[Mr.
Books]
One hand wash the other Each one teach one We was the Get Down Brothers What's up, y'all? [crowd cheering]
It's a beautiful night in New York.
Always like rocking for my hometown.
Back in the days, Flash told us: "Conquer your street, conquer your park, conquer your neighborhood and the world is yours.
" [hip
-hop music playing]
We did that for a whole year, and we did that for free.
Until the fall of 1978 and that's when everything changed.
Yeah.
Yo, I'm from the block I seen teens turn into fiends I saw hope turn to a dream A dream turn to a plan Neighborhood like a foreign land On my block I seen guys sh*t for that top slot
- [officer]
Hey!
- Not many make it yet I was impatient I don't think there was ever A more gritty location Poor people in the w*r Yet we all equal Hidden gems found here We wear crowns here You called it a little crap hole Is that a fact
-o? Puerto Ricans, Dominicans And that black soul Combined and mixed it The byproduct Is the poetry I write To satisfy your addiction Money, money, money Must be funny In the rich man's world [Ezekiel]
Dear Yale admissions board: My name is Ezekiel Figuero.
From the outside looking inside at my bonafides, one could say I'm duality personified.
By day, I'm a senior at South Bronx High.
But by night, I'm known to rock the mic.
Yo, yo, MC Books in the building Slipped in cleverly So deadly Plus the flow's heavenly Too conceited.
Doesn't elicit sympathy.
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
" Dickens' opening to A Tale of Two Cities is an apt assessment of my love life this past year.
Oh
- Come set me free
- Oh [Ezekiel]
On the one hand, my girl became a disco star and I love her.
But on the other, everybody damn else loves her, too.
Too glamorous.
I'm from the hood.
Give them that hood sh*t.
All that intellectual yearning and sh*t.
All right.
To grow up in the ghetto is to wrestle daily with dichotomy and duality.
For example, I'm an orphan, half black and half Puerto Rican.
And these shoes I put feet in and the place that I'm seated ain't where I'm sleeping.
Where I break bread and at night lay my head you might wake up dead.
- [siren wails]
- That's just the South Bronx, B.
But I'm not just Bronx.
I'm Manhattan also, see? And I wonder, when they look, what my coworkers make of me.
- Mayor Koch, he only saw half.
- [audience applauding]
Voice of the ghetto is what he sold me as.
This right here is the future of the South Bronx.
So, I think it's fitting that a future leader of the South Bronx gets to do the honors.
Come.
Come on, sweetheart.
Step up.
- Thank you.
- [Francisco chuckles]
[audience applauding]
[Ezekiel]
But look closely, Yale, past tragedy.
Because my home is f*cking magic.
[Mr.
Books]
Who are you to say You're better than me? Discriminately pointing me out Like I don't belong here
- [inaudible dialogue]
- In the rich man's world In the work space and Ivy League school But I work hard as you I'm smart as you My broken home takes me apart From you You came from money I came from the hood, the struggle Have you ever kissed a girl On the roof who loved you? While the city b*rned down And there's smoke above you Have you ever pushed a car Into the river With your brothers That's down to die together? Never? Have you ever bombed a train? Nah, you lame [Ezekiel]
No.
The borough where I'm from ain't the slums.
We got kingdoms and kings.
And that's what I'll be, my friends and me.
[Mr.
Books]
There's Ra
-Ra, the oracle The guru, the all
-seeing eye Boo
-Boo, he's the wild one And the heart of the group Dizzee, he's public enemy number one Which is funny 'Cause he's really just an artist
- [officer]
Hey! Hold it right there!
- [Dizzee]
Run, Thor.
Faster!
- [barking]
- [Thor]
Go, go! [officer]
Stop, you punks! [dogs continue barking]
- We're gonna get you, Blondie.
- [screams]
[screams]
- [Thor]
Dizzee!
- Oh, God! Thor, please, no! [Koch]
Is graffiti an art form? I don't know.
But I can sure tell you that it's a crime.
[Mr.
Books]
And then there's my DJ Spinning faster Than a speeding b*llet Cutting records smoother than silk Able to rock any party Anywhere, anytime Shaolin Fantastic Real life superhero And turntable extraordinaire And then there's me [Ezekiel]
The Wordsmith.
One hand wash the other.
Each one teach one.
We're the Get Down Brothers.
- It's a rich man's world
- We make music, we make magic.
And six weeks ago, we started making money.
It's a rich man's world It was the morning after the Yankees won the World Series.
["Staying Alive" playing]
You mean to tell me they got a movie starring Vinnie Barbarino about disco, man? Next thing they gonna say them dago fucks out in Brooklyn started this disco sh*t.
- sh*t, man.
- [Byron]
Brother Cadillac.
- Brother Little Wolf.
- My man.
- [Byron]
What it is, what it shall be?
- And it's all right, that's okay What it is, Byron? Mylene Cruz and the Soul Madonnas' new single.
And what it shall be is a gold album.
- Possibly my future bride.
- Ooh!
- Stayin' alive, stayin' alive
- Well, all right.
- Let me tell you, that John Travolta?
- What about him, man?
- Stayin' alive
- He can dance.
- [laughs]
- Ah, ah, ah, ah
- Aw, sh*t, man.
- m*therf*cker remind me of myself.
Of yourself.
You know that n*gga was in a Band
-Aid commercial?
- Stayin' alive
- [g*nshots]
[Cadillac]
Hey! [Little Wolf]
The f*ck? [chuckles]
[Cadillac]
Try to sh**t that big
-ass rat with that tiny little g*n, he liable to get upset, come back with his cousins and eat your ass.
[both laughing]
Don't like rats.
Yeah? So what, n*gga.
I don't like broccoli.
Why you got that dumbass Mylene Cruz bullshit? You watch your mouth.
This girl is a star.
You got my money? Now, why we meeting all the way out here in this broke
-down piece of sh*t instead of the usual spot? Oh, you think I brought you out here to k*ll you.
Well, first off, if I wanted to k*ll you, I'd do it in broad daylight.
Right out front the Loew's Paradise on the Grand Concourse.
Then I'd go right next door
- I'd get my shoes shined
- [Little Wolf chuckles]
Shoes shined.
smoke me a leisurely cigar, talk about the Knicks, while they scraped you off the pavement.
Someday you gonna respect me.
Until then, I'm gonna be down at the arcade watching the kids,
- making sure Annie get her money.
- Aah.
- Second of all, the arcade's closed.
- Annie said it's too hot.
Too close to the school.
Moran wants us to relocate.
Where I'm supposed to set up shop?
- Right here.
- In this sh*t hole? It ain't a punishment.
Look, Annie's idea is we gonna turn this into a little club.
Nothing fancy.
A bar, dance floor, toilet.
Back room for moving the cocaine.
Nah, I'm not with it.
f*ck that.
A DJ booth.
Do I have your attention now?
- [Little Wolf chuckling]
- [Cadillac]
You are a so
-called DJ, right? You and your little faggoty friends fancy yourselves entertainers? What y'all call yourselves? The h*m* Brothers?
- [Little Wolf laughs]
- The Get Down Brothers.
[chuckles]
Yeah, right.
Mama want Little Wolf to run the club, but the music and the cocaine action that's all you.
You're a top earner, I expect that to continue.
- Y'all the new house band.
- [chuckles]
- So, pack the house.
Here are the keys.
- Why don't you buy some paint? You know, some hammers, whatever, get your friends, get to work.
Make this place shine.
- I don't work for you.
- That's right.
You work for me.
And now, so do your little friends, too.
So, don't f*ck up.
Hey, who knows? Y'all move enough powder, maybe one day I'll sign you to my label.
- [Shaolin]
f*ck outta here.
- [Little Wolf]
High Voltage, baby.
[laughs]
Hey, you see this one?
- Stayin' alive, stayin' alive
- John Travolta, n*gga.
Ah, ah, ah, ah Stayin' alive [Ezekiel]
When Shao told the crew about the club, we said, "Yes, please and thanks.
" 'Cause the Get Down Brothers were finally gonna make some bank.
I feel like bustin' loose
- Get Down Brothers
- Bustin' loose Get Down [crowd]
Get Down
- Get Down
- Get Down Toy MCs Pump your brakes 'Cause the Get Down Brothers be On the take Don't know what you heard Or what you might think 'Cause the Get Down Brothers be About that bank 'Cause the Get Down Brothers Be about that bank 'Cause the Get Down Brothers Be about that bank Don't know what you heard Or what you might think 'Cause the Get Down Brothers Be about that bank Fresh out the womb Landed on a downbeat Books on the mic Representing Bronx county The first day When I touched the mic Knew it was gonna need some first aid
- When I stepped on my first stage
- [man]
Here.
Born to get down Y'all dudes irrelevant Plus we gettin' bank So, we need lame
-repellant
- Y'all still in the playground
- f*ck you doing? You feel me? Plus, we getting paid You might as well fade out Dizzee D, it's my duty To rock the fly jewelry And it may appear to them As though I supply Gucci Tag the city With my alien in top hat You can never be as fly as Dizzee D is You not about that Your ambition can't fit In my Stan Smiths Plus I'm getting paid for what I love And the city is my canvas
- Boo
- The baby of the bunch, the chosen Got a plethora of Cleopatra Joneses And Foxy Browns want the shaft Of the mighty Black Caesar If she act right I'm gonna treat her
- Serve her Kool
-Aid and a burger
- Little Wolf Queen of my harem That's how I refer to her
- Yeah, man.
- See y'all don't wanna challenge us We get straight cash
- Y'all getting allowances
- Ra Head NIC, in other words I'm the crew chief Dudes lined up, trying to steal The pages of my loose leaf Kung fu Gripping the game Like Bruce Lee
- I'm a mogul pimpin' the game like
- Whoo
-wee Plotting and scheming for bank 'Cause I'm a visionary Getting bank is my religion I'm a missionary Get Down Brothers The name
- We know you heard of
- [cheers]
Can't cut the mustard Then catch up, hamburger Toy MCs, pump your brakes 'Cause the Get Down Brothers be On that take Don't know what you heard Or what you might think 'Cause the Get Down Brothers Be about that bank 'Cause the Get Down Brothers be About that bank 'Cause the Get Down Brothers be About that bank Don't know what you heard Or what you might think 'Cause the Get Down Brothers be About that bank [Dizzee]
Let's go! Yeah, right about now it's Shaolin Fantastic! Shaolin on the wheels of steel You know it's gonna get real When we turn this joint out
- Money, money, money
- Yeah! Oh!
- [record scratching]
- Money, money, money Money, money, money Money, money, money Money makes the world go round The world go round, the world
- Money makes the world go round
- [laughter]
[record skipping]
- Need a pair of 69ers
- Need bank
- Share a glass of vintage wine
- Cost bank
- I got a brand
-new Cortefiel
- Bank
- Fly girls, you know what's real
- [high
-pitched voice]
He got bank
- Shopping mall
- [all]
Bank
- Aurora slot car
- Bank
- Fame, fortune
- Bank Hot tub We the Get Down Brothers And we got bank We the Get Down Brothers And we got bank Step on stage And let the fly girls spank 'Cause the Get Down Brothers We got that bank We the Get Down Brothers And we got bank We the Get Down Brothers And we got bank Step on stage And let the fly girls spank 'Cause the Get Down Brothers be About that bank
- [record scratching]
- [all cheering]
[Shaolin]
Get Down Brothers strike again, son.
[Ra
-Ra]
Yo, man.
This club is the serious joint, Shao.
Y'all rocked the house, all right?
- Now, I may be the Big Chief
- [woman 1]
Hey, Shao.
but at least I know how to treat my little Apache warriors.
What's up, baby?
- Oh!
- [woman 2 laughs]
- Ooh.
dr*gs.
- [woman 2]
Yeah.
- I love them.
I love them.
- [woman 2]
I love Let me get chocolate milk to chase this champagne.
Yo, Books? What up? [Ezekiel]
Where the f*ck's the on button? This TV works, right? Come on, Mylene's about to go on Platinum Boogie, man! [Shaolin]
Yo, Boo.
Let me teach you something.
Go get us another bottle of Paul Masson.
And get one for her, too.
Yo, man, you crazy, man.
That's Switchblade's girl.
[Shaolin]
What, he supposed to be tough or something?
- The n*gga's name is Switchblade.
- Bro, my name is DJ Shaolin Fantastic.
Lady k*lling Romantic.
Go get that bottle.
[Boo
-Boo]
You bet.
Yo, Mylene's about to come on TV, come here.
[singers on TV]
Platinum Boogie
- [announcer]
Where all the hipsters meet.
- Platinum Boogie
- And the boogie controls your feet.
- Boogie all through the night
- So, slide into your boogie shoes.
- [woman whoops]
- Everybody's gonna feel all right
- And let's get all the way down.
It's gonna be out of sight Good evening and welcome, brothers and sisters of the dancing persuasion.
From station to station, and across the nation, I am Cool Calvin Moody, here to shake your booty.
It's time now to hustle, bump and get platinum,
- because y'all on
- Platinum Boogie Platinum Boogie.
A bit of bad news first.
As you know, Misty Holloway was to be a guest on the show, but she caught a case of the sniffles.
No, no, no.
Not those kind.
[chuckles]
But fear not, we've got America's favorite party boys, The Village People.
And filling in for Misty, an angelic mystery guest.
You heard her holy voice, but may not know the heavenly face.
But what a voice and what a face.
Tonight, Platinum Boogie is proud to spread God's love with Mylene Cruz and her Soul Madonnas.
But first, funk soul superstars.
That's right, Earth, Wind & Fire.
Platinum Boogie Boogie all through the night [Boo
-Boo]
This is make or break for the girls.
[Ezekiel]
Yo, chill.
Mylene got this.
[announcer]
Platinum Boogie is brought to you by Arthur & Adams, makers of Mega Shine, Sleek and Sheen and the new Super Hold styling spray.
["September" playing]
Do you remember The 21st night of September? [Shane]
Misty gets a cold and Cool Calvin asks for The Soul Madonnas.
Girls, it's the chance of a lifetime.
[Mylene]
But how can I replace the biggest star in the world? What if I flop? Mylene, how long have I been your A&R man?
- Almost a year?
- Well, then, don't you know me well enough
- to know that I don't work with flops?
- Yeah.
I'm just scared.
I'll tell you a little secret: Every single serious talent I've ever worked with, and you know my résumé, they're all a mess before they get on stage.
But then, they hit that first note and they're unstoppable.
And you will be, too, because you, my dear, are a star.
[Shane chuckles]
Thank you, Mr.
Vincent.
[girls mocking]
Thank you, Mr.
Vincent.
For the hundredth time, I'm Shane.
[all laughing]
["Disco Biscuit" playing]
Ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, oh, girl [Cadillac]
See, roller disco is the fastest
-growing sport in America, Mr.
Wheels.
And I got a song that's built to be skated to.
This is my 18
-minute "Disco Biscuit" sex electric remix, which I want you to debut in your Manhattan roller disco.
["Disco Biscuit" continues]
[chuckles]
Um It's a good song.
Not for the roller disco scene.
I know DJs in, uh, Jersey and Staten Island.
I think this song is, um Yeah, I think this song is a little more suitable for those regions.
Come here, come here, come here.
You need to open up your mind, DJ Frankie Wheels.
Dig that funky hypnotic vibe.
There.
- "Disco Biscuit" is a hit.
- [grunts]
And Satin Galaxy are gonna be the breakout stars on my revamped Super High Voltage record label.
[grunts]
Ain't that right, fellas? Yo, Audrey, I told you to wait at the bar.
Oh.
Audrey, you ain't gotta wait at the bar.
You can stay right here.
- Take a seat.
Want a beverage?
- Beverage?
- Switchblade, don't do this.
- Hey.
You know who I am? Here to stay Pocket Kn*fe, right? To my beautiful daughter, Mylene, on the occasion of her second single.
May it sell better than the last.
- Salud.
- [all]
Salud.
And to Minister Ruiz of the Pentecostal National Board of Directors.
And to the Right Reverend Deacon Mills from the greater Hartford area for supporting our church.
Mylene, we are all hopeful that you will testify to our faith during the interview portion of our show.
I will try.
- Try hard.
- You're on in two, Miss Cruz.
[Mylene]
Wish me luck, Papi.
[Ramon]
Ah Doing well will mean big things for us.
[Mylene]
Okay.
- Hey.
- I am a mess.
[woman]
Ninety seconds.
Love you, Mommy.
Dios te bendiga.
- Okay.
- Remember, God is with you.
You're going to be amazing.
Mention the record company.
It's important people know you're a Marrakesh Star artist.
- Okay.
Okay.
- Do it for us.
And thank you for what you said before.
- Of course.
- Sixty seconds.
When you get out there, give Cool Calvin a lot of attention.
Okay, yes.
Wow.
- Te quiero tanto.
Siempre.
- Siempre.
You're beautiful.
You're gorgeous.
You're talented.
Listen, listen, f*ck the church, okay? f*ck the record company, f*ck Roy, your parents, me, f*ck Cool Calvin, f*ck everybody, do it for you.
- It's your night.
It belongs to you.
- [woman]
Okay.
- Come on, come on, you're on.
- You do it for you.
- Okay.
- [woman]
Cameras set.
- Okay.
- We go live at nine sharp.
We are ready with the Soul Madonnas.
f*ck Jersey.
And f*ck Staten Island.
You're a Bronx
-Manhattan roller disco DJ.
"Disco Biscuit" is a Bronx
-Manhattan hit.
Am I right? [chuckles]
So, you'll spin my record in your roller disco three times a night.
Every night.
Right? Yeah.
Yes.
[chuckles]
- It's 9 p.
m.
, Clarence.
- Oh.
Ah Here she comes.
Here she comes.
Now, to save your soul, Mylene Cruz and the Soul Madonnas.
[man whoops]
For the record, they call me Switchblade.
But I carry a .
38.
- Babe.
- Get off of me.
- [Mylene sings on TV]
- What you wanna do, huh? [Mylene]
Cannot find their way So I Oh, whoa.
[shushing]
There she is.
[Boo
-Boo]
Look, look.
There she is.
- [Ra
-Ra]
Shh.
It's started.
- Oh, my God.
It's Mylene.
I used to go with her cousin.
That's Mylene, that's my girl.
- [woman 1]
Dang, she looks good.
- [woman 2]
Go, Mylene.
Hold up.
That's your girl? That's right.
[laughs]
That's his girl.
Mylene from the church.
She a big disco star now.
Who? Whoa, whoa, whoa.
For real? I love my girl! I love Mylene Cruz! I love her! I love my girl! I love my girl!
- Lookit, that's my girl.
- For me and you
- This is kind of emotional.
- That's right.
Boom.
That girl right there.
Ooh I'm gonna sign her to my record label.
You watch.
Gonna make her my wife.
Yeah, I'm gonna shake her and bake her all night long.
Yeah, and make little baby Cadillacs.
I want to be there To help my fellow man So I Keep a light in my window Till love and mercy Shines throughout the land I will Keep a light in my window So, I can ease the pain That life can bring Help them find the peace Their spirit needs I have been chosen for A work Cisco, this is not the place.
Que no puedo dormir.
Me and you I can't be without you, baby.
You are the devil.
Find the peace [whispers]
Pa fuera.
Their spirit needs I have been chosen for Okay, you look at me and tell me that you don't love me.
One thing I know for sure: You can't lie.
[both laughing]
So I can ease the pain That life can bring Help them find the peace Their spirit needs I have been chosen for a work to do To make a world of love For me and you So I can ease the pain That life can bring Help them find the peace Their spirit needs I have been chosen for A work to do To make a world of love
- World of love, a world
- For me and you
- Of love
- So I can ease the pain
- That life can bring
- Oh
- Help them find the peace
- Find the peace Their spirit needs
- Hey
- I have been chosen for A work to do To make a world of love A world of love
- For me and you
- Me and you
- Hey.
That's me.
- [laughs]
I've been chosen Yeah, that's my sister singing backup.
You wanna make out? Me and you For a world of love
- To make a world of love
- [laughing]
- For me and you
- You Ooh, ooh, oh [whooping]
All right, shut up.
Quiet.
And we are back.
Ladies, my Lord.
Mylene, where did you learn to sing like that? [laughs]
Well, Mr.
Moody, Regina, Yolanda and me, we like to call the church God's nightclub.
Oh, yeah? [chuckles]
But I'm a sinner.
How do I get in? Just show up.
All are welcome at my father's church.
It's called Iglesia de Dios Inmaculado in the Bronx.
[all cheering]
- [man]
Yeah!
- [Dizzee]
Yeah! Hi, Mom.
[crowd whooping and laughing]
[woman]
Yeah! Now, Mylene, I have to ask: Are you single? Or do you have a boyfriend? Damn right she got a boyfriend.
That's right, Mylene.
It's me.
It's me.
- Oh, yeah.
- That's me.
Um I, um Well, at the moment, uh Actually, I'm currently single.
Yes.
- The f*ck she just say?
- [Switchblade]
Yo.
That sh*t was cold, man.
- Wait, what the f*ck did she just say?
- That sh*t was mucho frio cold.
Yeah, not for long, baby.
- Not for long.
- Final question, Mylene.
- Hey, that's f*cked up, Books.
- If you could only sing one last song, and then never be able to sing again for the whole rest of your life, whatwould that one song be? Well, my favorite singer ever is Misty Holloway.
[Moody]
Mm
-hmm.
- [Mylene]
Uh, s o, actually
- I need air.
I'd love to sing the Pakoussa remix
- of Misty's "Far, Far Away.
"
- [Moody]
"Far, Far Away.
" [chuckles]
That's a lovely song.
[Mylene]
Or maybe "Love to Love You, Baby.
" Or "Shake Your Groove Thing.
" No, wait.
Misty's new one, "Slow Hand.
" I knew it.
Not even remotely f*cking religious.
- But
- Oh.
I also love all the church songs, too, Mr.
Moody.
Yeah.
I'm sure you do.
[Shane]
I wasn't sure she really wanted it.
I was wrong.
She's our new Donna Summer, man, guaranteed.
[Moody]
Thank you, Mylene.
We'll be right back with The Village People.
Boogie on through the night
- Y'all staying for the after party?
- Hells yeah.
Yeah, all right.
All right.
[Little Wolf]
Books: 20.
Ra: 20.
Shaolin: Here's your 20.
And your envelope.
- [Ra
-Ra]
Envelope again?
- [Shaolin]
All right.
- [Dizzee]
Why you getting an envelope?
- [Little Wolf]
Dizzee and Lil' Shrimp:
- Ten bucks each.
- [Boo
-Boo]
Uh Yo.
Yo!
- Why we only getting ten?
- 'Cause you small and ugly.
[laughs]
And him, he just plain weird, ain't he?
- [Little Wolf laughs]
- [Dizzee]
You think I'm weird? That's very weird that you think I'm weird.
Yo, my brothers ain't weird.
Your brother's m*therf*cking Mork in an afro and and you, you just like that midget n*gga, uh, Tattoo from TV.
[laughs]
"The plane.
The plane.
" And you, I'm about to tattoo my size eight up your ass if you don't give us what the f*ck you owe us.
- You.
- Shao, you best take care of this now.
[Boo
-Boo]
Little Wolf? [Shaolin]
Boo, chill out.
You and Diz got an advance on your salary last week.
You forgot that? Yeah, but all the cash that pass through this joint [Ra
-Ra]
Yeah.
We should get envelopes, too.
Because we work just as hard as you and we practice just as much.
I'm the DJ, remember? That's why I get the envelope and sh*t.
Without me, wouldn't even be no b*at for y'all to rhyme over.
- [Ra
-Ra]
Except
- [Shaolin]
What? Man, did you see the crowd tonight? Crowd was going crazy for all of us, not just Shaolin Fantastic.
Hey.
Shaolin Fantastic is the reason we in this club.
Don't make me snap my fingers and replace you.
Y'all getting paid off of my good idea, remember? You, him and your dope fiend brother.
I just want you to see us as, you know, equal partners.
Since when is the MC equal to the DJ, Ra? We've always been a group.
But I'm the conductor.
You're the f*cking instruments,
- and y'all need to remember that sh*t.
- [Ra
-Ra]
Yo, yo.
- Quit acting like you don't know who I am.
- I know who you are.
- [Shaolin]
Shut the f*ck up then.
- All right, I'm done.
Ra's right.
I'm bouncing out.
I got an appointment anyway.
Appointment where? Where the air is clear of dissonance and simple
-minded fools like that dude fear to tread.
The $10 spot won't be needed.
Ezekiel, I feel for you.
Ra, I admire you.
Shao, I'll follow you anywhere, but only on the off
-b*at.
Boo, I stashed the Captain Crunch in my sock drawer.
Okay? Feast in my name.
Ciao for now.
Know what? I'm out, too.
Let's go, Boo.
[Boo
-Boo]
I don't wanna.
You ain't my boss.
You want me to whoop you upside your head?
- Come on, let's go.
- Don't put your hand on my little man.
- What's wrong with you?
- Leave it.
Yo, hey.
He's my brother.
Not yours, so step off.
Let's go, Boo.
- You got school.
Come on.
- [Boo
-Boo]
f*ck school.
- Stop touching.
- [Ra
-Ra]
Move quicker.
I ain't no little kid.
sh*t.
I think Ra wanna leave, bruh.
[disco music playing]
Somebody scream! [all scream]
[Mylene]
Coño, I messed up.
[Yolanda]
Girl, Zeke knows y'all are together.
- Hey.
- But I shouldn't have said that.
- What?
- You know, I want Zeke to be here or me to be there.
At their shitty little hood rat club? [scoffs]
You hate that place.
Besides, it's beneath you.
Mylene, if I may.
A benefit concert by you would be just the ticket to attract our at
-risk youth in the greater Hartford area.
And if you served as this year's National Honorary Chairperson for our anti
-abortion campaign Gentlemen.
[chuckles]
The answer is yes and yes.
I'm sure that Mylene would be thrilled to volunteer.
Right, Mylene? Yes.
- [Ruiz]
Excellent.
Thank you.
- [Ramon]
Anything for our partners.
- Ha
-ha
- Wow, they're like granite! Mylene, come here.
Some people I want you to meet.
They'll be on your team moving forward.
That's Jerry from Promotions,
- Ivan from
- Check this.
Have you felt this yet, bro? Rick, uh, where is he? Skip.
Hey, listen, then if the music thing washes out, I got friends in roller derby, uh, pro wrestling.
You You Any chance you can ride a bull? Leonard in the back and Dave from Accounting.
You don't need to know Dave.
- Yo, Mylene.
Mylene.
Hi, hi.
- Nice to meet you.
So sorry.
This is important.
Sorry.
Yo, them people over there, they're gonna hang out with Michael Jackson right now at Studio 54
- and all three of us is invited.
- [both squeal]
Check it out.
Check it out.
Check it out.
Michael Jackson has heard us.
He likes our song!
- Oh, my God.
Michael Jackson?
- [giggling]
Yes!
- Yeah.
- No.
Oh, my God.
Are we going?
- [Yolanda]
Yes!
- We're going, we're going.
Girls, girls, girls.
I'm sorry, but my daughter will never sully her gown in such foul waters.
Studio 54, my eye.
[chuckles]
Go have fun.
- Go, I'm okay.
- Come on, Yolanda.
Mylene, but it's
- We'll get you an autograph, Mylene.
- [Mylene]
Okay.
- Regina! Over here!
- Mylene, look.
I know, I know, I know it's hard not to go with your friends.
But you have a higher calling.
Yes, Papi.
Oh.
Oh yes.
By the way, and I've discussed it with your mother, and we have decided to increase your allowance by $20 a week.
- Thank you, Papi.
- You're welcome.
Deacon Mills was so impressed by you.
He said our church is the future.
- You make Jehovah proud and I love you.
- I love you, too.
[soft, melancholy song plays]
I got a heart that cannot b*at [Dizzee]
Dear Thor, I'm enclosing this week's comic about how I'm doing.
With each moment that passes, we unfold our myth a little more.
One day we'll get to the opera.
Till then, here's another chapter.
Dreamin' away I know it's right for me And yet something is wrong Tell me a wonderful way To keep you around Say to my face All that you feel [Thor]
"The Adventures of the Get Down Brothers.
"
- Week Six, Issue Six.
- Dreamin' away "'Bout That Bank.
"
- Hey, man.
- Saw your light.
Thought I'd bring you this for a sandwich, or protection or cigarettes.
Sorry it's only $4.
Little Wolf stiffed us.
- No worries.
- So, do you miss the world? I miss birds.
Rumi, please wait, man.
- I'm not like you, Diz.
- Dreamin' away I miss you.
Dreamin' away [Shaolin]
What's up, bro? What? You mad at me, too?
- What is this, the silent treatment?
- That envelope was f*cking big, Shao.
You got sh*t to say, f*cking say it already.
I mean, you making all this cash now, Shao.
Might as well hire Gil Scott
-Heron to write your rhymes.
Langston Hughes.
Emily Dickinson.
Dr.
Seuss and sh*t.
Or maybe this club ain't really about the rhymes or the beats.
You have no idea what I've done to put us in this good situation.
No, I know.
I know how much you work, but that envelope, that's your job, right?
- [Shaolin]
You wrong, man.
- Am I? You know what, Shao? You the DJ, you the king.
You do what you want.
We just bow down to the source.
["Fight the Power" playing]
Time is truly wastin' [Ezekiel]
Shaolin's the source, all right.
- But not just the musical source.
- There's no guarantee, yeah Smile's in the makin' Just like I've got my day job, my DJ has his.
Hustling, scrambling, the game.
Angel dust, heroin and cocaine.
See, they got this new one playing up on Grand Concourse, right? Saturday Night Fever.
And, uh I need a date.
What you doing later on? With you, mama's boy? Nothing.
This is strictly business.
[Ezekiel]
My best friend Shaolin Fantastic is a f*cking fantastic drug dealer.
[sniffs]
And also, he's a lady
-k*lling romantic, too.
["For the Love of Money" playing]
[Cadillac snapping fingers]
Mm
-hmm.
[Ezekiel]
Back when we first met, he was just a foot soldier
- and mostly I turned my shoulder.
- Money, money, money, money
- But looking away is getting untenable.
- Money 'Cause nowadays Shaolin, he's like Superfly bred with a five
-star general.
[man]
Here you go.
Money, money, money, money Get back to work.
Money
- Move, m*therf*cker.
- Money, money, money, money Some people got to have it Hey, hey, hey [Ezekiel]
Shaolin Fantastic's got his own little army of kids on the street.
Weeds cracking the pavement in search of the sun, talented minds stuck under thumb.
The city ain't pretty and Shaolin ain't dumb.
But that's the flipside of life where I'm from.
Do things, do things, do things Good things with it Yeah Uh
-huh Hey, I know where that road leads 'cause I've been there before.
Last night, that envelope reminded me.
My father was a drug dealer, and it k*lled him and my moms.
So, I hate drug dealers.
And even though I love my best friend, he love the streets, and the streets don't let go.
Yeah, yeah So, it's only a matter of time before we reap what Shao sows.
Didn't I tell you Mr.
Gunns wants building code petitions filed in triplicate?
- That's three copies.
- They're on his desk.
In triplicate.
We all good, bro?
- Did you
- Goodbye, Trent.
Oh.
Well Hey, good team work, buddy.
- Bye, Trent.
- [Claudia chuckles]
Typical cookie
-cutter, banal douche
-meister.
[Claudia chuckles]
Let's go to lunch.
My treat.
Oh, thank you but I got plans.
Ugh.
Putain.
You've always got plans.
And you gotta prepare for the big presentation later, right? Battery Park project? I'll be back for that.
Great.
I'll alert the media.
- ["Just You, Not Now" plays]
- You tried to hold me [girl]
I'm such a big fan, and you were incredible on Platinum Boogie last night.
- I love your new song.
- [chuckles]
- [Mylene]
Here you go.
- [girl chuckles]
- Thank you so much.
- [giggles]
Bye.
Oh, my God.
Sorry about that.
I understand why you're upset.
'Cause when they asked on TV last night if you had a boyfriend, you said no? [sighs]
Zeke, that was for publicity, okay? I'm your girl, obviously.
Obviously to who? If you my girl, quit signing autographs and looking at the clock.
Have lunch with me like you said you would.
Don't try and control me like everybody else does, okay? Just don't.
Oh, and by the way, if you wanted everyone to know I had a man, you should have been there last night.
I had my own show to do.
Zeke, you perform at a drug den owned by gangsters, okay? That's a different kind of show.
I could have really used your support last night.
You're right.
I'm sorry.
It's like this, uh this college essay I'm writing right now.
Like, two sides to every story.
Three sides, actually, if you wanna include the truth.
I apologize for the interruption, but we're gonna be late.
Thought you said I had 20 minutes.
Wait, 20 minutes? Where you going? Who the f*ck are you? Shane Vincent, A&R.
Lucky man.
Your girl adores you, talks about you all the time.
- Yeah, except on TV.
- Just publicity.
Look, I really gotta get Mylene to a photo sh**t for Tiger b*at.
Why didn't you tell me? Not her fault.
The session got pushed, I wasn't aware of the lunch date.
Look, we got the check.
Here's money for a cab, and if you want, why don't you come by set later? These things take forever.
Lot of downtime.
[softly]
I'm sorry.
- Give you two a minute.
- Thanks, Shane.
Come on.
Zeke.
Come to my Tiger b*at sh**t after your internship.
Please? My dad's got some big meeting tonight with the church, so I'll be alone.
Kiss me.
In public? What will your fans think?
- Fine.
Don't kiss me.
- Wait, wait, wait.
Wait.
Promise me you'll come? I promise.
See you tonight.
I don't like that Shane guy.
Zeke, he's married.
And he's really cool, okay?
- And I don't wanna do this
- You'll see.
- Love you.
- I don't really wanna Have to do this And it tears me up inside This love will never die [Claudia]
Hey, Ezekiel.
So, do you think Congress will pass the Equal Rights Amendment? [Ezekiel]
I don't know.
[Claudia]
Apartheid in South Africa, will it ever end? [Ezekiel]
Will it ever end here? [Claudia]
Can Jimmy Carter bring peace to the Middle East?
- [camera shutters clicking]
- [Ezekiel]
If he pays them enough, maybe.
[Claudia]
How did Jim Jones convince so many people to drink poisoned Kool
-Aid? [Ezekiel]
America's been drinking the Kool
-Aid for 200 years.
[Claudia]
What about Sid Vicious, will he go to jail for m*rder?
- [Ezekiel]
Who's Sid?
- [Claudia]
You don't know who Sid is? [Ezekiel]
Do you know who Grandmaster Flash is?
- [Claudia]
Who?
- [Ezekiel]
We're even.
Do you think there will be a revolution in Iran? Most likely.
Do you think you can stop being so grumpy?
- Just got things on my mind.
- Like what? Things.
Bad day? Colossally.
[chuckles]
"Colossally.
"
- You wanna smoke some primo Thai stick?
- For real? Daddy.
I'm coming to bid good night to my mentee and daughter.
Hello, sir.
Look, I don't want you staying here too late, Ezekiel.
Focus on that college essay.
Make it a priority.
Oh, I am, sir.
I'm plugging away.
Good.
Because I wanna introduce you to a friend of mine.
Yale's Dean of Admission.
He's gonna be at the Ivy Club next weekend.
What do you say? I'd like that.
Put in the hard work now, you earn your place at my alma mater it's all smooth sailing from there.
Says the white man.
Okay then, kids.
Lock up when you leave.
And, Claudia, stay off my stereo hi
-fi system.
["One Way or Another" playing]
One way or another I'm gonna find ya I'm gonna get ya [Claudia]
Debbie Harry's so hot.
When I saw Blondie at CB's, I almost made out with her in the bathroom.
- Why you do that?
- I said almost.
Chris Stein walked in and Joey Ramone, too.
Joey's so cute.
You know, in a "Big Bird sniffing glue" kind of way.
I'm really into the whole punk scene.
Not just the scene, but the whole philosophy.
- What else you got?
- What's your philosophy? I like Khalil Gibran Jesus, sometimes, and, uh always Bruce Lee.
- All right, you ready for this?
- Yeah, hit me.
Goodbye, punk rock.
And hello, get down.
["Impeach the President" playing]
[man]
Ladies and gentlemen.
We have the Honeydrippers in the house tonight.
They just got back from Washington, DC.
- Don't tell me you like this stuff.
- Nah, just the get down part.
Get down part? What's that? You really wanna know? Anything you wanna tell me, I really wanna know.
[Lydia]
Ever since Mylene went on TV, everything's going so fast.
- Ramon and the board and the bank.
- Last two.
Here you go.
- I should go.
No, no.
- You want some coffee? That's good.
I'm It's no trouble.
Un vasito agua.
Okay.
Coming up.
Ramon tells me Gunns is giving you a hard time about
- construction on your housing starting up?
- I don't know.
Gunns and those blanquito politicians, they all come up for a photo op of the groundbreaking and then nada.
Like a runaround.
And every time I pass by that empty construction site, it's like a great big sign saying, "Francisco Fuerte can't do nothing for his people.
" "Francisco Fuerte es a pendejo.
Grand pendejo.
" [chuckles]
Everything good takes time, no? And no one thinks you're a pendejo.
I don't know.
Pero gracias.
You're welcome.
[Ezekiel]
You're talking stripped
-down chords.
The drums without the vocals, that's the part I like.
'Cause then my DJ, he plays the same record on two different turntables.
- ["Impeach the President" playing]
- First, one [counts softly]
And then again.
[mimics b*at]
Wait, your DJ? Uh, it's this guy I know.
He He introduced me to all this sh*t.
[music resumes]
Does he have a name? Shaolin Fantastic, the Lady k*lling Romantic.
[laughs]
But what about his real name? Uh I don't know.
But Shaolin plays the get down part on one record, right? And right about when it's about to end he goes back to the other record, and then back again.
And then again, and then again, and again, to make one long get down part that never ends.
And that's cool because? 'Cause you can dance to it.
And I can talk over it.
- Talk?
- For example
- ["Penthouse Floor" playing]
- [Mylene]
Zeke said he'd be here.
He said he'd be here.
[photographer]
This, this right here.
Beautiful.
Yes, you're a star.
Look right into my eyes now.
All this trouble in this here town All this sh*t going down
- When will they focus
- [Francisco]
Mylene's not home?
- [Lydia]
She's at the photo sh**t.
- The photo sh**t.
Right.
And your man Lopez drove Ramon to sign those papers with the deacon.
Said they'd They'd all be back after midnight.
Wow, midnight.
Lydee.
[Ezekiel]
Yes, yes, y'all, you don't stop My name is Zeke They call me Books I chill with scholars I chill with crooks When it's time to get it on I'm known to the ladies As quite the Don Juan [Claudia chuckles]
Oh, my God.
Let's dance.
- [Mylene]
He still isn't here?
- [photographer]
Beautiful.
- Forget the truth, inhale the lies
- [indistinct whispering]
- Mylene.
- [Mylene]
I just wish Ezekiel was here.
Zeke said he'd be here.
- I just wish Ezekiel was here.
- They see us reaching for the sky
- Just in order to survive
- Come on.
More talk.
- Maybe we should go
- Talk about me.
All right.
Go to the penthouse She goes by the name of Claudia Gunns A straight
-A student with sexy buns You like my buns?
- Let's ride the elevator
- [laughs]
Ay, Franny, I can't take it no more.
SÃ, pero Pero SÃ, ven.
Your eyes are blue You're friendly, too I could do this all night 'Cause you make my aim true [Lydia moans]
[Mylene]
I shouldn't be doing this.
I wish Ezekiel was here.
Why didn't he call? But I need him.
- All that bubbly, all that wine
- I need him.
Oh, man, look at the times Didn't they notice [Lydia moans]
I've always loved you, Lydia.
I've always loved you.
Only future I can see Ain't what it used to be [Mylene echoing]
He said he'd be here
- Said he'd be here.
Said he'd be here
- I didn't know this Oh, sh*t.
[camera shutter clicking]
I just Wait, what time is it? Uh I have to I'm really late to
- For what?
- Uh I'm sorry.
I have to go, and I forgot that I have to go but I I have to go.
You mean a girl? No.
Uh I I don't know.
Just, I gotta finish my essay.
[door opens]
[Mylene in broken voice]
But Zeke's never broken a promise before.
[sobbing]
He's mad at me.
Shane.
- Everyone's mad at me.
[sniffles]
- Mylene.
Look at me.
You always got me to talk to.
And I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's really going on.
How about I guess what's wrong and you stop me if I say something that's untrue? Okay.
You love your parents and your tio and your boyfriend.
I do.
But you may be not exactly the same anymore as how they see you, how they want you to be.
No.
Because you're growing.
As an artist and as a person.
I hope so.
Mylene, it's funny.
Your first single was "Set Me Free.
" Well, have you ever heard the expression, "If you love someone, set them free"? Yeah.
That's what your parents and boyfriend gotta do.
They need to set you free.
And they need to trust you'll still be there for them.
Responsibility doesn't just lie with them.
You have to set yourself free.
Yeah.
Shane.
Um Do you smoke pot? I mean, sometimes.
Do you have any? Yeah.
I do.
Thanks, Shane.
Of course.
[horns honking]
- [siren wailing]
- [Ezekiel]
Tonight I know I ought to tell Shao about you, Yale.
- [Mylene]
Mm
-mm, mm
- I really ought to warn him
- Mm
-mm
- that my ship might set sail
- Mm
-mm
- toward a dream with my queen
- Mm
-mm
- my Mylene.
Mm Someone is friendless And cannot find their way So, I Keep a light [Ezekiel]
As hard as it would be to tell him the truth would be proof of my love.
- But here's the rub.
- Look at Toby, all dressed up.
- Don't call me Toby.
- f*ck you doing here, Books? Just wanted to rap to you for a second.
- About the other night.
- Keep a light in my window But the thing is, I'm Shao's wordsmith, and he's my conductor, and I ain't ready to rupture our structure.
About what I said last night, I was wrong.
You out here on your own, and you need your money.
And I know you got your business on the side and I don't wanna talk about it or know about it.
- I don't care.
- Then why you keep talking sh*t, Books? [Ezekiel]
So, no.
I can't say what I ought to say.
Not yet.
Life can bring I shouldn't have said what I said.
I just wanna keep making music for as long as we can.
And for you to remember when you a king you gotta look out for your people.
Fat Annie, Cadillac and them, they ain't looking out for us.
So, I gotta be sure you are.
What to do to make a [Ezekiel]
That's the story, Yale.
That's my tale.
My life is a dichotomy, and both my lives are true.
Part scholar who could go far
- Got your back.
- Yeah, part budding ghetto superstar.
And on the one hand, I so badly want you, Yale, and so this is my desperate plea.
But on the other hand, I know what I can do for you, Yale.
But tell me one more time, what exactly you could do for me? A world of love for me I'm Ezekiel Figuero
- And for you
- and I ask respectfully.
Peace.
["Just You, Not Now" playing]
01x07 - Unfold Your Own Myth
Watch/Buy Amazon
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.