04x06 - The Price of Fame

[bunniefuu]

[UPBEAT HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYS]

♪ ♪

[RAQ]
Previously on Raising Kanan...

I ain't never figured you for
a butter pecan kind of girl.

There's a lot you don't know
about me, 'Nique.

Is that right?

I'll let Stefano know
that I'll no longer

be supplying your operation.

[RAQ] Our work gotta go, David.

Because if it don't, you and Terry

gonna be talkin'
to that dead mother of yours,

face to f*ck' face.

I need to meet with your other partners.

[RAQ] I can set up the meeting.

You're playing with fire, n*gga.

[TERRY] I'd rather play with fire

than be in business
with you and your sister.

[g*nsh*t]

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

Gonna make them pay
for what they did to you and me.

You tell 'em Sal's wife sent you.

You show me you could
build an organization

and put together a real plan,
then maybe we could talk.

How 'bout we skip drinks,
you come over to my place,

and I show you my record collection?

Maybe that army sh*t got you comfortable

with killin' n*gg*s.

If I'm comfortable with it,

it ain't 'cause of the army.

Kanan's skimmin'.

Not sure what he plannin' to do with it,
but he takin' every week.

Wouldn't take nothin'
to give me too much, you know?

I'm asking you to do
your mother a mercy.

Help me go.

I can't. I'm s... I'm sorry.

Get out of my sight.

[FAMOUS] I got into a lot
of stupid sh*t, Ma.

sh*t I wish I never did,

and I can't undo it.

[GARCIA]
We found his ID on his person.

We are certain it's him.

[BREATHES SHARPLY]

[RILEYY] ♪ I'm a hustler, baby
I'm a hustler, baby ♪

[50 CENT] ♪ Yeah, I know
Heartbreaks, setbacks ♪

♪ b*tch, if I crap out
I'm sure I'ma get back ♪

♪ I been through the ups and
Downs, you know I get around ♪

♪ So to me
It's all a part of the game ♪

♪ If I ain't the coke man
Or the dope man ♪

♪ I'm almost for sure, man
I got to take it ♪

♪ No need to say sh*t
I'm gon' take it ♪

♪ Robberies turned homicide
It's nothin' to play with ♪

♪ Make money
Make, make, make money ♪

♪ When sh*t hit the fan
We'll take money, Southside ♪

♪ Beef with the best of 'em ♪

♪ Done shot
At the rest of 'em, yeah ♪

♪ Checks, I'm collectin' 'em ♪

♪ Check, boy I'm finessin' 'em ♪

♪ Bag Supreme
Boy, you f*ck around ♪

♪ Put a big bag on your head ♪

♪ Before the weather break
You're dead ♪

♪ Let's get to it, they
Don't do it like we do it ♪

♪ Nah, cop it, whip it
Bag it, flip it ♪

♪ Re-up, we up G'd up, what up? ♪

♪ Runnin' round this b*tch
Still not givin' a f*ck, hey ♪

♪ When it come to that paper
There'll be no complications ♪

Ha ha. That's right.

♪ Put a hole in a n*gga
Right in front of you ♪

♪ Your heartbeat pacin' ♪

[RILEYY AND 50 CENT]
♪ And it's all right ♪

[50 CENT] ♪ That's how
We do it on this side ♪

♪ n*gg*s get to it On this side ♪

♪ I know heartbreaks Setbacks ♪

♪ b*tch, if I crap out
I'm sure I'ma get back ♪

♪ I been through the ups and
Downs, you know I get around ♪

♪ So to me
It's all a part of the game ♪

♪ If I ain't the coke man
Or the dope man ♪

♪ I'm almost for sure, man
I got to take it ♪

♪ No need to say sh*t
I'm gon' take it ♪

♪ Robberies turned homicide
It's nothin' to play with ♪

♪ Hey, hey ♪

[RILEYY VOCALIZING]

[CHORUS]
♪ Don't trouble the water ♪

- [ARETHA FRANKLIN] ♪ I won't ♪
- [CHORUS] ♪ Leave it alone ♪

♪ Why don't you
Why don't you let it be? ♪

[GROWN KANAN] You see enough
of your people die,

pieces of you start dying too.

And that sh*t keep happenin'.

You lose so much
of your damn self

that you can't find you no more.

And when you gone like that,
you gone for good.

Ain't nothing
gonna bring you back.

[ARETHA FRANKLIN'S "BRIDGE
OVER TROUBLED WATER" PLAYING]

♪ ♪

To a real one.

To Famous.

[RAQ] To Fame.

Pour some out for Famous.

♪ ♪

[SOULFUL MUSIC PLAYING]

[JESSICA] It's okay.

[SINGER] ♪ A mirror to my love ♪

You know, Raq, all these
young n*gg*s dying out here

just end up being question marks.

Who they could've been.

What they might have done.

You hearing anything
'bout who put him down?

Nobody know nothin'.

Just like always.

[SINGER]
♪ For stringing me along ♪

Kanan gonna want some payback
for his friend.

He ain't the only one.

Thought you wasn't down
with that kinda sh*t no more.

I'll make an exception for Fame.

Police gon' be watching
Fame's people and friends

real close to see if they
trying to pay this sh*t back.

Ain't gonna do nothin'.

Ain't nothin' to do.

At least not yet.

♪ ♪

[SINGER] ♪ Hold your heart ♪

Somebody wanna talk to you.

Yeah.

I'ma go pay respects to his mama.

[SINGER] ♪ By the way ♪

♪ Your lips touch mine ♪

Hi, Lou. [SNIFFS]

[CRYING]

Hey, it's all right.

It's gonna be a'ight.

[INDISTINCT MURMURING]

[SINGER]
♪ Just like I know my name ♪

Ain't seen Fame's sister in a minute.

She still been out in LA

doing the whole management thing.

She sayin' anything about
what the police talkin' about?

Nah.

Even if she did,

don't think she would tell me.

Why not?

'Cause she know what I'll do.

I'm gonna go get something to eat.

You want anything?

♪ ♪

When you find out who put Fame down,

best believe I want in on that.

Since when you out here
gunnin' for n*gg*s?

Since they put down Fame.

What a f*ck' monumental tragedy.

Streets never lose.

Nah, but we do.

Keep the ones you got close, Marvin.

Close enough to keep 'em safe,
but far enough away,

that they don't do
the same dumb sh*t you did.

[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

♪ ♪

How you two holdin' up?

How you think?

You need to take a breath, Kanan.

Check yourself.

Famous wouldn't want you
to do nothin' stupid.

Stay on your cousin, Juke.

He in a bad place right now.

I got him.

[ENGINE RUMBLING]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Got those pieces in place
you been askin' for, Mr. Russo.

Got back with my connect.

Gonna start hittin' these blocks hard

and takin' back what got took.

All I need from you is money and muscle.

Money and muscle.

That's all.

If I'ma go up against Raq and Stefano,

I need to know that you
and New Jersey got my back.

What I'm struggling to understand

is how this turns into revenue for me.

'Cause as much as I'd like
to exact some revenge for Sal,

I'm a businessman.

I need to know how and when
I'm getting paid.

Like I said, man, I got the supply now.

I'll have the product in hand
when I set up shop.

You'll be getting
a regular piece of that.

I mean, the sh*t ain't
f*ck' rocket science.

And I'm no f*ck' astronaut.

I live here, planet Earth, right?

And in this part
of the f*cking universe,

you don't open up for business
until you assess the competition.

Last I looked, your girlfriend's

got the market cornered out there.

That b*tch ain't
my f*ck' girlfriend, man.

And the only corners
that matter are the ones

she ain't f*ck' with.

She set up inside for outside work.

Competition's been assessed, man,

and it's wantin' like a m*therf*cker.

I been steady hittin' up her operation.

She's shook right now.

And her product is runnin' out

'cause her connect cut her off.

You keep askin' me what's my plan.

What I'm tryin' to tell you...

- [THUMPING DESK]
- I'm past the f*ck' plannin'.

I'm doin' this sh*t already.

[SIGHS]

What they did to Sal
is a f*ck' sacrilege.

That's what I'm talkin' about.

And to New York, we're just
the f*ck' kid brother,

who gets to tag along.

Maybe it's time to grow up, then.

I can't take out Stefano.

That's a f*ck' death sentence for me.

But if we could just
soften him up enough,

his own people will do it for me.

What I'm trying to convey to you

is, you need to be smart.

You can't be droppin' bodies,

not even your girlfriend.

Like I said,

Raq, ain't my f*ck' girlfriend, man.

But I hear what you sayin'.

We cold w*r this sh*t until
it need to get hot, right?

[SOFT TENSE MUSIC PLAYS]

You're gonna go talk to Akbar.

That's my guy out in Trenton.

[MUTTERS INDISTINCTLY]

He's got what you need.

♪ ♪

The color scheme in here
is a perfect match

for my brother's personality:
dark and ugly.

[LAUGHS]

The yellow or the green?

Look, we keep havin'
this conversation, David.

Our trucks need to move.

All right? All my work is on the dock.

Sure, of course.

But we're short on drivers.

You know, it might be a good idea

to have our organizations
more familiar with each other.

I was thinking maybe we could
have a mixer, your people and mine.

[SNORTS]

[LAUGHS]

It's been something I've been
wanting to do for a while,

but Terry always said no.

[RAQ] Look, we gon'
figure all of that out,

but first, we need
to load up these trucks,

and we need to get out this work.

[DAVID] I'm thinking green.

It's vibrant, lively.

[GASPS]

The only colors you about to see

is black and blue, n*gga.

You hearing what my sister's
saying to you?

[LAUGHS]

You're very funny, Marvin, and strong.

I did not know that about you.

And this is why
we need to have a mixer...

so we can learn more
about each other.

Let him go, Marvin.

See, I keep talkin',
but you don't hear me.

We ain't having no party
until our sh*t move.

You understand?

I do, absolutely.

Business first, always.

But I just wanted to put that bug

into your ear about the mixer.

Oh, it's in there.

So we're settled on green, right?

That m*therf*cker in there is exactly

why I said to be light on Terry.

That wasn't what you said, though.

You said get tough,
and that's what I did.

Yeah, but I also said
that we needed these trucks,

that we can't move our work without 'em.

We still got the trucks.

Yeah, but the m*therf*cker running 'em

is more concerned with the drink menu

at this f*ck' prom that he throwin'
than he is with our work!

David is a f*ck' disaster, Marvin.

And now we gotta rely on him.

Meanwhile, the Afghan brother

who got connects
to poppy fields over there

wanna meet with our people.

Now, you think I can introduce him

to f*ck' coked-up Chinese
Martha Stewart in there?

Terry said he was gonna go
to the police.

Yeah, but he wasn't
gonna do none of that.

The m*therf*cker go to the cops,
he put himself in prison.

He ain't afraid of the pen. He said so.

Look, the sh*t don't even
matter now, Marvin.

What's done is done.

Could take David out too.

Okay, and then what we got, Marvin?

You not hearin' me.

We need these trucks.

It's how we move our sh*t.

Look, you put the crazy
m*therf*cker in charge,

you gon' keep him in line.

Here on out, he on you, Marvin.

[ENGINE TURNS OVER]

♪ ♪

[O-CEE] Could be heartburn.

I-I f*cked up some fish
with hot sauce last night.

[RAP MUSIC PLAYING]

I gotta go.

♪ ♪

[KANAN] What y'all hear?

[O-CEE] We're out of product.

We just waitin' on this re-up.

I'm talkin' about Famous.

What y'all hear?

Nothin'.

Nobody knows sh*t.

Or at least that's what it seem like.

I need heads aware

I'm paying good money
for anything about Fame.

So scream that sh*t out loud.

Somebody gotta know somethin'.

So you just wanna dead the work?

[SOFT TENSE MUSIC PLAYS]

♪ ♪

You just said there ain't no more work.

I mean, we got a little bit left.

Can I get a straight answer
out of you, n*gga?

First we out. Now we not?

First nobody knows nothin' about Fame.

Now it's just what it seem like.

You know what? I don't even give a f*ck.

You wanna make some real loot,
get me some information...

a name, a crew, a block.

Give me somethin'.

Then you'll get paid.

Promise you that.

♪ ♪

[LOU-LOU] I'm Lou, and I'm a alcoholic.

[GROUP] Hi, Lou.

I lost someone the other day.

And it hurt like hell.

Before, uh...

before I was sober,

I woulda hit the bottle, hard,

and then done some bad, bad sh*t.

sh*t I would've regretted
for the rest of my life.

Since I'm not drinking no more,

don't really know what to do.

[SOMBER MUSIC PLAYS]

I don't even know
who the f*ck I am right now.

♪ ♪

[OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYS]

♪ ♪

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS]

♪ ♪

[TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWING]

♪ ♪

[ENGINE TURNS OVER]

[GARCIA] Any names of your
son's friends and associates

would be incredibly
helpful here, Ms. Figueroa.

I've told you everything I know
already, Detective Garcia.

There's nothing else.

The evidence says
that your son was tortured

before he was m*rder*d.

And then whoever k*lled him
dumped his body

in that abandoned house in Mott Haven

and left him there for
we don't even know how long.

They brutalized him

and then threw him away like trash.

If you care about your son
like you say you do,

you'll help me here.

When I came to you for help to find him,

you didn't care.

Now he's gone, and you're questioning

whether I care about my son?

Get the f*ck out of my house!

Shawn was working
with the NYPD, Ms. Figueroa.

He was assisting us in the investigation

of the m*rder of a police officer.

It stands to reason
that that's why he was k*lled.

Then that just means
that some cop ran his mouth

and sold out my son.

I wanna find who k*lled Shawn,

but I need you to help me.

[SOFT TENSE MUSIC PLAYS]

Whether you wanna believe it or not,

your son did bad things, Ms. Figueroa.

I'm asking you to do
a good thing on his behalf.

Shawn grew up in a horrible place

at a horrible time.

He's the victim here.

Now, get the f*ck out of my home!

♪ ♪

[DOOR CREAKS]

[DOOR CLOSES]

[CRYING SOFTLY]

[BREATHES DEEPLY]

How you feelin'?

[JOYCE SCOFFS]

Like I'm dyin'.

All right, so I, uh,

brought some food, put it in the fridge.

Need anything else?

Your brother tell you
what I asked him to do?

Uh, Marvin, he say nothin' to me.

[JOYCE SCOFFS] Course not.

Your older brother is a coward.

He's not.

You always been
the sensitive one, Lou-Lou.

Even as a baby,

used to feel your daddy's sadness,

crawl across the room,
and hug up on him.

What do you want, Ma?

I asked your brother because...

I didn't wanna ask you or your sister,

'cause you too fragile and she too hard.

Fragile?

You always could find the right words

to make me feel wrong as hell, huh?

I ain't got the strength

to choose the right words, Lou-Lou.

I'm dyin'.

And I am angry about it.

[SOMBER MUSIC PLAYS]

Angry at everyone
who gets to keep on livin'.

Angry at anyone who's already gone

who didn't tell me
how hard this was gonna be.

I don't wanna be this way no more.

And that's what I asked
your brother to do.

To have mercy on me.

To let me leave

in my own way,

on my terms.

And he said no.

So...

you ask me to do it.

To k*ll you?

To put me to rest.

♪ ♪

I can't.

You scared.

I understand.

But you could do it,
so it won't hurt me.

I'll just go to sleep.

I'm not scared of what
it's gonna do to you, Ma.

Scared of what it's gonna do to me.

[MUSIC INTENSIFIES]

["TAKE IT PERSONAL" BY g*ng
STARR PLAYING]

♪ Take it personal
Take, take it personal ♪

♪ Take it personal
Take, take it personal ♪

♪ Take it pers-pers-personal ♪

♪ Take it personal
Take, take it personal ♪

♪ Take it personal
Take, take it personal ♪

n*gg*s see I'm back,
I wanna look like I never left.

[GURU] ♪ Don't be mad ♪

♪ 'Cause I don't come
Around the way ♪

♪ Like I used to
I don't have time these days ♪

♪ I'm keeping busy
Making power moves ♪

♪ And don't try to say
I don't remember you ♪

♪ You shouldn't let
Your jealousy show like that ♪

♪ I stopped coming by
'Cause of the way you act ♪

♪ Telling my business to kids
I don't even know ♪

♪ You're like
A daytime talk show ♪

♪ And that's low ♪

♪ So you can tell everyone
That I'm jerking you ♪

♪ And if you don't like it
Kid, take it personal ♪

They're all original pieces.

[g*ng STARR] ♪ Take it personal ♪

♪ Take it personal ♪

Just let me know which one you want.

♪ ♪

[g*ng STARR] ♪ Take it personal ♪

♪ Take it personal
Take, take it personal ♪

All of 'em.

[g*ng STARR]
♪ Take, take it personal ♪

[KANAN] Talk to me. You got somethin'?

Tell him what you told me.

This fiend we serve over at The Forties

said it was Freddy Wilds' crew
who took out Famous.

[O-CEE] Killa Keith,
P-Kwelz, and all of them.

They dropped Fame
for what he did to Freddy.

Heard the same sh*t
from a n*gga over on 116.

Guy was fixin' right across the street
when they grabbed him up.

Said it was Keith, Kwelz,
Loomy, and Tonka.

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYS]

Word.

That's great f*ck' work.

[B-RILLA]
♪ Gotta die, who's next? ♪

♪ There's nowhere you can hide
Who's next? ♪

♪ Got a brand-new 9 Who's next? ♪

♪ Got m*rder on my mind
Who's next? ♪

♪ Look, said it's B-Rilla ♪

♪ I'm a stone-cold k*ller ♪

♪ Came from the gutter
k*ll any m*therf*cker ♪

♪ Drown him in a puddle
Of blood until he suffer ♪

♪ Blow your brains out
Then mail 'em to your mother ♪

♪ Blast you, put the TEC-9
To your brother ♪

- ♪ Bones, I sleep... ♪
- [MUSIC STOPS]

Hey, what the f*ck?

Rilla, come in here for a minute, man?

n*gga, I'm in here getting' it.

I know. Let me holla at you.

The f*ck for?

Sounded good to me.

Course it did, Allen.

Hey, n*gga, this sh*t workin'.

It was, it was, no doubt.

I just, um,

wonder if the lyrics
are a little familiar.

You know, the gangster sh*t cool.

I'm just thinkin' that maybe
we tryin' to move past that.

You don't like my rhymes.

The lyricism is dope.

I'm just tryin' to figure out
if there's new sh*t to say

and a different way to say it.

You think what I'm spittin' is tired.

I wanna see if we can go deeper,

past TEC-9s and chalk lines.

You know what I'm sayin'?

Nah, I don't.

I'm talkin' about metaphors
and allegory.

You paintin' straight lines
with primary colors, n*gga.

I'm talkin' about doin' impressionism.

You doin' still life.

n*gga, you came and got me from the pen,

like, "Oh, your flow is dope."

Now my sh*t sound familiar.

n*gga, make your mind up.

'Cause I got people to take care of,

but no music on the streets.

So no music mean no money.

And you in here talkin' about metaphors

and "allegores" and impressions.

n*gga, my lines is straight
'cause I'm straight.

It sound like you need
to get your sh*t right.

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYS]

♪ ♪

I'ma step out before
I do some sh*t I regret.

I'd love to see what that look like.

You wouldn't.

[STEFANO] We've been doing
this a long time, my friend.

We have people that can
liaise with your contacts,

make sure the ships
get loaded and unloaded

without anyone noticing.

The operation's as foolproof as it gets.

And the Queens territory is
allocated to your organization.

Yeah, we got a deal
with the other families.

It's all ours.

And, as Raq here and I have discussed,

if you two could come up
with a competitive price,

there might be room to expand
into the other boroughs,

and even maybe beyond that.

You know, my friends,

they're always lookin'
for a better deal.

I'll have to set up
a manufacturing facility

near my village in the Helmand Province.

Well, how long will that take?

Two or three weeks.

[LAUGHS] I love the work ethic
with you people, huh?

It takes a month to cut
the f*ck' grass in New York.

[CHUCKLES]

Well, if we do this, we gotta do it now.

My people need to get fed.

I'll get you a number later today.

But, in principle, we are agreed.

[STEFANO] All right.

I already got a number for you.

[LIGHT JAZZY MUSIC PLAYING]

That's the ceiling right there.

Anything above it
don't make sense for me.

♪ ♪

As I said, I have to build
an infrastructure

to manufacture the product.

That initial investment
will be substantial.

That's your problem, not mine.

Play the game, you gotta
hang your own hoop first.

[LAUGHS] You see?

This is why us men are so scared

of women in the boardroom.

They always get their way.

[CHUCKLES]

I'll accept your terms.

- [STEFANO CHUCKLES]
- Then we in business.

[STEFANO CHUCKLES] Yeah.

Yeah.

Now, salute.

[GLASSES CLINKING]

[DOOR CLOSES]

[NURSE] Good morning.

She's awake if you wanna go in.

How's she doin'?

She's tough.

What kinda mood she in back there?

- Tough mood.
- Mm.

I'm gonna come back, uh, another time.

[NURSE] Should I let her know
you stopped by, or...

Nah, nah. It's-it's-it's-it's all good.

What she don't know won't hurt me.

[LAUGHS]

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYS]

♪ ♪

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

♪ ♪

[LAUGHTER]

♪ ♪

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

[ENGINE TURNS OVER]

♪ ♪

[g*nshots]

[KRYSTAL] Give me a second.

[SIGHS]

Kanan ain't here.

You know where he is?

I don't keep track of him like that.

You know, you seem like
a smart girl, Krystal,

so I'ma be real wit' you.

If you care about my son,
you'll keep a track of him.

He in his head right now, and
that's not a good place for him to be.

He ain't gonna mind me,
but he'll listen to you.

Kanan does what he wants.

Sound like you know him
pretty good already.

Look, just look out for him.

That's all I'm sayin'.

And I ain't even here
to talk about that, anyways.

I got some good news for him.

Have him hit me when he can?

I will.

[SINGER] ♪ Stand up ♪

♪ Hold your head high ♪

♪ 'Cause you did
what had to be done ♪

[BLUESY MUSIC PLAYING]

[JESSICA] Lou.

Did you?

Not yet.

But I'm thinkin' f*ck' hard on it.

[SIGHS] I had this gypsy cab dude

runnin' red lights to get here.

All the things you goin' through...

I felt stupid hittin' you.

But I ain't got nobody else to call.

I'm glad you did, okay?

Could you get this sh*t
the f*ck away from me?

Yeah.

♪ ♪

Can't stop thinkin' about him.

We had our back and forth, but...

I loved Fame.

He loved you too.

He loved your whole family.

[SINGER] ♪ 'Cause you did
what had to be done ♪

♪ ♪

Let's get the f*ck out of here.

Okay.

♪ ♪

[THUMPING HIP-HOP MUSIC
PLAYING OVER STEREO]

♪ ♪

Phil Russo out in Newark sent me.

[UPBEAT HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING
OVER SPEAKERS]

♪ ♪

Damn near dropped my drink
when Russo said

you was coming through.

Word was you was dead and buried.

n*gg*s like me don't die, man,

we just rest up for the resurrection.

Yo, look, Akbar, I need heads who ready

to put in this work,
gritty m*therf*ckers

who won't get shook
when sh*t gets shaky.

You in Trenton, New Jerz, brother.

We don't get shook.

But educate me on something.

Why you out here f*ck' with my people?

Queens run out of n*gg*s?

Everybody on the Southside's
spoken for at the moment,

and tell you the truth,

I'm still walking kinda soft right now,

tryin' to keep sh*t
on the quiet tip.

But when I do move,
it's gonna be hard and fast.

n*gg*s won't see what comin'.

My people don't come cheap.

Russo wouldn't have
had set up this here parlay

if he thought I wasn't ready to pay you
what you worth, my n*gga.

♪ ♪

I got the soldiers you need.

Your moms came by.

She's worried you're gonna do
somethin' crazy about Famous.

And I am too.

I'm not doin' nothin'.

Yeah, but you're thinkin' about it.

Of course I'm thinkin'
about it, Krystal.

Famous was my brother.

But he wouldn't want you
to f*ck yourself up for him.

[PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYS]

♪ ♪

Let's just go to bed.

♪ ♪

[DOOR CLICKS]

[DOOR CLICKS]

[MARVIN] What the f*ck
are you doin', Juke?

Nothin'.

Where my g*n at?

Soon as I sat on the couch,
I knew sh*t didn't feel right.

I wasn't doin' nothin' bad with it.

Just some target practice.

Since when are you f*ck'
with target practice?

Since I was in the army.

I was good at it.

I liked it.

Calmed me down.

Was it Famous or was it
your friend's mans?

What's-what's messin' with your head?

[BREATHES DEEPLY]

Everything.

It's being back home.

It's the army. It's Fame.

All of it.

[SOFT MUSIC PLAYS]

This is what I was sayin' to you

after you put your girl's mans down.

You think you good,

and then sh*t creep up on you
and you not good.

Is that how it happens to you?

We're talkin' about you, not me.

I am you.

Or-or at least I'm a-a part of you.

Or you're a part of me.

Whichever one it is,

we a lot more the same than different.

♪ ♪

I don't want you havin' no part of me

that got you carryin' a gat.

That's not how or where
I want you to be.

Maybe I'm already there, though.

Maybe I've been there,
and I didn't know it.

Or I did know it,
and I've been runnin' from it.

Then keep runnin'!

I don't want none of this for you.

Don't end up like me,
because I'm only good

for one thing, and one thing only,

the sh*t I'm good for is bad.

You're upset about Fame,
and I don't blame you.

And if I'm bein' real,

if that was my mans
who got put down like that...

I'd be paintin' the f*ck' town red.

But if you're doin' what I do...

you most likely doin' sh*t wrong.

I don't even know what that means.

[SCOFFS]

I don't neithers.

[SIGHS]

[SCOFFS] sh*t, I'm startin'
to sound like Lou.

Just give me back my motherfuckin' g*n.

Now, Juke.

♪ ♪

[SIGHS]

[HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING]

I just don't even have
a feel for this sh*t right now.

[MUSIC STOPS]

Can't tell if it's good or bad.

Can't stop thinkin' how they did Fame,

leavin' him like that.

I got this sh*t inside
and it wanna get the f*ck out,

and I'm feeling' like
the only way I can shake it

is by findin' who did that sh*t

and doin' the same thing to them.

What's that gonna do, Lou?

It's not gonna bring my brother back

or make anybody less sad.

Yeah, but it's the only sh*t
that I can think to do

that's gonna make me
feel different, Jess.

Let me make you feel different.

[SOFT ROMANTIC MUSIC PLAYS]

And maybe you can make me
feel somethin' different too.

♪ ♪

[RAQ] You openin'?

[IRWIN] Ten-year lease.
What else can I do?

I'm very nervous about
our business together, though.

I heard about Terry Kan.

Look, I'm not responsible
for every damn crime

in this city, Irwin.

You think it was just a coincidence,

what happened here and what happened

with Terry and his company?

Look, I told you before
that this thing between us,

it ain't no deal
that you can just break.

I am not Terry Kan.

I know he was trying to end

his business relationship with you,

and I'm not going to do that.

The safest thing I can do
for myself and my family...

is continue on with you.

But I do it with a heavy heart
and with great concern.

I...

I don't want any more people
to die here.

Look, we gonna be better
and we gonna be safer

than we was before.

Only thing you need to worry about

is where you gonna spend all that money.

[INSISTENT KNOCKING ON DOOR]

[SOFT R&B MUSIC PLAYING]

♪ ♪

You serious when you said
you'd put in the work?

Hell yeah.

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYS]

♪ ♪

Let's do this.

[EARLY] I'm just saying,
this bookie sh*t

ain't all it's cracked up to be.

Look like you doin' a'ight to me.

That's 'cause your money's good, Marv.

Between your take
and the Italian's piece,

my margin's getting squeezed
like a f*ck' Florida orange.

And that don't even take into account

all the time I spend
chasin' down the money.

This white m*therf*cker
out in Howard Beach

into me for ten large,
talkin' to me about

how he a made n*gga, so he
allowed to carry that debt.

f*ck you lookin' at me for?

That's your business, not mines.

Do what the f*ck you need to do.

[SAW BUZZING]

[B-RILLA]
♪ Blunt ashes on the floor ♪

♪ I lift up the sheets
Then I grab the piece ♪

♪ I can't be the next one
Here that's deceased ♪

♪ I just see a mess ♪

♪ I'm hearing push squeaks ♪

♪ Turn the door knob
Then I slowly reach ♪

♪ It's my n*gga Shade
From back in the day ♪

♪ He tryin' to set me up
So he let me know the play ♪

♪ These two bitter n*gg*s
They just in the way ♪

- ♪ So pass... ♪
- [MUSIC STOPS]

Heard from Eldad Facts' mother.

She's willing to have him
come through the studio

for a few hours and work with you.

[LOU-LOU] That's good.
I-I like that kid.

[IMANI] Mm.

I'll chop it up with him,
see where we at.

Hmm?

How are you feeling?

I'm alive.

Which is better than the alternative.

Won't know that for sure
until I see the other options.

You mean when you're dead.

[SIGHS] Don't even talk like that, Lou.

[SOMBER MUSIC PLAYS]

Who do those belong to?

♪ ♪

Ain't mines.

No, hey.

♪ ♪

Jess.

As in Jessica, Famous' sister.

Your old girlfriend.

You should let her know that
she left her jewelry here.

I'm sure she's lookin' for it.

Hey, don't...

There she go.

Please tell me you got some cash

to go along with them diapers.

I'm workin' on it.

I thought you said you had a single
comin' out soon or somethin'.

[B-RILLA SCOFFS] Look.

It's just takin'
a little longer than I thought.

Bryan, I'm not tryin' to be
that baby mama that's whinin'

and complainin' about a deadbeat daddy,

'cause that's just
not a good look for me.

It's not who I am.

But you need to step up
and take care of your daughter.

I know. You don't think I know that?

- I know.
- [MICHELLE] I know you know.

Which is why I'm not complainin',

screamin' and yellin', and carryin' on.

I'm just sayin',
you this child's father,

and she needs your help.

I got you, Michelle.

I know.

[LAUGHS] Yes.

[B-RILLA] I got the both of y'all.

[MICHELLE EXHALES]

I promise.

Yeah, baby.

Come on, baby.

You can't guard me, cuz.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS]

♪ ♪

There's four of them.

They ain't ready.

But it's only two of us.

Figure they all gotta be strapped.

Closest any g*n gonna be
in their jackets.

You get the drop on 'em,

ain't gonna be nowhere for them to run.

Stone-cold Juke up in this m*therf*cker.

Army do all that sh*t to you?

We know which one k*lled Fame?

No matter anyway.

If it's one of 'em, it's all of 'em.

[g*n c*ck]

We droppin' all four.

You cover the far side.

Let me get their attention.

♪ ♪

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

[g*nsh*t]

I got next.

Which one of you b*tch-a*s
m*therf*ckers put down Fame?

[g*nsh*t]

Get on your f*ck' knees, all of you.

I'd listen to her.

Man, f*ck you!

- I said...
- [g*nsh*t]

get on your f*ck' knees, n*gga.

We ain't do sh*t to Famous.

That ain't what we heard.

You lyin' with pistols pointed at you?

- Really, n*gga?
- [P-KWELZ] It wasn't us.

Okay, for-for real.

W-word is bond.

Well, your word don't count for sh*t.

[BREATHES SHAKILY]

This n*gga's about to cry!

[JUKEBOX LAUGHS]

You'd be better off
with a b*llet in your head

than the block knowin' you leakin'.

[LOOMY] That wasn't us, I swear!

We ain't like that. You know this!

[TONKA]
We ain't K*llers like that.

All the sh*t we done out here,

we ain't never had a body on us.

You was angry

'cause you thought Fame took out Freddy.

[P-KWELZ] We ain't holdin'
Freddy down like that, Juke.

That grimey-a*s n*gga took from us
just like everybody else.

I heard it was police that dropped Fame.

Now I know you bullshit.

'Cause why the hell
they gon' k*ll a n*gga

that they tryin' to lock up?

[LOOMY] Just some sh*t
I heard around the way, man.

n*gg*s saying Fame knew
about some cops bein' dirty.

And they got scared
of him talkin',

so they snatched him up
and put him down.

Who told you that?

I don't remember.

For real!

Just sh*t heads sayin'

on the corner and a-at the barbershop.

Which barbershop?

On what corner?

Maybe he ain't lyin', Juke.

[DISTANT SIRENS WAILING]

Pssh. f*ck it. They gotta go.

[KEITH] Please.

We didn't drop Fame.

On my mother.

[SIRENS WAILING]

Look, we gotta go.

We done here.

[LAUGHS, GROANS]

♪ ♪

If you lyin',

we comin' for your peoples.

Everybody.

And then?

[SIRENS WAILING]

We comin' for you.

♪ ♪

[MELLOW REGGAE MUSIC PLAYING
OVER SPEAKERS]

[SINGER VOCALIZING]

♪ ♪

[B-RILLA] Is Kenyatta here?

Who's asking?

Tell him it's Rilla.

♪ ♪

[KENYATTA] "Now, I was eight
and very small,

"and he was no whit bigger.

"So I smiled,
but he poked out his tongue

"and called me n*gg*r.

"Saw the whole of Baltimore
from May until December.

"Of all the things that happened there,

that's all that I remember."

Jambo, Brother B-Rilla.

Kenyatta, what's good, baby?

Countee Cullen been spittin' rhymes

before your friend Kool Herc
ever set a blessed

Black toe in Sedgwick.

Mm.

His sh*t is dope.

I'm tryin' to discuss some business.

No need to worry about Sister Adimu.
I trust her with my life.

And she's far more interested
in her book than you and me.

All right.

Well look, got this caper
you might wanna f*ck with.

cr*cker out on Long Island.

Irresponsible amount
of cash in the crib.

Should be real easy.

Security?

I don't know for sure,
but knowin' this guy,

he definitely cheaped out
on that sh*t.

And how do you know him?

Sloppy m*therf*cker on the label I'm on.

But look, you wanna f*ck
with it, we gotta do it soon.

[SILVERWARE RATTLING]

[SINGING IN SPANISH]

Put all the silverware in the same box.

♪ ♪

[KNOCK AT DOOR]

I'll get it.

Yeah, she's here. Come in.

Mija, you have a visitor.

You left it at the studio.

Oh, sh*t.

Been lookin' everywhere for it.

- [LOU-LOU] Hmm.
- Thank you.

It's all good.

And thanks for the other night too.

I needed it.

And I wanted it too.

Me too.

My mom's moving out to LA with me.

She don't want nothin' to do
with Southside Jamaica no more.

I heard that.

We leave tomorrow.

You always goin'.

I'm always stayin'.

Doesn't have to be that way, Lou.

There's a lot of space out in LA.

You don't know how much
gettin' out of here means

until you actually go.

Maybe you're right.

[SOFT MUSIC PLAYS]

Jess?

Lou.

♪ ♪

You know.

And you know too.

[SOFT TENSE MUSIC PLAYS]

♪ ♪

[GROWN KANAN]
You do this long enough,

you see sh*t that don't make
no kind of sense,

because you see fools
at they lowest

and at they highest.

And them n*gg*s don't live
by no kind of rules.

I seen everything.

But the craziest sh*t
I ever seen...

♪ ♪

You know, you ain't wrong
about this butter pecan.

[GROWN KANAN] Was a n*gga
who came back from the dead.