Original subtitles

Previously on Empire...

Gonna produce an album, spanning your entire musical career.

We'll call it Lucious Lyon Legacy.

Put a baby in her.

It was me. I'm the father of the baby.

There's no amount of money

that's gonna make me go away from Hakeem.

Did she take your money? What do you think?

I've got it.

I don't pray.

Why won't you just give it a try?

Well, you know all those tests that we've been doing?

You got ALS.

You hear me out, 'cause your life could depend on it.

Are you threatening me?

Them four dealers you killed back in the day.

You was a murderer, too.

Take me somewhere with you, Malcolm. I want to be alone with you.

I'm asking you to be my one.

You get this done, and Empire is yours.

You're a star. And one day, Empire is gonna be all yours.

I'm going after his empire. I'm gonna take it.

What the hell are you here for? Give me my music back?

Cancel your IPO.

Or what?

I will bury your Empire and everyone in it.

Hey, boss, can we go over

Hakeem's pre-release party with Snoop tonight?

Not right now, I'm writing. Please.

Okay, but when?

Because I really...

Look, I said I am writing right now, Becky!

You use your inside voice when you talk to Becky.

I'm sorry.

Look, I can't write with all that damn noise out there!

Beat it. Get out of here.

Look, I can't write with all that damn noise out there!

Ooh! Ma! Ooh!

Whoop your ass.

Ooh! Ma, Andre cussing again!

Look, y'all need to be quiet. Don't you see your father...

Hey, don't you see your father working? Get out.

Damn, baby. What... What does it need?

You know, why don't you move that,

what you just played, to the first four bars of the verse,

and then come up with a new hook.

What's wrong with the hook?

I need you to take these down for me later.

Carol, turn that down. Turn it down!

♪ I've seen the mainstream Been complainin' a bit

♪ The reason these lames Ain't game-equipped

♪ Flossin' and flashin' Your assets and cash flow

♪ You're bringin' mo' heat to these streets Than the asphalt... ♪

Damn.

Becky.

Becky! Yeah. You ready?

No, I need you to get in touch with Cookie.

She helps me when I'm stuck.

She's out of town for the weekend.

Where is she? She didn't say.

But can we please go through this list? Nobody knows...

Okay, okay, look. I'm gonna introduce Snoop.

I say how excited we are that he's debuting his new album with us.

Then Snoop talks about Hakeem's record

dropping the day the IPO closes,

and then him and Hakeem do a freestyle, right?

Call Hakeem.

♪ I want to reign over my empire l ike Caesar

♪ I want to walk over water

♪ And die like Jesus ♪

That's it right there.

Hell yeah.

Yo. It's your pops.

Tell him to go to hell.

Or wherever he sent Camilla at with his damn extortion money.

They can burn there together.

Are the boys coming to Hakeem's thing?

Uh, Jamal has his own album release events this weekend.

Well, what about Andre?

Uh, he'll be back at work on Monday.

No, is he coming tonight?

Him and Rhonda.

I really... I really don't think so.

My tribute concert's in one week, Becky.

It's gonna be billed as

"Cookie Lyon Presents The Lucious Lyon Sound."

Wow.

This is my last show.

Come on. Don't say that.

Well, it is.

That's why I'm trying to write this amazing song.

I want to perform it in front of a packed stadium

on the day that Empire goes public.

It's got to be epic.

It's got to be like a supernova.

That's how I want to go out.

Epic.

I need Cookie.

You gotta find me Cookie.

Whoa! This is really beautiful.

Whose place is this?

This is my buddy's from Iraq.

I told him I was bringing a very

special lady here this weekend.

You did, did you?

Yeah.

Hmm.

Let's go inside. Yeah.

We can make a snowman.

Ooh, yeah, but I'm not trying to do that, honey.

This is going to be crazy.

Every artist that Lucious has ever worked with

wants to be on this damn bill.

T.I. just hit me up. He wants to do Come Away With Me.

It's gonna be hot.

It's the biggest thing I've ever done.

My name's on it, you know?

"Cookie Lyon Presents."

Do you think Cookie Lyon Presents

would like to take a little break with me?

Huh? Come here.

Yeah, okay.

Yeah.

Yeah, whole lot of hard work.

I know, I know. I'm sorry.

No. There's nothing to be sorry about.

Okay.

Are you nervous? Me?

Hell no. Shoot.

It's just that I haven't been with anybody but Lucious.

Are you serious?

Yeah.

That's beautiful.

I tell you what.

We'll take it as fast as you want

'cause you're in charge.

♪ Oh, I've never seen anything

♪ In much more than you and me

♪ Extraordinary machine

♪ Oh, I've never loved

♪ I've never loved

Ooh! You work out.

♪ Never loved someone like this

♪ All I know is

♪ I was sent here for you

♪ We were made to love

♪ We were made to love

♪ You were sent for me, too

♪ We were made to love

♪ We were made to love ♪

We still need to give you your shots

and take your blood pressure.

We can do that up in your office.

No, I don't have time. I got too much to do.

You're feeling okay, though?

Yeah, beyond this stupid double vision.

Becky, where's Ryan?

You're early. I thought you wanted to rest a while.

No, I can rest when I'm dead.

I got to get this party over with

and get back to writing my song.

I need him to shoot my documentary. Find him.

Actually, he's with Jamal tonight.

He's got a record signing. That's weird.

Double vision isn't usually associated with ALS.

♪ I give you all of me

This feels so great!

♪ But it still ain't enough to make you happy

♪ I give you everything... ♪

You're hilarious. Thank you.

Take care. Bye.

How you doing?

Thank you so much.

My brother loves your music. He's a huge fan.

Oh, That's dope. So, this is for your brother. What's your name, man?

I'm Zack.

No. I just... I wanted to tell you

that you coming out,

that gave me the courage to come out to my brother.

That was really cool of you, man.

His name's Joe. I'm Zack.

Thank you, my man. Really, I appreciate that.

Thank you. Good for you. Yeah.

Thank you.

This is great.

Right on, man.

So, um, Joe and Zack.

Y'all, thank you. Really.

That was something special.

Crazy. Amazing.

Um... You can go to Hakeem's thing.

I'm not gonna hold it against you.

I know Lucious is paying you a lot of money.

Ah... Not after what he did to you.

How you doing? What's your name?

I'm really concerned about Jamal and Hakeem. Mmm.

They're supposed to cover their dad's song, What the DJ Spins,

but they're both so mad at him.

Yeah. I don't blame them.

I don't blame Jamal.

Hakeem's better off without that money-grubbing bitch.

Camilla? She didn't take Lucious's money.

What?

But did he tell you she did?

Oh, God, I wish he would just drop dead already.

Then we can make it a memorial concert,

jack up the ticket prices really high.

So, Snoop, after your last album,

you had a bitter split with your label

and said you were going indie.

What made you decide to do a joint venture with Empire

for your new album, Bush?

Double L, man. Lucious Lyon,

the man, the myth, the legend right here.

And let's just say that, uh, Lucious

cut me in on a piece of the action.

I mean, that's the whole reason I'm taking Empire public.

It's so that my artists can share in the wealth.

This is the age of social justice.

Like my man Jay Z said,

"We gonna make 'em pay

"for what they did to Cold Crush back in the day."

And wait till you hear Snoop's new one,

Peaches N Cream, honey.

Titan! My brother.

Hakeem Lyon's album debuts

the day that Empire goes public,

and in a moment, you're gonna meet the man

I expect to take over Empire one day.

Where is he? I don't know.

Tonight you're touting your son Hakeem's upcoming release,

but your son Jamal already dropped an album.

What are your thoughts about it?

Well, you said it best when you said,

"Tonight we're talking about Hakeem."

The Source compared him to you. And I quote,

"Jamal Lyon's memorable verses

"and elegant riffs might actually surpass

"what was known back in the day

"as the Lucious Lyon Sound."

Baby, you're not gonna divide and conquer with me.

Look, next week, I'm performing at the Mercury Arena,

and I'mma blow your mind.

The day that Empire becomes the first

black-owned entertainment company

to be publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange,

I'm going to show you the brand-new Lucious Lyon Sound,

and I'm inviting you to be there personally,

so you can witness as Empire becomes

synonymous with American culture

and Lucious Lyon becomes a god.

Yes! Yeah!

Well, if he's God,

I must be Jesus.

Mr. Lyon.

What's this?

A legal notice.

Thank you very much. Get him out of here.

It's an injunction. Beretti's trying to sabotage the concert.

Where's Malcolm?

He's in the Berkshires for the long weekend, sir.

He cleared it with you.

Hakeem!

I'm glad you're here.

Ready?

I was born ready.

That's what I like.

♪ She about to go in

♪ She likes that low end

♪ Peaches and cream

♪ Uh-oh, there she goes

♪ That's that look all on her face

♪ Shorty dancing like she knows

♪ She's the baddest in the place

♪ Hey, hey

♪ I want to get with you, you

♪ Freak, don't fail me now, hey

♪ So what you want to do, do, do?

♪ She too fly for words

♪ And where I'm at now I'm too high for birds

♪ Shorty, what you think about my return?

♪ 'Cause what he think about It ain't my concern

♪ I ain't come for you I came for your missus

♪ I don't do it for the haters I do it for the players

♪ Well, okay, I do it for the riches

♪ But in the meantime And in-between time

♪ Shorty right there gonna get it

♪ If she with it, if she ain't Then I know her partner down

♪ 'Cause her partner throwing shots Every time I turn around

♪ And the partner bringing partners Every time I come to town

♪ I'm a G-6er, a Maybacher

♪ You can tell the chauffeur He can park it right there

♪ And I'm 'a walk up to the club upstairs

♪ And when I come down He can bring it back, word

♪ Yeah-ah-ah

♪ Peaches and cream ♪

Yeah, check it out, y'all.

♪ Hey, yo, my name is Snoop And I'm a legend

♪ And I been rollin' chronic Ever since I was 11

♪ The man of the hour You know is Lucious Lyon

♪ I even brought my cousin with me Start recitin', Titan

♪ You heard my Uncle Snoop

♪ We the burner team

♪ You heard my Uncle Snoop

♪ We the burner team ♪ We the burner team

♪ I go bah, bah, bah Tell 'em, Hakeem

♪ I go bdaat, bdaat, bdaat Tell 'em, Hakeem

♪ I go bdaat, bdaat, bdaat

♪ Tell 'em, Hakeem

♪ I go bdaat, bdaat, bdaat Tell 'em, Hakeem ♪

Tell 'em, Hakeem!

Okay.

Okay, we'll do a little something then.

Look.

♪ Hey, yo, they call me Keem

♪ What's poppin', fellas?

♪ Way I spit it I even make my daddy jealous

♪ Y'all think he got the power

♪ Ooh, shame the Devil

♪ That poor fool can't even Keep his family together

♪ They say that he the king Well, I'm the prince

♪ I'm 'a run the empire And leave with your bitch

♪ I'm gone ♪

I ain't got nothin' to do with that, Brother Lucious.

I ain't got nothin' to do with that.

Hakeem!

Oh, man! You a'ight? You good?

Dang.

Dude.

Man, this is harsh.

I got problems with Lucious too, but... But what?

He's dying.

Sooner the better.

I hate his ass.

Mal, if you don't, you're a fool.

I'm over it.

Really? Yes.

It's like, welcome to my world.

Let's run it back.

So, Lucious made me marry Olivia,

and then he slept with her.

And then, let him tell it,

he impregnated her,

and let me believe that Lola was mine.

So, yes, we have issues with him, but...

About Empire, I want the company

to be around when he's not.

And your album, fool. You can't just walk away.

I'm not walking away. I'm just going to a different label.

No, you're not. You can't do that.

Yes, I can. I never signed any contracts.

And he think he own us.

Well, guess what? He don't.

Oh, my God, he always doing something.

Where the hell is Cookie?

She's not answering any of my calls.

Cookie on her way back from the Berkshires.

She's supposed to be picking up

her sister Carol from Penn Station,

so she should be back no later

than this afternoon, this evening.

Cookie's in the Berkshires?

Oh! I mean... No, I just said that for instance. You know, she...

I don't know where she at.

Hell, I don't know nothing.

I ain't know nothing since Y2K.

Lulu!

♪ There ain't nothin' too hard for my God

♪ No, there ain't nothin' too hard for my God

♪ There ain't nothin' too hard for my God

♪ No, there ain't nothin' too hard for my God

♪ No, there-there-there ain't nothin'... ♪

That's it, right? That's the song.

That's it, sister. Mmm-hmm.

Give me a second.

Yeah, no problem.

Hey. Hey.

Um...

I tried to go back to work this morning. I couldn't do it.

Sometimes it's hard to go back.

Don't judge yourself.

I feel like nothing fits anymore.

You know, this suit and tie, these shoes... Nothing fits.

Well,

maybe God is telling you to try on something else.

Come on, let me show you my church.

Come on.

Come on, let me show you your sister's empire.

This is corporate headquarters.

My office is here, Andre's, Lucious's.

Dang.

Girl, this sure is a step up from my living room

when you and Lucious made that first record.

Yeah, and it's all mine, baby,

as soon as that IPO closes.

You want to know why I put my name on that concert?

Because hell wants the Devil back,

and Lucious is on his way. Yeah.

This concert makes me the new face of Empire

while I build Jamal up.

All right now. Now, we going to your marketing meeting,

and then we gonna hit Leviticus... Yes.

For Jamal's listening party, right? Yes, yes, yes.

Okay. Now, now, now, look,

check out this fancy-ass security system.

That's all Malcolm, baby. He did that.

You'll meet him soon enough.

We got to get that fixed.

But look here, keep that on the down-low.

All right? On the hush.

You know, ain't nobody supposed to know about that.

No, I got you. You and soldier boy...

Hey, man, didn't I tell you to be quiet?

Can I have your key card, please, Mrs. Lyon?

Yeah, okay, well, just make sure

you get a new one in my office.

Now, I got a meeting to go...

We've been instructed not to let you in, Mrs. Lyon.

What? We've been instructed not...

I heard what you said.

So, you not gonna let me in my office?

I'm not going nowhere until Lucious come down here and talk to me.

Here he is. Lucious, what you doing?

You can't lock me out.

I already did. So nice to see you, Carol.

Welcome to New York. Enjoy your visit.

Leave the premises, Cookie.

No.

You expecting your little boyfriend

to come running to your rescue?

You're out of here.

Aw! Is that what this is about?

No, you're out of here. You're jealous?

You're jealous, Lucious, for real,

after everything you've done?

You think you still own me? You are sick.

No, you are not a part of my company,

and my attorneys have assured me

I don't owe you a damn thing. Now, leave.

Yeah, well, you can't do that.

I am on the board of directors.

You were never on the board.

What?

Andre knew the day that he made that deal with you,

that a convicted felon can never serve

on the board of a publicly traded company.

Nice boy, huh?

Are you gonna leave on your own,

or do I have to escort you?

Sorry, Carol.

You're on a dark path, Lucious.

You're going down.

I'm not gonna let you take my company with you.

Seventeen years, bitch.

Get off of me.

Everybody's just waiting for you to die, Lucious.

You gonna die a lonely man,

just like you deserve.

You gonna need Cookie.

Watch what I say. I built this!

This is my company!

Okay.

Bow your head.

Well, I've been given 15 minutes

to collect my personal possessions.

So...

What reason did Lucious give for firing you?

You know they got to give you a reason.

He didn't fire me.

So he told me to kick rocks for having sex with you,

but you get to stay.

Lucious.

He didn't want me to leave.

Cookie, I want you to come with me.

Come with you where?

To Washington, D.C.

I got offered this high-level government job before I came to Empire.

I called to see if the position was still open,

and it is.

Malcolm... Look,

I want to take care of you, all right?

Come with me.

Malcolm, you are a beautiful man.

But I can't.

I can't leave all of this. I worked too hard.

I can't.

Sorry, sir, but... Yeah.

My time is up.

That's a phrase I've heard many times before.

♪ You should know

♪ Won't let me back down ♪ Won't ever go

♪ Can't turn me around ♪ Don't ever leave

♪ No stopping me now ♪

Thank you.

Won't you please have a seat, son?

No, I'm good.

I just wanted to pay you the courtesy

of telling you in person

you should start looking for a new CFO.

Come on, don't be stupid.

Stupid? Yeah, I'll try not to.

Thanks for the advice, Pops.

No, Andre, you worked your ass off

to pull this IPO thing off.

We are almost there, man.

I'm not gonna be around forever.

You gonna look me in my eye

and tell me if I do everything right,

I might still get Empire?

No.

That's not what I'm telling you.

But you play a vital role, son.

I mean, I need you.

Empire needs you.

There was always something missing, Dad.

A void that I filled with darkness.

But now I'm getting to know my God,

and he is filling that void with a higher purpose.

God? God.

What do you know about God?

There's no higher purpose

than being a maker of music.

That's the voice of God.

Andre...

She just called you the best songwriter.

How does that make you feel?

Excuse me. I don't know about all that, but...

What's this I hear that you're the baddest songwriter

that's ever lived on this planet?

This guy, right?

Give us a minute, y'all, please. Thank you.

♪ I don't need it You can keep ya money

♪ I don't want it If ya gonna throw it... ♪

I wouldn't believe everything that I read.

I saw that you were a devoted husband and father.

Did you hear about that injunction

that Beretti slapped me with?

I did.

What are you gonna do about it?

Lawyer says I can't move on it. Um...

He's gonna lock down half of my songs.

Times like these, I bet you wish you ain't lock out Cookie.

I'm at a different place in my life right now.

I'm writing these new songs.

Man, I mean, incredible songs.

But I keep getting stuck, you know?

I get it.

It's that writer's block. It's horrible.

Do you remember me talking to you

about one of you taking over after me?

I remember something like that. I don't...

It might've slipped my mind.

I read a magazine article and it called you

"The Future of Empire."

You believe that?

'Cause I do.

I just need to know that you got that monster in you

that does what he has to do.

Go on, Deacon Andre. See?

Deacon Andre.

Yes.

You know what? What?

First time in as long as I can remember, I feel at home.

Here.

With you.

You're here with God.

What the hell is all this about?

You challenged me to break you from your creative block.

In order to do that, I'm gonna take you out of your comfort zone.

Daddy, please!

Daddy!

Stay down!

I get it.

You want me to throw your ass

in the trash can again, huh?

Is that it?

Look, I'm here because you said that you'd bring Cookie back.

Yeah, yeah.

All right, good.

Aunt Carol gave me the keys.

At least you walk like a man.

No, Daddy! Please! Daddy!

LUCIOU Thank God!

I was wondering what happened to this baby.

Dude, I made so many beautiful songs on this.

All right, let me hear what you've been writing.

Yeah, I told you, it's not a song yet.

Come on. Guard down. Just play it.

♪ You're so crazy Lock, stock, barrel

♪ You're so shady... ♪

Damn.

If I didn't know no better,

I'd say you're a complete fraud.

Maybe Beretti really did write your best stuff.

Yeah, push that. I'm in that mood today.

I used to worship you.

And even though you hated me for being who I am,

and tried to beat it out of me,

I worshipped the way that you made music.

I watched you work and I'd be like,

"If I could make music like him,

"there's no way in hell that this man wouldn't love me."

Say, "Die!" Say it, wuss.

♪ Flossin' and flashin'...

Say, "Die!" Say it! Say it! Say, "Die!"

♪ Flossin' and flashin' Your assets and cash flow ♪

Step aside.

Go ahead.

♪ Da-da, da-da

♪ Da-da, da-doh... ♪

That's good.

Well, yeah, except it ain't yours.

Dad, what happened to you?

What? Is it 'cause you're afraid of dying?

What do you know about death, boy?

What do you know about them killers?

Dude, I done faced death from both sides since I was nine years old.

I made my bones already. You ain't got no right to ever question that.

Maybe there is something there.

♪ La da-da-da, da-la da-da-da-da

♪ Da, la-da-da-da-da

♪ Da-da-da, oh... ♪

That's nice. But it ain't dangerous enough.

Maybe it's 'cause you ain't been there yet.

What makes you so sure that you've been

somewhere that I haven't been?

Show me.

♪ It's like Scarface and then some Crazy intense one

♪ Ooh...

♪ Better back away Bang, bang, a-bang, bang

♪ Yeah

♪ Daddy, hit your note

♪ Do a little hustle When we rock the flow

♪ When on flip the script

♪ Gotta throw a little country in And whoop the trick

♪ Sometimes you only get one try

♪ You got to give it all you got

♪ 'Cause I ain't got nothin'

♪ Go get 'em ♪ To lose

♪ You hit 'em

♪ So much to prove

♪ Play

♪ I came too far to hear no

♪ Got to go hard or go home

♪ 'Cause I ain't got nothin' to lose

♪ Baby, do what you gotta do

♪ La da-da-da-da-da

♪ Da...

♪ Mm-mm ♪ Hey

♪ Feelin' like a pack of fleas ♪ Yeah

♪ Lookin' for a basset hound

♪ Maybe you should talk to Steve ♪ Yeah

♪ See if he can put us down

♪ How the hell did my back Get against the wall?

♪ Get your back up off the wall

♪ Hell no, at least I don't have to worry about the fall

♪ Listen, nizzle, ain't the time to talk

♪ 'Cause I ain't got nothin'

♪ You better ♪ To lose

♪ Go get 'em

♪ So much to prove

♪ Let's go on

♪ I came too far to hear no

♪ Gotta hit hard or go home

♪ Said I ain't got nothin' to lose

♪ To lose, to lose... ♪ To lose, to lose...

♪ Hey, baby, now what did I just do? ♪ Hey, hey

♪ I'm hoping on you to come on through ♪ Hey, hey

♪ Hey, baby, got your love about you, too

♪ Dormez-vous?

♪ I ain't got nothin' ♪ You're so crazy

♪ To lose ♪ Lock, stock, barrel

♪ Nothin' ♪ You're so shady

♪ To prove ♪ With a heart of gold

♪ You're so crazy ♪ You're so crazy

♪ Lock, stock, barrel ♪ Lock, stock, barrel

♪ You're so shady ♪ You're so shady

♪ With a heart of gold! ♪ With a heart of gold! ♪

That's how you murder a track!

Whoo!

Now I got a song!

It's not your song.

What? I'm gonna give you your credit, man.

You're gonna get your publishing on this.

And then I get to perform it when you're dead? Nah, son.

Cookie Lyon Presents The Lucious Lyon Sound.

That was the agreement.

What? You think your work is done?

I need you to get my masters back from Beretti.

Then we got a deal. No.

That's over, anyway.

If Vernon and the lawyers couldn't do it, what makes you think...

Do you want Empire or don't you?

'Cause if you want it,

you got to be willing to take it

to where they can't take it.

Otherwise,

there won't be an Empire for you to lead.

Lucious!

Lucious!

This place is a damn mansion!

Lucious!

Kill his ass.

Oh!

Come on, Cookie, will you please

get over yourself? Where is he?

I mean, come on. You did 17 years in the Fed.

So, now you trying to tell me you can't deal with Lucious

for three years or less until he drop dead?

I'm sick of you. What's...

All you think about is... What? What...

Look, I'm so glad you're here.

Carol, wow, you look lovely.

Lucious, what the hell is wrong?

Look, let me talk, all right? I just wanted to say

I may have overreacted earlier. You think?

And I've decided to let you produce the concert,

and it'll say, "Cookie Lyon Presents..."

What the hell is this?

I got a text from Jamal saying he's on his way to Hakeem's

to make a move on Beretti.

Hakeem's meeting with Beretti?

Uh, yeah. Beretti's trying to get your son

to sign to Creedmoor.

And Hakeem is doing it

to get back at you, dumbass.

Look, we're gonna have to talk tomorrow. Okay?

Juanita! Have Gary bring the damn car around!

Lucious, don't let nothing happen to my babies!

♪ David and Goliath David and Goliath

♪ David and Goliath ♪

Unlike Empire, we at Creedmoor

believe making music should be fun.

I can get with that.

Chicken.

Where's my brother?

Jamal Lyon.

Billy Beretti. It is a pleasure to meet you.

I'm a huge fan of your music.

Mr. Beretti, it's a pleasure to meet you.

I hear that you and my brother

might be doing business together.

That's right. All right, all right.

Can we, um, talk outside?

Sure. All right.

What the hell? Mother...

Chicken, back me up!

Get the contracts and the pen out of my bag.

We're talking about the masters

that you stole from my father.

I want them back.

Jamal!

Hey, look, we told him to stop.

Come on, Lucious. Shut up!

Dad, you shouldn't be here right now.

You go get Hakeem, a'ight?

What the hell is wrong with you?

Come on. Give 'em a little privacy.

You will sign this contract

turning over the rights

to Lucious Lyon's masters in perpetuity,

do you understand me?

You're not gonna drop me.

My daddy thinks I will.

No!

He thinks I'm a killer.

I think he's right.

Anika.

MG and ALS are very different, Lucious,

but they both have quite a few symptoms that mirror each other.

The eye muscle weakness that caused your parallel vision,

that only happens with MG.

It's very astute of your nurse.

So I don't have ALS.

I'm sorry, Lucious.

You know, ALS is largely diagnosed

by eliminating other conditions.

There's no specific blood test,

there's no scan... I need one of you negroes to man up.

This thing I have,

it's not as serious.

What's it called?

Myasthenia gravis.

It's a chronic, but highly treatable condition.

And you didn't test me for it?

After everything I said...

Get the hell out of my house.

♪ Hey, yeah

♪ Ooh, ooh-ooh

♪ Hey, hey

♪ Hey ♪

Trust me, son.

There is nothing wrong about getting right with God.

I mean, right here, right now, I am praising him.

Yeah, for what? Getting you through the IPO process?

Well, believe me, Jesus didn't have nothing to do with that.

No, I did what I did for your best interests.

Now, look, son, we've been invited to ring the opening bell

at the New York Stock Exchange next week.

I mean, it's the announcement that

Empire is officially starting to trade.

I'm hoping that you and Jamal will stand on either side...

What about Hakeem?

I was thinking that you should

be the one to ring that bell, son.

Yeah, no thanks. We got a bell here.

Look, everything's changed with me.

I'm gonna tell you more about it later,

but right now, I need you

to get back into the real world.

You can't spend your life hiding in this place.

As a matter of fact, that is exactly what I am planning to do.

I'll still be here when you're dead, Dad.

I'll send a prayer down to you

in a flameproof jar.

♪ Hey, yeah

♪ Oh!

♪ There ain't nothin' too hard

♪ For my God ♪ No!

♪ There ain't nothing too hard ♪ For my God

So, is this the little angel that's got you down here

filling your head with all these ideas about a higher purpose?

♪ Nothing is impossible

♪ He can solve your problems

♪ There ain't nothing too hard...

Let's see who's more powerful,

your God or your daddy.

What you doing, Dad?

♪ Hey... Oh! ♪

God just spoke to me

for the first time in my life,

directly to me, when I heard you singing.

I'm Lucious Lyon. I'm, um, Andre's father.

Of course, I know who you are.

Well, I want to reach for a higher purpose myself now.

And I want to make a gospel song...

No, I'm gonna make a gospel record,

and I want you

to sing that album with me.

Are you serious?

Oh, my God, thank you.

God bless you.

So we'll be doing these injections regularly

to help manage the neuromuscular symptoms.

So you mean I won't have any more tremors?

In a couple weeks, you could be tremor-free.

Dr. S also prescribed that sedative.

Cortical steroids can cause extreme insomnia,

but I'd wait until you're ready to go to bed to take those.

They're pretty strong.

Oh, I hate insomnia. Give me the water.

When God sends you a blessing like this,

you open up your arms and you embrace it.

My father is the Devil,

and you just spread your legs for him.

I sent your man nurse home.

Hey.

Hmm?

Asleep already?

He said you took some pills.

I ain't took nothing from nobody.

If you weren't already dying, Lucious,

I swear I'd kill your ass.

What were you thinking,

making Jamal do your dirty work?

Do you know he almost dropped that man off the balcony?

What is this, Lucious?

Your family members go to jail,

but you get to stay out free

so you can do your little music?

Get off my bed! Get away from me.

I'm not on your bed.

I ain't going with you. I'm not going with you.

Who are you talking to, Lucious?

You messed up, Lucious.

I'm here to take you out.

No, Bunkie, go on, man.

Bunkie?

What the hell kind of drugs are you taking?

You can't be here, man. I killed your ass.

Just like Shyne's boys.

'Cause you kept threatening me with the wisemen.

What did you say, Lucious?

Everybody that crosses me dies.

Everybody. And y'all can't kill me.

You think Hakeem can hurt me?

You think Cookie can hurt me, Bunkie?

Your God can't even hurt this boy.

He tried to kill me.

Bunk, man, guess what.

I ain't got ALS. I ain't dying.

I'm not dying.

This ain't my good-bye concert. Ain't no farewell.

Man, this is my comeback concert.

'Cause I'm about to come back

like the phoenix from the ashes.

I'mma rise up from the dead, like Jesus.

I'm your messiah.

♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey

Hell, man.

♪ Hey-hey-hey

I ain't going nowhere.

♪ Hey-hey-hey Hey, hey, hey-hey

♪ Yeah!

♪ Oh!

♪ Well There ain't nothin' too hard

♪ For my God

♪ No, there ain't nothin' too hard

♪ For my God

♪ There ain't nothin' too hard

♪ For my God

Your father's office, huh?

♪ He can solve your problems

Your throne, darling.

♪ There ain't nothin' too hard

♪ For my God

♪ No one ever said it would be easy

♪ No, there gonna be Some good times and bad

♪ Hey

♪ But keep waiting on That joy in the morning

♪ 'Cause ain't nobody got no time for that...

Bunkie was my cousin, you son of a bitch.

♪ Ain't nobody got no time

♪ There ain't nothin' too hard

♪ For my God

♪ Yeah, there ain't nothin' too hard

♪ For my God

♪ No, there ain't nothin' too hard, whoa

♪ Yeah

♪ Hey!

♪ No, no, no

♪ Ooh!

♪ Hey, hey, hey, oh! ♪

It's over.

Your brother and I have been working hard

to turn Empire into a publicly traded company.

Now, part of us going public

means insuring a legacy for this company,

and right now, it seems none of you

are prepared to take over after I'm gone.

Now, it won't happen today, nor tomorrow,

but I will start grooming someone soon.

And it can only be one of you.

Yesterday, a miracle happened.

My doctor told me I don't have ALS.

I was misdiagnosed.

What I got is serious, but it's not fatal.

You're not dying?

I've been given a second chance at life.

God, Dad, that's amazing.

Yeah, it's a miracle, son.

I mean, I woke up this morning

so conscious of all the harm I've done

to each and every one of y'all.

I'm not asking y'all to forgive me.

Just open up the gifts.

I don't want nothing from you.

Just, please, open it.

Those wings, they're an emblem of Empire's jet fleet.

I should've never tried to control you. That was wrong.

And I'm sorry about Camilla.

So when your album drops,

you'll have your own jet to tour anywhere you want.

And don't let me or anybody else

ever try and control you again.

That's the Lion of Judah,

because you knew exactly what I was doing

when I tried to take Michelle.

I was just trying to break your faith,

like it had been done to me.

And that was wrong.

So when the IPO closes on Friday,

I'm going to announce the start of the Lyon Foundation,

and you're gonna have $100 million at your disposal.

Son...

The empire is yours, Jamal.

Heard you were looking for me.

Hey.

Gathered everybody together

to, um, share with them the good news.

What good news?

I was misdiagnosed.

Angel of Death came to get me, and I got me a reprieve.

Can you believe it?

That is great news, Lucious.

That is really good news. Right, boys?

That's good news.

So you're really happy I'm not dying?

I am happy. Hallelujah.

I got everyone gifts. The boys opened theirs.

Come open yours.

A gift?

What'd you get?

- Thanks, Becky. - Mmm-hmm.

Y'all want anything?

I'm good. Yeah. Go crazy.

This'll be the last cup of tea I serve any of you.

Jamal has promoted me to A&R.

Yeah.

Hit it.

Ah!

Congratulations, Becky.

Thanks.

Congratulations.

I've been meaning to ask you,

what type of black girl named "Becky"?

My mom's white.

So, what's the deal, boss man?

Tell me, man. Nah, nah, nah.

Come on, stop all of that. It ain't even like that.

I don't know, y'all. I feel like he really loves us.

I do.

You know what I mean? He built this whole empire for us.

Hell of a gift he gave you.

- I don't understand. - If Dad not dying,

why he even pick a successor?

It don't make no sense.

Because we are a company that's about to go public.

And what it does is that it saves us

in case some random white dude

wants to come and try to buy it from under us.

Right, Dre?

Shareholders like to know there's a succession plan, sure.

Point is, I need y'all's support.

You know, I don't think I even want to do it

if I don't have it.

So if we're not cool with it, you're not gonna do it?

Is that what you saying?

What I'm saying is that I'm not him, and you know that.

You know, every single decision that I make...

Every single decision that you make?

Yeah, Dre. I mean, you're the MBA,

so tell me if you ever heard of a corporation

where the buck doesn't stop somewhere.

But what about my album?

Will I be in charge of how my album gets dropped

and what gigs I do to promote it? Hell yeah.

And, I mean... You know, I do think that

your album should be pushed back,

just, like, one to two months.

No, I... My album is supposed to come out

the day the IPO come out.

All right. But it's not smart programing

to push your album when my album is still climbing the charts,

so let my situation die down a little bit,

and then Dad says he wants to release an album,

but that's not definite, so we'll figure it out. We will.

We will? Yes.

Perfect.

♪ Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Yeah...

Lucious knows.

He's gonna do something, but I don't know what.

Well, at least you're still producing the concert.

Good, Rita's here for the rehearsal.

Thank you so much for doing this! Thank you!

♪ Love at first sight But it was blocked by pain

♪ So for you I'll exceed The top five in the game

♪ Want you, baby In the city lights

♪ I swear I hear you call my name

♪ Call my name

♪ 'Cause left and right I'm stuck here while you're miles away

♪ Miles away

♪ New York rainin' New York rainin'

♪ It's too much, but, babe I need you, oh, yeah

♪ It's too much, but, babe I need you, I need you

♪ Uh, red wine and cheese

♪ before bedtime

♪ You and I fell in love Is the headline

♪ Oh, yeah ♪ Instead of whinin'

♪ About what I've been findin' I stay silent

- ♪ and let you chime in - ♪ Oh, yeah

- ♪ You want me to talk? - Fine, then

♪ Someone broke your heart... ♪

Rita is amazing. You're gonna be so happy.

Oh, that's great. So, you got everything you wanted, right?

You said "a faggot," as you called him,

would one day run this company.

Well, that's what you got. That's about all you getting.

That ain't all she getting. You made a deal.

You let her back in the company.

That was before.

Before what?

Before your mother tried to murder me.

You know your father's a pathological liar.

Well, thanks to your little boyfriend Malcolm,

I can prove everything I'm saying.

You see, I had security cameras

installed in every room in my house.

Checkmate, bitch.

- That's... - Jamal...

Jamal, that's not what it looks like, okay, baby?

Ma... Listen to me.

Your father killed Bunkie.

He killed Bunkie. Do you hear me?

Jerome!

Lucious killed Bunkie.

He... Get your hands off of me! Hey.

He killed your cousin Bunkie. He'll kill anybody!

Watch your back, baby!

Like you watched mine?

You see, son,

sometimes you got to be willing

to sacrifice your queen

in order to win the game.

Hi, Cookie. Get in the car.

Get off of me! I know my rights!

Get in the car, Mrs. Lyon.

Go.

Vernon Turner is back,

and all the world is right again.

Appreciate you coming to get me.

Oh, no, man.

I got an IPO to launch. I got a concert sold out.

And a black man's still alive.

I got my man back, too. I needed you.

I just want you to know that...

No, no, no. Can the wishy-washy stuff, man.

We got... We got business to do.

You got to look after Cookie for me.

What'd she do? She's got it in for me.

I mean, I'll show you the security cam footage.

She really wasn't happy about a brother having good health.

Put it that way.

So, we are building a case against Lucious right here.

And we would very much like your cooperation.

You ain't dragging me into that.

I don't got to do it. I know my rights.

Absolutely.

Anyway, we already have a witness.

You ever heard of Shyne Johnson?

Nope, don't know who you're talking about.

I killed you, Bunkie, just like Shyne's boys.

'Cause you kept threatening me with the wisemen.

We busted Shyne on about 1,000 different counts,

and he's trying to cut a deal to give us Lucious.

He says that, um, Lucious killed

your cousin Bunkie Williams.

Tell us what you know, Cookie.

Come on.

We know your husband's the one really running the show.

If you testify against him, we'll reduce your sentence.

You're looking at 25 years, Cookie.

Give us Lucious, and it'll be less than five.

We know that you want to see

Lucious go down.

Well, here's your chance.

Find yourself another snitch.

I fulfilled my obligation with you.

Taxi!

Taxi!

Okay, we both wanted to hurt him,

and we did that. All right?

But Creedmoor, that's never gonna be my company.

I want Empire.

"A Curious Mind."

This is an inspirational book, Hakeem. I'm...

I'm happy you're reading this.

You know who else you should read?

Who? Machiavelli.

I already read that.

You talking about the Italian guy,

he be writing books about power.

Hmm.

So that means that you also know that he had a disdain

for what he called "effeminate princes."

I'm not letting Jamal go out like that.

Oh, come on, Keem,

I'm not talking about Jamal being gay.

I'm talking about a battle we can win.

You are gonna be a much better king,

now that you have to fight for it.

Fight for what?

Have you ever heard of a hostile takeover?

We're gonna need Andre.

And you got to be cool, Keem.

With Jamal, the concert, everything.

Think you can handle it?

♪ That's what the DJ spins... ♪

Everyone, please take your places.

The press conference will be starting in three minutes.

Lucious! Lucious!

Yo, you don't have the problem

with Cookie you think you have.

I trailed her myself.

Only thing she's done,

besides sit down and eat, is see her PO.

But the real problem is Rita Ora's pulled out of the show.

Because of Cookie?

Team Cookie all the way, homie.

Let me holla at you real quick. Yeah.

Look, we're not letting him treat us

like punks no more. You hear me?

You ever heard of a hostile takeover?

Accept that Jamal won.

Why you looking so nervous?

I can't believe I'm here. I mean, with all these stars.

You are the star.

I want you out, front and center.

You know my song, Whatever Makes You Happy?

Yeah, I grew up on that song.

Then you should be singing it.

Titan, this is Michelle White,

one of the greatest gospel singers I've ever met.

Yeah, okay. Nice to meet you.

She's gonna do Whatever Makes You Happy.

That's the one.

Hey. Come on. That's your star.

Sorry, you have to start the press conference now.

Okay. You're gonna love her, baby.

Ladies and gentlemen,

we have a Philadelphia native here with us tonight.

You call her a legend. I call her a goddess.

Miss Patti LaBelle has agreed to be a part of our show.

- All right. - Yeah.

I have an announcement to make.

Uh... All the artists participating in The Lucious Lyon Sound,

we've all agreed to give

10% of our proceeds to Black Lives Matter.

Okay, we got time for a couple questions.

Lucious!

Lucious, with your IPO closing on the same day as your concert,

how are you going to manage your music

and running a public company?

Well, fortunately for me, I have my son, Jamal,

who's now the vice-chairman... Yo!

I got something to say about all of that!

All right. Everybody, please give it up for Black Rambo.

He'll be performing at The Lucious Lyon Sound concert with...

Wait, what? I'm not performing nothing

if you running Empire, batty man!

The hell you just call me?

Wait, wait, wait, hold up, hold up.

It's the death of hip-hop... That's enough.

You can leave now.

I'll go,

and so should every real emcee on your roster.

Gonna put a fairy on the billboard...

Hey, get his ass up out of here.

Last time I checked, hip-hop

was born from the struggle of real men!

Or did you forget all that? Let's go.

Ain't no place in this game for them bitches.

Look, if we publicly attack Black Rambo,

he'll respond and dominate the news cycle right up to the concert.

No, and that's exactly what I don't want.

The concert stays about Dad.

I'll release a statement, saying that bigotry has no place at Empire,

and that we welcome Black Rambo's exit.

It's perfect. Simple.

Are you kidding me? It's a terrible move.

It'll weaken the stock price and cost shareholders millions.

Thank you for that, Andre. Thank you for the support.

It's not about you, it's about Empire.

No, Empire is Jamal, and Jamal is Empire, as are you.

What am I? Empire or Jamal?

Or is Empire now the cult of Jamal?

We're launching an IPO, right?

This is not the time to take a bold stand

in a matter that alienates so many of our customers.

No offense, Empire.

Yeah. You all good, baby. Mmm-hmm.

All right.

I got that. I need to talk to my son.

Nah, it's cool, man.

It's cool. All right, then.

I don't like what Lucious did to you.

You saying Jamal don't deserve it?

No, that's not what I'm saying.

I'm saying you do, too.

I think Lucious should have gave it to both of y'all.

You still with Anika?

I was never with Anika.

I mean "with" on Creedmoor.

I want Empire.

Let's build our own, you and me.

I did it before. You know I'm good, Hakeem.

And I know how good you are.

Much better than your father realizes.

Much better than you even realize.

We can do this. Come on.

Look, Mom, we don't got to start from scratch no more.

What you talking about, boy?

What is this? You leaving me?

Uh, well, you've already left me.

Listen, you got the wrong idea.

I never cheated on you with Michelle.

You may have not screwed her,

but you shared something very intimate.

Would it make a difference if I told you

that she's as messed up as the rest of us?

I mean, Lucious offered her a contract, and she left the church.

Oh, I'm so sorry for you, babe.

You know, I don't know what's worse.

That you left me for a phony,

or that you conceded Empire to Jamal

without even putting up a fight.

I'm going to Gina's. She said I could stay in her guest room.

Hakeem.

Yeah, it's me.

I changed my mind.

Tell me why I shouldn't throw this drink in your bitch-ass face?

You sure this was a good idea?

Are you sure you want this company?

'Cause you'd never get up off the floor, bitch.

Look, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, she was talking trash.

What you expect? I'm no punk.

Go back to jail, bitch! Mom, stop! Anika, chill out!

You been harassing me from the moment you arrived!

Let it go! You two deserve each other!

Mom, whoa, whoa, whoa! Chill, chill, chill.

Who's Boo Boo Kitty now, bitch? Come on!

Don't touch me, Keem. All right, okay, okay.

You okay? Run them pearls, ho!

Bring it! I'll bust it!

Get off of me! Bitch! You bitch!

Let her go, come on, Mom. Mom!

Pearls off, right off your neck!

Let her go, Mom, Mom...

- Get off me, bitch! - Come on...

Mom, calm down. Mom! Mom! Mom! All right.

- I'll be okay. - Mom...

Look, we're here out of hate for the same man, right?

Right?

And, Mom, if we're gonna make a play for Empire, we need her.

Why do we need her?

Because Anika's got the relationship with Tony Trichter,

that's why. Who the hell is that?

He's a famous corporate raider.

We need somebody on his level if we're gonna be serious about this, Mom.

They call him "Tricky Trichter" 'cause he's the best

at hostile takeovers.

He was gonna buy into Creedmoor

'cause his grandson's a rapper,

so it's not gonna be hard to convince him

to buy into Empire instead.

Look, we got to stick together if we're gonna do this.

Okay.

Okay, I will work with Boo Boo Kitty this time.

Thank you.

♪ I beat ya down like you stole something

♪ A couple stiff jabs had ya nose gushin'

♪ I let them hold sumthin', one

♪ Ya hairline runnin' from ya, son

♪ Two, nobody never cared about you

♪ Three, I'm something that you hoping to be

♪ And ya whole damn squad is just garbage to me

♪ Rhyme sumthin' like strippers They just booty to me

♪ Have your teeth on the ground Homie, settle down

♪ Black Rambo be the man up in town ♪

A'ight, a'ight, a'ight, a'ight.

- Who next? - Get 'em, Rambo!

- Anybody man enough? - Go, Black Rambo!

What about me?

Oh.

Trust me, you don't want to do this, son.

Yeah, all right.

You got this, Jamal!

All right, all right! Chill, chill, chill, chill! I got you.

I'm 'bout to boom on this batty man's head.

♪ On the microphone, putting you in check

♪ You see me I'm in the Lyon's den with no respect

♪ No time for lil homos

♪ Rambo, he goin' solo

♪ You rockin' pink tutus and biker shorts Got me heated

♪ I'm seein' him up in court It's gettin' critical, fuse is goin' short

♪ I know a bitch that look just like you

♪ Toes out, butt out Chest out like you, ha

♪ Boom, boom, boom, Black Rambo

♪ Black Rambo

♪ Boom, boom, boom, Black Rambo!

♪ Black Rambo ♪

♪ So what, I'm gay It don't matter

♪ God ain't made you no better than me

♪ When I pray

♪ He still answers

♪ Maybe you need to get on your knees

♪ No weapon shall prosper

♪ No weapon shall prosper

♪ Your sin ain't no better than my sin

♪ Your skin ain't no better than my skin

♪ So point all the fingers you want

♪ Bitch ♪

You did it, Jamal!

What? Jamal!

♪ They jealous of my life

♪ I'm-a go and live it to the fullest, my life

♪ All the other rappers here is foolish

♪ My life, I'm-a go and take over the game

♪ I'm gonna... remember... name...

Amazing, yeah.

♪ And they jealous of, they jealous of My life ♪

Yeah!

Uh...

Boy, you got it. You... You got somethin'.

You're not just giving me a load of crap

because you want my money now, are you?

Yeah, we giving you a load of crap.

But if we can sell Kid Fo-Fo,

we can certainly sell this punk-ass grandson of yours.

You know, I've launched 23 hostile takeovers, and only six have failed.

Scotch? Thank you... Oh, yes, neat. Thank you.

It's not easy, but it can be done.

So, once the stock goes public,

the first thing we do is buy controlling interest in the company.

Exactly.

And that can be as much as $500 million.

Now, I'm in it for $150 million

if you release my grandson's album.

$400 million. He ain't no Tupac.

$200 million. $300 million.

$250 million is as much as my board will approve.

Getting the other $250 million is doable,

but then we'll still have to topple the CEO.

If you can successfully replace him with a shill,

then you can replace your board of directors, and the company is yours.

But the most effective way to replace a CEO

is to replace a board of directors.

And you can't do that with your current CEO.

Tricky, isn't it?

That's why they call you Tricky Trichter.

Child, I don't want no chicken.

I think some of my most effective takeovers have been

when I can nail a CEO with a good scandal.

Prostitutes, drugs... You name it.

So, Lucious would have to be caught in a scandal?

And you raise your other $250 million, you got yourself your Empire.

I just want to know.

If I tore my family apart again for no reason.

Come on, girl, why you gonna ask me this?

Did Lucious kill Bunkie?

You know, it's crazy,

the things that can make a man go back to using.

Why?

Bunkie was trying to

shake him down for $3 million,

threatening to pull down the IPO.

What happened to us, Cookie?

We was family.

We had each other's back. I... I raised your boys.

Bunkie was my brother. Lucious...

Lucious was my hero.

It's a damn shame.

Jamal is my everything. I can't lose him.

You're not gonna lose him, Cookie.

Just go talk to him, make it right.

You came to kiss Jamal's ass,

you got to go to his place for that.

I'm here to talk to you.

You know you're like a son to me, come on.

Okay, places for rehearsal, everybody.

♪ She was more like a Billie Jean

♪ Headed home one day through the party

♪ Like Delilah the Philistine

♪ Heaven knows what Little nature had started

♪ Come away with me What your body said

♪ As she moseyed her way to the bar

♪ The conversation intoxicating my... ♪

Yo, stop, stop, stop! Hold up, hold up, hold up!

First, Alex, I need a little bit more echo,

but hold up a second.

All my life, all I wanted was for that man to love me.

I know, baby. That's all I ever wanted, too.

Look, Jamal,

I just want you to always remember

what I told you, all those years ago,

in that visiting room.

I got you. Okay?

No matter what's going on between me and your daddy, I got you.

I know you do.

But, Ma, I need to know.

That's between him and the Lord, baby.

Look, Dre, your father's ringing the bell

to take the company public tomorrow.

You're gonna run the business as you always have, right?

And Lucious will teach Jamal the rest of it and...

It's everything we ever wanted.

Are you listening to yourself?

What are you, a coward now?

Empire should be mine and you know it.

You stabbed me in the back! Dre what? Dre, Dre...

Don't ever say I stabbed you in the back. I'm here, now, for you.

We still have this. You're still my family, Dre.

Dre?

Don't play that card with me! You're not my family.

You're upset. Nah, you just my dad's thug.

Now, don't... Don't do that. And now you're Jamal's thug.

I raised you, boy. That's all you ever gonna be.

You ain't supposed to talk to me like that! What's wrong with you?

You respect me!

Now, I didn't come here to fight.

Now, get up, so we can talk.

Now, you get the hell out of my house.

Dre, Dre...

Vernon, get off of him!

Vernon, stop it! Stop it!

Vernon, get off of him!

Baby! Baby, are you okay? Yeah, I'm fine.

Oh, my God! I'm good. I'm okay, I'm okay.

Let me see you. I'm okay. I'm okay.

Oh, my God! Look at me.

Oh, my God, baby.

Oh, my God. You came back.

I want to fix this. I do.

Me, too. Me, too.

Baby, what the hell happened here?

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God. All right.

- Uncle Vern? - Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

Vernon? Oh, my God.

Uncle Vernon, come on...

He doesn't have a pulse.

Wait. We got to call the police. We got to call the police.

No, no! Dre! Dre! Do not do that! Do not do that!

Why not? Because there's gonna be

an investigation and a trial, and who knows what can happen?

I can't take that. No, it was self-defense!

You was defending me! Yeah, but you don't know

they're gonna see it that way, baby!

They're gonna see it that way 'cause that's what we're gonna tell them.

Dre, Dre, no! Dre, I'm pregnant! Babe, I'm pregnant.

What?

Well, it's almost showtime.

We've just got to wait for one person, Vernon. He's almost here.

He helped me start the company.

The New York Stock Exchange doesn't wait for anybody.

Yeah, maybe he fell off the wagon again, Dad.

That's funny. Yeah.

As soon as you press that green button,

Empire will be a publicly-traded company.

Do it, Dad.

Yeah, Dad. Push it.

We did it.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Mercury Arena

for a one-night-only performance

of The Lucious Lyon Sound.

Give it up for Hakeem and Jamal Lyon

as they perform Lucious Lyon's smash hit,

What the DJ Spins from his number-one-selling album, Black-Out.

♪ DJ DJ, hey

♪ DJ, keep on spinnin'

♪ All y'all might die tonight This is your party, right

♪ Live it up, the drink is on me That's what the DJ says

♪ Last night a DJ saved my life

♪ He was mixin' no apologies wit up all night

♪ I'm a Lyon in the jungle with an appetite ♪ Turn it up

♪ Ladies love me 'cause I cut 'em like a samurai, all right

♪ Don't fold up then I just don't want it

♪ Ice on my wrist cost about nine hunnit

♪ Don't mind me, I just want my money

♪ So hungry, you should hear my stomach

♪ Oh, Lord, I just wanna eat Feed me semore, who got beef?

♪ Watch what you say if you want your teeth 'cause

♪ That's what the DJ spins ♪ Oh, y'all might

- ♪ Die tonight - ♪ This is your

♪ Party, right? ♪ Live it up, the drink is on me

♪ That's what the DJ says

♪ All y'all not ♪ Getting home

♪ Live it up till the ♪ Break of dawn

♪ Live it up 'cause life is all free

♪ That's what the DJ says

♪ Look at how you dancin' to it

♪ Look at how you dancin' to it

♪ Keep on bouncin' to the music Now what, just turn it louder

♪ Let's go ♪ Look at how the music turn you on

♪ All y'all might ♪ Die tonight

♪ This is your ♪ Party, right?

♪ Live it up, the drink is on me

♪ That's what the DJ says

♪ All y'all not ♪ Getting home

♪ Live it up till the ♪ Break of dawn

♪ Live it up 'cause life is all free ♪ That's what the DJ said ♪

Whoo!

Please welcome to the stage

Juicy J and newcomer Michelle White

singing the classic Lucious Lyon joint, Whatever Makes You Happy,

from his number-one-selling album, Songs of Love and Hate.

- ♪ Oh - ♪ Whatever makes you happy

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

♪ Whatever makes you happy Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

♪ Y'all happy? ♪ Whatever makes you happy

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

- ♪ Whatever makes you happy - ♪ Let's go

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

♪ Hey there, little mama Show 'em how you different

♪ I like personality Go ahead, keep 'em talkin'

♪ Give them ammunition

♪ White girl ♪ Twerk it ou-ou-ou-out

♪ Black girl ♪ Work it ou-ou-ou-out

♪ Big girls ♪ Make it clap, clap, clap, clap

♪ Ain't nothing wrong with that

♪ But ain't nobody's bidness, bidness

♪ How you turn it up, if they don't like it

♪ Tell 'em we don't give a what

♪ Ain't nobody's bidness, bidness

♪ Who you wanna love

♪ If they don't like it You can tell 'em that ya do

♪ Whatever makes you happy Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

♪ Whatever makes you happy Yeah

♪ Yeah, y'all know what it is

♪ Empire, once again, it's on

♪ Juicy J rockin', everybody fightin'

♪ Just can't get along like they Pacquiao or Tyson

♪ Instead of showin' love they shoot up in the club

♪ Everybody wanna be like Titan... ♪

You ready?

Dwight Walker.

Who's that?

That's my real name. Cookie don't even know that.

I knew, when I became an orphan at nine,

that, uh, Dwight wouldn't survive a week in those streets.

So I created Lucious.

Lucious Lyon, the immortal.

The one who could not be killed.

I love you, son.

I always did.

I know I did some really terrible things to you.

I was just scared and, and...

It's hard enough growing up in this world as a black man.

But then to be

homosexual on top of that, that was just... Dad, Dad, stop. Stop.

I understand.

You know, I'm proud of you, too.

For what?

For being able to change your mind.

Come on, that's you. You...

Who is it?

Lucious Lyon, you're under arrest

for the murder of Marcus "Bunkie" Williams.

This a joke? No.

No, this has to be a mistake. What the hell is this?

You're a parole officer. You have the right to remain silent.

Anything you say can and will be... Parole officer.

Used against you in a court of law.

Oh, my God. What... That was a joke.

You did this to me? No, I swear, Lucious.

No, I didn't. You're a ghetto rat.

You'll always be a ghetto rat. A ghetto rat?

I did 17 years for you, Lucious! Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!

Hey, go, do my song. Do our song. Kill it!

We want Lucious!

We want Lucious! We want Lucious!

We want Lucious!

I thought it was between him and the Lord.

We want Lucious! We want Lucious!

We want Lucious! We want Lucious! We want Lucious!

We want Lucious! We want Lucious!

I am the son of Lucious Lyon.

♪ I've been livin' my life But it isn't fair

♪ Would've never thought I'd be down in this gutter

♪ If I can make it here I can make it anywhere

♪ When the going gets rough I gotta get tougher

♪ Sometimes you only get one shot

♪ I gotta give it all I got

♪ 'Cause I ain't got nothing

♪ To lose

♪ So much

♪ To prove

♪ I came too far to hear no Gotta go hard or go home

♪ I ain't got nothing to lose

♪ I gotta do what I gotta do

Ladies and gentlemen, the legendary Miss Patti LaBelle.

♪ Oh

♪ How the hell did your back get against the wall?

♪ Never thought that you'd be here At rock bottom

♪ Said you don't have to worry about the fall

♪ Why did I end up with 99 problems?

♪ Sometimes you only get ♪ Sometimes you only get

♪ One shot ♪ One shot

♪ I gotta give it all I got ♪ Oh! Hey, hey

♪ 'Cause I ain't got... ♪

Lucious, look,

I've been looking for Vernon everywhere, and I can't find him.

He's not picking up. And I'm really sorry to tell you this,

but the news of your arrest has already hit,

and now the stock is plummeting.

I'm really sorry about that.

Everyone's talking about a hostile takeover.

Really?

So y'all think y'all got a plan, huh? Well, think again.

♪ I want to reign over my empire like Caesar

♪ I want to walk over water And die like Jesus...

We're in trouble. Vernon Turner's disappeared.

Find him. He's my star witness.

♪ The time of the essence

♪ Hot damn, it keep me focus ♪ Keep me focused

♪ My mind is a weapon I got to keep it loaded

♪ Keep it loaded, keep it loaded

♪ They all wanna see Whenever you make it

♪ They all wanna come when ya name in the papers

♪ The more that you give 'em The more that they take it

♪ So you gotta remember to cover the basics

♪ For power

♪ For the power ♪ Power

♪ All for the power ♪ Power

♪ For the power ♪ Power

♪ All for the power ♪ Power

♪ Of the empire ♪ For the power

♪ I'll do anything for the power

♪ Of the empire

♪ Of-of-of the empire

♪ Lie, cheat, steal, fight

♪ Just to get on for the night ♪ I'll do anything for the power

♪ Lie, cheat, steal, fight Just to get on for the night

♪ I'll do anything for the power

♪ I want everybody at attention ♪ At attention

♪ You can call me Mr. Lyon when I visit ♪ When I visit

♪ If money is the root to all evil

♪ You can see me ball People never see me fall...

You may think you've gotten away with it.

But don't fool yourselves. This is only the beginning.

See, the streets couldn't defeat me, disease couldn't stop me.

Even God can't kill me.

The day will come when Lucious Lyon will return.

Game time, bitches.

♪ Power ♪