[dramatic music plays]
♪ ♪
[distant siren wailing]
♪ ♪
[chuckles]
Aw, hell. I know that ain't my nigga.
Hey, what's crackin', Rollie-Roll?
- What up, doe? - Ain't shit.
Meechie-motherfucking-Meech.
Shit, nigga, how long it's been, like, two, three years?
Shit, at least.
- Feel good to be home. - Yeah.
I see the Hole still look like the Hole.
Nigga, the Hole ain't changing for nobody.
Obviously. I see you still got that wide body, kid.
Nigga, I been working out.
[laughter]
[hip-hop music plays]
♪ ♪
[indistinct chatter]
[crowd chanting]
♪ ♪
Yo, check out the footwork.
[Older Meech] Hey.
♪ ♪
Yo, I wasn't expecting all this.
Shit, nigga, ain't nobody ever gonna top the shit
you and Tee did,
especially not no Black niggas from southwest Detroit.
Stop.
Y'all niggas like kings
and rock stars all rolled up in one.
Hey, now this is love.
- Love for you. - My nig.
- Welcome home. - My nig.
[chuckles]
♪ ♪
[Older Meech] Given everything that's happened,
people always ask if I have any regrets.
Truth is, I don't.
I mean, we gave up a lot, a hell of a lot.
Being back across the street from where we grew up
made me remember just how much.
[upbeat jazz music plays]
[singer] ♪ Hello, Detroit ♪
♪ You've won my heart ♪
Come on, Nicole, you gonna make me late, baby.
Boy, you gonna let all the cold air out my ice box?
No, I'm trying to find something to eat. I'm starving.
[Charles] Make some cereal or something.
And have a good day at school. You too, Meechie.
- Yes, sir. - First day at work--
I want you to show up on time and work hard, you hear me?
- Yes, sir. Will do. - Love y'all.
- Love you, too, man. - You too.
You have a good one, too, Mr. Flenory.
- Mm, mm! - Ooh! [laughs]
I will, especially after last night.
Oh, boy.
Ugh, can y'all stop with all of that?
Oh, girl, hush. You got all your stuff.
[Young Meech] Your dumb ass can't light a stove.
Shut up. Five dollars say you can't either.
Bet.
- Trash. - Move.
- I told you. - Shut up.
Dang.
Shit!
I told you about that language.
And, Terry, why aren't you dressed?
We ain't got no hot water.
I was trying to boil some to wash up,
but Meech almost blew the house up.
- Shut up. - And we out of milk again, too.
Boy, you wasn't born with no silver spoon in your mouth.
Use the rest of your brother's.
-[laughing] You bugging, bro. - It's not funny. It's nasty.
Hey, man, here you go.
[laughing]
♪ ♪
[singers] ♪ Hello, Detroit ♪
-[sighs] - Yeah.
Man, you ain't gonna work at no Wendy's.
Man, why the hell you care?
Because when Mama and them throw your dumb ass out,
I'm gonna be the one you call to throw some food down.
All right.
Look, Tee, I'm about to clock some major dollars
so we can stop sharing milk and clothes, man.
You're going to the rock house?
Yeah.
- I want to go. - Hell, no.
Man, I ain't dragging your Poindexter ass nowhere with me.
Man, move.
- Put your hands on me. - What's wrong with you, man?
[engine revving]
[funky music playing]
♪ ♪
That's my car.
No it ain't, fool.
It's my boss', and one day I'ma have one just like it.
STO...
[both] See it, touch it, obtain it.
- Meech, you coming or what? - Yeah.
We both go, or neither of us goes.
Nah, I can only pay for one.
We'll split it, then, right, bro?
Nah, bro.
Hey, what up, Pat?
♪ ♪
[tires screech]
[Older Meech] Letting my brother in the car
with me that day took us on a journey
beyond our wildest imaginations.
We built our family as we chased the American Dream
and lived like fucking kings--
partying, traveling, smashing honeys,
eating good, and rocking fly shit
in the coldest whips and cribs around the globe.
[chuckles] I ain't even gonna lie.
If I had to do it all over again,
I wouldn't change a motherfucking thing.
[Charlie] ♪ I got everything On the line ♪
♪ I'm out here I'm on the grind ♪
♪ Trying to get mine ♪
♪ At least you could Wish me luck ♪
♪ A nigga move the weight ♪
♪ Trying to get the cake ♪
♪ I'm in and out of state ♪
♪ At least you could Wish me luck ♪
♪ Too many niggas fake ♪
♪ It's hard to tell a snake ♪
♪ One more flip And I'm straight ♪
♪ At least you could Wish me luck ♪
♪ I don't go hand to hand ♪
♪ It go gram after gram ♪
♪ Yeah, holla at me, man ♪
♪ At least you could Wish me luck ♪
♪ Too many niggas fake ♪
♪ It's hard to tell a snake ♪
♪ One more flip And I'm straight ♪
♪ At least you could Wish me luck ♪
[50 Cent] ♪ D's ain't that good ♪
♪ These niggas is ratting ♪
♪ They tell them What's going on ♪
♪ That's how they know What's happening ♪
♪ I'm riding With the top down ♪
♪ Trunk full of yola ♪
♪ Ghetto pharmaceutical ♪
♪ I move that Coca-Cola ♪
♪ Thousand grams of pure ♪
♪ Though I fuck With the weirdos ♪
♪ They snort away the pain ♪
♪ Bang their dope In their vein ♪
♪ Shorty crying Christmas ain't coming ♪
♪ Her pop's locked up ♪
♪ When it hurts the worst ♪
♪ Your ace find out She knocked up ♪
♪ Welfare ain't an option ♪
♪ When the Feds come knocking ♪
♪ It's all fucked up So wish me luck ♪
[Charlie] ♪ At least You could wish me luck ♪
♪ A nigga move the weight ♪
♪ Trying to get the cake ♪
♪ I'm in and out of state ♪
♪ At least you could Wish me luck ♪
♪ Too many niggas fake ♪
♪ It's hard to tell a snake ♪
♪ One more flip And I'm straight ♪
♪ At least you could Wish me luck ♪
♪ I don't go hand to hand ♪
♪ It go gram after gram ♪
♪ Yeah, holla at me, man ♪
♪ At least you could Wish me luck ♪
♪ Too many niggas fake ♪
♪ It's hard to tell a snake ♪
♪ One more flip And I'm straight ♪
♪ At least you could Wish me luck ♪
♪ Wish me luck ♪
♪ At least you could Wish me luck ♪
♪ Oh, yeah, wish me luck ♪
♪ Wish me luck ♪
♪ All you got to do Is wish me luck, yeah ♪
[hip-hop music plays]
♪ ♪
[singer] ♪ Dope, fly, fresh ♪
♪ I want you ♪
♪ Dope, fly, fresh ♪
♪ I want you ♪
♪ ♪
[indistinct chatter]
[crowd cheering]
[Meech] Why did 12th Street call this meeting, anyway?
They probably want us to fall back.
We ain't spend three years grinding on corners
and shitty-ass spots for nothing.
Word up. That corner shit is dead.
[Meech] Why they choose here, though?
They didn't. I did.
The City Championship's game is today,
so the place is crawling with cops and metal detectors,
which means them 12th Street niggas won't be strapped.
- Where are my props? - Fuck you.
Keep it moving, please.
All metal objects in the trays. Let's go.
[officer] That means everything in the trays.
Empty your pockets.
Man, you think them factory dudes smoking?
Man, there you go putting mustard on shit now.
Shit, I'm saying that might be a market we can tap into.
[Meech] Man, I'd like to tap
into one of these goddamn cheerleaders.
If they had honeys this fine when I was in school,
I wouldn't have dropped out.
[Terry] Yo, I got to holla at my boy.
What up, Los? You got it?
[crowd chanting]
- Yo. - Game started an hour ago.
I'm here now. Shut up and come on.
[crowd booing]
Man, take this C note for your troubles.
Not gonna use that shit, are you?
I will if you don't quit fucking with me.
[both chuckle]
- Nah. Good looks. - All right.
I don't know about this shit, bro.
-[Meech clears throat] - Shit--
[man chuckling]
First of all, fuck the Fifty Boyz.
Y'all ain't from Ecorse.
But you carving out a space for yourself, okay.
I gave you that pass,
so why I got to hear about you
setting up shop a pinky toe from 12th Street?
[Meech] First of all, we in the D, motherfucker.
Is this nigga talking
about that area near the funeral home?
Nigga, that shit was uncharted territory until we came
and planted our flag.
So now y'all just asking us to move out?
Nah, Meech.
I'm telling you, if y'all don't stop, bodies gonna drop.
[Meech] J-Mo, look, it's enough money and food out here
for all of us to eat.
Now, if we squash this dumb shit
and came together and pooled our resources,
nigga, we'd be like the motherfucking Italian Mob, man.
This ain't no fucking negotiation, nigga.
We see y'all little sandbox boys around here again,
it's gonna be war.
Then let's go then, motherfucker.
[scoffs] I ain't scared of y'all bitch-ass niggas.
Matter of fact, I ain't moving nowhere no more. What's up?
[scoffs] Hey, hey, Tee.
I suggest you talk to your big brother over here,
tell him to keep this shit peaceful,
or you may have to start walking your old girl home
after her shift from Wendy's.
- Nigga, fuck you, nigga. - Fuck.
Hey, Tee, chill. Put that shit away.
We don't even need that shit.
These niggas ain't worth that shit, man.
This nigga got him a little pow-pow.
You know what to do with that?
You ever shoot somebody before, Tee?
[Meech] You know what?
As a show of good faith
and because my super-passionate brother
just had to pull his gat, I'ma give y'all niggas
that fucking area, man.
-[scoffs] - Meech, what the fuck?
And as a token of my appreciation,
I'm gonna look past all this dumb shit.
But don't let this type of shit happen again, man,
or that genie ain't goin' back in that bottle.
- 12th Street. - Fifty Boyz, motherfucker.
Y'all get y'all little asses out of here
before we got to hang y'all
by y'all raggedy-ass rat tails, motherfucker, huh?
Get the fuck on.
Go back to the sandbox, little niggas.
Fuck with some damn pussy.
[car alarm blaring]
Man, we ain't never agree to bring no fuckin' strap
to no goddamn meeting, Tee.
Why do you think I scheduled it there, Meech?
It's 'cause I knew I could sneak it in, bro.
Popping off with guns ain't even you, Tee.
Nigga, that's my lane.
And you almost fucked up everything we done worked for.
See, Meech, your ass always think
you can just talk your way out of shit.
But I'm trying to win.
Well, you must have forgot that my mouth
is the reason we here right now.
And you must have forgot that your mouth is the reason
why we just look like some fucking hos.
Man, who cares?
Nigga, as long as we getting this motherfucking paper
and we staying ahead of they ass, don't nothing else matter.
You just gave up where we've been making
over half of our earnings.
Our crew ain't big enough to go to war yet, Tee.
War means bodies. Bodies bring cops.
And cops kill business.
Nigga, this ain't the fucking mobsters, bro.
We're not in a fucking movie.
Yeah. I know that.
No, what I'm trying to get you to understand is,
man, we got a product that creates its own demand.
As long as we got my vision and your brains, we're okay.
Nobody fuck with us, man.
But it's like I told you-- the product ain't ours.
Getting dope on consignment from Pat
means we're rentin' the shit.
We'll never maximize our loop
until we get our own shit outright.
But first, get that motherfucking gun
- out the house right now... - There you go again...
- ...before Mama find out! -...trying to tell me--
Bro, we not little kid--
Hey.
Hey, Mama.
- Dinner's ready. - Yes, ma'am.
[Meech] Oh, we coming right now.
What we looking like?
You ready?
Wash your hands before you come downstairs.
[Terry] Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am.
[Meech] Yeah, I'm hungry.
Ooh!
[slide guitar playing]
♪ ♪
Ooh, but, Mama, that smell like heaven right there.
[Nicole] You're such a kiss-ass.
[Lucille] Hey, you want me to wash your mouth out with soap,
- young lady? - That ain't fair.
Meech and Terry say way worse all the time.
- Snitch. - Shut up.
[Lucille] Thought you were bringing my grandbaby by?
Yeah, they went out for dinner this weekend.
[Lucille] Well, you just make sure
you bring him by next weekend, okay?
- Give me some of that. -[Lucille] Oh, shoot.
Okay, here.
-[Meech] Give me some of that. - Hey, baby.
Boy, what'd I tell you about looking proper
at my dinner table?
[Meech sighs]
[Charles] Clasp hands. Bow your heads.
- Whose turn is it to say grace? - I think it's Meechie's.
Terry, say the blessing, boy.
[chuckles]
Good food.
Good meat. Good God, let's eat.
Now, you know that ain't no doggone blessing.
Daddy be saying it all the time.
Yeah, sound good to me. Pass the lasagna.
Yeah, Ma, don't forget.
I need money for that Boblo trip.
We'll talk about it later.
That's what you said last week.
Hey, look, Nicki. Don't even trip. I got you.
We're not taking your money.
Pops, it's just for her school field trip.
- Did I stutter? - Terry, how was school today?
[Terry] It was good.
[Charles] You're gonna be on the honor roll again, right?
Yes, sir.
Make sure last semester wasn't no fluke?
-[Terry] Yes, sir. - Look, I don't care
if you on the honor roll or not.
I just want you to graduate so you can get a good job,
and so that you can support that baby you got on the way.
[sighs] Okay, look, my stomach getting queasy, all right?
I got to catch some air.
Well, just remember you on kitchen duty tonight.
[Meech] All right.
[Nicole] He always playing.
[funky music plays]
♪ ♪
All right, I want a loose burger,
chili cheese fries, extra cheese.
Um, I'm sorry. We changed our menu.
We don't sell loose burgers anymore.
- Where Duka at? - I think you mean Daniel.
He moved to our new location in Lincoln Park,
but, uh, I'm Jeremy, and I'll be happy to take your order.
Coneys belong downtown.
Loose burgers is for the hood.
Some things just ain't supposed to change.
How about you step to the side till you're ready to order?
- I should just step aside? - Yeah.
All right.
[people gasp]
Y'all might want to head to Mickey D's
for a happy meal or something.
[woman] Come on, Amanda.
[gasping] Please. Please.
I just took over a week ago.
- You from Ecorse, Jeremy? - No.
Just--just--just take whatever you want.
Here, here.
-Jeremy, no. - You want some pop?
Listen, Jeremy, look,
I'm a changed man, all right?
But I'm gonna tell you what, though...
[sniffs] ...when you see Duka,
you tell him that Lamar Silas is back in town.
And the next time I'm back in here,
I expect things to go back to the way they were.
You understand?
- Yeah? - Okay. Okay.
All right. That's good.
[dramatic music]
What up, doe?
Y'all good?
[man] Call the fucking police.
- Be easy. -[man 2] Hey, call the cops.
Right now, call the cops.
[Jay-Mo chuckles]
Yeah, we be easy, man.
Hey, y'all finna see this motherfucker lose his mind
and all his money.
Hey, my money on the table.
Go on and shoot the motherfucking shot.
Nigga, watch how you talk to me, motherfucker.
Don't be rushing me. This is my spot.
- What up, doe? -[man] Hey, young-un.
Hey, what's up?
[door buzzes, lock clicks]
[funky music plays]
♪ ♪
-[Pat] Huh? - Boy, that was illegal.
But that was sweet as hell, OG.
Ain't that the game we in, young-un?
Always, nigga.
I heard y'all gave up territory
to them 12th Street Boys-- what's up with that?
I mean, wasn't really much I could do, OG.
We was gonna be popping off.
Listen, man, this the streets we talking about.
If somebody stepping on your toes, motherfucker,
you don't move to the side.
You back their ass up.
That's what I'm saying-- you think I should have
-just fought 'em? - Yeah, nigga. Yeah. Okay?
And got to be smart about it, too, so you don't get knocked.
What if there's another way, OG?
The rules always been the same.
Ain't no other way.
You got to handle this, and you got to handle it fast, too,
'cause Lamar Silas just TD'd.
- Old head? Used to run Ecorse? -[Pat] Hell, yeah.
Shit. Everybody in these damn streets old except for us.
They say he the one that kidnapped that rapper.
Strung him up next to a beehive naked.
Let him get all stung up till his broad coughed up the loot.
- Hmm. That's scandalous. - Wait. Hold on. Hold on.
Y'all making this nigga
sound like the boogeyman or some shit.
The point is... the competition thickening.
You got to do whatever it is
that you got to do to protect your shit,
'cause the vultures and the wolves coming, nigga.
And one more thing--
you got to come dressed to kill at my party,
motherfucker, for sure, ain't that right?
[both laugh]
Man, outside of you,
me and Tee gonna be the flyest cats up in that set.
Hey, y'all heard that shit? They gonna be the flyest.
- I heard him. -[Pat] Besides me, nigga.
Hold on. Let me show you how the game go.
♪ ♪
- Yo. - You already know.
You good?
- Hell, yeah. - That's good.
This right here-- this might be our new location.
Ain't this 12th Street turf?
Yeah, but, shit, you see any of them around?
Yo, I'm telling y'all, they know it's dead up here.
We'd do better up there by the courts.
Hell, nah, nigga, there's way too many kids there.
We need to be somewhere that's out of sight from everybody.
- Everybody except her. -[Ms. Griffin] Uh-uh.
No. Y'all can't be around here.
Come on, Ms. Griffin, we just trying
to get enough people to start a friendly game.
I know what kind of game you're trying to start, Meech.
Now get your little hoodlums and get the hell out of here.
- We didn't even do shit. - Look, chill. I got this.
All right, Ms. Griffin, look, I got you.
- Mm-hmm. -[Meech] I got you.
[car alarm blaring]
Man, fuck Ms. Griffin.
Look, I got this.
Come on, we out. Let's get up out of here.
That's yours, Tee.
[truck horn blares]
[Detective Bryan] All right, hey, bring it in.
Come on in here.
All right, so I want the same intensity
- in tomorrow's game, you hear? -[all] Yes, Coach.
Put it here. Tigers on three.
- One, two, three... -[all] Tigers!
[indistinct chatter]
[Meech] What's up, Coach?
[Detective Bryant laughs]
Hey, get that for me.
[both laughing]
Well, you still got jokes, Coach.
Mm-hmm.
That pitcher-- he got some heat, boy.
That kind of remind me of somebody.
Shit. I mean, you was always a good athlete,
but your focus was all over the place, boy.
- Man, stop it, Coach. - Whatever, man.
Hey, look, I got to holler about you at something.
Okay.
I'm trying to start my own game up at the Ecorse Rec Center.
Well, you got enough people over there interested
- in playing? - It's baseball, Coach.
People gonna go wherever the game is, you know that.
The only problem I got is, ain't no shelter on the field.
Get kind of hot out there.
So what you talking?
Just a dugout and the bleachers.
And what you gonna do about the umpire?
Was kind of hoping you could help me out with that.
Ooh, boy, that's a tough ask.
I got faith in you, Coach.
[scoffs, exhales deeply]
[school bell ringing]
Los, what up, doe?
Up all night finishing this book, man.
Ms. Kim is sick, so I will be subbing in.
[students groan]
Che Guevara looks great on a T-shirt.
I know, I got three,
but if we're talking about real revolution,
we are talking about Karl Marx.
So I assume that all of you did your reading.
So let's do a layup.
How many of you agree with Marx
that man cannot see beyond his own material self-interest?
Anybody?
-[clears throat] -[Mr. Ryan] You, Kwamé.
Descartes said, "I think, therefore I am."
Ain't that what separates us from animals?
We can do anything we want if we put our minds to it.
[chuckles] Like pulling out if you ain't got no rubbers.
[laughter]
- At least my dick get hard. -[all] Ooh.
All right, Mr. Flenory, watch your mouth.
Now, everybody just settle down, just settle down.
Let's take this another way, all right?
Short-term gain versus long-term gain--
how many times have I seen a student drop out,
thinking it's better to take a shift at the factory
than to study a few more years for a better job later?
Well, you know teen pregnancy's sky-high right now.
People got to do what they got to do.
- Shut the fuck up. -[students murmuring]
Mr. Flenory, do you have a rebuttal?
You said if a student studies now,
he's gonna get a better job in the future, right?
But how do you know the job he has in front of him
ain't the best he's gonna get?
Well, Marx is not trying to prove that investing
in the future will always be the better outcome.
You make it sound like material self-interest
is a bad thing, Mr. Ryan.
Sometimes that's all we got. Look, I agree with Marx.
A man can't see past his own material self-interest
until he knows he's fully taken care of.
[chuckles]
I got a question.
Is your brother gonna babysit y'all kid
so you can go to class, or are you gonna drop out, too?
Hey, hey, break it up! Break it up now! Now!
Mr. Flenory, outside.
Settle down.
-[Terry] Pussy. - Out.
[student] Relax, relax, relax.
Game on Friday. Come on, chill.
[distant train horn blaring]
[door opens]
Hey, Mama.
What's up, Pop?
Demetrius, we need to talk.
Can I put this Chinese food down first?
Boy, sit down.
What's going on?
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
[sighs]
I was doing laundry, and I found this in your room.
So you a policeman now? Some kind of secret agent?
'Cause them men need weapons to do they job.
What kind of job you got you need a gun?
- Charles-- - No, nah, Lucille.
We got us a man now.
He don't need his mama to protect him.
He done went and got a gun.
Pops, it's not like that.
Then what's it like, Demetrius?
'Cause right about now,
I don't think I want you around my kids no more.
So you found a gun, and I ain't your child?
Is that what you telling me?
No, that's not what he's saying.
Don't speak for me, woman.
-[door opens] - My tongue work fine.
Hey, what's going on?
Yo, I'm throwing your brother out the house.
I found a damn gun.
All right, Pops, I'll be out,
but y'all gonna be following in my footsteps.
[Charles] What the hell is he talking about?
Nothing. Stop all this foolishness, please.
Our house is in foreclosure
because we behind on the mortgage.
That's why.
How's that, Lucille?
Look, Pops, it's cool, all right?
This should get us out of whatever jam we in.
No. Stop! Let him go, Charles!
Charles!
If you ever raise your fist at me again,
I'll treat you like a nigga on the street.
You understand me?
♪ ♪
- Man, I'm out this bitch. - Yo, Meech.
[Lucille] Demetrius.
-[door opens] - Demetrius!
[door closes]
[singer] ♪ Love ♪
♪ Them and leave them ♪
[woman moans]
♪ That's what I used to do ♪
♪ Use and abuse them ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Then I laid eyes on you ♪
♪ It was pain ♪
♪ Before pleasure ♪
[woman moaning]
♪ ♪
♪ That was my claim to fame ♪
♪ With every measure ♪
♪ Baby ♪
♪ Tasted teardrop stains ♪
♪ Yeah ♪
♪ ♪
♪ I was cold as ice ♪
♪ Long ago ♪
♪ Baby, baby ♪
I feel like I needed this more than you today.
♪ I wasn't very, very, very nice ♪
♪ You know ♪
♪ Sugar, sugar, sugar ♪
♪ ♪
Meech, I don't get why you still live with your parents
and y'all be just fighting like that.
That's how we show our love.
♪ ♪
That sound real dysfunctional to me.
♪ ♪
It do.
♪ ♪
You still got that money
I left you to go get the kids some clothes?
Yeah, but I can always use more.
[pager beeping]
Hey, where the phone at?
I got to take this.
♪ ♪
I'll go get you a hot towel.
[knock at door]
[sighs]
- You miss me? - I heard you were out.
Man, I came straight to see you and Zoe.
Without calling first? Do you know what time it is?
Obviously, you don't, or you wouldn't have came
this late on a school night.
Uh, I catch you at a bad time?
Nigga, don't come questioning me.
I ain't seen your ass in two years.
That's 'cause you stopped coming to--
Look, Mo, we can get into all of that later, all right?
I-I just want to see my daughter.
Lamar, I already told you, Zoe is not yours.
Monique, stop with that bullshit.
You know I'm the only daddy she's ever known.
Look, get on your feet, then we can talk
about you and Zoe spending time together, okay?
Look, um...
[sighs] I got her something.
You just give that to her, and you tell her I said hi.
Bye, Lamar.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
[sighs]
[Lamar] ♪ One love, one love ♪
♪ You're lucky just to have Just one love ♪
♪ Now, the love I used To have just left me cold ♪
♪ I used to buy her everything From diamonds to gold ♪
♪ At first, I thought she'd left me ♪
♪ Because I didn't buy Her enough ♪
♪ But then she left me alone With all my stuff ♪
♪ Said, baby, one of these Days, you'll have to learn ♪
[rapper] ♪ That love is something ♪
♪ That you got to earn ♪
♪ And once you earn it Got to know how to keep it ♪
♪ You got to want it As well as you need it ♪
♪ To have more stuff Was a hurtin' lesson ♪
♪ But to have had love Was a definite lesson ♪
[engine turning over]
♪ When they said That money can't buy me love ♪
[tires squealing]
[engine revving]
[Meech] What the fuck?
Stay away from my bitch.
- Next time, I won't miss. -[tires squealing]
Yeah, fuck you!
[Older Meech] I ain't never been scared of a man,
but this nigga Lamar, he a legend.
Let me just break it down for you.
Southwest Detroit, River Rouge, and Ecorse--
pretty much on top of each other.
You can be on the corner in Rouge, cross the street,
now you in Ecorse.
You go up one block from that, now you in Detroit.
A bunch of different dudes
used to run a lot of different sections.
This one man used to terrorize the entire area,
pushing H and robbing all the dealers
till he got popped on an assault charge.
When Lamar went away,
Visger became the hottest block in the area.
The 12th Street Boys
had the bottom near the shrimp joint popping.
We had 19th Street by the store.
While both crews was beefing
all over all the streets in between,
Lamar's lawyer was running an insanity defense,
which got him four years in the nuthouse
instead of the big house.
Then Reagan started emptying the mental-health facilities,
so the man who used to reign over the region
was back at the crib after two.
And the first thing he sees is me with his ex.
But the thing that really pissed Lamar off
was all the corners he used to run
were now 12th Street and ours.
And he was willing to do anything to get things back
to the way they used to be.
[Lucille] ♪ In the name of Jesus ♪
♪ We have victory ♪
♪ In the name of... ♪
Lucille...
we need to talk about this mortgage.
[sighs] Okay.
[sniffles] Let's talk about it, Charles.
I go out here every day and bust my butt.
I bring the check over to you.
How are we behind?
I pay all the bills.
I also buy the food, the clothes.
And you know what?
It's never enough.
That's why I went out and got the job at Wendy's.
Everything was fine.
It was all fine until the car broke down
and we had to get it fixed.
And I thought I could catch up,
but I- I wound up falling even more behind, and I--
And how we supposed to pay
for Nicole to go on that field trip?
I'm not punishing her for our mess.
We can't cover it.
Then you take your butt up there,
and you see the look on Nicole's face
when you tell her that she can't go on that class trip.
Deal with that, Charles.
As a matter of fact, you can deal with all of it,
because I'm sick of living like this.
I'm sick of it!
[water splashing softly]
[faucet running]
Lucille...
I'ma do like I always do.
I'ma figure it out. [sighs]
Look at me.
Baby...
baby, look at me.
[soft music plays]
But you got to trust me.
♪ ♪
[R&B music plays]
[singer] ♪ Did he ever take time ♪
♪ To say you're beautiful? ♪
[laughter]
-[gasps] Baby! -[Terry] Hey, everybody.
Hey, hey, hey.
Everyone, this is Terry, B-Mickie, and Sockie.
Hey, everybody. How y'all doing?
-How y'all doing? - Hey.
Where's my mom and Nicole?
She said they were gonna be late.
Okay. How's the food? Food good?
Everything is beautiful.
I'm so happy you did this.
Now, can you please come and sit down?
A baby shower, babe?
Come on.
[indistinct chatter]
-[Terry sighs] - Terry, really?
You can't leave.
I told everyone you were coming.
Some of these people are family you never even met.
Come on, babe, I'm not about to sit here
yapping with a bunch of girls at a baby shower
opening baby presents.
I- I thought we were doing this together.
Babe, you got your girls and your whole family here.
But not the father of my child?
I'm counting on you, Terry.
I paid for the food, the decorations,
the liquor, but this right here--this ain't me.
I'm gonna hit you later and see what's up with you, okay?
No. No.
Damn.
I love you, too.
[siren wailing]
[sighs] Shit.
[wailing stops]
[car door opens]
-What's this about? - You were speeding.
License and registration, please.
- That's not mine. - You're right.
It's your son's.
Fransciscus is a senior at Saint Martin de Porres.
A possession charge will stop
any decent college from admitting him.
You don't scare me with your gestapo tactics.
Gestapo? Ain't that a bitch.
No, baby, this is Detroit.
Look, you leave the rec center alone,
and I'll leave your son alone.
Choice is yours.
I just came to pick up some clothes.
I need you to set a better example for Terry
or leave him alone altogether.
Terry is like a sponge.
He doesn't listen to me or your father,
but he soaks up everything you say and do.
Demetrius...
...we've done everything we can for you.
Put you through school, you dropped out.
Helped you get employment, you quit.
Ma, who wants to work a fast-food job?
Nobody, including me.
But I do it to support our family.
You think you better than me or something?
No. That's not what I'm saying.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
If you and Daddy believe in the power of God so much...
...why worry about Terry?
- Don't. - Or the mortgage?
Don't.
Don't twist my words around like that.
♪ ♪
Ma, I'm not saying that, okay?
Listen, you always taught me the Lord works
in mysterious ways.
Ma, listen to me. I got money.
Maybe I'm your mysterious way, Ma.
♪ ♪
If you live long enough
to see your children make mistakes...
mistakes that might ruin their lives...
then you will understand why I can't accept
your money.
♪ ♪
Ma.
[sighs]
[scoffs]
♪ ♪
-[indistinct chatter] -[Terry] What up, doe?
- Damn. - That's for getting me
kicked out the crib for that stupid-ass gun I told
- your dumb ass to get rid of. - My bad, dog.
Yeah, you fucking right it's your bad, man.
[B-Mickie] I know you ain't talking
with them rusty-ass ankles.
[Kato] Shut up.
Y'all looking like the high-top brothers minus one.
- That shit wasn't funny. - Man, I don't know
who hired this country bumpkin-ass bitch anyway!
The only bitch I know is your mama.
You better watch how you talking to me.
Yo, what the fuck is going on, man?
Kato over here slicing prices like it's Black Friday.
People don't have the kind of money we charging--I had to.
[Terry] Yo, yo, yo. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on.
Our name is Fifty Boyz.
We sell $50 bags of crack all day, all night.
It's slow as shit out here.
I had to think on the fly to make a sale.
Look, look, yo. This ain't no democracy, Kato.
You do what we say, or you get the fuck on.
Everybody back to work except Kato.
Slashing prices. Ain't that a bitch.
You know this team's got a lot of players, right?
And I'm the only one sweating on the field.
The rest of 'em was backsliding till y'all showed.
So now you a snitch?
Look, our crew is like an assembly line.
It got a whole lot of moving parts
and a whole lot of players, but in order for us to win,
everybody got to play their position.
Don't ever forget that shit, or you could do like
my brother said and get the fuck on.
Wow. Yo, you told her, Meechie.
Good shit. No slap on the wrist or nothing?
[Meech] For thinking outside the box?
Nigga, 50 is our brand. That's our name.
That's all we got in these streets.
Man, I made my decision, man.
And you didn't even talk to me about it,
nor did you say anything before moving out here.
'Cause if you had, guess what-- I would have told you
what a dumbass idea this was without a marketing scheme.
Nigga, we slinging crack.
We ain't selling no fucking beer ads.
- Whatever. - What if Kato's right
and the streets ain't fucking with our 50 bags no more?
Shit.
Hey, B, what- what's the biggest flophouse in Ecorse?
[B-Mickie] Shit, Pumpkin.
She like the E.F. Hutton of crack.
Whenever she talk, them baseheads listen.
What if we use that extra shake
we got to cook up a new batch?
Don't step on it as much.
-Hit it with a new stamp. - Right, right, right.
Give it to Pumpkin and have her ass spread the word.
- God damn. - What?
That's a dope idea.
You ain't never use your big-ass head
other for something than a hat rack, nigga.
Yeah, about time.
[Terry] Yo, we wouldn't even be in this mess
if your ass hadn't caved in.
Do you brothers ever do some, like, family shit, like hug?
[both] Man, shut the fuck up.
Nigga.
[Meech] Nicole and my folks are out for the night.
It's smelling like money, boy.
Nigga, put a shirt on. We is not at Lawanda's.
- Fuck you, nigga. - I know.
[Terry] Listen, man.
[both] ♪ I'm the king of rock There ain't none higher ♪
♪ These sucka MCs Should call me sire ♪
♪ To burn my kingdom You must use fire ♪
♪ I won't stop rockin' Till I retire ♪
♪ Now, we rock the party And come correct ♪
♪ Our cuts are on time and rhymes connect ♪
♪ Got the right to vote And will elect ♪
♪ And other rappers Can't stand us ♪
♪ But give us respect ♪
♪ ♪
♪ They called us And said we're getting iller ♪
♪ There's no one chiller ♪
♪ It's not Michael Jackson ♪
♪ And this is not Thriller ♪
♪ As one def rapper I know I can hang ♪
♪ I'm Run from Run-DMC like Kool from Kool and the Gang ♪
♪ Roll to the rock Rock to the roll ♪
♪ DMC stands for devastating mic control ♪
♪ You can't touch me With a ten-foot pole ♪
♪ And I even made the Devil Sell me his soul ♪
♪ Soul, soul, soul, soul ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Now, we crash through walls Cut through floors ♪
♪ Bust through ceilings And knock down doors ♪
♪ And when we're on the tape We're fresh out the box ♪
♪ You can hear our sound For blocks and blocks ♪
♪ For every living person we're a verbal treat ♪
♪ It's me and DMC Jay, where's the beat? ♪
♪ Beat, beat, beat ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Now, we're the baddest Of the bad ♪
♪ Coolest of the cool I'm DMC, I rock and roll ♪
♪ I'm DJ Run I rock and rule ♪
♪ It's not a trick or treat And it's not an April fool ♪
♪ It's all brand-new Never, ever old school ♪
♪ ♪
[Meech] You see all this motherfucking money, nigga?
Yeah, nigga. Nigga, we here, nigga.
[Terry] What the fuck are you talking about, man?
♪ And your knees won't bend ♪
♪ Music ain't nothing But a people's jam ♪
♪ It's DJ Run-DMC rocking Without a band ♪
♪ ♪
Ooh! Ooh-hoo-hoo! Look at that, look at that.
♪ ♪
[indistinct chatter]
[upbeat dance music play]
♪ ♪
Appreciate you.
Now, you know
I couldn't let you be the only one pulling up with a Benz.
I see you. I see you.
We definitely hollering at Pat
about buying our own shit tonight, though.
Bringing that up tonight might not be the move.
Shit, oh, well, that's the move we making.
♪ ♪
Damn, girl, you clean up well.
What you thought I was gonna have on,
some gym shoes and sweats?
[K-9] Okay, okay.
I see y'all over there holding it down.
If you ever over in the Brewster's,
- get at K-9, all right? - All right.
Hey, this nigga seen us how many times?
And he never paid us no mind.
Shit, after tonight, everybody gonna know
who the fucking 50 Boyz are.
-[man] Welcome to Club Taboo. -[Meech] Appreciate you, boss.
- Enjoy yourselves. - Yes, sir.
Gentlemen.
[upbeat electronic music plays]
♪ ♪
[indistinct chatter]
♪ ♪
[Jay-Mo] Hey, baby, baby, baby.
Yeah, let me get four shots of Henny.
Make his a double. [chuckles]
I'm just happy to see you back, but, you know,
I'm guessing your pockets is kind of low.
If you want to fill 'em, you run with us.
I'm just saying a man of your experience
would be welcomed, in my crew.
Yo, do me a favor.
Send some warm milk to them day-care kids, all right?
♪ ♪
Told you that was a bad idea.
That nigga's still institutionalized.
That motherfucker took my drink.
[chuckles]
Fuck that nigga.
♪ ♪
Man, that shit you pulled in class don't fly.
Man, fuck you, fuck you,
and fuck all of these bitch-ass niggas you here with.
[Meech] Hey, do we got a fucking problem, nigga?
I know we don't got no fucking problem.
[chuckles] No, we good, bro.
That's what the fuck I thought.
Come on, let's bounce. Come on.
Fuck out of here, soft-ass niggas.
Yo, that's that nigga Kwamé from school?
- Yeah. - Man, fuck them niggas, man.
[Terry] Right.
♪ ♪
Y'all fellas having fun tonight?
Hell, yeah.
Y'all looking too good to be fighting.
[Meech] Ah, we good.
See y'all later.
♪ ♪
[Pat] Man, you see--you see me? You know what I'm doing?
- Man, come on, man. - Chill.
Pat over there, man. Let's go, man.
- Fuck that nigga. - Man, let's go.
[man] Cheers to my nigga Pat. More money, more power, baby.
Let's get it. Yes, sir.
[woman] Whoo!
Oh, there go my boys.
Boom, I want you to meet Meech, Terry.
These are the biggest earners in my stable.
Nice to meet y'all, man. This is my wife Markisha.
Y'all boys look like you getting it in.
Hell, yeah.
Got to, man. It's my man Pat's birthday.
Hey, y'all mind if we steal Pat from you for a moment?
Shit, it's his night. Be our guest.
[indistinct chatter]
[woman] Yo Pat! It's your birthday!
[Pat] Yep, yep, yep. Thank you. Straight up.
- Here you go, OG. - Oh, man. Perfect timing.
Already know I got you.
Mm-hmm.
[Terry] Token of our appreciation
for everything you've done us.
Man, straight up, I love you little niggas.
No doubt. No doubt, and we'll be through tomorrow to re-up.
Re-up?
I just broke y'all off, like, last week.
Y'all niggas selling too fast.
What the hell you mean?
Isn't the object of the job to get paid?
Get paid and stay yo ass out of jail.
Don't forget that part.
Keep telling y'all this ain't no 40-yard dash.
Look, Pat, we're taking every precaution you ever taught us,
and we definitely on point.
Matter of fact, we want to cop a brick of powder
when we come get our bags.
Meech, you ever hear the expression
"God don't give you more than you can handle"?
As far as our relationship is concerned, I'm God.
Now, I'm always gonna have your best interests at heart.
And stop talking shop at my party.
Now, I'm finna go back inside and get at these bitches.
♪ ♪
[Terry] Told you not to bring that shit up here.
[indistinct chatter]
Yo, it's cold as fuck. What are we doing out here?
Man, I'm so sick of motherfuckers
telling us what to do, and the only way that's gonna change--
we got to start running our own shit.
Yo, that's what I've been saying, Meech.
We got to be bosses, but if we gonna do this,
you're gonna need to learn how to listen a little more
and be more inclusive.
Otherwise, it's gonna be a short-ass reign.
But what about Pat?
Shit, that nigga put us on and got us to where we at.
[exhales deeply]
So hopefully we make him rich.
- But I ain't waiting. - Meech, that ain't smart.
Ain't nobody ever gave nobody shit in this country, Tee.
They didn't give us our freedom or the right to vote.
Nigga, we had to fight for that shit.
It's the same way as us fighting for our independence
in this fucking game, man.
So what you saying?
Fuck being bosses.
We gonna be kings, Tee.
Kings of the motherfucking D, man.
Ha ha.
These niggas can't fuck with us.
[both] See it, touch it, obtain it.
[Terry chuckles]
-[pager beeping] - Oh, shit.
Yo, this is Wanda.
I'm gonna handle that. I'm gonna--
All right, go handle that.
[hip-hop music plays]
♪ ♪
[distant siren wailing]
[Terry] Oh, come here.
Come here, come here.
-[Lucille] Easy. - I got it, Mama.
-[Lucille] Easy. - I got it, Mama. Okay.
No, no, it's me. It's me. It's me.
Oh, look at him.
Let me see my nephew, man.
Man, you know what you doing?
Of course.
[chuckles]
Hey, little man.
[baby fussing softly]
Oh, you looking just like your pops...
[chuckles]
...and his before that.
He got them Flenory feet, too, so you already know.
Better hush your mouth.
- And so do you. - Oh.
[laughter]
What are y'all talking about?
-[laughter] -Nothing.
[Lucille] Y'all better stop. Stop.
[line trilling]
-[Terry] What up, doe? - Tee, it's 10:40, man.
We supposed to meet old boy by 11:00.
Damn, nigga, we just got back from the hospital.
Give me, like, an hour or so.
[Meech] Nigga, hell, no, man.
Get your ass up out the crib. We can't be late.
Supposed to be there in 20 minutes.
It's okay. Go ahead. I'm good.
You sure you got everything you need?
Nigga, I just heard Wanda give your ass the green light.
Man, get your ass up out the crib.
We cannot be late. Don't speed.
Shut up.
Hey, baby, you sure you good?
Just go before I change my mind.
- How about that? -[chuckles] All right.
Hey. Hey, he just- he just smiled at me.
-[Lawanda] Yeah, all right. - Hey, little man.
You know Daddy loves you, right?
Oh, um, I think I left his pacifier in the car.
Will you bring it in, before you go?
[distant dog barks, horn honking]
[Older Meech] Remember when I said
I wouldn't change a damn thing?
Yeah, that's a fucking lie.
[woman] Oh, my God!
Terry!
If I hadn't let my brother join me in that car,
we might not be in the position we in today.
[Lawanda] Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
Baby, no, come on, stay with me!
We have a baby, Terry!
Come on, we need you. Somebody help!