04x17 - Bloody Noses and cr*ck'd Crowns

[bunniefuu]

Previously on Empire...

Anonymous my ass.

It's just a matter of time

until Cookie and Lucious find out.

When do we tell the Lyons
that I'm buying Empire?

Leave the Lyons to me.

I was always better than you!

COOKIE: Are we okay,

- Lucious?
- I promise you, our hands

are clean.

We're launching

one final event: House Empire.

HAKEEM: Welcome to my world, baby.

Is that the girlfriend who fired you?

- (CAMERAS CLICKING)
- Ooh...

COOKIE: Is that Blake?

BLAKE: My father forced me

- to take that photo.
- Get out.

And I'm grateful to Empire's board

for granting me the power
to be able to make sure

that-that this never happens again.

(AUDIENCE GASPS)

(WHISPERING): This is who you are.

This is all you will ever be.

TIANA: ♪ We stayin' high ♪

♪ We never going low,
'cause I'm-a be ♪

♪ I'm-a be your best friend,
your best friend ♪

- ♪ Your ride or your die ♪
- ♪ Hey ♪

♪ Shotgun I'll call
for the rest of my life ♪

- ♪ Hey ♪ - ♪ I'll be your
Bonnie, and you be my Clyde ♪

♪ Just don't let them,
don't let them take ♪

♪ Take us down. ♪

(WHOOPS)

TIANA: Thank you. On behalf

of the entire Empire family
and yours truly,

welcome back, Eddie.

- Thank you.
- EDNA: Eddie Barker,

I'LL BE SHORT:

you saved our ass.

- I was happy to help.
- (BOTH LAUGH)

Uh, it's just kind of convenient

how you happened to be there
at that moment.

Just fortunate circumstances,
that's all.

Uh, after the recent negligent
and aggressive behavior

of the current Lyon leadership,

I move that the board vote

in favor of reinstating Eddie Barker

as executive consultant.

We need him.

Second.

So y'all just held this meeting

so y'all could steamroll over us?

EDNA: All in favor?

Aye.

ALL: Aye.

We have the majority.

- Welcome back, Eddie.
- Thank you.

- I accept.
- (APPLAUSE)

It's good to be back.

COOKIE: He's a Judas.

Damn traitor.

He's gonna convince the board members

to sell Empire to Kelly Patel.

We need to identify members
who have our backs.

And then do what? Beg? Jump through

some more hoops?

This is my company!

I don't jump through hoops!

And if that's

the only advice you got,
maybe you should

take your suggestions
and get the hell out of here.

- COOKIE: Okay, Lucious...
- I'm just here to help, Pop.

Okay? I'm just here to help.

COOKIE: All right.

You know what?

Let me have a minute with your dad.

All right, baby? Thank you.

- Thanks, Thirsty.
- You got it, Cook.

Can you believe it? I mean...

you and me, we supposed to be
traveling the world right now.

Our sons are supposed to be
lording over their kingdom.

And instead, we're over here
arguing and arm wrestling

with a damn board again.

Well, as long as there's a board,

there's always gonna be someone
who's not a Lyon

trying to steal this company from us,

and this time it's Eddie.

And he's supposed to be my friend.

I got it.

We'll b*at him to it.

We'll buy Empire back
from the shareholders.

Go private? After everything

I've sacrificed
so that we can have a spot

on the New York Stock Exchange?

This is my dream.

Okay. You're not the only one

who's made sacrifices here, Lucious.

And what part of your dream

includes begging a bunch of strangers?

We built this company on music.

And lately, we've been worried
about everything but.

But if we go private,

you're talking about us raising

hundreds of millions of dollars.

You know how hard that is?

(CHUCKLES)

Ain't nothing ever been easy
for us, Lucious. You know that.

All we got to do is sell
some property, some art,

put the Lyon money together...

If we sell everything
that we've ever owned,

we still will come up short.

Okay, so what do you propose,
then, huh?

We get... we quit? We give up?

No, I'm not saying that. I'm...

Well, then,
how do we save this, Lucious?

How do we save what we built?

COOKIE: You know,
why don't you move that?

Why don't you just play to
the first four bars of the verse

and then come up with a new hook.

COOKIE: Promise me

you'll keep playing.

Baby, this album is gonna be big.

I can feel it.

COOKIE: I can deal
with what comes at me in here

as long as I know

you out there growing what we built.

'Cause it's you and me.

Cookie and Lucious forever.

You're right.

We have to buy back Empire.

Okay.

("GOOD FOOT" PLAYING)

♪ Ha! Everybody want the recognition ♪

- ♪ Hey ♪
- ♪ k*ll the game, k*ll the competition ♪

♪ Ha! Everybody want a platform ♪

♪ They don't ever want
no intermission ♪

♪ Whoo! I tell the truth,
boy, I don't lie ♪

♪ Ha! I'm in the open
like a clothesline ♪

- ♪ Whoo! ♪
- ♪ Stop all that talking ♪

♪ Make your breath stank, ha! ♪

- ♪ Don't let me catch you on my bad side ♪
- ♪ Yeah ♪

- ♪ Just stop, baby, take a break ♪
- ♪ Yeah

♪ Eyes bigger than your stomach,
too much on your plate ♪

- ♪ Yeah ♪
- ♪ Ha! I'm like the weather down in L.A. ♪

- ♪ Yeah -♪ Can't nobody
shade me on my sunny days ♪

♪ Why? My team on the good foot ♪

♪ Good foot ♪

♪ Get down with your bad self ♪

- ♪ My team take a good look
- ♪ Good look

- ♪ Hold up, hold up, hold up
- ♪ 'Cause we down

♪ Till the last breath ♪

♪ I guess heart
is a lost art as long as ♪

♪ Li'l so-and-so probably act hard ♪

♪ I guess fame can be bought now ♪

♪ I guess eeny, miney, mo
how they fill the charts ♪

♪ I guess planes,
trains, automobiles ♪

♪ Oh, that's your goal when we want ♪

♪ All the world to be healed ♪

♪ Oh, that's your soul
getting bought just to bow ♪

♪ For the deal,
so for a Roley or some ice ♪

♪ You would probably k*ll ♪

♪ Man, look ♪

- ♪ My team...
- TORY: Hold up, hold up.

- Hold up.
- Oh, we-we just...

- I hate ya'll.
- (LAUGHS)

(LAUGHS) That sounds dope, yo.

I think we should have
a few adjustments to the hook,

but overall,
I really think that we have

- something great here, you guys.
- Mm-hmm. - Yeah.

Better than "Emotions"? It was
downloaded a gazillion times.

Everybody want to know who we are.

Oh! Look who's all spoiled, y'all.

- Check it out.
- LONNIE: Nah.

Don't do me. I'm fly.

- You know I'm fly.
- JAMAL: Hey, Miss Fancy.

- She's fancy.
- AZAL: I hate to play

devil's advocate.
I know we're having a good time.

But really, I mean,
there's nobody here

that's worried it might be too much?

That somebody,
maybe someone's gonna out us?

- ALEX: Hey, man.
- (SPUTTERS)

- Maybe that's not a bad thing.
- AZAL: Nah.

Nah, man. Nope.

LONNIE: Ain't nothing wrong
with a little fame

- and money.
- TORY: Okay, that's not the focus.

The focus here is about the music.

Okay? Not about us.

And also remember that precisely
why "Emotions" did well

is because no one knew that it was us.

This has nothing to do
with who any of us are.

And I'm sick
of having these conversations

about "too big" or whatever.

Let's just make it about the
music, 'cause what we're doing

- is great, right?
- Okay, so enough of the yapping.

- Let's go.
- All right, all right, come on.

Five, four, three, two, one, come on.

♪ Big shoes, big shoes ♪

♪ My new one got
some really big shoes to fill ♪

- ♪ Made moves, made moves
- ♪ Moves ♪

♪ I moved on,
but I think about you for real ♪

- ♪ Big shoes, big shoes
- (PHONE VIBRATING)

♪ My new one got some
really big shoes to fill ♪

- ♪ Made moves, made moves
- ♪ Moves ♪

♪ I moved on... ♪

Really? Tiana's song is your alarm?

She's probably the one that's
been blowing you up all night.

- (SIGHS) Nah, it ain't her, babe.
- (PHONE VIBRATES)

I do need to change my number, though.

- (PHONE VIBRATES)
- Come here.

(GIGGLES)

♪ It's Hakeem

♪ What up, baby?

Eddie's not the only one
that's got billionaires

- in his pocket.
- How do you know Sam Gold?

Well, met him at a fundraiser,

and he's always been a fan
of my music,

especially through college.

Think he'll give us the money
without any strings attached?

Otherwise,
he wouldn't take the meeting.

(THIRSTY CLEARS THROAT)

EDDIE: Lyon clan.

Out for a stroll?

Oh, no, we're actually
gonna help you out.

Gonna pick up some
crab cream for Anika here.

(THIRSTY LAUGHS)

- I don't have time for this.
- No, we don't.

Yeah, well, you keep itching
and scratching and burning.

(LUCIOUS LAUGHS)

Oh, were you on your way
to see Sam Gold?

'Cause we just came from there.

What, he didn't call you?

Probably wanted to tell you in person.

Good guy, Sam.

But he's not interested.

You know why?

Because he knows
that if he fronts you the money,

then he has to go up
against Kelly Patel,

and he's not built like that.

THIRSTY: This is Thirsty
Rawlings for Sam Gold, please.

And frankly, my beloveds,

neither are you.

You keep playing games with me, Eddie.

Not gonna b*at me.

You sure about that, Lu?

LUCIOUS: Thank you, Quincy.
Hey, you said

it was a blood sport from day one,

but I'm just glad you still my man

and Eddie wasn't able to seduce you.

I know that you and Barack
are still on vacation.

That's why I'm so happy
you took this call. Thank you.

That sounds good.

Yes.

- So, where we at?
- Well, um,

with Oprah's offering,
we tack on another point

- per share, so...
- We did it.

- ANDRE: Yes, sir.
- LUCIOUS: Yeah!

Today was, um, it was a master class

in relationship building.

I told you me and your mama
had something new to teach you.

THIRSTY: Lucious.

We got a problem. Turn on the news.

Let's take a look. This morning...

Why are our shares going up?

Because Kelly Patel
is buying them at a premium.

We can't just keep raising money
and let them buy the company

out from under us anyway.

I mean, isn't there some way
we can find out

what his top dollar is?

I can get the number.

Look, Eddie thinks that I agree
with his strategy for Empire.

I can make him think
I bailed on you two.

Eddie's not that stupid.

Yeah. Yeah, how in the hell

would you make
something like that work?

Well, Eddie thinks Th-there's friction

between Andre
and the rest of the family.

I mean, he even asked me
about it. It might work.

I know exactly what to say to him.

ANDRE:
My father turned his back on me,

and there's nothing I can do
to get his respect.

That is why I'm here,
that's the only reason I'm here.

How much more of this
do we have to listen to?

Why the change of heart?

You didn't back my play
with your parents.

Lucious wants to take
the company backwards.

I don't. We don't belong in the back.

If I have to come here and...

and I have to do this with you,
then I'm... I'm willing.

If it makes things right
over there, I'm-I'm willing.

(CHUCKLING)

Really?

Eddie. This nonsense?

Anika, you know as well as anyone

that Lucious can't stand to be
in the same room as me.

You also know as well as anyone

that Empire could be so much bigger

if not for his limitations.

Now, banging out singles
is not enough in .

- You know it and I know it.
- Okay.

So why do I need you?

I'm a Lyon.

It's not a coup that works

if you don't have a Lyon
by your side, Uncle.

I'm that Lyon.

My daughter's a Lyon.

- We're good here.
- No, no. Listen, Eddie.

Uncle Eddie.

You're not like Lucious, okay?

Don't-don't let emotion get in the way

of good business... you said that.

You-you told me that.

I'm willing
to set up a press conference

and announce my allegiance to you.

In front of everybody...
anytime, anyplace.

Anywhere.

Your call.

Hmm.

ANDRE: I have the utmost confidence

that Eddie Barker,
a longtime friend of our family,

and a good friend,

will lead Empire
into this bright new era.

Now, my parents did a great thing

giving birth to this company,
but, uh...

but they're artists,
not business people,

and it's time that Empire went global.

With Kelly Patel's
acquisition, it will.

Thank you.

We only have time for a few questions,

so let's keep them short,
please. Rebecca.

Are you planning on buying out
all of the Lyons' shares?

EDDIE: That's a question, we, uh...

- REPORTER: Cookie!
- One second. H-Hold on.

Hey! Hey, Cookie, what's up
with your son's flip?

- Uh, no comment.
- He doubts your ability

to run Empire...
what do you say to that?

EDDIE: Everybody...

(EXCITED CHATTER)

(REPORTERS CLAMORING)

EDDIE: Let's take the questions

- one at a time.
- (CHATTER CONTINUES)

Lady and gentleman, congratulations.

I'd like to make a toast.

To the Empire.

- To the Empire. Cheers.
- To the Empire.

- Cheers.
- Cheers.

You might not have made
the easy choice,

- but you made the right one, Andre.
- Damn straight.

That's one of the hardest things
I've ever had to do, but...

- it feels right.
- I am genuinely excited

about this content play.

EDDIE: We'll keep
luring them in with music,

and you'll take the user data
and monetize it

- every which way to Sunday.
- (ANIKA CHUCKLES)

Why are we cooped up in here?
Let's go out.

- Let's celebrate.
- All right!

- All right.
- Sounds like a plan to me.

- So, where do you want to go?
- You tell me.

- I chose last time.
- Okay.

- You choose this time. And you're paying.
- Okay.

- Oh. Forgot my jacket. I'll catch up.
- All right.

(CAMERA CLICKING)

You all right, Andre?

- Got my jacket.
- Let's get out of here.

- (PHONE CHIMES)
- LUCIOUS: Oh, wow.

Andre came through.

Kelly Patel's bottom line number.

- $ million.
- (SCOFFS)

(THIRSTY LAUGHS)

We ain't got it.

And Eddie and Patel put a chokehold

on the bank and the VC money.

Maybe we need to, uh,
circle back around

to that punk, Sam Gold.

No, damn it. I am sick and tired

of looking for the great white hope

with deep pockets
to come and save the day.

Enough of that.

Lucious, do you remember
when PGW turned off the heat

in the dead of winter?

(LAUGHS) How could I forget, man?

It was so cold.

Remember all those inventive ways

we came up with to stay warm?

My point is, who helped us?

Mike-Mike. He came in big-time.

He-he gave us, um, a couple
kerosene heaters and a...

I see where you're going with this.

What?

We go back to our roots.

Damn right. See, on the block,

if you couldn't cover your rent,

- you threw a party.
- (CHUCKLES)

People chipped in, you were good
for another month.

Well, you know what, I'm so glad

that we can afford
a trip down memory lane.

But we're talking about
a lot more money

than a couple of hundred bucks

for the electric bill.
We're talking about

to mil.

So... we throw a live concert
on XStream.

LUCIOUS: We could set up
a separate account

for the crowd fundraising.
If we don't make enough

to buy back the company,
we give them their money back.

But if we make enough,
we pay them back when we can.

Bingo.

Ain't no party like a rent party.

(LAUGHS)

These were my lucky shoes.

Well, your luck's about to run out.

The Lyons are all kinds of crazy.

What makes you think Andre
is any different?

Can't you see he's playing us?

Or am I playing him?

No. You can't trust him
or Anika for that matter.

She's got duplicitous bitch
written all over her fake boobs.

I think they're real.

That was a test.

Why are you even looking?

- (EDDIE LAUGHS)
- No, why are you laughing?

I can't have you distracted
right now. Think!

(SIGHS) What matters...

is do you trust me?

What matters...

is that in all of our deals...

BOTH: We've always had

an ace up our sleeves. Yes.

Where's your ace?

That's why I called you.

(SCOFFS)

I need you to do something for me.

- You always need me...
- Hey.

- ...to do something for you.
- Hey.

COOKIE: Veronica's in our lineup

for the rent party, so that's good.

Yeah, well, we can forget about Tiana.

You know, she's out.
Eddie got her head so gassed up,

she don't know which way is up.

We don't need or want
her auto-tuned ass.

- LUCIOUS: Amen.
- COOKIE: We got our babies,

Jamal and Hakeem.

- TBD decided to stay with Eddie.
- Of course they did.

They struggling to stay
relevant, old hags.

(LUCIOUS LAUGHS)

(BARKS)

COOKIE: We gave them Marmadukes

- a-a second life.
- (LAUGHS) Marmaduke.

They need to be kissing our feet.

You guys, you have to see this.

It's Blake's father.

Got this hip-hoppety guy,
Licorice Lyon,

got our young people talking,

- dressing like thugs.
- HOST: It's hit pretty close

- to home for you, hasn't it?
- Done filled my son Blake's head

with so much stuff, he don't
know he's white anymore.

- All right, all right.
- How the hell did he get in here?

We get to hear my side
of the story now?

Jason, can you get
this guy a-a microphone?

What do you want to say
to your father, hmm?

BLAKE: You know, that picture you saw,

yeah, that's me, in front
of his broken down house.

My hand is raised because
he told me to raise it.

He said it would make me look

like I was really his son,
you remember that?

- JACKSON: Yes, I do.
- BLAKE: Yeah.

You know what, Dad?

I would've done anything

for you to treat me like
I was really your son. (SIGHS)

Until the next day. Yeah.

When you took me to that crazy
rally with those crazy racists.

- (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMING)
- I went back

to my mom's house that night,
and I ain't seen

or heard from this dude...

- in the years since then!
- Boy!

(BOTH SHOUTING)

You don't know who...

Keem, make sure he's
at the rent party.

You believe him?

I do.

- Um...
- Does it matter?

I mean, that video's about
to go viral right now.

I mean, we over here struggling
to stay alive.

You know how many viewers
that's gonna bring in?

- Think about it.
- (SIGHS)

You know what, speaking of viral,

there's one more act
that we need up on that stage.

Hey. I want to see you.

Excuse me.

Drink this.

I need your band.

My tour band? All right.

No, your real band.

That little Fortress of Solitude
band you hide behind.

Someone tell you? How'd you find out?

Maybe it's the vibrato you put
at the end of your long notes

or was it that extra deep breath

you take before your chorus?

Which one do you think?

All right, you got me.

As far as bringing my band,
the answer is no.

Really?

Everybody in this world
right now wants

to know who is this mystery band.

Now, if we reveal you
at the rent party,

can you imagine how many viewers
are gonna tune in?

Yeah, I can.

It's a shame you didn't realize
that before you called it junk.

No, it's not about what I think.

It's about you helping
the family when we need you.

I am helping the family.

So either accept me performing solo

or don't accept me performing solo

and I'll still do it,
because I help the family.

Dad, don't you miss it?

Huh? Not making music

for-for ticket sales or units
sold or anything like that.

Just making music.

Ain't no way you don't miss that.

I miss it about as much

as I miss watching you hungry
at night.

Because I was too busy
playing music to get money

to feed you.

Think about where your loyalties are.

(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)

HAKEEM: This is our rent party,
so let's keep the cash flowing!

Before I kick this off, man,
I want to salute

my boy here, Blake. Now, this
brother stood tall even though

everybody around him, myself included,

thought the worst of him.

My apologies, bro.

- Always.
- (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Now, love is love, right?

(CHEERING)

So I'm about to ask y'all a question.

Who trying to show us
some love tonight?

(CHEERING)

(LAUGHS)

Let's keep Empire
with the Lyon family!

Let's go!

♪ Microphone checka ♪

♪ Crowd rock selector,
feeling like the GOAT ♪

♪ The rap god, et cetera,
surrounded by greatness ♪

♪ Gold plaques, I'm next up ♪

♪ This'll be the record
to break all the records ♪

♪ Number one on Billboard,
payin' all my bills off ♪

♪ Living in the moment, type
of life some people k*ll for ♪

♪ Done with the hate,
put my Instagram on ignore ♪

- ♪ Yo, Keem, where you at, son? ♪
- ♪ Yeah, I'm just trying

♪ To get it all, get it all, argh ♪

♪ Shout-out to the homies
living sky-high ♪

♪ I'm back with the prince, no Cyhi ♪

♪ Every shorty want to be the wifey ♪

You about to rob the place?

- ♪ I just hit her with the Wi-Fi ♪
- (CHUCKLES)

I just came to see
what kind of low-rent thing

y'all slapped together.

You know, this is really
embarrassing the label, Becky.

♪ Lemons into lemonade... ♪

All right, girl. Whatever.

♪ Tell me how you love that ♪

♪ Tell me how you love that ♪

♪ Oh, yeah, we up above that
Yo, yo, yo, hold up. ♪

♪ Tell me how you love that... ♪

Hey, cut the music.

- (MUSIC STOPS)
- (CHEERING)

Hold up, we got somebody special

in the building tonight.

I want to dedicate

my performance to somebody
that's always been trill.

She's here rockin' with me tonight,

reppin' hard for my family tonight.

- (LAUGHS): Aw.
- I need y'all to make some noise

- for my baby.
- (CHEERING, SHOUTING)

I want y'all to make some noise...

Haven.

Excuse me, girl. Love your new song.

Bloop...!

(INTRO TO "BIG SHOES" PLAYING)

♪ Mm, mm, mm ♪

Don't want to pick up your face?

HAVEN: You know you got
some really big shoes

- to fill, right?
- Uh-huh.

♪ Big shoes, big shoes ♪

♪ My new one got some
really big shoes to fill ♪

- ♪ Made moves, made moves
- ♪ Don't move ♪

♪ I moved on,
but I think about you for real ♪

♪ Think about you ♪

♪ For real, think about you ♪

♪ I still think about you ♪

♪ Ah, thinking 'bout you
got me sick under your voodoo ♪

♪ Sick of my old chick,
I want that new, new, who knew ♪

♪ That you would be the one
riding shotgun with me ♪

- ♪ Blowing clouds through the moonroof ♪
- ♪ Still thinking 'bout ya

♪ Touching on my body,
still thinking 'bout ya ♪

♪ I know ♪

- ♪ I don't wanna fight it
- ♪ Okay

♪ You're the one
that got me thinking ♪

♪ 'Bout calling, I'm a sexaholic ♪

♪ Sexaholic for you ♪

♪ Big shoes, big shoes ♪

♪ My new one got some
really big shoes to fill... ♪

Hello, gentlemen.

Looking for me?

♪ Big shoes, big shoes,
my new one got... ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

We know that you've been going
back and forth to your family.

We hoped that you would.

Um, I...

I-I don't understand.

We wanted you to find our number,

scare your folks into...
not even trying.

But God knows, Lucious and Cookie...

they don't scare easy.

Andre...

I've known you
since you were a little kid.

And I know how much
you love your family.

And it pains me to see
how they treated you.

Lucious, h-he doesn't
even respect your artistry.

Your parents
will never reach the number,

because they're chasing the wrong one.

I'm going $ million.

And I'm telling you this because
this fooling around has to stop.

EDDIE: Listen to me on this.

There are families
that you're born into...

then there are families
that you choose.

You belong with us.

Shut down this... XStream server

and k*ll this ridiculous rent party.

KELLY: You do that,

and tomorrow morning we'll be
on a private jet to Palo Alto...

where I'll introduce you to my board

as the new chief
financial officer of my company.

The company that will own Empire.

This is the opportunity
of your dreams.

You deserve it.

Don't pass it up.

Do not let this slip
from your fingers.

(EXHALES)

(PHONE VIBRATING)

(TURNS OFF FAUCET)

(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)

Hey, Lou. How's it going?

Andre Lyon, down in the dungeons.

- How are you, sir?
- I'm fantastic.

Listen, you ever take a break, Lou?

Like I said, the dungeons.

Why don't you take five.

(LAUGHS)

Make it ten.

Make it ten, Lou.

Okay.

- Thanks.
- Mm-hmm.

(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)

(CHEERING, WHOOPING)

Great performance, you guys! Yes!

Look. Chrissy and-and-and John.

- Oh, wow, that's beautiful.
- Yes.

- COOKIE: What's going on?
- Wait, our monitor's frozen.

Check your phone.

LUCIOUS: It's frozen.

They've locked us out of XStream.

You think we were hacked?

- This has got Eddie written all over it.
- ANDRE: It was me.

- What?
- I-I shut down XStream.

- Why would you do that?!
- Patel is going as high

as $ million, Pop. They played me.

I had to shut down XStream.
I-I had to play along.

Well, I'm glad you played along.
You just cost us

- the whole company.
- COOKIE: No, wait.

- Lucious!
- I just gave us our only hope, Pop.

- How?
- I put everything on a timer.

The servers go live again
in minutes with no paywall.

Paywall? What does that mean?

It goes straight out to the Internet.

So now you two can show anybody
anywhere in the world

exactly what it is
that we're fighting for.

That's my big brain baby.

I'll be right back.

- That's brilliant.
- COOKIE: Hey, everybody.

Hi. Having a good time?

(AUDIENCE CHEERING)

Are you having fun yet?

You know what I need you to do?

Get your phones out right now.

Oh, that's not a joke, baby.
Get your phone out.

- I'm very serious.
- All right.

I need you to go on your social media,

tell all of your followers
that in minutes,

when Empire XStream goes back up,

we have something that
is going to shock the world.

- (CHEERING)
- Go ahead, get them cameras.

♪ Last time that I checked ♪

♪ It was five chains on my neck ♪

♪ It was no smut on my rep ♪

♪ Last time that I checked ♪

COOKIE: Okay, what do we got

that's gonna shock the world?

♪ No sweat, last time that I checked ♪

♪ I'm the street's voice out west ♪

♪ Legendary self-made progress,
last time that I checked ♪

♪ First get the money, then respect ♪

♪ Then the power,
and the ... come next ♪

♪ Last time that I checked ♪

♪ I been self-made from the dribble ♪

♪ I was been sayin' I'm a k*ller ♪

♪ Uh ♪

♪ Playin' no games with you ♪

AZAL: Got room for this?

Of course, of course.

Merci beaucoup. Thank you.

♪ I taught you how to charge more... ♪

(RINGTONE PLAYING)

TORY: What's up? We're
on our way to rehearsal, Jamal.

I thought you were dealing with
some sort of Lyon family drama.

Hey, y'all, um,

- I need a favor, all right?
- %.

Look, everybody's wondering
about who we are,

so... can y'all
just hop on stage with me?

- TORY: Wow.
- (WHISTLES)

- What?
- Look, I would never

even ask, but my-my family's
whole future

- is depending on it.
- What, so you want me to risk

my future for your
family's bottom line?

No, Tory.

It's not about money, it's about
the Lyons keeping what's ours.

But if we hold on to each other
and we hold on

to who we are, we'll be fine.

This guy sounded real different
a few days ago.

I hope y'all know by now

that I would do the exact
same thing for y'all.

Look, man, it ain't
that serious, y'all.

Let's just do it. Like, I'm down.

Yeah. I'm cool.

Let's do it.

A'ight. Fine, let's do it.

But you owe us, man.

I definitely owe you, man.

Tory?

You know what, Jamal?

The difference between me and you

is that I wouldn't have asked you to.

When are you gonna stop
risking everything

just to get your daddy's approval?

You guys can go ahead, but I'm out.

♪ Last time that I checked.

(AUDIENCE CHEERING)

All right, now, listen up.

Listen up. All right.

I need y'all to hit y'all socials

real hard right now.

Because in the next few minutes,

we've got the number one song
in the country

by the number one group
in the country.

And what's the name of that group?

ALL: Anonymous!

(CHEERING)

(MOUTHING)

COOKIE: Whoo!
Look at those numbers go, baby!

(WHOOPING)

LUCIOUS: Now,
y'all need to know something.

Empire has been around
for almost years.

You want to know why?

AUDIENCE: Why?

Because of the love
and support of family.

(CHEERING)

Because of the love
and support of friends.

And because of the people like you

who we make this music for.

(BEEPING RAPIDLY)

That's right, and people like us,

people like us
that come from the struggle,

and come out on the other side
with our heads held high.

And if you want to know
why we went public with Empire,

it was because a dream
we started almost years ago.

We thought that if we could do it,

then maybe y'all would think,
my brothers and my sisters,

- that you can do it, - (CHEERING)

and maybe you,
and maybe you could do it, too!

But right now,
the Empire is under att*ck

by an Uncle Tom
by the name of Eddie Barker,

- (BOOING)
- who don't give a damn about you!

All he wants is your money!

You see, once upon a time,

Lucious and I didn't have mothers,

we didn't have fathers.

All we had was each other...
and dreams, baby.

(AUDIENCE CHEERS)

And I'm gonna tell y'all something.

Y'all made our dream come true.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

COOKIE: So if you want to
help us keep this Empire...

AUDIENCE: Yeah!

You want the Empire to stay

with the Lyon family?

AUDIENCE: Yeah!

- With a black family?
- (CHEERING)

- With your family?
- AUDIENCE: Yeah!

Then I need for you guys to
check out our social media,

click on the link,
so you can show us some love.

But please, only give what you can.

We're not greedy.

Now, who is ready to see

the faces behind the most
incredible band in the country?

For the first time ever in public,

we have Anonymous here... give it up!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(CHEERING LOUDLY)

Party people, I am Jamal Lyon.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

We got my boy Preacher on the verbs.

We got the dopest guitar player
on the planet, Lonnie.

We got Alex on horns,
and Ron on the ones and twos.

And y'all all know my band.

They've been with me
since the beginning.

This is amazing, y'all.

Thank you so much. We are Anonymous.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

♪

♪ Hey, baby, what you tryin' do? ♪

♪ Spent the night just
tryin' to find you ♪

♪ You the hottest one under the sun ♪

♪ And I'm under your spell,
we stuck just like glue ♪

♪ You ain't got the free crib,
oh, well ♪

♪ You and me could head to the hotel ♪

♪ Whatever we do, just don't tell ♪

♪ I don't need anybody
all on my coattails ♪

♪ I feel your energy, and
I ain't tryin' to fight it ♪

♪ Yo vibe is way too exciting

♪ I know I'm who
you want to ride with ♪

♪ Don't fake it,
I know that you like it ♪

♪ It's more than just emotions

♪ I'll give you more emotions

♪ All you got to do is focus

♪ Not what you're used to,
but you'll like it ♪

♪ But you'll like it

♪ Ooh, yeah

♪ I been out here looking for you ♪

♪ You're something special,
ain't you... ♪

Lucious, Cookie, I got your back.

What's up, y'all,
it's your girl Eve here.

Lucious, Cookie,
you know I love y'all.

Wish I could be there. Empire forever.

Yes.

(BEEPING RAPIDLY)

♪ Ooh

XStream's back online.

No paywall.

Are you serious?

It's not a problem.

Not a problem?

Fix this, or we're done.

Ladies and gentlemen,

please give it up

for my sister from another mister,

Ms. Tory Ash!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

♪ Sing

♪ Get up on my roller coaster

♪ Get inside my aeroplane

♪ I can take you places, baby

♪ Places you ain't been,
I'll bet you'll like them ♪

♪ I do ♪

♪ I'll bet you'll like them

- ♪ Ooh
- ♪ Come on, girl

♪

♪ It's more than emotions

♪ One more time

♪ It's more than emotions.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

- Anonymous. Not anonymous no more.
- Thank you, son.

Thank you, son.

COOKIE: Oh, my God, did we make it?

$ million... that's more
than what we needed.

- We did it. Oh, baby.
- We did it!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

COOKIE: We did it!

- We did it!
- (WHOOPS)

(BEEPING RAPIDLY)

- We did it.
- He ain't taking nothing.

(LAUGHING)

- LUCIOUS: Thank you, son.
- Yes, my big brain baby. (WHOOPS)

- We ain't going nowhere.
- (WHOOPS)

(LAUGHING)

(SCOFFS)

You let yourself get played, dude.

Watch your mouth.

I don't get played.

I've been dealing with people
like Lucious and Cookie

my entire life.

(PHONE VIBRATING)

(CHUCKLES)

I got it from here.

Like it should have been got
from the get.

♪ Been gettin' money

♪ All I see is honeys

♪ Been gettin' honeys

♪ Runnin' through the money...

(PHONE CHIMES)

Oh, somebody blowing you up now?

Look, Hakeem,
I got to get back to L.A.

What, you bouncing?

It's my boyfriend.

Your boyfriend?

Thought y'all broke up.

Hot and cold.

You know how it goes.

But we had fun, right?

Kicking it,
getting all the 'Gram love.

Look, if that don't make
exes jealous, damn.

If you ever get for real about
getting over Tiana, hit me up.

Okay?

And I wish I could be there
to see Eddie's face

when he finds out what we did to him.

Nobody takes what's ours from us.

We did that.

Amen, 'cause that's what we do.

We get it done, you and me.

Together, unbeatable.

I tell ya, I couldn't have done
none of it without you, Cookie.

- None of it.
- Listen at you,

sounding real drunk
and sappy right now.

(LAUGHS) I needs me a drink.

Now you sound like my woman.

- Your woman?
- ♪ And the darkest hour

- Yeah.
- ♪ Is just before dawn

My woman.

♪ Each night before...

You know something? Once upon a time,

you made a mighty big
investment in me.

And you paid big-time for it.

I want you to know
I would trade this company

and everything I've ever had

to make sure I never lose you again.

♪ Ooh, baby

♪ And let's tell

♪ All the stars above...

Well, I need you to know that
you raised my three boys

into three kings,
and you built all of this.

♪ To the one I love...

And I have absolutely
no regrets, Lucious Lyon.

(LUCIOUS CHUCKLES)

♪ While I'm away

COOKIE: Mm, I've missed you so much.

♪ Ooh, baby.

(BOTH CHUCKLING)

Excuse me, sir, ma'am.

Mr. Barker and Miss Giselle
are here to see you.

- Mm.
- Hmm. Like clockwork.

This should be interesting.
Send them in, Juanita.

- Okay.
- LUCIOUS: Mmm.

It's good, right?

LUCIOUS: Yeah, it is.

Well, well, well. Good morning.

- Good morning.
- Morning.

So, are you here to concede
or beg for forgiveness?

I would consider this
a courtesy call, Cookie.

Courtesy? What do you know
about courtesy? Hmm?

You show up to my house at this hour

like you just slid off a pole.

- (LUCIOUS LAUGHS)
- I can still smell the aromas

- of baby oil.
- (LUCIOUS COUGHING)

You choking on the glitter, baby?

Stop.

EDDIE: I'm gonna give you
one last chance

to save yourself, Lucious.

- Oh, you gonna give me a chance?
- Mm.

Maybe I shook you a little
harder than I thought.

I don't think you shook him
hard enough.

Is v*olence the only answer
around here?

Is that, is that all I can hear?

- Sometimes.
- EDDIE: Sometimes.

Oh, was it the answer for Shine?

Hmm.

Shine? Shine, you know,

he was a victim of his own mouth.

He had a tendency of popping off
to a whole lot

of different people at the wrong time,

and got popped.

Yeah, loose lips sink ships.
You know that.

You stood up there
and gave the eulogy.

And I got to, I got to give it
to you, I almost fell for it.

But you had that look.

- That same old look.
- Oh, come on,

Eddie, what you getting at?

Spit it out, man.

After the car b*mb,

with all your "new me"
mumbo jumbo, "Kumbaya,"

you didn't change at all.

You're still the same Lucious Lyon.

You're the same dude that I've
known for the last years.

You're the same thug

whose talent is for v*olence.

Then maybe you should go

before I put that talent
to use, Eddie.

I know you, Lucious Lyon.

I know how you think,

and I know how you dress.

This is your scarf.

You were wearing it the night
that you k*lled Shine.

Your g*ons are disloyal, Lucious.

I open my checkbook,
they open their mouth.

Oh, I'm sure that's
not all you opened.

- You know what, Cookie?
- I would like to hear it.

- Please.
- It's okay.

It's okay.

Either you withdraw your bid
for Empire,

or I hand this over to the police,

and you spend the rest
of your life in prison.

Your choice.

Make the right one.