01x05 - Dangerous Bonds

[bunniefuu]

Previously on empire...

I have ALS, they said I got, like, three years at best.

What if your two brothers went to w*r?

They just may k*ll each other.

Come out, and you're on your own.

In addition to managing Jamal, I'm also handling this label's fiercest female artist.

Hakeem and Tiana are this year's it couple.

If you're not prolific, Jamal's gonna catch up to you.

♪ Dollar, dollar bill, y'all. ♪

You think Jamal more talented than me?

You are going to inherit the kingdom.

Dad, when are we gonna sh**t my video?

The songs that I'm writing will only further prove that I'm you but on steroids.

Did you tell Lucious about the deal I have with the feds?

You're my big sister, I ain't told nobody nothing.

We need you to testify in front of a grand jury.

You gonna get me k*lled.

(Photographers clamoring)

Here they are, the couple whose red-hot duet b*rned up last week's Teen Choice Awards Special.

Tiana, girl, you are fabulous.

Thank you.

And the son of music industry legend, Lucious Lyon.

Yeah, he has his own name.

Of course, so, Hakeem, do you think your career would be as hot as it is now if you weren't the son of Lucious Lyon?

I'm about to drop this big-ass video from my, uh, single, "Drip Drop."

And I hope everybody tune into that.

Y'all gonna tune in?

Tiana: And soon everyone's gonna be referring to Lucious as Hakeem Lyon's father. Right, babe?

You heard it here first.

"Drip Drop" from Lucious Lyon's son, Hakeem.

Yo, man, act like you got some manners, Dawg.

Hey, not everything got to go on the vine.

Babe, you coming to my house tonight?

Not tonight, Bae.

I have studio all day tomorrow.

Hold up, hold up, hold up.

You k*lled it tonight.

How you had my back.

Really feeling me like that?

Yeah.

I'll see you later, okay?

You in love? You in love?

You in love, Keem?

Ah, in your face.

Woman: Hey, T.

Did you have fun?

Yeah.

You're already up on Perez.

I know.

You looked hot.

Thanks.

Open your eyes.

Your favorite, Mr. Anthony Hamilton.

Ah, man.

(Begins playing piano ballad)

Oh, my God.

Are you kidding me?

You know I am going to fight this thing.

This disease.

With everything I've got.

♪ I can't stay away from you ♪
♪ Too long... ♪

But whatever happens, however long I've got left on this planet...

I'm gonna make the most of it.

Will you marry me?

(Giggling): Oh, my God.

Yes, yes.

♪ And the point of it all... ♪
♪ Is I love you... ♪

Oh, my God, it's beautiful.

♪ Yeah... ♪

Now, you know we're gonna have to put this puppy back in the box.

Uh-uh.

Just for a little bit. No.

No, 'cause neither your family or my family is gonna welcome this with open arms.

We got to break it to them one karat at a time.

Starting with your parents this weekend.

Dinner.

Okay.

Mmm.

Oh...

I ain't taking it off for nobody tonight, though.

(Chuckles)

That's all you're gonna be wearing.

(Both laugh)

What's up, y'all?

And before you start judging, just know a lot of hits came out of this place, you know?

Excuse you.

What's up, man? It's all good.

(Sighs) We didn't have to come down here, Jamal.

We could've had this producer come to us, to a real studio.

Shh.

You need to watch your back around here, Mal.

Some real hungry, grimy types, you know?

Well, this is all I can afford. Lucious can take all that money.

He can give it to Hakeem. This right here is mine.

All right. Well, you do you, baby.

You keeping it ghetto, that's for sure.

If this is the sound you want and you think it's gonna put you ahead of Hakeem, then this is what we doing, baby.

Your daddy would be proud, even though he won't admit it.

What the hell?

It's fine. It's fine.

(Knocking) Yo.

You trying to make some money up in here? Ma.

The hell you got us, Jamal?

Shh.

b*llet holes...

What's up, man?

You can barely afford this.

With your budget, you get one day.

All right.

(Phone chimes) So you'd better record like you mean it.

Yeah.

Damn.

Mal, come here.

I got to go handle some stuff, okay?

What you mean you got to...

You gonna be all right in here?

Yeah, but you s...

Okay. Don't you pay these suckers a dime until you get everything you need, you hear me?

Yeah.

All right.

Tyree? That's you?

You take care of my baby boy, okay?

If not... I'm holding.

The name's Cookie. Ask about me.

That's your moms?

Yeah, man.

Get in the car.

I told you I'd meet you at my apartment.

We got to talk.

Didn't I tell you not to hang on me?

Uh-huh.

Y'all gonna get me k*lled, putting me on blast like this.

(Sighs)

We're following you because you need protection.

You feds don't care about my little life.

You're following me just to make sure I don't blow off testifying.

Now, I done told you once, I don't like talking about that part of my life, especially in front of a judge.

Grand jury proceedings are private.

Your testimony is sealed.

No one is gonna know.

I don't feel right about this.

Something deep down in my heart is telling me I am gonna suffer badly if I get on that stand.

For 17 years, you kept your mouth shut about what Frank Gathers did, right?

Now his lawyers have a viable appeal to get him out.

Help us make sure he never gets out for the rest of his life.

Does that mean I won't have to see you again?

Hopefully.

♪ She make dat thang go Drip Drop ♪
♪ Drip drippity drop ♪
♪ Drip Drop ♪
♪ I do my dance like ♪

(Laughs)

♪ Drip Drop ♪
♪ Drip drippity drop, Drip Drop... ♪

Okay, okay. I get it. I get it.

Okay, so here's how I'm approaching things now, pop, including my new video for "Drip Drop."

I don't want to win this game.

I want to change it.

That's what 50 did with the water.

That's what Dre did with the Beats.

But if I'm-a do that, I got to recreate myself.

No offense, dad. I can't be Lucious Lyon's son no more.

I got to play to people's fantasies to what they think it's like to be Keem.

Plus, Jamal is going into the studio with a song that he thinks is the one already.

So we got to be audacious.

We show them I'm the king, I bet you they believe it.

(Anika chuckles)

I love it.

Well, unfortunately, the one law of business states that, uh, this video is about a million dollars over budget.

So...

Yo, pop, you put everything into me, and I know you believe in me.

I'm just now starting to believe in myself, and I know you see that.

I see it.

And you came with straight heat today.

And I saw your vision as clearly as I see your face.

(Chuckling)

You got it.

Dre's gonna find the money.

Anika: Come on, Keem.

Let's do this. (Chuckles)

Dad, the auditors are going through every dime we spend.

Line by line. This is triple what's allocated for Hakeem's project.

What did you think about his song?

"Drip Drop"? It's good, I guess.

Dre, if you can't find the money for this, I really don't know what purpose you serve.

Rhonda: Great. Just give me one sec.

Hold on. This is off-center.

Okay. All right, go ahead.

I really can't be here.

I got to go find the money to finance my own demise.

Just... come with me. Turn around for me.

This is such a lose-lose situation.

We will find a way.

We always do. And you know that I would not have pulled you down here if it wasn't important.

God loves us.

And he sent us a little gift in our time of need.

So you can flip this lose-lose into a win for Andre and a meltdown for Hakeem.

Amazing.

Man: Relax, Mrs. Lyon. This isn't about what you did.

This is about what you saw.

Here you are selling bags of cocaine stamped with the red rose of Frank Gathers' organization to this man in the gray sweatshirt.

Come with it.

Did you witness the man in the sweatshirt get sh*t in the course of this transaction?

There was a lot happening all at once.

(Siren wailing)

FBI! Get down!

Did you see who sh*t him?

(g*nsh*t)

(Grunts)

That's a yes.

Can you name that sh**t?

(g*nshots)

Frank Gathers.

You witnessed Frank Gathers sh**t FBI special agent Daniel Koenig?

He was a fed?

Carter: Cookie, Cookie, listen to me.

You tricked me. Listen...

Why didn't you tell me that buyer was an undercover?

Do you know what kind of animal kills a federal agent?

Yes, I do... the kind that spends his life behind bars, thanks to you.

Thanks to me is right.

I just snitched on him in court.

Dead bitch walking... that's me out here right now.

Cookie, the reason why grand jury proceedings are secret is to protect witnesses like you.

Lady...

Men like Frank Gathers reach right from prison and drop people dead every day.

Now, can you protect me or not?

(Elevator bell dings)

Right. I thought so.

Lucious: We've got to do better, people.

This isn't what I'm looking for.

What's up, man?

I've got good news, dad.

I figured out a way to pay for everything Hakeem wants for his video.

So, we feature another artist with him, and we take the money from that promotion budget.

Who do you have in mind?

Tiana. Everybody loves them together.

And we should be the ones to capitalize on that, right?

There's no way around this?

Yeah, that's smart, but now you gotta figure out how to deal with her manager.

Cookie.

Yeah, your mama.

You can handle it.

Okay.

Hey.

Good man.

Appreciate this.

Thank you, dad.

(Vernon speaks indistinctly)

Holler later, man.

Yo.

What?

Vernon: We got a bigger problem.

Underwriters are insisting we get a key man policy for the IPO.

That ain't no issue.

I already told them...

No.

That if something happened to me, one of my sons is gonna take over.

No, that's not gonna work.

We're gonna need a doctor to certify that you're in good health, and he's gonna need to sign that policy; otherwise, we ain't going public.

You know, I asked Anika to marry me.

Gave her an 18-karat diamond ring.

Same ring that Richard Burton gave to Elizabeth Taylor.

She's got this big-time doctor as a father.

Yeah?

And you're gonna try to get him to sign this policy?

Remember the first time I got engaged?

Had that huge party?

Yeah.

The one I'm still paying for.

Yeah, that's this week.

And?

Our anniversary.

Me and the Cookie monster.

Cookie: Jamal, I'll meet you at the studio.

Look, baby, I know how important this is, okay?

Don't stress. Don't stress.

You know how important this is to me.

Means more to me than anything in the world.

Okay.

(Door creaking shut in distance)

Carter, I need to reach you.

Call me right away.

Somebody's trying to k*ll me.

(Gasps)

What the hell are you doing, standing there like a phantom for?

Did you leave that rose?

This was on your doorstep.

Get in here. Get in here, Dre!

Are you okay?

Uh...

Yeah, I'm just in a rush.

Uh, Mal's up at that ghetto ass studio, and I don't like leaving him up there on his own.

Which studio? That's the name.

Look, what you want, Dre?

Something you're afraid I'm gonna say no to?

(Sighs)

Dad wants Tiana to guest on Hakeem's video.

It's sh**ting today.

No.

Man, you got to go, Andre.

Mom...

I have way more important things to...

Mom, please!

Dad's putting me under a lot of pressure here, okay?

I'm asking for help.

Now, the board won't allocate any more promotion money because of the IPO.

What is this mysterious board I keep hearing about every time we're talking about lots of money?

It's a private board. Some of our trusted advisors, that kind of thing.

Is Lucious on it?

Of course. And Uncle Vernon and me.

Okay, I got a solution.

You tell Lucious we all good.

I just need me a seat on that board.

You're not serious.

No board, no Tiana, no video.

Now, I got to go, Andre.

Make me proud. Work your magic, baby.

(Sighs)

♪ She make dat thang go Drip Drop ♪
♪ Drip drippity drop ♪
♪ Drip Drop ♪
♪ I do my dance like ♪
♪ Drip Drop... ♪

I told the whole crew, this weekend, we was gonna be in Miami.

Director: And cut.

You did good.

Uh, let me holla at you. Question.

What the hell are you supposed to be doing?

I thought we're supposed to be in Miami, the Bahamas, bathin'... what is this?

You don't know nothin'.

This background right here gonna be whatever I want it to be.

Come here, let me show you something.

Show me something.

So...

We can be in Miami.

That's dope.

We could be at the Caribbean. (Laughing)

You know, we got all types of special effects, like Avatar and The Hobbit.

All right, all right.

Rich guy.

I see, I see. Your little spoiled ass.

(Laughter)

Look, let's do that second verse again.

(Slow, heavy b*at plays) ♪ uh ♪
♪ Uh-huh ♪
♪ Listen ♪
♪ Dollar, dollar bill, y'all ♪
♪ Everybody lookin' for somethin' ♪
♪ Can make you wanna k*ll, y'all ♪
♪ You can't get somethin' for nothin' ♪
♪ Work hard ♪
♪ And play even harder ♪
♪ Gotta save up all my nickels and quarters ♪
♪ Can't ask you for a handout ♪
♪ It's time to be a man now ♪
♪ I don't need it ♪
♪ You can keep ya money ♪
♪ I don't want it if you're gonna throw it up in my face ♪
♪ I'm still leavin', you can keep ya money ♪
♪ Because you ain't worth the time ♪
♪ Can't let it go to waste... ♪

Yo, yo, stop. Stop, stop, stop, stop.

Something ain't right about that.

Play it back.

♪ Dollar, dollar bill, y'all ♪

(Ringtone playing)

♪ everybody lookin' for somethin' ♪
♪ Can make you wanna k*ll, y'all... ♪

Hold up. This is my manager.

Where you at?

Hey, baby.

I got held up for a little bit.

Where are you with things?

I'm having trouble with this intro.

Okay, well, play it for me over the phone.

All right, hold up.

Yo, play that back.

(Spoken): ♪ I was thinking about what brought me to this song ♪
♪ About how money, and not just money... ♪

(Song continues over phone)

Taxi!

(Tires screech)

Ma, can you pay attention?

For real, though. I'm on a time slot right now... you're supposed to be here.

Hi. Really? What the Heck?

(Horns honking) Okay. Just wait a second.

Look, baby, scrap that intro, okay?

Talking before the record starts is dated.

It's old. Just get right into the song.

Barrel right into it, baby. You got a good hook.

You know what, you might want to switch up that b*at.

That b*at is... it shouldn't be the same throughout the whole song, or people are gonna get bored.

Just think about that b*at.

All right.

All right? Now, I got to go.

I'll call you back.

Wait, ma, ma, come on.

(Sighs)

Play that.

Cabdriver: Get out. You people always misbehave.

Take me to Philly.

No problem.

And what you mean by "you people"?

You black like me?

♪ She make dat thang go ♪
♪ Drip Drop ♪
♪ Drip drippity drop ♪
♪ Drip Drop ♪
♪ I do my dance like ♪
♪ Drip Drop ♪
♪ Drip drippity drop ♪
♪ Drip Drop ♪
♪ Drip drippity drop ♪
♪ Funny how time flies... ♪

What are you doing?

Getting some footage for my homeboy Ron.

I told him your booty real, but he don't believe nothin' I say.

Turn around. Come on, turn around...

No, girl, girl, you play too much.

Well, Cookie wanted me to make sure everything run smooth while she ain't here.

And make sure I give you whatever you need.

I'm good. What y'all need to do is make sure y'all handle the knuckleheads Keem rolls in here with.

Girl, I ain't goin' near them fools.

Hips will go one way...

Ready?

When this video drop, it's gonna put Drake, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole and all them cats on notice.

I'm dead-ass serious.

Why are you so serious, my friend?

I'm not playing with these dudes, man.

Oh, good looking out.

Y'all having fun?

Damn straight we are.

Hey, baby.

Looking good, baby.

Thank you for doing this. Thank you.

I'm serious.

I don't know why I didn't think of it.

It's no big deal.

No, it is.

(Bell rings) Woman: Hakeem, we need you on your mark.

Man: Okay, full energy this time, you guys. Let's go.

See you later, okay?

Man: Quiet on the set.

Let's roll playback.

Man 2: Playback.

Man: Camera, speed.


♪ Ready, and action. ♪
♪ I know you got dat b*mb, shorty ♪
♪ Can I get it? ♪
♪ can I get it? ♪
♪ Somethin' on my mind, girl, I know you read it ♪
♪ I-I can't stop eyein' you, lovin' the way you move ♪
♪ G-g-got me obsessin' ♪
♪ The best, undeniable ♪
♪ Don't let go, do you wanna get it when you on that pole ♪
♪ Do you wanna get it but you're scared to admit it ♪
♪ Cuz ya livin' for the minute when you ♪
♪ On that flo', makin' dough ♪
♪ And look at the way you dance ♪
♪ You better watch ya hands ♪
♪ You got a lot of fans ♪
♪ Make me wanna pop some bands ♪
♪ She do it all night ♪
♪ She goin' hard, right? ♪
♪ Yeah ♪
♪ She love da spotlight ♪
♪ When she do ♪
♪ She make dat thang go ♪
♪ Drip Drop ♪
♪ Drip drippity... ♪

All right, everything's cued up.

Post the photo on all sites that follow Takeem.

Make sure it can't be traced to you in any way.

Yes, dear. Completely untraceable.

♪ What you wanna do, girl? Can I guess it? ♪
♪ You my new girl, so let me test it ♪
♪ Let me get that thing, we can play first string ♪
♪ Come and sit on my bench, let me press it ♪
♪ You so excited, delighted ♪
♪ To hear I like it ♪

Done.

♪ The diamonds in my watch ♪
♪ You know they be shinin'. ♪

Ooh, it's about to get hot up in here.

What?

Oh, where's Tiana?

That is hot as hell.

Damn, Hakeem gonna be mad as hell, though.

Mad about what?

You gonna show him? Hmm?

What y'all tweakin' on?

I ain't showing him nothing.

Oh, it's nothing, it's not a big deal. You show him.

Boy, give me my...

Give me my d...

Tiana.

Yo, Tiana, you got beef.

What are you talking about?

Hey, yo, Tiana, this how we really roll?

We supposed to be a team.

Whatever you do reflects off me.

What the hell is you doing?

Don't yell at me. What you mean, don't yell at you?

Somebody at India's job was taping us.

Hakeem: India?

You my girl. You ain't supposed to be kissing no damn India chick, and you know that.

So, if it was a dude, it would've been all right?

I'm not saying that.

You got a sidepiece too.

Hakeem got a sidepiece?

Yes, he does.

(Scoffs)

Hey, yo, this video's done.

Yo, Jamal, this Porsha.

Tell Cookie she needs to call me back, like, yesterday.

Rhonda: Hello?

I had another stroke of inspiration.

Porsha: I don't know what's going on.

So you know I told you Cookie's got Jamal in some recording studio way up in the Bronx, right?

Yeah.

Meanwhile, here at this video sh**t, Hakeem's got his posse of freeloaders.

So you want to send them to Jamal's session?

Babe, aren't you worried that Jamal might get hurt?

Oh, nah, nah... I know these guys.

They're-they're harmless. Petty thieves and wannabes.

They ain't K*llers.

Okay, well, if you're not worried, I'm not worried.

No, nobody'll even pull a g*n.

I know this.

Do it.

So what the hell is his gay ass doing up at ghetto ass studio?

Alone, too?

Talking about his brother. (Scoffs)

Wearing $1,200 shoes and a $20,000 watch. You kidding me?

No, no, I got money, okay?

Even I'd be thinking about rolling his ass off myself.

You hear what I just heard?

Hell, yeah.

Hey, come on, let's go get this fool.

♪ Dollar, dollar bill, y'all ♪

That's hot.

Yeah.

♪ Everybody lookin' for somethin' ♪

My mom knew what she was talking about.

♪ Can make you wanna k*ll, y'all ♪ yo.

Even though you got the whole...

You know, gay thing going on, you got heat, homeboy. Thanks, man.

For real. Thanks.

You all right. Um...

There's still something missing, though.

Uh...

Uh, flip the b*at and then I'm-a do it just one more time, all right?

Yeah, what up, sissy? You know what this is.

Th... y'all. Let's go.

What... Everybody get down or get sh*t.

Hey. Run them pockets over there, man. Don't miss nothing.

Watch my back. Get everything.

You stupid? Get down, fool, I'll k*ll you.

(Grunts) Yo, man, what the...

Shut up. Run that watch, homeboy.

I said run that watch.

What watch? Yo, man, you see a watch? Where it's at?

Where it's at? Huh?

Damn, it's like that?

It's just like that.

Yo, you Raheem.

No, no, no, you don't know me.

Yeah, man, I know you. You chill with my little brother.

No, this ain't even like that.

Yo, man, he tell you to do this?

Huh?

Did my little brother tell you to rob me?

Shut up.

Tell Hakeem his sissy-ass brother ain't stupid and he ain't scared.

We can call this a standoff, or we can make this a multiple homicide. You pick.

Get your ass out my studio.

Real slow, real slow, homey.

Let's go. Let's go.

Easy, homey, easy. Keep moving, keep moving before you lose your choice.

And don't stop till you get all the way across the bridge.

That's right. Don't bring it back to the boogie down.

(Groaning)

Yo, man, come on, come on, hold on, hold on. No, I'm cool.

I'm cool, I'm just grazed, I'm fine. Nah, nah, nah, nah.

Nah, nah, nah, come on, come on.

Damn.

Wait here.

Who's banging on my door like they the police?

What's up?

They left a rose on my front doorstep.

You know that's Frank's trademark.

He marked all his product with a rose.

And they trying to tell me how secret that grand jury was.

(Scoffs)

So you go and snitch, now you want to bring the drama back to me?

Nah, you got to go. I got kids.

I got kids, too, Carol.

Girl, please, your kids ain't real, they're rich.

Do you know how stupid you sound?

Had to be Teddy McNally left that rose.

You know he Frank's boy on the outside.

See, that's how that sadistic bastard rolls.

He like to play mind games, and then he kills you.

Yeah, well, Teddy McNally knows you used to run for me back in the day, so you liable to find a rose on your li'l raggedy porch, too.

(Giggling)

Hey, get your butt back in the house.

(Sighs)

So what you want to do?

Yo, yo, man, come on, now you bailing, too?

That's the way it goes.

Musicians are sh*t, so is the day.

Tyree, come on, man. Like, for real, like, just w...

Give me one more day.

I'm saying that you-you can run the board, right?

Man, seriously, this is my everything.

Can't. Rule is, one of my enemies kicks in the door, you get a free day.

But if it's one of your enemies... which that was... you gets Nathan.

Cookie: What do you mean, you are fine? You could have been k*lled.

Yeah, but now everybody's sitting here, bitching out and everything, and I got to finish the song.

Let me talk to Tyree.

(Phone dings)

Damn. I got to deal with feds, hit men, studio drama, and now Tiana.

Ma, what you mean, feds and hit men?

Hold on.

Hello?

Hake found out about my girlfriend.

What? Hold on.

Lord, look at that.

Hello?

What's up? You got some rookies, some guys who want to cut their teeth on a hit song, get 'em in there.

Put Jamal back on the phone, tell him I said hang on.

Tiana? All right, look, girl, I don't judge, but you's a freak.

That's a good thing. We can sell that.

And you get back on that set.

You sure? He was pretty mad.

Yes, get back to the set. Just do what I say, girl, and let me work my magic.

All right.

Jamal. Talk to Tyree, he knows exactly what to do.

I got to go.

What'd she say?

You need a whole new crew.

I know hella beatmakers, singers, piano-men, but they're raw, and you still got to get this all done tonight.

All right. Unless you got more cash to put up.

Man, that's dope. Let's get them now.

You can't teach and record at the same time.

Man, forget all that... yes, we can.

Just get them here right now and we'll finish this up.

Hey, come on.

Cookie: And as a member of empire's board of directors...

Lucious: Okay, okay, okay, I will handle Hakeem.

But, Cookie, um...

Tell Tiana to have her girlfriend meet us on set.

Now you're talking. I'm on it.

Yeah.

Dr. Calhoun.

May I call you Steve?

You have raised an extraordinary woman in Anika.

You know, she agreed to marry me...

Knowing that I have ALS.

ALS?

Yeah.

The way you were smiling every time you played...

All the way to Juilliard.

Mom. Stop.

I know what you're doing, okay?

Lucious: Anika says that you do research.

Is there anything on the horizon?

Well, there are clinical trials.

Uh, there's an Israeli company.

At Harvard they're testing an epilepsy drug.

But there's nothing that changes the prognosis.

It's not my area, Lucious, but I'm gonna reach out.

I'll talk to everyone I know. I appreciate that.

Anika: Why can't you just be happy for me?

And all the time you came crying home to me?

All his other women.

Things... have changed now.

You'll see.

Dr. Calhoun: I don't think it's any secret that I wasn't in favor of this engagement. (Chuckles)

But I know my daughter loves you.

I'll do anything I can for you. Everything I can.

Well, Steve... There is this one little thing.

Empire is going public, but in order for that to happen, I need a key man policy, which means I need a doctor to certify that I'm in good health.

You can't serious. You're asking me to commit fraud.

Can you please watch your voice, sir? You're asking me to risk losing my license, lose my hospital. That's criminal.

You're just a thug.

Dr. Calhoun, if the IPO goes through and I die, Anika will become a billionaire in her own right.

But it will not happen if I can't get...

A key man policy.

Does Anika know about this?

No, she does not.

I don't want her ever to know.

You have my word.

Man, Cookie, I've been trying to get your homegirl number forever.

The one who used to make the runs for you back in the day?

That was me, Jermel.

Nah, the cute one... little light-skinned...

As I was saying.

Oh, yeah, so the cat sending them roses... that's Teddy McNally fo' sho'.

That fool out to lunch in his head, man.

Heard some stories about him make you pee your pants.

I need the roses to stop, Jermel.

Okay. I'm-a get at him for you.

Fo' sho'.

Well, you know me handling this for you ain't got nothing to do with that money. We family.

Oh, so I can keep this five grand?

Now, you do know what I mean by handle this bastard, right?

I takes care of business.

(Drumming rhythmically)

Yo. What's up?

(Speaking quietly)

All right, y'all. What's up, man?

What's up?

Um, yo, uh, you, guitar... you can chill right there.

Keys, you can sit right there.

Um, right now we got the beats going in the back.

Ladies, I don't know if I need background vocals right now, because I...

Oh, y'all ain't background? It's all good, ladies.

Support. You know what I'm saying? I'm here for it.

No way you gonna be able to manage all these cats.

Son, watch me.

Yo, I need help with the amps.

Look, it is the measure of a man how you come back from these things, you feel me?

Yeah, but I don't care what y'all saying.

I'm not working with that girl.

But you're not listening.

You got to do.

Your pops wants to talk to you.

Son.

Hakeem: Yes.

It was your passion that inspired us to make this whole thing happen for you.

I ain't working with her.

She over there with that girl.

And?

What did you tell me Jamal is doing right now?

He's in a recording studio.

So, can you afford to waste any precious time, especially over a thot.

I ain't gonna let it get to me.

No, let it get to you.

Get into it.

Let's look at it from a mathematical perspective.

Your girlfriend has a girlfriend.

Mm.

Add that up.

Two?

Two girlfriends.

It's a mathematician's dream.

You... it's trigonometry.

And, look, right now, it's you and me.

You do this for us.

And then you handle that... Like a Lyon.

All right, y'all, time to play.

Come on.

Basically, we just gonna switch up this b*at completely.

Right here. Sorry.

(Plays fast, rhythmic b*at)

Ta, ta, ta-ta. You gonna be like...

(Hissing rhythms)

Check this out.

(Clears his throat)

(Drum machine plays tune) Pa, pa, pa.

Pa-da-da, da, da, da.

(Energetic, fast-paced tune plays)

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

♪ Drip Drop, drip drippity drop ♪
♪ I like that ♪
♪ Drip Drop ♪
♪ yo ♪
♪ Drip Drop ♪
♪ You hella pretty ♪
♪ Are you from the city? ♪
♪ Let me put you in a videe ♪
♪ Maybe later on I'll take you wit' me ♪
♪ I take you wit' me ♪
♪ Yeah, I take you wit' me, you famous wit' me ♪
♪ I should take you wit' me, what you wanna do, girl? ♪
♪ Can I guess it? You're my new girl so let me test it ♪
♪ Let me get that thing, we can play first string ♪
♪ Come and sit on my bench, let me press it ♪
♪ You so excited, delighted to hear I like it I like it ♪
♪ The diamonds in my watch, you know they be shinin' ♪

(Laughs)

♪ She do it all night ♪
♪ She do ♪
♪ She goin' hard, right? ♪
♪ I see you, baby ♪
♪ She love da spotlight ♪
♪ When she do ♪
♪ she make dat thang go ♪
♪ Drip Drop, drip drippity drop ♪
♪ Drip Drop ♪
♪ I do my dance like ♪
♪ Drip Drop, drip drippity drop ♪
♪ Drip Drop, drip drippity drop ♪

Tiana: ♪ when they turn them lights off, I'm-a take all your cash ♪
♪ Cash ♪
♪ come and get this private dance ♪
♪ This private dance, this private dance ♪
♪ When they turn them lights off ♪
♪ You can have all my cash, let me get that ♪
♪ Private dance, that private dance, that private dance ♪
♪ Keep it goin', don't stop, gimme somethin' to watch ♪
♪ Got the club so hot, think she ready to pop. ♪
♪ Uh, uh-huh ♪
♪ Listen ♪
♪ Dollar, dollar bill, y'all ♪
♪ Everybody lookin' for somethin' ♪
♪ Can make you wanna k*ll, y'all ♪
♪ You can't get somethin' for nothin' ♪
♪ Work hard and play even harder ♪
♪ Gotta save up all my nickels and quarters ♪
♪ Can't ask you for a handout ♪
♪ It's time to be a man now ♪
♪ I don't need it, you can keep your money ♪
♪ I don't want it if you're gonna throw it up in my face ♪
♪ I'm still leavin', you can keep your money ♪

You okay?

I'm fine.

♪ Because you ain't worth the time... ♪

Wait. Hold that playback.

Hold it. Stop it.

Baby, I don't like where your voice sits in the mix.

You need to be above the mix.

Right now, it sounds like he's hiding behind the mix.

Can you fix that?

We got this, mama.

Hey, if you had it, you wouldn't have to be fixing it.

Hey, we working this thing out.

Okay, work it out.

All right.

(Laughs)

Oh, boy. Oh, boy.

(Instrumental plays)

♪ Temporary layoff ♪
♪ Guess that all the good times are over ♪
♪ When will it ever pay off? ♪
♪ I guess I didn't know when to fold 'em. ♪

You robbed me?

Yo, don't be doing that.

You scared me.

And what are you talking about? Rob?

You're too dumb to play stupid, Hakeem.

Those fools that you hang out with... they sh*t up my studio.

How could you think I would do that?

I'm your brother, man.

Yo, how'd they know about the watch?

What watch?

The one that dad gave both of us.

I don't know, man. Yo, somebody got sh*t because you wanted to ruin my session.

You ain't a factor, man.

You still worrying about singles when I'm about to be iconic.

You're a child. You ain't nothing but Lucious' little puppet.

Don't touch me, man!

And that's all you're ever gonna be.

(Grunts) You're always coming to me for advice.

Always coming to me for advice, hmm?

So I'm gonna give you some.

(Grunts)

(Panting)

Don't ever underestimate me... Little brother.

(Loud, quivering breathing)

(Sighs)

(Ringtone plays)

Hakeem, you okay? Why you calling me so late?

Jamal just came over here snapping, talking about somebody sh*t his studio up.

Was Jamal hurt? Is he okay?

Nah, just one of his engineers got sh*t.

(Sighs)

Man, I need you to throw me some quick money so I can get my video out before his song drops.

No worries, little brother. I got it.

I'll make sure it gets done.

(Siren wailing)

Man: ♪ got that? ♪

Woman: ♪ get your hands... ♪

Man: ♪ give me my money! ♪

Woman: ♪ stop! Stop! I told you to stop ♪
♪ I'm not doing this anymore ♪

Man: ♪ give me my money! ♪

Jamal: ♪ hey ♪

(Knocker knocking)

♪ Uh, uh-huh ♪

Who is it?

(Knocker knocking)

Who is it?!

It's me.

♪ Dollar, dollar bill, y'all ♪
♪ Everybody lookin' for somethin' ♪
♪ Can make you wanna k*ll, y'all ♪
♪ You can't get somethin' for nothin'... ♪

Wow. Little baby Dre.

(Laughs)

Actually, it's Jamal.

Really?

(Lucious chuckles)

You know, Lucious, it's almost morning, and even vampires got manners.

Did I wake you up from your coffin?

Funny.

Look, I just wanted to say thank you for getting Tiana back to set.

We just kind of wrapped Hakeem's video.

♪ ♪

We handle this stuff.

Yeah, well, wait until you hear Jamal's nuclear b*mb he just dropped.

♪ Money ♪
♪ makes the world go round ♪
♪ M-m-money ♪
♪ makes the world go round ♪
♪ I'm hungry and you got me goin' ♪
♪ Give me my money... ♪

Look, uh, Lucious, I know you didn't come here to jaw-Jack, so come with it.

I gave you an anniversary present earlier.

A... what?

Ah, so now who forgot our anniversary?

(Laughs)

I guess I did.

I-I'm just surprised that you remembered.

Yeah, I never forgot.

Don't you remember what it was like when we were young and broke?

(Laughs)

Yeah, I remember.

(Laughs)

I was mad at you, 'cause I thought you forgot, so... I hit you with a...

Stiletto.

A shoe. I tossed a shoe.

(Laughing): A stiletto.

Threw a shoe at you, and then you, um...

You went out and you stole a...

You... you got me that rose earlier.

(Gasps) Oh, my God.

Lucious, you got to go.

What? What-what's wrong?

(Phone plays tune)

Yeah.

Carol! Carol, please call Jermel.

Call the whole thing off.

I think it's too late.

Smell the roses!

(Tires squeak)