Original subtitles

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.

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 step in' fetch it-ass

run errands, you mother

an "excuse me" would be nice.

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?

Always.

I still need you, andré.

Yes, you do.

So you fucking her?

You can be damn sure she fuckin' you, nigga.

Wait, wait, wait.

We're very, very sorry.

Please, no!

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.

Ha ha. That's right.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

Just... just tell me what you want, Marvin.

I'm getting' what I want right now.

Anything, man... money, product, whatever.

Just tell me, man.

Yo, we still makin' up for the hit.

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.

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.

It's her.

It's gonna be okay.

She hates me, kanan.

What's up?

This is nice.

Me and Krystal gonna make it even better.

You out?

I have some business.

I thought we was kickin' it.

I thought you two could catch up.

You know, harmonize and shit.

Well, I'll roll through when you got time.

Nah.

Krys, you wanna give her the tour?

Yeah, let me show you, juke.

Come on. Come on, Marvin.

Please, please.

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.

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.

Okay. All right. I'll give you the fuckin' name.

I know, nigga.

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 butt a.

You had your peoples jump me, Krystal.

They tried to fucking cut me.

But you fucked them weak-ass bitches up.

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 butt a was it for me.

It was all I had.

So... now kanan's your way out?

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.

New sound for rilla.

I like it.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Yeah?

I'm kind of a big deal too.

Bump that track.

Take care.

Y'all really do fuck with everybody?

We fuck with them so they don't fuck with us.

Sit down.

You're a little light.

Drop spot got hit.

You don't keep reserves?

'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.

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.

Yo, early, it's Marvin.

Where you at?

Yo, you want to show your face, you can do it now.

On the throne, nigga.

Be right out.

A'ight, I'ma stay dead another minute, then.

Get the fuck out of here.

You wash your hands?

From what?

You said you was takin' a shit.

Right.

No doubt.

I scrubbed them shits like I'm going into surgery.

Yo, 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.

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.

You hearing what we saying, kanan?

Does it resonate for you, son?

It resonate.

I think you have an admirer.

I'm Jackie.

Laverne.

Can I buy you a drink, Laverne?

I'm-I'm good, but thanks.

All right, if you say so.

- What? - 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.

Come to think of it, it's not like mine either.

My family sucks.

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

south side 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.

Bye

bye, honey. Have fun.

You hungry? There's a diner up the block.

Hash browns is stupid.

I don't pass on potatoes in any form.

I-I think it's over here.

Actually, what about pizza?

There's a place a few streets over.

They got a great slice.

Yeah, but-but these hash browns... Mara.

Is that guy creepin'?

Ignore him.

Wait, you know him?

He's my husband, technically.

You're married?

- Mara! - Run!

Is that your new whore?

Humiliating me.

- Aaron, stop. - You're hurting me.

You hurt me! I'll kill you!

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.

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.

My friend Marvin says that,

you might be a good candidate

to run my sporting interests in corona.

He says you've got a, 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 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.

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.

Yeah, or a dishonest.

That too.

Alright look, as 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.

That's what I'm fucking talking about.

To success and prosperity.

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.

Put down any nigga you can.

This ain't about nothin' else but hurtin' raq

every which fuckin' way.

You know me.

Down for whatever.

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.

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.

In the meantime, it's for your troubles.

That's not nearly enough for our troubles.

Yes, it is.

We got you, Terry.

You just need to take a breath.

Can't be overreacting.

Toughen the fuck up, Charlie chan.

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.

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.

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.

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, what the fuck happened to you?

Somebody put hands on you?

Come.

What's this?

If you want what we discussed, you'll get in.

If not, we can part ways now.

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.

Thank you.

That's my word.

Green tea with cardamom.

Reminds me of home, which ishaq tells me

you have a particular interest in.

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.

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.

Yeah, I'm running this imprint that's gonna be

exclusively hip-hop.

Rilla is the first artist that we fuckin' with.

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.

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'.

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?

Yeah?

Raquel Thomas?

Detective walton, NYPD.

This is my partner, 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.

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.

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.

Fuck!

This it?

That's what she said.

Third floor.

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.

Who is it?

I said, who the fuck is it?

What the fuck?

Leave her alone, or I'ma be back.

There's a thousand ways to die

while you still breathin'.

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!

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.