Power Book III: Raising Kanan (2021) s04e04 Episode Script
The Way We Were
1
[upbeat hip-hop music plays]
♪
[Grown Kanan] Previously
on Raising Kanan
'Nique gonna be
running shit out here.
This motherfucker?
Now, you can either
be his lieutenant,
or you can find other work.
Fuck this, and fuck y'all.
Okay.
[gunshot]
[screams]
You Jukebox, right?
Who the fuck are you?
You ain't makin' it
to rehearsal today.
Your punk-ass friends
went home with some lumps.
They ain't shit.
And neither are you.
I got this bookie in Corona.
He's skimming off the top.
Just ring his bell,
see who's home.
I call the shots while
your Stepin' Fetchit-ass
run errands, you mother
[gunshots]
[Krystal] An "excuse
me" would be nice.
[Krystal] There was some
fucked-up looking dude
comin' out the building today.
His face was all
scarred and scary.
I think you should
get a new apartment.
First time?
You want to come inside?
I got a hip-hop imprint.
I want you to run it.
You only got one artist that
got that realness, B-Rilla.
B-Rilla is real, all right
a real pain in my ass.
Yo, you told me you was gonna
be postin' up at your cousin's.
That ain't gonna
work out after all.
I'm raising your prices 20%.
You can't just drop a
increase on me like that.
I can, and I just did.
Talk to your friend
from Baltimore.
Traymont still come to the
city to re-up with you?
[Joaquin] Always.
I still need you, André.
Yes, you do. [chuckles]
So you fucking her?
[tense music plays]
You can be damn sure
she fuckin' you, nigga.
- Wait, wait, wait.
- [gunshots]
We're very, very sorry.
- Please, no!
- [screams]
[silenced gunshots]
Let me see them
fuckin' hands, nigga.
Why we here?
I got cancer.
Doctors found it in my kidney.
Tried chemo.
Couldn't stop it from spreading.
It's terminal.
Please, sit down, Raquel.
Fuck this.
♪
[Rileyy] I'm a hustler,
baby I'm a hustler, baby ♪
[50 Cent] Yeah, I know
Heartbreaks, setbacks ♪
Bitch, if I crap out
I'm sure I'ma get back ♪
I been through the ups and
Downs, you know I get around ♪
So to me It's all
a part of the game ♪
If I ain't the coke
man Or the dope man ♪
I'm almost for sure,
man I got to take it ♪
No need to say shit
I'm gon' take it ♪
Robberies turned homicide
It's nothin' to play with ♪
Make money Make,
make, make money ♪
When shit hit the fan
We'll take money, Southside ♪
Beef with the best of 'em ♪
Done shot At the
rest of 'em, yeah ♪
Checks, I'm collectin' 'em ♪
Check, boy I'm
finessin' 'em ♪
Bag Supreme Boy,
you fuck around ♪
Put a big bag on your head ♪
Before the weather
break You're dead ♪
Let's get to it, they
Don't do it like we do it ♪
Nah, cop it, whip
it Bag it, flip it ♪
Re-up, we up
G'd up, what up? ♪
Runnin' round this bitch
Still not givin' a fuck, hey ♪
When it come to that paper
There'll be no complications ♪
Ha ha. That's right.
Put a hole in a nigga
Right in front of you ♪
Your heartbeat pacin' ♪
[Rileyy and 50 Cent]
And it's all right ♪
[50 Cent] That's how
We do it on this side ♪
Niggas get to
it On this side ♪
I know heartbreaks
Setbacks ♪
Bitch, if I crap out
I'm sure I'ma get back ♪
I been through the ups and
Downs, you know I get around ♪
So to me It's all
a part of the game ♪
If I ain't the coke
man Or the dope man ♪
I'm almost for sure,
man I got to take it ♪
No need to say shit
I'm gon' take it ♪
Robberies turned homicide
It's nothin' to play with ♪
Hey, hey ♪
[Rileyy vocalizing]
[distant sirens wailing]
[Grown Kanan] Nothing
change a motherfucker
like looking death in the face.
Even when you look up,
cheat that shit
before it cheat you,
you never gonna be the same.
Never gonna remember
what it feel like
to not have that shit creepin'
up over your shoulder.
Once death touch you,
that hand always there.
Don't never leave.
But you can't let
that shit shake you,
because the nigga
who's scared of dying
don't know how to live.
[whistling]
[tense music]
♪
[elevator dings]
[whistling]
Who tell they kids
that they dyin'
over collard greens
and cornbread?
Got us all together so you
could have your moment.
All eyes on you.
Don't matter how we feel
about it, though, right?
'Cause our feelings don't
never mean shit to you.
I wasn't trying to hurt
nobody's feelings, Raquel.
Just thought it was
time you all know.
How long you been
keeping this from us?
That don't matter.
All that matter is, I'm dyin'.
That's what I need you to know.
You quitting, just like
you did when Daddy died.
Throwing up your hands,
saying nothing can be done,
and tossing that
shit in our laps
for us to figure it out.
Your father killed himself.
All of a sudden, I'm a
widow with three babies.
I was scared.
I didn't know what I was doing.
I didn't know what
needed to be done.
Daddy was gone. We
needed a mother.
You blamed me for
what he did, still do.
All I could do was make
it through the day.
Sometimes I couldn't
even do that.
Who you think handled
shit on them days?
Hmm?
Hell, who am I kidding?
I handle shit every day.
Ask Marvin, he'll tell
you he handled everything.
Or talk to Lou, he'll
say he was all alone.
We all got our own
version of what happened.
Then what's yours?
'Cause I want to know.
I wasn't perfect, Raquel.
[Raq] Perfect?
Who the fuck asked for perfect?
We just wanted a mother
who cared about us
as much as she did herself.
If I didn't care about
me, no one else would.
Who was gonna care
about me, Raquel, you?
I'm not sayin' I don't
deserve some of this.
I wasn't a great wife.
Most days, I wasn't
much of a mother.
But when I tried to do
better, it was too late.
Y'all had washed
your hands of me.
You know what that feel like?
When you dyin', all you
got is time to think.
You know what I think
about most days?
I'm gonna be gone,
and nobody even gonna miss me.
[soft dramatic music plays]
♪
I can't do this
with you right now.
You can't ever do it.
You want forgiveness, and
I can't give that to you.
♪
[door slams]
[grunts, coughs]
[groaning]
Just just tell me
what you want, Marvin.
[wheezes]
I'm getting' what
I want right now.
[groaning]
Anything, man money,
product, whatever.
Just tell me, man.
[coughs]
[tense music plays]
♪
[rapper] Mo'
money Mo' dollars ♪
[O-Cee] Yo, we still
makin' up for the hit.
[hip-hop music playing]
Better not catch none of
them bike niggas over there
bullshitting in that stoop.
They either droppin' off cash
or they pickin' up product.
That's it.
Gotta keep this
shit movin', man.
Folks is workin' around
the clock right now.
[rapper] Money, money,
money All I want to make ♪
Get the green, you know
Cash rules every day ♪
You the rain man ♪
Tell me what The
weather bring ♪
Got up out that dusty-ass
apartment just in time.
No, "just in time"
would have been
if we bounced right
after I walked in
on the nigga who robbed me.
You gotta keep business
out of here, Kanan.
O-Cee make his money drops
to you, and that's it.
That was the whole
point of you moving.
This a home.
I got you.
[knock on door]
It's her.
It's gonna be okay.
She hates me, Kanan.
[Kanan scoffs]
♪
What's up?
Oh!
This is nice.
[Kanan] Me and Krystal
gonna make it even better.
[Jukebox] Huh.
You out?
I have some business.
I thought we was kickin' it.
I thought you two
could catch up.
You know, harmonize and shit.
[Jukebox laughs]
Well, I'll roll through
when you got time.
[Kanan] Nah.
Krys, you wanna
give her the tour?
Yeah, let me show you, Juke.
[tense music]
♪
[Traymont] Come on.
Come on, Marvin.
Please, please.
[gun clicks]
[breathing heavily]
Not many motherfuckers as
lucky as you, Traymont.
Chamber keep comin' up empty.
How many more rounds you
got in you, Traymont?
I'll give y'all anything.
You just need to fucking
tell me what you want.
[Raq] What I want
is to even the score, nigga.
But I'll settle
for you tellin' me
who's supplyin' your horse.
You just want my heroin connect?
Why the fuck you
didn't just ask?
Why we got to go
through all this?
Because you deserve it.
- [gun clicks]
- [gasping]
Okay. All right. I'll
give you the fuckin' name.
[Raq] I know, nigga.
[dramatic music plays]
♪
- [Marvin laughs]
- We just having fun.
Punk-ass motherfucker
damn near shit hisself.
Thought you Baltimore
niggas had more heart.
Now give me the fuckin' name,
or I'ma load this shit up.
It's nice.
I like it.
Definitely better
than that other spot.
I'm gonna go, though,
let you do your thing.
I'm sorry, Juke,
for all that shit that went
down when we was in Butta.
You had your peoples
jump me, Krystal.
They tried to fucking cut me.
But you fucked them
weak-ass bitches up.
Mm.
Okay, wait, I know I was wrong.
It ain't funny.
That shit was mad
ill, and I am sorry.
I had some fucked-up shit
goin' on at home, Juke.
I needed a way out, and
Butta was it for me.
It was all I had.
So now Kanan's your way out?
[scoffs] It ain't
even like that.
I love Kanan.
And Kanan loves you,
more than he ever gonna
love me or anybody else.
I want you and me
to be cool, Juke.
Because if you matter to
him, you matter to me.
And I know it sounds fucked up
I want us to be cool
'cause of my man.
And I don't ever really expect
you to get past what I did.
I'm not sure I would.
But I'm just asking for
us to be cool for Kanan.
Maybe we can build from there.
Yeah, maybe.
[somber music plays]
♪
[sighs]
[B-Rilla] I feel
like Malcolm X ♪
I get it by any means ♪
I do this shit often ♪
Let a shot off in ♪
Somebody parent The
kid is left a orphan ♪
You know what the deal is ♪
You know who the ill is ♪
You know Who a
trigger squeezer ♪
And who the killer is ♪
I leave a motherfucker No
choice but to feel this ♪
The name is B and I'll
Always be the realest ♪
You know I ain't playin' ♪
Guns start sprayin' ♪
Everybody dead ♪
It go without sayin' ♪
When them guns get to wavin'
And bodies start layin' ♪
Everybody dead It
go without sayin' ♪
Your mama be prayin' ♪
Ambulance on the way in ♪
But that nigga dead ♪
It go without sayin' ♪
When the guns
Start sprayin' ♪
I come to where
you stayin' ♪
A bullet to your head ♪
It go without sayin' ♪
Look, it go without sayin' ♪
You dying, bullets flyin' ♪
I come on the scene
Niggas start hidin' ♪
Show up right to your
door Your mother cryin' ♪
One thing I hate is
A nigga not complyin' ♪
If you stop me from what
I want or what I need ♪
New sound for Rilla.
I like it.
Um, who are you?
Imani Okoye,
new product manager for B-Rilla.
Lowell just slid
me over to hip-hop.
Been working in pop
the last few years.
Hey, relax, man.
[Lou-Lou] Come take a break.
What does hip-hop
got to do with pop?
Good music is good music.
And pretty soon,
hip-hop's gonna be pop.
I sure as hell hope not.
I'm not here to step on
any toes, just support.
[B-Rilla] Support what?
You.
I was just telling
Lou, I'm Imani Okoye.
I'm gonna be working with
you to amplify and manage
your presence and position
in the marketplace.
Fuck all that mean?
I'm gonna help you sell records.
[Lou-Lou] B-Rilla don't
got no records to sell yet.
That's why we in here recordin'.
At least we were
until you stepped in.
And I'm not here to
get in the way of that.
Lowell told me
that the two of you were
in the studio today,
and I just wanted to stop
by and introduce myself.
Introduction done.
And we got to get back to work.
Do your thing.
I'll be in touch soon.
Good meeting you both.
[B-Rilla] Likewise.
What you think?
She's talking about givin'
you presence and positioning
in the fuckin' marketplace.
Don't nobody give you that shit.
You got to take it.
Hell yeah.
Now get back in the booth.
That's the only
position you need to be
thinkin' about right now.
Get the fuck out of here.
I've seen her around before
with some of the other acts.
She is actually
kind of a big deal.
Oh, yeah?
I'm kind of a big deal too.
Bump that track.
♪
[B-Rilla] It go
without sayin' ♪
Look, it go without
sayin' You in danger ♪
You're dealing With
a stone-cold gangster ♪
Bullet in the chamber ♪
When I start
knockin' On your door ♪
They can't save you ♪
Erase you, don't care If
you family or stranger ♪
[smooth music playing]
[singer] Stand up ♪
Hold your head high ♪
'Cause you did
what had to be done ♪
Take care.
♪
Don't think twice ♪
Y'all really do fuck
with everybody, huh?
We fuck with them so
they don't fuck with us.
Celebrate ♪
[Kanan sighs]
You did what
had to be done ♪
Sit down.
♪
You're a little light.
Drop spot got hit.
You don't keep reserves?
Hmm?
'Cause your losses ain't
our losses, young buck.
Our dividends stay the same
no matter how you get taxed.
How much they take you for?
Enough.
This is a variable
business, Kanan.
You can't predict much
except for trouble.
Trouble is a constant.
And you always got to
be prepared for that.
Heads think you vulnerable now.
You need to make
'em think different.
Raq get hit, too?
Ask her.
He asked you.
It's like you said,
trouble everywhere.
Mm.
I think it's time I show my face
up in this motherfucker, man,
let niggas know the king
is back to take his crown.
Know what I'm sayin'?
This nigga the
invisible fuckin' man,
you tryin' to give
all that shit up.
You see me, nigga. I see me.
And all I see is
me doin' nothin'
while Raq out here takin'
my fuckin' money, man.
Shit, if niggas
thought I was dead,
I'd be living life like I
ain't never lived it before.
[Marvin] Yo,
Early, it's Marvin.
Where you at?
Yo, you want to show your
face, you can do it now.
[clears throat] On
the throne, nigga.
Be right out.
A'ight, I'ma stay dead
another minute, then.
[Early] Get the
fuck out of here.
You wash your hands?
From what?
You said you was takin' a shit.
Oh, right.
No doubt.
I scrubbed them shits like
I'm going into surgery.
[chuckles]
[car horn honks]
Yo, um, you still takin'
book around the way?
Yes, sir.
Where you tryin'
to put your money?
I'm givin' seven tonight
on Knicks and Celtics.
So check it out.
I'm grateful for you
connecting me with your aunt
on that ACS shit.
And to show my appreciation,
I might have an
opportunity for you
doing that work up in Corona.
Fuckin' with some
heavy hitters, though.
Yo, that's a good look, brother.
Really appreciate it.
You'll be givin' me a
piece of your piece.
Not too tough, just enough
to remind us that
that we're friends.
Okay.
Friendship that need reminding
is the best kind of friendship.
Only kind that matters.
[Early] Mm-hmm.
[bluesy music playing]
We'll let the money slide.
Just this once.
But you got to understand
that how people see you now
is how they're gonna
see you forever.
How you want people
to see you, Kanan?
I want 'em to see me as me.
Not who I'm next to,
not who my mother is,
not my father, my
uncles, none of that.
I want me to be about me.
♪
Quân been asking after you.
Want to put a face to the name.
Now, if you're interested,
we could make that
parlay happen.
That sound a'ight.
The shit we do, it's
built on relationships.
It's all about who you know.
And if you want people
to see you as you,
you got to let them
know who you are.
'Cause as long as you
wrapped up in Raq,
you gonna always be tied to her.
[tense music plays]
[Snaps] You hearing
what we saying, Kanan?
Does it resonate for you, son?
It resonate.
["I Don't Wanna Play Around" by Rupert
Pope, John Robertson & Eller playing]
[singer] I don't
wanna take it ♪
I'll leave it at my door ♪
Close your eyes ♪
Let me surprise you ♪
With butterflies ♪
I'm getting my big and
bright wings of blue ♪
Patience ♪
I think you have an admirer.
[laughs]
[singer] I'm on my knees ♪
I don't wanna play
around Anymore ♪
I'm Jackie.
Laverne.
Can I buy you a drink, Laverne?
I'm-I'm good, but thanks.
All right, if you say so.
[singer] I'll
leave it at my door ♪
[laughter]
- What?
- [Mara] Aww.
You remind me of me when I
first started coming here.
All of this, it can be
a lot in the beginning.
But after a while, you
get to know everyone.
It kind of starts
to feel like home,
like some weird
version of family.
Shit, this ain't
nothing like my family.
[chuckles]
Come to think of it, it's
not like mine either.
My family sucks.
[singer] I am out ♪
I'm a goner, goner ♪
Patience ♪
[suspenseful music plays]
♪
[knocking forcefully]
What the fuck, man?
I heard you was 6 feet under.
How they say it?
Rumors of my death have been
greatly exaggerated, my nigga.
Fuck you want, man?
You already took my business.
I ain't got shit else to take.
Nigga, that was Raq, not me.
I know how you move.
I know who you are, man.
I like that you out here in
New Jerz, away from all that
Southside Jamaica,
Queens bullshit.
What that got to
do with anything?
It ain't like me and you
even done business before.
Raq killed both of us, my nigga.
I just figured you want
to live again like me.
If you about yours,
hear a nigga out
for a hot minute.
♪
[background chatter]
Bye
[Mara] Bye, honey. Have fun.
You hungry? There's
a diner up the block.
Hash browns is stupid.
Mm, I don't pass on
potatoes in any form.
[Jukebox] I-I think
it's over here.
[tense music plays]
Actually, what about pizza?
There's a place a
few streets over.
They got a great slice.
Yeah, but- but
these hash browns
[Aaron] Mara.
[Jukebox] Is that guy creepin'?
[Mara] Ignore him.
Wait, you know him?
He's my husband, technically.
[scoffing] You're married?
- [Aaron] Mara!
- Run!
[Jukebox grunts]
[Aaron] Is that
your new whore?
[high-pitched ringing]
Humiliating me.
[Mara] Aaron, stop.
You're hurting me.
[Aaron] You hurt
me! I'll kill you!
[Mara groans]
- [engine revving]
- [tires squealing]
My whole network
is already set up,
and we under the radar.
Nobody seeing 'cause there
ain't nothin' to look at.
Discretion is always good.
How much would you want?
More than your friend
Traymont, I hope.
His needs are small.
I can offer a better
price for bulk.
I'ma be clear with you, Ishaq.
I'm not looking to be supplied.
I'm looking to be the supply.
I want a direct
link. Wholesale.
My product, my rules.
That's a very different
kind of arrangement.
And I'm lookin' to be in a
different kind of business.
Can't have nobody between
us and the dope no more.
But we're gonna make sure
that you're taken
care of real good.
Come back tomorrow,
same time, alone.
[Lowell] Imani says
you were dismissive
when she came by the studio.
That isn't what I said.
I said that Lou and
Rilla were distracted
and didn't really have
time to talk to me.
Dismissive, distracted.
You say "tomato."
I say "to-mah-to."
And just so you know, I
didn't go running to Lowell.
He called me, asked
me how it went,
and I told him.
Well, Lowell's right, though.
I was dismissive.
I am dismissive.
I don't need her help.
I stand corrected then.
You brought me in here
to run this whole shit
the way I want to run it.
Whole shit means
everything from A&R
to production to marketing
to the color of
the fucking carpet.
I know what I'm doing, Lowell.
I can do it all.
You can do everything.
But you can't do
everything well, Lou.
Teamwork is the difference
between good and great,
and we are aiming for greatness.
You and Imani will
work together.
Look, you're both brilliant,
so you already have
that in common.
I need you two on the same page.
You two get together tonight.
Talk, laugh, cry, figure it out.
Like I said, we're
all on the same team.
So let's play ball.
[tense music plays]
♪
My friend Marvin says that, um,
you might be a good candidate
to run my sporting
interests in Corona.
He says you've got
a, uh, track record
in this particular field.
I fuck with all kind of fields
and all kind of
courts, Mr. Marchetti.
Basketball, baseball,
football, I'm on all that.
And uh, it's my understanding
that Lump Maxwell has been
backing your current operation.
I've been with Lump since he was
running numbers in St. Albans.
Yeah, Lump's a gentlemen.
Always been a gentleman
in a in a business
full of fucking rapscallions.
[Early] Lump good.
He at that age where he finally
kicking his feet up, though.
Got hisself a little
spot in Sag Harbor,
helping raise his grandkids.
Early called Lump and told him
that he might be fucking
with you on this,
and he was good with it.
Lump don't get in
the way of a man
making a honest living.
[chuckles] Yeah,
or a dishonest.
- [chuckles]
- That too.
Alright look, as uh, Marvin
has probably told you,
I got a nice piece of
business in Corona.
It's been in my family
since before the Dutch
overpaid the fuckin'
Indians for Manhattan.
It's run out of a pool hall
I own on Roosevelt Avenue.
All you would have to
do is take the action,
keep the books.
Early, he know how
to do all that shit.
I mean, he's done every hustle
there is, even some that ain't.
Just so we're clear,
you are vouching for
your friend here,
and that shouldn't
be taken lightly.
Because any mistakes,
I'll be looking at you, Marvin.
Yeah, you're not gonna
have to look far.
I'm right here.
Yeah, that's good.
All right, so here we go. Hey,
to success and prosperity.
[Early] That's what I'm
fucking talking about.
To success and prosperity.
[applause and chatter]
Kanan Stark.
A pleasure.
You've accomplished quite
a lot at a young age.
Seem to me like I'm
right on schedule.
How's that price
hike been for ya?
It's not lost on me
that 20% is steep.
It's all good.
You just work
harder, that's all.
Look, if it's ever a time
when some shit come up
that you need to discuss,
you don't need to go
through my moms, man.
She just complicate shit.
♪
My business is my business.
♪
[engine turns over]
[suspenseful music plays]
♪
Put down any nigga you can.
This ain't about nothin'
else but hurtin' Raq
every which fuckin' way.
[Damon] You know me.
Down for whatever.
♪
[gunshots]
[shouting]
♪
[jazzy music playing]
[Imani] So this is yours?
I got partners,
including my brother.
But it's mostly mines.
Feels authentic.
Feels like you.
Don't know if
that's a compliment.
It's a compliment.
[clears throat]
So if you trying to help Rilla,
what does that help look like?
It looks like working
with both of you
to create a brand,
an image that feels
representative and evocative
of the music you two are making.
I always start with
the sound, Lou,
because if the message
doesn't match the music,
it doesn't work.
Well, we're still
figuring all that out.
And I'm not trying to
get in the way of that.
But I'd be lying if I didn't say
that Rilla needs a single,
something that reinvents
him a little bit.
The audience knows
who he is already,
and they didn't engage before.
We need to show
them that he's more
than what they think they know.
You got opinions.
I have experience.
Look, I'm not telling you
anything that you don't know.
Obviously, you've done
this before with Famous.
That song we put out
for him was a hit,
and people responded.
It didn't matter that they
were familiar with him already.
That track grabbed
people's attention
and redefined him.
Frankly, I thought that
Famous was gonna be
our first big hip-hop act,
the artist we
could build off of.
But Lowell tells me that
he's vanished into thin air.
Famous is collecting
his thoughts.
He's figuring his shit out.
So you've spoken to him?
Don't need to talk to
him. I know who he is.
I understand why he doin'
what he doin' right now.
Hopefully he'll be back soon.
I got to go check out an
artist across the river.
Any interest in joining me?
R&B act from East Orange.
No thanks. I'm good.
This is an industry
of adversaries,
even within the same
company sometimes.
I hope you see me
as an ally, Lou.
♪
You was smart to
call me first, Terry.
Police only gonna
make this shit worse.
I do not want to go to prison.
Look, my people is
gonna take care of it.
Alright, they gonna
clean this shit up,
and they gonna move this
work up out of here.
This was not part
of the agreement.
Space on the trucks,
that's what you said.
This is something else entirely.
It's just an
occupational hazard.
Not in my occupation.
You're in a different
occupation now, though.
Small price to
pay, Terry, really.
Yo, David here is right.
Y'all got this big new spot.
That shit wouldn't
happen for you
without our business together.
I heard about the
Golden Pavilion.
It seems like those of
us in business with you
are now being attacked.
I'ma handle it, just
like I'm handling this.
No need. We are done.
What?
No, we're not.
We never discussed
ending things altogether.
The kid who got put down
here was somebody we knew,
somebody who used
to work for us.
We takin' care of it.
Some salty ex-employee shit.
I'm sure you know how that go.
Our ex-employees do not return
with guns and murder people.
And he was not alone.
There was someone else with him.
And how is it so easy
for them to find us?
I'ma get to the
bottom of all of that.
All your other people
here, they know how to keep
a secret, right?
They're all Chinese nationals.
They won't say a
word to anybody.
[Raq] In the meantime,
it's for your troubles.
That's not nearly
enough for our troubles.
Oh, yes, it is.
[Raq] We got you, Terry.
You just need to take a breath.
Can't be overreacting.
Toughen the fuck
up, Charlie Chan.
[sighs]
We need to know who was fuckin'
with Damon on this, Marvin,
because he ain't never been
the brains behind no operation
in his whole fuckin' short life.
Whoever it is, it's gotta be
that they hit the restaurant
and Kanan's too.
I've been askin' around,
but everybody's sayin'
they don't know nothin',
and I believe 'em.
Keep asking.
And spread some money
behind that shit.
[door slams]
[engine turns over]
[Italian opera music playing]
♪
[indistinct whispering]
[Kanan] Well I thought you
worked out the fish shop.
Well, I'm mixing
things up a little bit.
You know, predictability
is the enemy of security.
I appreciate you
meeting with me.
Oh, well, the only reason
why I agreed to see you
is out of respect for Quân
and our business together.
I work with your
mother, kid, not you.
That's why
Hey, and your mother,
she loves you so much
that she borrowed a half
a million dollars from me
just so you could be
standing here today.
And I gotta tell you something,
I got two kids of my own,
and I don't love
either of them enough
to borrow more than
a-a goddamn C-note
on their behalf.
And yet, here you are
behind your mother's back.
Nah, I just wanted
to introduce myself.
- I want you to know me.
- [Stefano] Mm.
Yeah, well, I don't
want to know you,
and I don't need to know you.
Go home, kid, and thank
your lucky fucking stars
you got a mother who loves you.
Come on, get him out of here.
♪
Yo, uh, what the
fuck happened to you?
[sighs]
[tense music plays]
♪
Somebody put hands on you?
♪
[indistinct chatter]
[car horn honks]
[Ishaq] Come.
♪
What's this?
If you want what we
discussed, you'll get in.
If not, we can part ways now.
♪
[engine turns over]
Same person
responsible for putting
your son and husband
in the ground
got my blood on they hands too.
Guess what I'm trying to say is,
we got common
enemies, Mrs. Boselli.
Call me Teresa.
Well, common enemies can make
for some real good
friends, Teresa.
My husband never discussed
business with me.
And I was never the kind of
girl who got my hands dirty.
Sally always said I was
too pretty for that.
But you are right.
Someone has got to pay for
what they did to my men,
God rest their souls.
I want you
you go talk to him.
You tell him Sal's
wife sent you.
He's gonna know
what to do with you.
I'm gonna make them
pay for what they did
to you and me, Teresa.
♪
That's my word.
[Teresa] Thank you.
That's my word.
♪
[distant sirens wailing]
[dramatic music plays]
♪
Green tea with cardamom.
Reminds me of home,
which Ishaq tells me
you have a particular
interest in.
[Raq] I do.
I'm looking to get into
the import business.
Most of my exportable
goods are spoken for.
To work with a new
vendor like you,
I'll have to
cultivate a new source
and hire new workers.
Work is good.
[Hafiz] Indeed.
I only surround myself with
people that are serious.
And thoughtful.
And prudent.
♪
But this is an
interesting opportunity.
I'll be in touch.
♪
[hip-hop music plays]
♪
Yeah, I'm running this
imprint that's gonna be
exclusively hip-hop.
Rilla is the first artist
that we fuckin' with.
[Kanan] That's dope.
Congratulations, yo.
I ain't done nothin' yet,
but I appreciate the thought.
Yo, I'm about to hit the shower.
You ain't gotta update me
on your personal hygiene, nigga.
I'm just saying, when I'm done,
I'll be ready to make
moves to the studio.
Yo, stay up, Kanan.
[Kanan chuckles]
This-
So what, you two living
together and some shit?
I been trying to get this
nigga to move the fuck out.
He say he don't
like being alone.
Says when he by hisself,
he get into drama.
And I can't have no dramatics
with this nigga right now.
Speakin' of, I'm guessin' you
ain't heard of shit from Fame.
Nothin'.
[Lou-Lou] I spoke
to his sister.
She promised me he
ain't out in LA.
Now, she could be
bullshittin' to protect,
but that's not really Jess way.
She sounds scared, Kanan.
She said they moms
went to the police,
trying to get help to find him.
What you think?
On the real, I'm tryin'
not to think about it.
'Cause everything I'm thinkin'
right now is real fucked up.
Damn.
The fuck happened to you, Fame?
[tense music]
♪
[knock on door]
Yeah?
[Walton] Raquel Thomas?
Detective Walton, NYPD.
This is my partner, O'Leary.
[O'Leary] We're here to talk
to you about André Barnes.
He's my attorney. What's up?
Could we speak inside?
Mr. Barnes' body was
found in his apartment.
They take anything?
Was it a robbery?
Not as far as we could tell.
We checked his schedule,
and it looks like
he had dinner with you
shortly before he was killed.
This ain't got
shit to do with me.
Alright, we went to dinner,
and then we went our own ways.
[Walton] Whoa,
whoa, whoa, whoa.
We're not suggesting you're
a suspect in any way.
We're just wondering
if Mr. Barnes mentioned
meeting anyone after
his time with you.
If he might have expressed
any concerns about his safety.
André was my lawyer.
We talk shop, that's all.
[Walton] I must say,
we're aware of your
past, Ms. Thomas.
Your name always seems to
pop up at the wrong times.
Like I said, what
happened to André
don't got nothing to do with me.
And I ain't got nothing
else to say to you.
Time to go.
If you happen to think
of anything relevant,
no matter how small,
please give us a call.
♪
Thanks for your time.
[door closes]
Fuck!
♪
[keys jingle]
[Marvin] This it?
That's what she said.
Third floor.
[gun cocks]
Yo, this shit can't get wild.
I'm takin' this so
shit don't get wild.
Leave it here, please.
All right.
A'ight. I hear you.
This ain't gonna take long.
You stay put.
[suspenseful music plays]
♪
[forceful knocking]
[Aaron] Who is it?
I said, who the fuck is it?
[grunts]
What the fuck?
♪
[Aaron grunting]
[Aaron coughing and groaning]
[grunting]
Leave her alone,
or I'ma be back.
♪
[Aaron grunting]
♪
[Marvin screams]
[both grunting]
♪
[gunshot]
[dramatic music plays]
[Grown Kanan] There's
a thousand ways to die
while you still breathin'.
[Marvin groaning]
[Grown Kanan] Shit
that eat at you,
fuck with your head,
fuck with your soul.
Kill you a little bit every day.
And then one day, you
look in the mirror,
and you don't even recognize
who's starin' back at you.
- Juke
- Go!
[Grown Kanan] But every now
and then, you get a nigga
who see theyselves
in that mirror.
And they know who
lookin' at 'em.
And they like that nigga.
They think that all that
death look good on 'em.
And them's the motherfuckers
you gotta fear the most,
'cause they dead already.
They just don't know it yet.
["Johnny Too Bad" playing]
♪
[singer] Walking
down the road ♪
With your pistol
In your waist ♪
Johnny, you're too bad ♪
Whoa, whoa, whoa ♪
Walking down the road ♪
With your ratchet
In your waist ♪
Johnny, you're too bad ♪
Whoa, whoa, whoa ♪
You're just robbing
And you're stabbing ♪
And you're looting
And you're shooting ♪
Oh, you're too bad ♪
You're just robbing
And you're stabbing ♪
And you're looting
And you're shooting ♪
Oh, you're too bad ♪
Too bad ♪
One of these days ♪
When you hear a
voice say "Come" ♪
Where you gonna run to? ♪
Whoa, whoa, whoa ♪
One of these days ♪
When you hear a
voice say "Come" ♪
Where you gonna run to? ♪
Whoa, whoa, whoa ♪
You're gonna
run To the rock ♪
[upbeat hip-hop music plays]
♪
[Grown Kanan] Previously
on Raising Kanan
'Nique gonna be
running shit out here.
This motherfucker?
Now, you can either
be his lieutenant,
or you can find other work.
Fuck this, and fuck y'all.
Okay.
[gunshot]
[screams]
You Jukebox, right?
Who the fuck are you?
You ain't makin' it
to rehearsal today.
Your punk-ass friends
went home with some lumps.
They ain't shit.
And neither are you.
I got this bookie in Corona.
He's skimming off the top.
Just ring his bell,
see who's home.
I call the shots while
your Stepin' Fetchit-ass
run errands, you mother
[gunshots]
[Krystal] An "excuse
me" would be nice.
[Krystal] There was some
fucked-up looking dude
comin' out the building today.
His face was all
scarred and scary.
I think you should
get a new apartment.
First time?
You want to come inside?
I got a hip-hop imprint.
I want you to run it.
You only got one artist that
got that realness, B-Rilla.
B-Rilla is real, all right
a real pain in my ass.
Yo, you told me you was gonna
be postin' up at your cousin's.
That ain't gonna
work out after all.
I'm raising your prices 20%.
You can't just drop a
increase on me like that.
I can, and I just did.
Talk to your friend
from Baltimore.
Traymont still come to the
city to re-up with you?
[Joaquin] Always.
I still need you, André.
Yes, you do. [chuckles]
So you fucking her?
[tense music plays]
You can be damn sure
she fuckin' you, nigga.
- Wait, wait, wait.
- [gunshots]
We're very, very sorry.
- Please, no!
- [screams]
[silenced gunshots]
Let me see them
fuckin' hands, nigga.
Why we here?
I got cancer.
Doctors found it in my kidney.
Tried chemo.
Couldn't stop it from spreading.
It's terminal.
Please, sit down, Raquel.
Fuck this.
♪
[Rileyy] I'm a hustler,
baby I'm a hustler, baby ♪
[50 Cent] Yeah, I know
Heartbreaks, setbacks ♪
Bitch, if I crap out
I'm sure I'ma get back ♪
I been through the ups and
Downs, you know I get around ♪
So to me It's all
a part of the game ♪
If I ain't the coke
man Or the dope man ♪
I'm almost for sure,
man I got to take it ♪
No need to say shit
I'm gon' take it ♪
Robberies turned homicide
It's nothin' to play with ♪
Make money Make,
make, make money ♪
When shit hit the fan
We'll take money, Southside ♪
Beef with the best of 'em ♪
Done shot At the
rest of 'em, yeah ♪
Checks, I'm collectin' 'em ♪
Check, boy I'm
finessin' 'em ♪
Bag Supreme Boy,
you fuck around ♪
Put a big bag on your head ♪
Before the weather
break You're dead ♪
Let's get to it, they
Don't do it like we do it ♪
Nah, cop it, whip
it Bag it, flip it ♪
Re-up, we up
G'd up, what up? ♪
Runnin' round this bitch
Still not givin' a fuck, hey ♪
When it come to that paper
There'll be no complications ♪
Ha ha. That's right.
Put a hole in a nigga
Right in front of you ♪
Your heartbeat pacin' ♪
[Rileyy and 50 Cent]
And it's all right ♪
[50 Cent] That's how
We do it on this side ♪
Niggas get to
it On this side ♪
I know heartbreaks
Setbacks ♪
Bitch, if I crap out
I'm sure I'ma get back ♪
I been through the ups and
Downs, you know I get around ♪
So to me It's all
a part of the game ♪
If I ain't the coke
man Or the dope man ♪
I'm almost for sure,
man I got to take it ♪
No need to say shit
I'm gon' take it ♪
Robberies turned homicide
It's nothin' to play with ♪
Hey, hey ♪
[Rileyy vocalizing]
[distant sirens wailing]
[Grown Kanan] Nothing
change a motherfucker
like looking death in the face.
Even when you look up,
cheat that shit
before it cheat you,
you never gonna be the same.
Never gonna remember
what it feel like
to not have that shit creepin'
up over your shoulder.
Once death touch you,
that hand always there.
Don't never leave.
But you can't let
that shit shake you,
because the nigga
who's scared of dying
don't know how to live.
[whistling]
[tense music]
♪
[elevator dings]
[whistling]
Who tell they kids
that they dyin'
over collard greens
and cornbread?
Got us all together so you
could have your moment.
All eyes on you.
Don't matter how we feel
about it, though, right?
'Cause our feelings don't
never mean shit to you.
I wasn't trying to hurt
nobody's feelings, Raquel.
Just thought it was
time you all know.
How long you been
keeping this from us?
That don't matter.
All that matter is, I'm dyin'.
That's what I need you to know.
You quitting, just like
you did when Daddy died.
Throwing up your hands,
saying nothing can be done,
and tossing that
shit in our laps
for us to figure it out.
Your father killed himself.
All of a sudden, I'm a
widow with three babies.
I was scared.
I didn't know what I was doing.
I didn't know what
needed to be done.
Daddy was gone. We
needed a mother.
You blamed me for
what he did, still do.
All I could do was make
it through the day.
Sometimes I couldn't
even do that.
Who you think handled
shit on them days?
Hmm?
Hell, who am I kidding?
I handle shit every day.
Ask Marvin, he'll tell
you he handled everything.
Or talk to Lou, he'll
say he was all alone.
We all got our own
version of what happened.
Then what's yours?
'Cause I want to know.
I wasn't perfect, Raquel.
[Raq] Perfect?
Who the fuck asked for perfect?
We just wanted a mother
who cared about us
as much as she did herself.
If I didn't care about
me, no one else would.
Who was gonna care
about me, Raquel, you?
I'm not sayin' I don't
deserve some of this.
I wasn't a great wife.
Most days, I wasn't
much of a mother.
But when I tried to do
better, it was too late.
Y'all had washed
your hands of me.
You know what that feel like?
When you dyin', all you
got is time to think.
You know what I think
about most days?
I'm gonna be gone,
and nobody even gonna miss me.
[soft dramatic music plays]
♪
I can't do this
with you right now.
You can't ever do it.
You want forgiveness, and
I can't give that to you.
♪
[door slams]
[grunts, coughs]
[groaning]
Just just tell me
what you want, Marvin.
[wheezes]
I'm getting' what
I want right now.
[groaning]
Anything, man money,
product, whatever.
Just tell me, man.
[coughs]
[tense music plays]
♪
[rapper] Mo'
money Mo' dollars ♪
[O-Cee] Yo, we still
makin' up for the hit.
[hip-hop music playing]
Better not catch none of
them bike niggas over there
bullshitting in that stoop.
They either droppin' off cash
or they pickin' up product.
That's it.
Gotta keep this
shit movin', man.
Folks is workin' around
the clock right now.
[rapper] Money, money,
money All I want to make ♪
Get the green, you know
Cash rules every day ♪
You the rain man ♪
Tell me what The
weather bring ♪
Got up out that dusty-ass
apartment just in time.
No, "just in time"
would have been
if we bounced right
after I walked in
on the nigga who robbed me.
You gotta keep business
out of here, Kanan.
O-Cee make his money drops
to you, and that's it.
That was the whole
point of you moving.
This a home.
I got you.
[knock on door]
It's her.
It's gonna be okay.
She hates me, Kanan.
[Kanan scoffs]
♪
What's up?
Oh!
This is nice.
[Kanan] Me and Krystal
gonna make it even better.
[Jukebox] Huh.
You out?
I have some business.
I thought we was kickin' it.
I thought you two
could catch up.
You know, harmonize and shit.
[Jukebox laughs]
Well, I'll roll through
when you got time.
[Kanan] Nah.
Krys, you wanna
give her the tour?
Yeah, let me show you, Juke.
[tense music]
♪
[Traymont] Come on.
Come on, Marvin.
Please, please.
[gun clicks]
[breathing heavily]
Not many motherfuckers as
lucky as you, Traymont.
Chamber keep comin' up empty.
How many more rounds you
got in you, Traymont?
I'll give y'all anything.
You just need to fucking
tell me what you want.
[Raq] What I want
is to even the score, nigga.
But I'll settle
for you tellin' me
who's supplyin' your horse.
You just want my heroin connect?
Why the fuck you
didn't just ask?
Why we got to go
through all this?
Because you deserve it.
- [gun clicks]
- [gasping]
Okay. All right. I'll
give you the fuckin' name.
[Raq] I know, nigga.
[dramatic music plays]
♪
- [Marvin laughs]
- We just having fun.
Punk-ass motherfucker
damn near shit hisself.
Thought you Baltimore
niggas had more heart.
Now give me the fuckin' name,
or I'ma load this shit up.
It's nice.
I like it.
Definitely better
than that other spot.
I'm gonna go, though,
let you do your thing.
I'm sorry, Juke,
for all that shit that went
down when we was in Butta.
You had your peoples
jump me, Krystal.
They tried to fucking cut me.
But you fucked them
weak-ass bitches up.
Mm.
Okay, wait, I know I was wrong.
It ain't funny.
That shit was mad
ill, and I am sorry.
I had some fucked-up shit
goin' on at home, Juke.
I needed a way out, and
Butta was it for me.
It was all I had.
So now Kanan's your way out?
[scoffs] It ain't
even like that.
I love Kanan.
And Kanan loves you,
more than he ever gonna
love me or anybody else.
I want you and me
to be cool, Juke.
Because if you matter to
him, you matter to me.
And I know it sounds fucked up
I want us to be cool
'cause of my man.
And I don't ever really expect
you to get past what I did.
I'm not sure I would.
But I'm just asking for
us to be cool for Kanan.
Maybe we can build from there.
Yeah, maybe.
[somber music plays]
♪
[sighs]
[B-Rilla] I feel
like Malcolm X ♪
I get it by any means ♪
I do this shit often ♪
Let a shot off in ♪
Somebody parent The
kid is left a orphan ♪
You know what the deal is ♪
You know who the ill is ♪
You know Who a
trigger squeezer ♪
And who the killer is ♪
I leave a motherfucker No
choice but to feel this ♪
The name is B and I'll
Always be the realest ♪
You know I ain't playin' ♪
Guns start sprayin' ♪
Everybody dead ♪
It go without sayin' ♪
When them guns get to wavin'
And bodies start layin' ♪
Everybody dead It
go without sayin' ♪
Your mama be prayin' ♪
Ambulance on the way in ♪
But that nigga dead ♪
It go without sayin' ♪
When the guns
Start sprayin' ♪
I come to where
you stayin' ♪
A bullet to your head ♪
It go without sayin' ♪
Look, it go without sayin' ♪
You dying, bullets flyin' ♪
I come on the scene
Niggas start hidin' ♪
Show up right to your
door Your mother cryin' ♪
One thing I hate is
A nigga not complyin' ♪
If you stop me from what
I want or what I need ♪
New sound for Rilla.
I like it.
Um, who are you?
Imani Okoye,
new product manager for B-Rilla.
Lowell just slid
me over to hip-hop.
Been working in pop
the last few years.
Hey, relax, man.
[Lou-Lou] Come take a break.
What does hip-hop
got to do with pop?
Good music is good music.
And pretty soon,
hip-hop's gonna be pop.
I sure as hell hope not.
I'm not here to step on
any toes, just support.
[B-Rilla] Support what?
You.
I was just telling
Lou, I'm Imani Okoye.
I'm gonna be working with
you to amplify and manage
your presence and position
in the marketplace.
Fuck all that mean?
I'm gonna help you sell records.
[Lou-Lou] B-Rilla don't
got no records to sell yet.
That's why we in here recordin'.
At least we were
until you stepped in.
And I'm not here to
get in the way of that.
Lowell told me
that the two of you were
in the studio today,
and I just wanted to stop
by and introduce myself.
Introduction done.
And we got to get back to work.
Do your thing.
I'll be in touch soon.
Good meeting you both.
[B-Rilla] Likewise.
What you think?
She's talking about givin'
you presence and positioning
in the fuckin' marketplace.
Don't nobody give you that shit.
You got to take it.
Hell yeah.
Now get back in the booth.
That's the only
position you need to be
thinkin' about right now.
Get the fuck out of here.
I've seen her around before
with some of the other acts.
She is actually
kind of a big deal.
Oh, yeah?
I'm kind of a big deal too.
Bump that track.
♪
[B-Rilla] It go
without sayin' ♪
Look, it go without
sayin' You in danger ♪
You're dealing With
a stone-cold gangster ♪
Bullet in the chamber ♪
When I start
knockin' On your door ♪
They can't save you ♪
Erase you, don't care If
you family or stranger ♪
[smooth music playing]
[singer] Stand up ♪
Hold your head high ♪
'Cause you did
what had to be done ♪
Take care.
♪
Don't think twice ♪
Y'all really do fuck
with everybody, huh?
We fuck with them so
they don't fuck with us.
Celebrate ♪
[Kanan sighs]
You did what
had to be done ♪
Sit down.
♪
You're a little light.
Drop spot got hit.
You don't keep reserves?
Hmm?
'Cause your losses ain't
our losses, young buck.
Our dividends stay the same
no matter how you get taxed.
How much they take you for?
Enough.
This is a variable
business, Kanan.
You can't predict much
except for trouble.
Trouble is a constant.
And you always got to
be prepared for that.
Heads think you vulnerable now.
You need to make
'em think different.
Raq get hit, too?
Ask her.
He asked you.
It's like you said,
trouble everywhere.
Mm.
I think it's time I show my face
up in this motherfucker, man,
let niggas know the king
is back to take his crown.
Know what I'm sayin'?
This nigga the
invisible fuckin' man,
you tryin' to give
all that shit up.
You see me, nigga. I see me.
And all I see is
me doin' nothin'
while Raq out here takin'
my fuckin' money, man.
Shit, if niggas
thought I was dead,
I'd be living life like I
ain't never lived it before.
[Marvin] Yo,
Early, it's Marvin.
Where you at?
Yo, you want to show your
face, you can do it now.
[clears throat] On
the throne, nigga.
Be right out.
A'ight, I'ma stay dead
another minute, then.
[Early] Get the
fuck out of here.
You wash your hands?
From what?
You said you was takin' a shit.
Oh, right.
No doubt.
I scrubbed them shits like
I'm going into surgery.
[chuckles]
[car horn honks]
Yo, um, you still takin'
book around the way?
Yes, sir.
Where you tryin'
to put your money?
I'm givin' seven tonight
on Knicks and Celtics.
So check it out.
I'm grateful for you
connecting me with your aunt
on that ACS shit.
And to show my appreciation,
I might have an
opportunity for you
doing that work up in Corona.
Fuckin' with some
heavy hitters, though.
Yo, that's a good look, brother.
Really appreciate it.
You'll be givin' me a
piece of your piece.
Not too tough, just enough
to remind us that
that we're friends.
Okay.
Friendship that need reminding
is the best kind of friendship.
Only kind that matters.
[Early] Mm-hmm.
[bluesy music playing]
We'll let the money slide.
Just this once.
But you got to understand
that how people see you now
is how they're gonna
see you forever.
How you want people
to see you, Kanan?
I want 'em to see me as me.
Not who I'm next to,
not who my mother is,
not my father, my
uncles, none of that.
I want me to be about me.
♪
Quân been asking after you.
Want to put a face to the name.
Now, if you're interested,
we could make that
parlay happen.
That sound a'ight.
The shit we do, it's
built on relationships.
It's all about who you know.
And if you want people
to see you as you,
you got to let them
know who you are.
'Cause as long as you
wrapped up in Raq,
you gonna always be tied to her.
[tense music plays]
[Snaps] You hearing
what we saying, Kanan?
Does it resonate for you, son?
It resonate.
["I Don't Wanna Play Around" by Rupert
Pope, John Robertson & Eller playing]
[singer] I don't
wanna take it ♪
I'll leave it at my door ♪
Close your eyes ♪
Let me surprise you ♪
With butterflies ♪
I'm getting my big and
bright wings of blue ♪
Patience ♪
I think you have an admirer.
[laughs]
[singer] I'm on my knees ♪
I don't wanna play
around Anymore ♪
I'm Jackie.
Laverne.
Can I buy you a drink, Laverne?
I'm-I'm good, but thanks.
All right, if you say so.
[singer] I'll
leave it at my door ♪
[laughter]
- What?
- [Mara] Aww.
You remind me of me when I
first started coming here.
All of this, it can be
a lot in the beginning.
But after a while, you
get to know everyone.
It kind of starts
to feel like home,
like some weird
version of family.
Shit, this ain't
nothing like my family.
[chuckles]
Come to think of it, it's
not like mine either.
My family sucks.
[singer] I am out ♪
I'm a goner, goner ♪
Patience ♪
[suspenseful music plays]
♪
[knocking forcefully]
What the fuck, man?
I heard you was 6 feet under.
How they say it?
Rumors of my death have been
greatly exaggerated, my nigga.
Fuck you want, man?
You already took my business.
I ain't got shit else to take.
Nigga, that was Raq, not me.
I know how you move.
I know who you are, man.
I like that you out here in
New Jerz, away from all that
Southside Jamaica,
Queens bullshit.
What that got to
do with anything?
It ain't like me and you
even done business before.
Raq killed both of us, my nigga.
I just figured you want
to live again like me.
If you about yours,
hear a nigga out
for a hot minute.
♪
[background chatter]
Bye
[Mara] Bye, honey. Have fun.
You hungry? There's
a diner up the block.
Hash browns is stupid.
Mm, I don't pass on
potatoes in any form.
[Jukebox] I-I think
it's over here.
[tense music plays]
Actually, what about pizza?
There's a place a
few streets over.
They got a great slice.
Yeah, but- but
these hash browns
[Aaron] Mara.
[Jukebox] Is that guy creepin'?
[Mara] Ignore him.
Wait, you know him?
He's my husband, technically.
[scoffing] You're married?
- [Aaron] Mara!
- Run!
[Jukebox grunts]
[Aaron] Is that
your new whore?
[high-pitched ringing]
Humiliating me.
[Mara] Aaron, stop.
You're hurting me.
[Aaron] You hurt
me! I'll kill you!
[Mara groans]
- [engine revving]
- [tires squealing]
My whole network
is already set up,
and we under the radar.
Nobody seeing 'cause there
ain't nothin' to look at.
Discretion is always good.
How much would you want?
More than your friend
Traymont, I hope.
His needs are small.
I can offer a better
price for bulk.
I'ma be clear with you, Ishaq.
I'm not looking to be supplied.
I'm looking to be the supply.
I want a direct
link. Wholesale.
My product, my rules.
That's a very different
kind of arrangement.
And I'm lookin' to be in a
different kind of business.
Can't have nobody between
us and the dope no more.
But we're gonna make sure
that you're taken
care of real good.
Come back tomorrow,
same time, alone.
[Lowell] Imani says
you were dismissive
when she came by the studio.
That isn't what I said.
I said that Lou and
Rilla were distracted
and didn't really have
time to talk to me.
Dismissive, distracted.
You say "tomato."
I say "to-mah-to."
And just so you know, I
didn't go running to Lowell.
He called me, asked
me how it went,
and I told him.
Well, Lowell's right, though.
I was dismissive.
I am dismissive.
I don't need her help.
I stand corrected then.
You brought me in here
to run this whole shit
the way I want to run it.
Whole shit means
everything from A&R
to production to marketing
to the color of
the fucking carpet.
I know what I'm doing, Lowell.
I can do it all.
You can do everything.
But you can't do
everything well, Lou.
Teamwork is the difference
between good and great,
and we are aiming for greatness.
You and Imani will
work together.
Look, you're both brilliant,
so you already have
that in common.
I need you two on the same page.
You two get together tonight.
Talk, laugh, cry, figure it out.
Like I said, we're
all on the same team.
So let's play ball.
[tense music plays]
♪
My friend Marvin says that, um,
you might be a good candidate
to run my sporting
interests in Corona.
He says you've got
a, uh, track record
in this particular field.
I fuck with all kind of fields
and all kind of
courts, Mr. Marchetti.
Basketball, baseball,
football, I'm on all that.
And uh, it's my understanding
that Lump Maxwell has been
backing your current operation.
I've been with Lump since he was
running numbers in St. Albans.
Yeah, Lump's a gentlemen.
Always been a gentleman
in a in a business
full of fucking rapscallions.
[Early] Lump good.
He at that age where he finally
kicking his feet up, though.
Got hisself a little
spot in Sag Harbor,
helping raise his grandkids.
Early called Lump and told him
that he might be fucking
with you on this,
and he was good with it.
Lump don't get in
the way of a man
making a honest living.
[chuckles] Yeah,
or a dishonest.
- [chuckles]
- That too.
Alright look, as uh, Marvin
has probably told you,
I got a nice piece of
business in Corona.
It's been in my family
since before the Dutch
overpaid the fuckin'
Indians for Manhattan.
It's run out of a pool hall
I own on Roosevelt Avenue.
All you would have to
do is take the action,
keep the books.
Early, he know how
to do all that shit.
I mean, he's done every hustle
there is, even some that ain't.
Just so we're clear,
you are vouching for
your friend here,
and that shouldn't
be taken lightly.
Because any mistakes,
I'll be looking at you, Marvin.
Yeah, you're not gonna
have to look far.
I'm right here.
Yeah, that's good.
All right, so here we go. Hey,
to success and prosperity.
[Early] That's what I'm
fucking talking about.
To success and prosperity.
[applause and chatter]
Kanan Stark.
A pleasure.
You've accomplished quite
a lot at a young age.
Seem to me like I'm
right on schedule.
How's that price
hike been for ya?
It's not lost on me
that 20% is steep.
It's all good.
You just work
harder, that's all.
Look, if it's ever a time
when some shit come up
that you need to discuss,
you don't need to go
through my moms, man.
She just complicate shit.
♪
My business is my business.
♪
[engine turns over]
[suspenseful music plays]
♪
Put down any nigga you can.
This ain't about nothin'
else but hurtin' Raq
every which fuckin' way.
[Damon] You know me.
Down for whatever.
♪
[gunshots]
[shouting]
♪
[jazzy music playing]
[Imani] So this is yours?
I got partners,
including my brother.
But it's mostly mines.
Feels authentic.
Feels like you.
Don't know if
that's a compliment.
It's a compliment.
[clears throat]
So if you trying to help Rilla,
what does that help look like?
It looks like working
with both of you
to create a brand,
an image that feels
representative and evocative
of the music you two are making.
I always start with
the sound, Lou,
because if the message
doesn't match the music,
it doesn't work.
Well, we're still
figuring all that out.
And I'm not trying to
get in the way of that.
But I'd be lying if I didn't say
that Rilla needs a single,
something that reinvents
him a little bit.
The audience knows
who he is already,
and they didn't engage before.
We need to show
them that he's more
than what they think they know.
You got opinions.
I have experience.
Look, I'm not telling you
anything that you don't know.
Obviously, you've done
this before with Famous.
That song we put out
for him was a hit,
and people responded.
It didn't matter that they
were familiar with him already.
That track grabbed
people's attention
and redefined him.
Frankly, I thought that
Famous was gonna be
our first big hip-hop act,
the artist we
could build off of.
But Lowell tells me that
he's vanished into thin air.
Famous is collecting
his thoughts.
He's figuring his shit out.
So you've spoken to him?
Don't need to talk to
him. I know who he is.
I understand why he doin'
what he doin' right now.
Hopefully he'll be back soon.
I got to go check out an
artist across the river.
Any interest in joining me?
R&B act from East Orange.
No thanks. I'm good.
This is an industry
of adversaries,
even within the same
company sometimes.
I hope you see me
as an ally, Lou.
♪
You was smart to
call me first, Terry.
Police only gonna
make this shit worse.
I do not want to go to prison.
Look, my people is
gonna take care of it.
Alright, they gonna
clean this shit up,
and they gonna move this
work up out of here.
This was not part
of the agreement.
Space on the trucks,
that's what you said.
This is something else entirely.
It's just an
occupational hazard.
Not in my occupation.
You're in a different
occupation now, though.
Small price to
pay, Terry, really.
Yo, David here is right.
Y'all got this big new spot.
That shit wouldn't
happen for you
without our business together.
I heard about the
Golden Pavilion.
It seems like those of
us in business with you
are now being attacked.
I'ma handle it, just
like I'm handling this.
No need. We are done.
What?
No, we're not.
We never discussed
ending things altogether.
The kid who got put down
here was somebody we knew,
somebody who used
to work for us.
We takin' care of it.
Some salty ex-employee shit.
I'm sure you know how that go.
Our ex-employees do not return
with guns and murder people.
And he was not alone.
There was someone else with him.
And how is it so easy
for them to find us?
I'ma get to the
bottom of all of that.
All your other people
here, they know how to keep
a secret, right?
They're all Chinese nationals.
They won't say a
word to anybody.
[Raq] In the meantime,
it's for your troubles.
That's not nearly
enough for our troubles.
Oh, yes, it is.
[Raq] We got you, Terry.
You just need to take a breath.
Can't be overreacting.
Toughen the fuck
up, Charlie Chan.
[sighs]
We need to know who was fuckin'
with Damon on this, Marvin,
because he ain't never been
the brains behind no operation
in his whole fuckin' short life.
Whoever it is, it's gotta be
that they hit the restaurant
and Kanan's too.
I've been askin' around,
but everybody's sayin'
they don't know nothin',
and I believe 'em.
Keep asking.
And spread some money
behind that shit.
[door slams]
[engine turns over]
[Italian opera music playing]
♪
[indistinct whispering]
[Kanan] Well I thought you
worked out the fish shop.
Well, I'm mixing
things up a little bit.
You know, predictability
is the enemy of security.
I appreciate you
meeting with me.
Oh, well, the only reason
why I agreed to see you
is out of respect for Quân
and our business together.
I work with your
mother, kid, not you.
That's why
Hey, and your mother,
she loves you so much
that she borrowed a half
a million dollars from me
just so you could be
standing here today.
And I gotta tell you something,
I got two kids of my own,
and I don't love
either of them enough
to borrow more than
a-a goddamn C-note
on their behalf.
And yet, here you are
behind your mother's back.
Nah, I just wanted
to introduce myself.
- I want you to know me.
- [Stefano] Mm.
Yeah, well, I don't
want to know you,
and I don't need to know you.
Go home, kid, and thank
your lucky fucking stars
you got a mother who loves you.
Come on, get him out of here.
♪
Yo, uh, what the
fuck happened to you?
[sighs]
[tense music plays]
♪
Somebody put hands on you?
♪
[indistinct chatter]
[car horn honks]
[Ishaq] Come.
♪
What's this?
If you want what we
discussed, you'll get in.
If not, we can part ways now.
♪
[engine turns over]
Same person
responsible for putting
your son and husband
in the ground
got my blood on they hands too.
Guess what I'm trying to say is,
we got common
enemies, Mrs. Boselli.
Call me Teresa.
Well, common enemies can make
for some real good
friends, Teresa.
My husband never discussed
business with me.
And I was never the kind of
girl who got my hands dirty.
Sally always said I was
too pretty for that.
But you are right.
Someone has got to pay for
what they did to my men,
God rest their souls.
I want you
you go talk to him.
You tell him Sal's
wife sent you.
He's gonna know
what to do with you.
I'm gonna make them
pay for what they did
to you and me, Teresa.
♪
That's my word.
[Teresa] Thank you.
That's my word.
♪
[distant sirens wailing]
[dramatic music plays]
♪
Green tea with cardamom.
Reminds me of home,
which Ishaq tells me
you have a particular
interest in.
[Raq] I do.
I'm looking to get into
the import business.
Most of my exportable
goods are spoken for.
To work with a new
vendor like you,
I'll have to
cultivate a new source
and hire new workers.
Work is good.
[Hafiz] Indeed.
I only surround myself with
people that are serious.
And thoughtful.
And prudent.
♪
But this is an
interesting opportunity.
I'll be in touch.
♪
[hip-hop music plays]
♪
Yeah, I'm running this
imprint that's gonna be
exclusively hip-hop.
Rilla is the first artist
that we fuckin' with.
[Kanan] That's dope.
Congratulations, yo.
I ain't done nothin' yet,
but I appreciate the thought.
Yo, I'm about to hit the shower.
You ain't gotta update me
on your personal hygiene, nigga.
I'm just saying, when I'm done,
I'll be ready to make
moves to the studio.
Yo, stay up, Kanan.
[Kanan chuckles]
This-
So what, you two living
together and some shit?
I been trying to get this
nigga to move the fuck out.
He say he don't
like being alone.
Says when he by hisself,
he get into drama.
And I can't have no dramatics
with this nigga right now.
Speakin' of, I'm guessin' you
ain't heard of shit from Fame.
Nothin'.
[Lou-Lou] I spoke
to his sister.
She promised me he
ain't out in LA.
Now, she could be
bullshittin' to protect,
but that's not really Jess way.
She sounds scared, Kanan.
She said they moms
went to the police,
trying to get help to find him.
What you think?
On the real, I'm tryin'
not to think about it.
'Cause everything I'm thinkin'
right now is real fucked up.
Damn.
The fuck happened to you, Fame?
[tense music]
♪
[knock on door]
Yeah?
[Walton] Raquel Thomas?
Detective Walton, NYPD.
This is my partner, O'Leary.
[O'Leary] We're here to talk
to you about André Barnes.
He's my attorney. What's up?
Could we speak inside?
Mr. Barnes' body was
found in his apartment.
They take anything?
Was it a robbery?
Not as far as we could tell.
We checked his schedule,
and it looks like
he had dinner with you
shortly before he was killed.
This ain't got
shit to do with me.
Alright, we went to dinner,
and then we went our own ways.
[Walton] Whoa,
whoa, whoa, whoa.
We're not suggesting you're
a suspect in any way.
We're just wondering
if Mr. Barnes mentioned
meeting anyone after
his time with you.
If he might have expressed
any concerns about his safety.
André was my lawyer.
We talk shop, that's all.
[Walton] I must say,
we're aware of your
past, Ms. Thomas.
Your name always seems to
pop up at the wrong times.
Like I said, what
happened to André
don't got nothing to do with me.
And I ain't got nothing
else to say to you.
Time to go.
If you happen to think
of anything relevant,
no matter how small,
please give us a call.
♪
Thanks for your time.
[door closes]
Fuck!
♪
[keys jingle]
[Marvin] This it?
That's what she said.
Third floor.
[gun cocks]
Yo, this shit can't get wild.
I'm takin' this so
shit don't get wild.
Leave it here, please.
All right.
A'ight. I hear you.
This ain't gonna take long.
You stay put.
[suspenseful music plays]
♪
[forceful knocking]
[Aaron] Who is it?
I said, who the fuck is it?
[grunts]
What the fuck?
♪
[Aaron grunting]
[Aaron coughing and groaning]
[grunting]
Leave her alone,
or I'ma be back.
♪
[Aaron grunting]
♪
[Marvin screams]
[both grunting]
♪
[gunshot]
[dramatic music plays]
[Grown Kanan] There's
a thousand ways to die
while you still breathin'.
[Marvin groaning]
[Grown Kanan] Shit
that eat at you,
fuck with your head,
fuck with your soul.
Kill you a little bit every day.
And then one day, you
look in the mirror,
and you don't even recognize
who's starin' back at you.
- Juke
- Go!
[Grown Kanan] But every now
and then, you get a nigga
who see theyselves
in that mirror.
And they know who
lookin' at 'em.
And they like that nigga.
They think that all that
death look good on 'em.
And them's the motherfuckers
you gotta fear the most,
'cause they dead already.
They just don't know it yet.
["Johnny Too Bad" playing]
♪
[singer] Walking
down the road ♪
With your pistol
In your waist ♪
Johnny, you're too bad ♪
Whoa, whoa, whoa ♪
Walking down the road ♪
With your ratchet
In your waist ♪
Johnny, you're too bad ♪
Whoa, whoa, whoa ♪
You're just robbing
And you're stabbing ♪
And you're looting
And you're shooting ♪
Oh, you're too bad ♪
You're just robbing
And you're stabbing ♪
And you're looting
And you're shooting ♪
Oh, you're too bad ♪
Too bad ♪
One of these days ♪
When you hear a
voice say "Come" ♪
Where you gonna run to? ♪
Whoa, whoa, whoa ♪
One of these days ♪
When you hear a
voice say "Come" ♪
Where you gonna run to? ♪
Whoa, whoa, whoa ♪
You're gonna
run To the rock ♪