[clattering]
[Napoleon grunts]
[Shaolin]
Yeah, rise and shine, Napoleon.
Boo, drop a record, loud! You a g*ng dude, right? So you know what an Apache line is.
They b*at you for a whole song to jump you in.
Right? Then we handing you over to my man, Wolf.
Boo, drop that record, come over here and smack his ass.
Get your ass up.
[soulful ballad plays loudly over speakers]
Come on.
Smack his ass.
Smack him, Boo.
Come on.
You got it.
Come on.
[g*nsh*t]
- All right, all right.
Stop.
- [song continues]
Smack him, Boo.
Come on.
Come on.
- [Napoleon]
Not this song.
- [Boo
-Boo]
I can't hit him like that.
- [Napoleon]
This song
- Hey, look, this ain't right.
[Napoleon]
He loves this song.
What the f*ck are you crying about? Hey.
Why you crying, m*therf*cker? Please.
No more.
We ain't even get started yet.
- [Napoleon]
I can't.
- You supposed to be hard.
Stop crying! [stammers]
- Th They
- They who? I know stuff.
I know it, and that's why he k*lled my brothers.
Stop sniveling, m*therf*cker! Pull yourself together.
Tell me, who the f*ck is he, and what the f*ck do you know? I know he he set up Fat Annie.
He paid the Warlords to do it.
Please, I don't wanna die.
- I don't want him to k*ll me.
- [Shaolin]
Yo, who is he? [Napoleon]
No, I don't know.
He smokes cigars and he drives a Buick.
Red.
And he always played this song.
[Shaolin]
Wolf.
That m*therf*cker.
We prayed the gods'd get down Show us the signs They blessed us Now we need a moment of silence For the Notorious Three 'Cause the Get Down Brothers Came out victoriously The first battle When we all that The same time Mylene starts to shine She signs a record contract Marrakesh Star Records And I guess the stars are aligned 'Cause we blessed Now we gotta start stepping In the right direction For Mylene the Pentecostal church Starts getting possessive Her disco dreams manifesting Mylene could see herself As the queen any second So her pastor father Ask his daughter To sing about miracles And holy water So, she's sorta In between worlds To be a rock star Or a good clean girl? Like the streets The sole of my shoe Nothing come between us I live for the soul of my crew Finally the streets Start to notice my crew 'Cause we did What Flash told us to do Had a internship at a city job It would help me go to college But it's getting hard Had my girl on my mind My team on my mind Feeling like we being ripped apart Couldn't disregard the mission Or the vision The mission was the music The vision was school Rock star or a student? Thoughts of interning was wack Felt like I'm turning my back On my very essence Adolescence had a message Pubescence Yes, the youth stressing Decisions, decisions My music profession Mylene Our future I question ["In Hollywood" playing]
[male reporter]
America's caught a red
-hot fever for disco.
And, boy, is it lucrative.
With four billion dollars in sales, '77 is shaping up to be the record industry's most profitable year ever.
So, how is a disco hit made? With its lavish productions of strings and brass, most picture a band of musicians playing together in a studio.
Not so with disco.
Instead the producer, composer and arranger mix 24 individually recorded vocal and instrumental tracks to create the symphonic experience that dancers know and love.
This multitracking technique is not new.
What's new is that almost all dance records are now made this way.
- [crowd cheering]
- But that's only step number one.
[Jackie]
Step two, ladies, is getting the big
-time club DJs to spin the record.
- I'm so nervous.
- Don't be.
Look, number one, your song's a guaranteed hit.
Number two, when it comes to the business of doing business, Jackie Moreno has no peer.
All right? I'm a hit maker, that's what I do.
You're gonna be a star
- Is the record pool this way?
- [man]
Uh
-huh.
Love the shoes.
[male reporter]
When a disco producer finishes a track, he'll invite prominent club DJs to give input.
If a DJ likes a track, he might play it in his club.
But remember, the DJ's own reputation is at stake.
[Jackie]
And believe me, the serious hitmakers care about their rep.
But they don't got time to listen to every new disco track.
That's why Leslie started the record pool.
She listens and then once a week the DJs gather at the pool, they hear her crème de la crème, 'cause she's got the taste.
And these guys make the hits, not the radio, not the record company.
And one woman, Leslie Lesgold, controls it all.
- I appreciate you seeing me, Miss Lesgold.
- Jackie Moreno.
Mylene Cruz's record is dynamite.
Right? Long time no see.
Oh.
My apologies.
That's Have we met? I sucked your d*ck in the back of Maxwell's Plum.
Really? Um small world.
Uh two ships passing in the night?
- I was your intern at La Lupe Records.
- No.
I I would remember that.
Marion Schwartz? From Scarsdale.
Oh, Marion.
Marion, Marion.
Oh, wow, hi.
Hey, what a happy coincidence.
Happy for me, not for you.
- May I just say
- Go f*ck yourself.
With that little bent d*ck you got.
Bent little d*ck.
[chuckles]
['70s punk rock music playing]
Bonsoir Ezekiel, I'm Claudia.
- I'm Ezekiel.
- Don't you just hate flowers? Entrez, s'il vous plaît.
Uh, merci.
May I take your exterior vestments? You must be hot.
It's no trouble, really.
I'll just keep it.
Well, suit yourself.
Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Orwell.
Even Salinger.
Prophet of our teenage angst.
First editions, you know.
All my first editions are due at South Bronx Library by lunch on Thursday.
[chuckles]
- I'm here and I'll be waiting
- [chattering]
I'm sorry, are you Carlo Pakoussa?
- Yeah.
- I love you, you're amazing.
Your mix to Misty Holloway "Far Far Away," it's my favorite ever.
Thanks.
Yeah, I'm proud of that one, too.
- I'm Mylene Cruz.
- Oh, hey.
Leslie Lesgold's listening to our record right now.
Maybe you could listen to it, too.
If she says it's cool, I'll do more than just listen.
Listen, I'm not gonna bullshit you.
I regret that we got involved sexually.
- You f*cked me and fired me.
- Technically, yes.
But let's be honest.
I fired you because you were a terrible intern.
- I was young.
- Your youth notwithstanding, you were unstable.
You were surly, you stole.
- Everybody stole.
- You stole from me.
You stole my watch.
- You st An ounce of blow.
- I was hurt.
Let's not quibble.
Did you, um
- Did you listen to Mylene's record?
- It's a very good record.
My DJs would love it.
I'm relieved to hear you say that.
I'm not gonna make it available to them.
And without them and without me
- your record goes nowhere.
- Nowhere.
[classical music plays softly]
So, how do you know Francisco? His, um
- His niece and I grew up together.
- [Claudia]
Is she cute?
- [Mr.
Gunns]
Claudia.
- [Claudia]
What? I'm just asking.
- What's her name?
- Mylene.
Vous I'aimez, cette belle Mylene? [Mr.
Gunns]
Don't feel compelled to answer, Ezekiel.
Claudia enjoys the, uh, shock value of her little quips.
You into punk?
- I'm not sure what that is, to be honest.
- You never heard of the Ramones? You don't know "I Wanna Be Sedated"? [clears throat]
Try your vichyssoise.
[Mrs.
Gunns]
It's divine.
It's pretentious.
- [Mr.
and Mrs.
Gunns]
Claudia.
- [Claudia]
Oops.
Okay, you got me.
You win.
Touché.
What do you want me to do? I'm gonna exploit you like you exploited me.
I'm gonna abuse my power like you abused yours.
And if you're compliant, then we'll see.
You up for this, Tiny?
- Mm
-hm.
- Good, lock the door.
[lock clicks]
[slow opera music playing]
[Mr.
Gunns]
To estimate the intelligence of a leader, look at the men he keeps around him.
You have to consider that.
In what sense, sir? Are you a man willing to make tough decisions to get what you want?
- I think so.
- Me, too.
You had the intestinal fortitude to come to my office, to tell me you weren't gonna kiss my ass to earn your internship back.
That was a tough decision to make.
It got you here, in my home.
It got you what you wanted.
Thank you.
- You like my home?
- Yes, sir.
I'm thinking about putting a piano in the front room.
What do you think? Steinway, BÃsendorfer, Mason & Hamlin? Bechstein.
Bechstein's the best.
- How do you know?
- My mother, she liked pianos.
But Bechsteins cost lots of money.
Thousands of dollars.
What if I told you I owned four of them? Know what I did to get them? Worked hard and pulled yourself up by your bootstraps? [chuckles]
Mm.
Not quite.
This morning, I voted to increase the cost of a subway token.
And then I endorsed a plan to close a hospital, near you.
And I blocked the teachers' union from getting a raise.
And that was before lunch.
You see, leaders make sacrifices.
We are vigilant about the company we keep.
If someone holds us back, we leave them behind.
- You make difficult decisions.
- Exactly.
[Cadillac]
Aw, sh*t.
All right, Wolf, who you take in a fight?
- Bruce Lee or Jim Brown?
- [Annie]
Shao, baby, put on Wolf's favorite record.
It's time to share the big news.
[soulful ballad playing]
[Wolf]
Bruce Lee all day, man.
You seen Fists of Fury? Mr.
Lee is lethal as hell.
- m*therf*cker, come on.
- [all chuckling]
Bruce Lee ain't sh*t.
Jim Brown could pulverize his little narrow egg
-roll ass.
- [giggling]
- He fast though.
He fast 'cause they speed up that camera over there in Hong Kong.
They sneaky like that over there, right, Slim? That's my song.
Yes, sir.
Ooh, like a river Y'all won't believe what this little bad m*therf*cker did.
What he did? He found Napoleon.
And all your dirty little secrets that came with him.
Annie whatever you heard, it ain't true.
You got the power What I heard? I heard it's a man who drives a red Buick.
And loves Cuban cigars.
Who loves this song.
Mm, ooh
- [g*nsh*t]
- [Wolf grunts]
Your power [Annie]
Uncle Wolf here is the one who tried to k*ll me.
He broke my heart.
Yes, you did.
- Warlords working for him.
- Tell me that sh*t ain't true.
[Annie]
Ain't this family been good to you?
- And I was trying to save it.
- Save it? She's trying to go after Nicky Barnes.
Ask her.
You don't have to be a genius to know that's su1c1de.
You go after Mr.
Untouchable and you gonna get touched.
- Nicky's a weak n*gga just like you.
- Let me finish him, Mama.
No.
Shaolin took the initiative so he's gonna do the honors.
[Mr.
Gunns]
Could you leave your best friend behind? Could you take that initiative to advance yourself and your city before New York is left to the roaches?
- [opera music continues playing]
- Are you following me? I think so.
Because if you say yes you will be empowered.
And with that power, you can return to your friends and family in the Bronx as a leader.
Free of poverty, free of filth and squalor.
But you have to free yourself first.
You see, it's the friendships we break more so than the friendships we make that delineate the intelligent leader.
- [soulful ballad playing]
- I've got the power now, Jackie.
Open up.
Open.
- I'm gonna drink you up
- [retching]
Whoa Unh, sweet like cherry wine Take that in your hand.
Feel the power in that.
The power to take a man's life.
Power can restore justice right wrongs lift whole communities.
I want you to taste exactly what it's like to be powerless.
You have the power to stay quiet or the power to tell.
Power can change people's lives, improve them.
[Annie]
You have the power over this man's life.
You chose to k*ll him.
[Mr.
Gunns]
If you excel in this internship, college awaits.
But the road to power will take you away from all you hold dear.
So, k*ll him.
Use it.
Use your power.
Feel it.
[Mr.
Gunns]
And when you return to the Bronx, the friends and family that you left behind
- [gasping]
- will look you in the eye Don't hide behind Annie no more.
and say to you, "Ezekiel"
- Count to three.
- "you're not the same.
" [Annie]
Quiet and slow.
- [Mr.
Gunns]
"You're changing.
"
- Take three breaths.
[Mr.
Gunns]
"You're not one of us anymore.
"
- Don't let her run you.
- And on the third one
- Make her do it.
- pull the trigger.
Be bold.
[Mr.
Gunns]
"Your heart's turned cold.
" She might've got your manhood, but don't let her steal your soul.
- Can you handle that sort of road?
- [moans]
[screams]
I can handle it, Mr.
Gunns.
- [g*nsh*t]
- [cries out]
Real good.
Just like I knew you would.
I want the power to change things.
I want the internship, Mr.
Gunns.
Next Saturday your friend Francisco is hosting a campaign event for my friend Ed Koch.
I'd love you to be there.
Not as our ghetto mascot as you implied before, but as a young leader taking his first transformative steps to help his city.
Endorse Ed as a representative of the future we're building.
- Could you do that?
- Next Saturday?
- Or do you have something else scheduled?
- My friends and I have this music thing.
I can do both.
Welcome aboard, Ezekiel.
So, how you feeling? I'm all right.
- You sure?
- Yeah.
Wolf was your friend, right? Mine, too.
It's hard growing up, ain't it? Come on.
Give Annie a hug.
It's okay, baby.
It's okay.
[Annie sighs]
It's a rough game we play, man.
But it's the only one we got, right? You a man now.
The kind of man I knew you'd be.
And Annie's got so much love in her heart for you.
I remember the first day you came around.
Looking so lost, like a little lost puppy.
And we took you in like you was blood.
And now you are.
Now you in it all the way, sugar.
You know, could've been worse for Wolf.
For what he did, what he tried to do, there was a time when I would've really made him suffer.
But Annie's getting old and soft now.
So, anybody asks you about Wolf, what you gonna say? I don't know nothing about that.
Now I'm gonna need you to, uh, take over some of his responsibilities.
So, Saturday night I'm gonna need you on 123rd to supervise.
- This Saturday?
- Yeah, this Saturday.
No, no, Annie, I can't do that.
I got my music on Saturday.
- A DJ'ing thing.
- A DJ thing? Something I've been planning for a while, it's important.
Ain't no "buts," man.
"Buts" are for children.
You a man now.
You gotta answer the call.
All right, wait.
What if I push your product at my party instead? We're gonna have a crowd.
I could move more dust, coke and weed than every pusher on 123rd combined.
I'm telling you, Annie, we'll sell so much sh*t.
I can do my DJ thing and make you beaucoup profit.
I can do both.
I promise you.
Just give me one go at this.
Well, if you say so, sugar.
If it makes you feel any better, I'm a little disgusted with myself.
Just make sure that the record gets out to the DJs, okay?
- No chance, Jackie.
- What? But nice seeing you again.
Yo, Leslie, I Come on.
I'll go to the police.
- For what?
- That was r*pe.
I was r*ped.
So was I.
You and your girl are dead in this business, Jackie.
Please, you gotta give me a chance.
- [Leslie]
f*ck off.
- [Tiny]
Yeah, f*ck off.
You're psychotic.
[disco music playing]
[reporter]
Only one in ten disco records has any chance of getting on the radio.
Most are discarded, never to be danced to again.
[Mylene]
Jackie, you look funny.
What happened? She said it's a hit.
f*ck Misty Holloway.
- No way.
Really?
- No.
Mylene, in my past, I've done I've done bad things.
I just need 24 hours.
Please don't tell your tÃo.
I'm sorry, baby.
I'm sorry.
But we ain't dead yet.
['70s groove music playing]
[Thor]
So, what's, like, Rumi's ultimate goal in this graffiti gig?
- Goal?
- I can't believe Rumi wants to be writing in tunnels his whole life.
Doesn't he wanna rise from some alien ashes? Be a phoenix? Find a new form? [chuckles]
True, true.
[Thor]
So, let him do it.
Set the alien in the top hat free, bro.
- Introduce him to the world.
- Maybe.
One day.
Tonight.
There's an art party in a gallery.
Phoenixes, aliens.
You should come down to SoHo.
Uh okay, I guess.
Don't worry.
They'll let you in.
We'll celebrate this.
To the two most excellent bombers in New York.
[Thor chuckles]
[Thor]
May our wild style one day see the light of day.
[The Emotions' "Best of My Love" playing]
Hi, Sondra.
Jackie Moreno calling for Dan Gold.
But the thing is, Janice, this is a very time
-sensitive opportunity.
Les Lesgold from Turntable Tastemakers went berserk when she heard "Set Me Free.
" [man 1]
Leslie Lesgold said it was dead.
Yeah, but listen, listen Donna Summer heard an advance pressing and she fired her whole entire staff.
"Set Me Free" by Mylene Cruz.
I'm shocked you haven't heard of it.
- [man 2]
Your record is dead.
- Okay, okay.
It's gonna send the Bee Gees back to Kangaroo
-ville.
[in British accent]
Rhonda, be a love and patch me through to Mr.
Weinbaum, dear.
What? Sorry.
Who? [in normal voice]
Moreno.
M
-O
-R
-E
-N
-O.
[in British accent]
No, this is not Jackie Moreno.
[in normal voice]
Hello? Bernice.
Hello? [in British accent]
It's not.
All right? Don't be silly.
Don't be silly.
All right, yes, it's me, okay? [man 3]
Your record is dead.
- Leslie Lesgold said it was dead.
- f*ck! Don't you get it? It's dead! [man's voice echoes]
[bass thumping from inside]
[disco music playing inside]
Hey.
What's up? I'm looking for Thor.
Is it cool if I go up? This is a members
-only party.
- Yes, but I was invited by
- Uh, get out of here.
CJ.
Let him up.
[First Choice's "Doctor Love" playing]
Doctor Love Just two psychic boys.
I feel psychic.
I've always wanted to read minds.
Yeah, me too.
You gotta get this in a gallery.
An alien with a top hat? Yes, an alien with a top hat.
Aw.
I love him.
One kiss from his lips Is like taking Vitamin C, oh [disco music continues over speakers]
[Thor and woman chuckling]
[crowd chattering and cheering]
What is this place?
- [Thor]
This?
- [cheering continues]
This is where the free people run free, man.
Just birds singing their bird voice.
Doing bird things.
Free people being free? I brought something for you.
It's my sister's record, "Set Me Free.
" When I heard it, I thought of you.
[crowd cheering and whooping]
You should get Carlo to play it.
- [Dizzee]
Carlo?
- [Thor]
Pakoussa.
The DJ.
- I kind of know him.
- Like really knows him.
Go.
- [man 1]
Oh, my God!
- [man 2]
Ho! Magnificent, magnificent solitude.
Are they boys or girls? Both.
Boys dressed as girls, boys with girls trapped inside.
Boys changing into girls.
Girls who got tired of being boys.
[Thor]
Carlo, what's up? [Carlo]
Hey, sugar.
You got some candy for me?
- What you got? Right.
- "Set Me Free.
"
- Better be good.
- [crowd clapping rhythmically]
What are they doing? [girl]
Vogueing.
[crowd whooping and cheering]
[shouting indistinctly]
[overlapping shouts]
[crowd chattering loudly]
Yes! Yeah! What's that? Superhero pill.
I know.
I hate my dad, right? Sorry.
My turn.
[new disco song playing]
You know how to read my mind [crowd cheering and applauding]
I'm lost and it's you I find Rushing to my side You hold me tight I know when to take your hand I know when you're feeling bad Make you feel You can feel like a man And when you're feeling blue I know Instead I give you all my love 'Cause I know you Yeah, I know you I got your back, I do Boy, you keep me safe from harm Ooh, you take me in your arms 'Cause you know me Yeah, you know me You've got telepathy It's okay.
Go on.
Kiss him.
I know you and you know me We've got telepathy Yeah, I've got you And you've got me Oh, yeah! Whoo! We've got telepathy Oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh I know you and you know me We've got telepathy Oh, oh, oh He's a good kisser.
I liked that a lot.
I know you and you know me We've got telepathy Oh Oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh I know you and you know me We've got telepathy Oh, ooh, oh, ooh, oh Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, ooh ["Set Me Free" playing]
Come set me free You've got the keys Come rescue me Come set me free Come set me free You've got the keys Come rescue me Wooh, ooh, ooh
-ooh
-ooh Wooh, ooh, ooh
-ooh
-ooh Wooh, ooh, ooh
-ooh
-ooh Wooh, ooh, ooh
-ooh
-ooh Wooh, ooh, ooh
-ooh
-ooh Wooh, ooh, ooh
-ooh
-ooh
- Wooh, ooh, ooh
-ooh
-ooh
- Oh! Oh! Wooh, ooh, ooh
-ooh
-ooh Wooh, ooh, ooh
-ooh
-ooh Wooh, ooh, ooh
-ooh
-ooh Wooh, ooh, ooh
-ooh
-ooh Come rescue me Wooh, ooh, ooh
-ooh
-ooh Wooh, ooh, ooh
-ooh
-ooh Wooh, ooh, ooh
-ooh
-ooh Wooh, ooh, ooh
-ooh
-ooh Wooh, ooh, ooh
-ooh
-ooh Wooh, ooh, ooh
-ooh
-ooh Wooh, ooh, ooh
-ooh
-ooh Come rescue me
- Come set me free
- Oh
- Come set me free
- Oh You got the keys Come rescue No, no, no.
You were supposed to send a thousand textbooks and two dozen school desks.
Instead you sent two dozen books and zero desks.
Que fue Roy Asheton from Marrakesh Star on Line 2.
I'm gonna call you right back.
Gran Barrio Records, Francisco Cruz, CEO speaking.
Who's calling please? Roy Asheton? Oh, I know who you are, Roy.
Marrakesh Star Records, right? Ah.
Thank you.
Well, yeah, we think the world of Mylene over here, too.
What? Today? Uh, well, we're kind of busy over here right now, Roy.
But you know what, why not? [chuckles]
Oh, well, yeah, me and Mylene, of course.
Well, we can be there later, you just give me the address.
You're gonna send a limo.
Uh, fine, that'll work.
Okay, we'll see you later on today.
You take the rest of the day off.
Pero get me Mylene on the phone first.
[Walter Murphy's "A Fifth of Beethoven" playing]
- [phone rings]
- [Jackie]
Whoa.
Hold it! Hold it, hold it.
Hold the line.
Hey, oh, hold the line.
Hold the line.
Hold, hold it, hold it, hold it.
Moreno Industries, Jackie Moreno speaking, how may? Francisco.
Francisco, qué pasa, bro? [chuckles]
It's funny, I was just gonna call you.
I wanted to You're going where? That's not a good idea, that's a bad idea.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
You cannot go up there without me.
I'm on my way.
- Good cake.
Huh?
- [intercom buzzes]
[woman]
Forgive me, Mr.
Asheton, Teddy Pendergrass, Line 2.
- Uh, take a message.
- Did she say "Teddy Pendergrass"? So, Mr.
Cruz,
- like I said before
- Hold on for a second.
I don't mean any disrespect, Roy.
But if you're too big
-time to take Teddy Pendergrass' phone call, how I know what you'll do with my phone calls?
- Or my niece's?
- Fair question.
Teddy's on tour right now.
While on tour, Teddy enjoys copious amounts of
- winter sports.
- Winter sports? Skiing.
"Peruvian slopes.
" Ah, ah, ah.
Entiendo, yeah.
I I see.
Teddy'd be broke by Harrisburg if I didn't ignore his calls.
[intercom buzzes]
- [woman]
Sorry, I tried to stop him.
- Cisco! Cisco, don't
- [Francisco]
Hey.
- [Jackie]
Don't listen to this guy.
This f*cking guy, he's a liar.
- Jackie.
- Cisco, I came down here Jackie f*cking Moreno.
to admit my wrongdoings.
I'm gonna pay you back.
I'm just begging you right now to hear me out.
Is that Jackie f*cking Moreno I see before me? I bet you are enjoying this, aren't you? You know what you are? Yeah! It's not good, either!
- You are a f*cking genius!
- But that doesn't mean You hear me? A genius, that's what you are.
[laughs]
- Jackie, have some cake.
- You guys You guys are eating cake?
- [Francisco]
Have a slice, it's light.
- [Mylene]
And buttery.
I always believed in you.
You know that, right? You just needed some tough love.
I provided it, and now look.
"Set Me Free" is a winner, the first of many.
- [Jackie]
You think it's a winner?
- Who gives a sh*t what I think? Your record is busting out in all the gay clubs.
And disco hits don't become hits unless all the fairies wave their wands in unison.
"Set Me Free" has a 21
-g*n salute from every wand
-waving Tinker Bell in town.
- Yeah, I mean
- How'd you get to Carlo Pakoussa? Hey, man, I don't I don't kiss and tell.
[laughs]
This Pakoussa character, Mr.
Cruz, he's the king of the fairies.
Doesn't have a pot to piss in, yet his say
-so makes stars overnight.
And stars make money.
That's what you're gonna be, Mylene, if we do this right.
Not so fast with the "we" sh*t, okay? What about this contract that your lawyer sent? What lawyer? Ignore the contract.
f*ck the lawyer, he's fired.
We'll make our own contract, together.
An equitable one between all parties.
Right, Jackie? I'm gonna tell you the truth, Roy.
I asked Jackie about you, and he didn't have a lot of good things to say.
Okay.
How about I put my cards on the table? I sell more disco albums than any other label in the country.
My records go number one, my artists win Grammys.
If you sign to Marrakesh Star, you will make more money than you could anywhere else.
Yes, I take a higher percentage than other labels.
But that's because I'm the f*cking best.
And my employees are the f*cking best.
You will make more money and have a longer career with me taking more than with anyone else taking less.
Your niece, her two friends, they're stars.
"Set Me Free" is a hit.
So, feel free to shop around.
But don't wait too long.
I'm fickle and occasionally vindictive.
My analyst says I should work on that.
I fired him.
- So, what do you say?
- [chuckles]
I say we're a lot alike.
Okay, then.
We're gonna shop around a little, then we'll get back to you.
- No.
- Yes.
No, no, no, tÃo.
I want this.
I wanna sign with Mr.
Asheton.
Regina, Yolanda and I wanna be at Marrakesh, same as Misty.
I trust you to protect me and Jackie to guide me.
I'll let you write the contract and I'll sign it, but we wanna be at Marrakesh.
Okay? Fine.
Roy, you're a serious man.
I'm a serious man, too.
I know you are, I looked you up.
Good.
So, then, uh
- we understand each other.
- Absolutely.
Hey, welcome to the music business.
[Roy and Mylene laughing]
Thank you.
Thank you.
[Ezekiel]
Dear Mom.
Tonight I find myself in a strange place.
Will I about face? Will I leave my brothers And vanish without a trace? And in exchange as I step onstage I'm handed talking points which say.
The youth have lost their way.
So, on election day Brothers and sisters of the Bronx.
Vote for the great white hope.
Koch is a man who will lock up the animals.
Like my friend Dizzee Whose crime is painting with bright colors.
On rusty trains.
I mean, are my brothers Really crabs in a barre.
I Loading b*ll*ts in the barrel In the belly of the beast? No There's no justice, no peace.
Yo, I'm going through emotions About my street brothers.
With that music in our veins But then what? Underground Is that where I'll remain? Where can I reign? Where is my kingdom, man? 'Cause I know a king needs a queen and my butterscotch queen, Mylene.
I blush when I see her I cry when she sing.
- But she's got a ticket out, now I do, too.
- Power can change people's lives.
So, I know what I gotta do.
Painful as it seems for me And my queen and our dream.
I gotta leave the Bronx 'Cause the Bronx is burning.
And we need a solution.
But the Get Down ain't no revolution.
So, God forgive and please, please, please Grant me absolution.
[Francisco]
Okay, Okay.
Oye, Ed Koch is running a little late, but you're not gonna wanna miss this, so sit tight, okay? [crowd chattering and jeering]
Hey, yo, y'all know where Books at?
- No.
- No.
How about you? Hm? You know where he at? No.
[Shaolin]
Yo, he said his ghetto mascot audition wasn't gonna jam us up.
Where's he at, man? What the f*ck is going on here?
- [Francisco]
Hola, mi gente.
- [audience applauding and cheering]
Look at all of our beautiful people here, huh? You all know how much we've suffered for years under Mayor Beame.
[audience jeering]
Mayor Abe Beame, who has proven himself time and time again to be an incompetent, insensitive, bean
-counting, pencil
-pushing little midget [chattering and laughing]
who has betrayed our people and our community.
- [man 1]
Yeah.
- [man 2]
That's right.
And then there's Mario Cuomo.
- I like Mario Cuomo.
I know Mario.
- Can I have that after? I used to play sandlot baseball with
-with
-with Mario, a long time ago.
Pero, the unions, they have Mario in their pockets.
Es la verdad.
That's the truth.
And I like the unions, but I'm gonna ask you something right now.
How many of you actually have a nice union job?
- [man]
Nope.
No.
- [Francisco]
That's right.
The unions are not just gonna open up for us on their own.
Poverty is not just gonna end on its own.
[audience applauding]
The Bronx is not gonna stop burning on its own! [audience cheering]
I pulled you off the corner because Annie needs y'all working the crowd.
Annie don't play, so I don't wanna hear about no problems offing this sh*t.
- [Shorty]
Yo, we got you, Shao.
- All right.
Five twenties to a gram.
Don't take no shorts.
Get that money.
'Cause if you don't, I'll have hell to pay.
- If I gotta pay, y'all gonna pay, too.
- [emcee]
Get Down Brothers.
Watch out for the stick
-up kids.
Where the f*ck is Zeke? We need a guy in city hall who cares about us.
We need someone who's gonna bring the proper services to us, right up here!
- We need jobs and safe streets.
- [audience]
Yes.
Clean, affordable homes for our people.
Ladies and gentlemen, damas y caballeros, that man is sitting with us here right now.
The next mayor of New York.
Born in the Bronx.
- A friend of the Bronx.
- [woman]
All right.
A tough guy for tough times.
Bronx tough.
Vamos a darle la mano.
- Ed Koch! Give him a hand.
Ed Koch!
- [audience cheering and applauding]
[chuckles]
[echoing]
The sounds you hear.
Deaf to your ear.
Are you ready? [crowd cheering]
- Damn, man, yo, what is that?
- That's the Echoplex.
[Ra
-Ra]
We can't fight that without Zeke.
Listen up! [echoing]
We say ladies first.
[crowd laughing, chattering]
[Shaolin]
f*ck Zeke.
We don't need him.
This is a DJ battle, right? [emcee]
Don't forget, whichever crew gets the B
-boys to rock is the crew that comes out on top.
[echoing]
- [Koch]
Hello, South Bronx!
- [audience applauding weakly]
- How you doing?
- We got no hot water.
How you doing? And let me tell you, that is a crime.
And speaking of crime, how many of you feel safe in your own neighborhood?
- Spend a night out here and find out!
- I grew up here.
And what I see is nothing short of a national emergency.
And you know what? It makes me mad as hell.
How about you? [audience]
Yeah! I'm mad.
I mean, look at this place.
This used to be a nice place.
You see that wall? You know what that wall said when I was a kid? Nothing.
Because when I was a kid, we had a mayor who cared about hoodlums defacing public property.
- [audience applauding weakly]
- [man]
Whoo! [crowd cheering]
[Shaolin scratching]
[up
-tempo disco rhythm]
Job one when I am mayor: Francisco Cruz and I are gonna build new, clean, affordable housing right here.
- [audience applauding]
- That's right, right here.
But when we do there won't be any more vile, lawless graffiti animals to worry about.
Because guess what? I'm gonna pass laws to put those vandals behind bars.
[audience cheering]
That's right.
- Yo, Dizzee better watch out.
- Yo, forget this dude.
Mandatory three
-day sentences for all repeat graffiti thugs.
- [man]
Yeah!
- [audience applauding weakly]
Graffiti will die under Ed Koch! [scratching]
[fast disco mix playing]
[crowd chattering]
[Shaolin continues scratching]
Yo, turn on the Berthas.
[woman whoops]
[bass rumbling]
- Friends, you all know
- [music continues in distance]
that some of our brightest hopes for the future reside right here in the South Bronx and I'd like you to meet one of them.
Come here, son.
- This is Ezekiel Figuero
- [audience applauding]
the first participant in the new internship program at the Fiscal Control Committee.
Ezekiel, you're not one of these, uh, graffiti bums, right? No, sir.
And he's certainly not one of those delinquents making all that noisy racket over there.
With the boom
-boom
-boom, is he?
- Give Ezekiel a hand.
- [audience applauding]
[disco mix continues in distance]
- [voice echoes]
We can't hear you!
- [bass drowns out music]
[Shaolin scratching]
[echoing]
Play! Loud! Your system ain't strong enough.
We gonna give you a taste of the bass.
[loud echoing]
[screams]
Put those hands up Put those hands up Everybody put those hands up [music continues loudly in distance]
With a little treble And a whole lot of bass We're Notorious Three We about to rock this place Um I wrote a speech.
But who's got time for all that, right? So, I'm gonna just riff this.
The The super
-cool Persian poet Rumi once wrote: "Where there's ruin, there's hope for a treasure.
" Now, the other day I was up on 183rd, and this rich lady called it "taki," man.
[audience applauding weakly]
But I talked to my man Tracy from 168th.
And he said, "Listen for the voice of the ghetto.
"
- Yeah.
- [man 1 chuckles]
[whooping]
'Cause it crashes down on you when you least expect it.
- [all chuckling]
- [man 2]
That's you, man.
Even from the cats that stay high on 149th Street.
[low chuckles]
Now, I could daze.
Right.
Or doze off, or talk about the comets in the sky.
Or how quick they fly by.
Or I could listen.
And say, we're a team.
- [man 3]
Aw, yeah!
- [applause]
[Ezekiel]
And as a crew or a squad we work together like Moses did
- to help his people.
- [man 4]
All right.
Some Some of you know what I'm talking about.
[audience]
Yeah.
Uh, for the rest of you let me just say this.
The young people aren't the problem.
We're the solution.
- [audience]
Yeah!
- [cheering and whooping]
That's what my mama used to say.
She's dead now.
My pops is, too.
But I'm gonna do my best to show all of you that my mama was right.
Which is why I'm honored to be here.
Uh, I'm proud Papa Fuerte gave me this opportunity.
And, uh vote Ed Koch for mayor.
- [man]
Yeah!
- [woman]
All right! [Ezekiel]
I gotta go but the battle for the South Bronx has just begun.
They're the Get Down suckers They sh*t out of luck You can listen to they system Quacking like a duck
- [loud echoing]
- [heavy b*at playing]
[audience applauding]
Well, you [chuckles]
You lost me there a little at the beginning, but you tied it up beautifully.
So, anyway, let's hear it for the voice of the ghetto, Ezekiel.
[audience cheering and applauding]
Voice of the ghetto, huh? "Stay high 149," I think I've seen that before.
Yeah, keep it to yourself.
- That was amazing.
- [Francisco]
Without further ado, South Bronx's very own Mylene Cruz and the Soul Madonnas who have a brand
-new hit on Marrakesh Star Records.
[all giggle]
- [Mylene]
Go.
- [Francisco]
Give them a big hand.
[audience cheering and applauding]
Oh, say, can you see? [harmonizing]
By the dawn's early light [cheering]
You can never take us out It's an impossible task We're The Notorious Three And you can kiss our ass
- [loud echoing]
- f*ck you.
[cheering continues]
[Mylene]
What so proudly we hailed At the twilight's last gleaming Whose broad stripes and bright stars Through the perilous fight O'er the ramparts we watched Were so gallantly streaming
- And the rocket
- [crowd cheering]
- [Ra
-Ra]
Yo, Zeke!
- Zeke!
- Yo, Zeke.
Yes!
- [Boo
-Boo]
Where you been?
- [Dizzee]
Yes!
- [Ra
-Ra]
Oh, man.
You made it.
- Yeah!
- [Ra
-Ra]
Yo, you made it, man.
[Dizzee]
Yo, he made it, man.
Let's go.
[harmonizing]
And the home of the brave [Star Wars theme song plays over speakers]
[theme fades]
- Say one, two, three
- Say three, two, one
- 'Cause the Get Down Brothers
- Are down to have fun Shaolin's the DJ That we call conductor 'Cause Shaolin Fantastic's A bad mother [scratching rhythm]
One, two, three, break Yes, you're now listening to the sound Of four greatest orators And our DJ Shaolin Fantastic Cutting the heads off the competition Laughing Ha, ha, ha, ha So, put your hands up If you wanna get down with the Get Down Put your hands up if you wanna get down Say "Get Down Brothers"
- [all]
Get Down Brothers
- Yo, yo, MC Books in the building Slipped in cleverly So deadly Plus the flow's heavenly They wanna be the Get Down Brothers But they could never be Mic controller, got chicks jockin' me Steadily I'm MC Boo The youngest of the crew And when I rhyme I rhyme for real Said I walked through hell With my gasoline drawers on
- Bronx MCs, I'm lethal like poison
- I'm fly Dizzee D All the ladies love me The brothers know I'm down by law It started with a crayon Flash said, "Play on" Next up, Ra Bless the floor They call me King Ra Hear the fanfare when I enter the cipher Fly girls follow me Like I'm the Pied Piper Proper preparation prevents Piss
-poor performances Get Down Brothers' presentation For your enjoyment Shaolin's the DJ That we call conductor 'Cause Shaolin Fantastic's A bad mother [scratching rhythm]
Whoo! Whoo!
- [hip hop rhythm playing]
- [crowd cheering and whooping]
- When the Get Down Brothers
- Are in the place
- We rock to the b*at
- With style and grace
- We got the moves
- And the verbal gymnastics
- Because our DJ's name is
- Shaolin Fantastic!
- Get down
- [crowd]
Get down
- Get down
- [crowd]
Get down
- Get down
- [crowd]
Get down
- Get down
- [crowd]
Get down [singing]
D is for do it O is for our crew W is for winning N is naturally what we do D is for do it O is for our crew W is for winning N is naturally what we do [loud disco mix playing]
- [rhythmic scratching]
- Play! Loud! [continues playing]
[Ezekiel]
Shao.
Shao, come on.
Come on.
Go! Go! Yeah! Come set me, come set me Come set me free
- [yells]
- To the b*at, y'all To the b*at, y'all To the b*at, y'all! Make money, money Pay money, money, money Ain't never heard of this sh*t before.
Nastiest sh*t I heard since "Apache.
" [Ezekiel]
Get down
- Get down
- Get down
- Get down
- Get down
- We're the Get Down Brothers
- And we're new on the scene
- But we gonna pass the mic
- Like a well
-oiled machine
- All pistons are f*ring
- We rappin' and rockin' a rhyme
- I pass it to my brother
- 'Cause I know he's on time
- Oh, sh*t.
- Yo, that's our joint.
Spin the wheels on the Caddy
- 'Cause we're turnin'
- All the moves Pivotal, lyrical, criminal
- Books
- Ra
-Ra
- Dizzee
- Boo
- We rock you to the b*at
- Like true Bronx kings We stand united 'Cause we're our DJ's wings We say "unity, unity" [crowd]
Unity, unity!
- Mylene, what you thinking?
- [Mylene]
Zeke.
He's so fine.
My God, look at him.
- Let's go dance.
- You bet.
- Get down
- [crowd]
Get down Get down [crowd]
Get down
- Get down
- [crowd]
Get down D is for do it O is for our crew W is for winning N is naturally what we do D is for do it [man]
I smell dust.
Smoke them, that's for sure.
W is for winning N is naturally what we do Shaolin's the DJ That we call conductor 'Cause Shaolin Fantastic's A bad mother [Shaolin yelling]
Whoo! [crowd cheering]
Get down! [women shrieking]
- They f*cking up them fine disco records.
- For real.
Yo, we made beaucoup cash, man.
Hell, yeah! [Michael Kiwanuka's "Rule the World" playing]
[Ezekiel ]
It's like another planet, this city.
Ain't it? You think we can keep one foot in each world? You know, me keep my family happy and be a disco star in Manhattan? [Ezekiel]
And me being with the Get Down Brothers and at the internship? Yeah.
I wanna live there, Zeke.
It's so beautiful.
[Ezekiel]
The Bronx is better.
- We got everything they got in Manhattan.
- [Mylene]
Okay.
Plus, we can sit here and enjoy the beautiful view of them.
But they got nothing to look at but the f*cked
-up, burnt
-out totally not beautiful view of us.
[Mylene]
But if I moved there, you would visit me, right? [Ezekiel]
Mylene, you'd arrive,
- open your suitcase and I'd pop out.
- [chuckles]
- [Mylene]
Yeah?
- [Ezekiel]
Yeah.
- [Mylene and Ezekiel chuckle]
- Show me [Ezekiel]
Manhattan, Bronx, disco, the get down, moving up, moving out.
We made it this far.
Just keep loving me and I promise it's gonna all be all right.
'Cause all we gotta do is love each other, right?
- Take me
- Take me out of myself again
- Help me
- Help me lose control
- Francisco, oye, escucha.
- No, we shouldn't be doing this.
It's gonna be okay.
- Show me
- Show me love, show me happiness [man on radio]
Mylene and the Soul Madonnas with "Set Me Free.
"
- Come shine the light on me
- Free
- Come and set me
- That's our girl.
You made this happen for her.
Come shine the light on [Francisco]
She's got a voice like an angel.
And she's beautiful, too.
- Just like her mother.
- [Lydia chuckles]
- Yeah, yeah
- Come set me free Come set me free Free Free Free
- Come set me free
- Won't you come down
- And come and shine a light on
- Free
- Come shine a light on
- Free
- Come set me free
- Won't you come down
- And come and shine a light on
- Free
- Come shine a light on
- Free Come and set me
- Free
- Me Me
- Me
- Whoa Come and set me [all giggling]
- Come set me free
- Oh! My lips will shout with joy When I sing praise of you
- Come set me free
- When I can feel you inside of me Feel you inside of me Feel you inside of me
- Feel you, feel you, feel you
- [cheers]
Inside of me And I will ascend above The highest of the clouds And make myself And make myself Like the most high [Michael Kiwanuka's "Rule the World" playing]
01x06 - Raise Your Words, Not Your Voice
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Series is set in the 1970s in the Bronx borough of New York City and follows the rise of hip-hop and disco music through the eyes of a group of teenagers.
Series is set in the 1970s in the Bronx borough of New York City and follows the rise of hip-hop and disco music through the eyes of a group of teenagers.