Beats (2019) Movie Script
1
Nobody on your line no way, Laz.
If we didn't tell you,
you was trying to follow her.
- Is she aggressive to you?
- I'm not sure yet.
- If he saw anyone...
- Yeah, whatever.
Man, let's get out of here.
Why you acting like a bitch, August?
Is you scared or something?
Man, I ain't scared of shit.
Word? Prove it, then, nigga.
Shut up, Laz.
- I swear I'm gon' fight you one day.
- Whatever. I don't wanna hear.
You talkin' all that good shit, huh?
Whatever.
Come on, August, do the damn thing.
You always give people
some dumb shit, Laz.
Niyah...
always protecting your ass, August.
But how you gon' be pussy-whipped
and you ain't get no pussy yet?
Shut up!
Anyway, me and my dog out here
pissing on 112.
You know how we rock it... Back up, bro!
Don't nobody wanna see that shit.
Anyway, like I said,
fuck the Opps.
Y'all motherfuckers better run!
Bitch, I'm 'bout to get shot!
August.
Kari.
Kari.
Fucking shit.
Fuck they at, man?
Kari.
Kari.
- You not hear me calling you?
- Sorry, Mama. I had the headphones on.
Where's your brother?
Food is getting cold,
and I got to go to work.
Relax.
I'll get him.
No lackin'. T-up, motherfuckers.
What y'all wanna do?
Hey, let's go.
Yeah, that's what I thought.
Y'all better turn around.
Buddy ass got little.
Fuck up, though?
What y'all lil' niggas do?
Kids up on 112th say we at they school now
and they run shit.
So we pissed on they sign.
Take a shit next time, young savage.
We'll handle the bodies.
Yo.
Hey.
- Here y'all go, little soldiers.
- Thanks, Vern.
- Thanks, G.
- Thanks, Vern.
Can I get some chips?
- And some pop?
- One at a time.
- Let me get the...
- Get off me, Laz.
- August.
- Hey. There go your girl.
- Uh-huh.
- Can I get my change, please?
- Here come big sis.
- What's up? Can I get a hug?
- What up, Niyah?
- Hey, girl.
What are you doing?
I been looking all over for your ass.
We was just getting ice cream.
Come on, before Mama
whoop both our ass. Damn.
He ain't even do nothing.
You ain't got to roll up on him like that.
Good night, Vern.
What were y'all even doing
up there on that side anyway?
We be up there all the time for school.
Yeah, but they got programs for that.
Safe Passage and all that?
- Come on, now.
- Man, I bet Vern go wherever he want.
Vern?
Vern gon' die on the same block
he was born on.
Is that what you want?
Use your beat machine
when we get to the house?
Did my school stuff.
'Cause you smart, unlike that goofy-ass
nigga that you always running around with.
Laz?
You know that's my boy.
I heard that new beat you was working on.
- Yeah?
- Mm-hmm.
- You liked it, didn't you?
- It was good.
I just think you need
to slow it down a little bit.
Okay?
Let it breathe.
You're always rushing.
I'm trying to make it
like your new joint.
Hm.
Yeah, it still needs some work.
You know, something like...
Hey.
Hey, run that back, run that back.
Don't clown me, all right?
I don't know, something like that.
Kari!
August, I'm headed to work.
Breakfast is on the table.
Okay, Ma.
Grow as a person,
you know what I'm saying?
- I think no.
- I think not.
Y'all are just wild.
We already know, you about to get
with Rashad, little miss honey.
Who's Rashad?
Isn't this August's house?
I heard his mom keep him chained
to a furnace.
Shut up. That ain't true.
He got that PSTD.
He be wetting the bed like a bitch.
Baby-ass nigga.
Y'all so mean.
- You good.
- Uh-uh. Uh-uh.
Give me that bag, Marquis.
Get your behind in my office. Now.
You got something more important
you're doing?
Every kid whose butt is not in your
classroom is three grand out the budget.
- A lot of them won't cross State Street.
- Mm-hmm.
I need everyone knocking on doors,
checking the corners the next two weeks,
until we submit our attendance scores
to the state.
We don't get these kids in here,
I got to start cutting positions.
Also...
I'm collecting for Malik Hayes' service
next Friday.
His mother could really use your help.
Okay?
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Quality speech.
Uplifting.
What?
I'm gonna need you to
talk to these fools in payroll.
They won't give me my damn check.
Listen to the announcements.
Nobody's getting paid this week.
Downtown messed up payroll again.
I'm gonna need something to hold me over.
Like 300.
When am I going to get my nine back?
Not the next time I get paid,
but the next time
after the next.
Mm.
On my soul.
Or...
this is just part of your plan
to get me to move back in?
Funny.
All persons without assigned homerooms,
go to the south auditorium
for further instructions.
Today will be a chance to sign up for ROTC
and the Mathletes club...
Tell you what.
Bring me five kids from this list...
and I'll give you the three.
So, you want me to go find fools now,
but I'm a security guard.
I secure shit.
Then go secure your job.
Hi, yes. I'm from the high school...
Hey, man, you seen Deshawn Hall?
Man, fuck you.
There's a line over here.
Hey.
- Y'all seen Tony?
- Hey, fuck off, man.
- Young buck, you seen Tony?
- Tony dead.
Dead dead,
or not-around-here-no-more dead?
Dead dead, motherfucker.
Fucked around and got smoked.
Damn.
Yo, let me hit that.
Man... you're not supposed to be smoking.
Nigga, you ain't supposed to be smoking.
Fuck is wrong with this... Man.
Come on, Trey Smith. Get down here.
Anybody home?
Deshawn Hall?
Deshawn, why you not in class, boy?
Huh?
Hey, if you come back to class,
you could win a McDonald's gift card.
A'ight?
They're giving away Big Macs.
We got another metal detector opening.
Come on, let's go.
Hi. Is, uh, August Monroe here?
Who's asking?
Uh... Romelo Reese.
I work at the high school.
It says August hasn't been
in class since last October.
That can't be right. October?
Mm-hmm. That's right.
He been ill.
Look, you all know this,
so what exactly are you here for?
He been ill.
Hm?
I take my son's work to school.
Y'all already know this.
Oh. Okay. That's cool.
Yeah, but it's a budget thing.
They actually need him in the classroom.
- A budget thing?
- Yeah.
So...
you gonna take a bullet for him?
Well...
That's actually not in my job description,
so, no.
Right.
See...
Y'all want me to send my son
off to the slaughter.
I ain't gon' do it for no budget.
Is your son in the next room making music?
Well, thank you, Ms. Monroe,
for your time.
Hey, uh...
mind if I use your bathroom real quick?
Ever since I got back from Iraq,
every five minutes, I got to use one.
Thank you.
Baby, turn the music down.
- I put my headphones on.
- Hey, man.
Yo, man, that is cold as hell.
Hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey, relax, man, look.
I work at the high school.
All right? Yo, you make that beat?
How long it take you?
Damn.
I ain't never met a deaf producer before,
man. How you...
How you make a beat?
Huh? You just feel the bass
and you just build around that?
Two minutes.
Two... minutes?
Man, I swear to God,
you cold as hell, man.
- Ma! Mama! Ma!
- Hey!
- Ma! Ma! Ma!
- Hey, hey, hey...
What the hell are you doing?
- I was just talking to him about music...
- Get out.
Hey. Hey, what?
Hey, hey, big man.
August, August, slow and steady. Come on.
What's wrong with him?
- Out through the mouth.
- What's going on?
Big man, just breathe.
Get out!
Ma'am, I was just talking to him
about music. I'm a manager, not just...
Get out!
- Okay! Okay, ma'am.
- Get out!
I just...
August. Hey.
Attention, students.
PLEASE BE ADVISED, TODAY AT 2:30,
we have our weekly lockdown drill
in the auditorium.
Attendance is mandatory.
- Understand, ma'am, she's not...
- I don't care. Where is she?
Please,
you can't just walk in there.
What the fuck is wrong with you people?
Yeah.
Well, I was coming out of the bathroom,
I heard music,
went to where the music was playing,
kid started screaming.
That's what happened.
You went into a student's room
without parental supervision?
Hey, hey, hey, hold up.
You're making it sound inappropriate.
It was.
The kid is incredible.
All right, he's some type of...
retard savant.
Don't call him that. He's... He's fragile.
He's a machine...
that makes a beat a minute,
just like Tone.
He's different.
You're gon' make me regret this.
You promised me
you were done with that music shit.
You told me you were down
for this job, remember?
I won't do nothing.
On my soul.
Hey.
I was holding the bell.
Get away from my window
before I call the cops!
A'ight.
Just have an hour to talk music
before they get here.
- I ain't supposed to talk to you.
- Harriet Tubman wasn't supposed to run.
That doesn't make it a bad idea.
Hey, hey, hey, Aug...
August, August, August, hey.
Hey, man, calm down, all right?
Breathe.
Breathe, come on, in and out.
All right? Hey.
That track the other day?
It was too fast, man.
Slow it down.
That's what all the great ones do.
Here.
I'mma leave you this.
Clean up the cereal.
All right. Come on, Oaktown 357. Let's go.
You're good, young thug. Go.
To the Malik Hayes family.
They could really use your support.
Damn.
What'd you do,
pour the whole box of cereal in that bowl?
I wasn't expecting you
to know about Nomad.
Thought you was one of those
old head hip hop dudes.
No, man, I go hard on my Brazilian shit.
What you know about 'em?
YouTube.
After J. Cole sampled Milton Nascimento,
I went hard on Brazil.
Yeah, I got some underground shit
from Trinidad, but...
- couldn't fit it on the disc.
- Why you even use CDs?
USB is better.
Old head, old habits.
Man, I used to make tapes.
You don't know nothing about
the pain of making the perfect mixtape.
Look, August.
I wanna help you with your music, man.
You wanna make a bag of money?
Why you shrugging?
Man, we got to move on this, man.
I got to get you with the right MC,
get you some studio time.
- We got label meetings...
- Can I do it online?
Online?
Nigga, do you know who I am?
- Security guard at my school.
- No.
Yeah, I am, but I'm also
a dope-ass manager, man.
I'm the one that discovered Tony Bigs.
You know who Tony Bigs is, right?
Everybody do.
All right.
But I ain't never heard nobody
talking about you.
I created that nigga, man.
I got him studio hours.
I hounded GCI till they played his shit.
That was all me.
- Merch.
- On my mama's grave.
You can't stain me.
Check the liner notes, young'un.
I'm all over that shit.
I can make you the most famous
17-year-old in Roseland.
Nah, I'm good.
You're good?
Don't look like it.
They up a pole on these music cats.
They killed Tone
while he was getting a sandwich.
They shot Bango. Lil' Jeff.
You gonna have your ass in Paris
eating croissants and shit.
Man, you think Kanye still kicking it
on the South Side?
Hell, no, man. He up in Beverly Hills.
Actually, he's in Calabasas.
What's the difference? The nigga eatin'.
You want to eat?
Hey.
Ah.
So you making house calls now?
Deshawn came back today.
Really?
Mm-hmm.
- So I got one.
- You got one.
Wanna come inside?
I got that green tea you like.
Okay. Okay, okay.
That thing look about good.
Don't worry, you'll get one, too.
Hey, I heard you using my new shit.
And I'm gonna need my cut.
That's my best hook yet.
You'll get a credit.
A credit?
Boy, you must be crazy.
I'm your big sister. Don't play me.
Yeah, I see you looking.
This is Chef Boyardee right here.
This is perfection.
Looking like Chef Cardio Arrest.
Stop talking mess. Do you want one or not?
August, what are you doing?
Oh, my God!
Boy, what are you doing?
What's wrong with you?
Sorry, Mom.
I-I forgot to watch it.
Hey.
Where you going?
I need my toothbrush.
And my head scarf. I got to go home.
Come on, babe.
Come on. Get back in bed.
Why?
Because you're my wife.
Estranged.
I hate it when you say that.
Makes it seem like
we don't like each other.
What's this?
Come on, Vanessa, you're still on this?
I love you.
Two people who file their taxes separately
can still love each other.
We should be under one roof.
Look, babe.
I'm going to be the man
that you want me to be.
I'm going to make you proud of me.
Another young life taken.
Another mother left grieving.
Her daughter, just one of 14 people
killed by gun violence
on a weekend that saw 54 Chicagoans
injured by gunfire.
And still no answer
to the plague of violence
that has become,
for so many, just another day...
It's 2:30 a.m., Ma.
Your ankle is gonna swell up.
Come on, let's get you to bed.
Who is it?
It's me. Come on, man. Buzz me in.
Come on, man. You in or you out?
Come on, man.
You already let me up. What's up?
You was right about the tempo.
But the people need to hear
what you got locked up, man.
They deserve to hear your gift.
And if we can get your ass
some money, even better.
Man, it's just got to be me and you.
Can't do no shows. No meetings.
Everything we do got to be in this house.
Just need something to help my moms out.
Okay, so now you just flexin' on me.
Nah.
Now I am.
Hey, hey, whoa, whoa.
Sound a little boomy right there.
Speaker's kind of old.
It was my pop's.
Mama said he dodged a bunch of bullets
just to come home to a heart attack.
Hm.
Died waiting on the ambulance.
Damn.
Yo, you got to go.
Hey, what... Come on. Come on, man.
How many more of those
you got stashed away?
You got to go. My mom gets home
in 11 minutes and 11 seconds.
- You got to go.
- Okay, man.
That means I got at least, what,
eight, nine minutes before she get here.
Hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey, August.
Okay. I'm out.
Nah, I don't think
that really works, man.
Nah, because, like...
Nah, 'cause her girl's coming, too.
They ain't gonna have room
for all that shit.
You try to tell him that, he's gonna...
he's gonna tax you.
- Keep the change.
- Thank you.
Have a good one.
- Shit.
- Next.
What is going on here?
Terrence.
What's up, Terrence?
Uh, Romelo, what's going on, dude?
What's up, T?
- Yeah.
- You wanna get some... Wanna sit down?
Yeah, I'm gonna get my wing on.
Yeah, me, too, man.
Waiting on my food to get done.
This is my seventh, dog.
I see you still come to the hood
for your Sunday wing dinner.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, my girl trying to get me on that
gluten-free kick.
Hm.
I still got my traditions.
Yeah.
You know they got a Harold's
up in Wicker Park now?
Tastes better here.
Mm-hmm. It's been a while, man.
- How's Ill Note?
- We good, man.
We just moved into these new offices.
I, uh...
I heard something about you.
Working in a school or something crazy?
Oh, yeah, you know, just helping Vee out.
She's running that place now.
You know, we all got to do our part
to help the kids, right?
I feel you.
It's good to see you, man.
Same here, man.
- Serendipity shit.
- Yeah.
Hey, you know, uh,
I'm getting back in the game, right?
Yeah, man. You, uh...
- You always had an ear for it.
- Yeah, you know, uh...
I would love to, but, uh...
I just snuck out for that six-piece,
know what I'm saying?
No, I hear you, man, but, you know,
got this young, hot producer
I'm working with right now.
Thinking we could put him
with somebody on your roster,
and we could make things happen
like we used to.
For sure, man.
When you get that demo, holla at me.
Ah.
Good to see you, bud.
Yeah.
I'll holla at you.
Slow down.
Slow it down.
We got a quiz tomorrow. I had no idea.
I did not study for it.
I'm not ready for it.
And I'm not finna study for it.
- Of course you not.
- Niyah!
Hey, yo, Niyah!
What you looking like that for?
What's up, Lazarus?
What's up, what's up?
Nothing much. What's going on?
Not much. I'm just seeing you out
lacking and everything,
you need somebody protect you.
I'm good, Laz.
Oh, hell, nah.
What you mean? I'm just being real.
- A'ight.
- What?
Be real.
- Okay.
- A'ight.
Yo.
You're in the wrong neighborhood.
Stay away from her, goofy-ass nigga,
before I shit in your throat.
Hey.
Shut it off, man.
- Man, what's the issue?
- The issue?
Ain't nothing special about that.
Anybody with a drum machine can do that.
August, you...
you can't create...
what you hear other people doing, man.
You got to create shit that people
don't just hear, they feel it.
Just push...
the button, August.
Just push it.
All right. Mama got some classics, man.
Yeah.
She ain't never heard of a Swiffer?
Yeah. Wait till you hear this.
You gonna like this right here.
I'm sampling that.
Uh-huh.
See?
This was the original sample right here.
- What happened? Why's it doing that?
- Damn, the shit crashed.
- Okay.
- That shit was fire.
Fuck it. We'll make it again.
Romelo, how can you be a manager
and miss the security meeting?
The superintendent is literally
asking me to fire you.
Okay. I-I like that.
No, no, not you. Not you. Hold on.
Man, where you get this from?
The fact that you don't know that
this comes from Al's is a goddamn crime.
- You sure you know what you're doing?
- Why not?
See, I play the piano. That's a different
kind of percussion instrument.
Look, man, your technique is on point,
but you got, like,
20 samples in there, man.
- That shit ain't speaking to me.
- It's only eight.
The hit is never when the producer puts
the entire kitchen sink in there.
You know so much, you do it.
Those that can't do, nigga, we teach.
Look, man.
Like, RZA.
He would hit all the vocals on the C.
Like, middle C.
Then he'd put the drums
on the lower octave of the C,
then the bass line he'd put on the D.
Right? Then he would just...
Kept moving around
on the melodies and shit, man.
I know I'm probably
talking Japanese to you.
Nah. Nah, nah, nah.
- I'm straight.
- Okay.
RZA, he never had Froot Loop shit like
y'all got on your computers now, man.
Nah, he did everything with one hand,
and at the same time.
He had them niggas rhyme
into his keyboard,
and it had to be perfect,
or they had to start all over again
from the beginning.
That's what made it so gritty.
Nothing false.
You felt the struggle in the craft
and the life.
Hey, man, you got a tag yet?
All them young producers got one now, man,
so you know...
August, just push the button, man.
August, just... August,
just... August, August, August,
just push the button, man.
I know you love to hear
your own voice, so...
you know.
Let me hear it with something.
What? What's up?
You feel good?
I feel good.
Nah, man.
You should feel better than good.
I feel great.
Well, let me hear that again.
Yo, my man, you lost?
Friend of Mister's.
Hm.
I'mma throw you a little dig,
at, uh, Red Diamond.
Good bottles, good laughs,
good food, pretty women.
That's a must. Do you hear me?
Call you back. All right.
Dude said he knows you.
Oh, shit. We got a celebrity guest
here tonight.
- Y'all know who that is?
- Nah.
That's Romelo Reese right there. That's
the nigga got Tone out of Robert Taylor,
traveling all around the world,
eating caviar.
- Fucking supermodels and shit.
- Oh, yeah?
That was about a minute ago.
Bigs was out, what...
'07, '08, right?
- That was a beautiful time, though.
- Yeah, it was. We about to slide, man.
- I'll leave Young Boy at the front.
- All right.
Well, have a seat, man. Relax.
So you been back on the land,
what, two years now?
About.
About.
You too good to come see your boy?
I was dealing with my mom, Vee.
I've been meaning to get back here to
see you, Petey, everybody, man, it just...
That's on my mama, man.
Sorry to hear about Moms.
- Hm.
- God bless, but that ain't the why, Ro.
All right, look, man.
I'm trying to redeem myself,
and I got a chance for you and me
to make some money this time.
I know you sick of these streets.
Shit ain't the same.
Yeah, shit definitely ain't the same.
And I know anybody with bars
east of the Dan Ryan
done came through your damn studio.
I got a hot producer,
and all I need is a real,
authentic Chi nigga.
Oh, yeah?
Colder the better.
Shit, that's the only kind I know.
Hi, Ms. Monroe.
How you doing this evening?
I'm fine, Lazarus. How you doing?
Pretty good, pretty good.
August home?
He's asleep.
I just wanted to ask him about
some prank calls I was getting.
Ain't nobody seen him since
he spazzed out at school.
I thought he was in a nuthouse,
on some shock therapy shit.
No. Whoa, you watch
your language now, Lazarus.
You right. I apologize.
Well, you could tell him we out here
and we waiting on his return to glory.
Have a good night.
That's why I don't want you
hanging out with them thugs.
You gonna bury me,
not the other way around.
So when you coming back to school?
It's too hard.
Hard?
Come on, August, you ain't stupid.
Not like that.
There was this incident.
I get these... How you call 'em?
They like nightmares.
But you awake.
Everything started spinning.
Can't barely breathe.
It's like somebody's
standing on your chest.
Just won't get off.
Used to get 'em real bad at night.
So my mom said
I don't have to go nowhere after dark.
Then I started getting them at school,
grocery store.
So Mom said I don't got to go out no more.
- Out where?
- Out, out. I stay here.
- It's gonna be different after we move.
- She got money?
'Cause we in Roseland and...
this ain't exactly the penthouse.
She been looking.
I'm just saying, man, shit's expensive.
Boy, what you looking at?
Mm-mm.
What's her name?
Niyah.
Hey, Niyah!
Hi.
Come on, man. Why you do that?
Why'd I do that?
Why'd you freeze up like that, man? Hell.
I wouldn't have screamed her name
if I knew you'd turn into a statue.
You gonna hit her with
your creepy window game, or y'all talking?
Mostly creepy window game.
Nah, I seen better car accidents, man.
I mean, no survivors, except for the dude
that was pulling himself
out of the wreckage
with nubs where his hands used to be.
He was still on fire.
August.
August!
Yo.
Yo, shorty.
Let me hear something.
Give me that shit.
Yeah.
- What up, Mister?
- That was good.
- This music folks you was talking 'bout?
- Yup.
Romelo Reese.
Queen Cabrini.
You got more fire like that?
Hell, yeah.
Got some shit in the stash.
We gonna have to break that shit open now.
You like this kick combo?
Or this one?
First one.
Damn, August.
Industrial size, man?
You must be the ashiest motherfucker ever,
or you're about to go blind.
- Don't be touching my stuff, dog.
- All right, dog.
Hey.
- What's this, man?
- Come on, man.
Hey. What's up with this, man?
Come on, bro. That's private, dog.
Private like your hand grease?
Look at this, man.
"The Niyah Album."
Okay, you holding out on your boy,
I see, huh?
It's about a shorty, right?
Whole album?
I don't know.
Oh. You don't know now?
Okay. Well, maybe we should
lay one of those down.
I mean,
that's if you wanna really get with her.
Yeah, you flowing on that, yeah,
she gonna feel that.
I don't rap.
That's the same thing Kanye said.
Now look at him,
tapping that Kardashian ass every night.
You know what, man?
You about to end
your iffy nigga window days.
Here. Grab that. Come on, man.
Say something.
This shit dumb, bro.
This shit dumb?
Let me tell you something, man.
Since the beginning of time, men have been
doing dumb shit to get a woman.
All it takes is one good song
to override all this hermit shit
you got going on.
Hey, hey, hey, why you whispering?
I told you I don't know
how to do this shit.
Okay, okay, okay, okay, calm down.
All right, August?
Just relax, breathe.
Start that beat, man.
Let's hear what you got.
Oh, come on.
August, you got to do it
like she in the room, man.
Like you can smell her,
like you can just touch her.
That's the only way
you gonna get this shit right.
Mm-hmm.
Come on, man. Fuck this paper, man.
Come on.
Do it.
There you go,
you're feeling that shit now.
Uh-huh.
You!
Put that shit in there.
You ever make a song
for Ms. Robinson?
None of your business.
I did buy a lot of shoes,
but this is better.
Lasts longer.
We actually sound pretty good.
So, when you gonna give it to her?
I don't know.
Hey. Man, I, uh...
I met this dope MC the other night.
Was thinking the two of you
should link up.
Nah, I'm straight.
Come on, man. I got somebody
willing to pay for studio.
This is next-level time.
August, I mean,
this song... it's gonna change shit.
Man, can't we just keep doing
what we been doing?
Come on, we got an album
full of hits, August.
Let me be who I'm supposed to be, dog.
Man up.
So, what, you're gonna post up in here,
do nothing for the rest of your life?
See how well that shit goes over
with Niyah.
I got to use the bathroom.
Whoo!
Hey. Sorry I'm late.
Where's your producer at, man?
He couldn't make it, all right?
You know I'm paying these niggas
by the hour, right?
Hey, hey, hey.
I got his beats right here.
There you go, right here.
That's cold right there.
Come outside, August.
Just come outside.
It'll be okay. I'll protect you.
Get your fat ass out the street!
There you go, August.
Come on, big man, you got this.
You got this.
Let's go.
Hey.
What got you outside?
She said bring... bring her the song.
Well, come on, man. Let's give it to her.
Hey. I got your back, all right?
All right? But this is all you.
This is your block.
All right? Get going.
Walk down there and give her the music.
Uh-huh.
How does this outside air feel on you,
huh, August?
Come on, take a deep breath.
Is, uh...
Is, uh, Niyah here?
I'm just here for moral support.
She's not here.
Can you give this to her?
Welcome back to the land of the living.
Now that you're out, man, come on.
Let's go for a walk.
What? What?
All right, we'll, uh...
go for that walk after...
we get you some Doublemint.
Come on. Get it all out.
Hey, hey.
It's all right, big man.
- You're doing great.
- Where we going?
I just wanna go home.
You know, Tone's first tour,
we hit five continents.
You know, my pops didn't get it.
Always said,
"Why I got to leave
the best city in the world for?
Nothing better out there."
You know, it's hard to prove
that hypothesis
when you never left Chicago.
Yeah. I ain't never been nowhere.
I got family in Detroit,
so I been there once.
Man, lot of people ain't never
been downtown, let alone Detroit.
Hey.
After I seen what you did today...
you can go wherever you wanna go.
A'ight?
Let's go up this block, though.
Baby steps.
Yeah, this is it.
What you think?
Hm?
Mm-hmm.
Let's see
what you can do with this.
Okay. All right.
Go on, play with it.
Play with it like it's yours.
That's what I'm talking about.
Come here.
What you know about a 808?
Go on, touch it, man.
Show me what you got.
See, man, you always wanna speed it up.
Slow down a little bit.
There you go, man.
Put some chords on it.
There you go. Work the keyboard.
Act like you know what you're doing.
Play them drums. Lemme see what you got.
Your right hand a little weak,
but we can work with that.
You see what happens
when you leave the house?
H-Hello?
- What you doin'?
- Hanging.
What you doin'?
Just chilling at the bowling alley
on Torrence.
You wanna slide through?
Can't.
My mom's strict as fuck
about me going out at night.
It don't matter what time it is.
- You don't go out with us no more anyway.
- I been busy.
Always making excuses, August.
You better not be inviting
that baby-ass nigga!
Girl, shut up.
Just bowl for me. Shit!
So, anyway...
Everybody miss you. Laz miss you, too.
I don't know about all that.
- What'd you think of the song?
- That was cool.
You wrote that for me?
I seen you from my window
from time to time, and it...
it helps me come up with stuff.
Like a muse.
- Like a what?
- Like...
- your inspiration.
- Yeah.
- Like that.
- Well...
if you ever get off house arrest
and wanna do something...
hit me up.
That sounds great.
Can I help you?
Hey. Here to see Terrence. Romelo Reese.
I believe he's got a ten o'clock already.
Well, he's expecting me.
All right. Well, let me just take a look
here and see if I can't find that.
There he is there. Don't worry about it.
See him right there. Terrence!
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
He just ran right by.
Yeah. It's okay, Brittany.
I got this. What's up, baby?
What's going on?
I was in the hood. You told me stop by
when I got something.
Yeah, yeah. I was, uh...
Oh, what's up, Leesha?
Today's kind of packed, man.
Thank you.
Um... why don't you come back,
like, next week, yeah?
One song.
You brutally honest. Me dipping out.
You're standing tall today, dude.
You got, like,
a different posture and shit.
I can tell you're serious.
- You serious?
- As a heart attack.
Okay, then.
Yo, you know what the root word
in "bum-rush" is, right?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
Right here.
You hear that shit?
That's that real shit right there.
Man, who made that beat?
One of my artists.
Now tell me she not gonna blow up.
Yeah. She not bad, man.
Not bad?
Come on, man.
I need you to put her
with one of your guys, man.
You know, half-hour set.
Something with some shine.
Maybe Vick will dig her.
Vick's not gonna touch this, man.
He don't like you.
Hm.
Yeah.
Look at me, man.
Ground level all over again.
You...
you got your name on the door.
Vick, he got a hat line.
I don't know if you been
paying attention, man,
but the world did flip, man.
Okay.
I remember you when you were just
a fat motherfucker with no deodorant,
selling mixtapes out of your trunk.
Remember that?
So, you're saying, like...
you're saying I owe you, right?
No. I'm not saying that at all.
But you got a million things
happening, man,
and I put you on that Tone train
when nobody thought you were shit.
Yeah, I fucked up.
But I still got
some big things in me, man.
And all I'm asking is a favor
from the dude that I put on.
Let's start that track over.
All right.
Let's see what we got in here.
Damn.
I mean, you got, like,
nine kinds of cake in there.
Got to have my cake for breakfast.
Cake's for birthdays, not for breakfasts.
Y'all ever got real food in this house?
This is real food.
Look, man, you gonna hit Niyah up?
I don't know.
The thing to remember is,
you got to be smooth,
just like your man right here.
Ms. Robinson think your ass smooth?
Yeah. First off,
we're not talking about me.
But for your information,
I'm as smooth as baby balls.
Here, look here, man.
Now that's a real date.
You bring Niyah there,
she gonna be feeling you.
This all the way out in Bronzeville.
Your mama doing the restock
Saturday night, right?
Yeah.
But how are we gonna get all the way there
and back before she get home?
I'mma take you.
Nah, I'm good.
She already think I'm a little bitch
without you chaperoning my ass.
You're gonna wanna be there, ya dig?
Trust me.
Y'all ride in the back of the car,
pretend I'm your fucking Uber driver.
And that cake look dry as fuck.
You just bussin'.
Yeah. You're gonna be as big as a bus.
Hey.
Thanks, Vanessa.
It's no problem. It's on the way.
You know, you should rest this weekend.
These kids drive you crazy.
That's exactly what I plan on doing.
Huh...
Hey.
Can I borrow the ride tomorrow?
I wanna make a few extra bucks.
You wanna drive for Uber on a Saturday?
I was hoping we could check out
that Ethiopian spot.
Come on.
How am I supposed to treat you
on a security guard salary?
You've seen my check after taxes.
You got a point.
Plus, you're real expensive.
As I should be.
You deserve it.
Okay.
Just stay on the North Side
and don't bring my car back on E.
Say no more.
I'll change the oil
and clean this dirty-ass windshield.
Well, you can start today.
Up the stairs right here, all right?
Hey. It's just a party.
It's just a party, okay?
You're here to have some fun.
I got your back.
Niyah's got your side.
Come on, August.
Hey, look, hey. It's just a party, okay?
You remember how to dance, don't you?
Niyah, teach him. All right. Look at me.
I want you guys to find a spot
close to the stage.
Niyah, watch out for him, all right?
Hey, I got a surprise for you.
You a'ight?
I didn't know it was gonna be
this many affiliated peoples.
They're not gonna do nothing.
I mean, not today.
Come on, let's go.
Hey. Yo.
- What's up?
- You nervous?
- I'm born for this shit.
- Good.
Hey.
But if you do get nervous,
and I'm not saying that you do,
rap to one person,
just like you did when I met you.
All right? Look 'em in the eye
and make that motherfucker
feel everything.
You got this.
- A'ight.
- A'ight.
Coming to the stage,
one of the hottest MCs
that you never heard of.
But we finna turn up, though.
Make some noise for Queen Cabrini!
Chicago, what's good?
Put your hands up.
Oh, shit.
It's your song!
This is my song!
What you think about it, huh?
How you get my song?
I made some calls, finessed some plugs.
Hey, put on your seat belt,
'cause we on that
rocket ship shit, all right?
Get ready for this.
Now dance with your girl,
I got to handle some business.
It's better live, right?
These young cats
are all on that cell phone game.
Remember when we used to go to concerts
and just watched the shit?
Yeah. Well, you're not on yours,
so what the fuck you really think?
She's an interesting performer, man.
No, don't do that.
Don't do that.
I taught you that.
Undersell me and shit?
Yeah, um...
I'll tell you what,
I'mma have Brittany set up a lunch,
and we're gonna talk next steps, yeah?
Get some drinks, baby.
Hey, August. Get up here, man.
Give it up for August!
He produced this track!
Yo, you heard it here first.
That joint's bound to blow up.
Way to rip that shit,
Queen Cabrini.
Huh? How you feeling,
you like that up there? All right.
Go outside. Niyah.
Take care of August, all right?
Hmm!
All right, what's... what's happening?
Let me holler at you.
You... You wanna do this now?
Yeah, where else, nigga?
Look, man, you get ten percent
of what I get,
plus you get reimbursed
for the studio time.
Ten percent?
That's a hell of a deal
coming out the gate, man.
Imagine how big Cabrini's gonna be.
Man, you take that one hit song and
you turn that into a roster of artists.
We own the label, man. I did it before.
I'mma do it right this time.
Believe that.
All right.
- All right. Cool.
- All right.
- We good?
- We good.
Now, tell that big nigga to move, man.
We're good, man.
Hm.
How are you gonna put ketchup on that?
Give me your Chicago card, boy,
you're being deported.
This the proper way. Try it.
Told you.
That show was so dope. I mean...
Who'd have thought?
Cabrini killed that joint, and...
I was very happy to hear my song.
You, uh, ever had a palm reading?
It's like your whole destiny
is already written...
right here.
Your heart's beating quick.
I'm gonna take that as a compliment.
Must be a panic attack.
I get those.
No one's ever gonna accuse your ass
of being smooth, August.
Prom coming up.
You going?
I don't really do those type of things.
Why you got to be so goofy, August?
I'm trying to ask you to go with me.
You coming or what?
Yeah.
There go Romelo.
Are you guys ready?
- Got that ketchup hot dog?
- Anybody got me one?
Next time, Romelo, next time.
August.
Got home early, baby.
Got Chinese food.
August.
What did I tell you about tonight, boy?
Trust me.
A'ight?
Yeah.
Tonight was dope.
Yeah.
Keep doing what you're doing,
we'll have many dope nights.
Dope nights all around the world.
Shit.
Jeans, um...
Uh, he was wearing a yellow shirt.
- Ma.
- Okay, he...
- That's him. August.
- Shit.
August, where've you been?
What are you doing out here?
You're not supposed to be outside.
Where have you been?
Look at me, August, where have you been?
- I just...
- You just...
What the hell are you doing with my son?
Calm down, ma'am.
I just took him to a party.
You took... You took my kid to a party?
- Calm down, everything's okay.
- Is this your son, ma'am?
Yes, this man took my kid
without asking permission.
Niyah, are you okay?
Okay. Look,
I didn't do anything wrong, all right?
The hell you didn't!
Officer, she's overreacting.
What are you doing with my son?
Answer me!
I took him to a party
that he wanted to go to. Shit!
You keep him locked up all day
like he's a fucking felon.
Motherfucker! I will break your ass!
Get the fuck off of me!
- That is my son!
- Stand where you are!
- On your knees!
- Ma!
It's all unnecessary!
She didn't do anything!
- Be quiet! Okay?
- Okay!
- I told you to calm down!
- What the fuck did I do, man?
- Stop resisting!
- I'm not resisting!
Mom! Ma!
- We didn't doing nothing, man!
- Be quiet!
- Fuck you!
- Shut up!
My son!
I'll pay you for the car.
What was it? Three hundred something?
Well, now that you got
all that Uber money, I mean, shit.
I should've told you about August sooner,
but it all just happened so sudden.
You are a staff member that I hired.
He is a student.
How do you think that makes me look?
He wasn't smoking, he wasn't drinking,
he was just out having a good time.
His mother could sue the school.
- Come on.
- She just had you arrested.
You know what?
As a matter of fact, this is my fault,
for believing that hustle
about you needing this damn job.
But I did need it.
Always looking for something shinier.
I'm a high school rent-a-cop.
- Zero shine to that, trust me.
- Mm.
Vanessa, this kid is our way back in.
I'm really trying to help these kids,
and you out here
trying to get rich off of 'em.
- Hey, Vee, that is not...
- Don't fucking touch me.
I'm about a second away
from busting you in your damn mouth.
Just sign the damn papers.
- Vanessa, come on.
- Stop playing this house shit.
I just took the boy to a block party!
Really?
So, you're just gonna
leave me standing here, huh?
I wasn't trying to be disrespectful, Mom.
No one loves you more than me.
You know that, right?
And you know that I need you.
It's just you and me now.
I just thought we was...
What?
You thought you'd be back
before I got home?
I got to be able to trust you
in this house.
Everybody liked the song
that me and Romelo made.
And...
Niyah was there.
Oh, Niyah?
Oh. So you got your nose open now.
Is that why you acting so crazy?
Oh, you think you're grown now, okay.
I mean, you're making decisions
that affect this house,
so you must think you grown.
All I did was go to a party.
And kids get killed at parties every day.
- I wasn't even thinking about that.
- Well, I know that's right.
If something had happened to you,
August...
Anything could've happened to you.
- But it didn't.
- And... Don't.
Don't you make it seem like
I'm the crazy one.
I got to go to work.
She's right.
Come on, man, open up.
I bought gyros.
I can't.
Come on, last night didn't end right.
All right?
But we got real momentum, August.
We got to keep moving on that.
Damn, man.
You just don't get it.
I should've never let you
talk me into all this stuff.
- My mom, she...
- Hey, look, hey, hey, August,
we got to keep moving on that, all right?
She'll get over it, man, trust me.
We can't stop the creative process, man,
look, because...
You ever played billiards before?
She called it pool. I thought
maybe she was swinging. I wasn't sure.
- Guys, kill the noise.
- Okay.
I'm saying we got to start
that cross-branding shit.
We got to brand you, get that drink,
the... the Cabrini Martini,
you know what I'm saying?
What's going on in here?
Huh?
Sitting back thinking about
how you did Tone.
- That was grimy as shit, bro.
- You don't know nothing about that.
The karma not right.
You got to work on that redemption.
Mister, what did you do?
What'd I do?
Ten percent?
Of your ten percent?
That's the best I could get?
- Me?
- Yeah, nigga.
It ain't nothing personal, Ro.
You still my dog.
It's just business.
Terrence, come on, man. What the fuck
is going on? She is my artist.
It's what homegirl said.
It's nothing personal, man.
Come on, Mister. You know
I'm trying to get this shit right again.
Trying to get this shit...
Romelo, she's too big for you, dog.
What?
Dog, you had to come beg me
to let her open for free.
Hey. Terrence, fuck you, man!
Fuck you, man!
I came to you with
a motherfucking deal, man!
I put hard work into this shit, man!
You're not doing none of that. Back up.
Can't let you put your hands
on my partner like that.
- Your partner?
- Back up. My partner.
Oh.
We both know you would've
fucked this up, man.
Okay.
Fuck you.
Hey, man, it is what it is.
Cabrini's part of the Ill Note family now.
But you do recognize talent.
Yo, what about that, uh,
that producer kid, what's his name?
Austin?
He's all you got, Romelo.
Let's do business.
- What's up, man, how you been?
- Like you give a fuck.
So, what you say to her?
- What?
- Niyah.
She ain't talking to me.
I heard you and her been kicking it.
So I know you sneak dissin' on me.
- I didn't say nothing about you.
- Bullshit.
I ain't step to her all last year
because of you,
and now we talking,
and you just wanna pop back up?
That's some bitch-ass shit.
Why she like your fat ass anyway?
Unless you're fucking with me?
She like me.
You're supposed to be
my homie, nigga!
Man, why you got that here?
I wasn't gonna dead your ass.
I always got it.
But you don't need it.
How the fuck you gonna tell me
what I need?
I'm out there doing what I got to do,
and your ass up here not doing shit!
You gonna be there when I need you?
Huh?
You gonna have my back?
That's what the fuck I thought.
I better not catch your ass
on the block again,
'cause I promise you
it won't be no words next time.
Fake-ass bucket boy.
You look so beautiful. Eh? Princess.
Three, two, one.
Dab.
Where you at, August?
Girl, come on, just forget about him.
Don't worry about it.
I promise you, I'm good,
- I'll text you, all right?
- All right.
I love you, girl!
I ain't playing! You better be there!
Coming down, Romeo?
I can't tonight.
Tonight?
If not now, when?
I don't know.
Stop acting like a little bitch!
- It ain't even like that.
- That's exactly what it is.
Your ass scared.
Got to make shit good again.
The hell is wrong with you, August?
This Chicago.
Both my brothers is dead,
and I'm standing here!
I'm outside!
My moms need me.
You wrote me that song.
You took me to that show.
You got me standing outside
in this itchy-ass dress,
and you can't even come out
the damn house, nigga?
You embarrassed me in front of my friends!
Lose my number.
Niyah.
You gonna have more fun
without me tonight.
Fuck you.
August.
August, what did you... What... Baby?
What are you doing? What is it?
It's okay. It's okay.
I just wanna be normal.
Who is it?
Romelo.
Didn't I tell you
to stay away from my son?
I didn't come here for that.
I came to talk to you.
"You should've ran it by me first"?
That's your apology?
Hm. I'm not apologizing,
just explaining what happened.
Hell, I'm the one who went to jail.
You ever ask yourself why a grown-ass man
is hanging out with a teenager?
I'm just trying to show August
the bigger life. You know, he needs...
No, don't talk to me
about what my son needs.
He needs friends.
He needs a purpose.
No, he needs to make it
to his 18th birthday.
Your son is very talented.
Not too many people can do what he can.
He can do big things in this world,
but he's got to be in the world.
Listen.
Come on, take a listen.
That's your son.
Mm-hmm.
Goddamn.
What happened?
Told you,
I can't do music no more.
You didn't have to get
all dramatic with it.
Hey, you know...
it's time to upgrade you anyway.
I got a...
got a plug that can give us free codes
to Pro Tools.
I don't know if I did it
'cause I liked it...
or I do it 'cause she liked it.
- Who?
- My sister.
She used to find the most...
random samples.
They killed her.
Yeah, I heard.
Fucking playground on Perry.
I never even heard the bang...
It just burned.
Went right through her.
And buried itself right here.
Man, she ain't even do nothing.
Just came and got me for dinner.
I'm sorry, man.
I can't do this no more.
My moms, she need me.
Man, like I said, y'all ain't gonna
even be around here no more.
What you mean?
You gonna move your momma
out of here, man.
You're gonna be a hero.
Got you a record contract.
Hey, yo, Bigs.
I think you might need this, man.
All right, let me see that over here.
Go ahead, spit it.
Here, let me get that.
You know what?
I trust this nigga with my life, man.
He keep it 100 at all times.
Man, nigga, you crazy.
That right there,
that's shit you wouldn't pocket.
Go on, nigga, I know you got one more.
Go ahead, spit that shit, dog.
Damn.
Open the door.
- We need to talk.
- It's 2:00 in the morning.
- I'm a mess without you, babe.
- Take your drunk ass somewhere.
I'mma take my drunk ass in the middle
of the street and scream your name
so all your neighbors know it.
Vanessa!
There's a reason why
that's in a to-go cup.
First things first.
I'm not signing those papers.
Things have changed.
I'm me again.
- Romelo...
- No.
Got a deal at Ill Note Records.
I'mma take care of us.
Just stop.
Yeah, gonna take a while
to finesse, but...
they want August.
Hm.
With Terrence?
Mm-hmm.
I told you not to bring that boy
into your shit.
You know how he operates.
It's not going to be like that
this time, okay?
I'm doing this for the kid, and, hell...
I'm doing this for us.
Is that what you're doing?
Yeah.
Hey.
Where's our wedding pictures?
- I put 'em away.
- Look.
Everybody gets fucked a little
on their first contract,
but I'll be here to help the kid
get started in the business.
You think I'mma tell you that it's okay
for you to fuck over a 17-year-old kid?
I'm not absolving you of that, Romelo.
Goddamn, Vee.
Why you still acting like I ain't shit?
'Cause you ain't shit.
Oh, my God.
What the fuck is wrong with you?
You're such a fucking idiot.
I never gave a damn
about your fucking deals, Romelo.
Shit changes.
This is my chance to get back on top.
Romelo, you are doing this for you.
This ain't for me.
I need you to get out my house, Romelo.
I need you to get
the fuck out of my house.
This our house.
Get the fuck out of my house!
Thank you.
I got this...
for you.
Come here.
I thought you should maybe go in there...
looking professional.
You know you ain't have to take off work.
You are signing a record deal, okay?
There's no way I was gonna miss that.
Thanks, Mom.
You're welcome.
You both ended up looking like your daddy.
August, you know we don't have to do this
if you don't want to, right?
Yes, we do.
We on our way down.
Uh, I'm not sure what Ro told you
about this place, but...
it's a home.
It's a home for artists like August.
And we're inviting him into our home, man.
We want you to be a part of our family,
for a long, long time.
Ordinarily, it would take, like,
four weeks to kinda issue a check
and lick the stamp and send it out.
But you know, I'mma make a call,
get you that check in two weeks.
How does that sound, big dog?
You hear that, Ma?
We're gonna move.
All right.
Ms. Monroe.
You're up first.
Um...
Hey, my lawyer looked everything over
and it's all good, so...
all you have to do is sign.
There you go.
August.
You're up, dude.
- I don't got to tell this guy twice.
- No.
Damn.
A man who knows what he wants,
just like me.
Beautiful.
Now we celebrate. That's what's up.
- That... That's it?
- Yeah. That's it.
We've got some champagne.
All right. Watch out now. Watch out now.
Boom.
There we go. King Monroe, Ms. Monroe.
Soda pop for you, August.
Hey, Romelo, you want the bubbly
or do you want something brown, man?
If you don't tell me, I'm just gonna have
to pour you something, dealer's choice.
Jesus.
- Yo, what the hell are you doing?
- My contract!
You don't need that. It was fucked.
What are you talking about?
The song goes to number one,
he doesn't even sniff a royalty check.
Stop talking right now. Stop talking.
Why'd you do that?
My moms needed that money.
We can get the money some place else,
big man.
- I'm gonna litigate the fuck out of you.
- Do it.
I told you not to get in his head.
Nah, forget the contract,
that shit's burned.
Hey.
Romelo, I just gave you 40 grand, man.
- Wait, what?
- Did you already forget that?
I'm not touching this money.
- Why he give you that money for my music?
- Because he lied to us, baby.
It's complicated, all right? Look, we can
get a deal some place else, trust me.
If you trust him,
you might end up like Tone.
Yeah. That was a thick-headed kid
who had no idea his best friend
was robbing his end.
What's he talking about?
What am I talking about?
Around the time that Tone got killed,
this dude had his label so strapped
that he had to steal checks
from Tone's moms just to dig hisself out.
That was a long time ago.
Okay. That was a long time ago.
Let's talk recent history.
Your boy over here didn't try to change
anything from your deal, August.
Just a, uh... what was it, a pay bump?
And a producer credit for hisself.
Fuck you, Terrence.
Nah, you done fucked yourself, dude.
Well, Chicago is scorched earth.
I mean, you and me are done, man.
I was your only friend.
We done.
He's just a child, Romelo.
August?
August.
August.
Hey, August. Come here, man.
August!
August?
Just... Just open the door
so I can explain myself to you, okay?
- August?
- He's not here!
He's not...
He's not here...
He's not here.
Mrs. Monroe?
I will bring him home safe.
I promise you that.
I promise you that.
I figured you'd be here.
Your moms is worried, man.
Wasn't nothing good
about that deal, all right?
Believe me, there's better shit
out there for us...
Man, you ain't been 100 about nothing,
from the jump.
The whole time you were running game?
Behind my back?
You right.
I was dead wrong about you.
You see that building way out there,
the one with the blue lights on it?
Me and Tone, we grew up right there.
Man, I'm tired of you
throwing that nigga name in my face.
Hey.
Look here, man.
I came up in a Robert Taylor Home...
making tracks with Antonio
from two floors down, man.
Next thing I know, we got our own imprint
on the biggest label in the world.
You're too young to remember this, but...
we didn't make it out of that place.
My pops moved in in '71...
and died in that motherfucker.
I didn't know much back then,
but I knew one thing.
I was never going back.
I was trying to prove that shit
to everyone.
That's how I fucked up.
Get a loan to pay a loan.
You dip into another artist's pocket,
now I'm bailing water
like it's the Titanic.
You saying that you done fucked
every nigga that you done worked with?
Nah. I'm saying that after the lawsuits...
after the IRS done sucked my bone dry
of its fucking marrow,
man, I came right back here
to the South Side,
damn sure that this wasn't
how my life was supposed to be.
I'd do anything to get back.
Anything.
But today...
today, I learned that that wasn't true.
You see, man, that short money...
that shit don't last. I done that.
I got to get my mom back her life.
Ain't on you.
- It is.
- Mm-mm.
She fucked up 'cause of me.
- Kari is dead 'cause of me.
- Nah, man.
You're a kid, man. That ain't on you.
You know...
I'm not good.
You get that?
I'm not good.
Everywhere I go, I see it.
She reminded me of what I done.
Hey.
Your sister wouldn't want you
carrying around that, man.
On God, that's not what she'd want.
This is Chicago, August,
and it ain't on you to change that shit.
I just miss her.
I miss her so much.
I know.
Come here.
I know, man.
I got it from here.
All right, big man.
Romelo.
Thank you.
I got you.
Be careful.
I'll see you tonight, Ma.
Come on, people, let's go.
Come on, people, let's move. Let's move.
Welcome back, Mr. Monroe.
Thanks, Ms. Robinson.
Come on,
don't be late your first day back.
Yes, ma'am.
I'm happy to see you.
It's a little boomy. Bring up the mids.
Levels are good.
I know.
Wow.
Didn't think I'd ever see you
around here again.
So? What up?
Hello?
Nobody on your line no way, Laz.
If we didn't tell you,
you was trying to follow her.
- Is she aggressive to you?
- I'm not sure yet.
- If he saw anyone...
- Yeah, whatever.
Man, let's get out of here.
Why you acting like a bitch, August?
Is you scared or something?
Man, I ain't scared of shit.
Word? Prove it, then, nigga.
Shut up, Laz.
- I swear I'm gon' fight you one day.
- Whatever. I don't wanna hear.
You talkin' all that good shit, huh?
Whatever.
Come on, August, do the damn thing.
You always give people
some dumb shit, Laz.
Niyah...
always protecting your ass, August.
But how you gon' be pussy-whipped
and you ain't get no pussy yet?
Shut up!
Anyway, me and my dog out here
pissing on 112.
You know how we rock it... Back up, bro!
Don't nobody wanna see that shit.
Anyway, like I said,
fuck the Opps.
Y'all motherfuckers better run!
Bitch, I'm 'bout to get shot!
August.
Kari.
Kari.
Fucking shit.
Fuck they at, man?
Kari.
Kari.
- You not hear me calling you?
- Sorry, Mama. I had the headphones on.
Where's your brother?
Food is getting cold,
and I got to go to work.
Relax.
I'll get him.
No lackin'. T-up, motherfuckers.
What y'all wanna do?
Hey, let's go.
Yeah, that's what I thought.
Y'all better turn around.
Buddy ass got little.
Fuck up, though?
What y'all lil' niggas do?
Kids up on 112th say we at they school now
and they run shit.
So we pissed on they sign.
Take a shit next time, young savage.
We'll handle the bodies.
Yo.
Hey.
- Here y'all go, little soldiers.
- Thanks, Vern.
- Thanks, G.
- Thanks, Vern.
Can I get some chips?
- And some pop?
- One at a time.
- Let me get the...
- Get off me, Laz.
- August.
- Hey. There go your girl.
- Uh-huh.
- Can I get my change, please?
- Here come big sis.
- What's up? Can I get a hug?
- What up, Niyah?
- Hey, girl.
What are you doing?
I been looking all over for your ass.
We was just getting ice cream.
Come on, before Mama
whoop both our ass. Damn.
He ain't even do nothing.
You ain't got to roll up on him like that.
Good night, Vern.
What were y'all even doing
up there on that side anyway?
We be up there all the time for school.
Yeah, but they got programs for that.
Safe Passage and all that?
- Come on, now.
- Man, I bet Vern go wherever he want.
Vern?
Vern gon' die on the same block
he was born on.
Is that what you want?
Use your beat machine
when we get to the house?
Did my school stuff.
'Cause you smart, unlike that goofy-ass
nigga that you always running around with.
Laz?
You know that's my boy.
I heard that new beat you was working on.
- Yeah?
- Mm-hmm.
- You liked it, didn't you?
- It was good.
I just think you need
to slow it down a little bit.
Okay?
Let it breathe.
You're always rushing.
I'm trying to make it
like your new joint.
Hm.
Yeah, it still needs some work.
You know, something like...
Hey.
Hey, run that back, run that back.
Don't clown me, all right?
I don't know, something like that.
Kari!
August, I'm headed to work.
Breakfast is on the table.
Okay, Ma.
Grow as a person,
you know what I'm saying?
- I think no.
- I think not.
Y'all are just wild.
We already know, you about to get
with Rashad, little miss honey.
Who's Rashad?
Isn't this August's house?
I heard his mom keep him chained
to a furnace.
Shut up. That ain't true.
He got that PSTD.
He be wetting the bed like a bitch.
Baby-ass nigga.
Y'all so mean.
- You good.
- Uh-uh. Uh-uh.
Give me that bag, Marquis.
Get your behind in my office. Now.
You got something more important
you're doing?
Every kid whose butt is not in your
classroom is three grand out the budget.
- A lot of them won't cross State Street.
- Mm-hmm.
I need everyone knocking on doors,
checking the corners the next two weeks,
until we submit our attendance scores
to the state.
We don't get these kids in here,
I got to start cutting positions.
Also...
I'm collecting for Malik Hayes' service
next Friday.
His mother could really use your help.
Okay?
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Quality speech.
Uplifting.
What?
I'm gonna need you to
talk to these fools in payroll.
They won't give me my damn check.
Listen to the announcements.
Nobody's getting paid this week.
Downtown messed up payroll again.
I'm gonna need something to hold me over.
Like 300.
When am I going to get my nine back?
Not the next time I get paid,
but the next time
after the next.
Mm.
On my soul.
Or...
this is just part of your plan
to get me to move back in?
Funny.
All persons without assigned homerooms,
go to the south auditorium
for further instructions.
Today will be a chance to sign up for ROTC
and the Mathletes club...
Tell you what.
Bring me five kids from this list...
and I'll give you the three.
So, you want me to go find fools now,
but I'm a security guard.
I secure shit.
Then go secure your job.
Hi, yes. I'm from the high school...
Hey, man, you seen Deshawn Hall?
Man, fuck you.
There's a line over here.
Hey.
- Y'all seen Tony?
- Hey, fuck off, man.
- Young buck, you seen Tony?
- Tony dead.
Dead dead,
or not-around-here-no-more dead?
Dead dead, motherfucker.
Fucked around and got smoked.
Damn.
Yo, let me hit that.
Man... you're not supposed to be smoking.
Nigga, you ain't supposed to be smoking.
Fuck is wrong with this... Man.
Come on, Trey Smith. Get down here.
Anybody home?
Deshawn Hall?
Deshawn, why you not in class, boy?
Huh?
Hey, if you come back to class,
you could win a McDonald's gift card.
A'ight?
They're giving away Big Macs.
We got another metal detector opening.
Come on, let's go.
Hi. Is, uh, August Monroe here?
Who's asking?
Uh... Romelo Reese.
I work at the high school.
It says August hasn't been
in class since last October.
That can't be right. October?
Mm-hmm. That's right.
He been ill.
Look, you all know this,
so what exactly are you here for?
He been ill.
Hm?
I take my son's work to school.
Y'all already know this.
Oh. Okay. That's cool.
Yeah, but it's a budget thing.
They actually need him in the classroom.
- A budget thing?
- Yeah.
So...
you gonna take a bullet for him?
Well...
That's actually not in my job description,
so, no.
Right.
See...
Y'all want me to send my son
off to the slaughter.
I ain't gon' do it for no budget.
Is your son in the next room making music?
Well, thank you, Ms. Monroe,
for your time.
Hey, uh...
mind if I use your bathroom real quick?
Ever since I got back from Iraq,
every five minutes, I got to use one.
Thank you.
Baby, turn the music down.
- I put my headphones on.
- Hey, man.
Yo, man, that is cold as hell.
Hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey, relax, man, look.
I work at the high school.
All right? Yo, you make that beat?
How long it take you?
Damn.
I ain't never met a deaf producer before,
man. How you...
How you make a beat?
Huh? You just feel the bass
and you just build around that?
Two minutes.
Two... minutes?
Man, I swear to God,
you cold as hell, man.
- Ma! Mama! Ma!
- Hey!
- Ma! Ma! Ma!
- Hey, hey, hey...
What the hell are you doing?
- I was just talking to him about music...
- Get out.
Hey. Hey, what?
Hey, hey, big man.
August, August, slow and steady. Come on.
What's wrong with him?
- Out through the mouth.
- What's going on?
Big man, just breathe.
Get out!
Ma'am, I was just talking to him
about music. I'm a manager, not just...
Get out!
- Okay! Okay, ma'am.
- Get out!
I just...
August. Hey.
Attention, students.
PLEASE BE ADVISED, TODAY AT 2:30,
we have our weekly lockdown drill
in the auditorium.
Attendance is mandatory.
- Understand, ma'am, she's not...
- I don't care. Where is she?
Please,
you can't just walk in there.
What the fuck is wrong with you people?
Yeah.
Well, I was coming out of the bathroom,
I heard music,
went to where the music was playing,
kid started screaming.
That's what happened.
You went into a student's room
without parental supervision?
Hey, hey, hey, hold up.
You're making it sound inappropriate.
It was.
The kid is incredible.
All right, he's some type of...
retard savant.
Don't call him that. He's... He's fragile.
He's a machine...
that makes a beat a minute,
just like Tone.
He's different.
You're gon' make me regret this.
You promised me
you were done with that music shit.
You told me you were down
for this job, remember?
I won't do nothing.
On my soul.
Hey.
I was holding the bell.
Get away from my window
before I call the cops!
A'ight.
Just have an hour to talk music
before they get here.
- I ain't supposed to talk to you.
- Harriet Tubman wasn't supposed to run.
That doesn't make it a bad idea.
Hey, hey, hey, Aug...
August, August, August, hey.
Hey, man, calm down, all right?
Breathe.
Breathe, come on, in and out.
All right? Hey.
That track the other day?
It was too fast, man.
Slow it down.
That's what all the great ones do.
Here.
I'mma leave you this.
Clean up the cereal.
All right. Come on, Oaktown 357. Let's go.
You're good, young thug. Go.
To the Malik Hayes family.
They could really use your support.
Damn.
What'd you do,
pour the whole box of cereal in that bowl?
I wasn't expecting you
to know about Nomad.
Thought you was one of those
old head hip hop dudes.
No, man, I go hard on my Brazilian shit.
What you know about 'em?
YouTube.
After J. Cole sampled Milton Nascimento,
I went hard on Brazil.
Yeah, I got some underground shit
from Trinidad, but...
- couldn't fit it on the disc.
- Why you even use CDs?
USB is better.
Old head, old habits.
Man, I used to make tapes.
You don't know nothing about
the pain of making the perfect mixtape.
Look, August.
I wanna help you with your music, man.
You wanna make a bag of money?
Why you shrugging?
Man, we got to move on this, man.
I got to get you with the right MC,
get you some studio time.
- We got label meetings...
- Can I do it online?
Online?
Nigga, do you know who I am?
- Security guard at my school.
- No.
Yeah, I am, but I'm also
a dope-ass manager, man.
I'm the one that discovered Tony Bigs.
You know who Tony Bigs is, right?
Everybody do.
All right.
But I ain't never heard nobody
talking about you.
I created that nigga, man.
I got him studio hours.
I hounded GCI till they played his shit.
That was all me.
- Merch.
- On my mama's grave.
You can't stain me.
Check the liner notes, young'un.
I'm all over that shit.
I can make you the most famous
17-year-old in Roseland.
Nah, I'm good.
You're good?
Don't look like it.
They up a pole on these music cats.
They killed Tone
while he was getting a sandwich.
They shot Bango. Lil' Jeff.
You gonna have your ass in Paris
eating croissants and shit.
Man, you think Kanye still kicking it
on the South Side?
Hell, no, man. He up in Beverly Hills.
Actually, he's in Calabasas.
What's the difference? The nigga eatin'.
You want to eat?
Hey.
Ah.
So you making house calls now?
Deshawn came back today.
Really?
Mm-hmm.
- So I got one.
- You got one.
Wanna come inside?
I got that green tea you like.
Okay. Okay, okay.
That thing look about good.
Don't worry, you'll get one, too.
Hey, I heard you using my new shit.
And I'm gonna need my cut.
That's my best hook yet.
You'll get a credit.
A credit?
Boy, you must be crazy.
I'm your big sister. Don't play me.
Yeah, I see you looking.
This is Chef Boyardee right here.
This is perfection.
Looking like Chef Cardio Arrest.
Stop talking mess. Do you want one or not?
August, what are you doing?
Oh, my God!
Boy, what are you doing?
What's wrong with you?
Sorry, Mom.
I-I forgot to watch it.
Hey.
Where you going?
I need my toothbrush.
And my head scarf. I got to go home.
Come on, babe.
Come on. Get back in bed.
Why?
Because you're my wife.
Estranged.
I hate it when you say that.
Makes it seem like
we don't like each other.
What's this?
Come on, Vanessa, you're still on this?
I love you.
Two people who file their taxes separately
can still love each other.
We should be under one roof.
Look, babe.
I'm going to be the man
that you want me to be.
I'm going to make you proud of me.
Another young life taken.
Another mother left grieving.
Her daughter, just one of 14 people
killed by gun violence
on a weekend that saw 54 Chicagoans
injured by gunfire.
And still no answer
to the plague of violence
that has become,
for so many, just another day...
It's 2:30 a.m., Ma.
Your ankle is gonna swell up.
Come on, let's get you to bed.
Who is it?
It's me. Come on, man. Buzz me in.
Come on, man. You in or you out?
Come on, man.
You already let me up. What's up?
You was right about the tempo.
But the people need to hear
what you got locked up, man.
They deserve to hear your gift.
And if we can get your ass
some money, even better.
Man, it's just got to be me and you.
Can't do no shows. No meetings.
Everything we do got to be in this house.
Just need something to help my moms out.
Okay, so now you just flexin' on me.
Nah.
Now I am.
Hey, hey, whoa, whoa.
Sound a little boomy right there.
Speaker's kind of old.
It was my pop's.
Mama said he dodged a bunch of bullets
just to come home to a heart attack.
Hm.
Died waiting on the ambulance.
Damn.
Yo, you got to go.
Hey, what... Come on. Come on, man.
How many more of those
you got stashed away?
You got to go. My mom gets home
in 11 minutes and 11 seconds.
- You got to go.
- Okay, man.
That means I got at least, what,
eight, nine minutes before she get here.
Hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey, August.
Okay. I'm out.
Nah, I don't think
that really works, man.
Nah, because, like...
Nah, 'cause her girl's coming, too.
They ain't gonna have room
for all that shit.
You try to tell him that, he's gonna...
he's gonna tax you.
- Keep the change.
- Thank you.
Have a good one.
- Shit.
- Next.
What is going on here?
Terrence.
What's up, Terrence?
Uh, Romelo, what's going on, dude?
What's up, T?
- Yeah.
- You wanna get some... Wanna sit down?
Yeah, I'm gonna get my wing on.
Yeah, me, too, man.
Waiting on my food to get done.
This is my seventh, dog.
I see you still come to the hood
for your Sunday wing dinner.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, my girl trying to get me on that
gluten-free kick.
Hm.
I still got my traditions.
Yeah.
You know they got a Harold's
up in Wicker Park now?
Tastes better here.
Mm-hmm. It's been a while, man.
- How's Ill Note?
- We good, man.
We just moved into these new offices.
I, uh...
I heard something about you.
Working in a school or something crazy?
Oh, yeah, you know, just helping Vee out.
She's running that place now.
You know, we all got to do our part
to help the kids, right?
I feel you.
It's good to see you, man.
Same here, man.
- Serendipity shit.
- Yeah.
Hey, you know, uh,
I'm getting back in the game, right?
Yeah, man. You, uh...
- You always had an ear for it.
- Yeah, you know, uh...
I would love to, but, uh...
I just snuck out for that six-piece,
know what I'm saying?
No, I hear you, man, but, you know,
got this young, hot producer
I'm working with right now.
Thinking we could put him
with somebody on your roster,
and we could make things happen
like we used to.
For sure, man.
When you get that demo, holla at me.
Ah.
Good to see you, bud.
Yeah.
I'll holla at you.
Slow down.
Slow it down.
We got a quiz tomorrow. I had no idea.
I did not study for it.
I'm not ready for it.
And I'm not finna study for it.
- Of course you not.
- Niyah!
Hey, yo, Niyah!
What you looking like that for?
What's up, Lazarus?
What's up, what's up?
Nothing much. What's going on?
Not much. I'm just seeing you out
lacking and everything,
you need somebody protect you.
I'm good, Laz.
Oh, hell, nah.
What you mean? I'm just being real.
- A'ight.
- What?
Be real.
- Okay.
- A'ight.
Yo.
You're in the wrong neighborhood.
Stay away from her, goofy-ass nigga,
before I shit in your throat.
Hey.
Shut it off, man.
- Man, what's the issue?
- The issue?
Ain't nothing special about that.
Anybody with a drum machine can do that.
August, you...
you can't create...
what you hear other people doing, man.
You got to create shit that people
don't just hear, they feel it.
Just push...
the button, August.
Just push it.
All right. Mama got some classics, man.
Yeah.
She ain't never heard of a Swiffer?
Yeah. Wait till you hear this.
You gonna like this right here.
I'm sampling that.
Uh-huh.
See?
This was the original sample right here.
- What happened? Why's it doing that?
- Damn, the shit crashed.
- Okay.
- That shit was fire.
Fuck it. We'll make it again.
Romelo, how can you be a manager
and miss the security meeting?
The superintendent is literally
asking me to fire you.
Okay. I-I like that.
No, no, not you. Not you. Hold on.
Man, where you get this from?
The fact that you don't know that
this comes from Al's is a goddamn crime.
- You sure you know what you're doing?
- Why not?
See, I play the piano. That's a different
kind of percussion instrument.
Look, man, your technique is on point,
but you got, like,
20 samples in there, man.
- That shit ain't speaking to me.
- It's only eight.
The hit is never when the producer puts
the entire kitchen sink in there.
You know so much, you do it.
Those that can't do, nigga, we teach.
Look, man.
Like, RZA.
He would hit all the vocals on the C.
Like, middle C.
Then he'd put the drums
on the lower octave of the C,
then the bass line he'd put on the D.
Right? Then he would just...
Kept moving around
on the melodies and shit, man.
I know I'm probably
talking Japanese to you.
Nah. Nah, nah, nah.
- I'm straight.
- Okay.
RZA, he never had Froot Loop shit like
y'all got on your computers now, man.
Nah, he did everything with one hand,
and at the same time.
He had them niggas rhyme
into his keyboard,
and it had to be perfect,
or they had to start all over again
from the beginning.
That's what made it so gritty.
Nothing false.
You felt the struggle in the craft
and the life.
Hey, man, you got a tag yet?
All them young producers got one now, man,
so you know...
August, just push the button, man.
August, just... August,
just... August, August, August,
just push the button, man.
I know you love to hear
your own voice, so...
you know.
Let me hear it with something.
What? What's up?
You feel good?
I feel good.
Nah, man.
You should feel better than good.
I feel great.
Well, let me hear that again.
Yo, my man, you lost?
Friend of Mister's.
Hm.
I'mma throw you a little dig,
at, uh, Red Diamond.
Good bottles, good laughs,
good food, pretty women.
That's a must. Do you hear me?
Call you back. All right.
Dude said he knows you.
Oh, shit. We got a celebrity guest
here tonight.
- Y'all know who that is?
- Nah.
That's Romelo Reese right there. That's
the nigga got Tone out of Robert Taylor,
traveling all around the world,
eating caviar.
- Fucking supermodels and shit.
- Oh, yeah?
That was about a minute ago.
Bigs was out, what...
'07, '08, right?
- That was a beautiful time, though.
- Yeah, it was. We about to slide, man.
- I'll leave Young Boy at the front.
- All right.
Well, have a seat, man. Relax.
So you been back on the land,
what, two years now?
About.
About.
You too good to come see your boy?
I was dealing with my mom, Vee.
I've been meaning to get back here to
see you, Petey, everybody, man, it just...
That's on my mama, man.
Sorry to hear about Moms.
- Hm.
- God bless, but that ain't the why, Ro.
All right, look, man.
I'm trying to redeem myself,
and I got a chance for you and me
to make some money this time.
I know you sick of these streets.
Shit ain't the same.
Yeah, shit definitely ain't the same.
And I know anybody with bars
east of the Dan Ryan
done came through your damn studio.
I got a hot producer,
and all I need is a real,
authentic Chi nigga.
Oh, yeah?
Colder the better.
Shit, that's the only kind I know.
Hi, Ms. Monroe.
How you doing this evening?
I'm fine, Lazarus. How you doing?
Pretty good, pretty good.
August home?
He's asleep.
I just wanted to ask him about
some prank calls I was getting.
Ain't nobody seen him since
he spazzed out at school.
I thought he was in a nuthouse,
on some shock therapy shit.
No. Whoa, you watch
your language now, Lazarus.
You right. I apologize.
Well, you could tell him we out here
and we waiting on his return to glory.
Have a good night.
That's why I don't want you
hanging out with them thugs.
You gonna bury me,
not the other way around.
So when you coming back to school?
It's too hard.
Hard?
Come on, August, you ain't stupid.
Not like that.
There was this incident.
I get these... How you call 'em?
They like nightmares.
But you awake.
Everything started spinning.
Can't barely breathe.
It's like somebody's
standing on your chest.
Just won't get off.
Used to get 'em real bad at night.
So my mom said
I don't have to go nowhere after dark.
Then I started getting them at school,
grocery store.
So Mom said I don't got to go out no more.
- Out where?
- Out, out. I stay here.
- It's gonna be different after we move.
- She got money?
'Cause we in Roseland and...
this ain't exactly the penthouse.
She been looking.
I'm just saying, man, shit's expensive.
Boy, what you looking at?
Mm-mm.
What's her name?
Niyah.
Hey, Niyah!
Hi.
Come on, man. Why you do that?
Why'd I do that?
Why'd you freeze up like that, man? Hell.
I wouldn't have screamed her name
if I knew you'd turn into a statue.
You gonna hit her with
your creepy window game, or y'all talking?
Mostly creepy window game.
Nah, I seen better car accidents, man.
I mean, no survivors, except for the dude
that was pulling himself
out of the wreckage
with nubs where his hands used to be.
He was still on fire.
August.
August!
Yo.
Yo, shorty.
Let me hear something.
Give me that shit.
Yeah.
- What up, Mister?
- That was good.
- This music folks you was talking 'bout?
- Yup.
Romelo Reese.
Queen Cabrini.
You got more fire like that?
Hell, yeah.
Got some shit in the stash.
We gonna have to break that shit open now.
You like this kick combo?
Or this one?
First one.
Damn, August.
Industrial size, man?
You must be the ashiest motherfucker ever,
or you're about to go blind.
- Don't be touching my stuff, dog.
- All right, dog.
Hey.
- What's this, man?
- Come on, man.
Hey. What's up with this, man?
Come on, bro. That's private, dog.
Private like your hand grease?
Look at this, man.
"The Niyah Album."
Okay, you holding out on your boy,
I see, huh?
It's about a shorty, right?
Whole album?
I don't know.
Oh. You don't know now?
Okay. Well, maybe we should
lay one of those down.
I mean,
that's if you wanna really get with her.
Yeah, you flowing on that, yeah,
she gonna feel that.
I don't rap.
That's the same thing Kanye said.
Now look at him,
tapping that Kardashian ass every night.
You know what, man?
You about to end
your iffy nigga window days.
Here. Grab that. Come on, man.
Say something.
This shit dumb, bro.
This shit dumb?
Let me tell you something, man.
Since the beginning of time, men have been
doing dumb shit to get a woman.
All it takes is one good song
to override all this hermit shit
you got going on.
Hey, hey, hey, why you whispering?
I told you I don't know
how to do this shit.
Okay, okay, okay, okay, calm down.
All right, August?
Just relax, breathe.
Start that beat, man.
Let's hear what you got.
Oh, come on.
August, you got to do it
like she in the room, man.
Like you can smell her,
like you can just touch her.
That's the only way
you gonna get this shit right.
Mm-hmm.
Come on, man. Fuck this paper, man.
Come on.
Do it.
There you go,
you're feeling that shit now.
Uh-huh.
You!
Put that shit in there.
You ever make a song
for Ms. Robinson?
None of your business.
I did buy a lot of shoes,
but this is better.
Lasts longer.
We actually sound pretty good.
So, when you gonna give it to her?
I don't know.
Hey. Man, I, uh...
I met this dope MC the other night.
Was thinking the two of you
should link up.
Nah, I'm straight.
Come on, man. I got somebody
willing to pay for studio.
This is next-level time.
August, I mean,
this song... it's gonna change shit.
Man, can't we just keep doing
what we been doing?
Come on, we got an album
full of hits, August.
Let me be who I'm supposed to be, dog.
Man up.
So, what, you're gonna post up in here,
do nothing for the rest of your life?
See how well that shit goes over
with Niyah.
I got to use the bathroom.
Whoo!
Hey. Sorry I'm late.
Where's your producer at, man?
He couldn't make it, all right?
You know I'm paying these niggas
by the hour, right?
Hey, hey, hey.
I got his beats right here.
There you go, right here.
That's cold right there.
Come outside, August.
Just come outside.
It'll be okay. I'll protect you.
Get your fat ass out the street!
There you go, August.
Come on, big man, you got this.
You got this.
Let's go.
Hey.
What got you outside?
She said bring... bring her the song.
Well, come on, man. Let's give it to her.
Hey. I got your back, all right?
All right? But this is all you.
This is your block.
All right? Get going.
Walk down there and give her the music.
Uh-huh.
How does this outside air feel on you,
huh, August?
Come on, take a deep breath.
Is, uh...
Is, uh, Niyah here?
I'm just here for moral support.
She's not here.
Can you give this to her?
Welcome back to the land of the living.
Now that you're out, man, come on.
Let's go for a walk.
What? What?
All right, we'll, uh...
go for that walk after...
we get you some Doublemint.
Come on. Get it all out.
Hey, hey.
It's all right, big man.
- You're doing great.
- Where we going?
I just wanna go home.
You know, Tone's first tour,
we hit five continents.
You know, my pops didn't get it.
Always said,
"Why I got to leave
the best city in the world for?
Nothing better out there."
You know, it's hard to prove
that hypothesis
when you never left Chicago.
Yeah. I ain't never been nowhere.
I got family in Detroit,
so I been there once.
Man, lot of people ain't never
been downtown, let alone Detroit.
Hey.
After I seen what you did today...
you can go wherever you wanna go.
A'ight?
Let's go up this block, though.
Baby steps.
Yeah, this is it.
What you think?
Hm?
Mm-hmm.
Let's see
what you can do with this.
Okay. All right.
Go on, play with it.
Play with it like it's yours.
That's what I'm talking about.
Come here.
What you know about a 808?
Go on, touch it, man.
Show me what you got.
See, man, you always wanna speed it up.
Slow down a little bit.
There you go, man.
Put some chords on it.
There you go. Work the keyboard.
Act like you know what you're doing.
Play them drums. Lemme see what you got.
Your right hand a little weak,
but we can work with that.
You see what happens
when you leave the house?
H-Hello?
- What you doin'?
- Hanging.
What you doin'?
Just chilling at the bowling alley
on Torrence.
You wanna slide through?
Can't.
My mom's strict as fuck
about me going out at night.
It don't matter what time it is.
- You don't go out with us no more anyway.
- I been busy.
Always making excuses, August.
You better not be inviting
that baby-ass nigga!
Girl, shut up.
Just bowl for me. Shit!
So, anyway...
Everybody miss you. Laz miss you, too.
I don't know about all that.
- What'd you think of the song?
- That was cool.
You wrote that for me?
I seen you from my window
from time to time, and it...
it helps me come up with stuff.
Like a muse.
- Like a what?
- Like...
- your inspiration.
- Yeah.
- Like that.
- Well...
if you ever get off house arrest
and wanna do something...
hit me up.
That sounds great.
Can I help you?
Hey. Here to see Terrence. Romelo Reese.
I believe he's got a ten o'clock already.
Well, he's expecting me.
All right. Well, let me just take a look
here and see if I can't find that.
There he is there. Don't worry about it.
See him right there. Terrence!
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
He just ran right by.
Yeah. It's okay, Brittany.
I got this. What's up, baby?
What's going on?
I was in the hood. You told me stop by
when I got something.
Yeah, yeah. I was, uh...
Oh, what's up, Leesha?
Today's kind of packed, man.
Thank you.
Um... why don't you come back,
like, next week, yeah?
One song.
You brutally honest. Me dipping out.
You're standing tall today, dude.
You got, like,
a different posture and shit.
I can tell you're serious.
- You serious?
- As a heart attack.
Okay, then.
Yo, you know what the root word
in "bum-rush" is, right?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
Right here.
You hear that shit?
That's that real shit right there.
Man, who made that beat?
One of my artists.
Now tell me she not gonna blow up.
Yeah. She not bad, man.
Not bad?
Come on, man.
I need you to put her
with one of your guys, man.
You know, half-hour set.
Something with some shine.
Maybe Vick will dig her.
Vick's not gonna touch this, man.
He don't like you.
Hm.
Yeah.
Look at me, man.
Ground level all over again.
You...
you got your name on the door.
Vick, he got a hat line.
I don't know if you been
paying attention, man,
but the world did flip, man.
Okay.
I remember you when you were just
a fat motherfucker with no deodorant,
selling mixtapes out of your trunk.
Remember that?
So, you're saying, like...
you're saying I owe you, right?
No. I'm not saying that at all.
But you got a million things
happening, man,
and I put you on that Tone train
when nobody thought you were shit.
Yeah, I fucked up.
But I still got
some big things in me, man.
And all I'm asking is a favor
from the dude that I put on.
Let's start that track over.
All right.
Let's see what we got in here.
Damn.
I mean, you got, like,
nine kinds of cake in there.
Got to have my cake for breakfast.
Cake's for birthdays, not for breakfasts.
Y'all ever got real food in this house?
This is real food.
Look, man, you gonna hit Niyah up?
I don't know.
The thing to remember is,
you got to be smooth,
just like your man right here.
Ms. Robinson think your ass smooth?
Yeah. First off,
we're not talking about me.
But for your information,
I'm as smooth as baby balls.
Here, look here, man.
Now that's a real date.
You bring Niyah there,
she gonna be feeling you.
This all the way out in Bronzeville.
Your mama doing the restock
Saturday night, right?
Yeah.
But how are we gonna get all the way there
and back before she get home?
I'mma take you.
Nah, I'm good.
She already think I'm a little bitch
without you chaperoning my ass.
You're gonna wanna be there, ya dig?
Trust me.
Y'all ride in the back of the car,
pretend I'm your fucking Uber driver.
And that cake look dry as fuck.
You just bussin'.
Yeah. You're gonna be as big as a bus.
Hey.
Thanks, Vanessa.
It's no problem. It's on the way.
You know, you should rest this weekend.
These kids drive you crazy.
That's exactly what I plan on doing.
Huh...
Hey.
Can I borrow the ride tomorrow?
I wanna make a few extra bucks.
You wanna drive for Uber on a Saturday?
I was hoping we could check out
that Ethiopian spot.
Come on.
How am I supposed to treat you
on a security guard salary?
You've seen my check after taxes.
You got a point.
Plus, you're real expensive.
As I should be.
You deserve it.
Okay.
Just stay on the North Side
and don't bring my car back on E.
Say no more.
I'll change the oil
and clean this dirty-ass windshield.
Well, you can start today.
Up the stairs right here, all right?
Hey. It's just a party.
It's just a party, okay?
You're here to have some fun.
I got your back.
Niyah's got your side.
Come on, August.
Hey, look, hey. It's just a party, okay?
You remember how to dance, don't you?
Niyah, teach him. All right. Look at me.
I want you guys to find a spot
close to the stage.
Niyah, watch out for him, all right?
Hey, I got a surprise for you.
You a'ight?
I didn't know it was gonna be
this many affiliated peoples.
They're not gonna do nothing.
I mean, not today.
Come on, let's go.
Hey. Yo.
- What's up?
- You nervous?
- I'm born for this shit.
- Good.
Hey.
But if you do get nervous,
and I'm not saying that you do,
rap to one person,
just like you did when I met you.
All right? Look 'em in the eye
and make that motherfucker
feel everything.
You got this.
- A'ight.
- A'ight.
Coming to the stage,
one of the hottest MCs
that you never heard of.
But we finna turn up, though.
Make some noise for Queen Cabrini!
Chicago, what's good?
Put your hands up.
Oh, shit.
It's your song!
This is my song!
What you think about it, huh?
How you get my song?
I made some calls, finessed some plugs.
Hey, put on your seat belt,
'cause we on that
rocket ship shit, all right?
Get ready for this.
Now dance with your girl,
I got to handle some business.
It's better live, right?
These young cats
are all on that cell phone game.
Remember when we used to go to concerts
and just watched the shit?
Yeah. Well, you're not on yours,
so what the fuck you really think?
She's an interesting performer, man.
No, don't do that.
Don't do that.
I taught you that.
Undersell me and shit?
Yeah, um...
I'll tell you what,
I'mma have Brittany set up a lunch,
and we're gonna talk next steps, yeah?
Get some drinks, baby.
Hey, August. Get up here, man.
Give it up for August!
He produced this track!
Yo, you heard it here first.
That joint's bound to blow up.
Way to rip that shit,
Queen Cabrini.
Huh? How you feeling,
you like that up there? All right.
Go outside. Niyah.
Take care of August, all right?
Hmm!
All right, what's... what's happening?
Let me holler at you.
You... You wanna do this now?
Yeah, where else, nigga?
Look, man, you get ten percent
of what I get,
plus you get reimbursed
for the studio time.
Ten percent?
That's a hell of a deal
coming out the gate, man.
Imagine how big Cabrini's gonna be.
Man, you take that one hit song and
you turn that into a roster of artists.
We own the label, man. I did it before.
I'mma do it right this time.
Believe that.
All right.
- All right. Cool.
- All right.
- We good?
- We good.
Now, tell that big nigga to move, man.
We're good, man.
Hm.
How are you gonna put ketchup on that?
Give me your Chicago card, boy,
you're being deported.
This the proper way. Try it.
Told you.
That show was so dope. I mean...
Who'd have thought?
Cabrini killed that joint, and...
I was very happy to hear my song.
You, uh, ever had a palm reading?
It's like your whole destiny
is already written...
right here.
Your heart's beating quick.
I'm gonna take that as a compliment.
Must be a panic attack.
I get those.
No one's ever gonna accuse your ass
of being smooth, August.
Prom coming up.
You going?
I don't really do those type of things.
Why you got to be so goofy, August?
I'm trying to ask you to go with me.
You coming or what?
Yeah.
There go Romelo.
Are you guys ready?
- Got that ketchup hot dog?
- Anybody got me one?
Next time, Romelo, next time.
August.
Got home early, baby.
Got Chinese food.
August.
What did I tell you about tonight, boy?
Trust me.
A'ight?
Yeah.
Tonight was dope.
Yeah.
Keep doing what you're doing,
we'll have many dope nights.
Dope nights all around the world.
Shit.
Jeans, um...
Uh, he was wearing a yellow shirt.
- Ma.
- Okay, he...
- That's him. August.
- Shit.
August, where've you been?
What are you doing out here?
You're not supposed to be outside.
Where have you been?
Look at me, August, where have you been?
- I just...
- You just...
What the hell are you doing with my son?
Calm down, ma'am.
I just took him to a party.
You took... You took my kid to a party?
- Calm down, everything's okay.
- Is this your son, ma'am?
Yes, this man took my kid
without asking permission.
Niyah, are you okay?
Okay. Look,
I didn't do anything wrong, all right?
The hell you didn't!
Officer, she's overreacting.
What are you doing with my son?
Answer me!
I took him to a party
that he wanted to go to. Shit!
You keep him locked up all day
like he's a fucking felon.
Motherfucker! I will break your ass!
Get the fuck off of me!
- That is my son!
- Stand where you are!
- On your knees!
- Ma!
It's all unnecessary!
She didn't do anything!
- Be quiet! Okay?
- Okay!
- I told you to calm down!
- What the fuck did I do, man?
- Stop resisting!
- I'm not resisting!
Mom! Ma!
- We didn't doing nothing, man!
- Be quiet!
- Fuck you!
- Shut up!
My son!
I'll pay you for the car.
What was it? Three hundred something?
Well, now that you got
all that Uber money, I mean, shit.
I should've told you about August sooner,
but it all just happened so sudden.
You are a staff member that I hired.
He is a student.
How do you think that makes me look?
He wasn't smoking, he wasn't drinking,
he was just out having a good time.
His mother could sue the school.
- Come on.
- She just had you arrested.
You know what?
As a matter of fact, this is my fault,
for believing that hustle
about you needing this damn job.
But I did need it.
Always looking for something shinier.
I'm a high school rent-a-cop.
- Zero shine to that, trust me.
- Mm.
Vanessa, this kid is our way back in.
I'm really trying to help these kids,
and you out here
trying to get rich off of 'em.
- Hey, Vee, that is not...
- Don't fucking touch me.
I'm about a second away
from busting you in your damn mouth.
Just sign the damn papers.
- Vanessa, come on.
- Stop playing this house shit.
I just took the boy to a block party!
Really?
So, you're just gonna
leave me standing here, huh?
I wasn't trying to be disrespectful, Mom.
No one loves you more than me.
You know that, right?
And you know that I need you.
It's just you and me now.
I just thought we was...
What?
You thought you'd be back
before I got home?
I got to be able to trust you
in this house.
Everybody liked the song
that me and Romelo made.
And...
Niyah was there.
Oh, Niyah?
Oh. So you got your nose open now.
Is that why you acting so crazy?
Oh, you think you're grown now, okay.
I mean, you're making decisions
that affect this house,
so you must think you grown.
All I did was go to a party.
And kids get killed at parties every day.
- I wasn't even thinking about that.
- Well, I know that's right.
If something had happened to you,
August...
Anything could've happened to you.
- But it didn't.
- And... Don't.
Don't you make it seem like
I'm the crazy one.
I got to go to work.
She's right.
Come on, man, open up.
I bought gyros.
I can't.
Come on, last night didn't end right.
All right?
But we got real momentum, August.
We got to keep moving on that.
Damn, man.
You just don't get it.
I should've never let you
talk me into all this stuff.
- My mom, she...
- Hey, look, hey, hey, August,
we got to keep moving on that, all right?
She'll get over it, man, trust me.
We can't stop the creative process, man,
look, because...
You ever played billiards before?
She called it pool. I thought
maybe she was swinging. I wasn't sure.
- Guys, kill the noise.
- Okay.
I'm saying we got to start
that cross-branding shit.
We got to brand you, get that drink,
the... the Cabrini Martini,
you know what I'm saying?
What's going on in here?
Huh?
Sitting back thinking about
how you did Tone.
- That was grimy as shit, bro.
- You don't know nothing about that.
The karma not right.
You got to work on that redemption.
Mister, what did you do?
What'd I do?
Ten percent?
Of your ten percent?
That's the best I could get?
- Me?
- Yeah, nigga.
It ain't nothing personal, Ro.
You still my dog.
It's just business.
Terrence, come on, man. What the fuck
is going on? She is my artist.
It's what homegirl said.
It's nothing personal, man.
Come on, Mister. You know
I'm trying to get this shit right again.
Trying to get this shit...
Romelo, she's too big for you, dog.
What?
Dog, you had to come beg me
to let her open for free.
Hey. Terrence, fuck you, man!
Fuck you, man!
I came to you with
a motherfucking deal, man!
I put hard work into this shit, man!
You're not doing none of that. Back up.
Can't let you put your hands
on my partner like that.
- Your partner?
- Back up. My partner.
Oh.
We both know you would've
fucked this up, man.
Okay.
Fuck you.
Hey, man, it is what it is.
Cabrini's part of the Ill Note family now.
But you do recognize talent.
Yo, what about that, uh,
that producer kid, what's his name?
Austin?
He's all you got, Romelo.
Let's do business.
- What's up, man, how you been?
- Like you give a fuck.
So, what you say to her?
- What?
- Niyah.
She ain't talking to me.
I heard you and her been kicking it.
So I know you sneak dissin' on me.
- I didn't say nothing about you.
- Bullshit.
I ain't step to her all last year
because of you,
and now we talking,
and you just wanna pop back up?
That's some bitch-ass shit.
Why she like your fat ass anyway?
Unless you're fucking with me?
She like me.
You're supposed to be
my homie, nigga!
Man, why you got that here?
I wasn't gonna dead your ass.
I always got it.
But you don't need it.
How the fuck you gonna tell me
what I need?
I'm out there doing what I got to do,
and your ass up here not doing shit!
You gonna be there when I need you?
Huh?
You gonna have my back?
That's what the fuck I thought.
I better not catch your ass
on the block again,
'cause I promise you
it won't be no words next time.
Fake-ass bucket boy.
You look so beautiful. Eh? Princess.
Three, two, one.
Dab.
Where you at, August?
Girl, come on, just forget about him.
Don't worry about it.
I promise you, I'm good,
- I'll text you, all right?
- All right.
I love you, girl!
I ain't playing! You better be there!
Coming down, Romeo?
I can't tonight.
Tonight?
If not now, when?
I don't know.
Stop acting like a little bitch!
- It ain't even like that.
- That's exactly what it is.
Your ass scared.
Got to make shit good again.
The hell is wrong with you, August?
This Chicago.
Both my brothers is dead,
and I'm standing here!
I'm outside!
My moms need me.
You wrote me that song.
You took me to that show.
You got me standing outside
in this itchy-ass dress,
and you can't even come out
the damn house, nigga?
You embarrassed me in front of my friends!
Lose my number.
Niyah.
You gonna have more fun
without me tonight.
Fuck you.
August.
August, what did you... What... Baby?
What are you doing? What is it?
It's okay. It's okay.
I just wanna be normal.
Who is it?
Romelo.
Didn't I tell you
to stay away from my son?
I didn't come here for that.
I came to talk to you.
"You should've ran it by me first"?
That's your apology?
Hm. I'm not apologizing,
just explaining what happened.
Hell, I'm the one who went to jail.
You ever ask yourself why a grown-ass man
is hanging out with a teenager?
I'm just trying to show August
the bigger life. You know, he needs...
No, don't talk to me
about what my son needs.
He needs friends.
He needs a purpose.
No, he needs to make it
to his 18th birthday.
Your son is very talented.
Not too many people can do what he can.
He can do big things in this world,
but he's got to be in the world.
Listen.
Come on, take a listen.
That's your son.
Mm-hmm.
Goddamn.
What happened?
Told you,
I can't do music no more.
You didn't have to get
all dramatic with it.
Hey, you know...
it's time to upgrade you anyway.
I got a...
got a plug that can give us free codes
to Pro Tools.
I don't know if I did it
'cause I liked it...
or I do it 'cause she liked it.
- Who?
- My sister.
She used to find the most...
random samples.
They killed her.
Yeah, I heard.
Fucking playground on Perry.
I never even heard the bang...
It just burned.
Went right through her.
And buried itself right here.
Man, she ain't even do nothing.
Just came and got me for dinner.
I'm sorry, man.
I can't do this no more.
My moms, she need me.
Man, like I said, y'all ain't gonna
even be around here no more.
What you mean?
You gonna move your momma
out of here, man.
You're gonna be a hero.
Got you a record contract.
Hey, yo, Bigs.
I think you might need this, man.
All right, let me see that over here.
Go ahead, spit it.
Here, let me get that.
You know what?
I trust this nigga with my life, man.
He keep it 100 at all times.
Man, nigga, you crazy.
That right there,
that's shit you wouldn't pocket.
Go on, nigga, I know you got one more.
Go ahead, spit that shit, dog.
Damn.
Open the door.
- We need to talk.
- It's 2:00 in the morning.
- I'm a mess without you, babe.
- Take your drunk ass somewhere.
I'mma take my drunk ass in the middle
of the street and scream your name
so all your neighbors know it.
Vanessa!
There's a reason why
that's in a to-go cup.
First things first.
I'm not signing those papers.
Things have changed.
I'm me again.
- Romelo...
- No.
Got a deal at Ill Note Records.
I'mma take care of us.
Just stop.
Yeah, gonna take a while
to finesse, but...
they want August.
Hm.
With Terrence?
Mm-hmm.
I told you not to bring that boy
into your shit.
You know how he operates.
It's not going to be like that
this time, okay?
I'm doing this for the kid, and, hell...
I'm doing this for us.
Is that what you're doing?
Yeah.
Hey.
Where's our wedding pictures?
- I put 'em away.
- Look.
Everybody gets fucked a little
on their first contract,
but I'll be here to help the kid
get started in the business.
You think I'mma tell you that it's okay
for you to fuck over a 17-year-old kid?
I'm not absolving you of that, Romelo.
Goddamn, Vee.
Why you still acting like I ain't shit?
'Cause you ain't shit.
Oh, my God.
What the fuck is wrong with you?
You're such a fucking idiot.
I never gave a damn
about your fucking deals, Romelo.
Shit changes.
This is my chance to get back on top.
Romelo, you are doing this for you.
This ain't for me.
I need you to get out my house, Romelo.
I need you to get
the fuck out of my house.
This our house.
Get the fuck out of my house!
Thank you.
I got this...
for you.
Come here.
I thought you should maybe go in there...
looking professional.
You know you ain't have to take off work.
You are signing a record deal, okay?
There's no way I was gonna miss that.
Thanks, Mom.
You're welcome.
You both ended up looking like your daddy.
August, you know we don't have to do this
if you don't want to, right?
Yes, we do.
We on our way down.
Uh, I'm not sure what Ro told you
about this place, but...
it's a home.
It's a home for artists like August.
And we're inviting him into our home, man.
We want you to be a part of our family,
for a long, long time.
Ordinarily, it would take, like,
four weeks to kinda issue a check
and lick the stamp and send it out.
But you know, I'mma make a call,
get you that check in two weeks.
How does that sound, big dog?
You hear that, Ma?
We're gonna move.
All right.
Ms. Monroe.
You're up first.
Um...
Hey, my lawyer looked everything over
and it's all good, so...
all you have to do is sign.
There you go.
August.
You're up, dude.
- I don't got to tell this guy twice.
- No.
Damn.
A man who knows what he wants,
just like me.
Beautiful.
Now we celebrate. That's what's up.
- That... That's it?
- Yeah. That's it.
We've got some champagne.
All right. Watch out now. Watch out now.
Boom.
There we go. King Monroe, Ms. Monroe.
Soda pop for you, August.
Hey, Romelo, you want the bubbly
or do you want something brown, man?
If you don't tell me, I'm just gonna have
to pour you something, dealer's choice.
Jesus.
- Yo, what the hell are you doing?
- My contract!
You don't need that. It was fucked.
What are you talking about?
The song goes to number one,
he doesn't even sniff a royalty check.
Stop talking right now. Stop talking.
Why'd you do that?
My moms needed that money.
We can get the money some place else,
big man.
- I'm gonna litigate the fuck out of you.
- Do it.
I told you not to get in his head.
Nah, forget the contract,
that shit's burned.
Hey.
Romelo, I just gave you 40 grand, man.
- Wait, what?
- Did you already forget that?
I'm not touching this money.
- Why he give you that money for my music?
- Because he lied to us, baby.
It's complicated, all right? Look, we can
get a deal some place else, trust me.
If you trust him,
you might end up like Tone.
Yeah. That was a thick-headed kid
who had no idea his best friend
was robbing his end.
What's he talking about?
What am I talking about?
Around the time that Tone got killed,
this dude had his label so strapped
that he had to steal checks
from Tone's moms just to dig hisself out.
That was a long time ago.
Okay. That was a long time ago.
Let's talk recent history.
Your boy over here didn't try to change
anything from your deal, August.
Just a, uh... what was it, a pay bump?
And a producer credit for hisself.
Fuck you, Terrence.
Nah, you done fucked yourself, dude.
Well, Chicago is scorched earth.
I mean, you and me are done, man.
I was your only friend.
We done.
He's just a child, Romelo.
August?
August.
August.
Hey, August. Come here, man.
August!
August?
Just... Just open the door
so I can explain myself to you, okay?
- August?
- He's not here!
He's not...
He's not here...
He's not here.
Mrs. Monroe?
I will bring him home safe.
I promise you that.
I promise you that.
I figured you'd be here.
Your moms is worried, man.
Wasn't nothing good
about that deal, all right?
Believe me, there's better shit
out there for us...
Man, you ain't been 100 about nothing,
from the jump.
The whole time you were running game?
Behind my back?
You right.
I was dead wrong about you.
You see that building way out there,
the one with the blue lights on it?
Me and Tone, we grew up right there.
Man, I'm tired of you
throwing that nigga name in my face.
Hey.
Look here, man.
I came up in a Robert Taylor Home...
making tracks with Antonio
from two floors down, man.
Next thing I know, we got our own imprint
on the biggest label in the world.
You're too young to remember this, but...
we didn't make it out of that place.
My pops moved in in '71...
and died in that motherfucker.
I didn't know much back then,
but I knew one thing.
I was never going back.
I was trying to prove that shit
to everyone.
That's how I fucked up.
Get a loan to pay a loan.
You dip into another artist's pocket,
now I'm bailing water
like it's the Titanic.
You saying that you done fucked
every nigga that you done worked with?
Nah. I'm saying that after the lawsuits...
after the IRS done sucked my bone dry
of its fucking marrow,
man, I came right back here
to the South Side,
damn sure that this wasn't
how my life was supposed to be.
I'd do anything to get back.
Anything.
But today...
today, I learned that that wasn't true.
You see, man, that short money...
that shit don't last. I done that.
I got to get my mom back her life.
Ain't on you.
- It is.
- Mm-mm.
She fucked up 'cause of me.
- Kari is dead 'cause of me.
- Nah, man.
You're a kid, man. That ain't on you.
You know...
I'm not good.
You get that?
I'm not good.
Everywhere I go, I see it.
She reminded me of what I done.
Hey.
Your sister wouldn't want you
carrying around that, man.
On God, that's not what she'd want.
This is Chicago, August,
and it ain't on you to change that shit.
I just miss her.
I miss her so much.
I know.
Come here.
I know, man.
I got it from here.
All right, big man.
Romelo.
Thank you.
I got you.
Be careful.
I'll see you tonight, Ma.
Come on, people, let's go.
Come on, people, let's move. Let's move.
Welcome back, Mr. Monroe.
Thanks, Ms. Robinson.
Come on,
don't be late your first day back.
Yes, ma'am.
I'm happy to see you.
It's a little boomy. Bring up the mids.
Levels are good.
I know.
Wow.
Didn't think I'd ever see you
around here again.
So? What up?
Hello?