogie" Johnson.
Who you work for?
My parents own a successful
real estate agency in Hyde Park.
I really think this place
has a lot of potential.
Trice gone.
So you the boss now, huh?
That's the way it's looking.
I'm taking the plea...
save the family the pain of a trial.
Coogie was my little guinea pig.
And your story.
Mom, let me in! I'm fuckin' homeless!
'Sup, Darnell?
Uh, you tell me, son.
May I help you?
Stop!
Poor woman. Concussion, collapsed lung,
broken wrist, internal hemorrhaging...
and that's just what
the EMTs determined.
So it looks like the perp
kicked in the back door
and fled out the front.
Who made the call?
Vic's caretaker, Jada Washington.
She found her when she got to work.
She rode with the vic to the hospital.
She's still in surgery.
Perp wasn't alone.
How old was the victim?
73 years old.
Get me a copy of the case
report when it's done.
Detective Toussaint.
Violent Crimes, West Side.
Hey. Detective Cruz. Homicide.
Is that shotgun part of my crime scene?
No, it's hers.
She was a... she was a tough old bird.
Is that right?
- You sure?
- Trust me.
I'm very familiar with
Miss Ethel and the family.
She used to live with her
grandson, Ronnie Davis.
He's in County awaiting sentencing.
For what?
Murder.
- Any thoughts on who did this?
- Hard to say.
You know, 63rd Street
Mob runs this area.
They're violent. They deal dope, guns.
I heard they drop a lot of bodies.
Yeah, well, they're getting dropped too.
Organization's in chaos right now
over a vacuum in leadership.
Let me put some feelers out, you know?
Maybe I can run down the field with you.
Whoa-whoa-whoa.
Slow your roll.
Don't leap too fast, grasshopper.
- Sorry?
- Don't be.
It's just, you're Homicide,
and no one's dead.
Nice Tims, though.
One-oh-seven-five, WGCI-FM!
Number one for Chicago's
hip-hop and R&B.
Yo, Brandon, how do you
work this thing again?
I gotta handle the
food and the money, bro?
Give me that shit.
Easy.
All right, one burrito, one grape pop.
That'll be eight-fifty, my man.
Everybody talking
about your joint, playa.
I had to come check you out for myself.
Damn.
This is bomb as fuck, my dude.
Yeah.
Yo! Yo, where my money at?
We good, bro.
We good.
What was that about?
It's complicated. How can I help you?
Mm-hmm. Okay, so you gonna
bust it open for me, baby?
I see. Don't be talking fly.
I'll swoop over there
and smash right now.
- Yo, man...
- Shut the fuck up, nigga.
You think you running the block now,
but don't forget how this shit work.
You need to run Douda a bag.
Forty-eight hours.
Fuck!
You wanna play when I
get home from school?
Sure, but only if you
let me sleep, okay?
Okay.
Damn.
Shit, we can beat that, Roscoe.
Drive on down, pick it up ourselves.
Mm-hmm.
- Okay.
- Where the pancakes?
Uh, hold on.
You snooze, you lose 'round here.
Better grab some cereal.
Yeah, that's him.
I know, right?
For real?
Let me get one of these.
Ah!
Let me call you right back, Roscoe.
These is for the kids' lunches.
Help me out, man.
How you got three baby
mamas, but no place to stay?
And why you just now reaching out
and I'm less than five miles from you?
You got my number too.
I got it, and I pay the bill.
What bill you pay?
You better ask you mama about
those child support payments.
One more year and I'm done.
You came in here the other night
looking like a lost
puppy, so I let it slide,
but you need to know the house rules.
Are you serious right now?
One: Don't ask me
nothing about your mama.
That chapter's closed.
Two: Help your brothers and sisters
get ready for school in the morning.
It's time they got to know you anyway.
Three...
We have dinner as a
family, seven o'clock sharp.
Break one of these rules,
and you find somewhere else to crash.
What the hell, Darnell?
You just can't take my shit.
Rule number four: It's my house.
I wear what's in it.
Roscoe. Yeah, it's me.
Yeah, I-I know exactly
where we can move it.
Guard!
Guard!
- You need to relax, Davis.
- Yo, please.
- I need to make a call.
- You know the rules.
Rec time's the next time
you can use the phone.
Man, that's, like, two hours away!
I need to see if my grandmother's
out of surgery now!
I'll see what I can do,
but you need to calm the fuck down.
This'll be quick. How much are these?
One-seventy-five, but
the better value is the family size.
Why you asking Papa, anyways?
These?
I mean, I'm more of a Oreos man,
but if you don't hurry
up and pick something,
- we gonna be late for school.
- Yeah, man, what is you doing?
I'm scouting the competition
for my snack hustle.
- "Snack hustle"?
- Yeah.
I've been watching Reg do his thing,
and I said, "Why not snacks?"
Buy 'em for the low-low,
sell 'em to the kids at
the school at a markup.
I'm conflicted.
On one hand, I respect
the hustle, but on the other,
I'm not sure I can let you exploit
my guilty pleasures like this.
I'm out.
Is he serious?
His ass just scared.
Last time he had too many tardies,
his dad put him on
punishment for the summer.
So, uh, how can I get down
with this snack hustle?
Naw, man, it's my thing.
Yo, how much?
I need you to stop
handling the merchandise
unless you're planning on buying it.
Okay, I respect that.
We good.
Come on.
I don't get it.
Why won't you let me in on this?
I'm Detective Alice Toussaint.
I'm working the Ethel Davis case.
Okay.
Can you tell me what happened?
I was coming up the block.
I saw the front door wide open.
That's when I first knew
something was wrong.
I walked inside the house...
I found her on the floor bleeding.
I thought...
Was she upset with anyone?
She have any arguments?
Anything happen
out of the ordinary recently?
Mm-mm.
I mean, I vaguely
remember her complaining
about some boys outside her house.
But to be honest, Miss Ethel...
She complains about everything.
What can you tell me about these boys?
Something about them
gambling, making noise.
Had her so worked up,
she called the block captain
to come out and run them off.
You think it was them?
Too early to tell.
It used to be such
a good neighborhood...
probably could leave
your door open, kids could play...
Folks would look after your kids
better than you looked after your kids.
Mm-hmm.
Now it's a fuckin' jungle.
I'll be reaching out to
you with more questions,
but if you remember anything,
don't hesitate to call.
Okay.
You gotta get me out of here.
I know, your grandmother.
Well, we've already
withdrawn your guilty plea.
I'm just waiting to hear
from the judge to see
if a bail hearing will be set.
Okay, good. Tha-that's good.
In the meantime, we need to make a case
for your release. It won't be easy,
but that Johnson kid was
busted for shoplifting
and marijuana possession two years ago.
Why's that matter?
Ah, well, in order to make
a case for your release,
we'll have to show that
this kid wasn't the saint
that everybody painted him as.
If we can prove that he lunged at you
or he tried to grab the gun
or you feared for your life,
then we can go with
the self-defense angle.
No, he was a good kid.
I ain't going down that road.
Look, you say you want to get out.
I do, but not like this.
I'm trying to help, Mr. Davis,
but you have to work with me.
Not bad, Greavy. Not bad at all.
Four o'clock mean four o'clock.
My bad. I had a lot going on.
What you need me to do?
Grab me a beer.
I know you didn't call
me all the way down here
- to play bartender for you.
- Nah, I needed your help
hanging this fan, but
as you can see, I'm done.
You couldn't call me and
let me know you was finished?
I don't answer to you, boy.
I'm fucking with you, man.
Actually, I got some
bad news this morning.
Junie was killed.
What? Junie? How?
Drive-by at a house party.
Caught one in the head.
Damn.
We went to grade school together.
I mean, we went our
separate ways, but he was...
he was one of the guys.
I got one of these on my bus.
I was hoping you'd put one in
your food truck for the family.
No doubt. For sure.
Yeah, they struggling to
pay for the funeral service
and need all the help
they can get. Casket, food...
boy didn't even own a suit.
Damn.
What's good, people?
It's your boy Junie,
reppin' 63rd to the fullest.
You know what I mean?
We out here opp-shopping.
Wild Boys, Wild Boys, where
they at, where they at?
Junie tweakin'.
More money.
Hey, we about to go back to 63rd.
If y'all wanna see how
it's crackin' out there,
holla at me. We 'bout to buy the block.
Show 'em money. Show 'em money.
What the fuck is y'all doing,
sitting around crying
like some ho-ass bitches?
Get your feet off my
motherfucking table!
What the fuck is wrong with you niggas?
What happened to Junie was fucked up,
but we still got business to handle.
Look...
the second chair sent for me.
We got 48 hours to
come up with 100 stacks.
We don't,
Junie ain't gonna be
the only motherfucker
around here taking a dirt
nap, you feel me?
Junie gone. That was my nigga,
and you know we gonna get
some get back, but right now,
y'all gotta compartmentalize that shit.
Junie was about getting his paper.
You wanna honor that nigga,
get off y'all asses and get this bread.
What type of sick fuck
beats up an old lady?
It's a wonder she's alive.
Any word on the investigation?
I'm Homicide.
Why would I know anything about
what's going on with Violent Crime?
Look, the department's
taking a lot of heat
over Wallace and his bullshit.
Toussaint is here on
orders from Command,
which means City Hall is involved,
so don't get your panties in a bunch
because she's in your backyard.
I get it, okay? I don't have to like it.
No, you don't, but if you
really want to be pissed off,
Here's something: I
just got off the phone
with the DA's office about
Coogie Johnson's murder.
Ronnie Davis is reneging on his plea.
He's trying to get out of jail?
- That's bullshit!
- Agreed.
Now, what about the eyewitness?
That 12-year-old kid?
I got his statement on record.
Well, you better get him up to speed.
Looks like you're gonna
need him to testify.
You watching your figure?
Yo, how was Palestine?
- Crowded.
- Man, try sleeping on my father's couch.
I thought you were living with your mom?
Long story, but she kicked me out.
Oh, she caught you fucking
some chick on her bed again.
Whose side are you on?
So what you gonna do?
I don't know.
All my cash is going into storage,
and Sonny's doesn't pay enough
for me to get my own spot.
- It's always something, huh?
- Seriously.
Damn.
So this is why your mom kicked you out.
- Watch and learn, rookie.
- Okay.
- This is what I do.
- All right.
- All right?
- We'll see about that.
Hey. Aren't you Emmett Washington?
Yeah, that's me, baby.
Yeah?
- You've been served.
- Ooh, shit.
You know, I get that,
but if it's a cookout,
why I gotta wear slacks?
It's a fundraiser.
My parents are throwing
it for Alderman Bonner.
I'm not giving nothing to
no crooked-ass alderman, J.
Look, I just... I need
to connect with Mrs. Brown
about selling her condos,
and then we can leave.
If I make this deal, it'll be huge.
All right, cool,
'cause the less time we
gotta spend with your parents
and their bougie-ass
friends, the better.
All I know is how to cook.
And it's not just what
I do. It's who I am.
That's nice,
but the success rate has
to be low in that field.
But when you work at
a successful restaurant
like Trestle, then
you're guaranteed success.
The cook from Fahrenheit on the
Gold Coast started at Trestle.
I stand corrected.
Excuse me.
I think I see a buddy
that I haven't seen
since culinary school,
so... I'll be right back.
When are you gonna get serious
about settling down, Jerrika?
We are serious.
We like Brandon, but come on. Jerrika.
A chef?
Wow, Mom. Daddy, please, a little help?
I'm sorry, J. I didn't spend 100 grand
on Spelman for you to marry a cook.
Maybe we should be discussing
the six-figure commission
I stand to gain if I land
Mrs. Brown's account.
Give you something to
talk to your friends about.
Or maybe we should discuss
your plan to finally take the bar.
Mrs. Brown would find
you much more impressive.
Mrs. Brown or you?
- J.
- Excuse me.
Jerrika, wait.
And then you just
took that burnt salmon
fillet and slathered it
with honey glaze and called it Cajun.
It worked, didn't it?
I wish things were that simple now.
Learning how to flambé?
Way easier than running a business.
Oh, yeah, they conveniently
left that shit out.
Case in point: I book this event,
and my assistant cancels
on me at the last minute.
Tell me about it.
I got a friend helping me
on the food truck right now.
This man is terrible at everything!
It's an amazing property,
and I'd love to pitch
my proposal for why I'd be the
best broker to represent you.
Tell me, what can I do
to earn your business?
I usually only work with
brokers with more experience,
but out of respect for your parents,
I'll give you a shot.
Contact my office to
set up an appointment.
Thank you. Looking forward to it.
Great. Enjoy.
What are you doing?
Chef Jeff's assistant didn't
show, so I'm helping him out.
Would you like a piece,
or would you prefer
that it came from Trestle?
I only told them that so they wouldn't
ask me a million questions.
Mm.
You ashamed of me being a chef, J?
Don't even play me like that, Brandon.
You know I'm not like that.
I'm just trying to make this deal,
and serving my parents' guests
like you're one of the help?
I'm just saying it looks a
certain way to certain people.
Mm...
I don't give a shit what
these bougie-ass people think.
Most of them fake as fuck anyway.
Look, what I'm asking might be shitty,
but this means a lot to me.
I just need you to play
along for a little bit.
Besides, don't tell me
we couldn't use the money.
You know what?
Fine, J.
How's your grandmother doing, bro?
Made it out of surgery.
She's in ICU.
Saying it's touch-and-go.
That's what's fucked up
about being locked up.
When shit like this happen,
ain't nothing you can do.
Fuck that.
My lawyer's working on
getting me out of here.
Ain't no public defender
getting your ass
out of jail on a murder charge.
You know how many cases they got?
What do you need to do is
get at Wolf's badass lawyer.
Motherfucker was sentenced to life
and it got knocked down to 15 years.
How do I get in contact?
You can't just call
a high-powered lawyer
from a prison pay phone.
You gotta go through Wolf.
Who is he?
You'll see him on the
yard. He ain't hard to find.
I want to press charges!
She had her brother jump me.
All right? I want her
arrested for assault right now.
I have no idea what he's
talking about, ma'am.
She's lying. You fuckin' lying.
If you want to press charges,
I suggest you call the police.
But today is about
establishing financial support
for your son, Emmett Washington, Junior.
I already give her money.
Two hundred dollars two
months ago ain't nothing.
Do you have any records or receipts
of these payments or purchases?
Do you have a job, Mr. Washington?
Yeah, I work part-time
at Sonny's Chicken Pit.
And where have you lived
for the past five years?
With my mama.
Do you have insurance, and if so,
would you be the primary?
No, it's my mama.
What about transportation?
How do you get around?
The train.
Or my mama.
Triflin' ass.
If I'm gonna get grilled
about my whole life,
I wanna know when I can see my son.
Okay, again, that is
not what we do here.
Once you prove temporary
financial support,
you receive a court date,
at which point a judge will
issue a permanent order.
At that point, you can
address custody and visitation.
So what you're saying...
I gotta pay for my son...
but I can't see him?
I'm really sorry, Mr. Washington.
Ethel, this is Bertha.
Let me know if you're
going to bingo tonight
so I can have Otis pick you up.
Hello.
This is an eviction notice.
Family C Realty Group
would like to offer you
a stipend for moving expenses.
Please call us back
at 800-555-0199.
Hello, valued customer.
Hoover's Furnit...
But I already talked to them!
Boy, who you think you
raising your voice at?
Kevin...
look, I know this is a tough thing,
but Ronnie Davis is
trying to get out of jail.
You talking to the DA
could help put him away.
Nah! I'm not gonna be no snitch!
- Please excuse him.
- I get it.
He's been through a lot.
Too much.
We've got him seeing a therapist.
- Is it helping?
- I don't know.
She says he's worried about dying.
During a session, he said, um,
"if I grow up"...
like he's expecting that not to happen.
Sorry.
That's gotta be hard.
Raising a black boy
around here, sometimes...
you have no idea.
- You want me to talk to him?
- No.
I think I just need some
time to figure this out.
I'll get back to you.
Of course.
There's a wave of
upwardly-mobile professionals
who are more than
willing to pay top dollar
for a place that has great schools,
low crime, and
convenient transportation.
But why should they buy your properties?
Culture.
An area ripe with art,
music, and cuisine.
One of my favorite weekly events nearby
is the Jackson Park farmers' market.
Best grilled corn you've
ever had in your life.
But it's not just about
the events and the numbers.
These investors simply want
a great place to call home.
You've done your homework.
It's what I know.
And if you're willing to
reserve a small percentage
of the units for low-income housing,
you could receive a federal stipend
to offset unpredictables
and other costs.
Honey, I grew up in Section 8 housing.
In fact, the first building
I bought was low-income
'cause I thought, like
you, I could save the hood.
I had to learn the hard way,
you let those people in,
they will ruin your property.
It's not worth it.
Okay.
Look... I'm not sure
we're on the same page.
I want people with money.
I'm done passing out welfare checks,
if you know what I mean.
Well, um...
I-I personally don't recommend
the low-income route, but...
I wanted to give you the option.
We are definitely on the same page.
And once I show you
my plans for staging,
I'm sure you'll agree.
Where do you live?
- I'm sorry?
- If you're gonna stage
my property, I'd like to
know who I'm dealing with...
see how you live.
Dinner at your place?
Sure. Uh...
how's tonight?
Perfect.
This all our shit, from
43rd to the hundreds.
That's what's up.
- What's all this?
- Oh,
I'm starting my own
snack hustle at school.
Vending machines rip people off.
And I'm saving up to get a new PS4.
Okay, I ain't mad. Little brother trying
to be Bill Gates Junior
in this fuckin' piece.
What you selling them for?
Uh, plain chips for 50, Doritos for 85,
and the Cheetos for 70.
So you gonna walk around
with a change machine?
Huh?
Jake, check this out.
Look over there.
Loose change is for broke motherfuckers,
and ain't none of them in this house.
Do you understand?
- Yeah.
- Sell that shit
for a dollar apiece.
Keep the math simple.
Hold fast, playa.
Speaking of math, how
your grades looking?
Where the fuck is your homework?
I ain't got none.
Then take your ass in
the back and go find some,
'cause I ain't going to jail for nobody.
Boss man.
We got a problem.
Money's short.
- That's not an option.
- I know.
So what's the move?
Let me run the plates by you.
Seven, V as in "Victor,"
eight, four...
There was cash and jewelry left behind.
Let me... let me call you back.
- What were you saying?
- The Ethel Davis attack.
It wasn't a robbery. You
say you knew the family?
Yeah.
Is it possible the attack was
about Coogie Johnson's murder?
You mean retribution?
Can't rule it out.
Well, I don't know.
Coogie had a brother.
Brandon Johnson.
It doesn't feel like his style, though.
What about other family members?
Is there a father around or cousins?
There's no father in the picture.
It's just, uh, a single mother, Laverne.
She certainly had some trouble
with drinking and the like.
Is she capable of something like this?
Maybe she hired someone to do it.
It's hard to say what people will
or won't do when they're grieving.
Good.
- I'll look into the family.
- Yeah.
Try "excuse me" next time.
Wait for me to finish my phone call.
We have manners on the South Side.
That crooked cop was
your partner, right?
Wallace, was it?
If you South Siders were
handling your business
instead of grabbing for yourselves,
I'd be on my third gin and tonic by now.
Get out your feelings.
I play where I'm needed.
Yo, Brandon, people loved this dude.
Second time I've emptied this today.
Oh, yeah, well, Junie was good people.
Yo, we got another big one.
A dozen short-rib burritos,
a dozen pork-belly tacos.
Who is ordering all this shit?
Man, what is y'all doing? Move!
Y'all ain't even got no money.
We don't need money.
We eat here for free.
How you figure?
Reg said we good.
Shit, y'all got me fucked up.
Matter of fact, I'm sorry,
people, we are closed.
To all my paying customers,
come back tomorrow and I got y'all.
To the rest of y'all,
pico de gallo ain't cheap.
Kick fuckin' rocks.
- Man!
- No! No!
I changed my mind. I don't like this.
He's been in there almost two hours.
The ADA is just double-checking
the facts, Ms. Williams.
No... Ms. Williams!
Wait!
Kevin, get up. Let's
go. Get out of here.
Ms. Williams, all...
all he's doing is prepping
Kevin for the trial.
Ronnie Davis's lawyer is
gonna be way more aggressive
- when he's on the stand, so...
- "The stand"?
Like, in front of people?
Ma, I told you they wanted me to snitch.
Now everybody's gonna know!
Ugh!
I'll give you a call later.
And then they got the nerve to say,
"We don't even have to pay."
The hell they think this is?
Why don't you just move
your truck to a safer area?
I shouldn't have to.
The South Side is my home.
Come on, J, I'm not wearing
that corny, tight-ass shit.
I gotta cook.
And I gotta land this account.
Please, Brandon.
You lucky you cute.
- Gimme that.
- Thank you.
Welcome, Mrs. Brown.
So happy to have you.
Please, come in.
This is my boyfriend, Brandon.
It's a pleasure to meet you.
I've heard a lot about you,
and I hope you like braised pork belly.
Oh, nice to meet you too, young man.
Is that star anise I smell?
I see we're dealing with a woman
who knows her Asian spices.
So let's have dinner.
Father, bless this food
we're about to receive.
Bless the hands that
prepared it in Jesus' name.
- Amen.
- Amen.
So this fool
called me with his
"cousin" on the three-way
asking me to hook her up
with a job at the hospital,
so I act like I hang up
but stay on and listen.
Yeah, here we go.
- Oh, Lord.
- Next thing I know,
Darnell is telling
Michelle I'm his cousin
and how much he love her.
- I lost it.
- So what happened?
We went up to his job at the
plant and tore him a new one.
Y'all got me fired is what you did.
So let me get this straight.
You started with her,
went to her,
and ended up with her?
Yeah.
And y'all ain't ready
to kill each other?
Mm, not right now.
Unless someone takes
that last piece of chicken
without asking.
Okay.
We just realized we're
stronger together than apart.
Besides, what one person can look after
all your daddy's kids?
Okay? I know I ain't watching them.
Honey, me either.
I barely wanna watch my own.
Anybody want dessert?
- No, I'm full.
- I'll take some of
- that cobbler.
- Cheryl, you did
a great job with...
Hey, man.
Dinner's not over. Where you going?
Man, don't tell me what to do.
You don't disrespect my
house and family like that.
What the hell you think this is?
I think it's bullshit that my mama got
the no-good-ass nigga she got,
and they get Daddy of the Year.
Beer's not my thing.
Just take it and hold it, man,
like fathers and sons
do in them commercials.
Let me rap with you.
Look, man...
no excuses.
My father wasn't there for me either,
and I thought that... as long
as I was providing financially,
then I didn't have to put in the time.
I just hope you do a
better job than I did.
I don't know, man.
I be trying, but Tiff is crazy.
Shaking me down for
child support and shit.
What you got going on, I can't...
ever see it being like this with her.
You know why they got
the father of the year?
'Cause I realized I was
that no-good-ass nigga,
and I ain't like it.
What I'm saying is your mama got the boy
and they got the man.
Oh, please, allow me.
Oh, this one's a catch.
I must say,
your parents painted
a different picture.
He's not at all like
those people we discussed.
Wha-what... what people?
I'll let Jerrika tell you about it.
If you couldn't tell,
you had the account
as soon as the bánh xèo came out.
Meet me Monday morning
to sign the paperwork.
Thank you. I won't disappoint you.
We did it!
You cooked your ass off,
babe. It sealed the deal.
"Those people"?
I know what she's talking about.
That's that bougie
shit your parents be on.
Babe, that's what's
special about your food.
It made a stuck-up-ass woman
like Mrs. Brown open her mind.
People are drawn to it.
You think so?
I know so.
- Congratulations.
- Thank you!
Look at this.
A nigger who done lost his way.
- Don't want no trouble.
- Maybe we do.
Get this to Wolf.
He'll know what to do with it.
What the fuck is this?
Currency.
That's Booney.
Hell, yeah, and this
nigga done brought pizza.
It better be Italian Fiesta!
Take your motherfucking clothes off!
Get naked, niggas! Now!
Take your shoes off! Your socks too!
Take that shit off! Get naked!
Bro, put all that... just get
everything in the bag, bro.
Yeah, scoop all of that up, bro.
Bro, you're not moving fast enough.
Take that fucking shit off.
Stop looking at me.
Bro, stop looking at me.
Look the other way!
Come on, bro, hurry up.
Put the shit in the bag!
- Yup.
- We going, we going, come on!
Come on, we gone!
Don't mess around with the courts, man.
My cousin missed one
payment, got locked up.
It's not even the payments, dawg.
I just don't have the money.
And all I want to do is see EJ,
not get locked up over this shit.
You think we can get the shoe
game hustle rolling again?
Too slow. Everyone just
waits for the new Js to drop.
All right.
Well, if you hear
something, let me know.
Let me get some Backwoods
and some sunflower seeds.
Bro, when y'all start selling weave?
Man, that shit don't sell.
And no wonder it's not selling.
Look at that shitty-ass packaging.
And where's the name?
- The name? It's hair.
- No.
Women like their shit to
sound exotic, all right?
Like "Hawaiian Silky" or "Italian Mink"
or... "French New-aveau."
How do you know so much about this shit?
You know how many women I know
who won't leave the
house without a weave?
A trillion of 'em.
You got a minute? I want
to show you something.
All right.
Now, this better not be no
stolen kidneys or livers.
I ain't into that shit.
Chill out.
Ah! What the fuck is that, a dead bear?
Dude, it's hair...
straight from the heads
of the Koyo Zom mountain
people of Pakistan.
I was gonna sell this shit
wholesale to cut my losses.
Or we clean it, bag it, and sell it...
just like the Chinese and the Koreans.
That's actually fucking brilliant.
Can you get more of this shit?
I got a direct line to
the supplier in Pakistan.
Ooh, we about to make a killing!
Instead of slangin'
Js, we slangin' weave.
I'm not doing it.
I'm not putting him through it.
But without Kevin's help,
the boy's killer could walk free.
He already gave them two statements.
They can't put this on Kevin.
He already thinks he's gonna die.
- We don't know that.
- He said "if I grow up."
Nina, you don't know what it's like
to lose someone through gun violence.
When my brother Terrell was killed,
the only thing that kept my mother
from losing her mind was
seeing the men who shot him
locked up for good.
So what this Coogie boy's
family gonna go through
if this man gets out...
and Kevin could've stopped it?
Pretty smart soaking
that towel with this.
Where'd you get it?
I made it myself.
Learned how to do it in Iraq.
Hmm.
Oh.
Yeah, I'll say it's ten
times better than our shit.
Well, I can show you how to make it
so your people stop getting sick.
I seen them in the infirmary.
They all got rotgut.
In exchange for what?
A meeting with your lawyer.
Why should I make a deal with you?
The proof's in the pruno.
You'll be getting favors hand over fist.
I'll see what I can do.
By the way,
what you in for?
I murdered a kid back
in my neighborhood.
Black?
Guess black lives don't matter.
Do you know who I am?
I think so.
You Douda,
street-chair of the 63rd Street Mob.
Blacque?
Have a seat.
I sent word to your crew
to handle some business.
- Did you take care of that?
- Indeed.
I put outside folks on it.
One hundred racks in two days?
That tells me that you're
resourceful and industrious.
Conversely, the reason why
you had to get the money
in the first place is because
you sloppy and reckless.
Douda, a lot of that
shit wasn't my fault.
Q and Trice was fucking up the money.
I been trying to get us back...
Fuckin' up the atmosphere...
Is what you doing.
Bunnahabhain 25.
It's Scotch, nigga.
Trice met with a tragic end.
You saw an opportunity
and you... you took it.
Can't be mad at that.
What about Q?
He got permission from the old man
to come back to reconcile
some personal business.
In the course, he let his
emotions cloud his judgment
and stole some merchandise
that was in your possession
that belonged to the company.
Killed a cop. That's a violation.
Q was held accountable. Q is gone.
But let's talk about
your role in all this.
Trice was a lot of things,
but he always brought
us our paper on time.
I didn't mean no disrespect, Douda.
Congratulations on this blessing.
You're accountable now.
Ah, shit.
It's all there.
I remember those days.
Grow your game up, young man.
Tribute is due the first of every month.
You see me on the
streets, you don't know me.
Next time you violate,
it may cost you more than a fine.
Oh, and, um, Reg.
You eye-fuck my accountant again...
and it won't be good for you.
- Whoa, whoa.
- Yo, what's up?
Chillin', chillin'. What
it do? I'm all right.
What up, boy?
Hey, Cruz.
Check this out.
There's been a pattern of
break-ins... marked in blue...
and home invasions in red.
In more than half the
cases, we got complaints
of street boys making noise outside.
A few days later, home invasion.
Street boys all seem to be
linked to the 63rd Street Mob.
You're the resident
authority. Any thoughts?
Look...
it was wrong to lump you in
with the other bullshit cops.
You're damn right it was wrong.
You don't know shit about me.
I'll put my badge up against
any cop on this force,
including the West Side.
I stand corrected.
Okay, so what about the family?
It's a dead end.
That leaves the gang and your expertise.
Wait, is the West Side asking
the South Side for help?
Guess I'm slipping.
Yeah, must be all that gin and tonic.
Hey, Ronnie Davis's new
attorney is Hendricks,
AKA the Escape Artist.
Looks like her plan is to call
your confession into question.
All your ducks better be in a row, Cruz.
It's about to get ugly.
Last batch, y'all!
Thank you, Brandon.
Going out of your way
to cook for the family.
You know Reg?
Yes, ma'am, I do.
Junie would've been so
happy to have all his friends
gathered in one place.
I sure wish he would've
kept hanging out with you
when y'all was kids.
Whatever I have left after the funeral,
I'm gonna pay you, you hear?
Thanks, but the food was Reg's idea.
He already took care of it.
Nobody owes anybody anything.
Right, Reg?
Yes, ma'am.
You boys are so sweet.
Yo.
- Fuck...
- Ey, B!
Bro, this potato salad is on point.
What is that, paprika, nigga?
Naw, dawg, Old Bay.
Mmm.
But naw, real talk...
that was cool, what you did for Junie.
I've known the dude since
we were shorties, and...
his mama ain't never
looked at me like that.
Good.
I'll take it as gratitude.
'Cause our debt is settled.
I'm done with the bullshit.
Come on, bro.
- Come on, bro.
- Oh!
Yeah. Go.
Boom!
- That's your ass.
- Man, whatever.
You're just lucky.
So, uh, where everybody at?
Your house never this empty.
The whole crew is at Junie's repast.
I'm in charge of making sure
nobody hits up the house.
Yeah, you probably wanna
stay away from the windows.
Uh...
So now that Junie's
gone, what happens next?
We smoke one of them,
they smoke one of us.
It's all stupid.
Y'all know who killed him?
Yeah, but ain't nobody snitching.
- That's what's up.
- Naw, man.
I used to think that,
but... people be snitching all the time.
This gang shit? It's all fucked up, Kev.
You're lucky you don't
have to deal with it.
But I gotta deal with shit too.
Like not one but two moms
always telling me what to do.
You still got it good.
I wouldn't even know my mom
if she knocked on that door.
So, uh...
how can I get in on this
snack hustle, though?
I wanna get paid too.
Naw, man. I hustle 'cause I have to.
You shouldn't.
Like I said, this ain't for you.
Can you get me out?
Wolf said you were the best.
What day of the week
did you enter County?
I think it was, um... a Tuesday, maybe?
Do you remember the time?
I reviewed the confession video.
You appear to be impaired.
Are you a drunk, Mr. Davis?
Most people in County
can recall months later
the exact date and time they were booked
unless something is
impairing their memory.
I'll review your medical reports.
I'm sure they'll indicate
a positive alcohol test.
I also learned that the
deceased has an arrest record.
Well, I-I told the other lawyer
that I don't wanna go down that road.
Black men are being arrested
every day just for asking
to go to the bathroom;
you are asking a judge
to let one out who has
confessed to murder.
You wanna see your grandmother again,
I'd be less precious about
my tactics and your character.
Last thing.
Did you kill Charles Johnson, Mr. Davis?
Yes.
Good.
How's that good?
'Cause if I know you're
being honest with me,
I can be honest with you.
You a drunk, like I thought.
So stop drinking that fucking pruno
so I can get you out of here.
You smell like shit.
A two-bedroom would've been
nicer, but I guess it's a'ight.
I'm staying at Darnell's for now,
just in case you cared to know
I'm not sleeping on trains anymore.
Look at that.
You don't have your
mother as a safety net.
You're still alive.
How's it been over at your daddy's?
How many brothers and
sisters you got now?
Five? Six? Twenty?
That's so shady, Ma.
You okay?
Oh, damn, I forgot to tell you.
Somebody broke into Miss
Ethel's house and attacked her.
She's in pretty bad shape.
Oh, damn.
I thought I had a bad
day dealing with Tiff.
What happened with Tiff?
You got any wine up in here?
Hey, Kev. What's up?
Hey.
You okay?
Yeah.
I was thinking...
and, uh...
I just wanted to let you know that...
I'ma do it.
I'll testify.
You said you wanted your
gun back, so now we even.
You keep it. And we not even yet.
Not till I say so.
You called DCFS on me.
They been coming to my house, Emmett.
You ain't gon' see him!
- I need to question your son.
- About what?
The murder of Charles "Coogie" Johnson.
Who you work for?
My parents own a successful
real estate agency in Hyde Park.
I really think this place
has a lot of potential.
Trice gone.
So you the boss now, huh?
That's the way it's looking.
I'm taking the plea...
save the family the pain of a trial.
Coogie was my little guinea pig.
And your story.
Mom, let me in! I'm fuckin' homeless!
'Sup, Darnell?
Uh, you tell me, son.
May I help you?
Stop!
Poor woman. Concussion, collapsed lung,
broken wrist, internal hemorrhaging...
and that's just what
the EMTs determined.
So it looks like the perp
kicked in the back door
and fled out the front.
Who made the call?
Vic's caretaker, Jada Washington.
She found her when she got to work.
She rode with the vic to the hospital.
She's still in surgery.
Perp wasn't alone.
How old was the victim?
73 years old.
Get me a copy of the case
report when it's done.
Detective Toussaint.
Violent Crimes, West Side.
Hey. Detective Cruz. Homicide.
Is that shotgun part of my crime scene?
No, it's hers.
She was a... she was a tough old bird.
Is that right?
- You sure?
- Trust me.
I'm very familiar with
Miss Ethel and the family.
She used to live with her
grandson, Ronnie Davis.
He's in County awaiting sentencing.
For what?
Murder.
- Any thoughts on who did this?
- Hard to say.
You know, 63rd Street
Mob runs this area.
They're violent. They deal dope, guns.
I heard they drop a lot of bodies.
Yeah, well, they're getting dropped too.
Organization's in chaos right now
over a vacuum in leadership.
Let me put some feelers out, you know?
Maybe I can run down the field with you.
Whoa-whoa-whoa.
Slow your roll.
Don't leap too fast, grasshopper.
- Sorry?
- Don't be.
It's just, you're Homicide,
and no one's dead.
Nice Tims, though.
One-oh-seven-five, WGCI-FM!
Number one for Chicago's
hip-hop and R&B.
Yo, Brandon, how do you
work this thing again?
I gotta handle the
food and the money, bro?
Give me that shit.
Easy.
All right, one burrito, one grape pop.
That'll be eight-fifty, my man.
Everybody talking
about your joint, playa.
I had to come check you out for myself.
Damn.
This is bomb as fuck, my dude.
Yeah.
Yo! Yo, where my money at?
We good, bro.
We good.
What was that about?
It's complicated. How can I help you?
Mm-hmm. Okay, so you gonna
bust it open for me, baby?
I see. Don't be talking fly.
I'll swoop over there
and smash right now.
- Yo, man...
- Shut the fuck up, nigga.
You think you running the block now,
but don't forget how this shit work.
You need to run Douda a bag.
Forty-eight hours.
Fuck!
You wanna play when I
get home from school?
Sure, but only if you
let me sleep, okay?
Okay.
Damn.
Shit, we can beat that, Roscoe.
Drive on down, pick it up ourselves.
Mm-hmm.
- Okay.
- Where the pancakes?
Uh, hold on.
You snooze, you lose 'round here.
Better grab some cereal.
Yeah, that's him.
I know, right?
For real?
Let me get one of these.
Ah!
Let me call you right back, Roscoe.
These is for the kids' lunches.
Help me out, man.
How you got three baby
mamas, but no place to stay?
And why you just now reaching out
and I'm less than five miles from you?
You got my number too.
I got it, and I pay the bill.
What bill you pay?
You better ask you mama about
those child support payments.
One more year and I'm done.
You came in here the other night
looking like a lost
puppy, so I let it slide,
but you need to know the house rules.
Are you serious right now?
One: Don't ask me
nothing about your mama.
That chapter's closed.
Two: Help your brothers and sisters
get ready for school in the morning.
It's time they got to know you anyway.
Three...
We have dinner as a
family, seven o'clock sharp.
Break one of these rules,
and you find somewhere else to crash.
What the hell, Darnell?
You just can't take my shit.
Rule number four: It's my house.
I wear what's in it.
Roscoe. Yeah, it's me.
Yeah, I-I know exactly
where we can move it.
Guard!
Guard!
- You need to relax, Davis.
- Yo, please.
- I need to make a call.
- You know the rules.
Rec time's the next time
you can use the phone.
Man, that's, like, two hours away!
I need to see if my grandmother's
out of surgery now!
I'll see what I can do,
but you need to calm the fuck down.
This'll be quick. How much are these?
One-seventy-five, but
the better value is the family size.
Why you asking Papa, anyways?
These?
I mean, I'm more of a Oreos man,
but if you don't hurry
up and pick something,
- we gonna be late for school.
- Yeah, man, what is you doing?
I'm scouting the competition
for my snack hustle.
- "Snack hustle"?
- Yeah.
I've been watching Reg do his thing,
and I said, "Why not snacks?"
Buy 'em for the low-low,
sell 'em to the kids at
the school at a markup.
I'm conflicted.
On one hand, I respect
the hustle, but on the other,
I'm not sure I can let you exploit
my guilty pleasures like this.
I'm out.
Is he serious?
His ass just scared.
Last time he had too many tardies,
his dad put him on
punishment for the summer.
So, uh, how can I get down
with this snack hustle?
Naw, man, it's my thing.
Yo, how much?
I need you to stop
handling the merchandise
unless you're planning on buying it.
Okay, I respect that.
We good.
Come on.
I don't get it.
Why won't you let me in on this?
I'm Detective Alice Toussaint.
I'm working the Ethel Davis case.
Okay.
Can you tell me what happened?
I was coming up the block.
I saw the front door wide open.
That's when I first knew
something was wrong.
I walked inside the house...
I found her on the floor bleeding.
I thought...
Was she upset with anyone?
She have any arguments?
Anything happen
out of the ordinary recently?
Mm-mm.
I mean, I vaguely
remember her complaining
about some boys outside her house.
But to be honest, Miss Ethel...
She complains about everything.
What can you tell me about these boys?
Something about them
gambling, making noise.
Had her so worked up,
she called the block captain
to come out and run them off.
You think it was them?
Too early to tell.
It used to be such
a good neighborhood...
probably could leave
your door open, kids could play...
Folks would look after your kids
better than you looked after your kids.
Mm-hmm.
Now it's a fuckin' jungle.
I'll be reaching out to
you with more questions,
but if you remember anything,
don't hesitate to call.
Okay.
You gotta get me out of here.
I know, your grandmother.
Well, we've already
withdrawn your guilty plea.
I'm just waiting to hear
from the judge to see
if a bail hearing will be set.
Okay, good. Tha-that's good.
In the meantime, we need to make a case
for your release. It won't be easy,
but that Johnson kid was
busted for shoplifting
and marijuana possession two years ago.
Why's that matter?
Ah, well, in order to make
a case for your release,
we'll have to show that
this kid wasn't the saint
that everybody painted him as.
If we can prove that he lunged at you
or he tried to grab the gun
or you feared for your life,
then we can go with
the self-defense angle.
No, he was a good kid.
I ain't going down that road.
Look, you say you want to get out.
I do, but not like this.
I'm trying to help, Mr. Davis,
but you have to work with me.
Not bad, Greavy. Not bad at all.
Four o'clock mean four o'clock.
My bad. I had a lot going on.
What you need me to do?
Grab me a beer.
I know you didn't call
me all the way down here
- to play bartender for you.
- Nah, I needed your help
hanging this fan, but
as you can see, I'm done.
You couldn't call me and
let me know you was finished?
I don't answer to you, boy.
I'm fucking with you, man.
Actually, I got some
bad news this morning.
Junie was killed.
What? Junie? How?
Drive-by at a house party.
Caught one in the head.
Damn.
We went to grade school together.
I mean, we went our
separate ways, but he was...
he was one of the guys.
I got one of these on my bus.
I was hoping you'd put one in
your food truck for the family.
No doubt. For sure.
Yeah, they struggling to
pay for the funeral service
and need all the help
they can get. Casket, food...
boy didn't even own a suit.
Damn.
What's good, people?
It's your boy Junie,
reppin' 63rd to the fullest.
You know what I mean?
We out here opp-shopping.
Wild Boys, Wild Boys, where
they at, where they at?
Junie tweakin'.
More money.
Hey, we about to go back to 63rd.
If y'all wanna see how
it's crackin' out there,
holla at me. We 'bout to buy the block.
Show 'em money. Show 'em money.
What the fuck is y'all doing,
sitting around crying
like some ho-ass bitches?
Get your feet off my
motherfucking table!
What the fuck is wrong with you niggas?
What happened to Junie was fucked up,
but we still got business to handle.
Look...
the second chair sent for me.
We got 48 hours to
come up with 100 stacks.
We don't,
Junie ain't gonna be
the only motherfucker
around here taking a dirt
nap, you feel me?
Junie gone. That was my nigga,
and you know we gonna get
some get back, but right now,
y'all gotta compartmentalize that shit.
Junie was about getting his paper.
You wanna honor that nigga,
get off y'all asses and get this bread.
What type of sick fuck
beats up an old lady?
It's a wonder she's alive.
Any word on the investigation?
I'm Homicide.
Why would I know anything about
what's going on with Violent Crime?
Look, the department's
taking a lot of heat
over Wallace and his bullshit.
Toussaint is here on
orders from Command,
which means City Hall is involved,
so don't get your panties in a bunch
because she's in your backyard.
I get it, okay? I don't have to like it.
No, you don't, but if you
really want to be pissed off,
Here's something: I
just got off the phone
with the DA's office about
Coogie Johnson's murder.
Ronnie Davis is reneging on his plea.
He's trying to get out of jail?
- That's bullshit!
- Agreed.
Now, what about the eyewitness?
That 12-year-old kid?
I got his statement on record.
Well, you better get him up to speed.
Looks like you're gonna
need him to testify.
You watching your figure?
Yo, how was Palestine?
- Crowded.
- Man, try sleeping on my father's couch.
I thought you were living with your mom?
Long story, but she kicked me out.
Oh, she caught you fucking
some chick on her bed again.
Whose side are you on?
So what you gonna do?
I don't know.
All my cash is going into storage,
and Sonny's doesn't pay enough
for me to get my own spot.
- It's always something, huh?
- Seriously.
Damn.
So this is why your mom kicked you out.
- Watch and learn, rookie.
- Okay.
- This is what I do.
- All right.
- All right?
- We'll see about that.
Hey. Aren't you Emmett Washington?
Yeah, that's me, baby.
Yeah?
- You've been served.
- Ooh, shit.
You know, I get that,
but if it's a cookout,
why I gotta wear slacks?
It's a fundraiser.
My parents are throwing
it for Alderman Bonner.
I'm not giving nothing to
no crooked-ass alderman, J.
Look, I just... I need
to connect with Mrs. Brown
about selling her condos,
and then we can leave.
If I make this deal, it'll be huge.
All right, cool,
'cause the less time we
gotta spend with your parents
and their bougie-ass
friends, the better.
All I know is how to cook.
And it's not just what
I do. It's who I am.
That's nice,
but the success rate has
to be low in that field.
But when you work at
a successful restaurant
like Trestle, then
you're guaranteed success.
The cook from Fahrenheit on the
Gold Coast started at Trestle.
I stand corrected.
Excuse me.
I think I see a buddy
that I haven't seen
since culinary school,
so... I'll be right back.
When are you gonna get serious
about settling down, Jerrika?
We are serious.
We like Brandon, but come on. Jerrika.
A chef?
Wow, Mom. Daddy, please, a little help?
I'm sorry, J. I didn't spend 100 grand
on Spelman for you to marry a cook.
Maybe we should be discussing
the six-figure commission
I stand to gain if I land
Mrs. Brown's account.
Give you something to
talk to your friends about.
Or maybe we should discuss
your plan to finally take the bar.
Mrs. Brown would find
you much more impressive.
Mrs. Brown or you?
- J.
- Excuse me.
Jerrika, wait.
And then you just
took that burnt salmon
fillet and slathered it
with honey glaze and called it Cajun.
It worked, didn't it?
I wish things were that simple now.
Learning how to flambé?
Way easier than running a business.
Oh, yeah, they conveniently
left that shit out.
Case in point: I book this event,
and my assistant cancels
on me at the last minute.
Tell me about it.
I got a friend helping me
on the food truck right now.
This man is terrible at everything!
It's an amazing property,
and I'd love to pitch
my proposal for why I'd be the
best broker to represent you.
Tell me, what can I do
to earn your business?
I usually only work with
brokers with more experience,
but out of respect for your parents,
I'll give you a shot.
Contact my office to
set up an appointment.
Thank you. Looking forward to it.
Great. Enjoy.
What are you doing?
Chef Jeff's assistant didn't
show, so I'm helping him out.
Would you like a piece,
or would you prefer
that it came from Trestle?
I only told them that so they wouldn't
ask me a million questions.
Mm.
You ashamed of me being a chef, J?
Don't even play me like that, Brandon.
You know I'm not like that.
I'm just trying to make this deal,
and serving my parents' guests
like you're one of the help?
I'm just saying it looks a
certain way to certain people.
Mm...
I don't give a shit what
these bougie-ass people think.
Most of them fake as fuck anyway.
Look, what I'm asking might be shitty,
but this means a lot to me.
I just need you to play
along for a little bit.
Besides, don't tell me
we couldn't use the money.
You know what?
Fine, J.
How's your grandmother doing, bro?
Made it out of surgery.
She's in ICU.
Saying it's touch-and-go.
That's what's fucked up
about being locked up.
When shit like this happen,
ain't nothing you can do.
Fuck that.
My lawyer's working on
getting me out of here.
Ain't no public defender
getting your ass
out of jail on a murder charge.
You know how many cases they got?
What do you need to do is
get at Wolf's badass lawyer.
Motherfucker was sentenced to life
and it got knocked down to 15 years.
How do I get in contact?
You can't just call
a high-powered lawyer
from a prison pay phone.
You gotta go through Wolf.
Who is he?
You'll see him on the
yard. He ain't hard to find.
I want to press charges!
She had her brother jump me.
All right? I want her
arrested for assault right now.
I have no idea what he's
talking about, ma'am.
She's lying. You fuckin' lying.
If you want to press charges,
I suggest you call the police.
But today is about
establishing financial support
for your son, Emmett Washington, Junior.
I already give her money.
Two hundred dollars two
months ago ain't nothing.
Do you have any records or receipts
of these payments or purchases?
Do you have a job, Mr. Washington?
Yeah, I work part-time
at Sonny's Chicken Pit.
And where have you lived
for the past five years?
With my mama.
Do you have insurance, and if so,
would you be the primary?
No, it's my mama.
What about transportation?
How do you get around?
The train.
Or my mama.
Triflin' ass.
If I'm gonna get grilled
about my whole life,
I wanna know when I can see my son.
Okay, again, that is
not what we do here.
Once you prove temporary
financial support,
you receive a court date,
at which point a judge will
issue a permanent order.
At that point, you can
address custody and visitation.
So what you're saying...
I gotta pay for my son...
but I can't see him?
I'm really sorry, Mr. Washington.
Ethel, this is Bertha.
Let me know if you're
going to bingo tonight
so I can have Otis pick you up.
Hello.
This is an eviction notice.
Family C Realty Group
would like to offer you
a stipend for moving expenses.
Please call us back
at 800-555-0199.
Hello, valued customer.
Hoover's Furnit...
But I already talked to them!
Boy, who you think you
raising your voice at?
Kevin...
look, I know this is a tough thing,
but Ronnie Davis is
trying to get out of jail.
You talking to the DA
could help put him away.
Nah! I'm not gonna be no snitch!
- Please excuse him.
- I get it.
He's been through a lot.
Too much.
We've got him seeing a therapist.
- Is it helping?
- I don't know.
She says he's worried about dying.
During a session, he said, um,
"if I grow up"...
like he's expecting that not to happen.
Sorry.
That's gotta be hard.
Raising a black boy
around here, sometimes...
you have no idea.
- You want me to talk to him?
- No.
I think I just need some
time to figure this out.
I'll get back to you.
Of course.
There's a wave of
upwardly-mobile professionals
who are more than
willing to pay top dollar
for a place that has great schools,
low crime, and
convenient transportation.
But why should they buy your properties?
Culture.
An area ripe with art,
music, and cuisine.
One of my favorite weekly events nearby
is the Jackson Park farmers' market.
Best grilled corn you've
ever had in your life.
But it's not just about
the events and the numbers.
These investors simply want
a great place to call home.
You've done your homework.
It's what I know.
And if you're willing to
reserve a small percentage
of the units for low-income housing,
you could receive a federal stipend
to offset unpredictables
and other costs.
Honey, I grew up in Section 8 housing.
In fact, the first building
I bought was low-income
'cause I thought, like
you, I could save the hood.
I had to learn the hard way,
you let those people in,
they will ruin your property.
It's not worth it.
Okay.
Look... I'm not sure
we're on the same page.
I want people with money.
I'm done passing out welfare checks,
if you know what I mean.
Well, um...
I-I personally don't recommend
the low-income route, but...
I wanted to give you the option.
We are definitely on the same page.
And once I show you
my plans for staging,
I'm sure you'll agree.
Where do you live?
- I'm sorry?
- If you're gonna stage
my property, I'd like to
know who I'm dealing with...
see how you live.
Dinner at your place?
Sure. Uh...
how's tonight?
Perfect.
This all our shit, from
43rd to the hundreds.
That's what's up.
- What's all this?
- Oh,
I'm starting my own
snack hustle at school.
Vending machines rip people off.
And I'm saving up to get a new PS4.
Okay, I ain't mad. Little brother trying
to be Bill Gates Junior
in this fuckin' piece.
What you selling them for?
Uh, plain chips for 50, Doritos for 85,
and the Cheetos for 70.
So you gonna walk around
with a change machine?
Huh?
Jake, check this out.
Look over there.
Loose change is for broke motherfuckers,
and ain't none of them in this house.
Do you understand?
- Yeah.
- Sell that shit
for a dollar apiece.
Keep the math simple.
Hold fast, playa.
Speaking of math, how
your grades looking?
Where the fuck is your homework?
I ain't got none.
Then take your ass in
the back and go find some,
'cause I ain't going to jail for nobody.
Boss man.
We got a problem.
Money's short.
- That's not an option.
- I know.
So what's the move?
Let me run the plates by you.
Seven, V as in "Victor,"
eight, four...
There was cash and jewelry left behind.
Let me... let me call you back.
- What were you saying?
- The Ethel Davis attack.
It wasn't a robbery. You
say you knew the family?
Yeah.
Is it possible the attack was
about Coogie Johnson's murder?
You mean retribution?
Can't rule it out.
Well, I don't know.
Coogie had a brother.
Brandon Johnson.
It doesn't feel like his style, though.
What about other family members?
Is there a father around or cousins?
There's no father in the picture.
It's just, uh, a single mother, Laverne.
She certainly had some trouble
with drinking and the like.
Is she capable of something like this?
Maybe she hired someone to do it.
It's hard to say what people will
or won't do when they're grieving.
Good.
- I'll look into the family.
- Yeah.
Try "excuse me" next time.
Wait for me to finish my phone call.
We have manners on the South Side.
That crooked cop was
your partner, right?
Wallace, was it?
If you South Siders were
handling your business
instead of grabbing for yourselves,
I'd be on my third gin and tonic by now.
Get out your feelings.
I play where I'm needed.
Yo, Brandon, people loved this dude.
Second time I've emptied this today.
Oh, yeah, well, Junie was good people.
Yo, we got another big one.
A dozen short-rib burritos,
a dozen pork-belly tacos.
Who is ordering all this shit?
Man, what is y'all doing? Move!
Y'all ain't even got no money.
We don't need money.
We eat here for free.
How you figure?
Reg said we good.
Shit, y'all got me fucked up.
Matter of fact, I'm sorry,
people, we are closed.
To all my paying customers,
come back tomorrow and I got y'all.
To the rest of y'all,
pico de gallo ain't cheap.
Kick fuckin' rocks.
- Man!
- No! No!
I changed my mind. I don't like this.
He's been in there almost two hours.
The ADA is just double-checking
the facts, Ms. Williams.
No... Ms. Williams!
Wait!
Kevin, get up. Let's
go. Get out of here.
Ms. Williams, all...
all he's doing is prepping
Kevin for the trial.
Ronnie Davis's lawyer is
gonna be way more aggressive
- when he's on the stand, so...
- "The stand"?
Like, in front of people?
Ma, I told you they wanted me to snitch.
Now everybody's gonna know!
Ugh!
I'll give you a call later.
And then they got the nerve to say,
"We don't even have to pay."
The hell they think this is?
Why don't you just move
your truck to a safer area?
I shouldn't have to.
The South Side is my home.
Come on, J, I'm not wearing
that corny, tight-ass shit.
I gotta cook.
And I gotta land this account.
Please, Brandon.
You lucky you cute.
- Gimme that.
- Thank you.
Welcome, Mrs. Brown.
So happy to have you.
Please, come in.
This is my boyfriend, Brandon.
It's a pleasure to meet you.
I've heard a lot about you,
and I hope you like braised pork belly.
Oh, nice to meet you too, young man.
Is that star anise I smell?
I see we're dealing with a woman
who knows her Asian spices.
So let's have dinner.
Father, bless this food
we're about to receive.
Bless the hands that
prepared it in Jesus' name.
- Amen.
- Amen.
So this fool
called me with his
"cousin" on the three-way
asking me to hook her up
with a job at the hospital,
so I act like I hang up
but stay on and listen.
Yeah, here we go.
- Oh, Lord.
- Next thing I know,
Darnell is telling
Michelle I'm his cousin
and how much he love her.
- I lost it.
- So what happened?
We went up to his job at the
plant and tore him a new one.
Y'all got me fired is what you did.
So let me get this straight.
You started with her,
went to her,
and ended up with her?
Yeah.
And y'all ain't ready
to kill each other?
Mm, not right now.
Unless someone takes
that last piece of chicken
without asking.
Okay.
We just realized we're
stronger together than apart.
Besides, what one person can look after
all your daddy's kids?
Okay? I know I ain't watching them.
Honey, me either.
I barely wanna watch my own.
Anybody want dessert?
- No, I'm full.
- I'll take some of
- that cobbler.
- Cheryl, you did
a great job with...
Hey, man.
Dinner's not over. Where you going?
Man, don't tell me what to do.
You don't disrespect my
house and family like that.
What the hell you think this is?
I think it's bullshit that my mama got
the no-good-ass nigga she got,
and they get Daddy of the Year.
Beer's not my thing.
Just take it and hold it, man,
like fathers and sons
do in them commercials.
Let me rap with you.
Look, man...
no excuses.
My father wasn't there for me either,
and I thought that... as long
as I was providing financially,
then I didn't have to put in the time.
I just hope you do a
better job than I did.
I don't know, man.
I be trying, but Tiff is crazy.
Shaking me down for
child support and shit.
What you got going on, I can't...
ever see it being like this with her.
You know why they got
the father of the year?
'Cause I realized I was
that no-good-ass nigga,
and I ain't like it.
What I'm saying is your mama got the boy
and they got the man.
Oh, please, allow me.
Oh, this one's a catch.
I must say,
your parents painted
a different picture.
He's not at all like
those people we discussed.
Wha-what... what people?
I'll let Jerrika tell you about it.
If you couldn't tell,
you had the account
as soon as the bánh xèo came out.
Meet me Monday morning
to sign the paperwork.
Thank you. I won't disappoint you.
We did it!
You cooked your ass off,
babe. It sealed the deal.
"Those people"?
I know what she's talking about.
That's that bougie
shit your parents be on.
Babe, that's what's
special about your food.
It made a stuck-up-ass woman
like Mrs. Brown open her mind.
People are drawn to it.
You think so?
I know so.
- Congratulations.
- Thank you!
Look at this.
A nigger who done lost his way.
- Don't want no trouble.
- Maybe we do.
Get this to Wolf.
He'll know what to do with it.
What the fuck is this?
Currency.
That's Booney.
Hell, yeah, and this
nigga done brought pizza.
It better be Italian Fiesta!
Take your motherfucking clothes off!
Get naked, niggas! Now!
Take your shoes off! Your socks too!
Take that shit off! Get naked!
Bro, put all that... just get
everything in the bag, bro.
Yeah, scoop all of that up, bro.
Bro, you're not moving fast enough.
Take that fucking shit off.
Stop looking at me.
Bro, stop looking at me.
Look the other way!
Come on, bro, hurry up.
Put the shit in the bag!
- Yup.
- We going, we going, come on!
Come on, we gone!
Don't mess around with the courts, man.
My cousin missed one
payment, got locked up.
It's not even the payments, dawg.
I just don't have the money.
And all I want to do is see EJ,
not get locked up over this shit.
You think we can get the shoe
game hustle rolling again?
Too slow. Everyone just
waits for the new Js to drop.
All right.
Well, if you hear
something, let me know.
Let me get some Backwoods
and some sunflower seeds.
Bro, when y'all start selling weave?
Man, that shit don't sell.
And no wonder it's not selling.
Look at that shitty-ass packaging.
And where's the name?
- The name? It's hair.
- No.
Women like their shit to
sound exotic, all right?
Like "Hawaiian Silky" or "Italian Mink"
or... "French New-aveau."
How do you know so much about this shit?
You know how many women I know
who won't leave the
house without a weave?
A trillion of 'em.
You got a minute? I want
to show you something.
All right.
Now, this better not be no
stolen kidneys or livers.
I ain't into that shit.
Chill out.
Ah! What the fuck is that, a dead bear?
Dude, it's hair...
straight from the heads
of the Koyo Zom mountain
people of Pakistan.
I was gonna sell this shit
wholesale to cut my losses.
Or we clean it, bag it, and sell it...
just like the Chinese and the Koreans.
That's actually fucking brilliant.
Can you get more of this shit?
I got a direct line to
the supplier in Pakistan.
Ooh, we about to make a killing!
Instead of slangin'
Js, we slangin' weave.
I'm not doing it.
I'm not putting him through it.
But without Kevin's help,
the boy's killer could walk free.
He already gave them two statements.
They can't put this on Kevin.
He already thinks he's gonna die.
- We don't know that.
- He said "if I grow up."
Nina, you don't know what it's like
to lose someone through gun violence.
When my brother Terrell was killed,
the only thing that kept my mother
from losing her mind was
seeing the men who shot him
locked up for good.
So what this Coogie boy's
family gonna go through
if this man gets out...
and Kevin could've stopped it?
Pretty smart soaking
that towel with this.
Where'd you get it?
I made it myself.
Learned how to do it in Iraq.
Hmm.
Oh.
Yeah, I'll say it's ten
times better than our shit.
Well, I can show you how to make it
so your people stop getting sick.
I seen them in the infirmary.
They all got rotgut.
In exchange for what?
A meeting with your lawyer.
Why should I make a deal with you?
The proof's in the pruno.
You'll be getting favors hand over fist.
I'll see what I can do.
By the way,
what you in for?
I murdered a kid back
in my neighborhood.
Black?
Guess black lives don't matter.
Do you know who I am?
I think so.
You Douda,
street-chair of the 63rd Street Mob.
Blacque?
Have a seat.
I sent word to your crew
to handle some business.
- Did you take care of that?
- Indeed.
I put outside folks on it.
One hundred racks in two days?
That tells me that you're
resourceful and industrious.
Conversely, the reason why
you had to get the money
in the first place is because
you sloppy and reckless.
Douda, a lot of that
shit wasn't my fault.
Q and Trice was fucking up the money.
I been trying to get us back...
Fuckin' up the atmosphere...
Is what you doing.
Bunnahabhain 25.
It's Scotch, nigga.
Trice met with a tragic end.
You saw an opportunity
and you... you took it.
Can't be mad at that.
What about Q?
He got permission from the old man
to come back to reconcile
some personal business.
In the course, he let his
emotions cloud his judgment
and stole some merchandise
that was in your possession
that belonged to the company.
Killed a cop. That's a violation.
Q was held accountable. Q is gone.
But let's talk about
your role in all this.
Trice was a lot of things,
but he always brought
us our paper on time.
I didn't mean no disrespect, Douda.
Congratulations on this blessing.
You're accountable now.
Ah, shit.
It's all there.
I remember those days.
Grow your game up, young man.
Tribute is due the first of every month.
You see me on the
streets, you don't know me.
Next time you violate,
it may cost you more than a fine.
Oh, and, um, Reg.
You eye-fuck my accountant again...
and it won't be good for you.
- Whoa, whoa.
- Yo, what's up?
Chillin', chillin'. What
it do? I'm all right.
What up, boy?
Hey, Cruz.
Check this out.
There's been a pattern of
break-ins... marked in blue...
and home invasions in red.
In more than half the
cases, we got complaints
of street boys making noise outside.
A few days later, home invasion.
Street boys all seem to be
linked to the 63rd Street Mob.
You're the resident
authority. Any thoughts?
Look...
it was wrong to lump you in
with the other bullshit cops.
You're damn right it was wrong.
You don't know shit about me.
I'll put my badge up against
any cop on this force,
including the West Side.
I stand corrected.
Okay, so what about the family?
It's a dead end.
That leaves the gang and your expertise.
Wait, is the West Side asking
the South Side for help?
Guess I'm slipping.
Yeah, must be all that gin and tonic.
Hey, Ronnie Davis's new
attorney is Hendricks,
AKA the Escape Artist.
Looks like her plan is to call
your confession into question.
All your ducks better be in a row, Cruz.
It's about to get ugly.
Last batch, y'all!
Thank you, Brandon.
Going out of your way
to cook for the family.
You know Reg?
Yes, ma'am, I do.
Junie would've been so
happy to have all his friends
gathered in one place.
I sure wish he would've
kept hanging out with you
when y'all was kids.
Whatever I have left after the funeral,
I'm gonna pay you, you hear?
Thanks, but the food was Reg's idea.
He already took care of it.
Nobody owes anybody anything.
Right, Reg?
Yes, ma'am.
You boys are so sweet.
Yo.
- Fuck...
- Ey, B!
Bro, this potato salad is on point.
What is that, paprika, nigga?
Naw, dawg, Old Bay.
Mmm.
But naw, real talk...
that was cool, what you did for Junie.
I've known the dude since
we were shorties, and...
his mama ain't never
looked at me like that.
Good.
I'll take it as gratitude.
'Cause our debt is settled.
I'm done with the bullshit.
Come on, bro.
- Come on, bro.
- Oh!
Yeah. Go.
Boom!
- That's your ass.
- Man, whatever.
You're just lucky.
So, uh, where everybody at?
Your house never this empty.
The whole crew is at Junie's repast.
I'm in charge of making sure
nobody hits up the house.
Yeah, you probably wanna
stay away from the windows.
Uh...
So now that Junie's
gone, what happens next?
We smoke one of them,
they smoke one of us.
It's all stupid.
Y'all know who killed him?
Yeah, but ain't nobody snitching.
- That's what's up.
- Naw, man.
I used to think that,
but... people be snitching all the time.
This gang shit? It's all fucked up, Kev.
You're lucky you don't
have to deal with it.
But I gotta deal with shit too.
Like not one but two moms
always telling me what to do.
You still got it good.
I wouldn't even know my mom
if she knocked on that door.
So, uh...
how can I get in on this
snack hustle, though?
I wanna get paid too.
Naw, man. I hustle 'cause I have to.
You shouldn't.
Like I said, this ain't for you.
Can you get me out?
Wolf said you were the best.
What day of the week
did you enter County?
I think it was, um... a Tuesday, maybe?
Do you remember the time?
I reviewed the confession video.
You appear to be impaired.
Are you a drunk, Mr. Davis?
Most people in County
can recall months later
the exact date and time they were booked
unless something is
impairing their memory.
I'll review your medical reports.
I'm sure they'll indicate
a positive alcohol test.
I also learned that the
deceased has an arrest record.
Well, I-I told the other lawyer
that I don't wanna go down that road.
Black men are being arrested
every day just for asking
to go to the bathroom;
you are asking a judge
to let one out who has
confessed to murder.
You wanna see your grandmother again,
I'd be less precious about
my tactics and your character.
Last thing.
Did you kill Charles Johnson, Mr. Davis?
Yes.
Good.
How's that good?
'Cause if I know you're
being honest with me,
I can be honest with you.
You a drunk, like I thought.
So stop drinking that fucking pruno
so I can get you out of here.
You smell like shit.
A two-bedroom would've been
nicer, but I guess it's a'ight.
I'm staying at Darnell's for now,
just in case you cared to know
I'm not sleeping on trains anymore.
Look at that.
You don't have your
mother as a safety net.
You're still alive.
How's it been over at your daddy's?
How many brothers and
sisters you got now?
Five? Six? Twenty?
That's so shady, Ma.
You okay?
Oh, damn, I forgot to tell you.
Somebody broke into Miss
Ethel's house and attacked her.
She's in pretty bad shape.
Oh, damn.
I thought I had a bad
day dealing with Tiff.
What happened with Tiff?
You got any wine up in here?
Hey, Kev. What's up?
Hey.
You okay?
Yeah.
I was thinking...
and, uh...
I just wanted to let you know that...
I'ma do it.
I'll testify.