"  Previously on Empire..." " COOKIE:" "Jermel!" "HAKEEM:" "Thank you for beingtherewhenIneededyou." "LUCIOUS:" "I got three sons, and I identify more with you than any one of them." "COOKIE:" "Jamal wants my feedback on a song." "LAZ:" "Your ex would have a problem with that?" "A problem with my ex." "A problem with my other son." "We're supposed to be in competition." "HAKEEM:" "I know about you and pretty boy." " I know what I'm doing." " Well, I don't trust him." "Please don't say that to me." "It's just all taking a little longer than expected." "Swiftstream... it's ripe and ready for a merger." " I'm not selling." " Well, I'm not buying." "I'm looking for a partner." "MIMI:" "Jago Locke." "He wants to be in business with you." "It's done." "♪ Had hit records on my demo... ♪" "Lucious, this is going too far." "There's got to be a less painful way to reach your son." "Just think about it." "♪ And anything I got is not a rental... ♪" "LUCIOUS:" "Hey, now y'all know the old saying... (crowd cheering) a hard head makes a soft ass." "Well, sometimes the only way to get somebody's attention is to hit them in the head with a sledgehammer." "Now, I'm not an Internet dude, but I respect you vloggers and bloggers and you whatevers for the fact that you're able to reach the world instantaneously." "Well, I got a message I want to send to Hakeem." "It's uncut, it's raw." "It's Freda Gatz with shots fired!" "(crowd cheering)" "(machine gun sound effect)" "FREDA:" "Uh." "(crowd cheering)" "Hey, Lucious, I heard there was shots fired, huh?" "(whoops)" "They want war?" "(siren blaring over speakers)" "I thought blood was thicker than water." "(music begins)" "But a lie don't care who tell it." "♪ Started from the bottom wit' a eight ball ♪" "♪ Always talkin' money, boy, I hate y'all ♪" "♪ I was in the hood tryin' to make that thing flip ♪" "♪ Posted on the mound, got me watchin' for the pitch ♪" "♪ You don't wanna be the man, guess I'll be it for ya ♪" "♪ I got you goin' nuts, I see the paranoia ♪" "♪ Daddy's little son actin' like a daughter ♪" "♪ Now go and get it, get it, just like daddy taught ya ♪" "♪ The king of the jungle's a lion ♪" "♪ But you ain't no king, I' ♪" "♪ You cry to your mother ♪" "♪ 'Cause you ain't as good as your brother ♪" "♪ I come from the gutter ♪" "♪ In my hood, you a sucka ♪" "♪ I'm knowing you softer than butter, let's keep it 100 ♪" "♪ If you look around, boy, I'm the son ♪" "♪ That your dad always wanted ♪" "♪ Look at daddy's little girl, girl ♪" "♪ There she go ♪ Come on now, son." "♪ You just daddy's little girl ♪ Hakeem is gonna flip out." "♪ Hey, baby. ♪" "Hakeem, don't be weirded out if it's awkward this first time." "First time?" "As in virgin?" "As in you following me around like a little puppy after this?" "I knew I shouldn't have told you." "Hey." "Look, what we got is something special, and I don't want to mess that up." "I just want to make sure I treat it right." "Look, I got you something." "I designed it myself." "Every single detail perfect." "It's for my princess." "It's beautiful." "You know, we could take our time." "We ain't got to rush." "♪ ♪" "(phone chirps)" "Freda Gatz going in on me?" "Hold on, baby." "♪ Gon' make me have the goons come get that ♪" "♪ Leave your little ass kidnapped ♪" "♪ My bad, you already did that ♪" "♪ In my hood, you a sucka, I'm knowing you softer ♪" "♪ Than butter, let's keep it 100 ♪" "♪ If you look around, boy ♪" "♪ I'm the son that your dad always wanted ♪" "♪ Look at daddy's little girl, girl ♪" "♪ There she go ♪" "♪ You just daddy's little girl, girl ♪" "♪ Hey, baby ♪ ♪ Look at... ♪" "__" "♪ ♪ __" "__" "__" "__" "Dad." "It's so sick." "Crazy." "Y'all, it's so... it's-it's incredible." "That's because it comes from a passionate commitment, Jamal." "Music is a part of Pepsi's DNA." "We have a long history of getting behind emerging artists and partnering with iconic stars." "Wait a minute, if y'all are so hyped on my son, why are y'all out to other artists?" "Jamal has a real shot at becoming the new face of Pepsi." "We're really only out to ten other artists." "Oh, my God, that's a damn cattle call." "Dad, stop." "Chill out." "Seriously, like, I-I get it." "It's fine." "I would be honored to submit a song for your consideration." "Great." "Well, I'll work with you to make sure it's right." "No interference, of course." "Just support." "And if your song's chosen..." "Dad, if the song is chosen..." "You hear this?" "(laughs)" "But that's just the energy we want." "But the window's tight." "You have to submit your song within the week." "Okay." "LUCIOUS:" "He will make the deadline, trust me." "In fact, I'll go in the studio with him and help make this powerful, incredible, dope-ass song." "Okay, we look forward to it." "We're really excited about you for this, Jamal." "The key to getting this campaign is the song." "Make it great." "MIMI:" "Wall Street's going to go negative on Empire if we don't close this streaming deal." "I don't give a damn, man." "Wall Street can kiss my black ass." "And you can kiss my white one." "I have 250 million on the line." "Mimi, Jago Locke jacked up the price after we already agreed to terms." "Now, Empire would have to liquidate assets." "No." "Let Jago liquidate his own damn assets." "Or better yet, why don't we liquidate his brain stem?" "And have the feds raid again?" "Why can't you go for the win?" "I don't know who you think you talking to, but watch your tone with me." "Pop." "I can't deal with my life until you get this done." "So you come with something better, or let's close this." "(door closes)" "That is a dangerous way to come at our biggest investor, Pop." "This is business, it is not a rap battle." "Oh, it's all the same to me, as long as I win in the end of it." "That's why you want to humiliate Hakeem?" "So you can win in the end?" "That's why you want to control all of us?" "Not to teach us?" "Not to make us better men?" "But just so you can win in the end?" "Well, I think history has shown you're a much better man under my control." "As a matter of fact, why don't you get Thirsty on the line and tell him to dig up some dirt on Jago Locke so I can have him under my control as well." "How about that?" "♪ ♪" "♪ I get up with my mind ♪" "♪ Stay on the grind ♪" "♪ Everything will be mine ♪" "♪ Including you... ♪" "You better sing!" "(laughs): ♪ Eyes on the prize ♪" "♪ Gonna make you realize ♪" "♪ My goal is the sky ♪" "♪ It's what I do. ♪" "Yes, yes!" "Your keys are shining, baby." "I think it's perfect, Mom." "I love working with you." "Yeah, I know you do, 'cause you can feel when it's real. (chuckles)" "It's only a matter of time before you come on back home with us." "Mom, Dad would kill us if he knew that we were working together; he'd probably shut the whole thing down." "You know what kind of magic we make together." "Why would you want to hide that?" "Because this deal is everything." "Like, literally, this is it." "I can't have Dad get mad and messing the whole thing up, which you know he would." "Jamal, you have leverage." "Tell him the truth." "Hell, let me tell his ass the truth." "I know y'all wondering about this Freda Gatz chick coming at me." "What, y'all don't think I'm my own man?" "Y'all think that my father's little pet can take my last name?" "No, I ain't going down like that." "I'm here to tell all you frauds and you haters and Lucious Lyon, too," "I'm-a battle Freda Gatz for my last name." "And I'm-a show the whole world who the real Lyon is." "Yeah, boy!" "Ah!" "Yes." "(whoops) Show 'em, baby!" "I ain't playing." "I ain't playing with that chick." "That's it, brother." "Murder, murder!" "I'm not playing." "♪ ♪" "♪ ♪" "(line rings, beeps)" "Hey, Hakeem, it's me." "I was just calling because, um..." "I just wanted to talk to you about something." "So just when you have a moment, give me a call back." "Okay, bye." "(sighs)" "LAZ:" "Every single blogger is talking about it." "Hakeem versus Freda Gatz." "I mean, it's trending right now." "Look." "Ma, where you been?" "Boy, how in the hell could you let Lucious sucker you into a rap battle?" "That's what ol' boy told you, that Lucious suckered me into a rap battle?" "Look, Keem, I'm not trying to start any problems." "Hey, brah, I'm not sure that you should be calling me "Keem," dawg." "You already got my mom turnt up, so you clearly" " starting problems right now." " Hey!" "We are trying to get this cookout going, and you go and announce to the world that you are battling Freda Gatz." "Now, do you understand if she wrecks you, we lose all cred before we even had any?" "That's what he told you?" "She gonna wreck me?" "Freda Gatz is a animal." "Now, I'm not taking anything away from your talent, baby, but that is not what you do." "Look..." "Laz, I swear to God, man, say something else, dawg." "Look, don't start getting emotional, boy, because" "I swear, right..." "Mom, stop!" "You emotional, not me." "I'm on point, like always." "I'm not just popping on social media." "I'm number four in the top ten slots." "Because of me, every move Empire makes promotes Lyon Dynasty." "So, really, I suckered them." "That's if you win." "And thirdly, I don't even know why you talking." "Is he a partner?" "No, you a punk-ass promoter, so go hand out some flyers and put them on them walls over there, and get up out of here, man." "It's okay, babe." "Ain't no flyers under here?" "COOKIE:" "It's all good." "Yeah, it's time to go, man." "See you later." "Okay." "All right." "(chuckles):" "Hakeem." "You got heart." "Don't do this, man." "COOKIE:" "Hakeem, back off." "Hakeem, back off." "Hey!" "Hey!" "Look!" "Don't you touch my son!" "Okay?" "Don't ever touch my son!" "You get that?" "Look, if you lose, we become Empire's bitch." "And for a start-up company like us..." "Look at me..." "That's the end, you understand?" "But, Mom, she's trying to take my name." "You think I'm gonna allow that to happen?" "If I lose, I lose more than Lyon Dynasty." "I'm-a make that bitch my bitch." "You better." "Jamal, I need to know where we stand, baby." "I mean, Hakeem is fighting for his life," "I'm fighting for you." "What's up with us, boo?" "I know, Mom." "(door buzzer sounds)" "Mom..." "What?" "Mom, it's Lucious." "It's Dad." "Mom, go, go, go." "The closet, up there, please!" "(elevator bell dings)" "Got it." "Yo, what's up, Dad?" "Got the song, man." "I was..." "I was going crazy all night." "I-I was working with Thirsty, trying to deal with this Stream thing, and it hit me out of nowhere." "It hit me, and it's so beautiful." "I got the song." "Been in the studio all night." "Song for Pepsi?" "Yes, the Pepsi song." "All right, well, let's hear." "I-I got something, too, though." "LUCIOUS:" "No." "No, no, no." "The moment you hear this, it's a rap." "It's a rap." "It's a rap." "It's a rap." "Bing, bing, bing." "Go." "Go for it." "(upbeat electronic music playing)" "See what I'm saying?" "It's kind of crazy, right?" "It's like this mad generation." "Yeah." "(chuckles)" "Kind of tribal, right?" "Yeah." "It's world. (chuckles)" "See what I'm saying?" "That's the song." "Yeah." "You don't think it's too edgy for Pepsi?" "No, no, no, no." "This is the song!" "This is the song." "Oh, yeah." "We can tone down the edges if we need to." "I got the studio booked." "Come on." "Let's go." "Come on." "Well, I don't know if we should do it now, because..." "Yo, why is your mama' jacket here?" "Oh, that's her jacket?" "She always leaving stuff over here." "Come on." "And record this dang song." "Acting like a damn fool." "(elevator bell dings)" "Anika?" "Oh, my God. (chuckles)" "Hi, Rhonda." "Hi." "I was just here getting my favorite smoothie, the Soul Cleanser." "Are you okay?" "You know what?" "I feel like my soul could use some cleansing, too." "Want me to come?" "Okay." "ANIKA:" "By the way, you look amazing." "You're barely showing." "Well, for a long time, we didn't want to have kids, for many reasons, but when this happened..." "I don't know." "It's honestly the happiest I've ever been." "Really?" "Yeah." "And then there's this added bonus, because, turns out, babies are like kryptonite for Lucious." "Wait, what?" "(chuckles)" "Well, do you remember how he was around Lola?" "He just completely melted around her." "Oh, yeah, he did." "It's just totally bizarre, because after being completely iced by him for years, this pregnancy has changed everything." "I mean, he'll drop by my house just to chat." "Really?" "Isn't that crazy?" "Wow." "(computer rings) Hey, Mom?" "Ma?" "Where are we with your song, Jamal?" "I kind of think I should do some tweaking to the song myself, you know?" "So you working with Jamal?" "That's why I can't get you to help me with the biggest battle of my life?" "The battle for Dynasty?" "It's not what you think, Hakeem." "How come nothing I do is good enough for you?" "What makes you love Jamal more than me?" "Boy, come over here and sit down." "Look, I'm sorry I hurt you, okay?" "But this deal is the biggest thing to ever happen to Jamal." "And if I can make it happen, then maybe I can get Jamal back here with us." "Well, him?" "What about me?" "Us?" "You keep working with Jamal, I'm gonna tell Lucious." "You know what you sound like?" "A snitch bitch." "What?" "Yeah." "And what, you gonna snitch to Lucious?" "The man who's trying to take your name?" "Really?" "I..." "Yeah, I thought your little punk ass toughened up, but I guess I was wrong." "All right, I'll hold this one." "But you better get on point, or I'm gonna air you and Jamal out." "(chuckles)" "Okay, you the boss." "Now get your ass in there so we can get you ready for this battle." "I'll meet you in the studio." "Okay." "(sighs)" "LUCIOUS:" "Same problem, all the way." "Oh, that's crazy. (groans)" "That was crazy." "I'm tired." "Yeah, so, anyway, I dug up a mountain of dirt on your friend Jago Locke." "I mean, it was easy." "He airs it all out." "You can't blackmail a man who flaunts his foulness." "Look, I know you want this, Pop." "Every bone in my body says that we should back out now." "No." "Dre's got Beats, Jay has Tidal." "Empire needs Swiftstream." "If you're worried about Mimi, Pop, we can..." "No, no, that bitch needs to worry about me!" "Same with Jago!" "Same with you two!" "Same with Hakeem!" "Same with everyone if we don't start making some moves soon." "I'm sick and tired of being out here on this damn ledge." "(sighs)" "Okay." "Only way we do this is to get Mimi to go in with us to mitigate the risk." "Damn right." "Yeah." "(knocking)" "Hey." "Somebody's in a funk." "(laughs)" "You never confirmed for tonight." "Sorry, babe." "I just been hella focused." "Oh." "The thing with Freda." "Yeah." "Like, Anika, can I be honest?" "Yeah." "I wish I hadn't done this." "The way Lucious came at me got me feeling like... like I'm floating in outer space or something." "You cannot let him rule your life, Hakeem." "You need people around you who are gonna make you feel good." "You know?" "Really good." "(chuckles)" "Mm, babe." "Oh." "Mmm." "Babe, slow down." "I need to tell you something, and I want to make sure you're in the right mood to hear it." "Can we, like, talk, no touching?" "Hmm?" "(laughs)" "Really?" "No." "Look, here's the thing." "I think I'm in love." "You're... you're in love?" "Yeah." "(laughs)" "Look, I know it sound crazy." "But I ain't never feel this way in my life." "But we still homies, right?" "I still think you're dope." "Yeah." "Of course." "Yes." "Great, great." "So what did you have to tell me?" "Nothing." "Nothing." "I just wanted to offer you my support with the Freda thing, that's all." "I don't know wh-what's gonna happen." "I got Cookie and Laura helping me." "Look, I'm sorry about everything, Anika." "Don't be." "LUCIOUS:" "Hey, what's up, Mal?" "So, listen." "I've been thinking about this song, and, uh... not really sure which way I want to go with it." "What you talking about?" "You don't like my song?" "No, I love your song." "It's dope." "But I got this other song stuck in my head, and..." "I don't know, maybe there's a way we could, you know, combine the two." "Well, let me hear it." "I mean, if it's good, we'll use that one." "Who cares?" "(gentle electronic music playing)" "Nice." "(laughs)" "It's cute." " Cute." " All right." " Cute in a sexy kind of cute." " Yeah." "(instruments playing same song)" "(music stops)" "Yes, Jamal!" "Okay, I see why you wanted to use the studio. (chuckles)" "I see you, boo." "You know, I've been thinking about what the song needs to take it to the next level." " Good." "Me, too." " Yeah, you know those keys are angelic, but they're a little too happy, you feel me?" "Put a little edge on that." "Put some stank on it." "Run it back." "Let me hear it again." " Mm-hmm, absolutely." "Y'all ready?" " Yeah." "JAMAL:" "All right." "COOKIE:" "Go ahead, run it back." "Come on, what you waiting for?" "!" "Why y'all standing around looking like you seen a ghost?" "What in the hell is going on here?" " Are you serious, Jamal?" " LUCIOUS:" "You playing with me?" "That was her song?" " I'm not working with her, man." " COOKIE:" "Okay, so I left my spa mani-pedi to come and deal with this?" "Hear me out, please." " LUCIOUS:" "Is this for real?" " JAMAL:" "Just hear me out." "COOKIE:" "I don't even believe this." "Just wait, y'all!" "This is exactly why I needed neutral ground." "Now..." "I'm gonna need y'all to fuse both of your songs together." "I'm sorry, that's not gonna happen." "That's gonna happen." "Charlie, bring up the mics, please." "Thank you." "Here we go, flutes." "One, two, three, and... (instruments playing gentle music)" "(music stops)" "Mom." "What?" "Your flutes are beautiful, they're perfect." "I know that." "They are." "Your keyboard... (playing gentle music) are beautiful." "Uplifting, even." ""Angelic" is what I said." "Okay, angelic." "But..." "Dad's beat and bass line will bring it all together." "(playing upbeat music)" "(music stops)" "That's the whole song." "So this is what I need from y'all." "We are going to merge these two songs together." "Uh, that is not gonna happen." "Mom, these musicians know literally every single note of this song." "And if y'all can just work together for more than two seconds, I promise you" "I can close this thing." "Look, y'all can play whatever game y'all want to play, but at the end of the day, this is an Empire song." "Empire's paying for this session." "Actually, no." "I am." "(laughs)" "Dad." "Your generation." "Thank you." "All right, come on." "Top." "One, two, three, and... (upbeat music playing)" "(gentle music joins in)" "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" "No, no, no, no!" "Now what the hell is that, man?" "!" "Oh, my..." "That don't work, Jamal." "He..." "That-that flattened 13th is killing the bass line." "What?" "You got to take that out." "No, I'm not taking that out, Lucious, no!" "Because, first of all, your damn chorus is too long and scary." "LUCIOUS:" "Now why don't you just tell the truth?" "You're just trying to save your dead label by using my son." "That's the truth." "Oh, so now he's your son?" "Now he's your son, Lucious?" "You hear this?" "That's it." "I'm not working with her, I told you." "Choose." "Yeah, you gonna have to choose." "'Cause, I'm sorry, this is not the Disney Channel." "We have no happy ending." "Never was a happy ending." "This is an embarrassment is what this is." "Well, I don't know," "I thought that maybe y'all could choose to work together to possibly do something that would not only change my life but y'all's, too." "I guess I was wrong, so I'm done." "Jamal, baby..." "No, Ma, I-I'm done." "I'm gonna get him back." "He needs me." "He lives to be me." "He needs me." "And you're gonna lose Hakeem as well." "I got time on my side." "And I'm gonna rebuild him." "Don't you bet on it." "Hey... why don't we make a bet?" "Say word." "When Hakeem wins..." "Hmm." "I get to release" "Jamal's next album through Lyon Dynasty." "And if your Freda Wack... happens to win, you can have Hakeem's." "(chuckles)" "Bet." "Bet." " Put your shoes in my face again." " Shut it." "Okay, this is a battle rap." "Now, we just gonna throw you" " some subjects and you flow, okay?" " Go. (hip-hop beat playing)" "Phone." "♪ Phone... got it in my hand right now ♪" "♪ Transferring money to one of my bank accounts ♪" "♪ Same time, texting a shorty, we going out ♪" "♪ Let her stand next to me and give her a little shine ♪" "♪ He ain't even from the streets, check ♪" "♪ And he want to be the boss, check ♪" "♪ He a little fake mogul, check ♪" "♪ And he jealous of his brother, check ♪" "♪ I'm laughing at him 'cause I ain't even worried 'bout him ♪" "♪ If it ain't Hollywood, we ain't heard about it ♪" "♪ Young, rich and flashy, can't nobody pass me ♪" "♪ Line 'em up, I knock 'em down ♪" "♪ Shorty get at me ♪ (whooping)" "♪ Rolly don't tick, my whips bet they be nasty ♪" "♪ I got my own money, I don't really need daddy ♪" "(crowd cheering)" "♪ Little boy with his nails done, lookin' like a bitch ♪" "♪ He never had to struggle, all he know is being rich ♪" "♪ Me versus dude is like a kitten to a bull ♪" "♪ You know it's hunting season, one for me and none for you ♪" "♪ Damn fool, boy, he know little Freda win it all ♪" "♪ I'm a bitch, I'm a dog, but a lion when I roar ♪" "♪ Check. ♪" "JAMAL:" "I swear, man, the way Mom and Dad argue, makes you want to just say screw it." "Know what I'm saying?" "I could submit both songs." "But, man, how you gonna win with "screw it"?" "Don't ask, just take." "You got Dad in you and you got Mom in you, too." "You got to take the parts you need from both of them and fuse them together for yourself." "Ain't no Mom and Dad." "They're business partners, not your parents." "It's all on you, Mal." "Oh, CEO talk coming from you." "(chuckles)" "So you gonna come see me and Freda or what?" "Tell you this much though, I want to see a show." "I thought a battle was a show." "Mm-mm." "A battle is a battle." "And that's Freda's game;" "you ain't got to try to follow that little one-trick fool." "You a MC, but you're also a performer." "So that's what you do." "You need to work the crowd and-and hype them up and give them... give them real songs instead of just, you know, battle raps." "That's how you gonna win." "Make sure you get that damn chip dust off your mouth, too." "(laughs)" "Come on, chief." "♪ Oh, yeah, oh, yeah ♪" "♪ You're worth more than a hundred grand. ♪" "Oh, come on, Mimi's not coming, face it." "Guys, I have to get to the gym." "I mean... (sharp breaths)" "You know, you could always just put the money up yourself." "Or, you know, the deal dies, the bank's analyst rates Empire a sell, and your stock tumbles into nothing." "If the deal dies, then your company doesn't benefit." "Everybody is into streaming." "Okay?" "Show me the numbers." "I can tell by your faces that you're leveraged." "(quietly):" "Dre called it." "Mimi got us flapping in the wind." "You ask me, you bail out now." "It'll be a brutal hit, but you could probably survive it." "I don't deal with probablys." "I'm buying Swiftstream." "Lucious, you can barely afford your half, let alone the entire amount." "JAGO:" "Gentlemen..." "I have been advised to shut up." "Also, I'm tired of waiting, so I'm gonna go." "I am so very sorry." "Life interfered." "Now, can we wrap this up?" "All depends if Mimi has any more surprises for us." "Lucious, you know that I'm dealing with personal matters." "Where's that letter of intent?" "Here." "Thank you." "I have to get to Positano." "The sooner you sign it, the sooner we get to work." "Hell with it." "Leverage away." "In six months, I'm-a own the world." "(woman laughs) JAMAL:" "It's gonna be dope, it's gonna be awesome." " We've been waiting for it all week." " Yeah." "You're gonna kill it." "I'm very, very excited." " How you feel?" " I'm excited." "Anxious, but excited." "COOKIE:" "Jamal, you told me you were using my song." "WOMAN:" "You'll kill it." "Oh, this is my mom." " This is Cookie Lyon." " Oh, hi." "Caitlin Peters." "Hi, how are you?" "Nice to meet you." "Pleasure." "I'm well." "Uh, do you mind if I have a word with my son?" "Of course, not at all." "Break a leg." "Thank you." "Thank you so much." "What is this?" "No, no, no, Jamal, why did you bring me up in here when you knew you invited Lucious, too?" "Cookie, have a seat, please." "Sit down." "What the hell is she doing here?" "See, what'd I tell you?" "I swear to God, I'm not doing this with y'all today." "Because he is my son, too." "I'm not." "Lucious, Cookie..." "You're using my song?" "No, you using my song." "Sit down." "Now." "I didn't know." "You want the outside?" "Oh, yes, thank you." "You can have it." "Thank you, y'all." "I'm so happy." "Thank you so much." "Have a good show, baby." "Yes." "All right." "I love you, too, Dad." "We love you." "Mama, Daddy right here before you." "Sorry, pardon me." "Oh, you're such a gentleman." "Have a seat." "Thank you." "(upbeat music playing)" "That's what I'm talking about." "Bye-bye." "Screw you!" "(gentle music joins in)" "♪ I get up with my mind ♪" "♪ Set to stay on the grind ♪" "♪ Everything will be mine ♪" "♪ Including you, mm ♪" "♪ Got my eyes on the prize ♪" "♪ Gonna make you realize ♪" "♪ My goal is the sky ♪" "♪ It's what I'll do ♪" "♪ Oh, hey ♪" "♪ I said that I would show ♪" "♪ Everybody what they should already know ♪" "♪ I grew up, stood up, and now I'm ♪" "♪ Ready to go ♪" "♪ Ready, set, go ♪" "♪ I'm ready to go ♪" "♪ Ready, set, go ♪ ♪ Hey ♪" "♪ I'm ready to go, go, go ♪" "♪ I'm ready to go, go, go ♪" "♪ Put your hands up once we turn up the bass ♪" "♪ Hey, hey ♪" "♪ Hey, hey ♪" "♪ Said I can't deny ♪" "♪ I often lie ♪" "♪ This world is all mine, but I'll share with you ♪" "♪ I'll stay on this star ♪" "♪ And ride it as far as I can ♪" "♪ And I'll never fall, watch me soar... ♪" "This some BS." "They keep me waiting any longer," " I promise you I'm gonna shut this place down." " Lucious, Lucious!" "I'm gonna shut it down." "The boy got this far on his own." " Look, just don't ruin it by being you." " JAMAL:" "I don't even care at this point though, 'cause I got" " something better now." " What?" "My album, that's what." "This song that I just did... it killed." "And it was equal parts Cookie and Lucious." "So that's what my album is gonna be." "Both of y'all, together." "Lucious," "Cookie..." "Equal." "Might call it The Black and White Album." "Who knows?" "But regardless, it's gonna be produced by both of y'all, and you're gonna enjoy it, because at the end of the day, that's what all of us need." "Feel me?" "Yeah, the question is:" "who's gonna release it?" "Oh, well, that depends on tonight, doesn't it, Lucious?" "It don't depend on nothing." "See, now, we-we made a bet." "Your dumb father made this... (clears throat) What?" "Jamal." "Seriously?" "Seriously." "Seriously?" "Seriously." "Like, for real for real?" "Yes!" "For real for real." "Seriously?" "!" "(laughing) You got it!" "No way." "No way." "No way." "Who's great?" "!" "Yes!" "Mom!" "Oh, my God!" "Who's great?" "!" "Who's great?" "!" "Yeah!" "Who's great?" "!" "Who's great?" "!" "We great!" "We great!" "Who's great?" "!" "(whoops)" "Congratulations, Jamal. (laughs)" "FLEX:" "Hold tight, everyone!" "We about to get is thing popping." "(crowd cheering)" "Body his ass." "You ain't got to worry." "Hakeem gonna feel these blades, man." "FLEX:" "Ladies and gentlemen, kings and queens, you know what it is." "It's the brawl for it all!" "We got legendary Brownsville battle emcee" "Freda Gatz!" "(crowd cheering)" "She wants Hakeem Lyon's title." "Let's get it on!" "(crowd cheering)" "CROWD (chanting):" "Where's Hakeem?" "Where's Hakeem?" "(chanting continues)" "JAMAL:" "Where's he at?" "He's coming." "Everybody relax." "CROWD (chanting):" "Where's Hakeem?" "Where's Hakeem?" "(chanting continues)" "FLEX:" "Uh-oh." "FLEX:" "Here comes your Lyon!" "(crowd cheering)" "With all his pride!" "Okay, I'm gonna give them something that they can both work with!" "(hip-hop beat playing, crowd cheering)" "♪ I'm about to send ♪" "♪ Your funny-looking ass to the circus ♪" "♪ Or back under that rock with the serpents ♪" "♪ Claimin' you a rider 'bout that life of moving, working ♪" "♪ You let that flame go but your life is really worthless ♪" "♪ I don't give a damn where you come from ♪" "♪ You're sweeter than a honey bun ♪" "♪ That's why every single person done desert you ♪" "♪ Oh, you need a hug, sorry, I got to hurt you ♪" "♪ Get out of line, and butter boy'll really have to murk you ♪" "♪ Uh, think it's sweet, I ain't no dessert food ♪" "♪ On the same stage, you should be grateful ♪" "♪ You about to get peeled like a grapefruit ♪" "♪ Can't touch me little boy blue, hoo!" "♪" "(crowd cheering)" "CROWD (chanting):" "Freda!" "Freda!" "Freda!" "Freda!" "(chanting continues)" "♪ ♪" "♪ Aw, look at you, boy, you so precious ♪" "♪ I think it's time we let 'em know just who the best is ♪" "♪ If we talking money, gone and check it off your checklist ♪" "♪ Freda 'bout that action, watch me ♪" "♪ Shoot right where your chest is ♪" "♪ I promise I ain't lying' ♪" "♪ When I spit it and whoever writing this here ♪" "♪ Just for you, I'm really wit' it ♪" "♪ Tell your homie come and get it ♪" "♪ It's whatever, I'm that Brownsville bully ♪" "♪ It's nothin' better, this rappin' just ain't for you ♪" "♪ I ain't lying, I keep it true ♪" "♪ I know a place in France ♪" "♪ Where we send lil' boys like you ♪" "♪ Who love to dance and love to show off ♪" "♪ They ass in Hammer pants, it's real here ♪" "♪ You better check your time before you cross the line ♪" "♪ 'Cause when them hitters line you up ♪" "♪ Boy, you can't call your mom. ♪" "(crowd cheering)" "FLEX:" "Ooh!" "Did Freda just catch a body?" "All right, now I'm gonna drop an old-school gem." "But just remember, one of the greatest of all time has rocked on this beat." "So y'all got to make it happen." "("Flava in Ya Ear" beat playing)" "(crowd cheering)" "♪ Okay, we all know your mommy was a hustler ♪" "♪ But you not, you crazy if you think you really touching' her ♪" "♪ But this the type of field that I play on, I put that ass ♪" "♪ In park with no brake on, I blow like I'm napalm ♪" "♪ So you should hit the blunt ♪" "♪ And keep on smokin' till your eyes low ♪" "♪ Freda spit that ether, boy ♪" "♪ Them bars will make 'em die slow ♪" "♪ I know you mad 'cause it's not you, boy ♪" "♪ Your brother the man and he put on a nightgown ♪" "♪ Boy, you look like a fan ♪" "♪ I'm sorry, boy, you gotta cut ♪" "♪ The check first, or make your neck work ♪" "♪ Your lady know my best work ♪" "♪ This empire all mine and I ain't got no more time ♪" "♪ To stand here wit' all these lies ♪" "♪ Which one is it, you wanna be the queen or a Lyon?" "♪" "♪ Tell Cookie get the milk 'cause her baby keep on crying ♪" "♪ This here not my swag ♪" "♪ And, Lucious, please give 'em a towel ♪" "♪ He sweating, 'bout to make me mad. ♪" "(crowd cheering)" "CROWD (chanting):" "Freda!" "Freda!" "Freda!" "(chanting continues)" "♪ ♪" "HAKEEM: ♪ Yo ♪" "♪ It's a Ru in the jungle, all eyes on me ♪" "♪ I ain't Floyd, but I'm on the money team ♪" "♪ I'm a star, nobody else compare to Hakeem ♪" "♪ I'm on another level, you could learn something from me ♪" "♪ Bars for days, wordplay dictionary ♪" "♪ Go for blood, kill everything in sight ♪" "♪ Carry scary, I'm just warming up ♪" "♪ They done lit a fire that they can't put out ♪" "♪ I'm a new flavor, hi, hater, new paper, life saver ♪" "♪ No sucka here, top tier ♪" "♪ I belong with the greats ♪" "♪ Talking Big, talking Nas ♪" "♪ Talking Pac, talking Jay, feel me?" "♪" "♪ The Dalai Lama of hip-hop, I won't stop ♪" "♪ Doing numbers like Warren Buffett, I own stoc" "♪ Slide through in a Wraith, park it and board a yacht ♪" "♪ Ice drip off the neck, wrist like moonshine ♪" "♪ No shade, but I ball, legend like John Stock... ton ♪" "♪ Big Ben is my best friend ♪" "♪ Pocket's full of blue stripes, blowing 'em ♪" "♪ Everything foreign ♪" "♪ Yeah, I'm owning it, one time for you ♪" "CROWD and HAKEEM: ♪ Two times for Keem ♪" "♪ Hands in the air if you repping the Dynasty ♪" "♪ You know the motto ♪" "♪ Full throttle ♪ ♪ Who the man out here?" "♪" "♪ Hakeem got it ♪ ♪ You want my spot flash ♪" "♪ But you can't buy it ♪ ♪ It's Hakeem, put a bullet ♪" "♪ To the name Lyon, who run it?" "♪ ♪ Hakeem ♪" "♪ Who run it?" "♪ ♪ Hakeem ♪" "♪ Who the flyest in the world, who do it like ♪" "♪ Hakeem ♪ ♪ Who put on for the city, show off like ♪" "♪ Hakeem ♪ ♪ Nobody, nobody ♪" "♪ Nobody, nobody ♪" "♪ Nah, not even Lucious, the king Lyon lying ♪" "♪ I warned you once before that I'm just like ya ♪" "♪ From now on, I'm cutting ties, the Empire's dying ♪" "♪ Call me Hakeem, bullet to the name Lyon. ♪" "(crowd cheering)" "CROWD (chanting):" "Hakeem!" "Hakeem!" "Hakeem!" "(chanting continues)" "(crowd groaning)" "(electrical crackling)" "HAKEEM:" "Hey, y'all, I got an announcement to make!" "I'm dropping my last name." "From here on out, I go by Hakeem." "(crowd murmuring)" "♪ ♪" "FLEX:" "All right, who y'all think won?" "!" "CROWD (chanting):" "Hakeem!" "No Lyon!" "Hakeem!" "No Lyon!" "(chanting continues)" "♪ Never loved us ♪" "♪ Never loved us... ♪" "Hey." "Hey." "I'm proud of you, boy." " Oh, thanks for coming." " Yeah." "You know, all I ever wanted was to have my boys back." "And even if it's only for one night," "I am truly happy." "And, Hakeem, you made it happen." "Yeah, congratulations, Mr. No Name." "And, Jamal, if you ain't changed your name already, your mama might have a little bit of news." "She gonna tell you about a bet we made." "(Cookie laughs)" "Me and your father made a stupid bet." "We both put up your next album." "Look, look, look, I know" "I didn't have the right to do it, Hakeem, but at least you know I have faith in you." "Hmm." "♪ Never loved us... ♪" "Dad." "I say this as someone who loves you more than anything." "Just let us have this moment." "♪ Never loved us ♪" "♪ Worst behavior... ♪" "Excuse me, sir. (talking quietly)" "♪ Never loved us ♪" "♪ Worst behavior... ♪" "No, don't let her in." ", no, matter of fact, hold on." "Uh-uh." "Uh-uh." "Hey, Cookie?" "COOKIE:" "What?" "Your sister's here." "Who, Carol?" "No, the other one." "CANDACE:" "Loretha!" "Hey, hey, miss, come on, now." "Loretha!" "Loretha!" "It's important!" "I need to talk to you!" "Loretha!" "It's important, girl!" "I need to talk to you!" "Who's that?" "Candace." "Just..." "Excuse me." "I said, get... get your hands off of me!" "I told you, I need to speak with my sister." "Excuse me, fellas." "Thank you." "Yes." "Thank you." "Candace, can you not show up around here acting like you at the Cherry Hill Mall, embarrassing me?" "Oh, stop it." "You know I wouldn't be here if it wasn't serious." "Oh, okay, well, then what is it?" "Our sister is on a bender." "And?" "What she smoked don't make me choke." "Child, that's what you came all the way up here to tell me?" "If 17 years of prison taught you anything, it's definitely how to dress like a monkey and talk like a pimp." "It's our sister!" "LUCIOUS:" "Look, hold on." "You know, just when I thought nothing could make this night get good, you showed up." "Thank you." "You're welcome, Lucious." "(laughs)" "You know, I never did like your fake ass, Candace." "Yeah, you show up around here like you all concerned about Carol." "I am." "No, you're not." "The first thing you do is get to talking slick out your mouth." "Real greasy, looking down your nose at me like you ain't from the same hood I'm from, married to your white man." "And he's rich." "I can't tell by them cheap-ass shoes." "Okay." "If your bougie ass called your family more often, maybe you'd know Carol ain't nothing but a scammer." "All she does is run game, trying to scam a hot dollar." "The only thing that's new is that she got your number instead of mine." "Welcome back to the family, Candace." "She left her kids." "What?" "Yeah." "She dumped them at my house with a note, saying that this was all Cookie and Jermel's fault." "(sighs)" "What have you done, Loretha?" "What have you done?" "!" "Look, come on." "We-we got to go to Philly." "Philly?" "!" "Yes, Philly!" "(Hakeem and Laura laugh)" "There go your car, babe." "I'll see you tomorrow." "You sure you don't want me to come home with you?" "Don't make that face." "Yeah, I do, but I want to make sure we right first." "Okay." "Be safe." "ANIKA:" "All right." "Where to?" "163rd and Seventh." "Got you." "Buckle up."