03x01 - Light in Darkness

[bunniefuu]

Cookie: Previously on Empire...

Jamal!

Mom.

I'm pregnant. It's Hakeem's.

My baby, he is making me believe in myself again.

He?

This is Leah Walker, Lucious's mother.

You have no idea what you've done.

What's your half brother Tariq doing here?

Look, I know you're a Fed.

You better not be putting the squeeze on my family.

I had to put in work on a couple of cats.

The three horsemen who wanted us dead.

Lucious: Well, there was a fourth horsemen.

But Shine, he ain't gonna snitch.

Anika Calhoun, you've been served.

See you in court.

‭What?

This isn't gonna be my life, I'm sorry.

If Anika and I get married...

‭Wait... what?

.. the Feds can't force her to testify.

Y'all know I love you, right?

But me and your daddy...

I can't do this no more.

Get your hands off me!

Andre: You may kiss the bride.

I know you pushed me, bitch!

(groaning)

(screaming)

No!

Jamal: Hakeem, wait!

Leave me alone!

Hakeem.

‭Shut up.

Bring your ass back here.

(tires squealing)

Look at all these damn people out here.

Any one of them could be Feds.

Son, you know what?

Get my mama home.

Makes sure she's comfortable and calm, okay, when she goes to bed.

Come on, Grandma.

Okay, where's Andre?

(crash and glass shattering)

(chorus singing "Exclamavit")

(screaming): No!

Move.

Oh, my God.

Rhonda!

Rhonda!

‭Oh, my God!

Andre!

(sobbing): Andre!

Andre!

What did you do?!

(sobbing)

What did you do?

You k*lled my wife!

She att*cked me, Andre.

(liquid splattering)

(sobbing)

She att*cked me, Andre.

My water.

(crying): My water.

Please, help.

Help me.

Come on.

(sobbing)

Help!

(phone buzzing)

Hello.

Jamal.

Wait, wh... what hospital?

What?

Okay.

I-I'm on my way.

(rhythmic knocking on door)

What the hell?

Oh, God.

What do you want, Hakeem?

I got it all wrong.

I'm here to get it right.

Uh, you need...

Hakeem.

What?

What are you doing?

You know I always loved you, but that bitch curved me at the altar.

I'm sorry, but you can't... no.

No, no, no, no.

No. Put your... no.

Pull-pull up your pants.

Put your pants back on.

Look, you know I always loved you.

(sighs)

(exhaling): Oh, God.

(phone buzzing)

(indistinct PA announcements)

Cookie: Andre, baby?

Here are Rhonda's things.

Andre.

You know we're gonna take good care of you.

You know that, right?

Look, there's a chapel in the hospital.

We can go pray.

I'll call Reverend Pryce.

No.

Are you sure?

Dre, it may help you.

Yeah.

What's he gonna do?

Tell me this is all a part of God's plan?

I'm done with God.

Andre.

And his plans.

No.

He can use his plans for somebody else.

No, Andre, you don't mean that.

We're being punished.

We're all being punished.

Shut up with all of that.

Shh.

Where's Hakeem?

Your brother's a selfish son of a bitch.

Dad, seriously. Not now.

Those aren't Feds.

Doctor: All right, ready?

(overlapping speaking)

Okay. Yeah, excellent.

Okay, I'm just gonna... very good.

Push. Good progress.

(groaning)

The baby's crowning.

(yelling)

Nurse: Sir, I'm sorry, unless you're the father, I'm gonna have to ask you...

That's my wife.

‭DOCTOR: We're in the home stretch, Dad.

Where's my mother?

How's the baby?

Doctor: Six weeks premature.

We've got an incubator at the ready, but so far so good.

Breathe.

(Anika moaning)

Doctor: And... push.

(groaning) LUCIOUS: Anika, you can do it.

Push. You can do it.

Can I touch her?

You got it, you got it.

Push.

Push, push baby, that's it.

That's it, that's it.

All right, breathe.

Speaking of push, you see the cops out the window right now?

Nobody pushed Rhonda.

She jumped, you tried to stop her.

She overpowered you, tried to take you with her.

Grabbed you by the throat, which is what's going to happen, if you don't go with the story.

You hear me?

Very good. Not too much pressure.

Okay?

One final push.

(groaning)

Push, push.

Push.

(screaming)

Oh, hello.

Oh.

(Anika crying)

Congratulations.

It's a girl.

You want to cut the cord, Dad?

No.

You lied to me.

(crying)

♪ Sippin' on the drank, sippin' on the drank ♪
♪ Sippin' on the drank, sippin' on the drank ♪
♪ All about the mula, all about the mula ♪
♪ Sippin' on the drank, sippin' on the drank ♪
♪ Sippin' on the drank, I ain't tryna think ♪
♪ Sittin' high, six God cover ♪
♪ Tell them get low, six God comin' ♪

What's up, baby?

♪ All about the mula ♪
♪ All about the mula ♪
♪ Word to the bird ♪
♪ I ain't never ♪
♪ Take her fur shoppin ♪
♪ Out of the tree of life ♪

It looks like I'm about to run to Boston on y'all boys.

Yeah, that sounds good.

Put some money where your mouth is.

Let's start with a stack.

Well, you know, I like big spenders, why don't we throw your whole catalog on the table?

My catalog.

Nephew.

What my catalog got to do with this table right now?

Y'all know I'm relaunching Swiftstream under a brand new banner called Empire XStream?

And I want to make an offer for exclusive rights to your music.

'Cause I know how to get a brother paid.

Is that right?

My pipeline brings the revenue directly from the subscriber right to your pocket.

No middle man.

I mean, what do we look like, selling our catalogs to you?

For your streaming service, when Empire's falling to the bottom of the ocean, man?

Ain't nothing happening.

Your stock down... Everything about you is going to the bottom of the ocean.

You're a Titanic boat.

You're right where the anchor's at.

I know y'all think you're all smelling blood in the water, but you better check your own damn panties.

'Cause I don't lose.

I always ride the wave, because I am the king.

Hold on, hold on, hold on.

This man did not say he's the king.

30 solid years in this game.

How could he be the king?

If he the king, then what are we?

But how can a king be a king when he lose his queen?

Make me understand that.

When she stood there and watched you marry your ex, that's a bad vibe, if you ask me.

What's the king without a queen, man?

Wait till I launch.

I'm gonna turn all of Time Square into my bitch... I'm talking about every screen.

And y'all gonna wish then that y'all had made this deal.

♪ ♪

All right, where in the hell is Andre?

Really, man?

He's probably...

Hey.

Your son lost his wife.

On top of all the horrible things you did to him, Lucious, give the boy the chance to grieve, okay?

Either one of you heard from him?

I talked him into coming to stay with me so he wouldn't be alone.

Okay.

So, he's getting by.

Tell him we missed him here today.

Yeah, tell him that.

And tell him I'm sorry we... had to deal with work while he's still grieving.

You tell him that, okay?

Lucious: Worried about work?

You think this is just about business, man?

This is our legacy that's on the line.

Now, this launch we've been planning, it's got to make a statement.

Jamal, we need you to perform.

You're the hero now, we got to lean into that.

Ooh, I got an idea.

How about I perform?

Give 'em something real.

How about you show up not smelling like some liquor?

Hey, I'm tired of you disrespecting me.

I'm a grown-ass man.

Well, grown-ass men don't miss the birth of their children.

So is that why you put your name on the birth certificate?

To teach me a lesson?

Look, you get your daughter back when you start acting like her father.

But it's my daughter.

Well, not according to the birth certificate.

Yeah, we'll see.

‭COOKIE: Sit down.

Hakeem, sit down.

‭Or what?

I don't see no brooms around here.

Oh, Lord, Hakeem.

What you gonna b*at me with now, Ma?

Come on.

Oh, no, you grown.

You grown. We heard you.

You grown.

I'm done b*ating your ass.

You the one runnin' round here talking about respect...

You can be a deadbeat if you want to, but if you don't step up...

...you gonna lose my respect.

Yeah, that's right.

Whatever, I'm in the studio.

Run on out of here like a little girl.

Come on, come on.

I'll talk to him. ‭Okay.

Well, go get his ass.

I will.

Thank you for having my back.

I don't have your back, Lucious.

(Cookie chuckles)

I'm barely trying to keep it together around here.

Well, at least Jamal's in line.

So, what do you think?

Is he ready?

You know what happened to him at that wedding.

He didn't perform and sing and jump around like a little monkey when you commanded him to?

He was sick to his stomach watching you marry his brother's baby mama.

Oh, Lord, this family.

I swear. Mm.

See, there it is.

And why are you grinning like The Joker?

'Cause I know we still good as long as I see that fire in your eyes.

I need you to hear me loud and clear, Lucious.

What me and you had is dead.

Don't say that.

Yeah, you married now.

You ruined it.

Forever.

Enjoy married life.

♪ Yo, yo, yo, yo ♪
♪ On my grind bout to k*ll da game ♪
♪ You a lame, you won't k*ll a thing ♪
♪ Mention facts when you say my name ♪
♪ When you say my name, when you say my name ♪
♪ Chase money, I don't chase fame ♪
♪ You know me, I be doin' great things ♪
♪ M.J. but with eight rings ♪
♪ Mention facts when you say my name, boy. ♪

Cut that, cut that, cut that.

We gonna do it one more time.

That's the slap, Keem.

It sounds like money, dude.

That's what I'm saying.

Look, Lucious got to put this on his Empire XStream joint.

Feel me?

Keem, it sounds good, it does, but it also sounds...

Weak.

It sounds weak.

(snaps fingers)

Sit down, Nessa.

When are you gonna grow up and say something real, Hakeem?

Say what?

You never sent me my verses for my nephew's song.

You know why?

'Cause you crashed my wedding, bruh.

(scoffs) There's only two type of girls, riders and runners.

Guess what you had?

What's up with this distortion?

You got to add distortion to the bassline in order to make the drums bigger.

Hey, yo, what you doing, man? Yo.

Now... maybe you won't sound like such a white girl when you rap.

Hakeem: Yo, I'm-a ask you to bounce.

You don't own my team.

I don't work for you, so just leave, man.

All right, Moonshine.

You and your g*ons... out.

Thank you.

I ain't going nowhere, bruh.

Now... let's talk about Nessa.

She needs a record deal.

She's the truth.

I'm not gonna tell you again.

Oh, you can't tell me nothing, Lucious.

See, you been stunting on me since we's little.

Now I'm getting mines.

Or should I call Tariq?

(sighs)

See, I never stunted on you, man.

Just talent, it excels, when mediocrity...

...it stalls.

God left you behind, not me.

Bring him over here.

(grunts)

(engineer screams)

He's mediocre.

Now he can stall.

You got till tomorrow, Lucious.

Hakeem, you're dope.

Don't let nobody tell you different.

Call me if you want some heat.

(engineer groaning)

Candace: Y'all remember when Denise Jenkins had her birthday party at the rink?

And then she showed up with that weave, thinking she was Whitney Houston?

(all laughing)

Oh, my God, that weave was sitting on top of her head looking like a parrot.

‭And y'all remember Tariq?

He thought it was a parrot.

And then he kept wondering, "Why ain't the parrot repeating what I say?"

(laughs)

Didn't her and Tariq get together at some point?

Yeah, I remember.

They made a funny-looking couple.

Carol (laughing): They did.

Tariq and... what?

(both laughing)

Hmm.

What?

Why y'all keep bringing up Tariq?

He got to you, didn't he?

What did you tell him, Candace?

Nothing.

He just wants to talk.

Follow me, I want to show you something.

What?

The door.

Cookie!

Oh, no, Cookie, look!

No, you gotta go.

All he said was that he wanted to talk.

I don't care what he said.

Candace: I'm serious.

What is he waiting for...

(chuckles)

I was right.

Y'all was buttering me up for his ass.

He only wants Lucious.

He's not after you, or-or Carol, or anybody else.

I know Lucious married Anika just to keep her from testifying.

I can prove that the marriage is fake, I could subpoena her.

All right, look, Cookie, come on.

After everything Lucious did to you, really?

To us? Come on, why would we protect him?

Cookie: He's like a mangy mutt with a bone, Lucious. We got to get to Anika before he does.

Mr. Lyon, your wife's been discharged. You just missed her.

The nurses gave her the cutest teddy bear.

What?!

Wait, wait. I called here and said specifically to hold her.

I was coming to get her.

I'm sorry, there must have been a mix-up. Nobody gave me that message.

Damn.

She's headed back to her place. We got to stop her.

If she gets back to her apartment, it's a wrap.

The Feds will have proof that your marriage is fake.

Lucious, she needs to look like she's moving in with you in that mansion.

That's all right, I'm gonna call the head of my security, have him intercept her.

It's all your fault. You know that, right?

Hey. Where you at?

Okay, what am I supposed to do here?

I don't have any of my things.

We'll take care of it. Don't worry.

Welcome back, Ms. Anika.

Thank you, Juanita.

Good to see you.

May I?

Yes, you may.

This is Bella.

Oh. Bella. ‭(chuckles)

Let me show you the nursery, Ms. Anika.

You're gonna love it.

Oh, wow.

He remodeled the kitchen.

(groans) What's she doing here?

What's she doing here?

I live here now.

With Dwight.

Oh.

Well, apparently, so do I.

So do we.

For now.

I don't know why my son married you.

You about as trustworthy as a snake in a hamster cage.

I got my eye on you, sista.

And don't touch any of this food.

I know you're trying to poison me.

Juanita, take me to the nursery, please.

(gate clicking)

Compliments of Mr. Lyon.

No, thank you.

Yo, scrapple and eggs.

(chuckles)

Thought you could use a little taste of home.

(chuckles) I haven't had scrapple in years.

Well, you'd be surprised at things I can make happen.

Like getting to Anika before I did and moving her in? (chuckles)

That ain't gonna stop me, brother.

I'll get a warrant and turn this mansion out.

You don't need a warrant, bruh. You're family to me.

You're welcome anytime.

Matter of fact, why don't you come by to dinner tomorrow night?

Sounds good.

See you there.

♪ ♪

S-H-I-N-E.

You got to keep checking us in there.

I'm sorry, sir, I don't see it.

You know, maybe Carl...

Lucious.

Lucious, what's up, man?

Let him in.

What's up with you, dude?

You're breaking in my studio, you b*at up my people...

Man, you're starting to hurt my feelings.

Oh, we in touch with our feelings now?

How you think I feel?

Okay, I gave you the Heisman for a few years, but you got funny with me.

Yeah. Likewise.

I apologize.

‭Accepted.

We gonna talk about Nessa?

I will give her a feature on a single of an artist of my choosing...

You take it or leave it.

Here's what I want.

I see Jamal performing at this Empire XStream event.

That's a big look. I want Nessa on that show.

I want her singing backup and a bridge, that's the deal.

And get some anger management, now.

I'll get right on that, Lucious.

21st law of power: Always play a sucker to catch a sucker.

Her mic won't even be plugged.

Hey. You're performing at Laviticus tomorrow night with Jamal.

You got rehearsal in an hour.

All right, I turned that sad-ass track you had into something worth my time. Want to hear it?

Yeah. Sure.

(rap intro featuring rhythmic clapping & percussion)

(other instruments join in)

Shine: It's hot, right?

Yeah, it's dope.

Okay.

With a track like this, man, you got to say something real.

You got to talk about your life.

I know Lucious.

You make music he can't deny, he gonna bow down every time.

You ready or not?

Let's do it.

Hurry up.

Come on.

Let's go.

Listen, baby girl, you might as well just have a seat over there 'cause it's about to get hot in here.

Hey, man. Hey!

What?

Don't talk to her.

Why?

Matter of fact, don't even look over there.

No, no, it's all good, Shine.

You know I know all about the world-famous Hakeem Lyon.

And his world-famous appetite for young, dumb thirst-bucket thots.

It's not me, boo.

Wow. I just thought you would want to hear what a hit record sound like, baby.

‭SHINE: Man, get your ass in the booth. All right, we gonna take it from the top.

Ready?

‭Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

♪ Caught the wave, I'm just poppin' game ♪
♪ That's a kilo on da chain ♪
♪ Mention facts when you say my name ♪
♪ Boy, I got rich that without my dad, yeah, that's all facts ♪
♪ I got ten broads and they all bad, yeah, that's all facts ♪
♪ Coming with 20 hittas and they all strapped ♪
♪ Yeah, that's all facts ♪
♪ Yeah, we got work, if you need it, boy ♪
♪ Yeah, that's all facts, you ain't gotta lie to kick it ♪
♪ I just got a ticket, I'm just on a mission ♪
♪ I just gotta get it, ain't no time for wishing ♪
♪ Ain't no time for hoping, I just do the most ♪
♪ My mom and my pop was killin' them with dope, Mohamed Ali ♪
♪ I took 'em from the ropes, I'm all the way in, I had to take ♪
♪ The oath, hop outta dat Bentley now they feel my ghost ♪
♪ Skrt skrt skrt skrt skrt, that's the sound when I be ♪
♪ Switching them lanes, 30K difference, it ain't the same ♪
♪ Got it on my own, they ain't give me a thing ♪
♪ Got the wave, now they fishing to hang ♪
♪ They been lying, I can look in they face ♪
♪ I'm getting tired, all this money I chase ♪
♪ On green, I ain't taking no brakes ♪
♪ Can tell I'm hungry, you can see in my face ♪
♪ Like I was starving, had to get me a plate ♪
♪ Like come get ya lady, she all in my face hit the first night ♪
♪ We ain't go on no date, yeah, that's the type of thing ♪
♪ You do when you bossed up ♪
♪ I do what I want 'cause I'm bossed up ♪
♪ I spend what I want 'cause I'm bossed up ♪
♪ I make it right back 'cause I'm bossed up. ♪

Lucious: Juanita?

‭Yes.

‭Did you get the rooms ready?

Yes, sir.

Cookie: And did you put any of Mrs. Lyons' clothes in the master bedroom closet?

Yes, ma'am.

‭What about bassinet by the bed?

You kept that?

Lucious: Well, um, Juanita found it up in the closet somewhere.

You look happy.

Were you?

Were you happy?

Well, Cook, that was a long time ago.

A lifetime, and... you weren't around.

(laughs)

Yeah, right.

Well, it'll help sell his wack-ass charades.

This better work, Lucious, 'cause I'm only doing it this one time.

(woman sings)

(piano plays soft, gentle melody)

♪ Hey... ♪
♪ I... I-I ♪
♪ Too many g*ns on the streets ♪
♪ And my heart can't take it no more ♪
♪ Like Stevie said, love's in need ♪
♪ My heart cries out for Orlando ♪
♪ For 'Lando, Alton ♪
♪ Sandra, Mike Brown ♪
♪ Garner, Trayvon ♪
♪ Why? ♪
♪ Too many people gone too soon ♪
♪ Get free ♪
♪ Tell me how this happen ♪
♪ Get free ♪
♪ Where did we go wrong? ♪
♪ Oh... ♪
♪ Get free ♪
♪ Say we stand together ♪
♪ Yet we choose to walk alone ♪
♪ Get free ♪
♪ Get free ♪
♪ Blood covers our streets ♪
♪ Get free ♪
♪ Hatred fills our homes ♪
♪ Get free ♪
♪ Gotta get this message out ♪
♪ Get free ♪
♪ Before I'm dead and gone ♪
♪ We gotta make it better ♪
♪ Something's gotta change ♪
♪ The world needs your voice ♪
♪ Just to make it through the rain ♪
♪ When I think of what's going on in this world ♪
♪ Oh, it hurts me to see my sister not free ♪
♪ My sister, my brother here with me ♪
♪ Free Freda ♪
♪ The world is crying, no more sirens from g*ns and v*olence ♪
♪ Free Freda ♪
♪ We can't keep dying, we're way too quiet, no more silence ♪
♪ Free Freda ♪
♪ The world gets brighter ♪
♪ Keep on trying, keep on fighting for freedom ♪
♪ Free, get free, get... ♪

That's good, y'all. Take ten real quick?

Hey, Ma.

Hey.

Okay, so, from zero to ten, how bad is the pain?

(clears throat)

It's like a five or a six, but it's getting better.

Mm-hmm.

You saw up there.

That can't be the song you're performing for the XStream event.

What if it is?

Well, I know Lucious didn't approve it, so, what, you just gonna spring it on him?

I'm gonna ask for forgiveness, not permission, Ma.

Jamal, why?

Ma, because Freda's entire trial is stalled.

Her lawyers don't care about her, and the whole world hates her for what she did to me.

But, honestly, my family is to blame.

You want to pick a fight with your daddy?

It's on you. Just better be damn ready for it.

Come on, y'all, let's get back to it.

Anika: Why don't you hold her?

Yeah.

Shh, shh, shh, shh.

(Bella fusses)

Hey, baby.

It's your daddy.

Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.

Lucious: Hey, y'all, our guests is downstairs. Come in here.

Come on, give me the baby. Come here, come here.

Shh, shh, shh, shh.

What are you doing?

You don't know how to hold a baby?

Man, you got her neck all collapsed on her. Let go.

There you go.

There's Daddy, baby. You've been missing your daddy. (laughs) Come on.

Yes. Mmm.

Can't have all these strangers touching you.

There you go.

Yeah.

Why y'all so quiet?

We're all here so that we can welcome Tariq to his family.

Speaking of family, how'd you get yours to participate in this sham?

Ain't no sham.

What you see is what you get with us.

You know, in the olden days, a marriage wasn't real unless it was consummated.

What, you want to come and examine our bed sheets? (laughs)

(clears throat)

Do some DNA on 'em?

Or would you prefer to have me and my wife just get butt naked on the table and get busy?

You'd do it, wouldn't you? To avoid a warrant.

(silverware clinks on plate)

No need to be gauche, gentlemen.

Trust us, Tariq.

This marriage...

It's very real.

(Tariq laughs)

Leah: Tariq... he's the only one from the family that came to see me at the home until Andre.

Is that right?

You remember me, Andre?

From when you was a shorty?

Yeah, I remember you.

Your pappy raised you to be the perfect little henchman.

Now you're a henchman with an Ivy League education.

(chuckles) What a waste of a good mind.

(laughs) What's the matter with you, young bull?

Huh? Yeah.

You talking to me?

He kicked you in your nuts over and over again.

Messed with your love life, took over your wedding.

He even stole your baby.

Here you are, sitting at his table.

My turn now?

Mm-hmm.

Let me help you out real quick.

‭Mm.

I was six years old when my father threw me in the trash.

At 18, he made me marry a girl I barely even knew, 'cause he was ashamed of my sexuality.

And then, uh, most recently, he... tried to take me down over some petty-ass ASA.

But that's my father.

And if he can't take down his own family, what makes you think that you and your little bitch badge can?

(chuckles)

Lucious: Be nice.

But Jamal is right.

Your family is real strong.

We've been thinking about you.

Mm.

All of us, a whole lot.

Thinking about you in that studio apartment, eating baked beans and Vienna sausages right out of a can... on rented furniture, when... you could be living like this.

'Cause we're family. You're my brother.

And as you can tell, I'm very generous to my family.

Are you bribing a federal agent?

You should go home... You're losing.

Oh, am I, Cookie?

Mm-hmm.

It seems to me you're the biggest loser here.

All right, uh-uh.

Really?

You're sitting at the table that should've been yours but never will be.

17 years? And you keep playing second fiddle to this... mulato bitch.

(chuckles) You gonna keep on protecting him while he treats you like second-rate trash?

I won't spend...

(family clamoring)

Who you talkin' to!

Jamal!

‭(others shouting)

Who you talking to, huh?!

Everybody, calm down!

Sit down, Jamal.

(Tariq chuckles)

Hakeem: He's not worth it.

He just real thirsty, that's all.

Jamal: Get a bitch some water, then.

Cookie (chuckles): I can handle this jerk.

Yes, I did make a sacrifice for my family.

That's what you do for family.

But I see you know nothing about that. And you might bend your feelings a little bit.

You didn't have much of a family, and neither did Lucious, but together we built this one.

And we're strong.

And we don't have time to entertain you and your little shenanigans anymore.

We have a show to do tomorrow.

Okay? (sniffs, clears throat)

Somebody pass me the salt, please?

Thank you.

You want a to-go plate?

Lucious: You are literally surrounded by Empire music.

Everywhere you turn, there's an artist whose music is going to stream exclusively on Empire XStream.

We are taking over the world!

(loud cheering)

Now, I want to welcome to the stage, performing for the first time since his brief taste of the Angel of Death, my son and progeny, the incomparable Jamal...

Lyon...!

(loud cheering)

(cheering continues)

(whistling, whooping)

Jamal: Listen, um, we live in a really, really heavy time right now.

So many... so many bad things happening in the world.

I wrote this song, and it means a lot to me, so I hope that it resonates with all of you.

Lucious: What the hell is this? This isn't the song.

(distorted pop of flashbulbs)

♪ F... ♪

(distorted pop of flashbulbs)

♪ ♪

(distorted g*nsh*t)

(Jamal's gasping breaths)

Cookie (distorted): Jamal!

Jamal: Mom! Mom!

(distorted g*nsh*t)

(chuckles)

Hey, bro.

Keep playing.

♪ ♪

Bro.

Cookie: Take this off.

Drink this.

Drink it, Jamal.

Hakeem: You okay?

‭I don't know.

(gasping breaths)

Just breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

♪ ♪
♪ Too many g*ns on the streets ♪
♪ And my heart can't take it no more ♪
♪ Like Stevie said ♪
♪ Love's in need ♪ Jamal.

Look at me, boy.

Get yourself together.

♪ For Orlando ♪
♪ Why? ♪
♪ 50 people gone too soon ♪

(Jamal panting)

♪ Get free ♪
♪ Tell me how this happened ♪
♪ Get free ♪
♪ Where did we go wrong? ♪
♪ Get free ♪
♪ Say we stand together ♪
♪ Get free ♪
♪ Yet we choose to walk alone ♪
♪ Get free ♪
♪ Blood covers our streets ♪
♪ Get free ♪
♪ Hatred fills our homes ♪
♪ Get free ♪
♪ Gotta get this message out ♪
♪ Get free ♪
♪ Before I'm dead and gone ♪
♪ Gotta make it better ♪

(Jamal gasping for breath)

♪ Something's gotta change ♪
♪ The world needs ♪

Hakeem: Can you help him out?

♪ Your voice just to ♪
♪ Make it through the rain ♪

Really?

♪ When I think of what's going on ♪
♪ In this world ♪
♪ Oh, it hurts me to see my sister ♪
♪ Not free, my sister ♪
♪ My brother, here with me ♪
♪ Need freedom ♪
♪ The world is crying ♪
♪ No more sirens from g*ns and v*olence ♪
♪ Need freedom ♪
♪ We can't keep dying ♪
♪ Way too quiet, no more silence ♪
♪ Need freedom ♪
♪ Stop this evil ♪
♪ Free my people, we're all equal ♪
♪ Need freedom ♪
♪ The world gets brighter ♪
♪ Keep on trying, keep on... ♪

Shine: Well... looks like we got some more business to discuss... partner.

♪ The world keeps crying ♪
♪ Keep on trying ♪
♪ Whoo... ♪
♪ Keep on fighting ♪
♪ Need freedom. ♪

(loud cheering)

You little son of a bitch.

You almost deep-sixed us.

Now his artist is the face of Empire XStream, and because of you, What else is new?

He's got leverage on me!

Well, he's here, like everyone else, because of you.

The Feds, everybody.

Cookie: Stop.

Stop it. Don't...

You were deliberately trying to punk me by using Freda in front of the world.

Punk you? Well, how about this, Dad?

You said that you were gonna help her, but you haven't done a thing.

So right now an innocent girl's life...

Innocent? She sh*t you!

Because of you, Dad!

(panting)

This whole family, this-this Empire, we're all gonna continue to go down if we follow you... You and I know that's true.

Stop it, Jamal. You need to rest.

Lucious, the boy needs to rest Wait, wait, wait. Y-You think you can judge me?

Ain't none of y'all better than me!

But you eat because of my dirty work, and then bitch about it!

(sighs)

You want to try me...

...let me know.

(Lucious humming a tune)

(chuckles)

That's Daddy's baby.

I came to say good night to my granddaughter.

She looks just like you.

The way you looked when we first met.

You remember that?

Mm!

Damn it! Daddy's gonna k*ll me.

(boys singing hip-hop nearby)

Candace: Language, Carol.

Shut up, Candace.

Whatever. Let me see, Carol.

Boy: ♪ ...The story of my situation ♪
♪ I was talkin' to this girl from the U.S. nation ♪
♪ The way that I met her was on tour at a concert ♪
♪ She had long hair and a short miniskirt ♪

You need to stay away from him, Loretha.

That's Lucious Lyon. He's trouble.

♪ You ♪
♪ You got what I need ♪

(boy beatboxing)

♪ And you said he's just ♪
♪ A friend, and you said he's just a friend... ♪

That's the past.

I need to focus on the future.

(whispers): Hey.

Hmm. My future.

You mean our future.

♪ ♪

After tonight, I think I'm done, Lucious.

Why would you say that?

With everything.

I got money... I can walk away.

Come on, Cookie, you got to give me some time.

I mean, just give me a minute. I'm...

Look, let me go, Lucious.

For you to say I got to let you go means that I still got you.

The only way this might work is...

I need a wall.

I-I do the music, you handle the business, and we stay out of each other's way.

You can't mean that.

Look...

Lucious, if you love me the way you say you do, you'll give me what I'm asking you for.

Okay. Done.

Take it. Take the music.

Thank you.

♪ ♪

Andre messed up.

(soft, trembling breaths)

Andre messed up.

(sniffs)

(crying): Andre should have believed you.

Andre should have defended you.

Andre messed up!

(sobbing): Andre messed up. Andre messed up.

Andre messed up.

(sobs)

Rhonda: Andre did mess up.

But you should have thought of that before you let that bitch m*rder me.

(whispers): Please forgive me.

Who's gonna take care of you?

You're lost without me.

You don't even know how to take your meds. You don't know when to increase the dose, when to take less. You don't know when to stand up to your father and when to bow down.

Without me, you're just... some Philly thug with mental problems.

Please, Rhonda...

Rhonda, please...

Rhonda, please!

(sobbing): Please, Rhonda, please!

Andre.

Um...

(exhales) I'm okay.

I'm okay.

That's it.

They're coming for us from all sides, Bella.

But we're gonna show all these haters just what time it is.

And I want you to know something.

Everything I did was to protect my legacy...

(faint, distorted shouts)

.. and I will do it again.

Yes, I would.

I got it. I see you in there.

Acting like you asleep when you awake.

(Bella fusses)

Lucious: Yes.

(Bella crying)

Lucious: Yes, I would.

Yeah.

Wait till we show them how dark hell can get.