Original subtitles

- Wu-Tang? - BOBBY: Wu-Tang Clan.

It's myself, my boys Dennis and Shotgun,

and my cousin Ason.

We both getting our second chance, huh?

I'm gonna see you real soon.

Don't let me catch your ass back here.

I got a friend who's looking to add

a few more hands to his construction site.

Son, as long as you keep walking the righteous path,

I will be happy.

I played your music for a cousin of mine too.

PRODUCER: We like your style, want to record with you.

- (gunshots) - Fuck! Ah.

You know how it be.

You know I didn't mean that shit.

- You know I want no part of it. - (grunts)

All niggas got an expiration date.

We ain't here to build no business.

We here to beat the clock.

You a fool if you think otherwise.

What's today's mathematics?

To build is to elevate the mentalities of self

and those around self.

DENNIS: I got more mouths to feed,

so I'm ready to get busy.

BOBBY: I'm gonna head back to New York.

You could stay here. It's up to you.

I guess we going our separate ways, then, son.

BOBBY: J is for justice,

the celestial balance of our world

and the rewards and penalties for our actions.

K is for king.

King is one who proves to be a righteous guide to the people.

L is for love.

Understanding.

PERSON: Hey, man.

You want to run with me over to this spot I gotta go to?

Sure.

BOBBY: Love and understanding.

(flourishing music)

♪ ♪

I got love for all my people.

I just gotta make 'em understand...

somehow.

PERSON: Yo, what's in the bags, son?

(tense music)

Hey, yo, I said what's in the bags, yo?

♪ ♪

Records.

Shit, I could use some records.

- FRIEND: Exactly. - FRIEND: Right.

Give 'em to my DJ homey.

Throw a block party in Killa Hill.

Know what I mean?

♪ ♪

That shit would be beautiful.

Glad you see it that way.

PERSON: Ooh, there go Tasha and her fine-ass friend.

PERSON: Damn, I haven't seen your fine ass in a hot minute.

Hey, shorty, let me holler at you real quick.

PERSON: Yo, ma, where you going?

PERSON: Damn, honey dip. I mean, you fine.

PERSON: Hey, let me get those digits.

♪ ♪

BOBBY: Somehow.

I gotta make 'em understand... somehow.

(hip-hop music)

(men grunting)

(blade resounds)

♪ ♪

(gun cocks)

♪ ♪

(dice thud)

♪ ♪

(blade resounds)

(power tools whirring)

DIVINE: "All SSPs must be in compliance with Article 104

"and Article 110

"of Title 28 of New York City Administrative Code,

"in addition to the minimum content

of site safety plans submissions industry notice."

Does anyone actually read this shit?

Does anyone who reads this actually understand it?

(hammer pounding rhythmically)

(hammer pounds, drills whir)

Yo, yo. Be careful.

That shit's delicate.

Yo, if you sloppy with that shit, it's gonna break,

and then it's gonna have to be replaced.

Why the fuck you care, nigga? It ain't your money.

Yeah, but it's gonna be, you know, your money

that gets docked from your paycheck, you break all that.

Know what I mean?

Man, we work in construction. Shit's supposed to break.

GURU: ♪ Lemonade was a popular drink and it still is ♪

♪ I get more props and stunts than Bruce Willis ♪

♪ A poet like Langston Hughes and can't lose when I cruise ♪

♪ Out on the expressway ♪

Yo. What up, Vine? What up, Math?

GURU: ♪ Premier's got more beats ♪

♪ Than barns got hay ♪

♪ Clips are inserted into my guns ♪

♪ So I can take the money, never have to run ♪

DIVINE: Shit. That's that shit.

Ah, how's the scratch game coming?

I mean it's not Preem's, but shit, I'm getting nice.

Well, still not like Preem.

- Yet. - GREG: No, no, no, no.

Finish your lunch. We're not fucking animals here.

Damn. I knew you were into DJ'ing.

I didn't know you could draw too.

Thank you, sir. Told you to quit that.

I heard enough "sir" in the marines to last me a lifetime.

- You served? - GREG: Yeah.

Two tours in Vietnam.

Now I'm just a middle-aged guy trying to build something

while I still got the energy, you know?

(laughs)

I think second acts

are something to be really proud of.

SMOOTH B: ♪ Do me a favor, don't try to catch me ♪

♪ Slightly ahead of the game, I'm not a lame ♪

That's a good dude.

97% of the people I worked for, straight assholes.

Not Greg.

(exhales sharply)

(materials clattering)

JT: (shouting)

Yo, that shit almost killed me, man!

- (shouts) - COWORKER: You all right?

Hey, baby. Hey.

Just in time. Dinner's actually ready.

Make you a plate real quick? Oh, yes, please.

(both smooch)

NIA: (chuckles)

Let's see...

Oof.

(indistinct conversation)

(tense music)

♪ ♪

(light music)

♪ ♪

(jaunty beat playing through headphones)

♪ ♪

(button clicks, music stops)

(tape whirring, button clicks)

♪ ♪

(button clicks, music stops)

So what do you think?

- It's really good, Bobby. - (scoffs)

No, no. For real, man. It's like--

you know, I ain't a rapper

or a producer or nothing, but--

You don't gotta spit rhymes and make beats

to be a part of this.

(chuckles)

Yo, I'm trying to... I'm trying to bring you in.

Trying to put this shit together.

Look, you know, this is your journey, Bobby.

You the, um... you the Moses of music.

The Moses of music.

Yo, well, shit.

Moses couldn't do shit without Aaron.

It's two sides of the same coin.

You know, I appreciate that, Bobby.

I, um,

I really do, but...

you know, I'm just trying to put food on my table and...

try to get out from under my PO.

You know what I mean?

Yeah.

Yeah, man.

Yo, Greg. Hey, what's good?

JT didn't show up for work today.

He's gonna file a claim.

That sucks, but at least insurance will cover you.

Yeah, well, that's the thing. I don't have insurance.

What?

Yo, I thought all contractors are supposed to--

Yeah, we are, but I couldn't afford it.

I got two loans: a home loan and a business loan.

I would've had the insurance after this job,

but now I'm gonna lose everything

if I don't resolve this.

DIVINE: Yo, can you believe that shit?

I mean, I ain't trying to deny a nigga his compensation.

If you hurt, you hurt, but, you know, damn.

MATH: Yeah.

I heard them sheets ain't even touch JT.

- For real? - Son faking it.

He's gonna lay back, suck on that workers' comp tit.

His cousin Crib did the same thing last year at Walgreens.

I guess it's the family business.

(whooshing)

(sentimental organ music)

♪ ♪

DIVINE: This worker comp shit reads like bad Shakespeare.

"Herein." "Hereby." "Indemnification"?

Yo, what the fuck is indemnification?

I didn't realize you have to be bilingual

to understand English.

SINGER: ♪ Nothin' goes right ♪

You okay?

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm okay, baby.

Mm-hmm.

I'ma take a shower.

Wanna join me?

Nah. I gotta...

I gotta get through this contract bullshit.

(sighs) Ooh.

♪ ♪

SINGER: ♪ And no one's found ♪

♪ Anything better yet ♪

♪ Than love ♪

DIVINE: All this language feels like a fucking trap.

Like one giant secret handshake

made so the average person can't understand it,

so no one can ever climb up out of the fucking streets.

Keep us throwing dice.

Keep us killing each other for scraps.

No one starving ever reads the fine print,

and they know that shit.

Take a long shower.

I might catch you towards the end.

SINGER: ♪ Baby ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Grown-up hearts would cry ♪

Now, my daddy never was one for contracts.

See, he always thought...

that if two people

can look each other in the eyes...

they could work things out.

SINGER: ♪ With nothing between ♪

♪ Without love ♪

♪ ♪

♪ No, no, no ♪

♪ ♪

(tense music)

♪ ♪

(pounding on door)

(banging on door)

- (laughs) Yo, what up, Vine? - You looking healthy.

Yo, if you was about to get a check like I'm about to get,

you'd be looking healthy too.

Yo, you want a beer or something?

You, uh...

you need to drop that claim against Greg.

What the hell you talking about?

I've been working these shit-ass jobs.

I've been struggling,

and I finally got my winning lottery ticket.

I thought you, of all people,

would appreciate the hustle, man.

(scoffs)

What I did in the streets, that was hustling.

What you're doing is called bullshit.

You lying to me, or you lying to yourself?

It's all a hustle.

You're gonna fuck Greg over, okay?

How many people you fucked over selling them rocks?

Look, I ain't judging you, man.

So don't judge me for trying to get mine.

It's America, nigga.

You gonna fuck it up for all of us

who need a second chance.

See, Greg--Greg is the only one who hires ex-felons

and pays us a decent salary, and so--

That's not my problem, B!

(choking)

All right.

You gonna drop that claim, huh?

- Yeah. - Hmm?

Mm-hmm.

Greg, what the hell's going on?

It's over. JT filed that lawsuit.

And I had to admit I was uninsured,

and the city shut me down.

I heard you paid JT a visit.

Yeah, he told me he was gonna drop that claim, yo.

Yeah, well, unfortunately, that street shit

only goes so far in the real world.

You're a good kid, Divine.

Good luck with your second act. I'm rooting for you.

(somber music)

♪ ♪

(moody string music playing)

♪ ♪

Yo.

(button clicks, music stops)

I found myself a place,

so I ain't gotta be all up in you and Nia's shit anymore.

Oh. (chuckles)

Congrats on finding yourself a place.

Yeah, man.

Hey, you know Nia's gonna miss you.

Yeah.

Yo, are you good, man?

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You know, it's, uh-- it's, like, work shit.

Know what I mean?

All right.

Hey, yo.

I wanted to say thank you for letting me stay here,

feeding me, taking care of me.

I appreciate it.

Yeah, of course.

I'll be back for all my shit...

eventually.

(chuckles)

BOBBY: Yo, think about what I said, all right?

I wanna cut people's heads off.

All right.

All right, man.

(door clicks open)

(door clicks shut)

(hammer pounding rhythmically)

DIVINE: They say America is a nation of laws,

but the law is a language so few of us speak.

(hammer pounding rhythmically)

"Artists are solely responsible for any costs

"and fees related to recording, producing,

"and marketing of any releases under said agreement.

"And all payments made by the label

"are fully recuperable by the label

before any royalties are paid."

SHA: (rapping a cappella) ♪ Started off on the island ♪

♪ AK Shaolin, niggas wilin' ♪

♪ Gunshots thrown, the phone dialin' ♪

♪ Back in the days of eight now ♪

♪ Making a tape now ♪

♪ Rae gotta get a plate now ♪

MS. WARD: You shouldn't be walking around.

It's only been a few days. You haven't healed yet.

Ah...

MS. WARD: Ah.

(groans and winces)

♪ Ignorant and mad young ♪

♪ Wanted to be the one ♪

♪ Till I got pow and caught one ♪

Ma, I have to go.

Please don't. Just stay.

Your daddy always had one leg out the door,

and he didn't find nothing on those streets

but sin and degradation.

SHA: ♪ Yeah, my pops was a fiend since 16 ♪

♪ Shooting that "that's that shit!" ♪

♪ In his bloodstreams ♪

Ma, I'm just going to the studio.

Ma, I'm good.

Dude want me to rhyme on one of his beats.

Studio time free.

Even as a kid in Sunday school,

you were supposed to memorize Moses' ten deadly plagues.

You turned that into a rap.

♪ River of blood and ♪

♪ Frogs and lice ♪

♪ Pestilence and boils and hails and flies ♪

♪ Locusts and darkness and one more to come ♪

♪ God finished by slaying the firstborn son ♪

I've gotten a lot better since then.

I'm just saying.

I know you have.

Take it.

- Ma. - Please.

(siren blips)

SHA: ♪ That's the life of a crimey ♪

♪ Real-life crimey ♪

♪ If niggas know the half is behind me ♪

♪ Day one, yo, growing all up in the ghetto ♪

♪ Now I'm a weed-- ♪

This motherfucker.

(tense music)

(music fades)

♪ In Medina, yo, no doubt ♪

♪ The God got crazy clout ♪

♪ Pushing the big joint from down South ♪

♪ So if you're filthy stacked up ♪

♪ Better watch your back and duck ♪

♪ 'Cause these fiends, they got it cracked up ♪

GARY: The father,

the creator, and God of all things.

God only means man.

This is his universe. Peace.

He is the sole provider for that universe.

If you have a family, guy,

then you're the God of your universe.

Praise Allah.

Allah is the first letter of the Supreme Alphabet,

and he speaks to us and through us.

You don't need that, sister.

Don't let European designs dictate Black beauty.

The Black woman is the most beautiful woman on Earth.

That's right.

JAMEL: Born is to be born into the world

of the physical and the spiritual.

- What up, Sha? - Peace.

GARY: Peace.

SHA: Yo, I've been meaning to tell you,

now that I found knowledge of self,

I've picked a new name.

Oh, word? Hit me with it.

Shallah Raekwon.

- Raekwon? - Yeah, man.

- Yeah, that shit strong, God. - Praise to God. No doubt.

GARY: You know, if that bullet would have went this way

or that way, shit could have went sideways for you.

Know what I mean? New name give new life, God.

Word.

But yo, Bobby back in town. You two link yet?

I've been in the stu'. Buried.

That's what's up.

You need to get back in there with Bobby.

I actually got this session. This big producer.

- Oh, word? - Yeah. Y'all should come by.

Come join the true revolution.

The Torah Revolution.

I fear God more than I fear any man here.

JAMEL: Only God that matters is the living God,

the son of man.

(steady beat playing)

♪ ♪

Hey, yo, Clifton was telling me you did some work

with Leaders of the New School.

And I got some shit with G Rap too.

You know, you remind me a little bit of him.

(laughs)

- Word? - FITZROY: Yeah.

Yo, what record you got with him?

FITZROY: I mean, it's new stuff.

It ain't out yet,

but when it drop, shit.

You definitely gonna know.

- All right. - FITZROY: So yeah.

What's up?

Show me what we working with today.

(exhales sharply)

♪ Now, my man from up north ♪

♪ Now he got the loft ♪

♪ Solid as a rock and crazy salt ♪

♪ No jokes, I'm not playing, get his folks ♪

♪ Desert Eagle his dick, and put 'em in a yoke ♪

♪ And to know for sure I got reck and rip shop ♪

♪ I pointed a gat at his mother's knot ♪

- Goddamn! - SHA: Word.

- Ooh. - Know what I mean?

I got something perfect for that.

- All right. - Hold up.

- Yeah. - Wait.

I'ma plug this in right now.

(jazzy hip-hop beat playing)

♪ ♪

(imitates gunfire)

Talk to me.

Yeah. This is cool.

I mean, I don't feel like it really go

with what I'm spitting.

My guy, trust me, all right? Trust me.

Get in the booth.

This beat? It fits you like a glove.

This is the same thing that happens with me and Busta.

We play him a beat. He's not sure of it, right?

He goes inside, records it, and then what?

He loves it.

- It's a process. - All right.

Get in that booth, bro.

♪ ♪

SHA: ♪ Started off on the island ♪

♪ AK Shaolin, niggas wilin' ♪

♪ Gunshots thrown, the phone dialin' ♪

♪ Back in the days of eight now ♪

♪ Making the tape now ♪

♪ Rae gotta get a plate now ♪

♪ Ignorant and mad young ♪

♪ Wanted to be the one ♪

♪ Till I got "bam" and felt one ♪

♪ Yeah, my pops was a fiend since 16 ♪

♪ Shooting that "that's that shit!" in his bloodstream ♪

♪ Started off on the island, AK Shaolin, niggas wilin' ♪

♪ Gunshots thrown, the phone dialin' ♪

♪ Back in the days of eight now ♪

♪ Making the tape now, Rae gotta get a plate now ♪

- Yo, Bobby. - BOBBY: Sha, Sha.

- SHA: What's good? - What's up, man?

♪ ♪

I came from Vine's and I stopped by your mom's crib,

and she told me you was here.

Yo. Boy's back.

You know.

You just lay this down today?

Yeah.

You know, trying some new things and all that.

♪ No doubt, the God got crazy clout ♪

♪ Pushing the big joint from down south ♪

♪ So if you're filthy stacked up ♪

What you think?

(chuckles)

I mean, you know, it's still a work in progress...

- BOBBY: Yeah. - You know what I mean?

♪ I'm not playing ♪

Yeah.

Yo, I think your verse is crazy.

I don't know about this beat.

I don't really think it fits.

(chuckles) Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

The producer, though. It's...

But you back for good? You home?

You back-back?

Nah.

We back.

For good.

I mean, you know I go by Raekwon now.

Raekwon?

All right.

(sweeping string music)

♪ ♪

POWER: Dude's got 15 bags.

Maybe ten more bags stashed.

Maybe he got a runner if shit gets tight,

you know what I mean?

But he ain't got that kind of supply and demand.

Too much competition.

And the people buying know it ain't that real shit.

My man, you want that bag for your girl?

I got you. $100.

- I'm good. - Okay.

You already got one. I see how you roll, big boy.

How about for your other girl?

70. I'll give it to you for 70.

POWER: This dude already talked himself down $30

and I only said two words.

They supposed to be out here hustling,

but they're hustling themselves.

So let's say I cop this for 55, right.

I mean, I wouldn't, but let's say I did, right?

And this dude gets these bags for ten a pop.

See, now he feeling himself 'cause he just made $45.

That means he gotta sell 20 bags

just to almost make a G.

How long that gonna take? Know what I mean?

How many people really looking for that Gucci?

Trying to perpetrate the whiteness.

COP: Right there. Right there. Right there. You!

PERSON: What's up? What's up?

POWER: Everybody out here selling something,

and at the end of the day,

they the ones getting knocked by the cops,

while I'm free as a bird

walking back to my Land Cruiser.

Yo! Yo!

Hey, yo. That's my shit.

Car's already on the truck.

I see that. So take it off the truck.

The signs are clear, okay?

You want to contact the tow yard,

number's on the door.

All right, look.

How about I give you this number right here?

Look, man, if you go to the impound

right now, you can get your car out

before they charge you an overnight rate.

Can you take it to an impound in Staten Island, then?

Appreciate that.

Make sure you take care of my shit, a'ight?

Fuck, man.

Mook?

It's John.

You gonna pay or you gonna stand there?

♪ ♪

POWER: See, I don't even know, yo.

Seeing Mook drive a bus? (scoffs)

Yo, that'd be like buying milk at the grocery store

and you look over

and you see Patrick Ewing is bagging your shit.

So what'd you hear?

What you mean?

Did I end up on an island eating mangos

- with my pet tiger? - (laughs)

Or am I sipping champagne in some chateaux in France?

- Oh, shit. - Yo, my favorite:

bleached my skin like Michael Jackson.

Now I'm living as a white man in the French Alps.

You hear that shit?

No. I ain't hear that.

I heard that shit.

I mean, like,

I ain't hear nothing about no tiger shit,

you know what I'm saying?

You ain't hear nothing about no tiger,

but you looking at me like I'm in a zoo.

- I'm just saying. - Saying what?

I mean come on, yo. You driving a fucking bus.

And?

I know you gotta be sitting on at least 3 mil right now.

Come on, yo.

3 mil?

Let's say you right about that, hmm?

Let's say I live till I'm 80.

That's 45 more years.

Do the math on that.

That's 66K a year.

Got property taxes.

- Clothes for my kids. - Right.

At the end of the day, it's not all that much.

Yeah, but that's here in NYC.

If you go out of the country, you know what I'm saying,

like, that money can stretch.

You know what I mean? Like Jamaica.

The exchange rate in Jamaica's crazy right now, yo.

Maybe I did have enough to live on an island.

Maybe I could have gone off on my own,

but I have people depending on me.

My mom's relying on me. My pops was sick.

Right, right, right.

You know, I got obligations I can't escape.

I mean, yeah, you right, you know what I'm saying?

But that's why you gotta go for the dolo,

you know what I'm saying?

'Cause the world don't give a fuck about you.

- You two tagging my seat? - KID: Oh, shit.

- What? - MOOK: Off my bus!

- Hey, fuck you, old man. - (laughs)

Yeah.

(bass notes)

So what's your plan?

You gonna go hard

till the game tells you when it's over?

Coming from where we did, you know what I'm saying,

the average Black man is either dead or in prison by 30, right?

That's cool if you wanna play to the average.

But you know what's not average?

Having a pension plan.

Health insurance. Dental.

I'm not gonna tell you I want to sit in traffic all day.

I had my run. Never did a bid.

The fact that I'm sitting behind the wheel of this bus

and not dead or in jail...

I already beat the odds.

Not that I wouldn't want to know what it's like to live

as a white man in Switzerland; that shit sounds nice.

(laughter)

Yeah, it do.

(stop request indicator dings)

That's a nice bag, ma'am.

Just 'cause the world look at you one way...

doesn't mean you gotta go along with it.

Advice from your local bus driver.

(dark string music)

♪ ♪

- I heard you dodged a bid. - PERSON: Hey, yo.

Hey, open the fucking back door, man.

(door hisses)

- Yeah. - POWER: Word.

Yeah, man. Stick to the music.

It's better odds.

Yo, you looking for something for your girl?

(smooth beat)

♪ ♪

DENNIS: (rapping a cappella) ♪ Spades tried to bag me ♪

♪ Like Cagney and Lacey ♪

♪ Nigga had that bitch Stacey slipping in Macy's ♪

♪ I doze off, catch a flashback ♪

♪ On how I got trapped and got licked ♪

♪ Like Papsy in a mob flick, I got hit ♪

(lullaby playing from mobile)

♪ ♪

♪ Stumbling, holding my neck to the God's rest ♪

♪ Open flesh, burgundy blood coloring my Guess ♪

♪ Emergency trauma, Black teen headed for surgery ♪

♪ Can it be an out-of-state nigga tried to murder me? ♪

♪ I should just stayed in Job Corps ♪

♪ And now I'm an outlaw ♪

♪ Ray Catena, carry a .44 ♪

I miss Sheeba.

What you miss about Sheeba? Picking up her poop?

You don't do that enough for little man over here?

Having a dog was good preparation for having a baby.

Seriously.

So, what, you gonna put a leash on him

when he get older like them white people do

they little-ass kids?

- No. Shut up. - (both chuckle)

MOM: Randy, dinner's ready!

It's getting a little tight in here, even with Bobby gone.

We need to find our own kingdom.

Yeah.

You do need to go.

What you mean I gotta go?

You gotta get out of Ohio.

My brother wanted you to go to New York with him.

Yeah, well, your brother want a lot of things.

And don't you want the same thing?

To make it in music?

- I want to be with y'all. - SHURRIE: So do I.

But it's too dangerous here.

I mean, you already got shot.

And now that Bobby got off,

those thugs might be coming after you again.

Please. I ain't worried about all that, Rie.

But I am.

Please?

Go to New York and get with Bobby.

Now is the time for you to see

if you can really make this music thing work.

You know how many rappers is out there?

Better than you?

Nah, but being dope...

it ain't got nothing to do with making it, you know?

The politics and all that shit.

I mean, look at Bobby. Remember Prince Rakeem?

Exactly.

Just because he didn't make it the first time

isn't stopping him from trying again.

You gotta try this for real this time,

for yourself and for us.

All right, well, y'all coming with me, then.

Mm-mm.

The baby's too young to travel right now.

And I'm still figuring this all out.

Like, I need my mom's help.

Look, this will give you time to figure out

where we're gonna live out there.

We can't live with your mom and your brothers

in that little apartment,

and I don't want to add a baby

to what she's already dealing with.

(emotional music)

♪ ♪

How long have you been back there?

CHARACTER ON TV: Long enough to hear you get dissed...

Oh, shit.

Hey, yo, I heard you trying to be the man of the house now.

Had to come check you real quick.

Yo, what up? What up? What up?

Yo, what's up? What's up? All right?

Heard you got shot.

How you hear about that?

Got my ears to the streets, nigga.

Oh, yeah?

Well, you just have heard that it was just a scratch, then.

DARIUS: What I don't understand

is how they missed that big-ass head.

(all chuckling)

So we're uncles now?

Yeah, that's right.

Let's hope he looks like Shurrie.

DENNIS: Hey, yo, I know you ain't talking

with them big-ass Dumbo ears, huh?

Let us hear your new rhymes.

Mm. Later.

DARIUS: Come on. You came back to become an MC.

You gotta be ready to spit at any second.

♪ Yo ♪

♪ Kicking the fly clichés ♪

♪ Doing duets with B and A ♪

♪ Happens to make my day ♪

♪ Though I'm tired of busting off shots ♪

♪ Having to rock knots ♪

♪ Running up in spots and making shit hot ♪

♪ I'd rather flip shows instead of those ♪

♪ Hanging on my living room wall ♪

♪ My first joint, and it went gold ♪

Dope.

What else you got?

Hey, you know I'm working on some other stuff right now,

but yo, it's gonna take mad fire to make it, in this shit,

you know what I mean?

Every nigga want this.

We kept your rhyme book safe for you.

You gonna need this shit.

Hey, yo. The place is looking nice.

Mom's doing real good now.

(door clicks open)

- There's my boy. - DENNIS: What up, Ma?

- How's my grandson? - Oh, he good.

He getting bigger every day. It's crazy.

I only been here for about a couple hours,

but I already miss him.

You grew like a string bean when you were that age.

I used to think, if I just focused hard enough,

I could see you grow right before my eyes.

(tender music)

♪ ♪

You staying here?

Uh...

No, no, I just was asking because...

the welfare caseworkers are coming next week

for a face-to-face.

And now that you grown,

you ain't supposed to be living here.

Otherwise we won't get our check.

Just make sure you-- you just put your stuff away

and stay out when they come.

It's all right, Ma.

Don't worry about me.

I'ma kick it here for a couple days,

but I'll be out before the face-to-face, all right?

Good to see you, Ma.

KID HOOD: ♪ Lay down your wages ♪

♪ I'm wild like Larry Davis, extra, extra ♪

♪ Pick up a clip ♪

♪ I tear ass out the frame and grab my dick ♪

♪ I'm a Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robot kid ♪

- This my shit. - Hey, yo. Who this?

Tribe, motherfucker. "Scenario."

- This ain't "Scenario," fool. - It's a remix, fool.

What the hell they playing out there in Ohio?

Whole lot of Cube. MC Breed.

Shut up, yo. This is my part right here.

A'ight.

♪ Pump slugs in your face ♪

♪ And dump yo' ass into the river ♪

♪ Two tears in the bucket, fuck it ♪

♪ Say what? Say what? I'm a bad, bad man ♪

(chuckles)

This is how hard you gotta come.

Also, me and Darren talked,

and we don't know about no D-Lover.

Hey, yo, what? Hey, what you mean?

You hating on D-Lover too?

Yo, that's some cold shit, son.

I just bought y'all asses some ice cream.

Oh, shit. That's Power's whip.

- How you know that? - I told you.

Got my ears to the streets.

Fuck that nigga.

Stapleton all day.

DENNIS: ♪ Causing terror, quick damage your whole era ♪

♪ Hard rocks is locked the fuck up or found shot ♪

♪ PLO style, hazardous ♪

♪ 'Cause I wreck this dangerous ♪

♪ I blow sparks like Waco, Texas ♪

BOBBY: R is for rule or ruler.

Ruling is in the nature of the Black man--

to rule something wisely, as a king does.

S is for self or savior.

Self is one's own being and knowledge of being.

Savior is one who saves others mentally and physically.

ASON: What up, coz?

BOBBY: Yo.

Hey, what's all that shit doing here?

This right here, good sir, is the Diggs family heirlooms.

You back now. Moms want it out.

Tricked again.

Hey, yo. Hey, hold this bag.

Oh, man. It's a body in here or something?

No, it's just heavy, nigga.

Goddamn.

BOBBY: T is for truth.

Truth means without any lies.

U is for you.

The constructor and the creator of the universe.

Creator of the sun, moon, and stars.

V is for victory.

Victory will come only after the war

which will give man his freedom,

justice, and equality.

Nice, son.

Definitely loving the natural light in the solarium here.

BOBBY: The end is Z.

Z is for zig-zag-zig.

The path from knowledge to wisdom to understanding.

It's a reminder that the path is not straightforward,

but cuts back and forth

and can pull the seeker's life with it.

Place need a blessing. Know what I'm saying?

BOBBY: I've been through enough zigging and zagging.

We all have.

- Yo. - Yo.

What's up? We gonna do this or what?

Yeah. Peace, bro.

Praise Allah.

(plunking piano beat)

♪ ♪

(tempo increases, drumbeat begins)

♪ ♪

GARY: Israelite niggas.

Yo, those Israelites was talking mad shit.

And you know Jamel--

Stepped up like,

"Yo, I'ma beat your motherfucking ass, son."

Before shit could really pop off, that's when--

Five-oh swarming that motherfucker like piranhas...

Son, you weren't even there. In that movie Piranha!

You weren't even there, son.

Yo, I wasn't at the Lincoln assassination either,

but I know that nigga got got.

You know what I'm saying? Pow! Pow!

Anyways, shit went sideways quick.

Ain't no beef never stop no cooking, though.

What we doing?

Hey, yo. I saw Power today.

- Anything go down? - No. Shit was just different.

What you mean?

Yeah, yo. He was different.

ASON: Word, son.

Yup.

SINGER: ♪ Well, let's talk about the good old days ♪

(sweeping hip-hop beat playing)

♪ Can it be that it was all so simple then? ♪

♪ Ah ♪

♪ Can it be that it was all so simple then? ♪

♪ Ah ♪

♪ Can it be that it was all so simple then? ♪

♪ ♪

All right.

What y'all think?

Damn. That beat gutter.

Prince Rakeem strikes again.

Hey, I left Prince Rakeem in that cell in Ohio.

So who made this beat, then?

Well, I may not be a prince no more,

but I'm still a ruler, right?

R is for Ruler.

Z is for Zig-Zag-Zig.

And A is for Allah.

R...Z...A.

The RZA. The RZA made this beat.

That shit razor sharp.

I might have to switch my shit up. Shit.

Yo, RZA. Yo, let me hop on this beat.

Yo, son. That's the mic right here, son?

Now, this, this ain't for you, all right?

Come on, son.

BOBBY: I got a different plan for it.

A different plan for us.

I've been thinking on it for days.

- Trust me. - What?

(burgeoning orchestral music)

♪ ♪

(music brightens)

♪ ♪

SINGER: ♪ Can it be that it was all so simple then? ♪

♪ Ah ♪

♪ Can it be that it was all so simple then? ♪

♪ Ah ♪

♪ Can it be that it was all so simple then? ♪

♪ Ah ♪

♪ Can it be that it was all so simple then? ♪

♪ Ah ♪

(flowing string music plays over hip-hop beat)

♪ ♪

(string music ends, beat continues)

♪ ♪

(heightened string music plays over beat)

♪ ♪

(string music ends)

♪ Can it be that it was all so simple then? ♪

♪ Ah ♪

♪ Can it be that it was all so simple then? ♪

♪ Ah ♪

♪ Can it be that it was all so simp-- ♪

(gunshot)

Get on the line.