- Promise? - Yes.
Promise, promise?
l got to go. Er...
lt's getting a little crowded over here.
Oh, er, by the way,... l like your dress.
lt's hot.
You got to let them know who the boss is.
How you doing? You should watch the company you keep.
- l could say the same for you. - But you won't.
Erm...
- What are you thinking about? - Right now?
l'm thinking about you. She came in on her own accord.
lt's a free country. Want me to ask her to leave?
- Yeah. Send her home. - Come on, baby. l can't do that.
The point is this. l asked you to come. You're here.
You're the one l'm leaving with. That's what counts, OK?
OK?
l like her dress.
Enjoy the set.
Shadow, my man, my main man, how you doing?
- What's up, Bleek? - l'm good. Everything's...
Listen, last time l looked at Olarke's naked body,
l didn't see my name on it anywhere.
l mean, l didn't see it on her...
l didn't see it anywhere.
So if you're trying to push up on her, don't sweat yourself, everything's OK.
- Nobody owns anybody. - You're absolutely right, Bleek.
You know, you really should listen to Olarke sing,
or is it that you can only hear your own music?
What are you doing? lndigo, that tickles.
Get off! What did you call me?
- l called you your name. - The hell you did.
l ain't deaf! You called me lndigo.
What? No, come on. l didn't call you lndigo.
- l called you your name. - Motherfucker, you called me lndigo.
l can't even believe you would have the audacity
to call me by your other woman's name.
l ain't no fool. l do know you have another woman.
- l ain't going for this shit. - What is your name?
Get off, Bleek!
How in the hell can you call me by her name?
l am in your bed, Bleek... lndigo, not Olarke.
- l'm Olarke, not lndigo. - l called you Olarke.
You can practise for eight hours straight
and can't spend the little bit of time it takes
to learn the difference between me and your other woman.
Listen to me, Bleek. l don't like it, l don't appreciate it,
and l don't want to be disrespected by you!
l've had it! And you say that you love me?
- l never said that. - You did say that.
- l don't remember it. - Do you remember saying you care?
Yeah, l remember that.
lf you say you care, then why in the fuck are you still fucking lndigo?
Don't give me that ''lt's a dick thing'' shit, either.
Look at me!
Look at me, Bleek!
What are you looking at?
Why can't you look at me? That's where the real me is.
You always avoid direct eye contact, you know that?
Are you afraid of something? Are you afraid l might see the real you?
Answer me. Come on, answer me.
Think about that.
Are you thinking, Bleek?
Are you thinking?
You don't know what to say, do you?
There you go. You can't face me, can you?
Whenever you get in a jam, you grab your trumpet.
Let's cut the bullshit. lf you can hang, fine. lf you can't...
Let's not pretend anymore.
Fine. Let's not pretend anymore!
l can't hang.
Bleek, l want to know how many laps you're going to do today.
How many laps?
You look good.
Bleek.
You're not talking today, huh?
- You want to talk? - You're quiet.
Usually, you're running your damn mouth.
Want to race?
Bleek!
Come on, Bleek! Hold up!
- Come on. - Hold up!
Whoo!
You like that, huh?
- Want some water? - Nah.
G, you're doing a half-assed job, man.
You OK'd the deal. You said get you the Dog, and l did.
l got you the best terms possible at the time.
- You do it down the line. - This is down the line.
- l'm working on it. - You're taking advantage of me.
We grew up together.
l'd rather chop off my left hand than take advantage of you.
This is about more than friendship.
l'm breaking my friggin' neck for you. Do l look rich?
- Somebody's been talking to you. - Nobody's been talking to me.
All l'm saying is, you got to do a betterjob.
How many ass-whippings have you saved me from? A lot.
One of these days, l won't be around. You'll have to take that ass-whipping.
- What do you want me to say? - l don't want you to say anything.
- l just want you to do it. - l'll do a betterjob.
All right, man.
- What about that loan? - What?
- l need a loan. - What about that loan?
What did we just talk about? Now you're going to ask for a loan?
- Are you gambling again? - l got it. lt's under control.
You got it? Good.
How much you owe?
Just a little bit.
- Nah? - Nah.
- Nah.
l'm spacing.
Thls ls your Mr Senor Love Daddy
comlng to you from We-Love radlo,
108.5, last on your dlal and flrst ln your hearts,
and that's the truth, Ruth.
Wlshlng l was outdoors wlth you.
l'm gonna brlng you a blast from the past
from Mlss Fontella Bass, Rescue Me.
- Where you taking me? - We're not going to kill you.
We don't believe in killing our brothers and sisters,
but we got to do something, it's only right.
You going to get our money?
- Huh? - Yes.
Yes only means something when you said...
Rod, wouldn't it be black of us to take our brother to Brooklyn Hospital?
Afro-American.
Big Stop, what's taking you so long? l'm hungry.
Butterbean, quit fucking with me. Get out of the kitchen.
Big Stop Oreole, y'all couldn't cook.
You two niggers would burn cornflakes.
Bleek, come get this nigger.
So you fell off a bike, huh? l don't believe your story.
l hit a pothole.
And l was born yesterday, but l stayed up all night.
- Food's ready. Come on! - l hit a pothole.
Mon cherl, you can get me a glass of wine. That's not good.
Look at y'all. lt looks delicious.
Butterbean, don't do that.
- l'm freaky. l'll suck a wet doorknob. - You'll suck a what?
You can get me a napkin. lt's so messy.
Oul, mon cherl. Mal Ma cherle.
No.
l got to watch you, cos you are loose.
You're just one of them yellow gals.
Watch it, Butterbean. l could slap you right in your mouth.
But you ain't, cos l'll kick your ass.
Sweatln'my gang Whlle l'm chlllln'ln my shack
And searchln'my car for what...
Bottom?
Hey, man, you already owe me $300, home slice.
- Branford? - Hell, no!
Left Hand, l need this solid, man.
l wouldn't ask if l didn't need it.
Jeanne. Jeanne.
Look, sllence.
You got five? Give me five.
Jeanne.
- l need to get it back. - You'll get it back.
l don't appreciate you calling me white bitch.
Here we are. This is our music, right? Jazz is our music. lt's black music.
We will go and watch some crossover stuff that's created by other people,
but we don't come to see our own, man.
But the jazz...
lf we had to depend upon on black people to eat, we would starve to death.
You look out into the audience, and what do you see?
You see Japanese, West Germans,
you see Slabovic, anything, except our people, man.
lt makes no sense.
lt incenses me that our own people don't realize our own heritage, culture.
- This is our music, man. - That's bullshit.
- Why? - Everything you just said is bullshit.
- Come on, man. - Out of all the people in the world...
l love you like a stepbrother, but you never gave nobody else
a chance to play their own music.
l'm talking about the audience.
You grandiose motherfuckers don't play shit that they like.
lf you play the shit they like, people will come.
- That's what l'm going to do. - l see. l see.
- l'll play the shit everybody like. - l have my own voice.
- People are listening. - Everybody's deaf, brother.
People are listening to my voice.
- Ain't nobody coming. - Nobody's coming?
- You just said... - l said our people aren't coming.
That's what l'm talking about, black people.
Keep it down. You got customers right here.
Fuck them and fuck this shit. The reality is...
- Why you disrespecting my house? - l'm not disrespecting your house.
Shut up. You muscle-head nigger, shut up.
Y'all can't play worth a goddamn.
- King Kong shit. - Who you trying to talk about?
His head looks like a goddamn question mark.
You laugh at that shit?
Put them lips on a trumpet, motherfucker!
l know Giant. lf he's in, he'll come out because he has to come out.
lf he's out, he'll come back to change his underwear or throw the garbage out.
Maybe not throw the garbage, but he's gonna come back.
They call him Giant cos he's a giant pain in the ass.
Sooner or later, he's either going to go in or come out.
l don't want no excuses. l don't want to hear anything.
''Forgive me.'' No. That won't break no more.
Let's give him a break. Break his legs, his arms.
l give him a lot of rope, but he won't strangle me with my own rope.
Sooner or later, in or out, everybody, in or out of the house.
Enough.
- Hi, Shadow. How you doing? - Fine, like yourself.
- Will this be cash or charge? - Charge.
- You do take American Express? - Yes, we do.
Good. Gold action.
- l was a member since 1989. - That long?
You look hot. That dress makes you look like a zebra.
l could be Tarzan. We could play in the jungle.
Let me package you up in one of these ODs,
put you in my pocket, my front one, to kiss on.
Mm, mm-mm.
- Shadow? - Olarke.
Your account is declined. l have to confiscate your card.
- l just paid them. Call them back. - Just look right there.
- lt's cool. l got those anyway. - Then why are you here?
To see you.
All right.
We're gonna do something... Let me ask y'all something.
How many of y'all out there know about the blues?
- l know about the blues, Bleek. - l know l do, so...
Well, anyway, we're going to do a tune called Mo' Better Blues.
Moe and Josh want to see you.
The blues.
- Don't forget my song, now. - l'll see what l can do.
- Bleek. - What you doing out here?
- l need a place to stay. - For tonight?
- For a while. - All right.
That's my brother.
l talked with Moe and Josh again.
- What happened? - Contract. We're stuck.
We're gonna get a new lawyer, a real lawyer.
l got one, my brother-in-law Moses.
- Your brother-in-law Moses? - He's cheap.
Wait a minute. That's out, man.
Your brother-in-law Moses... What's the deal with your relatives?
Your uncle's a plumber, your cousin's a dent...
Look at my teeth. They're still messed up.
l hate to say this, but you got a fucked-up family.
- Why you dogging my folks? - l'm just tired of suppor...
- l'm sick of your relatives. - They love you.
- They supported you from the beginning. - l supported them.
l'll keep my family out of our business matters.
l'm here to do your bidding. That's my job.
So how much you owe?
Afraid to say.
More than before.
Look, l'll see how much l can raise, but you got to get help. Your gig is over.
l've been contemplating managing myself anyway. l got to be in control.
lf that's what you want.
- That's what l want. You're fired. - You're cutting everybody off.
Me, lndigo, Olarke. Especially me.
l'm not cutting anybody off. l'm looking out for myself.
Besides, lndigo and Olarke cut me off.
That ain't what l heard.
How long you known me?
- Since third grade. - That's got to count for something.
lf l didn't know you since third grade, l'd have fired you a long time ago.
- You're that unhappy with my work? - l've been that unhappy.
That's beside the point. The bottom line is this.
OK, here's the thing.
The offer stands as it was. You can stay at my house.
l'll help you get some money before you get killed,
but... you're going to do something about that gambling.
All right, all right, all right. l'll get it together.
l know l'm sick.
Thls ls lndlgo. l'm unable to come to the phone.
Please leave a message and l'll get rlght back to you.
Hello, lndigo,... it's me.
lt's me.
l was just calllng to see how you're dolng.
l mlss you. Look, erm...
Call me if and when you feel like it. Later.
Thls ls Clarke. l'm busy, but l do appreclate your call.
Please leave a message after the beep. Clao.
- Er...
This is me, Bleek. How you doing?
- Let me turn this off. - No, no, no. No.
l want to hear this.
l haven't seen you ln a whlle.
He's begging. Boy, that Bleek.
He only wants you when he wants you. l want to make you a full-time gig.
l don't believe what a man says.
Well, in this particular instance, in this particular case, believe me.
The rest of the time, only believe half of what a man says.
Half is truth. The other half is bull.
Which half are you?
- Half. - Yeah, half of what?
- Half. - See?
- l don't believe anything y'all say. - lt's not what l say, it's what l do.
- What's up? - Where's the money?
- l'm working on it. - Don't work too long.
ln the meanwhile, stay out the spotlight.
- What are you going to do? - ln the words of Darryl Dawkins,
''When all is said and done, there's nothing left to say or do.''
- Whatever happened to that brother? - He's on Lovetron.
B, l don't like no static. l'm a peaceful person.
And even though you fired my ass, you're still my boy.
l look out for your best interests. When was the last time you seen Olarke?
l don't know. What's up?
Shadow's boning Olarke.
Oh, Shadow! Oh, yeah!
Yeah, baby, you like it. l'm going to give it to you good.
lt feels good.
l'm just a bear, baby, just a bear.
Oh, shit. Oh, shit.
Hey, you know, it ain't no thing.
l hope he's happy.
- Are you positive? - What did l say?
Yo, Roberto. l don't want to hear nothing about no music.
- What's up? - Yeah, hi.
- Yo, Bleek. Yo, Bleek. - What?
Hold up for a minute. Check this out.
Me and the cats want to have a meeting after this.
- Get out of my face, Shadow. - We need to talk about the money.
See them people out there? lt's packed.
l ain't playing shit no more till l deal with this money situation.
- Get out of my face. - Listen to what l'm saying.
- Just get the fuck... - Who you pushing, man?
Kick his ass!
- Just relax, man. - You're fired, punk!
Fuck you, l quit!
Fuck you and everybody who looks like you.
Fucking people over. Sooner or later it'll come back.
Anybody else want to go with him? Take a hike!
Get his raggedy ass out of here.
You're fired, punk!
Get him out of here! You're fired!
- You're fired! - Let's talk to Bleek, man.
l got to get paid. l need this job, man.
- What's up, Jimmy? - What's up, Giant?
Moe and Josh are some cheap goober snitchers.
Whoo!
We don't believe in killing our brothers,
but this time you're definitely going to be hurt.
Get the fuck off.
Get off me!
- lsn't that Giant? - Bleek!
What did l do?
You're breaking my arm.
- Up, up, and away. - Chill! Chill! Chill!
Don't break them.
That's the way it goes.
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Oh, yeah! One more. Another one.
The Mike Tyson now. There you go.
Hold it.
Bleek!
- Get the fuck up. - Get up.
Bleek!
Oh, shit.
Brooklyn style.
Your alligator mouth finally got your hummingbird ass whipped.
- Chill out, man. - Ain't nothing to see here.
Bleek!
Wake up!
Go on, brother. lt won't be pretty.
G?
- l was getting him the money tonight. - Too late.
He ain't dead. He be all right.
- Why you do something like that? - We going to have to give him some too.
- Straighten up. - Oh, shit!
Damn it, give me the fucking horn.
Son of a bitch.
- Get out the way. - Let us through.
What the fuck went on here? Let us through.
You busted his mouth! You busted his mouth!
- Do something, man. - He's bleeding, man.
Go back inside and play.
- No. - We got a full house in there.
- Let's close it up. - Fuck them!
- Leave it alone. - We're never playing this place again.
- Don't say that. You're upset. - You're goddamn right l'm upset.
My friend is laying here with his mouth busted open.
We're closed. Everybody go home.
- Did you call the ambulance? - Are you going to move, or what?
Get out of the way!
Don't move him, man!
The first fight you ever got in,
your mother wanted me to break it up,
call the cops, go and talk to the parents of the kid.
l figured, kids are going to fight,
and you must have been only... six, seven,...
so we were just talking about little bare fists, just skin.
That was way before kids started shooting each other with Uzis.
l watched you from the window
going toe to toe, slugging it out.
Your mother never forgave me, but l got to admit l was kind of proud.
You gave the kid a bloody nose, but you didn't kill him.
That's a part of growing up.
You ran up the stairs, crying.
You were more scared than the kid was.
Wasn't that Giant? That was Giant.
Shit, man. Shit.
The light.
Truth is the light.
Prophetic, right?
Truth is light, though, that's the truth, isn't it? Lighten up.
That some bad shit.
Trumpet-playing motherfucker. On trumpet, Bleek.
Tenor, soprano, saxophones.
John Coltrane, tenor sax. Tenor.
You got to improvise that music. lt's all intricate, see?
lt goes...
See? See? See?
lt's some intricate shit, though. They ain't ready for this shit.
And he was the quarterback of the football team.
He was thls tall, blg, flne, black speclmen.
- Mandlngo, huh? - No.
Anyway, the first time l fell in love was...
Was when? No, l remember.
lt was... lt was... lt was innocent.
- She felt the same way, too. - Yeah? So how recent was this?
Last Tuesday. Last week. No, it was Wednesday.
- The fourth grade. - ln the fourth grade?
Thank you. You had me worried.
We used to pass notes back and forth.
One day she met me in the courtyard after school, and she kissed me.
- French kiss? - We French kissed.
And l was, like, wow.
- l never felt that way since. - Not even with me?
- What ls thls? - What ls what?
Are we lovers, or what? Why don't you try and flnd that glrl
and marry her and llve happlly ever after?
You stlll love me?
- G. - Bleek, what's up?
How you doing, man?
Where you been? Ain't nobody seen hide nor hair of your ass.
You know, l'm...
How you doing?
l'm all right. l got this job now. l'm a doorman.
l stopped gambling. You should be proud of me.
l still got to go to those meetings once a week.
- Good. - Yeah.
You sitting in with Shadow?
We talked about it.
Yeah? Good. Shadow and Olarke are doing all right now.
Yeah, l... l'm happy for him, man.
He always wanted his own band. l'm happy for him.
- Big time. - Big time.
- l'm gonna step on inside, man. - l'll come with you.
- All right. - l got to hear you.
Right.
You can never tell what's ln a man's mlnd
And lf he's from Harlem there's no use of even trylng
Just llke the tlde hls mlnd comes and goes
Llke March weather when he'll change
Nobody knows, nobody knows
The man l love Well, hejust turned me down
He's a Harlem brown
Ofttlmes l wlsh that l was ln thls ground
Slx feet underground
He allows me as no other could
No, no
Then he surprlsed me leavlng me a note saylng he's
Gone for good
And slnce my sweetle left me hollow
Well, lt aln't the same old place
Though a thousand dandles smlle rlght ln my face
l thlnk l'll mooch some home-made hooch and go out for a lark
Just to drlve off these mean old Harlem blues
You can have your Broadway Glve me Lenox Avenue
Angels from the skles stroll Seventh
And for that thanks are due
From Madame Walker's beauty shops to
The Poro system too
That made those glrls angels wlthout any doubt
There are some spots up ln Harlem
Where l'm told lt's sudden death
To let somebody see you even stop to catch your breath
lf you've never been to Harlem
Then l guess you'll never know
About these mean old Harlem blues
There's one sweet spot ln Harlem
Known as Drlvers'Road
Dltty folk song call 'em One thlng you should know
ls that l have a frlend who llves there
l know he won't refuse
To put some muslc to my troubles and call them Harlem Blues
To put some muslc to my troubles and
Call them the Harlem Blues
Harlem
The Harlem Blues
Harlem
The Harlem Blues
Olarke sure can sing, Bleek.
Thank you.
Er...
Right now l'd like to bring to the stage a fine musician
and, as well, a very dear friend.
Please give a warm welcome to Mr Bleek Gilliam.
Bleek!
Come on, Bleek!
What are you doing this for?
Nah.
Come on, Bleek.
Forget about it.
Man, you're gonna be all right.
Forget about it.
Come on, Bleek.
You'll play again.
l won't sell it.
l won't sell it, Bleek!
l won't sell it!
lndigo!
Who is it? Who the hell is ringing my bell?
Hello, lndigo. Can l come in?
You didn't return my calls or my letters.
Refused my visits.
lt doesn't matter now. l just want to...
lt doesn't matter?
l haven't heard from you in over a year.
l didn't know if you were alive or dead.
l'm sorry. Look, l didn't know.
l haven't seen anybody. The only one l've seen is my father.
You've always been a selfish person.
l admit that. l'm selfish. l'm a selfish...
Did l ever try to stand in your way or stop you from doing what you had to do?
Did l?
Can you get out, please?
l want you to leave, Bleek.
l want you to leave!
l just want to... Just let me say something.
The only reason you're here is because you can't play anymore.
- Did you stop by Olarke's house? - lt's got nothing to do with Olarke.
l read this book, a story about a plane that was going down.
lt was going to crash into the sea, and this married couple,
they start making love to each other ferociously
like their lives just depended upon it.
They were oblivious to everything. They didn't care.
The plane was going down, they were all gonna die,
but they loved each other dearly and they wanted to die together.
They loved each other.
- l want to be with you. - Bleek, stop it.
- lndigo. - What?
- l want you to be with me. - Get off. What about before?
- l don't care about it. - l don't wanna hold you.
- l want us to have a son. - Get off me. A fucking son.
What do you think this is?
You just want me to drop everything now and just trust you?
l want you to be with me.
- l want you to be my wife. - You crazy?
- l'm not crazy. - Go tell somebody else.
- l'm telling you. - You want me to save your life.
Yes. l want you to save my life.
Stop it, Bleek. Stop it! Stop it!
Get off. l don't want to be...
Fucking bastard. Get off me. Stop it!
You want me to beg? l'm begging. Save my life.
Please.
Save my life.
Relatives and friends, we are gathered here in the sight of God
and the presence of these witnesses
to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony.
Will thou, Minifield Gilliam, have this woman to be thy wedded wife?
l will.
Will thou, lndigo Downes, have this man to be thy wedded husband?
l will.
Who gives this woman to be married to this man?
l do.
- With this ring... - With this ring...
- l thee wed. - l thee wed.
You may salute your bride, sir.
Bleek!
Hi, Mom.
Cheers!
Bleek.
- l'm coming. - l'm all right. Just get my bags.
l'm going to take you to your room.
Push, darling, push.
That's it. lt's coming.
Come on.
There you go. Nice little baby boy.
Don't hold him too tight now. Don't let him fall.
Congratulations, Mrs Gilliam. You have a son.
Here, keep the change. Here, have a cigar.
Stay right there, baby. Dad! Big Stop!
All right, thanks a lot.
Dad, you've made the baby cry now.
- He looks like me. - What do you mean?
- Look at his nose. - Come on, baby.
This is your ball.
This is your glove, a present from Grandpa to Miles.
All right, come on to Daddy. Come on to Daddy.
Go to Daddy. Go on.
- Look at my boy standing. - Come on to Grandpa.
A love supreme
l'm going to get you.
A love supreme
- Say first valve. - First valve.
- Second valve. - Second valve.
- Third valve. - Third valve.
Push your first valve.
That's right. Keep your mouth closed. Don't open it. Keep it closed.
Now blow right in there.
Blow hard. Harder. Uh-oh! Hey, you hear that?
Yo, Miles! Miles, you coming out to play?
- Miles! - Miles!
Boys! Boys, would you please be quiet?
Sorry, Mrs Gilliam. Can Miles come out?
l understand that. Your noise has got to stop.
Stop yelling outside my window.
Those kids are gonna drive me crazy.
Miles, what did l tell you about your hoodlum friends coming here?
- Leave the boy alone. - Can l go outside now?
- When you finish your lesson. - What about then?
We'll see.
Miles!
Son, you're finished for the day.
Take your time. Put yourjacket on.
What?
What? What?
Let the boy have some fun now.
Uh-huh.
Like he never has any fun at all.
- He gets to have some fun. - He has to stay in the dungeon.
He never has any fun.
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