Previously on Empire...
You had a mild heart attack.
Mom heard what happened. She wants to see you.
Poundcake, I will find your baby girl,
- and I will bring her here. - You let Eddie into Empire,
and he's about to steal it from under you.
Eddie saw something in me,
and he promised that if I just stay focused,
that he'd get me here.
We've been testing some of our 20 For 20 releases,
and it's not what your fans expect or want from you.
I want to be your partner, in business and in life.
- Good morning, beautiful. - Oh, good morning. What is this?
A little breakfast for my love.
COOKIE (YAWNS): That's good. Yeah.
Excusez-moi. Pardonne-moi.
Are you almost ready to go, boss?
(SIGHS)
- Yeah, I got to grab something. - Okay.
(COUGHS)
What's up with Poundcake's daughter? You found anything?
Oh, her name is Maya. She's 19.
She got adopted by some white people living upstate.
And she's, uh, currently studying at NYU.
- Classical ballet. - Are you sure you got the right girl?
Are you really doubting my investigating skills? Really?
I mean, I can send someone around if you want...
No. I'm gonna go myself.
Keep your lips zipped, do not tell him,
'cause I don't want him worried about me.
So, what, you're just gonna roll up on her?
That's a big bomb to drop, mama. Not everyone likes surprises.
Poundcake is dying. Okay?
I don't have time to tiptoe around this ballerina.
Hey. What are you doing next to my wife's bed?
Come on, boss, I was just checking out the duvet. -Duvet.
Rest.
Why you walking all through my house like that, man?
I'm looking for the bathroom, man.
You got 15 rooms here. My bad.
I was just, you know, looking to get us going.
What we need to be doing is looking for a way
to get Eddie Barker up out of there.
I mean, I don't care whether he's bleeding or screaming,
- I want him out. - We don't want to tell Cookie about...
No. It ain't none of her business.
I'm taking care of this.
I don't want her heart getting all messed up from it.
You got it, boss.
Your standard exit papers, Mr. Big Shot.
Sign on pages two and six and initial page four.
- Then go away. - What's this all about?
This is about your betrayal, Eddie.
I mean, if you needed money, why didn't you just come and ask?
With all due respect, Lu, what I lost, you don't have.
But the Patel deal would've made both of us rich.
If you let me move forward with that, we could fix this.
Listen, the only reason that I'm letting you walk out of here
on two legs is because we've got history.
And if I don't sign these?
Well, then, I'll have a conversation with the SEC
about your insider trading scam.
My insider trading scam?
No, brother, come on.
My ex-wives invested in Empire on their own.
And nobody, nobody is gonna believe
that I can control those women.
I'd love to sit and chat,
but I have a dinner with my favorite board member, Edna.
(WHISPERS): She has a little thing for me.
I hope, uh, you enjoy the offices while you still can.
Got to find me one like this.
THIRSTY: He's a smug one, ain't he?
Guess we got to handle this a different way, huh, boss?
Subtitle sync and corrections by awaqeded for www.addic7ed.com.
(THUMPING)
Eddie Barker is an infidel inside of our temple.
Dad, but this is Uncle Eddie, man. That's crazy.
No, it ain't. He brainwashed Tiana.
That's why she turned down my proposal.
Yeah, man, that's why she turned you down.
Look, this chubalump used shell companies
to gobble up Empire stock, then he tried
to sell Empire right from underneath your parents.
- Okay, but why would he do that? - LUCIOUS: Because he lost
all of his money, then he lost his mind,
and now it's time that he loses his position here.
- What's the plan? - Well, the plan
is to get him out as quietly as possible
without creating a ruckus with the board.
Don't tell your mama about this.
- She's resting. - (PHONE VIBRATES)
Lucious, we got to get to Laviticus. Something's up.
(CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)
DIRECTOR: Jeté. Temps levé.
- (CLAPPING) - No, Ana.
- (MUSIC STOPS) - Please step aside. Maya.
Come. Show her what I mean.
Five, six, seven, eight, and...
(CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)
Okay, okay.
Maya, your birth mother really wants to meet you,
and her name is Poundcake.
(SIGHS) Poundcake.
(CLEARS THROAT)
I was her cellmate.
(TEMPO INCREASES)
- (DOOR BUZZES) - (KIDS CHATTERING PLAYFULLY)
CAROL: So how's it going in here, Cook?
- COOKIE: Good. - I have a surprise for you
and I don't want you to blow a gasket, okay?
Okay.
How are you?
Mama reached out.
What?
We talked to her, me and Candace.
What the hell for?
She's our mom.
Oh. (CHUCKLES) No. She lost that right
when she cheated on Daddy and walked out on us.
We were babies.
No, no. That is not how it happened.
He threatened to kill her. You know that, right?
And told her that she could not even come back
- or reach out to us. - She's lying. She's lying.
And Daddy is rolling over in his grave
'cause you two simple bitches believed it.
Y'all fell for that? Get out of here.
Well, she heard you was locked up, and she wants to see you.
Eh, not gonna happen.
Well, Mama's here.
C.O.? I'm ready to go.
- GUARD: Requesting escort. - RENEE: Loretha.
Loretha.
Hey.
Hello.
You were really good up there.
The best one. You should be the lead.
Why aren't you?
Uh, my instructor said they'd have to
redo the lighting for my skin tone,
and that doesn't work for the other girls, so...
Let me tell you something, sweetheart.
It takes a whole lot of light
to make cheap glass shine like a diamond.
You're already a diamond, sis, no matter the light.
Don't you ever forget that.
Oh. (LAUGHS)
I'm Cookie Lyon.
Oh, my God. Right.
(CHUCKLES) From Empire.
Oh, my God. You manage Tiana, right?
- Among others. (CHUCKLES) - How crazy.
Uh, what-what are you doing here?
I came to see you.
Uh, me? Why-why me?
Well, someone like you.
Uh, we're holding auditions for dancers.
Uh, for Tiana's video. For her latest single.
Oh, my God.
- Wh... You want me...? - Mm-hmm.
Oh, my God.
- That would be so amazing. - It would be amazing
if you could say more than "Oh, my God."
- (BOTH LAUGH) - Sorry.
Don't worry about it, sweetheart.
Just be at Empire tomorrow, 2:00 p.m.
(BREATHLESS): Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
Did I tell you you look beautiful tonight?
No. Thank you.
♪
Lucious. Lyon boys.
THIRSTY: Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me a second.
Excuse me. Watch yourself.
Why wasn't Mr. Lyon invited to wh-whatever this is?
- Oh, wait a second. I'm sorry. - (PHONE VIBRATES)
- Oh. - There's a...
- Tiana's here. Everybody! - (GROANS)
- Everybody. Shh. Tiana's here. - (CROWD QUIETS)
Shh.
CROWD: Surprise!
(CROWD CHEERING)
EDDIE: As of one hour ago,
Tiana has done what no other artist in the history
of Empire has ever done before.
Her single simultaneously went to number one
on both the R&B and Pop charts.
(CROWD CHEERING)
And no offense, not even our Lyon boys
- have achieved that feat. - (CROWD CHUCKLING)
- (SCOFFS) Not yet. - Ah.
Another Empire first:
Tory Ash's new album
has hit number one on the new R&B charts.
- (CROWD CHEERING) - Here's to
many other record-breaking moments.
(CHUCKLES)
- Cheers. - CROWD: Cheers.
- Thank you. - You're amazing.
CROWD (CHANTING): Tiana! Tiana! Tiana!
Tiana! Tiana!
Tiana! (CHEERING)
("SWEAT" PLAYING)
♪ You like the way I move, and, boy, I know you want it ♪
♪ You got a lot to prove, you better jump up on it ♪
♪ You know what I can do, no time for sleeping on it ♪
♪ I'm-a leave it open ♪
♪ And see what you gon' do right there ♪
♪ You say you want control, but can you handle me? ♪
♪ We can go fast or slow, might have you on your knees ♪
♪ I want to see you ♪
♪ Work hard for me, baby ♪
♪ Uh, sweat ♪
♪ Sweat ♪
(RHYTHMIC PANTING)
♪ Sweat ♪
(RHYTHMIC PANTING)
♪ Sweat ♪
♪ Oh, sweat... ♪
Thanks for bringing in Eddie. He's a genius.
I'm having dinner with him later.
Why don't I float the idea of him staying?
We don't want him going anywhere.
♪
Now, here's every single artist on 20 For 20.
Here's the particular stages
where their albums are right now.
And here's that punk Eddie Barker.
He's got completed albums. He's got number one hits.
Look at where you guys are, Hakeem, Jamal.
Y'all are pumping out zeroes when right now I need y'all
to be pumping out hits with the name Lyon on them.
Dad, I'm ready to drop my single right now. It's fire.
LUCIOUS: Okay, well, then get with marketing,
let them know that this needs to debut at number one.
- Okay. - Where are you?
Dad, you-you do know that you benched me, right?
Well, consider yourself back in the game,
and don't tell me you spent
- all this time crying. - Nah, hell no.
I've been working my ass off. And the stuff is really good.
Yeah, well as long as it's not some of that
off-brand Jamal junk.
Oh, so now my stuff is just junk?
Dad, you the one that always said
put your heart and soul into music, yeah?
Listen, son, I don't have time to sit here swaddling you.
I need you to get in the studio and produce
that on-brand Jamal stuff.
Oh, so, the same old stuff?
But that's what I'm talking about.
I can't go backwards.
So just count me out of the 20 For 20.
ANDRE: Thanks for meeting with me, Reverend.
Hmm. I'm glad you reached out.
So, how did your confession go?
Father's utterly incapable of forgiveness.
What's new?
Well, no father is perfect.
Save that for the Father above.
Lucious is messed up, and he passed it on to me.
In my opinion, you can't fix your father.
But you can fix yourself.
The difference between you and Lucious
is that you want to do the right thing.
Encourage that part of yourself.
(SIGHS)
I don't know where to start.
You already started.
You confessed.
You were sincere in your regret,
so be sincere in your apologies to those you've hurt.
Come on.
You know what's so ridiculous, too,
is that these days, my father wouldn't know originality
if it kicked him in the damn head.
Well, it's not like Eddie's any better.
He's trying to turn me into some R&B diva.
Okay, but nobody cares about genres anymore.
- They just want good music. - What about our music?
You really think that Empire's just not gonna release it?
No, I know that they're not.
But why does that have to stop us? You know what I'm saying?
Why can't we release it under a different name?
- What do you mean? - Meaning don't put our names on it,
don't put our pictures on it, 'cause then that way
it could actually be about the music.
Kind of like a Daft Punk, Gorillaz vibe?
- See, now you feeling me. - Okay.
Look, we could even, I don't know,
add some other dope musicians.
- Like, start a band? - No.
Better than a band. Like, a, um...
like, a collective. You know what I'm saying?
We bounce off of each other. We-we feed each other's ideas.
- Yeah, I dig that. - Look. Watch this artist.
I've been trying to work with him for a minute.
♪ I was above 'em, no bluffin', if, ands or buts ♪
♪ And ain't no time for a discussion ♪
♪ The governments can't be trusted ♪
♪ The streets about to erupt ♪
♪ In flames, insanity, sufferin' ♪
♪ Alhamdulillah above me ♪
♪ The only one that can judge me ♪
♪ I'm wonderin' where the love be... ♪
- (LAUGHS) - (JAMAL CHUCKLES)
See? And Becky tried to sign him last year,
but because he's smart, he passed.
Because he's a real, raw, authentic artist.
Imagine what we could create with someone like that
- on our team. - Yeah, it would be incredible.
But you know that there's no way
that Empire's gonna let us do that.
Okay, well, you know we don't have to tell them anything.
Well, I have no problem with that. (LAUGHS)
Shoot, man, it smells like someone died in here.
It does.
What the hell is this?
A bangin'-ass basement.
All right, how the hell is this gonna help me
land a number one single?
Didn't your moms and pops hook up back in the day
- at a Philly basement party? - Yeah. So?
It was one of Lucious's first performances
before he blew up, man; It was legendary.
If your folks never hooked up that night,
you might not have been born, bro.
You know you sound high as hell, bro?
- (CHUCKLES) - Come on, man. Can't you see it?
The year is 1991, all right?
Speakers in every corner.
A big platform stage with a old-school booth
you can rock, Chicken.
The party of the year, man, hosted by
the one and only Hakeem "The Dream" Lyon,
launching his new banger.
Keep it a hundred, you do sound high as hell, Blake.
ANDRE: It's actually not a bad idea.
- Dre, what are you doing here? - Becky told me where you were.
I'm just here to help.
Listen...
I know you feel some kind of way about me.
I let everything that was wrong
push everything that was right out of my head.
And that won't happen again, I promise you.
I want to be your big brother, if you'll let me.
All I care about is being number one right now.
If we put this whole party up on Empire XStream,
every subscriber that clicks on it will get a free download.
Now, those count as sales, Hakeem.
Your numbers will go up.
You're practically guaranteed to knock Tiana
out of the number one spot.
I guess we throwing a basement party, then, y'all.
(WHOOPING, EXCITED CHATTER)
EDNA: I hope you'll extend your stay at Empire.
I have such an affinity for you, Edward.
Please, Edna. It's-it's Eddie.
- Of course. - Giselle?
- Oh. - What are you doing here?
Your receptionist said to meet you here.
Uh, must be a scheduling mix-up.
- Oh. - (BOTH CHUCKLE)
Edna, this is my ex-wife, Giselle.
Giselle, this is Edna.
- Hello. - Nice to meet you. (CHUCKLES)
See you later.
- Talk soon? Okay. - Talk later.
Edward Cornelius Damn Barker.
Expensive champagne won't make up for what you did.
I want my money.
Celeste, not now, all right? Not now.
And what's this slut doing here?
Oh, that's real classy, Celeste.
You want to know about class?
Why are both y'all thirsty sluts here?
Oh, hell no!
- Monique? - Eddie Barker.
- Mm-hmm. - Unless we're all here
to discuss why you lost all our money,
I am not trying to be in the company
of your past, present or future foolishness.
(CHUCKLES): Oh, n-no.
We're not in a relationship.
Unless...
- Eddie? - CELESTE: Obviously you're not together.
Look around you, sweetie.
One of these ladies doesn't belong
- with the others. - Really?
I'll just see myself out.
Uh, Edna. Edna. Uh...
I'd like you to stay.
This is just a big misunderstanding.
(LAUGHS) Yes, a colossal misunderstanding, Mr. Barker.
Now that Lucious is back, you should take this opportunity
to focus on your personal affairs.
(SIGHS)
Good night.
- I'll call you later. - You can try.
♪ It's just something you gon' learn, too ♪
♪ It's your turn for me to be the one you turn to... ♪
Compliments of the boss.
Boss?
(SCOFFS) Wow.
It's on.
♪
Those bitches ruined everything.
Edna was a key ally. Now that pasty heifer
won't even return my phone calls.
It was hard enough for you to pull off a coup
behind Lucious's back; How are you gonna do it
when he's looking right at you?
- By making a new ally. - What are you talking about?
Over there.
(SHORT CHUCKLE)
All right.
No, no.
Handle your business, and I'll be right over there.
What? Nothing for good luck?
Back in the day, I never would've pegged you
as someone who'd have a seat at the table.
You were always so impulsive, quick to pull the trigger
without even being sure that the gun was loaded. (CHUCKLES)
Is that why you convinced Lucious to drop me
all those years ago?
And I'd like to right that wrong.
I gave Lucious the tools to be able to create an empire.
I'd like to do the same for you.
(CHUCKLES) And my, uh, 25% stake
has nothing to do with your generous offer?
We're too big to be hustling somebody else's dream.
I'm listening.
Lucious always wanted to roll solo.
He's never gonna value anybody else
more than he values himself.
But I value what you do.
I'm gonna make a pitch to the board
to expand my role here.
You want to be on top?
Back me up.
- (SNAPS FINGERS) - Come on, man.
Where's that impulse?
Is the gun loaded?
Always, my brother.
- Okay. - All right, then.
We got a lot of things we're gonna be doing together.
- We'll have some fun. - I'll tell you what.
Come by the studio later.
- Mm-hmm? - I got this new white boy.
I think you can help make us both rich.
- (TATTOO NEEDLE BUZZING) - AZAL: Don't worry.
Gonna have your tattoos. Just try not to move.
- MAN: All right. - (BELL CHIMES)
AZAL: Design book's on the table, sir.
Pick a tattoo. Be with you in a sec.
Oh, no, no. We just, uh, we actually want
- a bit of your time to talk. - Time's money.
Which one's talking, which one's getting a tattoo?
I mean...
JAMAL: It's about the collective.
You know what I'm saying?
Look, I... do not play well with others.
(CHUCKLES) See, that's the thing is
the band that we're creating is not about egos.
Yeah, it's just about the music.
And with you on the mic with your raw, visceral,
conscious lyrics, I really do think that we could
make music history.
Let me tell you something about history, bruh.
It's written by the victors.
And I don't see no victory by signing
with a privileged cat from hip-hop royalty
trying to be down with the people.
- Feel me? - (CHUCKLES)
Let me tell you something, bruh.
You obviously don't know where my family comes from,
and you probably don't even listen
- to my music, so... - Okay, yeah.
Real talk. I don't need a collective
or a Lyon to get my message across.
May I focus?
Ow.
That'll be $200.
Pay cash or card?
("SWEAT" PLAYING)
♪ You been craving my touch ♪
♪ Ain't no use tryin' to hide it ♪
♪ Wantin' me like a drug ♪
♪ I promise you gon' like it ♪
♪ I'm-a leave it open ♪
♪ And see what you gon' do right there ♪
♪ You say you want control, but can you handle me? ♪
♪ We can go fast or slow, might have you on your knees ♪
♪ I want to see you work hard ♪
♪ For me, baby ♪
♪ Uh, sweat ♪
- ♪ Sweat ♪ - (RHYTHMIC PANTING)
♪ Sweat ♪
- ♪ Sweat, uh ♪ - ♪ Sweat ♪
♪ Sweat, till it's drippin' off your body ♪
♪ Like a faucet, uh, sweat till... ♪
(MUSIC STOPS)
(MAYA GASPING)
Oh, my God. I-I...
I am, like, your biggest fan.
My name's Maya.
Is this the new choreographer that Eddie just approved?
How old are you, 13?
COOKIE: Uh, Eddie's not the CEO.
I invited Maya here from NYU to audition.
NYU? Cookie, I'm number one
on the Pop and the R&B charts.
And the best that you can offer me is
- some amateur from... - Uh, hey, hey, uh!
Mm-mmm. Hold your tongue.
Maya, why don't you take a break, sweetheart?
Very impressive. You like a little Misty, girl.
(CHUCKLES): Yes!
Now, I know Eddie has you feeling like a big star.
I get it, and I'm very proud of you, Tiana.
But that doesn't give you the right to walk around
and act like a big bitch.
I'm the only big bitch around here, sweetie.
And let's not forget who made you.
'Cause I would hate to have to unmake you.
Now, you come in here and you disrupt something
I got going on again, and I will wipe your ass off the charts!
Give a damn what number you are.
Maya.
- Maya, slow down. - I must've had "fool"
written across my forehead to think I was good enough
- to work with Tiana. - Listen to me.
You are nobody's fool, okay?
You are a gifted, talented woman
who's gonna make her mother very proud.
My mom is proud of me. She's the one that encouraged me to dance.
I mean your birth mother.
How do you know I'm adopted?
I know your real mom.
My real m... mom?
- I was in prison with her. - You mean the crackhead killer?
She's not a killer. She... That was self-defense.
And she didn't... she didn't do drugs, okay?
She-she may have dealt drugs
to get money so that she can try
and find you, because you were stolen from her, Maya.
She really wants to meet you.
Okay? And I promised her that I would find you.
She loves you so much.
No.
She's dying.
No, she's dead. She was dead to me the moment
- that she decided to give me up. - You don't...
No, please just stay away from me.
'Cause I don't want to hear from you
or that woman in lockup ever.
- (DOOR BUZZES) - So, you got to get locked up
before I can see you, huh?
I don't have nothing to say to you, lady.
Okay. I'll do the talking.
(EXHALES)
- Can I smoke in here? - Yeah, sure.
Why don't you go out by the pool or the tennis courts? (CHUCKLES)
The hell you think you are?
I'm in a place where I never expected to see you.
Of my three girls,
you most remind me of myself.
Please don't insult me.
Why are you even here?
Because if I was there with you girls,
you would not be in here.
Uh, please don't flatter yourself. (MUTTERS)
Loretha, sit your narrow ass down!
I'm not finished.
♪ Plus, we getting money round here ♪
♪ And they love the way them Lambo doors in the air ♪
♪ Them baddies leaving with us ♪
♪ Leave them haters over there... ♪
Where's this new white boy?
Let's see if he lives up to your hype.
♪ Plus, we getting money around here... ♪
- (MUSIC STOPS) - (DOOR OPENS)
(WHISTLES)
You didn't think twice about chucking your man here.
Ain't no telling how fast you'd get rid of my ass.
Me and L ain't white on rice.
But like my Hillary vote,
I'm just siding with the devil I know.
You know she lost, right?
Well, in that case, Eddie,
you and Hillary got a whole lot in common.
Knowing that the lesser man thinks he won?
(CHUCKLES) Maybe so.
That wasn't about loyalty, you know?
That was self-interest.
Eddie, you wouldn't know loyalty
if it smacked you right in the middle of your face.
Brother, we have...
very distinct definitions of that word.
You may be loyal to your own, but what you really are
is lethal.
Poison.
Everything you touch corrupts and dies around you.
And if you needed any more proof
of just how toxic you really are,
look no further than Cookie.
The woman nearly died because of you.
You're pushing me, Eddie.
And you of all people know...
how lethal I can be.
Of course I do.
I taught you.
But...
it's just as dangerous to push me around.
We ain't done.
Come on.
Not even close.
♪ Hey, Dirty... ♪
It's a basement, but there's a lot of things to shoot.
Some colors and those cups right here.
- Got it. - Take advantage of that.
Film Hakeem. It's his single release party.
What up? Stay tuned, baby.
WOMAN: Hakeem, I love you!
Thank you all for coming.
Chicken.
Jamal said he would be here.
- He late. - I haven't seen him.
Meanwhile, Sir-Talk-A-Lot right here
hasn't paid the venue owners, so now they're threatening
- to pull the plug on this whole thing. - What?
Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Don't worry about it, Hakeem.
I'll handle it.
- Why don't you show me who to pay. - All right.
- Yeah, show him who to pay. - All right. It's okay.
- Jamal Lyon! - (REPORTERS CLAMORING)
Jamal Lyon, over here!
Jamal Lyon!
I'm sorry. I got you. All right? I'm sorry.
Can we get a photo with the three brothers?
- Uh, sure. - All three of you.
Listen, after this, can we, uh, can we talk?
- Nah. - ♪ Hey, Dirty ♪
♪ Sing it ♪
- ♪ Baby, I got your money ♪ - ♪ Sing it, girls ♪
- ♪ Don't you worry, I said hey ♪ - ♪ Just shake it right... ♪
Y'all, please give it up for my little brother,
Hakeem Lyon, performing his first
20 For 20 single, "Rock the Party"!
(CROWD CHEERING)
("ROCK THE PARTY" PLAYING)
♪ Uh, you know what's up when I pull up ♪
♪ Everybody watching, all the girls running back ♪
♪ I'm picking through my options ♪
♪ Gettin' cake ♪
♪ Like I'm playin' Shopkins ♪
♪ Green faces like I'm The Mask ♪
♪ Somebody stop me, fresh fade, black shades ♪
♪ I'm kind of a big deal ♪
♪ In the club looking for a third piece ♪
♪ Big wheel, all this liquor in me ♪
♪ Kinda hard for me to sit still ♪
♪ D'Angelo wit' the flow ♪
♪ Tell me, how does it feel? How it feel? ♪
♪ You know Hakeem, I rock the party ♪
♪ You know Hakeem ♪
CROWD: ♪ Rock the party! ♪
♪ You know Hakeem, I rock the party ♪
♪ Girl, back it up, work your body... ♪
Girl, you said this was a '90s basement jam,
not no Hakeem release party.
I'm not here for him. I'm here to have fun.
Plus, all of my people are here, so why shouldn't I be here?
♪ Okay, the turn up is real, party in the hills... ♪
Bitches.
♪ Done deal, ride through the city ♪
♪ Sun glisten off the wheels, top off, sun roofin' ♪
♪ Like I'm Dr. Phil, straight gorilla my flowin' ♪
♪ Like you know I'm a animal ♪
♪ Wordplay, intangible, automatic, mechanical ♪
♪ Lyrically I'm a cannibal ♪
♪ Don't make me split your cantaloupe ♪
♪ Leave here wit' a centerfold, bet I give her the antidote ♪
♪ You know Hakeem, I rock the party ♪
(CROWD CHEERING)
CROWD: ♪ Rock the party! ♪
♪ Girl, back it up ♪
♪ Work your body ♪
♪ That's how it be when I'm out ♪
♪ Wit' my peeps and I got ♪
♪ What it takes to rock the party ♪
♪ Yeah, girl, come back it up in my face... ♪
CHICKEN: Hey, man, what you doing?
- ♪ Take it back to my place ♪ - ♪ Uh, yeah, uh ♪
♪ It's the mythical, analytical, not the typical ♪
♪ Ice form in the physical, rare biblical ♪
♪ I don't play to lose, no pity, y'all pitiful ♪
♪ Get money, I don't snooze, think rich, that's a ritual ♪
♪ Cold wit' it, yeah, I'm cold wit' it ♪
♪ No control wit' it, copper rims on the coupe ♪
♪ Like I'm rollin' four pennies ♪
♪ No, I'm not from Harlem, but I'm tryin' to trot ♪
♪ Around the globe wit' it, jacket on ♪
♪ This a cold business, uh. ♪
(CROWD CHEERING)
So, you know you're not slick
bringing me up to your set like that.
Babe, I didn't even know you'd be here.
- But I'm glad you came. - Mm-hmm.
Don't you got a press tour in the morning?
Look, Eddie's not here, so...
tonight I'm off the hook.
(CHUCKLES)
♪ I often tell myself ♪
♪ That we could be more than just friends ♪
♪ I know you think that if we move too soon ♪
♪ It would all end ♪
♪ I live in misery ♪
♪ When you're not around ♪
♪ There'll be some lovemaking ♪
♪ Heartbreaking, soul shaking ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ Lovemaking, heartbreaking, soul shaking ♪
♪ What's it gonna be? ♪
- ♪ 'Cause I can't pretend ♪ - ♪ I can't pretend ♪
♪ No ♪
- ♪ Don't you want to be ♪ - ♪ Don't you want to be ♪
♪ More than friends ♪
- (VOCALIZING) - ♪ Hold me tight ♪
♪ And don't let go ♪
♪ Don't let go. ♪
- ♪ I'm the lyrical gangster ♪ - ♪ Murderer ♪
- ♪ Big up di crew ina di area ♪ - ♪ Murderer ♪
- ♪ Still love you like that ♪ - ♪ Murderer... ♪
Becky.
- Yeah? - You seen, um, Tory?
Uh, she's in the bathroom. Have you seen Tiana?
She has a 5:00 a.m. call time.
I mean, you know she bounced with Hakeem.
- (GROANS) - (CHUCKLES)
♪ Act like you know, Rico... ♪
Oh, word?
What's up, you coming to take shots
at another member of hip-hop royalty?
Nah. I listened to your music.
I was moved, brother.
Seems like you have something to say.
I want to hear your message. For real.
This time without prejudice.
Thank you, man.
Tory also threatened to blast my shop
on her social media if I didn't show up tonight.
I see. So she blackmailed your ass. Okay.
- I ain't mad at her. - Good move. (CHUCKLES)
Welcome to the band, man.
♪ Cash rules everything around me... ♪
MAN: A'ight, baby. There you go.
♪ Dollar, dollar bill, y'all... ♪
Tory.
- What the hell are you doing? - Nothing.
I'm just taking something to take the edge off.
How long you been using again? What-what are you on?
Eddie just gave me something the other day
- so I could get through the show. - Eddie gave you s...
- Hey. - Yeah. It's fine.
- It's not a big deal. - Listen,
tomorrow we're going to a meeting, Tory.
Jamal, I'm a big girl. I don't need you to be my sponsor, okay?
♪ Rollin' with this one and that one ♪
♪ Pullin' out gats for fun ♪
♪ But it was just a dream ♪
♪ For the teen, who was a fiend ♪
♪ Started smokin' woolas at 16... ♪
I really needed this tonight.
♪ And doin' hits for high stakes ♪
♪ Makin' my way on fire escapes ♪
♪ No question I would speed for cracks and weed... ♪
Anybody thinking you need a makeover to be number one,
they don't know how amazing you already are.
Always will be in my eyes.
I love you.
♪ Figured out I went the wrong route ♪
♪ So I got with a sick, tight clique ♪
♪ And went all out ♪
♪ Catchin' keys from 'cross seas, rollin' in MPVs... ♪
But I'm not gonna let Eddie control you like some puppet.
I'm nobody's puppet, okay?
That's not what I meant.
Look, you don't get to decide or control who I work with.
Eddie has done more for me in six months
than Empire's done for me in three years.
This was a mistake.
No. This is real.
Eddie told me that you wasn't gonna be happy
unless I was right up under you.
- And you know what? - (CLICKS TONGUE)
He was right.
Tiana!
(SIGHS)
'Sup?
(HUMS, SIGHS)
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
Whoa.
Back at work. How's the orphan hunting going?
If you want to keep your balls intact,
you didn't see me tonight, okay?
So now you're threatening my man parts over Orphan Black?
You know, between you and Lucious wanting to kill Eddie,
y'all are just gonna give me a stroke.
Hey, hey, hey, hey. Kill Eddie?
The hell are you talking about?
Thirsty told me about Eddie.
So all that talk about us being equal partners
and you respecting me was just bull.
Well, you lied about your whereabouts all day.
No, no, no. I didn't lie to you, Lucious.
I just didn't tell your nosy ass.
Well, there's a distinction without a difference
if I've ever heard one.
Well, you lied about everything being okay with Eddie. Why?
And don't give me that heart attack bull.
Are you mad 'cause I brought him in?
No, and don't you ever think that.
Everything that's gone wrong, every bad thing that's happened,
from Eddie to Claudia to Andre...
All of that's my fault. I accept that.
And some things you-you can't change, but...
I know how to fix Eddie.
No. There's got to be another way to get rid of Eddie.
- Yeah, how? - I don't know, Lucious.
But we're gonna figure it out, together.
- Morning, Mr. Barker. - Morning, Juanita.
Cookie.
Lu. What is this?
Firing squad?
It was going to be. But we're family, right?
- Have a seat. - Family.
Yeah, see, all that plotting
and scheming you were doing, I had to remind Lucious that,
uh, you guys were like brothers back in the day.
I said have a seat.
All right.
LUCIOUS: Speaking of family,
um, Hakeem's single just hit number one on the charts.
Wow. Hmm.
Chalk one up for the Lyons, against my two.
(CHUCKLES) I wonder how the board would feel
if they found out that your two was acquired
by doping up a recovering addict.
Tory? She was a wild card way before I walked into Empire.
But what about Tiana?
I've seen single-handedly how you bamboozled her.
Once Lucious and I figured out
what you were doing with Tory and Tiana,
well, we figured... (CHUCKLES)
there had to be others.
So we did a little digging. Ivy Montgomery.
A promising young starlet, before she signed with you.
She couldn't keep up with your pressures,
and you pumped her full of drugs.
Next thing you know, she commits suicide,
and she thought you was family as well.
EDDIE: These, uh...
There was a settlement, and these files were sealed.
Oh. Well, your seal just sprung a leak.
That's the exact thing that will sour your reputation
with Empire's board.
Oh, hell, any board.
Remember these?
Those are those same papers I offered you the other day,
just the severance package was carved out of it.
COOKIE: If you don't want the truth to come out about this,
then I suggest you sign this contract,
and then stay the hell away from Empire.
Like I said...
can't say no to Cookie.
Can I get my jacket, please?
Thank you.
(DOOR BUZZES)
(CELL DOOR CLANKING)
(SCOFFS) You ain't even got a ring.
(LAUGHS)
So you walked out on us for some zero
that was eventually gonna dump your ass anyway.
Yeah. I guess it beats being a mother and a wife.
So, how are your boys holding up through all of this?
Uh... you never worried about us,
so don't worry about my babies.
I have to, given the devil you left them with.
Any man that would... that would sacrifice his woman...
- No, no, no, no, no, no. - To save his own ass ain't.
- Don't come up in... - nothing but a son of a bitch.
Don't come up in here talking trash about my husband.
Your husband? (SCOFFS) Your sisters told me
that weak ass served you divorce papers.
You know what a weak ass is?
The weakest person you can be is a mother who abandons
- her three daughters. - You...
You chose to protect
that high yellow trash over your boys.
- What? - You know what? You are right.
- We are not the same. - Yeah, we are not.
- We're not the same. I tried. - We are nothing alike.
I'm more like my father.
You know what? You're killing Jamal,
- Hakeem, you're killing Andre. - I need you to shut up.
- Why are you doing it? Why? - I need you to shut...
Shut up! Shut your ass up!
So you think what you did was hard,
and you think this is easy?! Huh?!
I know what it's like not to have your kids.
It's a hole in your life, Loretha.
And you know what it's like to grow up without a mother.
You don't want that for your boys.
If there is anything, anything you can do,
or some deal you can cut to get home, just do it.
Don't let some man keep you from your children
- the way your daddy did to me. - You don't get
- to try to be my mother now. - Listen.
It's too late. You know what?
Ju... Don't come back here.
I don't ever want to see you again.
Wait, wait. Don't you give up. Don't give up, Loretha.
I never did. I never will!
You remember!
(DOOR CLOSES)
POUNDCAKE: Hey, you.
I didn't mean to wake you.
Nah, it's okay.
Did you find her?
I'm sorry.
(CRYING SOFTLY)
I knew it.
I'm gonna keep looking for her, okay?
- Poundcake, I promise. - I'm never gonna be able
- to tell her that I love her. - No, no, no. Hush.
What would you like to say to her? Huh?
Cookie, no, I don't... I don't know.
Cook, I don't talk well.
- I don't got... - Okay. All right, all right.
Okay, well...
Tell me what you want to say. I'll write it down.
I'll help you, okay?
So that you can read it to her yourself.
POUNDCAKE: Mm.
To my baby girl.
I want you to know some things,
so I'm gonna make a list.
I invited you here because we both know
what it's like to be pulled into the Lyon family,
only to realize too late
that they devour their own.
Cigar?
(CHUCKLES) Cut the big speech, Eddie.
I'm here because there's a clause in my custody agreement
that gives me control over Bella's stake in the Empire.
And you are here because you want my help
stealing the company from the Lyons.
Well, I'm happy to join you,
but I have one condition.
Once we do...
I'm gonna be CEO.
I'm starting to get what all the fuss is about you.
(LAUGHS): Oh.
Don't look at me like that, Eddie.
This is just business.
And I'm not interested in being Mrs. Barker Number Four.
You dig?
Of course.
So let's order my favorite rosé
and, uh, talk strategy.
Shall we?
Let's.
Subtitle sync and corrections by awaqeded for www.addic7ed.com.