Previously on Empire...
I left your name out of it.
I wiped your slate clean.
I'm gonna make a pitch to the board.
You want to be on top? Back me up.
You didn't think twice about chucking your man here.
You just signed with the devil I know.
What about our music?
Why can't we release it under a different name?
- Like start a band? - A collective.
Poundcake, I'm-a find your baby girl and I'm-a bring her here.
Please just stay away from me.
'Cause I don't want to hear from you
or that woman in lockup ever.
I suggest you sign this contract
and then stay the hell away from Empire.
I'm here because you want
my help stealing the company from the Lyons.
Once we do, I'm gonna be CEO.
Lucious, I'm telling you, I don't feel like no trip.
I don't want no planes, trains, automobiles.
Well, you ain't getting none of that anyway.
And I got enough diamonds and-and gold-plated guns, too.
Wait, wait, wait. Raise your leg.
Foot, foot, foot, or you gonna trip on this step.
I tell you, if I fall in these heels,
- I'm-a kick your ass. - Okay, stand right there.
Okay, now open your eyes.
What the hell is that?
It's a prototype.
Okay, so we barely got Eddie out the door,
20 For 20 is behind,
and you playing watercolors up in the lighting booth.
Look, honey, this is what I see...
...when I hear music.
It's one of the benefits that you get from having synesthesia.
Now, my thoughts are, what if everybody
that heard Empire's music,
what if they experienced this?
I'm thinking, as a culmination for 20 For 20,
I want to create a room like this
for every single album.
I'm talking about a 360-degree
sensory experience that has mood,
that has sound, that has color.
I'm talking about under one venue.
I get it.
You want the world to see what goes on in our house.
That's it.
We'll-we'll call it, um...
House Empire.
Well, Lucious, I don't really care what you call it,
but we gonna have to build 19 more of 'em,
have them rigged for sound, wired for electri...
Look, that's gonna cost too much money.
Look, when-when I was at my lowest point,
when Empire was about to fail,
you came up with 20 For 20.
To save our fortune.
Don't 20 For 20 deserve...
deserve the best we got?
Hmm?
Our fortune.
You need a mint.
Yeah, you had Chinese food.
And you're not getting in my drawers, Lucious.
Nice try though.
Not yet.
Ouch.
Subtitle sync and corrections by awaqeded for www.addic7ed.com.
Surprise.
Why is everybody whispering?
Because they don't want to...
want to give you another heart attack.
Oh, shut up. Hi, baby.
Mm! Hi. Aw.
- Oh! Oh, I'm happy. - Hey, Mama. I love you.
I love you, too. My firstborn. Mm.
- Hey! - Welcome back, boss lady.
Thank you, Thirsty. Hello, everyone.
- Welcome back, boss. - You're looking great, Cookie.
Well, what is all of this?
So, this is from everybody, anybody.
Gifts from Bey, Jay, Mariah to Migos...
Okay, I'll tell you what.
Why don't you start a thank-you list.
And-and, Porsha, please don't get any
of the gifts mixed up, okay?
Yeah, she back.
The board is positively thrilled
about your return, Cookie.
Thank you, Edna. Leonard, give the board my love.
Of course.
We just want to be certain you're ready.
To come back, that is.
Oh, I'm 100% ready.
Is there something wrong?
- No. - Just the timing of your return
is a little... coincidental.
- Mm. - Especially after we
just received Eddie Barker's resignation letter.
Oh, frankly, we're just a little confused.
Okay. Well, then let me demystify your confusion.
Eddie's done, okay? He's finished with Tiana's project,
so Lucious and I are back in control.
Of course. Of course.
But Eddie brought a certain sense of...
- stability. - What is that supposed
- to mean, Leonard? - Look, no,
we understand the need for stability.
That's why 20 For 20 is still on track.
Actually, my first single from that
will be released within 48 hours.
- Really? - Really.
Yes. Well, we've kept it under wraps,
but we've already begun the implementation
of a multimedia closing event
that will rocket Empire's streaming numbers
into the stratosphere.
House Empire?
Yes.
- I like it, Ma. - Mm-hmm.
This is about to be a game-changing event.
This is an enormous undertaking in a small window.
I mean, do-do we even have a budget?
No. And we're not gonna make one.
Because if you say eight figures to the board, they run.
Yeah, maybe for good reason, Ma.
No, Andre. See, that's where you come in.
You speak the board's language.
So I'm gonna need you to go out there
and shore up their support. Meanwhile,
I will deal with everyone else on the roster
and make sure they know that Empire hasn't forgotten them.
You're on deck, right?
I mean, I think it's an amazing idea.
It's-it's big, it's exciting.
So that means you in?
Um, are y'all in on my new music?
You still punkin' out on the family.
- You know what... - I'm sorry.
It's my fault. I didn't tell
everybody Jamal is his own brand now.
Oh, well, yes. Thank you, boss.
Yo, y'all got jokes, man. It's all good.
Mom, I love you.
I'm so happy that you're back, you all healthy.
And I support y'all in whatever y'all do.
And it would be so amazing if y'all did the same for me.
So amazing!
I'm gonna have another heart attack
dealing with you.
Ah.
Empire!
♪ Ladies and gentlemen, I'm here to set it straight ♪
♪ I make this paper, yeah, it come to me, I never chase ♪
♪ Hakeem the one to beat, get at my rank ♪
♪ I'm laughing at all these jokes all the way to the bank ♪
♪ 'Cause I got money to blow, the closest you got ♪
♪ Is a candle, make a wish on the low ♪
♪ So you can be half as dope as this natural flow ♪
♪ It's in my blood, crackin' these thousands ♪
♪ In my sleep, yeah, you know. ♪
Wait, wait, wait.
Whose name supposed to be on this album?
Yo, I thought we agreed. I was gonna come in up top.
- It's a matter of respect. - Yo, I'm just doing it
like I did at the basement party, a'ight?
That video's already got, like, five million hits, yo.
No disrespect, but it's better this way.
Shine, you've got to tell him, man.
Yo, Kim and Khloe,
you both are pretty, all right?
Work it out. Make up your minds.
These boys really feeling themselves, huh?
- Nothing we ain't seen before. - Tell ya.
What you doing down here?
Starving for some inspiration for this 20 For 20, man.
And I need some quick.
As soon as I get done with this track,
I got a wheelbarrow full of beats for you.
Well, truth be told, I'm kind of liking
this little girl right here.
If you don't mind a few changes.
Hmm. What you got in mind?
Something personal.
Um, you know, like, uh,
how you spend your whole life trying to get to the top
of your mountain and then somebody cut your legs
right from underneath you.
And somehow you get
a vantage point and you see clearly the past
and your future...
Hey, son.
What's up, Pop?
Change of plans.
Looks like your daddy here is gonna hijack this beat.
We need new lyrics.
You're Lucious Lyon.
In person.
Well, truth is, I'm a fan of you.
I've been watching you through this glass
and caught your demo and that video.
You got potential.
You don't know how-how much that means to me.
You know what I'm thinking?
Since this track is about the future,
why don't we throw baby boy on-on it as an anchor.
Mm.
So brownnosing the king is all you got to do to be top dog.
Nah, he ain't brownnosing.
He hungry.
Roll your sleeves up, boys.
We gonna show y'all how to make a hit.
Let's get it.
Hey, what's up? This is Tiana,
the number one artist in America.
And whenever I'm in Dayton,
I'm listening to the number one station for hip-hop and R&B,
Smokin' 95.4. Was that cool?
- A little more or do... - Yeah.
Hey.
So, how is Empire's number one artist?
Hmm?
Can y'all clear the room for a second?
- Please. - Sure.
I was wondering when you'd come in here.
Where's Eddie? And what the hell is going on?
Look, Lucious and I have been in this industry for over 20 years,
and... Eddie fooled us.
Okay? But don't worry about that,
- because he's gone now. - He's gone?
- Yes. - Do you know what this means?
This is my moment...
I understand, sweetheart.
I've been there with you since the beginning.
Through all the ups and downs. Let's not forget that.
Now, I know what Eddie did for you is amazing.
But you got to understand that Eddie was bad for business.
He got me results.
And that's something that you and Lucious never did.
You're a superstar, okay?
There's no way around that.
Cream always rises to the top.
You were gonna get to this point in your career with
or without me, Lucious, or Eddie.
The mistake we made is that we put you in the hands of, uh...
not the best producer, okay?
And I wasn't gonna stand by and watch that man
build you up just to break you down.
Now, I'm here to propose that we make you
the centerpiece for this event launch that we're having.
And that, my child, is gonna keep you at number one.
For years to come.
And me and Lucious got you on that.
Look, I got 30 more promos to cut by noon.
But... I'm so glad
that you guys are finally thinking about me.
Hmm.
Let's do the next one.
No, she's not expecting me, but you can't call her?
Maya?
You say that you're doing this for me, but I-I don't buy it.
I-I don't really understand why you're dredging up some convict
out of your past, but I don't need you to ruin my life.
That's not what I'm trying to do, sweetie.
Did you ever for one second think that maybe I'm actually happy?
That I have a wonderful family
and, I don't know, my life is just full.
Did you ever think for one second
that maybe you would get something
from learning about who you are, where you come from?
Oh, wait.
You think that I don't know who I am? Why?
Because my mom isn't my blood? Because she's white?
I didn't say that.
Look, I don't need some tour guide.
I know exactly who I am.
Okay. Well, don't do it for yourself.
How about you do it for a woman who is dying,
who just happened to give you life.
I stopped owing her the second she gave me up.
You think Poundcake doesn't love you
because she wasn't there for you?
Why don't you open the letter and read it?
It is a love letter to you.
She talks about how much she loves you
and how she spent all of her life looking for you.
Just... just read it.
That's all you got to do, just read it.
I have a mom.
Okay? And her name is Elizabeth, not Poundcake.
- Bring it in. - Cheers!
- To freedom. - Freedom!
Freedom!
Poundcake, why you always looking over here?
We ain't gonna never forget how you did us dirty.
Cookie gonna see her babies.
- You ain't never gonna see yours. - Chyna,
you don't have to go that far.
- It's not necessary. - Hell I don't.
Finally, one of us is getting up out this bitch.
But you gonna stay out.
Damn straight.
So, Cookie, you getting released?
Yep. Counting down the hours.
Well, that's good. I-I know
you'll be happy to see your boys again.
- Boys? More like men. - Mmm?
They taller than me. I cannot wait to squeeze them.
You know, Holloway,
I never figured you for a snitch.
But I guess whatever it takes to get out, right?
I guess.
Don't listen to him, Cookie.
Whatever you did to get out, you did right.
Sure know how to ruin a party.
Look, you're all here because you're the absolute best
at what you do.
But, apparently,
y'all have also managed to piss off
some of the most powerful people in the music industry.
Y'all rolled up in here with reputations
- a mile long. - All right.
I am so sorry for interrupting your speech,
but if you think bringing us down is a way to start...
You know what, enough, Preacher.
You know what I'm saying, I'm talking about me, too.
Shoot, I got baggage longer than the damn TSA line
- at Kennedy. - Yeah, and I got a whole lot
of demons chasing me.
But that doesn't matter, you know?
What happened yesterday
or a week ago... shoot, a-a year ago...
none of that matters here today.
It's mostly about the music.
It's only about the music.
And all of that foolishness
that's been sitting right here on our shoulders,
it's not gonna weigh us down anymore.
And we're completely anonymous.
No social media.
No Twitter, no Snapchat, no 'Gram.
We're gonna let the music speak for us.
And not one person's voice... not mine, not Tory's,
not yours, no one's... is more important than the next.
We all make decisions as a collective.
Is that cool?
Let's do this.
That's what I'm talking about. Come on, y'all.
Let's get it.
A'ight.
All right, fellas, here we go.
Mm.
I'm gonna need a minute.
Hey, fellas, take five.
Come on out.
Eddie made contact.
He wants a payout, or he's gonna show the documents to the board.
He's a pig.
Yeah, a pig who thinks he's got you.
Well, what else we got?
There's always that one option.
No. No.
With the year this family had,
that is not an option.
Do we have, um, cash on hand?
Sure. I mean, I can cobble it together.
Fine. I'll bend over.
Pay him.
Okeydokey.
Sorry for the interruption. Had to handle a little business.
Everything all right?
Yeah, it's nothing. Just some...
legal stuff I got to deal with.
Okay, I'm-a call them back in.
You sure you cool?
Yeah, man. I told you, it's nothing.
Just some stuff with Eddie.
I thought you punted that guy.
Me, too.
It seems that he's, uh...
threatening to go to the board
and reveal my creative accounting practices
if I don't give him a grip of change.
Well, everybody keeps two sets of books, Lucious.
That's the American way.
How much does Eddie want?
Ten mil.
Listen, what about Leonard?
I've left several messages for him.
I do know he has a business dinner
- later tonight. - Okay, call him back.
Um, tell him I'm coming to his office right now.
Will do, Mr. Lyon.
Wait, that's Leonard.
Where's he going?
- He's ditching me. Pull over. - Right here?
Pull over.
Leonard.
Andre, I'm sorry.
Something came up suddenly. We should reschedule.
Why are you giving me the brush?
Off the record?
The board is very concerned
about Eddie Barker's sudden departure.
Concerned?
I'm sorry, Andre.
I really am. I've said too much already.
Guess who been blowin' up my phone?
Balenciaga, Dior, Louis Vuitton.
They want to design our wardrobe for House Empire,
and they for real want to dress you.
What you think? Sequins or fur?
Girl, you know when I'm finally gonna feel free?
- When? - When I slip that fur
- back on my skin, girl. - Ooh!
When they locked me up, I had on this leopard dress.
Mm-hmm.
- And this chinchilla. - Mm-hmm.
Are you sure you're gonna still be able to fit
- after all these years? - Bitch.
All right, ladies.
You know the drill. Up and face the wall.
- Oh, come on. - Are you serious?
- Yeah. - Did he stutter?
Let's go.
Whoa!
Look at what we got here.
- What's that? - Well, it looks like dope
- to me. - I ain't never done no drugs
since I've been in here. I ain't no smackhead.
Ah, such a shame.
Day before an inmate gets released,
add five years to your stretch?
- Yeah, what a coincidence. - Hmm.
You realize a new charge
invalidates your release deal, right?
Hey, hey.
That's mine.
What's it doing in her bunk?
I hid it 'cause I thought she'd be gone by now.
- That's mine. - You're lying.
- Get her out of here. - Come on.
No, no. I ain't going nowhere.
Hold on a sec.
These are yours?
That's what I said, isn't it?
Put her in the hole.
Come on.
Just got lucky, Holloway.
Okay, get design pitches from all of them.
And they better damn well be free.
And push my meetings. I got something I need to do.
But you got those House Empire budget meetings.
Have Becky sit in on the meeting, child.
And have her e-mail me those numbers.
Okay.
♪ You can't touch me or you gon' get burned ♪
♪ I'm too hot, make a fire look like an intern ♪
♪ Ain't a liar, it's best you make a U-turn ♪
♪ 'Cause I flame, get them in their feelin's like heartburn ♪
♪ Stuck out like a sore thumb ♪
♪ Been in the streets ♪
♪ Thuggin' out for my income ♪
♪ Ain't no daddy to hold me down but the kingdom ♪
♪ Mama told me to pray ♪
♪ Get all your dreams done, yeah ♪
♪ Cocky, they call me Rocky, champion, yeah ♪
♪ I'm too high, just too fly, got me light in the air ♪
♪ Uh, never hear my moves, I'm so silent it scares ♪
♪ While I'm signing with my feet ♪
♪ Trying to point to the jet ♪
♪ Faithfully get this money ♪
♪ My hood never leave me lonely, tattooed on my back, yeah ♪
♪ I take 'em to where I'm going ♪
♪ The top is the only place that I'm living at ♪
♪ I go hard for my city forever ♪
♪ Runnin' to the bank like ♪
♪ Ain't got no worries, I get this money ♪
♪ Pockets heavy ♪
♪ Yeah, I'm going crazy ♪
♪ Yeah, with these honeys, get more then Brody ♪
♪ Drop 'em quick, yeah, I'm running ♪
♪ Running, running ♪
♪ Running, running, running, running ♪
♪ Running to the bank cause I'm stuntin', stuntin' ♪
♪ Stuntin', stuntin', stuntin' ♪
♪ Stuntin', gotta get my ice tight ♪
Man, these fools about to throw hands.
No, no, no, no, no. Let 'em...
let 'em handle their business.
Okay.
A little friendly competition.
Make them step their game up.
Yeah, well, it's funny, they actually remind me
of you and me back in the day
when, um, we used to be in the booth
battling for the mic.
You mean when I dusted your ass on a regular basis?
Oh, that's how you choose to remember it.
That's exactly how I remember it.
Look, when we were throwing them parties
in them cold-ass basements in Philly,
who wrote the illest rhymes?
- Me. - Come on, man.
You...
you know what, you've always been
the muscle and-and the money, Shine.
I mean, I was the music man.
It didn't have to be that way. It's...
it's just how things turned out.
Yeah, well, we can rewrite history now.
You know, why don't you go in there
and drop some wisdom on that wax.
What? Oh, come on, man.
Hey, young guns.
Shine, the big bad wolf,
is about to come and blow you all down
and show you all how it's done.
- Hell yeah. Come on, Shine. - A'ight, Shine.
All right.
Look, just hit "record" and stay out the way.
Done.
♪ High step, hover the threat ♪
♪ Papua New Guinea, head hunt, Russian roulette ♪
♪ I'm Philip Morris and Chuck Norris and King Tut ♪
♪ You rollin' with kids with keys to the kingdom ♪
♪ Freedom, we do whatever we want, we got it ♪
♪ While you sittin' in silence like Twenty One Pilots ♪
♪ I'm addicted to violence, we should form an alliance ♪
♪ And call it Serial Killer ♪
♪ Cartel Capitalism, send Shine to get 'em ♪
♪ Commit 'em to the psyche ward, they crazy ♪
♪ Actin' like they want war ♪
♪ The '80s is back when it come to that ♪
♪ Broad daylight, this ain't no Call of Duty ♪
♪ No regenerated life ♪
♪ Incinerate a body ♪
♪ Then I hide it in plain sight ♪
♪ I make the city riot, I can give it the green light ♪
♪ 'Cause I'm just getting started ♪
♪ 'Cause everything starts ♪
♪ In the heart of the artist ♪
♪ For my dearly departed. ♪
Yeah, Shine!
Yeah!
Like that.
Ah, she think she cute.
- She think she cute! - Do it, baby.
She cute. She cute.
She a'ight.
Yo, let's take a damn ten or 15.
I don't even care.
- Yes, sir. - Yeah, take a break, guys.
Hey.
Oh, so you just gonna...?
Becky, how the hell'd you find me?
I have spies everywhere.
Is this why you've been ducking and dodging my calls all day?
Because you up in here working on something
other than your 20 For 20 album? What is this?
It's not for Empire. It's-it's my stuff.
Clearly.
Look, Becky can you just keep it on the low?
Please?
What am I supposed to say to Cookie?
That's my mom, man. I-I'll handle her.
Look, it's really important to all of them,
and-and it's-it's even more important to me.
So, please.
I will keep this between you and I.
But only
'cause when I walked in here and I saw you jamming with them,
you had a smile on your face that I, frankly,
have not seen since you used to perform at the coffee shop.
And I guess I miss it,
- but you owe me. - Yes, I do. So much.
You owe me. You owe me diamonds.
- Diamonds and gold, son. - Yes.
Come on, gold shoes.
- Come on, bun. - You're welcome.
Thank you. I love you.
Walk away. Ow!
See you later.
- Hey. - I really thought I made myself clear.
You did. And now it's time for me to make myself clear.
Look, baby, I know you are scared
because you have all of these ideas
of who you think your mother was. A criminal.
A jailbird. A nobody.
I need you to know her like I knew her.
She's the reason why I'm free today.
Poundcake.
Who's there?
- Hey. - Hey. How'd you get back here?
I did 17 years, man.
You think I can't pull no strings up in this bitch?
Wait a minute. Well, aren't you supposed to be gone?
Yeah, they about to process me out, but before I leave,
I-I... got to know the truth.
When Burleson was tossing my bunk, was those your drugs?
Come on, now.
Damn it!
I knew it, that son of a bi...
We need to tell somebody.
No. 'Cause it's his word against ours.
I knew he was gonna try to do something shady
to keep you in here.
But you in the hole now.
Yeah, so what? What difference does it make?
Look, I've come to peace with the fact
that I probably won't see my kid again.
But you, you got a chance to see yours.
And I'm not gonna let that scumbag take that away from you.
Now listen, you just need to leave this place
and forget everything in it, including me.
No. Come here.
I'll never forget you.
It's all good.
I owed you.
And now I paid you back.
Stay up.
Poundcake sacrificed everything for me.
So it's true.
She really didn't want to give me up?
No. She had a whole life planned for you two.
It's just...
Why didn't my birth mother want me?
- Ah. - That kept me up as a kid.
But I was able to put it behind me
because I had convinced myself that she was some convict
I didn't want anything to do with anyway.
No. Poundcake was dreaming
and making up all kinds of stories about you.
Ever since you were ripped out of her arms.
I don't even know her name.
It's Sara Lee.
That didn't really help.
She's dying, Maya.
And all she wants is to see you.
Please.
Uh...
O-Okay.
♪ This ain't no Call of Duty ♪
♪ No regenerated life ♪
♪ Incinerate a body ♪
♪ Then I hide it in plain sight ♪
♪ I make the city riot ♪
♪ I can give it the green light ♪
♪ 'Cause I'm just getting started ♪
♪ 'Cause everything starts ♪
♪ In the heart of the artist ♪
♪ For my dearly departed. ♪
Yo, for real, you took us
to school on that one, man.
You're like Mr. Miyagi or something.
Oh, yeah? Speaking of which,
Mr. Miyagi...
has some dry cleaning he needs to get picked up.
Why don't you go handle that for me?
Good looking out.
I don't know why you still sitting there, Keem.
Now, you better wax on, wax off.
Dad.
Tell that to the number one single
I debuted at that basement party.
Anybody can have a number one single.
You better get out of here before we make you walk
to Brooklyn and bring us some cheesecake.
You trippin'.
I don't believe this.
Nah, you the one trippin'.
- You better grow up. - I'm out of here, man.
Do we have a choice?
He's got some serious growing up to do.
Hey, boss, can we talk for a sec?
Look, anything you need
to say around me, you can say around Shine.
He already know.
Well, all righty.
So, I, uh, I got the whereabouts on Eddie.
His jet lands in a few hours.
Do you want me to set up a meet?
Since he's coming in on a jet,
let's, um, make it the hangar.
- He'll know which one. - You sure?
Can you believe I'm about to pay this dude off?
Honestly? No.
I can't.
Look, I've known Lucious Lyon
since I was knee-high to a grasshopper.
That Lucious...
the one we was just reminiscing about on wax...
he don't pay nobody.
You right.
Okay, sounds like this conversation is about
to go left, so as your attorney,
I'm going to excuse myself to maintain deniability.
I-I'll get on it.
So what do you think? Um...
This cat, he deserve the... the Philly treatment?
I'm not gonna tell you how to handle your business.
But this I do know:
there's dudes you pay
and there's dudes you end.
What kind do you think Eddie is?
As I recall, his people are from Philly.
So you know how we gonna handle it?
Will you ride shotgun, man? I could use a friend.
Bet.
Thanks, man.
Take note of the projected revenue under our proposal.
Now, of course, I didn't just bring you here
to impress you with our numbers.
So why don't we hear from Empire's
number one asset herself?
Eddie Barker is the reason why I'm here today.
I mean, topping three charts all at once.
That was all him.
I'm impressed.
But Eddie resigned.
And, to be honest,
there were concerns about his multiple ex-wives and messy finances.
You were the only one concerned
- with his personal life, Edna. - Now, unfortunately,
the Lyon family coerced Eddie's resignation, as they did mine.
Now, Eddie is the only reason why Empire is on the upswing,
and I, as you all know,
was the head of A&R during the most profitable period
of the company's history.
So Eddie wants to stay on.
Oh, absolutely.
You need to reject his resignation and reinstate him.
Leadership has changed hands far too many times for my comfort.
I understand, Edna. Believe me, I do.
But any whiplash that you might have felt
has been completely from the Lyons.
Now, all respect that we have for them aside,
aren't you just a little tired
of all the drama that they consistently bring?
I mean, Cookie destroyed Empire's lobby
with a baseball bat for God's sakes.
Now I am sorry, but this is business.
So are you willing to accept this uncouth behavior
for the sake of just a few songs
that barely crack the top ten?
Listen, I need Eddie Barker back.
And... so does Empire.
She's a little out of it,
and she hasn't been able to speak for a while.
But I'm glad you're here. She doesn't have much time
before she transitions.
- Thank you. Mm-hmm. - Excuse me.
Come on, don't be scared.
It's okay.
Hey.
Cake?
Hey, girl. It's Cook.
It's Cook. I found her.
I found your baby.
Look.
- She wants to meet you. - Mm-hmm.
Go ahead, say something.
Hi. Um...
I'm Maya.
Cookie told me so much about you.
I just wish I could have known you.
Mm.
Oh. Here.
- Is that the letter? - Mm-hmm.
"To my baby.
"I don't know if you will ever read this,
"but if you do,
"I just want you to know some things.
"I'll make a list so I don't get emotional.
"Number one:
"If you hate onions, you got that from me,
because I do, too. They give me gas."
Uh...
Here, you-you should read it.
Go ahead.
She should hear your voice.
"Number two:
"If you got a short temper, that's me, too.
"I'm sorry.
"Just count to ten or 20.
"Number three: If you are reading this
"at your college graduation,
"dump whoever you're with.
"Kick him, or her...
"I ain't judging...
"to the curb.
"You can do better, and you will.
"Number four."
It's okay, baby. Go ahead.
It's okay.
"Number f..."
"Number four:
"When you think of me, and I hope you think of me,
"because I think of you every day,
"please be forgiving.
"I never wanted to give you up.
"And if you hear something in the quiet moments,
"and you're not sure where it comes from,
"it's me,
"'cause I'm gonna find you.
I'll be with you, watching over you."
Hmm.
"I love you more than you...
you could ever know."
It's okay.
So what's the plan?
You want me to keep watch once Eddie gets here?
Well, I figured we'd confront him together,
teach him a thing about manners and...
loyalty, you know.
Loyalty?
Loyalty.
It's amazing, you know.
You spend your whole life around somebody.
You go to birthday parties with them, play ball with them.
You even go to holiday things with them.
Spend hours upon hours in the studio, making bangers.
And the moment you turn your head,
they try and stab you in the back.
Turns out you never really knew him at all.
I guess this is why you got
to always watch who you got around you.
Ain't that the truth.
You damn right about that, man.
Look at this. Ooh.
I mean, somebody be standing right next to you
after trying to kill you, and smiling in your face
like nothing ain't never happened.
There's no jet, is there?
Eddie's not coming.
Come on, Shine.
How many chances have I given you to tell me the truth?
You've been setting me up all day.
No. You've been setting you up all day.
Thirsty. Hello, everyone.
I got confirmation. It was Shine.
He had Giuliana killed to cover his tracks. I'm on it.
Dilly dilly.
How long have you known?
I got confirmation this morning,
but I've suspected for a long time.
When I saw you in my son Andre's hospital room, what do...?
Shine don't visit people in the hospital.
And you ear-hustling when I'm in the booth with Cookie.
Why does an innocent man need to ear-hustle?
Well, if you knew all this time, why wait so long?
I wanted to get you on wax.
See, I got you in the crossfire there.
Don't shoot his ear off.
See, now I know that track's gonna be worth
a whole lot of money.
So what you...? You just gonna kill me right here, huh?
That was the plan.
♪ I done make sacrifices ♪
♪ Aye, aye ♪
♪ So many sacrifices ♪
♪ Straight up ♪
♪ I done gave up so much free time... ♪
Man...
I was just following your son's playbook.
♪ She know I make sacrifices ♪
'Cause he was too pathetic to do it himself.
♪ Then you make sacrifices ♪
All you Lyons are soft.
You wouldn't last one day in the streets anymore, Lucious.
I knew that the first time I saw you
in one of them wack-ass ascots.
And that's why you played me all these years.
'Cause I was better than you.
Rhyming, hustling...
I was always better than you!
So no matter what you do to me now...
you got to live with that.
♪ From sacrifices ♪
♪ Why can't y'all recognize ♪
♪ That we all came from sacrifice ♪
See, I ain't gonna shoot you, Shine.
♪ So many sacrifices ♪
♪ Why can't y'all recognize ♪
♪ That we all came from sacrifice... ♪
♪ That we all came from sacrifice. ♪
Just let it go.
I know you like them ascots.
Clean it up. Erase the cameras.
Hey, baby. It's done.
Did he see it coming?
Nah. Not at all.
Are you all right?
Yeah, I'm fine.
About to head home. Where are you?
I got something of my own I need to take care of first.
Are you all right?
No.
But don't you worry.
I'll be home, okay?
Yeah.
See you at home.
Hey, Mama.
Uh...
Subtitle sync and corrections by awaqeded for www.addic7ed.com.