[man] - Now introducing your new
apprentice of 9MAG...
[all cheering]
- Hi!
- And that did.
- It hurt all of us, to be honest.
But look, I don't feel it was personally towards us.
It was something towards Ryan.
[cell phone vibrating]
- Yo, so my dad just texted me.
"I think we should make some time for each other.
When can you come to New York?"
I'm shaking.
- Boy, I feel like I was just going crazy, boy.
Somebody stole the Scout, bro. - What?
- My tattoo [bleep] was in there.
- No.
- I can't even [bleep] work, bro.
I'm just tired of taking "L"s, bro.
- Don't set boundaries with yourself!
- I look out for you, bro.
- Don't set boundaries with yourself.
But when it comes to me, you cross all my [bleep] boundaries!
But when it comes to yours, you want me to step aside!
- How? What are you talking about?
- You want your [bleep] cake and eat it too!
No, [bleep]!
- All I'm gonna say from the jump is I feel like
me and you ain't got [bleep] to talk about.
- Tell me exactly what the [bleep] I did so bad to--
to make me and you not talk.
- That tattoo from years ago-- shorty came back after him.
- She actually suing me for over $600,000.
- And Ryan ended up having to pay that bill with you.
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ There's no more ordinary lifestyle ♪♪
♪♪♪♪
♪♪ We livin' for the moment talkin' right now ♪♪
♪♪ Chi-Town, Chi-Town, Chi-Town ♪♪
♪♪ We livin' for the moment talkin' right now ♪♪♪♪
- [horns honking] - [whistle blowing]
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ I am the best at this I am ♪♪
♪♪ Try to mess with this ♪♪
♪♪ Never heard the word defender with me ♪♪
♪♪ I work harder than most to be the realest ♪♪
♪♪ Never stop training 'cause I'm the best at this ♪♪♪♪
[Don] - How are you feeling, man?
- I'm still trying to get things squared away in Dallas.
You know how it go, two places at the same time.
- Oh, man, it's crazy.
Honestly, it didn't go left.
You know, Ryan-- Ryan responded
how I figured Ryan was gonna respond.
♪♪♪♪
- I know it wasn't finna be no--
you know, it was "kumbaya" at all.
- Yeah. No, I didn't think that either.
But honestly, nobody bust each other lip, it ain't go left.
Now it's in the air what their real differences is,
why they really ain't [bleep] with each other.
You know, I've been seeing a side of Ryan lately
that I really don't think is, like, in his best interests
or even healthy.
I know for a fact that the Van situation
is a little bit deeper than what he likes to lead on,
you know, and I really would love for him to open up
more about it and kind of, like, clear the air.
I really do miss my old crew.
I really do miss the family that we had
and, you know, I don't like choosing sides
between none of my friends.
- The situation wasn't gonna change because, you know,
it was still-- what up?
It was still a situation that--
- Yup. - With this hand.
- You ain't know I was allergic?
- I thought it was just shellfish.
- No, shellfish.
- You do get a little something on it.
- Shellfish. - You're right, my bad.
- What's up?
- What's up, Mr. Intelligent One?
We were just talking about the game night with Van.
- What did y'all expect from that?
- Wasn't thinking there was no 'kumbaya,' [bleep].
- To be honest with you, at least you got that [bleep]
off your chest, face to face.
- I didn't want to get that [bleep] off my chest.
- But you needed to.
Your energy when he was in that room
showed that I am not truly over this [bleep] yet.
By telling him, you were able to release it.
Now you ain't gotta hold that [bleep] no more.
- No, I didn't want to release that [bleep].
I wanted to hold on to that mother[bleep].
- Why? - [Bleep], I loved you,
but, [bleep], like, that [bleep] hurt.
I just get a little lost sometime.
Of all the times that me and him ain't talk,
he knew I had to take his lick
and he ain't give a [bleep] about it, and he moved on.
Like, "All right, [bleep], I'll let that [bleep] be on Ryan."
I don't even need to blame him.
I just blame myself for having that mother[bleep]
around me to even let that happen.
I just stopped [bleep] with you
so I could be relieved of myself, and that's what I did.
[Phor] - It's crazy, 'cause, like,
I've tried to talk to people outside of this
and [bleep] don't get it, bro.
We all we've got, [bleep]. Literally, literally.
- That's why you can't keep us too far.
You never know when one of us
can pull you out of that [bleep].
That's what that's about.
You can't keep us in the dark.
- You pulled me out. You feel me?
- Y'all pulled me out.
Just standing next to y'all, bro.
I wanted to be one of my
mother[bleep] brothers to be proud of me.
- You feel me? - Yeah.
- Well, we're still here right now.
So what's new?
- Right now, you know, I'm in this place where me and Ash,
we trying to go for the same goal
but we just ridin' different.
I'm here.
- Y'all not on the same page right now?
- We're just not on the same page.
Like, her expectations versus my expectations don't matter.
Honestly, me and Ashley have been on
"Black Ink Crew: Chicago" for almost a decade,
and I guess, in the past,
some of those moments became a little exhausting.
I still don't feel like that you've forgiven me
for everything.
Like, can you look at me and really tell me, like,
you've forgiven me?
Yo, Ash.
- There's just been, like, a string of stuff
that's been, like, going on.
He's doing kind of, like, single-man [bleep].
[woman] - Yeah, this is messy.
So what is your plan?
- I'm thinking of divorce.
- We've been through a journey.
You know, honestly, we're just hitting a wall right now,
and it's scary because we're trying to figure out
who we're becoming next,
and how does that look being together?
- As much as he's been, like, trying to be a better person,
a better father, things like that for his family,
I think he also wants the same in return
when it comes to him and Ashley.
It's already stressful going back and forth,
state to state, to see his daughter,
you know, trying to connect with his child's mom,
so I think he just needs a little more support.
Don does do a lot for, you know, Ashley and his family.
Maybe we need a mediator.
You know what I'm saying? Maybe we need somebody--
- Together? - Yeah.
- I'd rather lay it on the table
and let me know if it's fixable, you know what I'm saying?
If it ain't, then we're just going in separate directions,
I've gotta accept that too.
I've been going to see a therapist for a while.
So I was able to find my outlet
through my different frustrations,
through my different pains and, um, trauma
I was trying to heal from. But Ashley has not.
My wife didn't go to therapy yet.
And I think in order for us to truly make it,
this would be something she'll have to join in with me.
- Let me know how that go. I may need it too.
I'm dealing with Nina.
You know, me still being, you know, one foot in Chicago,
one foot in Dallas.
The thing is, like, I would-- I would have her come to Dallas,
it wouldn't-- I wouldn't,
'cause I wanna be around my son like that.
But I don't wanna be the only reason you're out there.
You know what I'm saying?
At this point, I've barely spoke to Nina
since our blowout at the park.
We've only been communicating through text
and handling our son without saying one word to each other.
We both need to remember, no matter what,
our son is priority, regardless of our current situation.
And I will not stop seeing him
just because me and Nina aren't speaking.
I'ma still do my part.
- If she ain't doing [bleep], I would just bring her to Dallas
and out of your [bleep] business
for your convenience of you and your child.
- That's a lot, that's a lot.
- So we're just gonna, you know, pray on that, you know,
and keep the peace.
- You understand early on that you've gotta be
better, not bitter.
So you're already ahead of the game.
- ♪♪ They pull up in a Range Rover ♪♪
♪♪ Bad... on my paper ♪♪
♪♪ He do what I say so ♪♪
♪♪ I wanna do that's what I came for ♪♪♪♪
- Oh, ooh. What?
Is this Mickey Mouse?
Oh, you wanna hold it? Uh-oh.
Well, I don't know what this is but we're gonna watch it.
I love babysitting baby Phorever!
Especially since I've become so close
with one of his parents.
Who's that? Who's that?
- Hey. - Is that Mommy?
- Hi, baby.
- Y'all don't think I meant Phor, did you?
I mean...
Nah, nah, Phor my boy, Phor my boy,
but I definitely have become super tight with Nina.
- Hi, baby! Mommy's back, sweetie pie.
Thanks for watching him. I appreciate it so much.
- No worries, no worries.
You know, that's my boo-boo right here.
- I'm like, I appreciate the time
that I can get out and just, like,
get some fresh air, you know?
How's work?
- It's going good, it's going okay.
I can't complain about it. What's going on with you?
- So much has been going on.
I guess we can start with this lingerie soiree.
- I heard a little something about that.
- Okay, what-- some of the homegirls and a guy friend
and Phor was just not feeling it,
he was kind of upset with it.
He done felt disrespected.
Like, I brought a guy to this party.
Phor wants to have his cake and eat it too.
He can do whatever he wants too
but he's still gonna control my personal life,
which is just not cool.
Honestly, I just feel like Phor wants to have control
of his lifestyle, my lifestyle,
what I do after him and us,
which is just not fair.
I'm probably gonna lay him down.
- Yeah, 'cause my arm falls asleep.
- He can go out there on the streets with whoever,
but when it comes to Nina, it's a problem.
You can't run your show and run mine, you know?
So we tried to meet up and talk
and it just kind of blew up.
You know, 'cause at that point, he wasn't trying to hear me,
hear me out, he wasn't talking-- one day
without talking to me.
Don't set boundaries with yourself.
But when it comes to me, you cross all my [bleep] boundaries!
But when it comes to yours, you want me to step aside!
But it's like it just bothers me when it comes to my baby.
It's like, "Yo, check up on him, though."
You know what I'm saying?
Got very explosive.
Like, we were like two raging bulls out of the cage.
I felt so disrespected.
He called me "whore."
I was dancing on this guy, I was screwing this dude,
I brought him to this party.
- I understand where Nina's coming from when she says Phor
can be controlling.
But, you know, these people got a kid.
I'm trying to stay out of it.
The baby's the most important thing,
so if y'all ain't trying to be together,
then you do you, he does him and...
make sure that the baby doesn't get
caught in the middle of that.
And you still have to co-parent.
- Yeah.
Logically, I'm always prepared to co-parent,
but I'm realizing that every time me and Phor
have bumped heads it's about our egos.
We're not putting Phorever first when we argue.
Like, a light bulb just went off for me,
and it has to change.
- Would you go to Texas with Phor?
- I'm just not personally okay with moving to Texas
because I feel like that's his playground, that's his turf,
that's somewhere that he wanted to go.
It'll be okay. We'll figure it out.
- That little precious little boy
deserves to have both of y'all and both of y'all get along.
I'm gonna get up on out of here, girl.
- Thank you so much for coming to watch the baby.
- Thank you-- thank you for letting me watch him.
I just love him so much.
- He love you too.
That's what I'm like, "Yes." Like, he loves you.
- I'm out and gone, girl.
[Draya] - Now you said inner thigh.
Ooh, boy! You brave.
- Ah...
- You'll be fine. You're in good hands.
I'm gentle.
[Phor exhaling]
[Ashley] - They way you've been making me
feel like what I'm doing is not as important
as what you're doing--
[Don] - How?
What the [bleep] you doing?
- That doesn't matter!
I just wanna know that you believe in me and mean it!
Don, don't make me look like that,
like I'm not doing anything, if you believe me--
- How?
If that's what the [bleep] y'all feel, cool.
- This... this really is emotional.
- ♪♪ Chi-Town, Chi-Town, Chi-Town ♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ So many flavors like a Starburst get you some ♪♪
♪♪ Candy-coated lip gloss pop it like some bubble gum ♪♪
♪♪ Richer than some chocolate ♪♪
♪♪ Do you think I'm sweet enough? ♪♪
♪♪ Let you get a sample like a one of one ♪♪
♪♪ Now open up ♪♪♪♪
- Wow.
- Hey! - Hey!
- How are you doing, Prince? - What you doing?
- Looking for y'all ass.
Why you ain't practicing?
- Here?
- You're supposed to be having a pencil and paper--
- Why you don't let her practice on you then?
- Drawing and [bleep].
If you get it on me, it's gonna have to be
something I can't see, like the back of the neck or--
- If I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna go all in.
- I believe you. I've got faith in you.
- Thank you.
- So, overall, how are you feeling at 9MAG?
- It's actually very fun.
I mean, I'm learning.
- But I wanna make sure you're comfortable.
Like, are you comfortable in that environment?
Is it, like, a healthy environment for you
to learn and grow?
- Right now it's good.
- And you and Ryan are in a good place.
- Yes, we are. We're in a great place.
I'm actually enjoying my apprenticeship at 9MAG.
I'm learning from a lot of the different artists,
and Ryan has also been very, very supportive.
To be honest,
we had to get over a lot of things.
We're stronger than ever.
Like, we have a very, very solid friendship again.
- Uh... - We need some shots.
- Thank you.
- So what's new with the dad situation?
- Like, I expected him to, you know--
I don't know, maybe a little bit more enthusiasm
behind finding out.
You know, if he just explains himself,
like, why weren't you there,
why didn't you fight a little harder for me?
You're a grown-ass man.
You know, you've gotta take accountability for what you did.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole
dad situation.
I'm really happy that he invited me to New York to meet him,
but I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little thrown off
by the fact that he was a little hesitant
when he first got the news about the DNA test.
At this point, I'm just trying to take it one day at a time.
- He's been away from you for so long.
He's like, "I don't know where to start,
where to begin with her."
He probably feels a little intimidated too.
Like, you made it and you're very successful without him.
- Maybe he doesn't know what to say.
Maybe he thinks I'm mad at him or-- I don't know.
You know, I don't know what's going through his mind.
I have a lot of questions. I wanna know about
my grandparents. Like, I wanna know
what the [bleep] his childhood was like.
It's weird... it's weird.
I just-- I never thought I would find my dad.
I don't wanna let resentment come in between
something that could be great.
- Good luck to you. - Thank you.
- I hope it all works out.
- I appreciate it. - Good luck.
- I appreciate you guys. Thank you for the advice.
- Yes! Oh...
[Miss Kitty] - Shots!
I'ma sip it and see what it's talking about.
- So what else you've been up to?
- My car. They stole that bitch.
- You lying. - It's gone.
- All my tattoo [bleep] was in there, though.
Like, everything. I was like, man,
I can't even [bleep] work. Yeah.
I've been taking "L"s, like, big ones.
Like, my car got stolen with my tattoo [bleep] in there,
so I couldn't work.
Still gotta take care of two boys
and I can't take them no-[bleep]-where.
It's [bleep] up right now for a player.
I'm trying not to think about that [bleep].
I've been-- it's been a minute since it happened.
I talked to my pops about that [bleep].
He kind of, like, motivated me to just keep going.
- We're you're friends, so if there's anyway we can help,
we're gonna want to.
I know you've been stressed out and everything,
so I got you a little something.
- Some money?
- It's a bag of money, Prince. Here, open it, open it.
- Is this real? - It's a gift.
♪♪♪♪
- Yeah.
- Ooh! - You like it, you like it?
- This is my tattoo machine!
- It's your tattoo machine that you love so much.
[Draya chuckling]
- Man, I know that's... - Yo!
- ...your livelihood, so now you can at least make your
money back, get another car or whatever you wanna do.
- Yes!
I'm back, bitch.
This has been one of the nicest things
anybody's done for me in a long time.
Like, I was losing my mind.
It's not gonna solve all of my problems
but it's most definitely putting me in a direction
to pick up all the pieces.
I love you!
[Draya] - You're welcome.
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ I know my grind going... ♪♪
♪♪ The mirror is my only competition ♪♪
♪♪ Ohh... ♪♪
♪♪ I'm a natural ♪♪
♪♪ Oh... ♪♪♪♪
- Hey, son. - What's up?
- [Loni sighing] - How are you doing?
- I'm good.
You're a hard man to catch up with there.
- What you doing here?
- Just kind-- you know me. I'ma come roll up
on you when you don't answer the phone.
How are the boys doing?
- The boys are good. - Okay.
- You're about to have a sophomore in high school
and a fifth grader.
- Yes, this is true. - That's crazy.
All the boys are getting too big.
And I like what you've done with the place.
I haven't been here in a while.
None of this was here before.
All changed, but I like it.
Do we have more workers as well?
- We did. - We did?
- Now we don't. - You don't?
- Now we will.
[Loni laughing] - What does that mean?
- I mean, I hired some people, and then some people left
and some people stayed, some people are here
and then they're not here.
Yeah, I've got empty booths. Sometimes I got people late,
sometimes I got pushback on,
you know, how the rules should be followed.
Ultimately, if that's gonna hinder how we're gonna be able
to create business and how we're gonna keep employees in here,
then, [bleep], we've just gotta make adjustments.
I've been here the last two days, working.
- Oh, no.
So you've been working overtime,
compensating for the people that are not here.
- Exactly.
I thought it would be better to be the leader than the boss,
but sometimes-- - That's the same thing.
Sometimes, though, you can be a leader and a boss
but you can still put your foot down
and say what the rules are.
And just like if you're in corporate,
you mess up, you get written up,
you get warnings and then you get fired.
- Ain't been the easiest thing for me but...
- I know, baby. - I know what has to be done.
The-- the goal is to get me away from having
to be here so much.
The most frustrating part about all of this
is, um, you know, me choosing to hire
and bring all these new artists into the shop and expand.
Supposed to free up my time for me to be able to, you know,
do more things, spend time with my family.
But, you know, if artists don't show up, you know,
then that causes me to have to come in more,
spend more time at the shop and pick up the pieces,
and when I'm in that position, it's kind of a lose-lose.
- They're not your friends, they're your employees
and you've gotta hold that.
Otherwise, they're gonna keep stepping over you
and not respecting what you're trying to build.
- Who do I choose between
spending time raising my children...
- Mm-hmm.
- ...or letting them do whatever they want,
and then I've gotta make up for it?
- Nah, they've gotta get gone. - So I've gotta be the bad guy.
- Be the bad guy... - I've gotta be the bad guy.
- ...so you can spend the time with your kids.
- I know. That's what I'm saying.
- Are you seeing Doctor Lady?
- What, my therapist? - Mm-hmm.
- I just started back.
- You just started back? So you've not been seeing her.
- I haven't seen her for probably about six months.
I know I needed to go back,
it's just at some points I wasn't,
you know, and I couldn't.
- Is that out of avoidance or not enough time?
- It was avoidance. - Right.
- Me touching back basically with therapy wasn't directed by
any one specific thing.
You know, I just always understood when
things would come heavy.
You know, I don't need to just take it all by myself.
It's just something that I know I needed to do.
It was just really about getting to that point
of knowing, like, all right, this is what needs to be done.
- Mm-hmm.
Keep your planning going.
Just work on getting some more people in here
that can be like-minded like you.
That's just-- check in and see your family.
All right, I'm getting ready to go out to dinner.
I just wanted to pop in and say hello to you.
- Bye-bye. - Mwah.
- I love you. - I love you too.
- So let's take this shot to Phorever and, uh...
- ♪♪ Chi-Town, Chi-Town, Chi-Town ♪♪♪♪
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ I don't want to be another girl if it means I lose ♪♪
♪♪ I won't stop planning for the worst ♪♪
♪♪ I don't have to choose ♪♪♪♪
- Hey, sorry I'm--
- What's going on, Soulja? What's up, mama?
- How are you doing?
- Had better days. I'm good.
- Oh, I feel you on that.
I see you've been peeking at the design, though.
- A little bit, a little bit.
- Well, I've got you a couple sizes here 'cause I wasn't sure,
you know, how big you wanted to go with it.
Phor has been wanting me to do a portrait
of baby Phorever for a while now.
- You know I still want my son tattooed on me,
and I want only you to do it.
You know that, right?
- Whenever you're ready, man.
I mean, I'm only gonna tell you right now,
I'm finna hurt you bad.
Any time another tattoo artist comes to you for a tattoo,
it's an absolute honor.
But it's also a lot of pressure.
- I was thinking, like, I want it--
- Thought you said inner thigh.
Ooh, boy! You brave.
- I don't got no more room.
Ahh... ahh!
- You'll be fine. Stop acting like that.
Look at all them Van tattoos. Really?
- Man, baby, these are old, baby.
- Oh, whatever.
You're in good hands. I'm gentle.
- I know that.
[Phor exhaling]
- This is gonna be so cute.
- I mean, I feel like it's close, you know,
it's close to the family.
Like, you know, my mom right here, son,
and Don right there.
- Aww.
Oh, yeah, so from this angle, you can see all of 'em too.
- Yeah, that's why I was like I wanted to be able to just
look down and see everybody.
- It's gonna be really good.
♪♪♪♪
All right, man, you ready?
About as ready as you're gonna be.
♪♪♪♪
♪♪ Yo, this whole last year was a -- show ♪♪
♪♪ Just finding out now what I didn't know ♪♪
♪♪ Seems like each time when I get low ♪♪
♪♪ I place blame everywhere that it shouldn't go ♪♪
♪♪ And that's what keeping me up Falling apart, man ♪♪
♪♪ I keep it a buck You still act ♪♪
♪♪ Like I'm holding you up I still feel ♪♪
♪♪ Like I’m totally nuts... ♪♪
[Phor] Pain is weakness leaving the body.
- AKA, I'm [bleep] him up real bad.
- Ain't no tears coming down, though.
And if it is, it's tears of joy.
- I am flattered and excited to do this tattoo
in honor of Phor's son
and the fact that he trusts me with something
so dear to his heart.
But I'm not gonna lie.
It's really got me thinking about my father
and how things could've been different
if my father had the love for me that Phor has Phorever.
♪♪ I hold my head high ♪♪
♪♪ Get everything right ♪♪
♪♪ Delusional maybe ♪♪
♪♪ If I’m pretending, why not write happy endings?
♪♪ Where I'm better than we both know I could be, oh ♪♪
♪♪ Still, at least in my mind ♪♪
♪♪ I’m feeling like I’m the hero that saves me ♪♪
♪♪ They're like, "Hey Mike ♪♪
♪♪ You can't keep kicking yourself for the things ♪♪
♪♪ You say, like ♪♪
♪♪ There's some people that you could never make right" ♪♪
- Things are still in a messy place between Nina and I.
All I want is a peaceful environment
for my son to grow up in
so we can do things as a unit, as a family.
♪♪ Pretend to know that Things come out my mouth ♪♪
♪♪ That I should probably learn to hold back ♪♪
- My only goal is to be my son Phorever's hero,
and I know I cannot be that
if I don't change the dynamic with his mother.
I love when you put the whites in there with the shader.
That'll be the best part.
- Mm-hmm, be all soft and buttery.
- It's on me to make things right with Nina,
and I guess I just need to figure out
what my next move is.
- Yeah, so you're done.
- You're rubbing a little high up now.
Don't start nothing.
- Hey. He's so cute!
You wanna take a look?
- Yeah, let's check it out. Get this light.
- Aw, we did it.
- Yeah, he's gonna like this.
- You gonna be wearing your super-short shorts
all summer now?
- Oh, yeah, you know it's going down in the summertime.
- Got to.
- ♪♪ Go figure you're reverting ♪♪
♪♪ You just ain't on my earth to... ♪♪♪♪
[Don] - Who the [bleep]
you think you talking to?
Better take your ass home.
I'm not one of your servants.
You just don't get it, do you?
- Real serious lines.
[both chuckling]
Boy, who the hell are you talking to?
- Yeah, you know, try to get in character.
My bad.
- How's it going? Is it hard?
- It's not that it's hard.
It's just really just trying to find my version of
my character's night.
- Well, I can definitely say you've got
the yelling lines down pat.
- What's you mean? - [Ashley laughing]
- I was practicing a stern voice.
I wasn't even yelling, I was being stern.
How you feel about me, like, getting this role
and, you know, I just wanna know where your head at,
any concerns?
- The only thing that really concern me is that...
as a woman, I've still got dreams too.
Like, how do I fit that in
while still being supportive of my husband dream?
- Whatever you wanna do, I'm 110% behind you.
But what is it that you wanna do
so that I could actually support that?
- I mean, a couple of years ago,
I did jump into the medical field.
I wanna be able to, you know, help myself and help others.
I've been contemplating about getting into the nursing field
ever since my mom passed away
and Don's health scare last year.
I wanna help other people,
and I wanna be more than a wife and a mother.
- I need you to lay a blueprint out for me.
You get what I'm saying?
What that blueprint gonna look like,
what's each step?
And then let me support you through that each step.
- [Ashley chuckling] - What?
- Did you do those things for me too
with what you're doing with your dreams and stuff?
Did I make you write down your dreams--
- I didn't say it like-- - ...or a blueprint?
- You said support you, right? - Yes.
- How does me support you look like then?
- I just want you to believe in me.
I definitely have an underlying issue with Don
when it comes to him being supportive of me.
I mean, he act like this is school,
asking me to write down my goals.
It's like if you support me, then support me.
It's like he trying to test me to see if I'm able to
live out my dream.
- I definitely support you.
- I get it, but when you step into this lane,
I didn't say nothing about,
"Let me see a blueprint of you doing this and doing that..."
- No, yes-- no, [bleep] that.
If-- if it wasn't gonna pay no bills,
I had to prove to you how [bleep] serious I was and do--
and be committed to that [bleep]
before you were serious about it,
before you ever took me serious.
You would've never took me serious
if I wasn't being committed and busting my ass
in front of you, giving you something to support.
So all I was saying with my wife is--
- Had I not started that, though?
Have I-- have I not did that?
- I'm not trying to say you not.
All we is is supporting the idea.
- That sound negative.
- I've always been very clear about what Don wants
and what goals he's gonna accomplish.
With my wife, I'm always trying to be supportive.
But she has to understand, most things she's got into
she usually has walked away from
or got frustrated with and kind of quit.
She says "medical field." That's vast.
What is the real goal?
What is the exact vision that you're going with?
- Bae, I support you in whatever it is that you wanna do.
How about say that?
- I'm over it, man, 'cause we're gonna talk to...
♪♪♪♪
- After all the sacrifices I made,
Don decides to walk out.
Like, this wasn't even an argument.
It was just a simple conversation.
I do believe that Don feels as if his business
and his career comes before mine,
and I feel like my dreams, to him,
may seems like I'm kind of beneath him.
Don, all I'm telling you is the way you've been making me
feel like what I'm doing is not as important
as what you're doing.
- How? What the [bleep] you doing?
- That doesn't matter!
I just wanna know that you believe in me and mean it!
Don, you kept on talking about this is a test,
this is a blueprint.
Don't make me look like that, like I'm not doing anything.
If you believe me-- - How?
- Don, all I'm telling you is if you believe me, then say that.
It doesn't matter about what I'm doing.
- I said that five times!
- Don, you finna to make it seem as if, like, what you do
is way more important than anything that I'm doing.
- That's what the [bleep] y'all feel, cool.
♪♪♪♪
- What's going on with you and, like, you know, Chicago?
You're gonna stay here? What you thinking?
- Well, I've decided to move.
So I've decided to go to Atlanta.
- ♪♪ Chi-Town, Chi-Town, Chi-Town ♪♪♪♪
♪♪ Hey, at least in my mind ♪♪
♪♪ I’m feeling like I’m... ♪♪
- ♪♪ Chi-Town, Chi-Town, Chi-Town ♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ Out of pocket getting money in my jeans ♪♪
♪♪ Like a rocket give me space I'm a king ♪♪
♪♪ Can't miss like curry on a wing ♪♪
♪♪ And yo this hit different no swing ♪♪
♪♪ Get stacks all facts no cap, no cap ♪♪
♪♪ Don't like it double up run it back ♪♪
♪♪ Run it back ♪♪
♪♪ No cap ♪♪♪♪
- Hmm... hello.
- What's up, baby?
What you got going on?
- What you want?
- What I want?
I just came to see what you were doing.
- A cover-up. - Ooh.
- Don't worry about it, girl, don't worry about it.
- Don't you got another one after this?
- Yes, I do. - Okay, working man.
- Mm-hmm. - Okay, I like that.
- Already know how it go.
- All right, I'm gonna go finish type, type, type, typing.
- All right. - All right.
- Bye. - Bye.
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ It's a party everybody ♪♪
♪♪ Throw your drinks up in the sky ♪♪
♪♪ Take your shirt off shake your body just like... ♪♪
♪♪ We riding so hide it we ain't gonna be stopped ♪♪
[Prince] - It feel good
to be back working, you know what I'm saying?
I've got the new tattoo machine that Draya gave me
and I've just been booking
client after client after client.
- ♪♪ Yeah, yeah good vibes at the party good vibes ♪♪
♪♪ Good vibes at the party good vibes ♪♪
- I'm happy to be back in the booth,
but I ain't gonna lie, this mother[bleep]--
like, the shop kind of empty today.
I don't know what's going on with everybody.
It's not really how I planned on 9MAG to be looking right now.
Usually we'd be bossing through this bitch
but more clients for me.
- ♪♪ Whoo yeah the party never stopping ♪♪
♪♪ Whoo go and get this party popping ♪♪
♪♪ Stop talking start licking ♪♪
♪♪ Stop dishing dripping now flipping ♪♪
- Right now all I care about is keeping my head down
and making enough money so I can grab me another whip,
and I'll be complete again.
- ♪♪ We riding so hide it we ain't gonna be stop ♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ Bartender ♪♪
♪♪ Tonight we finna to blow up hold up, hold up ♪♪
♪♪ So say we doing so much so what, so what? ♪♪
♪♪ 'Cause I'm gonna do what I want go nuts, go nuts ♪♪
♪♪ Right now I'm giving no [blank] hold up ♪♪♪♪
♪♪♪♪
- What y'all drinking?
Okay. Keep that in mind, I'm gonna...
Phor. Yeah.
P-H-O-R.
I can't let this nonsense continue.
Me and Nina need to have a talk.
I needed to pick my location this time.
Reason being so we can both be respectful
and be mindful of our environment
and talk like adults.
Yeah. PhorEverIm.
I just added you.
We best of friends now.
I'm gonna come wherever you tell me to.
Thank you. Ha.
♪♪♪♪
[both chuckling]
What's up, man?
- What's up?
Wow, you're matching me.
- Wow, that's crazy. - That is crazy.
- I was here first. - Great minds think alike.
How are you doing?
- I'm good. How are you?
- I just really wanted to, um, apologize
for the way things went down the other day
on my be-- on my behalf.
You know, we better than that.
- I mean, I appreciate you apologizing.
We know how it gets.
You know, we get crazy. I get crazy, you get crazy.
And just even in that moment itself,
I just wanted to be kind of understood.
Let me have a voice like I gave you a voice.
Let's be fair about it.
- Got you.
I went to Dallas, you know, and I was kind of talking to
Don about everything that happened, you know,
and, you know, he's going through things
right now with his child's mom,
and he was just kind of giving me, like, some advice
on how, like, the things he's been dealing with.
I don't ever wanna reach that point with you,
where there's no-- there's no source of contact,
I don't know what's going on with you or Phorever.
- And I would hate to have to do that, you know?
That's why I'm like, we've gotta do better, we've gotta get--
- Well, we should never do that, 'cause, like--
- Communicated.
I don't wanna come off like that.
I don't wanna have to ever, like, shut down on you
and I don't want you to have to shut down on me.
- Most importantly, I feel like, for the sake of our son,
like, we do need to work on, you know,
having a better relationship.
- As long as Phorever's in our best interest.
- Absolutely, absolutely.
- That's all that matters, that baby, that baby boy.
- This is a positive step for us.
I'm glad that me and her could have this conversation
and see the vision to raise our son the right way, man.
Without the stress, without the headaches,
and we can make the [bleep] fun.
What's going on with you and, like, you know, Chicago?
Are you gonna stay here? I mean, what you thinking?
- Well, I've decided to move.
So I've decided to go to Atlanta.
I'm just not 100% okay with going to Dallas,
you know, without any sense of commitment.
You know, like, 'cause you're already...
- I know, we talked about--
- ...in and out of town, so I'm just kind of, like,
already adjusted to it, so--
- Right.
- That's where my heart is right now.
- I mean, you've been wanting to go to Atlanta
with Phor-- Phorever, so...
- Exactly, and I didn't go because, you know... your ass.
[Nina chuckling]
I've accepted that me and Phor are strictly in
a co-parenting relationship, and not a romantic one.
I do not want a commitment from him anymore.
Like, that lingerie party and that argument at the park
sealed the deal for me.
I only need him to commit to Phorever
and to however we're co-parenting.
I know making decisions in my best interest is the way to go,
and moving to Atlanta is a big one
but it's one that will work for everyone.
- I mean, Atlanta will be cool, I guess.
You know, my mama out there, so I know you have the--
- And that's the other thing. Yeah.
- Everything is a trial run, you know?
- It is.
Even if it's, like, for a year-- whatever.
You know what I'm saying?
- Like, with Dallas, I've only been there for a year.
I don't-- Dallas don't owe me anything.
I can get up and leave tomorrow.
- Yeah.
- The reason why-- why I even went was
knowing that, okay, I've got a child on the way
that I really didn't wanna raise in Chicago
due to everything that's going on in Chicago, you know?
I wanted to create a foundation elsewhere
where it's more safe.
I could do it anywhere.
I needed to do something for me.
I'm always a call away.
It ain't nothing that's gonna change
'cause I'll-- even now, you know, I'll be
in and out of town, so...
I think this was a good conversation with Nina
and a solution for the time being.
I don't love my son and I being in two different states.
I don't.
But I'm not in a position right now to get full custody,
so I can't dictate what my son's mother is gonna be
and her whereabouts.
I would never want Nina to move to Dallas just for me,
because she still has a life too.
I have to not be selfish
and at the same time, I've gotta let her do her while I do me.
So let's take this shot to Phorever and, uh...
You too. I'll catch you.
- [Phor chuckling] - Really?
[Nina laughing]
- ♪♪ Luck be with me ♪♪♪♪
[horn honking]
[B-Slam] - Get out of Baby Mama-mobile.
- And I'm finna to put some speakers in this bitch, boy.
This is gonna be balling!
- It gives me strong baby mama vibes, though.
I ain't gonna hold you.
- ♪♪ Chi-Town, Chi-Town, Chi-Town ♪♪♪♪
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ Uh don't call me lucky ♪♪
[horn honking]
♪♪ He was born to be so great regardless ♪♪
♪♪ Take a look in the mirror my man you're flawless ♪♪
♪♪ Shades on baby you can block the notches ♪♪
♪♪ Nobody's supposed to see you sweat ♪♪
♪♪ You let 'em know that you're next you let 'em know ♪♪
♪♪ That you expect confidence King in all things ♪♪
♪♪ A life with no fight man is boring ♪♪
♪♪ But it's okay ♪♪
♪♪ Uh I said I'm on my way ♪♪
♪♪ Uh we can all eat ♪♪
♪♪ Uh and just speaking of credit come on ♪♪♪♪
- Oh, oh, oh!
Hey!
- Why are you sitting on somebody's car?
- I'm back! This is my [bleep], boy!
[B-Slam laughing]
Her name Lisa.
- Lisa. - Hey, Lisa.
[horn honks]
- I bet you they don't steal this.
If they steal this, we've got a problem.
- You ain't got no trunk on there.
[B-Slam laughing]
- So I tried to be practical with my new car purchase.
So here she is.
And these come off. Bow!
I am done bringing attention to myself.
Nobody's stealing this car, I promise you.
I hope they don't steal this car.
'Cause Lisa is boring... just like this car.
- Uh...
[Prince grunting]
[man] - He's gonna break it.
Don't break it.
- Hold on, man. - What made you pick this one?
[man] - Hold on.
- This was the best one on the lot?
[Shogun laughing]
- "This was the best one on the lot?"
- It's not that big. You can just slide off.
[all laughing]
He's got a Baby Mama-mobile.
- It gives me strong baby mama vibes, though.
I ain't gonna hold you.
- For all the haters that's trying to
make fun of Lisa... [bleep] y'all.
Don't ask me for no ride.
I love Lisa, and Lisa love me back.
And I can pick it up. Watch this.
[all laughing]
And I've got an appointment later to tint this bitch up.
And I'm finna to put some speakers in this bitch, boy.
This is gonna be balling!
Y'all look at this. You know what this is?
[man] I don't know what that is. - Boy.
- Stop doing that, whatever the [bleep] it is, mother[bleep].
[all laughing]
- [bleep] y'all, man.
Y'all talking about my life, man.
- I get it, I feel you. - Look at my roof.
[Ryan] - Yeah, fix your roof.
- Look at my roof.
Why are you messing with my roof?
- You! You did that!
[all laughing]
- I don't give a [bleep] what nobody talking about.
I had to do what I had to do,
and especially with my lack of funds,
I had to make it happen.
Like, don't even worry about it.
Once I get Lisa put together, she's gonna be decent.
I just wanted y'all to see my car
and be happy for me, bro.
Y'all just can't even [bleep] be happy for me, bro?
[all cheering]
[man] - Blow the horn.
Blow-- blow the horn.
[horn honking]
- [all laughing] - [horn honking]
[all laughing]
- ♪♪ Chi-Town, Chi-Town, Chi-Town ♪♪♪♪
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ Saw you from a mile away ♪♪
♪♪ I know better ♪♪
♪♪ It could be a big mistake ♪♪
♪♪ I know better, know better ♪♪♪♪
- All right, what you need help with?
- Just packing up the rest of this stuff here.
Eh... no!
You got me [bleep] up.
[Nina laughing]
[Phor] - Today's the big day.
Nina and my son are moving to Atlanta,
and I've been dreading this day.
I ain't gonna lie.
I don't wanna see my son go,
but as a father, my plan would be to be in Atlanta
as much as I have to, as many weeks,
as many days, as many months as it takes.
I'm already missing the hell out of him.
I know this is the best for all of us,
but this can work as long as me and Nina
stay on the same page and do what we've gotta do as parents.
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ I... ♪♪
♪♪ Deep down I want you ♪♪
♪♪ My lips on you like they inked on you ♪♪
♪♪ But you ain't been acting too normal ♪♪
♪♪ I'm thinking you want it over ♪♪
- Phorever deserves to not have to see
his parents fight every day.
So if living in a different city away from Phor
will help that, then that's the way to be.
Reality is really setting in for us.
- But if it ever gets to the point where it's, like,
too much, like, with the distance,
I'll come your way, I'll come to Atlanta--
- Oh, you'll come permanently?
- Yeah, I'll sacrifice. - Really?
- I mean, he's my-- my son. - Absolutely.
- ♪♪ I'm remembering again ♪♪
- It hurts, it hurts.
I don't know, I almost feel like I failed him.
- ♪♪ And tough it out 'til the day works hey ♪♪
♪♪ 'Cause they know I'm a real one ♪♪
♪♪ Where are you absent? ♪♪
♪♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪♪
♪♪ And I'll be onto the next, onto the next ♪♪
[horn honking]
♪♪ Onto the next, onto the next ♪♪♪♪
- I love New York! What's up, bro?
- What a surprise!
- Your wealth, health, and freedom.
- Let's go.
- Oh, I feel like...
[woman] - We ready to do this?
What I heard you say is, "You're not a good wife."
- Yeah. - Whoo-wee.
- Look, booths built, booths empty.
I'm literally sitting here paying bills.
Nobody's here. I'm paying for the [bleep].
[Miss Kitty] - Right.
♪♪♪♪
- Hi, sweetie.
- They were in foster homes
and you found them and you fought for them
and you didn't fight for me.
- I did-- I couldn't find you. I-- I swear--
- Did you even look?
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ Hey, hey ♪♪
♪♪ Hey, hey ♪♪
♪♪ Hey... ♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ MTV ♪♪♪♪