Wu-Tang: An American Saga (2019–…): Season 1, Episode 7 - Box in Hand - full transcript

The Diggs family moves on but in different directions.

Jerome?
‐ Hey, beautiful.

Jerome is out?

‐ Showed up on my doorstep
like a lost puppy.

But Randy's happy
to see his daddy.

There's a tiny
little sliver of land

in Ohio that I've been
sittin' on for years.

You won't be laughin'
when I put you

in that dream house
you always wanted.

‐ For real?

‐ As real as I'm sittin' here
right now.

‐ Afternoon, sweetheart.



‐ Have a fine day.

Jerome,
did you pay them?

‐ I'm not gonna move
another inch

until I hear you say
you trust me.

Damn Jerome.
Comin' in here

like we supposed to
bow down to him.

When you get out
of jail, you feel like

the entire world
has moved on without you,

and all you're trying to do
is catch up with it.

You all need to use
this time to go out there

and look for a job.

Hit it hard.
Really pound the pavement.

♪ Killa Hill,
Killa, Killa Hill ♪

♪ Who got the hype shit? ♪



‐ Damn, son,
you murderin' that.

‐ Yo.
You hear that?

Yeah, the hood
is feelin' it.

Shit.

You think you gonna
be a star and all that,

so you out here
wastin' your fuckin' time

rhymin' on some Memorex.

‐ The assistant to this manager
gave me his number.

‐ Manager?
Nigga, whatever.

My shit had
all the birds chirpin'.

My brothers is always
gonna be my brothers.

And all that falling on me,
I don't want that for you.

‐ I'm tired
of everybody thinking

that they know
what's best for me.

I know what I want.

♪ ♪

‐ Turn that shit off.

‐ Fuck you, you corny‐ass,
wannabe‐bad Uncle Tom.

- Yo!
- Yo, yo!

‐ He can't breathe!
‐ Yo, let him up!

Say something!

Say something!

Fucking dead.
You killed him!

He's not moving!

♪ ♪

♪ ♪



♪ ♪

Run!

♪ As I walk
in the shadow of death ♪

♪ Sixteen men
on a dead man's chest ♪

‐ Go, Shotgun!

‐ Go left, go left!

‐ Oh!

‐ Yo, yo!

Yo, get over,
get over, get over!

‐ Go left, go left!

♪ Stat could
get down like that ♪

♪ Who want them test
rocket launcher, yes ♪

‐ Yeah.

‐ You cleaned your plate,
didn't you?

♪ Get swung on,
can't we all get along? ♪

‐ Late again, huh?

‐ Man, fuck you.

♪ ♪

‐ Maybe you can go home
and get some dinner.

You know, instead of
freeloadin' off your relatives.

Clean up after yourself.

♪ ♪

‐ Mama!

Hey, put him on his ass!
Put him on his ass!

‐ Hey, hey, hey!

Get off my son!

Stop it!
Get off!

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Two for the black
and the blue ♪

♪ One for the sun ♪

♪ Step into millennium ♪

♪ Name of this one
is judgment day ♪

♪ No more BS,
can't come out and play ♪

‐ Fuck!

Yo!

Yo, ref!
Yo, ref, hey!

‐ You just need to play.
Hey, you better calm down.

‐ Yo, I know
you seen that shit!

What you mean, calm down?

‐ One minute penalty.
Go sit down.

‐ That ain't no penalty!

Auntie,
you don't understand, he was‐‐

‐ Get out of my house.
‐ Where am I supposed to go?

I don't care.

Get your shit, and get out.

Now.

If you're lucky,
maybe your grandma

will take you back.

‐ Yo, that's bullshit, ref!

♪ Let the garden grow ♪

♪ And stick that rhyme
where the sun don't shine ♪

♪ Darts pierce your heart ♪

‐ Hey, yo, keep your head up,
man, we got you.

We know that dude stuck you,
Shotgun, fuck that ref.

♪ And that's my way ♪

♪ Grim Reaper calling,
judgment day ♪

♪ Come on ♪

♪ I said come on ♪

♪ Ten,
let the countdown begin ♪

♪ Nine, I was born
in the mind ♪

♪ Eight, take the head
of a snake ♪

♪ Seven, behold Armageddon ♪

♪ Six, ain't no love
for the rich ♪

Hey, Grandma.

♪ Four,
'cause we live by the sword ♪

Please just give me
one more chance.

♪ One, for the Sun,
step into millennium ♪

♪ As I walk
in the shadow of death ♪

♪ Nobody go
till the God say so ♪

♪ You got a second or more
to run for the door ♪

♪ Before I blow back
off the map, contact ♪

♪ You didn't know Stat
could get down like that ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Mr. Meth,
hold the fort, most def ♪

♪ Cats is dead wrong ♪

‐ That was a fucking penalty.

♪ Playa ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

‐ Hey.
Look who's here.

Uncle Anthony.

‐ Man, you must've grown
a whole damn f‐‐

a whole foot‐‐

since I last saw you.

‐ What you doing here?

‐ Says he's clean.

‐ It's 'cause
it's the truth, Ma.

Anyway, I‐I'm out on parole.

I can't be messing all that up.

They'll throw away
the key on me.

Man, come on, man.

Yeah.

It's gonna be different now.

I got my old job back.

‐ You moving here?

With us?

Yeah.

What you think about that?

‐ That mean you gonna be
paying rent this time, Anthony?



Yeah, Ma.

Something like that.

♪ ♪

‐ Divine.
‐ Yeah?

‐ Why don't you help me out
with this rug.

‐ Yeah.

‐ Hey, yo, I heard
what happened to your boy Haze.

That shit's fucked up.

Cops be buggin' out, son.

Hey, yo, Bob.

‐ Hey, yo.

‐ Hey, man.

Yo, you moving?

‐ Just packing up shit
for Ohio.

‐ Hey, honey.

You here to help us out?

‐ No, Ma.

His ankle is busted.

‐ Oh.
Okay.

Well, help us pack up
the kitchen, then, Shotgun.

Thank you.

Shurrie,
stop dragging your feet.

Anything left in your room
by the time Jerome finished

packing the truck,
it ain't coming.

‐ Then I'm staying in my room.

‐ Excuse me, girl,
who you think you are?

Are you crazy?

‐ Hey.

Come on, now, little lady,
show your mama some respect.

‐ No, leave it.

We got seven hours
in the car together

to enjoy her little tantrum.

‐ Come on.
Mom said we gotta hurry.

‐ How come you don't want
to move so much?

‐ I don't know.

‐ Is it 'cause I'm going?

‐ What?

‐ Do you want to stay here

so you don't have to
take care of me anymore?

I know you probably
get sick of me sometimes.

‐ Come here.

No, okay?

I'm not sick of you.

Don't say things like that.
I'm sorry.

Come here.

Hey, Randy?

Can you do me a big favor?

Can you, um,

take this box down
to the truck?

‐ Okay.

Shurrie, this box
too heavy for me.

Can‐‐oh, can you take it?

‐ Yeah, yeah,
I got you, little man.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

‐ You're a real pro
at this, huh?



‐ You move around a lot
or something?

‐ Nah.

First time out of the joint,
I was a mover.

It was the only job
I could get, you know?

So I just kept my head down,
handled business.

Worked out all right
in the end.

Handle yours, it'll work out
for you too.

You don't want to end up
like your boy Haze.

‐ Matter of fact, I got a‐‐
I got a job interview tomorrow.

‐ You know
who you meetin' with?

‐ Yeah, uh, somebody
at this cleaning company

up at the World Trade.

‐ I done a ton
of interviews like that

when I was fresh out the joint.

Gotta read the person.

'Cause they looking
for any excuse

not to trust you.

If it's a white woman,
appeal to her sympathy.

If it's a white man,
you ain't gonna get that,

so be "respectful."

If it's a brother,
be straight up with him.

Oh.

Pardon me, fellas.

There's a damsel in distress.

Give that to me.

Let me get it.

‐ Yo, what do you think?

‐ Well, he says he loves her.

And, you know, Randy's getting
a chance to be with his dad.

‐ Yeah.

Damn.

Yo, I can't believe
this is happening for real.

‐ All right, yo,
I'm gonna go piss.

‐ Yo, I‐I got this.

‐ Damn, son, I been looking
all over for this tape.

‐ Hey, you packed the fuck
out of this box, nigga.

‐ My uncle told me
how to cross‐tape.

I didn't want your mother's
dishes getting broke.

Jostling on that journey.

She got some nice shit, son.

- Yo, you really out?
- No, I just, uh‐‐

my moms, Shurrie,
you know, Randy.

‐ Oh, so you staying.

‐ Yeah.

About to have
this entire house to myself.

When 'Vine get back,
him too, you know.

This 'bout to be the new hang.

Gon' have everything.

‐ That's what's up.

‐ Well, uh, bye, D.

‐ Yeah.
Have fun in Ohio.

‐ You better look out
for each other.

You too, Dennis.

‐ Yes, ma'am.

‐ Yeah, Mommy.

Yeah, of course.

‐ Yeah, don't you worry.

You're not leaving us alone.

We'll look out for each other.

‐ Yeah, and it ain't like

we're not gonna be talkin'
to each other

or seein' one another.

‐ No, but it's different.

You're men now.

All of you.

Can't just be having parties
all the time while I'm gone.

You have to make something
of yourself.

You can always make
something of yourselves.

No matter what anybody says.

You hear me?

♪ ♪

I love you.

♪ ♪

All right.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

I'm
a really hard worker.

Always on time.

Hey, and I really need
this job.

Yeah, no kidding.

I see you came
from the jobs program.

We keep a tight ship over here.

You gotta show up on time,
do what you're told.

Always wear your uniform
and keep it clean.

‐ This sounds like
a great opportunity.

♪ Time to get
funky‐new‐radical hip ♪

♪ As I get to the point ♪

♪ Rock this funky joint ♪

♪ Wait a sec, the teacher's
got to check the intellect ♪

♪ Plus I must step in
to give you it ♪

♪ But, but give you what? ♪

♪ The P, the R, the T ♪

♪ For often come
to teach the top ♪

Hmm.
What you think of this one?

Yo, that's the color
for you, girl.

Hey, what you got for us
by way of associate discount?

‐ I only have
a client discount, man.

You can talk to Vickie.

I think I see
my 2:00 walking in.

Take your time.

‐ Yo, that's Big Daddy Kane
and Roxanne Shanté?

‐ Mm‐hmm.

Come on.

‐ Yo.

‐ Have a seat.

‐ Oh, your office in here too?

‐ The fur business
and the music business,

good to be in together.

Help people in both parties.

Stick around, there might be
a coat in here for you.

‐ Word?

‐ I really dug
the demo you sent me.

Not every day I get a tape
labeled "Genius" on it.

‐ Well, you know,
name found me.

Know what I'm sayin'?

‐ I've been putting in calls
about you all over town.

‐ Yo, I really appreciate that.

‐ How about your‐‐
your boy on your track?

You said he was your cousin?

‐ Oh, yeah, Bobby.

Dynamite.

Just got his demo with me.

Check it out.

No, he's got a... unique sound.

♪ My mind flashed back
to an early mood ♪

♪ When I was just a sperm cell
in the fallopian tube ♪

♪ In the midst
of a state of triple darkness ♪

♪ Going through a struggle
so I could exist ♪

‐ Yo.
‐ Yo, what up, son?

Hey, yo, how'd that job
interview go and shit?

‐ A'ight, I guess.

Yo, where Bobby at?

‐ I ain't seen him
since I left your house.

I wish he'd come soon, though.

But that chess‐playin' nigga
keep tryin'

to get me to sit down
and shit, like...

I don't know that nigga,
the fuck?

Hey, yo, you spoke
to your family yet?

‐ Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

‐ Cool.

I wonder how they liking it.

Ohio.

♪ ♪

So Shurrie, is she, like,
finishing high school and shit

out there or...

‐ Yo, I'll catch you later.

‐ Hey, yo, what...

Hey, yo.

Hey, man, I just got done
talking to my cousin.

He just played my demo
for this manager,

and he wants to meet.

‐ That's dope, son.

He gon' sign you for sure.

‐ Hey, yo.

Hey, listen.

He heard your verses too, man.

He wants to meet us both.

Tonight.

Yo, I bet Haze would, uh...
yo, Haze would be excited, yo.

He always believed in you.

It's a big opportunity.

‐ He's playing
in the championships.

It's the first time
in his school's history.

It's a big opportunity.

I, um, I got a call
from your mama today.

‐ Oh, really?

She okay?

‐ She's got a place
in Staten Island now.

She wants you
to come live with her.

Oh.

‐ You still got time to pack
and catch the train tonight.

‐ Mama, as much as Shotgun
wants to be back with her,

I think it's best
that he finish up

the lacrosse season
and school year here.

He's playing
in the championships.

It's the first time
in his school's history.

He's playing against
all of these white boys.

It's a big opportunity.

‐ Fine.

Let's at least give her a call.

After dinner.

♪ ♪

Almighty God, we thank You
for this time together,

and we pray now
that You will bless it

to the nourishment
of our lives.

In the name of Jesus, we pray.

♪ ♪

♪ The ladies
will kick it ♪

♪ The rhyme that is wicked ♪

♪ Those that don't know
how to be pros get evicted ♪

♪ A woman can bear you,
break you, take you ♪

And when I heard
that verse

about the sperm
that fertilized the egg?

- Whoo!
- Wait, wait. Yo, yo.

- Y'all liked that?
- Come on.

I never heard a verse
like that before in my life!

‐ Shit sure wasn't no biter.

‐ And I was very impressed
by your track.

I mean,
you could feel the energy

coming through the speakers.

‐ Yo, I appreciate that.

- ‐ Yeah.
- Word.

‐ Gary.

Let me introduce you to Fly Ty.

Look, when I get back,
we talk next steps.

We got a showcase
here tomorrow night.

‐ Yo, cuz.

‐ Yo.

♪ But
for being with one ♪

♪ 'Cause when it's time
for loving ♪

♪ It's the woman
that gets some ♪

♪ Strong, stepping,
strutting, moving on ♪

♪ Rhyming, cutting,
and not forgetting ♪

♪ We are the ones
that give birth ♪

♪ To the new generation
of prophets ♪

♪ 'Cause it's ladies first ♪

‐ Hey, I could
get used to this.

♪ 'Cause they see
a woman ♪

♪ Standing up on her own two ♪

♪ Sloppy slouching
is something I won't do ♪

♪ Some think
that we can't flow ♪

♪ Stereotypes, they got to go ♪

We almost there.

♪ With what?
With a little touch ♪

‐ Yo, Bobby!

Damn, my moms paged me
12 times, son.

Yo, Bobby,
where the fuck you at, son?

Yo, what's good, nigga?

Shit, man.

‐ Where the fuck you been, son?

You got me fucking taking
trips and shit by mys...

Hey, yo, so let me
get this straight.

You been hanging out
with this Park Hill nigga

instead of puttin' in work
with me?

Hey, yo, what the fuck
is up, son?

‐ Hey, yo, listen.

This manager came up
to me and Shotgun, a'ight?

He wants us to perform
at this showcase

for these execs and shit.

So I figured, I prove myself,

I get this manager to sign me,

and then I pass your tape
to him like Gary did for me.

‐ All right, Bob,
what about the fucking work?

So you get signed,
you miss the fucking big time,

'Vine out here
picking up trash on Wall Street

instead of selling
to these niggas,

and I'm supposed to, what,
do the business for myself?

‐ Nah, man.
‐ Is that it?

‐ That's not what I'm saying.

‐ What the fuck are you saying?

Hey, yo, the only reason I got
this deep in this fucking game

is for your family.

‐ Hey, yo, it's two.

Yo, don't forget that.

Yo, all you gotta do
is sit tight, D.

Hey, for now.
Just for now.

And if I go anywhere,

you comin' with me.

You know that shit.

So I talked to my cousin Gary,

he was saying
that we gotta have our names

when we meet those guys.

Like we have our shit together.

Know what I'm saying?

He's going by "The Genius."

‐ Shit, I already been flipping
between two names, son.

Johnny Blaze and Iron Lung.

And I got this new idea, right?

Hot Nickels.

Word.

‐ I don't know, man.

‐ Nigga Haze used to say
that same shit.

‐ Hey, yo.

'Bout to be good tonight?

‐ Hell, yeah.

What about you,
what you gonna go by?

‐ Well, I want
to have something

with a little force behind it.

You know what I'm sayin'?

‐ Force?

I thought you was gonna go
by Bobby Dynamite.

‐ Hey, yo, check this.

Rakeem.

‐ Rakeem?
What's that?

‐ Yeah. Yo, I heard
some Five Percenters

talking about it in the park.

When I heard that shit,
that‐‐that "Ra,"

I thought, damn,
that shit is powerful.

Rakeem.

Yo, it's original.

‐ Yo, son, how is that original

when you caught it from some
Five Percenters in the park?

‐ Nigga, know what I'm saying.

Hurry
your crippled ass up, bruh.

‐ Whatever, man.

♪ ♪

♪ Just give me what you got ♪

♪ Uh‐huh, yeah,
give me what you got ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, taste me,
taste me, taste me ♪

♪ Baby, taste me ♪

♪ Swallow it, swallow it down
and don't waste me ♪

♪ Yeah, swallow it down ♪
‐ What I'm talkin' about, son.

‐ ♪ Swallow it down ♪

Yo, I ain't seen
this many white people

since I lived in Long Island.

♪ ♪

‐ No, no, no, no, no.

Use a rake.

Yeah.
See?

A rake won't splash
as much water over the edge.

All right?

See, you learn a trade,
you'll always have work.

Even after everything
I've been through.

‐ Yeah, you done
with all of that now.

Right?

‐ I ain't going nowhere.

Better get back to work.

‐ Hey, man.
What're you doin'?

‐ I'm just teaching
my nephew something.

‐ Yeah, well, teach him
somewhere else.

All right?
Not on my work site.

‐ Your work site?

‐ What do you think this is?

- ‐ You better chill out.
- Tony.

Jerry.

What's going on?

You said you had
my old job for me.

‐ I said I had a job.

‐ You think that kid
knows better than me?

I've been doing construction

longer than
he's been breathing.

How many years
have I given you?

‐ Yeah, and how many
of those years were you clean?

I'm sorry, Tony.

It's the best I can do.

♪ ♪

Hey, Unc.

Put your
motherfuckin' hands together.

Put your motherfuckin'
hands together

for my boy, my nigga,

Shotgun!

Hell, yeah!
Hell, yeah!

Let's hear that shit!

Hell, yeah.
Hell, yeah.

Yo.

Hey.

Kill that shit, nigga.

‐ Yo, New York, what up,
what up, what up, what up?

New York, what up?

What up, New York?

Make some motherfucking noise,
New York City, what up?

Yeah.

Yo, hey, yo, DJ,
put my shit on, man.

Whoo!

‐ ♪ I woke up
on the wrong side of the bed ♪

♪ Now I'm moody ♪

♪ Brothers trying to fuck me ♪

♪ Must think I'm booty ♪

♪ People causin' static
as if I'm trying to have it ♪

♪ But like a .45,
I flip, it's automatic ♪

♪ It all dates back
to when I was a youngster ♪

♪ Where if you didn't
fight back ♪

♪ Then you were called
a sucker ♪

♪ Or got played every time
you walked up the block ♪

♪ Even little kids would
come up and snatch your props ♪

♪ I had to fight to maintain
my self‐aggression ♪

♪ Stay good with the hands
ever since my adolescence ♪

♪ Fought with preachers,
even school teachers ♪

♪ Smack you so hard ♪

♪ They can hear it
in the bleachers ♪

♪ This buck wild type
juvenile delinquent ♪

♪ Problem child
type of every day stink kid ♪

♪ That's how it is
when Shotgun performs ♪

♪ Yo, B, you're on ♪

♪ ♪

‐ Time!

‐ Yeah!

We want more of that, boy.

Yo, ref.

Yo, don't make it
10 versus 11 out here.

‐ Yeah, you're lucky
I don't call personal.

‐ Yo, ref!

What the fuck was that, man?

‐ Uncle Anthony?

You just gonna let him
lead his whole crew?

‐ Yo, what you doing?
‐ Huh?

‐ Sir, get off the field.

‐ Hey, don't you tell me

get off the field, man.

You get me off the field.

Yo, chill, man.

Yo, you on parole, man.

‐ The hell is your uncle on?

‐ He's trying to cheat you.

‐ Yo, Uncle Anthony, please.
Stop, man.



‐ Get your uncle off the field.

♪ ♪

‐ No.
No, no, no.

Please.
I'll get him out of here.

♪ ♪

‐ He's trying to cheat you.

‐ Come on, man.
Get up.

Come on, man, we gotta go.
We gotta go, come on.

- ‐ Cheat you.
- Shotgun, man!

Where you going?
It's the championship game!

♪ ♪

‐ Hey, yo,
you fucking killed it.

‐ Oh.

Oh, shit.

‐ Catch you later, man.

‐ Yo.

Yo, n‐n...

Fuckin'...

Shit.

♪ ♪

Shotgun.

Patrick Nelson.

Varsity Records.

That was incredible.

You're gonna be a star.

‐ Oh, thanks, man.

‐ I loved the cane bit.

It's like you're a pimp
or something.

‐ Nah, I actually need this
to walk.

♪ ♪

Hey, yo.

What up, baby?

‐ Hey, yo, I was feeling
your performance earlier.

‐ Oh, yeah? Yeah.
‐ Yeah.

Yo, what'd you say
your name was again?

‐ It's, uh... it's Rakeem.

‐ Yeah, you don't sound
so sure about that.

‐ I'm very sure, baby.

‐ Bobby.
Let me borrow you for a minute.

Excuse me.

‐ Yo, I'ma‐‐I'ma holler
at you soon, a'ight?

‐ Monica.

Monica Lynch
from Tommy Boy Records.

My client, Bobby.

‐ Such a pleasure, Bobby.

‐ Yo, pleasure's all mine.

‐ We'd be very interested in
having you come in this week.

‐ I'd love to.

‐ Andre.
‐ Hey!

How are you, my friend?
‐ Oh, I'm well, I'm well.

‐ Hey, listen, my son wants
to meet your new star.

‐ Ah.
Steve.

Bobby, Jules and Steve Rifkind
from Spring Records.

‐ Hey.
‐ Oh, yeah, man.

‐ Bobby, so good
to meet you, man.

The performance was awesome.

‐ He keeps telling me
I gotta get back into hip‐hop.

But I just don't see it
going anywhere.

‐ Okay.

‐ I see it
going pretty far, Dad,

you know,
the people love it, so.

‐ Look, I see a lot
of potential here.

You're a good‐looking kid.
We can take you far.

And you can be
the next Father MC.

Yeah, that's cool,

but that pretty boy rap
really ain't me.

Sign with me.
Follow my lead.

Don't worry about anything
except being a star.

Sounds better
than slanging on the corner

and getting locked up, right?

‐ Yo, I ain't no drug dealer.

‐ Yeah.
Of course not.

‐ I ain't did
no jail time neither.

No prison, no probation.

Definitely no parole.
None of that shit.

How the fuck you even gonna say
some shit like that to me, man?

‐ Okay, okay, look,
I'm just saying.

‐ Yo, get the fuck away
from me.

‐ Has your man lost
his fucking mind?

Hey.

You about to get
the fuck out of here, man.

Come on.
Come on.

‐ Hey, yo, yo, yo, what's‐‐
what's wrong, girl?

No, no, no.
Down.

Come here.

Chill.
Chill, chill.

Shit, I'm sorry, girl.

I guess I'm the only one
who feeds you now, huh?

Down.

Yo.

‐ Any more
of that chicken left?

‐ No, I gave the rest to Sheba.

Yo, I gotta go and pick up
some dog food tomorrow.

So how was, uh,
how was that new job?

‐ It's a'ight.

So.

You're not working
at the park no more?

‐ I've been busy.

I know it's not fun,

selling weed
to Wall Street dudes all day,

but that's the hustle.

Life's all about doing shit

that you don't want to do.

Now, you know what happens when
I don't show up to a job now?

I go back to jail.

Now, you want to end up just
another statistic like me?

‐ Yo, you're‐‐

you're not
another statistic, 'Vine.

‐ But that's what the world
sees me as.

Hmm?
Now, what did Mommy say?

We have to try and make
something of ourselves.

Yo, sometimes,
I think you don't understand

how hard it's gonna be
out there.

Maybe I protected you too much.

‐ Yo, I wasn't trying
to ditch work.

Gary met this manager.

We had this performance
at this club in Manhattan,

and yo, 'Vine, I killed it.

This manager thinks
I got a real shot at a deal.

I have this meeting soon,
and, yo, if it goes well,

maybe I could call Mommy,

and I could tell her

I actually made something
of myself.

For real.

‐ That's good, man.

That's...

That's great.

♪ ♪

‐ Yeah.

♪ ♪

‐ Uh, Queen Latifah.

Apache and the rest
of the Flavor Unit crew.

‐ Damn, I didn't even know

Apache was a part
of the Flavor Unit crew.

You ever thought about, uh,

putting them
on a record together?

That shit would be crazy.

‐ Do you know how many people
are in Flavor Unit?

'Cause I can barely keep track.

Just imagine trying to wrangle
all those artists for a record.

‐ It'll be worth it, though.

It'd kinda be like,
what, the Avengers.

‐ Yeah, cassettes cost
more than comics.

- ‐ Monica.
- Oh, Bobby.

This is our CEO, Tom Silverman.

‐ Oh, pleasure.

‐ Pleasure to meet you.
Glad we could get you in here.

‐ Oh, thanks,
I'm happy to be here.

Oh, we're glad
to have you.

We think you got
big star potential.

Want to get you in the studio,

right away.

‐ Oh.

Word?
‐ Mm‐hmm.

‐ Oh, shit!

Yeah.

I'm telling you,
I'm sitting there with Monica

and the CEO comes right in.

It was fucking crazy.

‐ It's not a coincidence,
my friend.

It's a move.

They're serious
about working with you.

‐ Oh, shit.

‐ I linked with Monica
and the exec who wants Gary

over at Cold Chillin'.

I figured I'd book
your studio time together.

‐ Hell, yeah.

Yeah, and once
we in there back‐to‐back,

I can get my boys in there too.

Let's keep
it small, huh?

I'm not trying to get
half of Staten Island

into this session.

Especially not Shotgun.

‐ Wait, what?

I thought‐‐
I thought y'all said y'all was

trying to sign him.

‐ I did.
Not now.

Can't be acting like that.

‐ Yo, he's just‐‐

he's just going through
some shit, man.

I mean, his boy just died.
It really messed him up.

Can't we just take him?

‐ I'm not taking him anywhere.

You talk to Andre?

‐ Yeah.

‐ Shit.

What happened?

‐ I don't know, son.

‐ Shit, man.

For sure, you know you dope.

‐ Go get that cream, son.

♪ ♪

Come on, please!
He's been good!

He's been working a job.

He's been checking in
with his PO.

‐ Hey, man.

Y'all win that game?

‐ How old is he?

He's living here with a known
addict with drugs in the house?

‐ Hey, no, man.
No, I didn't do‐‐

Now, I don't know where you
found that stuff, man.

I ain't bring any drugs
in this house.

Don't you lie
to me, all right?

I'll have child services
here so fast,

your head will spin.

‐ No, no, he's not his son.

He's his nephew, and he's been
living with his mother,

in Staten Island!

‐ All right, well,
go on home, then.

This is no place for kids.

‐ Yo, where you taking him?

‐ It's okay, man.

You'll see me soon.

- Come on.
- You'll see me soon.

♪ ♪

You'll see me soon.

It's okay.

You'll see me soon.

‐ Tommy Boy signed you
to a single deal.

I'm hearing a lot of good stuff
from you, man.

But I ain't heard a single yet.

You don't get an album
if you don't have a single.

Something
that distinguishes you.

It's gotta be catchy.

‐ Yeah.
Yeah, I hear you.

I hear you.

‐ How about this?

Everyone loves
a James Brown hook.

‐ Yeah.

Everybody runs it ragged.

It's a little too obvious.

♪ ♪

Yo.

Seriously?

Nah, I'm looking for something

a little fresh,

a little more soul.

♪ ♪

Hey, yo.

Y'all still about to have me
meet with them producers?

'Cause you know I be‐‐
I be producing my own shit.

‐ Yeah, well, we want you
to focus on rapping for now.

I want you taken seriously
as a rapper.

And rappers don't produce
their own shit.

‐ A'ight.

Hey, yo.
Yo, yo, yo.

Let me‐‐
let me see this right here.

Yeah.

Yeah, this is it.

Yo.

This‐‐
this is the one.

♪ Oh,
we love you, Rakeem ♪

♪ Haha ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ Uh ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ Uh, yeah, uh, yeah ♪
SINGERS: ♪ Oh, Rakeem ♪

‐ ♪ Time is moving slow,
life is a drag ♪

♪ There's money to make
and more girls to bag ♪

♪ Fully aware
as I step upon the square ♪

♪ Lookin' for what?
The cutie in the chair ♪

♪ Flex and I flex
on the opposite sex ♪

♪ Hit 'em up quick
and switch to the next ♪

♪ It seems I'm a fiend
for a sex routine ♪

♪ Love to hear them scream ♪

♪ Ooh, Rakeem ♪

♪ Oh, and my response
is, "Oh" ♪

♪ Always satisfy them,
you know how I flow ♪

♪ And since I'm not lazy,
I'm buck wild and crazy ♪

♪ I eat the bosoms ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Free, free, oh ♪

♪ And I just got to
be me, yeah, yeah ♪

♪ ♪

‐ Shurrie.

Can you give me a hand in here?

♪ Free, free ♪

♪ Free ♪

♪ I just got to be me ♪

♪ And I just want to ♪

♪ I just want to be me ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Free ♪

♪ ♪

♪ I just got to be me ♪

♪ I just gotta be me ♪

♪ ♪

I'm just fuckin'
with you.

Ugly‐ass nigga.

‐ Look at this
hockey‐playin' motherfucker.

He ain't from no
fucking Park Hill.

- ‐ Fuck you say?
- Dumbass.

That's a lacrosse stick.

Don't you know Jim Brown?

He'll fuckin' fuck you up.

Damn, Haze.

A'ight, then.

♪ ♪

‐ Come on, man.

♪ ♪

♪ African descendants ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪

♪ African descendants ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Must let themselves
be known ♪

♪ As the right ones ♪

♪ All right ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Must let themselves
be known ♪

♪ ♪

♪ All right ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Must let themselves
be known ♪

♪ As Africans, all right ♪

♪ Take it easy, now ♪

♪ Right ones ♪

♪ We are the Africans ♪

♪ ♪

♪ African descendants ♪

♪ We are African descendants ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪

♪ African descendants ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ ♪

‐ Hey, yo, Shotgun.

Seen this shit, man?

♪ All right ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Must let themselves
be known ♪

♪ As the right ones ♪

‐ Fuck?

Yo, that's Bobby?

It's not really him, is it?

♪ Africans ♪

♪ Africans ♪

It's crazy.

♪ ♪

♪ And I just
got to be me ♪

♪ Free ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Free ♪

♪ Whispering in his ear ♪

♪ My magic potion for love ♪

♪ Telling him I'm sincere ♪

♪ And that there's nothing
too good for us ♪

♪ But I want to be free ♪

♪ Free, free ♪

♪ And I just got
to be me, yeah ♪

♪ Free, free ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Teasing hands on his mind ♪

♪ Give our night such mystery ♪

♪ Happiness all the time ♪

Get on the line.