Original subtitles

(crowd cheering)

Hey-hey, l'chaim!

(laughs)

Shit.

(sighs)

Exc-Excuse me.

What you did up there was very impressive.

Oh, thanks, man.

How do you do it?

- Do... what? - Well, you-you know, the...

You know? All of it.

Oh, you mean rap?

No, all of it.

The way you look, talk, your demeanor,

your facial expressions

where, you know, people think it's real.

Man, I don't know what the hell you're talking about, man.

Could...

- could you teach my son? - Man, teach your son what, man?

You know, just to... how to be like you.

- Teach him how to rap. -(smacks lips, sighs)

I want to hire you.

He makes more videos than songs, I don't understand it.

Man, it ain't that easy, big dawg, all right?

Well, I just want to-- maybe he could shadow you,

absorb for a week.

Maybe you could take a couple of selfies, give him some tips.

Hey, look, man, I'm kind of busy, all right?

So, like, why don't you reach out to my manager?

But I'm telling you, I don't think I got the time, man.

I'll pay you a million dollars.

("Money Good" by Megan Thee Stallion playing)

Hey, hey ♪

- Fuck. -* Money good ♪

Throw up where I'm from ♪

Let 'em know I'm still hood ♪

♪ I ain't had to get nobody hit ♪

But I could ♪

♪ Before I post a pic, should I flex? ♪

Yeah, I should ♪

♪ I ain't gotta worry 'bout shit ♪

-* Money good * -* Ah. ♪

HOC: All right, all right.

We just signed a new recruit.

So I'm gonna need all hands on deck for this one.

Cathy, can you pull the video up on the big screen, please?

LAUREN: Back off. Stop right there.

Do you have anything on you?

Okay, no, no, no, get down...

Lauren Loughty. She's one of ours.

This is her.

Her book is climbing exponentially

on The New York Times Best Sellers list.

Oh, wow. I just finished that book.

It gave me a real paradigm shift

on how things may not always be as they seem.

Well, so now the kid in the video is suing her,

which is causing a dip in sales.

We have a few companies interested

in securing the rights, so we need this to go away.

And fast.

Let's talk ideas, new image, rebranding.

Hit me.

MANAGER 1: Maybe we show the kid has a checkered past.

MANAGER 2: Or we can put out crime data from that neighborhood

to show she was in the right trying to defend herself.

MANAGER 3: Oh, what if we had her donate to the kid's football team?

I mean, it's tax deductible.

(quietly): Can we just work on our other signees?

What did he just say?

Uh, I was asking, can we work on other signees?

Everybody is already assigned.

Lauren Loughty is the priority right now.

Can we sign new people?

Our hands are full right now,

unless you can wrangle a prestige act--

your D'Angelos, Banksys.

I could probably get D'Angelo.

(others chuckling)

Have at it.

(quietly): Great.

Moving on...

Cathy, what's next on the agenda?

(hip-hop playing)

(yodeling)

Hey, what's up?

What's up? Can I help you?

Yeah, man. I'm... I'm Paper Boi.

The rapper.

Song's dead. What's next?

Uh, yo, can you put on that "Do the Ricky Rock"?

Uh... sure.

- Cool. - What's the Ricky Rock?

(smacks lips) Fuck if I know, bro.

That's for the Internet to decide.

Yo, I'm supposed to be working with somebody named Benny.

One of y'all Benny?

- Who? - Yeah, that's me.

Great. Hey, man.

I'm Paper Boi.

The rapper.

Paper Boi, you know?

Oh, you the dude my dad bought.

Yeah, tight, tight, tight. All right.

Uh, this Yodel Kid. We just vibin', bro.

YODEL KID: Yo.

I know you.

I used to listen to you when I was a kid.

- That's what's up. -(snaps fingers)

That's great, wonderful.

Uh, what you need help with, man? Can you...?

Oh, no, we cool.

My dad's just extra.

He want to help out and shit,

but you can just chill and collect that check.

I'm about to get in the booth.

- It's time, you know? - Yep.

(hip-hop playing)

(indistinct chatter)

(sighs)

(music stops)

BENNY: Yeah, this shit's gonna be fire.

YODEL KID: Hell yeah, it is.

BENNY: We gonna change the game

with this shit, bro. Look at this shit.

(laughter)

Hey! Lil Rick Moranis. What's kosh'?

You ready to kill this shit, bro?

- I was born to kill. - That's what I'm talking about.

- What's up, man? - What's up, baby? - Hey, you know Yodel Kid?

- Oh, what's up, man? - Lil Rick Moranis.

You know, Honey I Shrunk the Kids looking ass.

- BUNK: What's going on, man? - Paper Boi, dawg.

Shit, I know who you are, sir.

- Oh. - Bunk.

I'm with Lil Rick.

Yeah, man, I know who you are. (chuckles)

I like your music, dawg.

- Ah, that's what's up. - Mm.

(hip-hop playing)

-* I'm Rickin' * - BENNY: Hey.

I'm rockin' ♪

I'm tickin' ♪

So, you want to hang out with these little kids...

I'm tockin' ♪

...or you want to converse in Studio Three?

-* I'm Rickin' * - Yo.

- Say less, man. -* I'm rockin' ♪

Studio Three it is.

BENNY: This shit slaps, bro, I told you.

YODEL KID: Oh, yeah, man.

What's up?

-(laughing) - Man, all right, hmm, fuck that

Rickin' and rockin', tickin' and tockin'.

"I'm Rick..." Man, get the fuck on, right?

It's almost like it's not even rap, you know?

I know what you gonna say. I know what you gonna say.

You gonna say that the game is fucked and yada yada yada,

whoopty-whoop, but, like...

I don't know, man. (scoffs)

Mm.

Just go collect my million,

dip the fuck out.

You making a million off this?

Crazy, right? (scoffs)

You should be making ten.

Yeah, but...

I'm just banking this money, though, man.

Saving it up, investing and shit.

Hey, I stay on that Robinhood app.

That ain't making money.

I mean, stocks and bonds, I mean, that's cool

if you want to be a dentist

living in Castlewood, driving a Tesla with your wife.

(both laughing)

But you and I both know this lifestyle ain't cheap.

Saving money ain't making money.

And you're letting the real money pass by.

Yeah, but other than touring, that's the only way

to make money in this music business, man.

- BUNK: Mm-mm. - Oh.

You know, me and a couple of my guys, we be getting together,

we be talking about this every once in a while.

We're actually getting together tomorrow night.

You should come through.

EARN: Rally's?

In Georgia?

(siren wailing in distance)

Hey, um...

I'm here to see D'Angelo?

Thank you.

(sighs)

(exhales)

(sighs)

(indistinct chatter)

BUNK: Come on in.

We're just getting started.

- Glad to see you. - Yeah, what's up?

What's going on?

Sit here?

(indistinct chatter)

Hey, what's up, man?

MAN: Psst. Psst.

Thanks.

All right, y'all, listen up, man.

I'm only gonna say this one time.

If you in here,

it means you care about your future.

But this is not about rap.

If you in here dealing in rap,

then you can leave right now.

Everybody in here can rap they asses off.

But if rapping meant you made money,

then Cassidy would be a fucking billionaire.

Take a look at this slide.

Now, can you guess which one of these people

is a Billboard charting rap artist

with billions of streams globally?

It's simple.

We all know that optics is everything.

With my system...

(laughs)

...I'm tossing your Black ass a life raft.

I can help my brother better

- when I'm at the top. - Mm-hmm.

Now...

Look at this.

Memorize this.

Go to sleep dreaming about this.

What's a YWA, man?

(chuckles) Wait.

Young...

white...

avatar. (laughs)

One of them kids that you was hanging out

in the studio with yesterday.

GAS 90: See, you-you-you got

to get one and-and-and train him

and nurture him and...

try to catch 'em all. (laughs)

Nigga, Pokémon?

Exactly.

(laughs) Man, look,

I can make an album better than them kids,

win a Grammy, and then use the clout to go on tour again.

- MAN: Mm. - BUNK: And your album will be better,

but nobody wants to hear you.

'Cause you old.

You can never get bigger than your last album.

Y'all niggas trippin'. (chuckles)

- GAS 90: We trippin'? - Yeah.

Bunk, show him the slide.

(clicks)

See, there's three stages to this thing.

The first one is Young Street.

That was all of us when we first started out.

All swagger.

Then, it's OG.

See, the young kids, they look up to us,

they respect the influence.

Finally, it's Family Films.

Now, see, right here,

you're right on the cusp of OG.

But you?

You think you got all the time in the world,

but in actuality you gonna be Ice Cube's best friend

in Are We There Yet? 5 in less than a year.

(scoffs) That's bullshit, man.

(laughs) That's bullshit.

I'm still hot out here, man. I just did an arena tour.

BUNK: And what's bigger than an arena?

You think you're selling out soccer stadiums, my nigga?

(laughs)

All that goes up must go down.

Let me ask you a question.

When you was in the studio yesterday with those kids,

- they even know who you were? -(Gas 90 chuckles)

(smacks lips) Man, fuck them kids.

-(scoffs) - Man, look.

Niggas still checking for me

'cause I speak for the streets.

You heard me?

Man, the streets can't feed you.

What, you want to end up like Blueblood?

I loved that nigga,

and I didn't even know he had an album out

till he was in the ground for five months.

BUNK: You could downsize your whole lifestyle

and be fine.

Live out in the country in the middle of nowhere.

But if you want this lifestyle,

you better get a YWA in the next five months...

...while they still remember you.

(hip-hop playing)

BENNY: Ladies, hands up, ladies.

Okay, fellas, hands up.

Yo, I used to go to this school, yep.

Yo, check it, uh...

I'm old-school like 2005 ♪

If you're older than that ♪

♪ Then you're probably 'bout to die ♪

♪ My teacher used to tell me I won't be shit ♪

♪ But I just made a million livestreaming on Twitch. ♪

Yo, yo, yo!

Go "Livestreaming."

Livestreaming.

Right now, phones out, phones out, check it.

Y'all want some money?

Who wants that cash money?

Oh, shit.

We got some fine-ass honeys over here.

You want some money? Here you go, hey.

I'll be goddamned.

BENNY: Okay, that's for you.

I swear, what's your Instagram?

I swear I've seen you somewhere...

You need to get off the premises.

It's okay, man. You want some percs?

No congregating, no congregating...

- Anyway... - ALFRED: Hey.

Hey, you remember me?

I'm Paper Boi.

- Oh, what's up, man? - Hey, what's going...?

How you doing, my man?

- It's been so long. -(pats back)

- Can you get Benny for me? - Mm-hmm.

- You remember who Benny is? - Mm-mm.

All right, man. Let me back you up a little bit.

Okay.

- Oh! (laughing) - Oh, shit. You good?

- You good? Can you...? - I'm fine. I'm-I'm...

I'm fucking amazing, man.

I'm good, buddy. (yodels)

- Hey, Benny. Excuse me, I'm sorry. - BENNY: Who want a pic, huh?

- Hey. - Who want a pic? You want a pic?

- Hey, Benny. - BENNY: Yeah, DM me. DM me.

- Oh, shit. What's up, Paper Boi? - Come on, man.

- Let me talk to you real quick. - How you doing, bro?

- Yeah, what's up? - Hey, look.

Whatever you think you got going on here, man,

I think... that me and you should, you know,

solidify our relationship a little bit.

'Cause, I mean, you got real potential, man,

and I... I just think we need to streamline it

- a little bit more. - Yeah, I feel you, yeah.

All right, great.

Yeah, great, great, man.

Look, with me as your manager,

I can make sure you get all the things you need

to be the star you want to be, man.

- Oh, shit, management? - Yeah.

Damn, bro.

I'm sorry, but I just signed with Bunk.

- What? - Yeah, bro.

- Bunk? - Yeah, Bunk.

He talked to me that day we were all at the studio.

Bro, like, pulled me to the side, he laid it all out.

- He's a good guy. -(clicks tongue) Yep.

- Yeah. - Yep.

You should talk to him sometime, bro, he's good.

That's... Yeah, man, yep. (pops lips)

- Yeah. - Yep.

Anyway, we got to-- yeah, we got to roll

'cause I got, like, two more high schools to hit up.

- Okay. Huh. -(laughing): I can't believe

we're getting away with this shit, bro.

- Right. - This shit is crazy. I'm rich.

- I'm number one, bro. - Okay.

I'm number one!

Send me a pic!

YODEL KID: Hey, hey, Benny, hold up.

- Fuck, man - YODEL KID: Wait.

Shit, that girl was hot. Holy shit.

Hey, hang on, Benny, I'm coming. Hold up.

(gags)

(groans)

-(car alarm beeps) - Yo, thanks for giving me a ride, man.

Yeah, don't worry about it.

Mm.

Hold up, man, before you get in my car,

you gonna be all right?

(chuckles softly) Shit, man.

I'm a fucking legend.

I'm gonna live forever, baby. (chuckles)

You're gonna get a legendary ass-beating,

- you vomit on my paint, boy. -(car door opens)

(Alfred sighs)

(exhales)

(car door closes)

-(horn honks) - Vomit away from the car, man.

(tennis ball bouncing)

-(clock ticking) -(bouncing continues)

Hey, man.

Y'all got any water? (clears throat)

Mm-mm.

No.

No. Unacceptable.

Unacceptable.

All right?

I want to see D'Angelo, okay? I've been here all fucking week.

All right?

Where's D'Angelo?

Can I please see D'Angelo?

(stammers)

(grunts)

What is D'Angelo?

(exhales)

We are D'Angelo.

Let me experience...

D'Angelo.

(creaking)

(grunts)

(grunting)

("How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" by Al Green playing)

When living for my life ♪

Was everything ♪

A man could want... ♪

(grunts)

I could never see ♪

(man singing along): * See tomorrow ♪

I was never told ♪

About the ♪

About that sorrow ♪

And ♪

How can you mend ♪

A broken heart? ♪

How can you stop the rain ♪

From falling down? ♪

Tell me, how can you stop ♪

Yeah, oh... ♪

The sun from shining? ♪

♪ What makes the world go 'round? ♪

And ♪

How can you mend... ♪

Speak.

You're not D'Angelo.

You asked to experience D'Angelo.

In this moment, for you, we are D'Angelo.

(shallow breathing)

I haven't bathed in four days.

Hmm.

I thought this was some

"D'Angelo needs a manager with patience" type shit.

I need to sign D'Angelo.

These people are not true believers

and unworthy of D'Angelo's presence.

Would you like to know what a D'Angelo is?

♪ That rustles through the trees ♪

(smacks lips) Sure. Sure.

♪ And misty memories of days gone by ♪

A D'Angelo is a complex network

of men, women and D'Angelos spread across countries,

Earth and light.

You have proven yourself worthy of our visage.

So now you are a protector.

MAN: * La, la, la, la, la. ♪

How can you mend ♪

A broken heart... ♪

If I don't go back with the real D'Angelo,

I'm... (scoffs)

I'm in a little bit of trouble.

MAN:

Hmm.

(smacks lips)

Yes. Yes, yes.

(chuckles softly)

Since you were eight, you always had a dream

where you were swimming,

and below are hands grasping to reach you.

You struggle to keep them from pulling you under.

You fight to stay free.

Why are you so certain

the hands intend to harm you?

-* Help me * -* Help me ♪

Help me mend my heart ♪

Thank you.

My broken heart ♪

I just wanna... ♪

Protector...

...this...

(chuckling): ...whole operation

is rather expensive.

Did you... did you really want to sign me?

Yeah, but... no, I can't.

Sorry.

Somebody tell me ♪

You sound good though.

Thank you. (chuckles softly)

(whispering): I sound...

I sound good.

That's all right.

Help me mend my... ♪

(indistinct chatter)

Here we go, here we go.

-(grunts) - Pose.

- Mm. Grammys, bro. - Pose.

Beat time, baby.

Boogie Bunk.

What's happening, baby?

- Just living the dream? - Yes, sir.

Yo, I'm gonna check out the bar real quick.

All right. Make it a single.

-(both laughing) - What's up, man?

Man, I told you.

These kids can take us places we haven't been before.

- Yes, sir. Yes, sir. - Hey, yo, yo.

- What's going on? - Paper Boi.

-(chuckling) - Haven't seen you in a minute.

- Yeah. - What's going on?

Oh, man, you know. Coolin' it. Coolin' it

- like I do. - Mm-hmm.

That's what's up.

Listen, I want to apologize about Benny.

Part of the game. I hope you weren't offended.

Hey, man, no. No offense taken.

No. No, I learned a lot from y'all, man.

- Good. - Yeah.

BUNK: You see what I've been telling you?

You see where these kids got us?

I mean, we're at the Grammy's, baby.

- Yeah. -(laughing) What's up?

So, Paper Boi, what you nominated for?

Oh, man, I'm-- I'm not nominated.

Yeah, I'm just here supporting my new artist.

- New artist? - Mm-hmm.

Al, you found one?

- Hmm. - Good for you.

Yeah, man, yeah, yeah. You might've heard of Yodel Kid?

- I'm sorry, that was you? - ALFRED: Yeah, man.

Platinum in three weeks.

I mean, it's crazy how fast things travel

on streaming nowadays, no?

GAS 90: That record been out what?

11 fucking days, man?

11 fucking days, man.

GAS 90: You had to pay somebody.

(chuckles) Don't we all?

(both laughing)

Ah, you don't, though. I mean...

We gonna catch you inside.

ALFRED: Yeah, you will. Yes, you will.

(quietly): Yes, they get paid.

What's going on, bruh? Hey, Benny.

Hey, what's up, Paper Boi?

- What's going on? - Yeah, what's going on?

Hey, hey. You heard from Yodel Kid, man?

'Cause I've been callin' his ass all day.

- You know where he at? - Oh, yeah.

Uh... (clears throat) He's dead.

He dead-- What?

Yeah, the driver went to pick him up

a couple of hours ago, and they found him.

Probably, like, OD'd like crazy, bro.

It's all over my feed right now, it's goin'...

Man, let me see this shit. Talkin' about...

-"Lost a legend." "RIP." - Yeah.

What the...

He died, man?

Yeah.

You're probably gonna win that Grammy. (chuckles)

Bet.

And the winner is--

and this was a no-brainer--

BOTH: Yodel Kid, "Born to Die."

(cheering and whooping)

I just want to say thank you to everyone

who was playing his music on the streets today.

You know, he always said all he wanted to be

was a legend and, wow, he really did it.

-(applause) - Huh, that was weird.

I'm telling you, Grammys ain't for a Black man.

(sighs) Mm.

(forced chuckle)

Congrats.

Hmm. (smacks lips)

Man, I don't know, I don't know if I'm cut out

for the managing part, you know what I'm saying?

It just made me feel...

sick?

(chuckles) Yeah.

(Earn chuckles)

How you do it, man?

Um...

I just remember it's not about what feels good.

It's about...

what survives.

(sighs deeply)

EARN: Yeah. Um...

Yeah, I got a meeting on the westside

in the morning, so...

This is on me. I'll see y'all.

- Easy. - I'll see y'all later, hmm?

- Always working. - Yeah.

All right, man.

Actually, uh...

a guy, Mickey Boston, he's got this after-party.

You comin'?

ALFRED: All good, man. I'm good.

- All right. Wham. - Bam.

- Thank you, ma'am. - You know it.

("Let Me Know" by Kodak Black playing)

(sighs)

-* Yeah * -* Out of sight ♪

♪ You're out of mind, you're out of luck ♪

♪ It's like nobody even care if you be 'round ♪

♪ Why I fall off with my niggas when I'm up? ♪

♪ Why nobody stand up for me when I'm down? ♪

♪ You back in jail and this time they say you stuck ♪

♪ Everybody laughin' at you like a clown ♪

♪ Why the only time you hate me when I'm up? ♪

♪ And why the only time you love me when I'm down? ♪

♪ Why I lost best new artist to Khalid, 2017? ♪

♪ We all knew that should've been me ♪

♪ But I never hated, I congratulated ♪

♪ Shit, at least I was nominated ♪

♪ But if Cardi B win, then I won, too ♪

♪ I do it for the real niggas 'cause I'm one, too ♪

♪ The fact I made it out the shit ♪

That they be goin' through ♪

♪ Will make 'em feel like if I win ♪

Then they won, too ♪

Lil' buddy got popped ♪

♪ Some niggas in the squad, too ♪

♪ And why them niggas turned around ♪

And say they know it's you? ♪

Keep it real ♪

♪ Why the hell I wanna harm you? ♪

When everything I drop ♪

♪ They said they wanted part two ♪

I heard his Benz got dropped ♪

And they went and point you. ♪

Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org