"Gutta!" "Gutta!" "Gutta!" "Gutta!" "Stay with me, bro." "You a'ight?" "You a'ight?" "Tank... help..." "Hello!" "Hello!" "Yo, we in front of club Velvet!" "My homie was shot!" "Send an ambulance right now!" "Help..." "My homie's been shot!" "Hurry up!" "You gotta help me, Tank..." "Hurry up!" "He's bleeding and stuff!" "Help!" "Somebody help!" "My bro is dying!" "Help!" "Something tells me this is gangrelated." "What's the victim's name?" "Gully or something." "He was a rapper." "You mean Gutta?" "You know him?" "He's only one of the most impactful artists in rap history." "Like, come on, Rooney, you livin' under a rock?" "By choice." "Nice and quiet down there." "Any eye witnesses?" "One of his boys was with him when it happened." "Good." "Then let's bring him in for questioning." "This is Detective Daniels, along with my partner, Detective Rooney." "It is May 24th, 2017, approximately 23:50 hours." "We're at Temple Station, Interview Room 6." "Sir, can you go ahead and state your name for me, please?" "Brendan Foster Junior, ma'am, but... everyone calls me Little Tank." "And Mr. Anderson is an acquaintance of yours?" "No." "That was my brother..." "More of a brother than any real brother could ever be." "Then you must know if he had any enemies." "In our business, everyone has enemies." "I was Gutta's one true friend." "Who do you think taught him how to rap?" "Hey, yo, Tank, feel this." "Feel this." "Look." "Look." "That ain't it, homie." "Damn, it was wack?" "I mean, did you hear the lyrics?" "It's not about the lyrics, bro, it's the flow." "You see, today's rap is about flow more than the lyrics." "See, nowadays, if you can write a dope beat, it don't matter what you say." "Think about it." "Pac, Nas, Biggie, J." "Yeah, but they was the best ever." "I've got time before I get there." "See?" "That's my point." "They was so far advanced with the flow and the lyrics, that they're basically untouchable." "So, instead of trying to be the best MC, be the best rapper." "You've gotta focus on the flow, Gutta." "Find it." "Look..." "Check it." "Check it." "See?" "Less words to play with, so you can breathe better." "Annunciate." "Perform." "Yeah." "You see what I'm sayin'?" "Now try it." " Catch the beat." " All right." "Yeah!" "Okay." "Yo, that was hot." "That was nice." "See?" "That's what I'm talkin' about." "We're ready to get out this shithole and be worldwide." "Don't let my father hear that." "Yo, what's up, Lesley?" "What's up?" "Yo, Gutta, this Lesley." "Her Pops own the club." "A pleasure to meet you, Gutta." "You guys did great." "Nice to meet you, too, and thanks for this shot." "Tank's been comin' here for like two months begging' me to give you guys ten minutes." "So, I'm glad I said yes." "That sound like Tank." "Look, I might be able to get you guys in next Saturday." "A longer set, a possible split of the door, if you can get your friends to come and support." " For real?" " Yeah." "You'll owe me." "Then who knows?" "Next stop..." "Staples Center?" "The Staples?" "I might have to wife that." "No, you might need to stay focused." "That's what you might need." "Didn't I just see y'all on stage?" "Nah, nah." "Where you from?" "Look, I don't rep no one but me, a'ight?" "Only color I care about is green, straight up." "Only green you're gonna get is what your crackhead ass, dollarweave wearin' mama gonna get when I bring her ass back off that track." "Man, I'm tired of dudes messin' with us, bro." "Man, it's whatever, a'ight?" "My dad used to say success is the best revenge." "Omari Anderson?" "Yeah, who wanna know?" "My boss." "Come on." "I like your style, kid." "I'm..." "No, we know who you are." "What are you doing here, bro?" "Sometimes we find a piece of gold..." "In a pile of shit." "We thought we was gonna get paid, man." "We had no idea that contract would put a target on our backs." "Why would it put a target on your back, Mr. Foster?" "'Cause Louis was a Dustin Ave Blood." "I'm talkin' born and raised." "How do you think homeboy came up with the money to found a record label?" "G, you sure this the right idea, man?" "Let her be our manager?" "She know more about the business than us." "She got heart and she more gangsta than half the dudes we grew up around." "I'm just sayin', man, like, you know, when they see her come in the room, they only gonna think one thing." "That's all I'm ever thinking'." "Exactly." "That's a perfect chess move." "They won't see her comin'." "A quiet killer." "And, besides, when we get famous, we'll have the choice of any girl in the world." "Let Lesley handle our business while we do the pleasure." "Snap." "Here she comes." "Here she comes." "So?" "Do we have a deal?" "What's up?" "He only wants to sign Gutta." "He says there's no room in the marketplace for another rap duo." ""It's not the '80s anymore" were his exact words." "This is an opportunity of a lifetime." "I'm willing to shop a demo, if you guys want." "But I don't know if another deal like this is gonna come back around." "G, this is it." "You're my brother and I know you've got me no matter what." "Take the deal, man." "You sure, bro?" "We could walk outta here right now." "I'd be nothin' without you." "You still ain't nothin' without me." "Who gonna write your rhymes, but me?" "Remember that." "Exactly." "So, let's get this money, Tank." "Let's get this money, bro." "Look, Lesley, you've gotta get something in this deal that gets Tank paid for writing." "Of course." "Thank you, Lesley." " This is everything." " I'm proud of you." " Come here." " Come on, bro." "You said Gutta was neutral." "Ten Tree Ballers ain't see it that way." "You see, to them... if you work for Dustin Ave, that makes you Dustin Ave." "So, you think the Ballers have something to do with the shooting." "They have everything to do with the shooting." "Did you not hear Hazard's new song?" "Yeah, yeah, I get the gist." "I get the gist." "Please." "Look, taking shots at someone lyrically is different than taking an actual shot." "We need more than industry rumors to warrant an arrest." "How about assault?" " Hold up." " Artists only." "Man, get the freak outta my way." "No, no, he's good." "He with me." "Chill." "We got orders from Mr. Derron, sir." "I'm gonna holla at him real quick, all right?" "Sorry, bro." "Sorry, my ass." "Pardon." "Pardon." "Pardon." "Let me get a double shot of D'ussé." "Watch it." "Watch it." "Watch it." "Watch it." "Move." "Move." "Whaddup, Tank?" "I got you." "I don't want no trouble, man." "Drink up, then, homie." "Move!" "Move!" "Move!" "Come on, bro." "Come on." "Lesley, come back to me, honey!" "Gutta, you know it ain't over!" "You better believe I got a body bag with your name on it, boy!" "Damn, that shit hurt, man." "Yo, that's your own damn fault for actin' like you hard." "Now you know it's real." "He coulda smoked your ass." "Maybe that's why Louis put my ass out there." "No, bro, you know how he get down, a'ight?" "He about to clap back." "It's about to be war." "I looked at him... he looked up at me... his eyes was wide open." "I saw the life leave him." "I thought I was gonna die, too." "Are you sure you didn't see the shooter?" "It was dark." "It all happened so fast." "It was over before I even realized what was goin' on." "But I did see the car, though." "It was... it was a white Chevy Impala." "That's a start." "Whoever was in that ride, Hazard sent that mother..." "Y'all need to be interrogating' him, instead of wasting' your time in here with me." "Drugs and weapons charges." "Got off with two years probation." "It's not gonna fly this time." "We can place you at the Velvet Lounge." "Eye witnesses saw you get into a physical altercation with Omari Anderson moments before he was shot." "The way I see it, you either come clean with what you know, or you go to jail." "If you had... any evidence..." "I would already be in jail." "You ain't got nothin' on me, and I ain't sayin' shit to you." "Rapper Gutta, who was shot in Los Angeles earlier this week, passed away this morning at UCLA Medical Center." "He leaves behind a daughter as well as his mark on rap music." " We found the Impala." " Where?" "Abandoned in an alley 10 miles from the crime scene." "We ran it through the registry." "It was reported stolen two days ago." "So, the shooting was premeditated." "Yeah, but we don't have any evidence that links back to Hazard." "We can't hold him much longer, Makena." "Come on." "You're in some deep shit." "We're charging you with homicide." "What you talkin' about?" "That... ain't even dead." "As of this morning, he is." "What?" "I thought he'd pull through." "I mean..." "I did when they shot my ass." "Guess your people have better aim." "It wasn't us." "Well, then who was it?" "Stop playin' games and tell us the truth." " You want the truth?" " Yes!" "Y'all barkin' up the wrong tree!" "I never wanted Gutta dead." "Shit." "We used to be cool." "Him and Lil Tank, they come from my 'hood." "But they was, they was never affiliated though." "They would just graffiti, skateboard, you know, kid shit." "That shit wicked!" "I could do somethin', yeah." "I could hook ya up." "But, listen, you've gotta be willing to get down." "My man, we'll do whatever, man." "We hungry." "We all hungry." "All they care about is who you down with and what you representing out here." "Man, you of all people know we ain't gettin' down with the set, man." "Only color I care about is green." "Straight up." "Open up for me at my next gig." "Hell, yeah, we in." "Your girl, she on point." "Lesley on point." " I told you." " That's crazy." "I told you." "Hey, we've gotta do more shows." "What was all that about?" "Man, chill." "He was feelin' the show." " It's good." " I ain't know chill." "Ballers don't do business with Dustin Avenues." "All right, but we ain't Ballers." "It don't matter because when it come to them, it ain't no gray area." "It's black and it's white." "Look, when somebody ask you where you from, what you say?" "Nowhere?" "Hell, no." "You say, I'm from up 103rd." "And everybody knows that's Ballers, okay?" "Cross us... you out." "Didn't stop him from signing with Louis, though." "But did he deserve to die for it?" "You said so, yourself, "you cross us, you out."" "Yeah, out, not dead." "Shit." "I've been to jail before, and I ain't plannin' on goin' back." "Especially over some hatin' ass..." "like Gutta." "There's a million other ways to kill a rapper like playin' with his rap and lettin' everybody know that he don't write his own lyrics." "That's why you made the dis track?" "And why he came at me during the party." "Hold on." "Hold on." "Hey, what's up?" "Hey!" "Man, this ain't over." "I got a bullet with your name on it." "It's all good." "It's all good." "Yo, we got artillery out here in the streets, man." "We'll wipe they ass out, man." "Look, you wanna bring death on my doorstep for nothing?" "We gonna look like a bunch of pussies, if we don't do it." "Yeah, that's what he counting' on." "Look, Gutta gonna get his." "He gonna get everything he got comin' to him." "Just not tonight." "You feel me?" "I said, do you feel me?" "Yeah, I feel you, man." " Okay." " I feel you." "Baby, are you okay?" "I'm good." "I'm good." "When you said, "he's counting on that,"" "who'd you mean?" "Louis." "He's been wanting a war between the Ballers and the Dustin Ave and he been usin' Gutta to get it." "Why would he risk his life like that?" "Gutta was his most lucrative artist." "There been rumors about him wanting to leave Dustin Ave, and you know Louis ain't gonna just let him go." "Thank you." "All right, I checked with the girl." "Hazard's story checks out." "We're looking at the most obvious suspect." "Whoever shot Gutta knew we'd go after Hazard first." "You think this is an inside job." "Let's take a look at Gutta's inner circle." "She was datin' him." "She must know something." "We had to bring you in so soon after his passing, Ms. Vargas." "It's okay." "I need to be here." "I'm the only one that can speak for him now." "What do you know about his affiliation with Dustin Ave?" "There was no affiliation." "Omari was a sweetheart." "All he cared about was making money." "Then how come he surrounded himself with gang members?" "He had to do that for protection." "Protection from whom?" "I'm sorry, I can't do this." "I have a daughter to think about." "And she deserves to see her father's killers go to jail." "Please, Ms. Vargas." "We'll protect you." "You can't protect me." "No one can." "He has eyes everywhere." "Who does?" "Louis." "This is all my fault." "I introduced him to Louis." "How do you like 'em?" "I'm not diggin' 'em as a team." "But that kid..." "I'd sign him in a heartbeat." "Have him meet me outside." "Okay." "What does this mean?" ""All artwork in connection with Dustin Ave Records" ""or other derivatives of such master recording shall be deemed works made for hire"?" "It's just some legal mumbo jumbo." "Don't worry about it." "What about Lil Tank?" "I have to find a way to cut him into this deal." "You know he writes all the lyrics." "That's your problem." "If he signs this deal today," "I need a check cut within 24 hours and studio time by the end of the week." "Done." "You know... you drive a hard bargain, baby girl." "I could use a strong woman to be over here with me... by my side... help me run things." "Oooh." "That Latin blood!" "They might as well take all these down." "All of them." "Lil Tank and Gutta." "Lil Tank and Gutta." "Fellas, we good." "This contract officially makes Gutta" "Dustin Ave Record's top priority." "There's something in there for my writing contract, too, right?" "Yeah, of course." "One thing at a time, but we got you." "Woo!" "Welcome to Dustin Avenue, brother." "Ooh, this thing, I mean..." " You see this?" " Yo, bro." "Man..." "Came from nothing." "You on, man." "This never looked better on anyone else but you." "I couldn't have done it without you." "I know." "It was made for me." "You know?" "Let me catch up with y'all." "I don't know if I can let go of it." "That's okay." "You don't have to let go of me either." "Yo, where you going?" "You're not gonna come celebrate with us?" "When was you gonna tell me about you and Gutta?" "What are you talking about?" "There's nothing going on between us." "But you want there to be, especially now that he's about to be on top of the world." "I thought you was different, Lesley." "Tank was right." "I thought I was different, but I'm not." "I loved Omari like a friend, a client, but sometimes you just can't help what's meant for you, you know?" "Yeah." "Something slight." "You know, not too much." " Just a little bit." " Yeah, you know." "Yo, this is crazy, though." "Like I knew you could write, but like this?" "This is like next level." "Look, I just came with a whole different approach, you know, and the best thing about it is" "I wrote and produced it myself." "No Tank." "All me." "I think you've helped me find my voice." " I did that?" " You did that." " I did this?" " You did that." "Yeah." "I'm so proud of you." "No, don't stop." "No, it's because we've got this amazing business relationship and I don't wanna mess that up." "How was your professional relationship with Gutta?" "Well, nothing changed on that front." "We made money together." "He trusted me." "We were a great team, and then I got pregnant, and Lil Tank took over some of the duties while they were on tour, and I stayed home taking care of a newborn." "Ms. Vargas, Hazard makes a reference to you in his dis song, something about a past relationship which may or may not have been recorded." "Everyone makes mistakes." "We hooked up a few times." "It was nothing more than just physical." "We got drunk one night and thought it would be fun to record ourselves doing it." "Did Gutta know?" "No." "Not before the dis record." "That's when things went left." "Money was being blown through and we found out Louis owed us big." "What's all this?" "The residual money you owe me." " I told you it's on the way." " Yeah?" "Because you've been saying that for two years and we still waitin' on it." "Pay me my money!" "I made those records." "Who paid for the recording sessions?" "Who paid for the PR?" "Who paid for that?" "He's the one with talent because you ain't shit." "When grown folks are talking, you shut the... up!" "Do you hear me?" "!" " Keep her out of this!" " What?" "Son?" "You got two weeks to pay my money, or I'm outta here!" "So you better than Dustin Ave now?" "You better than Dustin Ave?" "You damn right I'm better than Dustin Ave." "I got a hundred other labels ready to sign me right now, and that's on everything I love." "Okay, okay, so they must be thinking that you gonna head on over there with your unreleased songs, right, right?" "See, but here's the thing." "I own the masters..." "Which means I own you!" "Don't do it, G. Don't do it, G." "Don't do it, G. I'm tryin' to tell you, baby." "Now what?" "I wouldn't do that, G." "G!" "Don't want nobody gettin' hurt, G." "Wait, if he threatened Gutta, why did he decide to meet him at the club that night?" "Well, we had to finish press for the album." "We told ourselves one more event, then we'd be out..." "At least, that's what we thought." "Mr. Derron would like a word..." "A private word." "Go, bro." "I got her." "All right." "I'll be right out." "All right." "Come on, he'll be a'ight." "Norma, let me get a D'ussé on ice and a..." "Make it two." "What's up with you and G?" "You gettin' married or something?" "I don't know." "Our priority is work and our daughter right now." "We'll get around to it." "If it was me, I would've married you off the top." "Ooooh..." "Ooh..." "Look at this fat boy trying to hit on one of my old things." "Excuse me?" "Yo, watch your mouth, son." "Or what?" "What you gonna do?" "What you gonna do?" "Hey, hey, help!" "Gutta!" "Help!" "Help!" "That was the last time I saw them." "We shouldn't have gone to the club that night." "Like, we should have known that Louis was planning something." "Louis didn't cause the fight." "Yeah, but he knew Hazard was gonna be there, and that a fight would break out if we ran into each other." "He would have him shot and make it look like retaliation." "I mean, this was a set up." "I believe her." "Louis had the motive and the means to have him killed, and he has the means to buy his way out of anything." "Not this time." "Detective Daniels alongside Detective Rooney." "We are in Room 115 at 09:15 hours interviewing Mr. Derron." "Please, call me Lou." "Your industry colleagues refer to you as "King Lou."" "Some do." "Yeah." "Because you're in charge of the soldiers?" "Because I'm the one who appoints who's next in line to the rap throne." "And you chose Gutta." "Why?" "A certain "it" factor that a star has... a quality that you can't teach... and that mofo had it." "Who are they?" "They're some local guys." "A lot of talent." "Have them meet me outside after the show." "Sure." "And... lose the fat guy." "I knew Gutta was gonna rise to the top." "He just had to get rid of the dead weight." "You mean his best friend." "Unhunh." "I mean the parasite that was leeching on his success." "Yo, listen, I talked to Tank, and we both feel he should get in on the deal." "Do you?" "Look, this ain't the '80s, man." "I can't sell no rap group." "Now, I could sell a dope solo artist." "I can definitely sell you." "But Tank's the one writing the lyrics, man." "He's hella talented." "Rap ain't just about words." "It's about the life that you breathe into them." "It's about selling the image." "So, you tell me, how the hell am I supposed to sell him?" "Look, I got ten guys right now that you can cowrite with." "Just keep Tank on." "Come on, man, work with me." "A'ight." "A'ight." "Whatever." "My man!" "See, you gon' thank me for this." "I'm telling you, man." "Damn." "That was my mistake." "It was my mistake to keep him around." "I should've cut him off when I had the chance." "Why?" "What was he doing?" "Steering him wrong." "Everybody wants fame... but most people don't know how to handle it." "What's up, Lou?" "We was gonna invite you, but you know how shit goes." "Move." "Reporting for duty, sir." "Why you come here so mad?" "Look at you." "This is nice!" "This from the Paris Fashion Week." "Those for the cops." "You mind telling me why you didn't show up today?" "Recording session." "Tank, that's what I meant to..." "What's what I meant." "I wanted to go get that sweater." "I was..." "I'm sorry, Lou, I was doing too much today." "He mad." "Let me get..." "You sure?" "More for me, then." "You know, I lose money every time you don't show up." "Damn." "I mean, I'll pay you back." "It's nothing." "Pay me back?" "Pay me back?" "With what?" "Everything you get you're wasting your money on these low lives." "Yo, who you callin' a low life?" " Shut up!" " I think you should leave." "Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo." "Everybody chill." "A'ight?" "You chill." "Y'all chill." "You need to chill." "We cool." "We cool." "Sleep it off." "Meet me in my office tomorrow." "Alone." "Didn't I tell you to come alone?" "Somebody had to drive his ass." "You can get me out of his contract, Louis, but not his life." "Y'all need to chill, man." "No, you need to get rid of these no good thugs." "I need 'em." "What for?" "Drugs?" "Protection." "You're acting all paranoid and shit." "That's probably why you strung out all the time." "You think I'm makin' this up?" ""Easy to find your house, boy." ""I will put you down, first, then your wife and kid." "I'm gonna shoot your little bitch ass in public."" "Been gettin' phone calls, too." "Gotta be Hazard's crew." "Bitch think he untouchable and somebody need to show his ass he could be touched." "If you hit him... we're gonna have a war on our hands." "How they gonna know it's us?" "There's this dude named Snowman." "For half a mil, he'll pop anyone." "Blood, Crip, don't matter." "He want half before the job, the other half after it's done." "What happened to you, man?" "What happened to you?" "You used to say "success is the best revenge,"?" "Nah... revenge is the best revenge." "You know what?" "Do what you want." "Just leave my ass out of it." "I'm not gonna put my label at risk." "Why don't you worry less about the label, and more about me?" "The next day, he walks in my office and says he wants out of his contract." "So you admit Gutta was planning to leave your label." "That's what he said." "You were about to lose your most lucrative asset, and you expect us to believe you didn't care?" "Who said I didn't care?" "Mr. Derron, did you or did you not threaten to fix Gutta if he left the label?" "Who told you that?" "Is it true?" "I felt stabbed in the back when I said it, but I assure you, I'm no gangsta... just a businessman." "That man's lifetime earning value was worth $400 million." "He was worth more alive than dead." "Then why have him killed?" "I just told you I didn't do it." "I just didn't wanna get involved in his beef." "Thank you for this." "It says so in my contract." "Hey, contracts are made to be broken." "Speaking of, I want to make you an offer." "I ain't staying." "I'm starting my own label..." "Phoenix Records." "That's good." "That's good." "I wanna support you." "Why?" "You know how licensing, manufacturing, online distribution works?" "How you gonna build your brand?" "You need an advisor." "Let me guess." "It ain't free." "Ain't nothin' free." "Ten percent and that's fair considering" "I'm giving you access to all my contacts?" "Why should I trust you?" "You shouldn't trust anyone... but yourself." "I'm not gonna calm down." "I could own this club and my club at the same damn time!" "Why do you keep her around, anyway?" "Her, her, and her all put together." "I ask myself the same thing." "I need to get over there right now 'cause I see my man talkin' to them hoes over there and I need to go say hi to them hoes." " You need to chill." " Man, let me go, man." "What's up?" "He hurtin' you or something?" " Man, mind your business, bro." " Who you talkin' to?" "Man, I'll snatch the heart out your chest, bitch." "What's up?" "I shoulda believed him." "I shoulda believed him when he told me that someone was after him, and now I have to live with that mistake for the rest of my life." "That's the story you're stickin' with?" "I'm sticking with the truth." "Whoever killed Gutta... will answer for it." "To you?" "To God." "He's lying." "They all are." "But he had a motive." "So did Hazard and Lesley and..." "What's his friend's name again?" "The fat one." " Lil Tank?" " Yeah." "What if Louis was telling the truth?" "What if Gutta wanted to put a hit out on Hazard?" "He couldn't risk being seen with the hitman, himself, so, who could he send?" "The only one he trusted." "Interesting theory." "Can you prove it?" "No, but my gut tells me it's the truth." "Yeah, I'm afraid your gut isn't admissible in court." "Shhhoot..." "Know what my gut's telling me?" "Time for a dinner break." "Come on." "It's on me." "You can't crack 'em all, Makena." "Besides, none of these rapper killings get solved anyway." "Fat." "That's what the kids say nowadays, right?" "Not as out of touch as you think." "You coulda killed me, man." "Man, listen, I only hit who I'm paid to hit." "So, you got something for me?" "Yeah, here." "This all you, man." "It's all here?" "Come on." "Let me ask you something." "What's up?" "You think he knew you had something to do with it?" " Gutta, stay with me, bro." " Help me..." "Gutta!" "Gutta!" "Are you a'ight?" "Stay with me." "Help me..." "You know, G... you was right." "Sometimes revenge is the best revenge." "Help!" "Somebody, help!" "My bro is dying!" "Help!" "Help!" "Nah, I don't think he knew." "A'ight, man." "So, what you got there, man?" "I stopped by Gutta crib, cleaned out his secret safe." " Word?" " Word up." "I did everything for G, and he treated me like shit." "I earned this." "Came up a quick quarter M, you know what I mean?" "That's what's up." "You better be safe out here, man." "You, too, man." "Be safe, bro." "Yeah." "Word to God." "I can't stand a hater."