[Al] Atlanta.
Hey! Welcome to Atlanta.
That's me, Al.
Well, this is the story of my neighborhood.
It's only 16 square blocks,
but it's got the whole world there.
It's got dreamers trying to bust it out,
and it's got some wayward folk going sideways.
[man] What?
[Al] Whoa, I remember those days.
It's got good food at my place,
Al's Wigs and Wangs.
Lemon pepper, baby.
It's got fame, sex, and murder.
But now I'm getting ahead of myself.
It all started when me and my brother and Ernest
and Collette and Sage came up together.
Sage was raised by his grandmama.
He was always pampered and perfumed.
Mama's boy!
But the little fucker was special.
Pretty soon, he traded in Bankhead for LA
and was doing music videos.
He was the shit, boom!
Some people thought he'd come back for them, like Ernest,
who started going by East-O.
♪ ♪
Then one day, Sage finally came back
to start something new.
He called it High Water.
[Sage] Truth is, I created High Water
to give kids from my community
a real shot at getting into this business.
When I say tight, whoo, tighten up.
[Al] He put Collette in charge.
She found all the talent from all these parts,
starting with Rigo, East-O's kid.
Mic motherfucking check, one, two.
[Al] And his childhood sweetheart, Poppy...
What did you just say to me?
What the fuck is wrong with you?
[people clamoring]
-Watch me. -Are you serious?
Don't you ever speak to me again.
[Al] Even a homeless kid, Davis,
who's actually a pretty good kid,
who fell in love with the only person
that wasn't from here, Odalie.
[woman] She fell for a boy she met at college.
He doesn't go to Emory.
[Al] What you mean?
Neither do I.
♪ ♪
[Al] She was doing great until one bad flip.
Whoo, that hurts.
[Odalie] Oh, hurts so much, I can't stand it.
[Al] And finally, my nephew Tal,
who came to live with me when things got rough at home.
Anyway, High Water became a famous place,
a place where a person from the streets
can work with a genuine superstar.
And what they were producing was fresh.
It reinvented Sage.
Of course, he and Collette started again,
and she started to run his world
like she was born for it.
But none of that set right with East-O.
[Collette] You're nothing but a cheap gangster.
That's all you'll ever be.
Don't disrespect me!
[Al] And then he ended up dead.
[gunshot]
Lots of people wanted him dead.
And it turned out, the corner boy
he constantly abused, Marquise,
might have been his son.
He's the one that helped Rigo through the whole thing.
Sage was back on top.
His tour was thriving,
and he even got engaged to Collette.
But all good things come to an end.
[sirens wailing]
What happened next shocked everybody,
even me.
Sage Odom, you're under arrest
for the murder of Ernest Octavio.
[Al] Listen, I know a lot,
but even Big Al has no idea how this is gonna turn out.
[funky music plays]
♪ ♪
[singer] ♪ Step up in the spotlight ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo ♪
♪ Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo ♪
♪ Yo, yo, yo ♪
♪ Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo ♪
♪ Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo ♪
♪ Yo, yo ♪
♪ Yo, yo, yo ♪
♪ I'm looking ♪
♪ For a better day ♪
♪ Wanna live my dream ♪
♪ Step up in the spotlight ♪
♪ Wanna step up Step up in the spotlight ♪
♪ Want the money Want the fame ♪
♪ Want the love Not the same ♪
♪ I want it all ♪
♪ Step up in the spotlight ♪
♪ Wanna step up Step up in the spotlight ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Yeah ♪
♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah ♪
♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪
♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪
♪ Oh ♪
["Drehpehs" playing]
♪ ♪
[brakes squealing]
[Sophiegrophy] ♪ Get it, I'm the shepherd ♪
♪ You the sheep ♪
♪ I'm awake, nigga You're asleep ♪
♪ Holding it down Now they calling me Khabib ♪
♪ Put me in the octagon Nigga, you the feast ♪
♪ Say I'm undefeated My streaks are completed ♪
♪ Keep running your mouths And shit can get real heated ♪
♪ Heat trapper Greenhouse effect like Venus ♪
♪ Now they spreading love ♪
♪ Giving gifts Like it's Christmas ♪
♪ My outfits never Mixed ♪
[dramatic music plays]
♪ Get it, I'm the shepherd You the sheep... ♪
[man] Yo, that guy took that girl's bag.
[Sophiegrophy] ♪ I'm the shepherd ♪
-♪ You the sheep ♪ -[horn blares]
♪ I'm awake, nigga You're asleep ♪
♪ This ain't for show This is real life ♪
♪ Spreading violence That ain't me ♪
♪ This is real life ♪
♪ Your ego gon' Get you killed ♪
♪ When you're gone They gon' sob ♪
♪ For a minute, life goes on ♪
♪ 'Cause this is Real life... ♪
[grunting]
♪ ♪
Fuck!
Fucking bitch.
[grunts]
[energetic music plays]
♪ ♪
["Step It Up" playing]
♪ One nigga ain't enough Gotta step it up ♪
♪ Yeah, need two nigga now I'ma level up ♪
♪ Checkin' and startin' I ain't lettin' up ♪
♪ Fuckin' for a bottle and a hooka, need to step it up ♪
♪ I ain't beefin' on the 'Gram bitch, set it up ♪
♪ Yeah, threw a bag in Magic City and they swept it up ♪
♪ Tryna hit the Latto Need better luck ♪
♪ Uh, get yo' ass popped No 7Up ♪
♪ Step it up Can't lil' boy me ♪
♪ Gotta step it up Step it up ♪
♪ Just getting' started I ain't lettin' up ♪
♪ Fuckin' for a bottle and a hookah need to step it up♪
♪ One nigga ain't enough Gotta step it up ♪
♪ Yeah, need two nigga now I'ma level up ♪
♪ Step it up Can't lil' boy me ♪
♪ Gotta step it up ♪
♪
["Nate Growing Up" playing]
♪ Ah... ♪
[door buzzes]
[sirens wailing]
Sage Odom, you're under arrest
for the murder of Ernest Octavio.
♪ ♪
Hey, get your fucking hands off me, man.
Hey, get the fuck off of me!
You know who the fuck I am?
[door buzzes]
Here you go, Mr. Odom. It's chamomile.
Caffeine is bad for the nerves.
Yeah, I'm good.
I'm trying to watch my figure. You know, I'm on tour.
Right. Oof!
We don't get many of you.
[tense music plays]
All I'm saying is that when I look at you...
[sighs]
...I don't see a celebrity.
All I see is someone that was in a tough spot
and did what he had to do.
And when I look at you, all I see is somebody
that don't know what the fuck they're talking about.
So you and Ernest Octavio, East-O,
you were once the best of friends.
You made music together. You ran together.
You can get me my fucking lawyer now.
I also know Mr. Octavio was seeing Collette Jones,
before you swept back into Atlanta
and took her away.
I know he wanted you to make his son a star, just like you.
But I gotta say, he looked pretty upset
when you treated Rigo like a petty annoyance.
♪ ♪
[Sage] So let me break this down in language
that you can understand, huh?
Keep trying me, and I will motherfucking end you.
Yeah, why don't you go ahead and shoot me in the back,
like the fucking coward you are?
[Erin] You even accepted
a substantial donation from Mr. Octavio
to fund your school, High Water.
I mean, if you can call it that--a school.
Like most folks in Atlanta, we are not sure
what goes on there.
Perhaps you can enlighten me.
Perhaps you can get me my fucking lawyer now.
Sage always says High Water isn't a school.
It's a war on school.
Schools have to stamp out
a product that conforms to the world.
At High Water, you're seen as a creator,
someone who will change the world.
Now, this place makes some people around Atlanta nervous.
We know how powerful Sage Odom is.
He sees the diamond in the rough
when everyone else tosses it as a worthless stone.
He sees the beauty in us and puts the world on notice.
He's not just a great artist. He's a great man.
[Erin] Now, if a bad man like East-O came after me,
after my woman, after my school,
threatening my career, pointing a gun at my head,
I think I might do something.
Hell, I might even shoot him.
So, here's the thing.
I will get you the lightest sentence
that we can legally hand down.
But for that to happen, however,
I need you to be honest with me.
I need you to confess.
Look at me.
[chair scrapes]
Choose your words very carefully, Mr. Odom,
because Georgia is a death penalty state.
And my offer expires at the end of this conversation.
♪ ♪
[tapping rhythmically]
Erin Baxter, hmm.
Ricardo Cruz. Why am I not surprised?
[Ricardo] You look great in that color.
What is it? It's, uh-- it's not quite purple.
It's not quite blue. It's, uh...
Periwinkle.
Periwinkle. That's perfect.
You good?
Soon as you get this one together,
I'll be fucking peachy.
Hmm.
You should know our dance program
is highly selective.
Our dancers have over 40 million followers,
75 viral videos,
including four number one songs.
They work with the best choreographers in the world.
[soft music plays]
♪ ♪
They all started out just like you.
Hustling. Now they're on a world tour.
Tonight they're playing Philadelphia,
and it's sold out.
They got talent, sure,
but to ride with Sage,
you gotta have attitude, drive,
and you gotta be 100% focused on this shit.
["I Love You" playing]
[J.C. Akins] ♪ I don't worry ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Long as you're by my side ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Just hold me, darling ♪
♪ Together We'll face the time ♪
♪ ♪
♪ I don't care ♪
♪ What the people may say ♪
♪ ♪
♪ No matter what you do Darling... ♪
We've never been in a bed this nice before.
Bed? What are you talking about?
Been sleeping on a couch for six months.
Well, every night now, baby.
We get to be in a bed this soft every single--
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Oh, shit.
[both laugh]
♪ ♪
Tal, you are incredible.
When was the last time we...
Five months ago.
Or something like that. I can't remember.
[Johnny-One laughs]
[J.C.] ♪ Darling, I love you ♪
Let's kiss the longest,
slowest kiss in history.
So we never forget it.
♪ ♪
[J.C.] ♪ Love ♪
♪ Is a four-letter word ♪
♪ ♪
♪ It can mean happiness Darling ♪
♪ Or it can spell hurt ♪
♪ ♪
♪ True love ♪
♪ Believe me Is so hard to find ♪
♪ If you don't have someone To love you ♪
♪ Your life is Just a waste of time ♪
[knock at door]
♪ And, darling I love you... ♪
[Rigo] Come on, Pop. Open up.
God.
Hey.
Ooh, okay.
You get any sleep last night?
[laughs] Sleep?
Pop, when you in a new city,
you can't just see the sights, all right?
Gotta meet the people.
-The people? -[Rigo] Mm-hmm.
You mean them raggedy-ass hos in the lobby?
[Rigo] I got the number one rap record in the country.
Can't say no to the fans, baby.
It ain't like I got they number or anything like that.
Chill out.
Oh, what's this?
@SexyBearBoo?
Or it SkankySkankBoo? I can't really make it out.
Oh, she lives in Philly. It-it'd never work.
[laughs]
[clears throat]
[exhales heavily]
Think we doing the right thing staying on this tour?
Look, we can't trust Sage or Collette.
We don't need to. We ain't here to make friends.
People like us don't get chances like this.
We gotta take it.
We'll figure out how to deal with them later.
Yeah, well, I'm just saying
my dad would probably be looking at me
like I'm a sellout.
Like, all this is because of Sage, man.
It's like I'm eating out of the devil's hand.
Sage didn't kill your daddy, Rigo.
That's just bird talk.
Still, like, I don't want people looking at me
like no fucking chump, you know what I'm saying?
People really think he did this shit, Pop.
And I ain't trying to spend my life weaving hair
'til three a.m. at Velvet City
getting paid in stacks of sparkling dollar bills.
[chuckles]
We really did it, Pop.
We was talking about this since we was kids.
Look.
[soft music plays]
♪ ♪
[laughs nervously]
Uh, boy, go take a shower,
'cause your fumes is giving me a hangover.
So that means we friends, then?
Since I can't get rid of you, I guess so.
Now go.
-[laughs] -Yeah. The door. Yes.
♪ ♪
[door clicks]
[sighs]
Whoa, whoa. Slow down.
I'm King. I, uh, make the beats around here.
Lead producer. Overall musical genius.
Whatever.[chuckles]
Okay.
Uh, you're here to audition, right?
You need any help with anything?
I see what this is.
Look, I'm just trying to find a locker.
Oh, you're not from around here, are you?
For a genius, you ask a lot of questions.
[King] I wouldn't be a genius if I didn't.
[chuckles]
But really, though, you do know that High Water's
for people from this neighborhood, right?
It doesn't matter where I'm from.
I'm here now, innit?
Mm-hmm. What's your name?
Angel.
Hmm. Are you an angel, Angel?
You a king, King?
[laughs] All right. Touché, touché.
But really, though, they're letting you audition?
'Cause Sage was pretty clear about--
Oh, my days. Again with all the questions.
Listen, you let me worry about Sage.
I didn't leave South London for High Water
to be turned away by some fake king.
Okay.
Look, the, uh--the dance auditions are gonna be tough.
But the real heat? That comes later.
Be careful who you befriend around here, all right?
Lockers are that way.
Good luck.
[indistinct chatter]
[Pamputtae] ♪ Bum it Mi ah bum it, mi ah bum it ♪
♪ Bum it, mi ah bum it Mi ah bum it ♪
♪ Watch it make Me waistline work, work ♪
♪ Watch it make di woman Dem twerk, twerk ♪
♪ Take me little time And bend it, bend it ♪
♪ Bring your money Come and spend it, ayy ♪
♪ Take your time, girl Break it down, girl ♪
♪ And when you work, girl Make it hurt, girl ♪
♪ Take your time, girl Break it down, girl ♪
♪ And when you work, girl Make it hurt, girl ♪
[indistinct chatter]
[coughing]
[sighs] Fuck.
Fuck, fuck.
Don't disrespect me!
[sighs]
[Collette whimpering]
This is insane.
-[East-O grunts] -[gunshot]
[tense music plays]
♪ ♪
[Ricardo] Look, I know this DA
real well, all right?
Trust me when I tell you
that she has not tipped her whole hand yet.
Now, luckily for us, all she's got on you
is your personal affiliation with East-O, so...
[Collette] You...
you don't think that they have any hard evidence, do you?
I mean, how can they? I didn't do it.
[Ricardo] Well, it doesn't matter,
'cause this case is never making it to trial.
And when I'm done with her,
I'm gonna have this dumb bitch issuing you a public apology.
That's what I like to hear.
What do my billboards say, huh?
You screw a Cruz...
-[Sage] You lose. -Who's got you, baby?
That's what I'm talking about. That's what I'm talking about.
-And you are free to go. -Damn. All right.
'Lette, get the pilot. We gotta get to Philly.
Pilot? Pilot? Pilot? Wh--
Sage's comeback show is tonight.
He's got 50,000 fans waiting for him. We gotta go.
-Yeah, we gotta-- -No, no, no.
[Collette] This has been a huge pain in the ass.
Guys, guys, guys, guys, hold on.
I have busted my ass to get you out of here.
You need to stay in Atlanta. Philly's a no-go.
If you leave town,
the DA will consider you a flight risk,
and they gonna throw your ass in jail.
-Yeah? -All right. All right.
Yeah, yeah. Philly's a no-go.
We'll-we'll-we'll go home. We'll go home.
I know these four a.m. calls is not easy.
I appreciate you coming out, man.
Well, those four a.m. calls keep me in first class,
and I, uh--I do like a warm cookie.
[laughs] Ah, you dog. All right, brotha.
All right. We're going home right now.
[Ricardo] Go home.
Fuck that. Hit the jet. We're going to Philly.
Okay, but did you hear what he said?
You can also get in trouble--
More trouble, 'Lette, is, if we don't do this tour,
$10 million, gone, okay?
That's everything. High Water. That's my reputation.
That- that's our future, unless we fuck this tour up.
Now, let's go before the news hits.
Yeah, but if they find out you left--
Hey, baby, one problem at a time, okay?
Can we-can we get the jet?
Hey, Tal.
-Yeah it's me. -Are you guys okay?
The hotel said you never checked in.
[Collette] There's a situation that happened
that could jeopardize the fate of the show.
We're fixing it, but I need you
to start rehearsals without us.
Get to the venue, make sure the dancers are warmed up,
the sound check is perfect.
Are you writing this down?
Me?
Uh, yes, yes. Yes, ma'am.
[Collette] Good.
Tell everyone you talked to me, okay,
and it's all fine.
Okay. Uh, got it. Got it.
It is fine, isn't it?
[Collette] Yes, but it's vital
that prep and rehearsal go off without a hitch.
[static crackles, line beeps]
Oh.
[hip-hop music plays]
♪ ♪
All right, now, I know how bad y'all want this,
because this is a life-changing moment.
But you're all in the same boat here,
so can we show each other a little love?
Come on, let's show each other some love.
-Hi. -What's up?
-Hey. -Thank you.
Hey.
All right.
Now that we done broke the ice a little bit,
I need you to give your full attention
to our guest choreographer today.
ATL's finest, Miss Kiki Ely.
Don't waste her time. Let's go.
All right. Let's get it. From the top.
We busting out the frame. One and two.
Around three.
Hit 'em in the head. Bap! Six. Seven.
From here, reach around. Bap.
Hit, hit. Push it down.
And out. Up and bust out that bitch.
Again. Five, six, seven, eight.
One and two. Three, four.
Six and seven and eight and one and two.
Three. Four. Six and seven and eight.
Y'all, y'all, let's go. Pick it up.
Did she not go around, hit, hit?
Right?
Put some power in it.
Pay attention to the details. Let's do it from the top.
[Kiki] With music. Here we go.
[Good Girl] ♪ You don't gotta Drop me off ♪
♪ Fuck it up, fuck it up Fuck it up now ♪
♪ Doggy make The windows foggy ♪
[laughs]
♪ All night, all night All night, all night ♪
♪ Riding on that D'Ussé ♪
♪ I get in on it Just like that ♪
♪ One, two We gon' catch this vibe ♪
♪ In this ride, yeah ♪
♪ Pull over to the side Put it inside, yeah ♪
♪ Let's go a new way ♪
♪ Cut up in the E-Class Like a school day ♪
-[music stops] -[laughs]
Hey.
Hey. Why didn't you wake me?
Well, you looked so cute, all snoring.
Plus, I had some moves I needed to work on.
Oh, baby, you're perfect.
-Gorgeous, sexy motherfucker. -Mm-mm-mm.
And you're lead dancer.
Baby, you got a goddamn billboard.
I mean, shit. Come on. You made it.
You don't need to be the first one in anymore.
Mm, yes, I do.
I thought that that endorsement deal
might make everyone finally respect me, but...
you know, beating out Poppy just ensured
they'll hate me forever.
Where Sage at?
Oh, he's probably just taking a breather somewhere,
'cause, you know, headliners, they're always late.
Okay, well, where Collette's ass at, 'cause she always--
Hey, listen up.
Um, we're gonna start with rehearsal.
Just 50%. Don't go full out just yet.
Odalie, you want to start with the duet?
-Is that cool? -Yeah.
[Tal] Lights, you got that? Everyone got that?
[man] Yeah.
[hip-hop music plays]
Finally. Hi. Where have you guys been?
Oh, oh they didn't tell you? We had dinner with the queen.
You know, I brought you a sandwich.
Do you want me to have them heat it up for you?
[Collette] Now's not the time.
You know what? As a matter of fact, everyone,
everyone, don't nobody say shit to me 'til we get to Philly.
Okay? Thank you. All right. Now, let's go. God damn.
Calm down.
We're all doing the best we goddamn can, okay, for you.
♪ ♪
It is gonna take us two hours to get to Philly.
Not to mention how long it's gonna take to get
to the actual damn stadium.
We about to be hours fucking late.
Rigo can hold the crowd.
Rigo has three songs, 'Lette. Three.
One of them is the number one rap record in the country.
A huge chunk is there to see him.
They're here to see-- how big a chunk?
Okay, okay, okay. You need to relax, okay?
He's your protégé.
He's a walking billboard for High Water.
His success is your success.
Yeah, well, he is also the son of the man
that I'm accused of murdering, but--you know...
Let's make sure...
You know what?
We're gonna make it before the news breaks, okay?
Cruz has it on lock.
Why are we still on the ground? Why are we still on the ground?
[tense music plays]
♪ ♪
[Tal] You kissed Rigo?
Oh, no wonder why Dondre was so freaked out.
I was just--[sighs]
I was just trying to be there for him, as a friend,
and then he just started saying some things and shit.
It's like my muscle memory kicked in.
I am so over Rigo, okay?
I am.
It's just... we have history.
I mean, when I met you guys, I couldn't imagine you apart,
so I get it.
Yeah. Me either.
Yeah! With it!
Boy, again without knocking?
My bad. It is lit out there.
They can't wait to see the kid.
-They came to see my ass too. -[Rigo] Uh-huh.
They ain't the only ones.
And he's back, ladies and gentlemen.
Boy, get your ass out of here.
Boundaries. Boundaries. I know. My bad.
All right, look, just don't hit me one of those
90-day rules again, okay?
Blah, blah, blah.
Wait, shit, Rigo, what are you doing here?
Wait, what?
You gotta go on. Stage. Let's go.
Well, shit. Let's go, then.
[cheers and applause]
What the fuck? Where's Sage?
Matter of fact, I haven't seen him--
Hey, it's fine.
They're just running a little late.
It's all good. Go out there. Kill it.
I got it, boy. Showtime!
♪ ♪
-Philadelphia, what's good? -[wild cheering]
I love it. I love it.
Let's go!
[hip-hop music playing]
♪ Picked the wrong fight ♪
♪ Picked the wrong night And I ain't gonna be here ♪
♪ For none of the pretty boy Shit in these streetlights ♪
♪ Got one eye on the scepter Keeping one eye on my blood ♪
♪ Enemies on a stretcher Down there ♪
♪ Breaking their necks To look up ♪
♪ Police at my trap Got the family in my Guap ♪
♪ Got my name up in their mouth I'ma have to shut 'em up ♪
♪ Yo, I'm on A whole nother level ♪
♪ Standing up Under the pressure ♪
♪ Doing it Better than veterans ♪
♪ I'ma take the throne Coming for the top... ♪
This isn't good. Any idea what's going on?
What?
Tal, what's going on?
I don't know.
Are you okay?
I don't fucking know! God.
I'm trying to figure it out, just like you are.
I don't know shit.
[chuckles]
I was really excited when Sage asked me
to come back to the tour, 'cause I got to be with you,
but, you know, I think that was a mistake, right?
It's not--
♪ And I'm Superman in this high tower ♪
♪ I'ma run up in this Like a track star ♪
♪ Olympic golden chains On my neck ♪
♪ Came through dripping With respect, a'ight ♪
♪ Show me your pride And I'll humble it ♪
♪ Show me a castle I'll crumble it ♪
♪ Quick on my feet And y'all stumbling, fumbling ♪
♪ Over the shit That I do in my sleep ♪
♪ And y'all ready To run with it ♪
♪ Ready for whoever come With it ♪
♪ I ain't gon' never Be done with it ♪
[cheers and applause]
[crowd chanting] Rigo! Rigo! Rigo! Rigo!
All right, let me have one, two, three to the side.
You'll be group two. You guys pull in.
Y'all switch.
Come to the front.
[soft music plays]
All right, let me see it from the top.
Here we go.
["Hittin' [Remix]" playing]
Here we go. Five, six, seven.
[Money Mu] ♪ Hittin', hittin' ♪
♪ Diamond hittin' Chain hittin' ♪
[Kiki] Let's go!
[Money Mu] ♪ Hos hittin', hittin' ♪
♪ Better watch your ho I'll hit her ♪
-♪ My diamonds they hittin' You try me, we hittin' ♪ -[Kiki] Let's go ladies.
♪ That Beamer, I'm switching A legend, I'm living ♪
-♪ I get it, I spend it Your ho, yeah, we flip it ♪ -[Kiki] Give it to me.
♪ I stay on my pivot You won't catch me slipping ♪
♪ Like, this shit here Fun to me ♪
♪ They don't want War with me ♪
-♪ .223 hit up Everything in front of me ♪ -[Kiki] Ay!
♪ That'll be the day A nigga try gunning me ♪
♪ Still paid, we them - That blow the green ♪
-♪ I'm with that Draco ♪ -[Kiki] Hey!
[Money Mu] ♪ Walking in places You can't go ♪
♪ I only fuck On them bad - ♪
♪ Hit her And pass her to Mondo ♪
♪ I need the cash, pronto ♪
-♪ I don't throw interceptions Like Romo ♪ -[Kiki] Let's go!
-♪ Ride with that nine Like I'm Rondo ♪ -[Kiki] Ay!
♪ Jugg in the morning Alonzo ♪
-♪ Try to take my chain I'm hittin' ♪ -[Kiki] Give it to me.
♪ Every play a - get I'm hittin' ♪
♪ Lil' baby, throw that - I'm hittin' ♪
♪ All this jewelry on me Know that it hittin' ♪
♪ Twelve get behind me - I hit it ♪
♪ Every - with me Ready to hit ♪
-♪ Mondo on the bass, - It's hittin', you know that ♪ -[Kiki] Go!
♪ Hey, hittin', hittin' ♪
♪ Diamonds hittin' Plays hittin', -hittin' ♪
♪ Hittin', hittin' ♪
[Collette] Tal, it's me.
[Tal] Hey, tell me you're almost here.
You need to get Rigo to hold the crowd.
For an hour.
-An hour? -[Collette] At least.
Jesus, Rigo doesn't--
Rigo doesn't have any more numbers.
[Collette] Well, I'm counting on you, Tal.
[Sage] Tal?
You got Greyhound as a tour manager now?
I trust him.
Anything?
[Sage] Nope.
Well, there's not going to be.
Jail visiting hours are over by now,
so if the news hasn't leaked, then it's not going to.
[Rigo] ♪ Hey ♪
♪ Hey, ain't gonna be no ego ♪
♪ Hey, keep it legal eagle ♪
♪ Hey, she want Like, seven zeroes ♪
♪ Hey, murder, she wrote ♪
♪ She did it, murder She did it, murder ♪
♪ She did it Murder, she wrote ♪
♪ You can leave your ego ♪
♪ She did it, murder She did it, murder ♪
♪ She did it Murder, she wrote ♪
♪ Murder, she wrote, hey ♪
♪ Hey ♪
♪ Go, hey, go ♪
♪ Hey, go, hey, go ♪
♪ Murder, she wrote, hey ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Murder, she wrote ♪
[cheers and applause]
[crowd chanting] Rigo, Rigo, Rigo!
[all cheering]
-Whoo! -Gangster.
-Yo, did you see that? -Yeah, it was great.
My boys!
Yo, I gotta get ready for Sage.
-Yo! You hear that? -My boy!
-Yo, do you hear that? -Let's go!
-You hear the crowd? -Yo, yo.
They was out there screaming, "Rigo! Rigo!"
-Shit! -I'm like motherfucking God.
-Yo, Rigo, shut the fuck up. -What?
[Tal] Sage is gonna be late, all right?
-Late? -Yes.
So I need you to go out there and I need you to fucking vamp.
Vamp? Vamp? What the fuck you mean vamp?
Go out there and vamp right now?
I don't know. You're the god, bro.
Just figure it out.
I gotta set it up with the DJ,
and I gotta--hold on. I gotta get the dancers.
I don't even know where they at right now, son.
Okay. Figure it out.
Line 'em up. Whatever you gotta do.
Yo, yo, yo, I can go out there until you figure it out.
You?
You got a better fucking idea?
Yeah, yeah. Do it. Go, go.
Hey, Davis. Davis. Mic.
[Davis chuckles] Yeah.
[Rigo] Good luck with that, brother.
["Lie for Me" playing]
This song is dedicated to...
to a very special lady.
You know who you are.
Let's go, baby.
♪ I see you Trying to run from me ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Like it's a game Of hide-and-seek ♪
♪ I want to see you work it With your body ♪
♪ Body, body ♪
♪ I want to see you wind it Wind it for me ♪
♪ For me, for me ♪
[singing in Spanish]
Oh, it must be so cool
that you get to be on tour together, huh?
I know, right?
It's like our dreams were always pointing
in the same direction
and just fucking chances weren't.
Not until now.
♪ For me, take me for tonight ♪
Congratulations on making it this far.
Y'all are amazing dancers.
Promise me that no matter what,
you will keep dancing?
Promise?
Right, well, with that being said,
the dancers who get the golden ticket--
the chance to return tomorrow
for callbacks--are...
...Kingston Walker...
Yes!
-[Electra] ...Aneesa Carino... -[Aneesa gasps]
-[Electra] ...Stella Labrizi... -[Stella laughs]
...Angel Etomi.
[crying]
[Electra] Congratulations.
[soft music plays]
Everyone else, thank you so much for your time.
♪ ♪
[tense music plays]
♪ ♪
♪ Yo, get out the way. ♪ Get out the way ♪
♪ We came to play. We came to play ♪
♪ I'm all the rage ♪
♪ Yeah, I'm all the rage ♪
♪ Betta get out the way ♪
♪ Ain't no time to play ♪
♪
♪ This ain't a game. This ain't a game ♪
[garage door rattling]
[tires squealing]
[all cheering]
Fuck y'all standing around for? Let's go. Let's go. Let's go!
Dressing room that way. Thank fucking God.
Okay. All right.
Let's make this quick. Let's make this quick.
We are late. Make me pretty.
Let's go, let's go, let's go.
Here you go.
Everything is happening for me, not to me.
I think we good. You good?
I'm a handsome motherfucker, and it's your fault.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Yes, we good.
[Collette] All right, good. Come on.
Everybody, let's go. Let's go.
[exhales heavily]
Come on.
Okay.
What? Get dressed. We gotta go.
Collette Jones, will you marry me?
Wait, you asked me last night, remember?
I know. I know.
But I wanted to ask again in case anything changed.
Okay, what could have changed in 24 hours?
You know what?
Come to think of it, you never- you never asked me.
What? To marry you?
[Sage] No. If I did it.
If I killed East-O.
So come on. Come on. Ask me.
[gunshot]
No, that's because- because I know you didn't do it, so--
-[Sage] Okay, but-- -Sage, Sage, Sage, come on.
[Sage] But I need you to hear me say it out my mouth.
I need you to hear me say,
"No, I didn't do it," so come on.
-[Collette] Sage, we gotta go. -Just ask me. Just say,
Okay, all right, all right. Okay, Sage.
"Sage, did you kill East-O?" Go ahead. Go ahead.
Okay, fine. Did you--
Hey. You ready? It's time.
Look, we gotta go. Get dressed. Get dressed.
Shit.
[indistinct shouting]
[plate shatters, baby crying]
[crowd chanting] Sage! Sage! Sage! Sage!
All right. All right. All right. All right.
The champ is here! The show can start. How you doin'?
What's going on? What's going on?
Let's go. Let's go. Let's do it.
You hear that? You hear that?
Whoo!
We did it.
You goddamn right we did it. We always do.
We make a good team.
[crowd cheering]
Collette?
-Yeah. -I fucking love you.
And I'ma make you the happiest woman
on the face of the planet.
I've been waiting ten years to hear that.
Wait is over, baby. Whoo! Let's go. Let's go.
[exhales sharply]
[soft music plays]
♪ ♪
[crowd chanting] Sage! Sage! Sage! Sage!
[drumbeat plays]
♪ ♪
In order for a man to know where he's going,
he must first know where he's been.
Respecting his past, honoring his present...
Let's go!
♪ Genesis ♪
♪ ♪
What's up?
Let's go!
♪ Genesis ♪
♪ Oh, genesis ♪
♪ Hey ♪
♪ I know pain And I know pleasure ♪
♪ High and low And everything in between ♪
♪ And through the madness Of my life for whatever ♪
♪ My music's always Been there for me ♪
♪ I'm the one They talk about ♪
♪ My ego, my attitude ♪
♪ Sage, why they gotta be So nasty ♪
♪ Why they gotta be so rude ♪
[alert buzzes]
[dramatic music plays]
♪ ♪
♪ Welcome to my genesis ♪
♪ Oh... ♪
[crowd shouting]
[Sage] What's up?
Philly, what's going on?
[crowd gasping, muttering]
♪ ♪
Yo! Kill that shit.
[music stops]
-[feedback squealing softly] -[woman] What?
Okay. All right.
Don't do it, Sage. Don't do it.
All right, I see everybody with they face
in they goddamn phone, so let's talk about it.
Let's get into it.
The reason we was late tonight
is not 'cause I don't love y'all.
Nah. Always got love for Philly.
Nah, so Atlanta, Georgia,
my goddamn hometown,
the place where the legend of Sage Odom
even goddamn started,
I was unlawfully detained,
arrested, harassed, humiliated over a crime
that I in no motherfucking way committed.
You know what? Maybe-maybe it's 'cause I'm Black.
Yeah, maybe it's a Black thing.
That's been popular lately.
Or maybe it's 'cause I'm so goddamn rich
and fucking pretty and beautiful
and shiny and shit.
I knew it. I fucking knew it!
-[tense music plays] -[Sage] Always gonna be that motherfucker.
It's over for you, Sage.
Wait 'til my pops' boys on the inside get a hold of you.
Oh.
Because I got these snakes by the goddamn neck.
But you know what? It don't matter what they do.
It don't matter what the fuck they try.
They not fucking stopping me!
You know what? You know what?
Goddamn, it ain't even about me.
It's about us. It's about you.
They think you fucking stupid.
Yeah, with your face buried in your goddamn smartphone
so that you can't see what's going on around you.
Blocked off in your goddamn corner
every time you swipe your fucking timeline.
They ain't fucking with me no more.
They fucking with you.
You being fucked with right now.
[fan] Hey, man, nobody give a fuck about that shit.
Start the show.
[fan] Yeah. Play some music. We paid for this.
What the fuck you just say to me, motherfucker?
You paid for this?
What, I'm a- I'm a bitch who's supposed to twerk for dollars
'cause you threw some fucking change on the ground?
Fuck you, nigga. You know what?
What, I'm the commodity? I got news for you.
You the motherfucking commodity.
-[crowd booing] -That's right.
I'll buy and sell your ass three times.
And get change back, nigga. Fuck y'all.
Oh, are we booing now? That's what we doing?
You ungrateful motherfuckers. You know what?
I don't gotta be here. I'm Sage motherfucking Odom.
That's why I'm on this goddamn stage
and you in the audience.
-[audience chanting] -I'm trying to educate y'all.
Oh, it's like this? You know what?
Fuck you and good night, goddamn it.
[feedback whines]
[crowd booing]
Fuck that.
I know you did it, motherfucker.
[guard] Whoa, whoa. Hey.
-[Sage] The fuck is going on? -Get off me.
The fuck is wrong with you, huh?
Get the fuck off me!
[man] Hey, calm down.
Nice shot, son. Now, that's some cheap shit,
so I'ma let it ride, considering the circumstances.
Don't fucking call me son, bitch!
Yo, chill out. Think.
Why would I kill your pops? Come on, man.
Yeah, we had our beef, but so what?
I brought you to fucking High Water.
I mentored you, taught you everything I fucking know.
Why the fuck would I turn around and kill your pops?
'Cause you always hated my dad!
You hated the fact that my dad was a real man.
You ain't shit. Not close to it.
Just a little bitch-ass nigga hiding behind money.
Yeah. You killed him because you knew, Sage.
You knew you wouldn't be shit without him,
and you can't stand that fucking reminder.
That's why.
Get these fucking rent-a-cops off me!
Let him go. Let him go!
I'm through with you, Sage.
I ain't sharing the stage with no bitch-ass nigga
that killed my pops.
Fuck out of here.
Rigo.
Fuck you too, Collette.
You ain't shit but his fucking bitch.
Poppy.
♪ ♪
Move! Get the fuck out the way.
All right. All right. All right. This shit is over.
Everybody calm the fuck down
and do your fucking jobs, all right?
I got this. Always have. Always will. Go.
Okay. All right. Everybody.
Everyone pack your bags.
The bus is leaving in an hour. In the morning,
it's back to Atlanta, first thing in the morning.
There-there's no show?
I mean, we're not going to Pittsburgh?
What about tour?
[Collette] We just need to regroup, that's it.
I-I've spoken to our attorneys,
and they are confident that this is just a minor setback.
We'll be back on the road in no time, okay?
[reporter] The news of Sage Odom's arrest
for the alleged murder of Ernest Octavio
comes after months of speculation
that the case had gone cold.
If Sage is arrested, what about the tour?
I'm sure that this is some sort of PR stunt.
They do this in Hollywood all the time.
His name is Sage. He ain't no killer.
It's Sage, not Rage. Little people don't kill.
They dance and they make music
and, you know, they shake their booty.
You know, he not no killer. This is just TV.
But why would they report on it if it wasn't real?
[reporter] We have newly released cellphone video
from tonight in Philadelphia
in what appears to be a total meltdown onstage.
[Sage] What, I'm the commodity? I got news for you.
You the[bleep] commodity. That's right.
I'll buy and sell your[bleep] three times.
And get change back,[bleep].
[Sage] [bleep] y'all.
[Sage] Oh, are we booing now? That's what we doing?
Is the tour over? Are Davis and Tal coming home?
[Sage] I don't gotta be here. I'm Sage...
There goes my goddamn food budget and my man cave.
[sighs]
We gotta make room for more niggas.
[upbeat music plays]
♪ ♪
Angel, what are you doing here?
I'm here to get into High Water.
Callbacks are canceled. You didn't see the news?
Yeah, but I've been waiting for this moment for so long.
See, Sage might--
[Angel] He has to see me dance, okay?
He just has to.
I ain't leaving 'til he does.
You need to go.
-No. I need to-- -Look, Angel, I understand.
There will be callbacks another day.
Go home.
I've got no place to call home.
Look, I know I've got the wrong accent and all that,
but wasn't High Water made for people just like me?
People who have nowhere to go? I have nowhere to go.
There's an opening in the cafe.
She can have that.
[soft music plays]
♪ ♪
Listen, without Rigo, there's...
there's no place for me on this tour.
I'm only needed as the opener.
That's not true. I can talk to Sage.
You know, maybe you could be a dancer again
once the tour's back.
No, no, no, no, I don't even know if it's coming back.
Well, we still have to try to be together.
Baby, can you just leave it?
Look, I'm done trying.
Look, I get how unfair this is,
but I still believe in you.
More than ever.
When I saw you on that stage--
God, your-your voice.
Your energy. Baby, you're a star.
Nah, you're the star,
and that's the thing.
Things don't really work out for people like me.
They work out for people like you.
I get why you're mad.
[sighs]
How about tonight we just chill, regroup,
and I can book us a nice hotel room?
Yeah.
Yeah, a hotel room. That'll fix everything.
What the fuck, Odalie?
Well, you know, I got a kid to take care of,
so I'm probably just gonna head back to Al's
to see Justin, but thank you for that.
[Odalie] But...
...I love you.
[somber music plays]
♪ ♪
[Ricardo] I said to stay home, to not leave the state,
and to let me do my thing.
Are you two not capable of following my instructions, hmm?
It's too tight.
It's too fucking tight, man!
Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey.
Get these motherfuckers out of my house, man.
Go home, go home, go home, let's go.
Go and protect and serve somewhere else.
Let's go. Thank you. You too.
Thanks, fellas.
Hey.
Sage...
do you have any idea how deep a hole
you're digging for yourself?
Fuck that DA, all right?
I'm talking about the people that really run this town.
-They want to bury you alive. -Cruz, Cruz--
-Do you get that? -Fuck that shit.
-You're the one digging the hole! -Fuck that shit!
[man] You should listen to your lawyer, asshole.
That's why you give him the fat retainer.
[Ricardo] Jimmy. Jimmy.
How in the hell did I get mixed up in this shit?
The Spartika name's on this tour too.
Murder's not my motherfucking brand.
How you gonna recoup
the 20 million that I put up for this tour
when you can't even leave your goddamn penthouse?
Can-can I say something?
This is just a temporary setback, all right? Temporary!
[Jimmy] If he can't perform right now, the tour is done.
I know the judge, all right? We'll move the hearing up.
I'll have Sage back in four or five dates, all right?
Definitely by-by the West Coast run.
The West Coast run isn't happening
without the profits of the East Coast run.
I find that kind of problematic, don't you think?
It's my money too, Jimmy!
I don't give a shit.
And High Water. It's the school's money too.
Yeah, well, maybe Sage should have thought about that
before he murdered someone.
Allegedly.
It's fucking over, Odom.
Unless you can walk on water, you're done.
Damn.
Thanks for stopping by, Jimmy.
[chuckles] This is- this is fucking perfect.
I can't leave my house.
I can't do my job, so that's it.
That's it. We lose everything.
We lose everything, and behind what?
A fucking lie.
All we have to do is cover the next four tour dates, right?
What if--
what if-what if I can get someone to do that?
What if we can get someone to fill in for you?
Someone big enough to put some butts in these seats.
Then you can make your comeback.
A comeback to the comeback. An exonerated man.
No, 'Lette, nobody big enough is gonna be available
on such short notice, all right?
You would know that shit if you had a little more
experience in the real world.
I'm sorry.
Save it.
So you-so you got somebody in mind?
Maybe.
[hip-hop music plays]
[man] I-I think we found a loophole.
♪ ♪
[singer] ♪ Fuck up in my truck ♪
♪ Who the fuck Up in my truck... ♪
Fuck you.
Get that shit out of-- what do you want?
Look, look, come on.
You need to hear me out.
I don't need to do shit.
I want you to come back to the tour.
[chuckles]
That's some crazy shit.
You been hanging around Sage too long,
'cause now his crazy is starting to rub off on you.
Okay, listen to me, Rigo.
You know Sage and I own you, right?
All your music. I mean,
you can't even-you can't even spit a verse without us.
I don't care. Look, I'm never going back.
I-I'm never opening for Sage.
Ever.
Well, I'm not asking you to.
Look, I'm not asking you to open the tour.
I'm asking you to headline the tour.
Your single is blowing up right now.
That is your opener. Sage is under arrest.
Everyone wants to hear what you have to say.
You'll sell out every single venue on your very first tour.
That sound like some Drake shit, man.
This is your shot, Rigo.
I'm catapulting you to the top,
and you just show 'em what you can do.
Nope. Mm-mm.
Now, see, this is what you do. You get all in my head.
Got me all twisted and shit. How can I even trust you?
[Poppy] You can't.
[Rigo] You right. I c-I can't.
But just because we can't trust you
doesn't mean there isn't a deal we can make.
[sighs]
We just want to talk.
[Poppy] So do we.
Maybe.
It depends on what you have to say, Miss Jones.
[tense music plays]
♪ ♪
Well, then...
I guess we'll meet tomorrow at High Water.
Yo, damn, Pop.
You did that. What, you some kind of genius?
You said we wait it out, bide our time, then we--
hold up, hold up-- make our move.
Wh-where you going? You ain't trying to stay?
No, I think I have to get my genius sleep.
Yeah.
Hey, look, all right.
Fine.
Just thanks for standing by me, all right?
I don't know how that was gonna go without you,
you know what I mean, I appreciate it.
I bet on you, Rigo.
Don't let me down.
[rising dramatic music plays]