♪ Chicago
- Chicago.
A city so diverse, yet so divided.
Make no mistake, tradition lives here.
You can feel it in the streets.
But you can't be timid.
If you want something, you gotta go get it.
It's as simple as that.
It may be a beautiful place to visit,
but living here is completely different.
Chicago can either make you great,
or it could break you bad.
The outcome is dependent on you
and what block you stay on.
I'm proud to call this city my home,
'cause ain't no other city like it.
That's on me.
This city has created countless legends
and every day I fight to become one.
But that dream is nearly impossible
when the entire environment is against you.
Death.
Drugs.
Corrupt cops, block boys.
It's not your ideal place to live.
It isn't all bad, though.
Here in Chicago, we known for our good food
our cool people, our good vibes.
Our superb summers and our harsh winters.
You can build strong character here and thrive.
But you need to keep your head on the swivel
and watch them corners.
♪ This is my life
♪ This is my life in Chicago
♪ This is my life
Hey, you ever thought about leaving the hood?
- For what?
Leave the hood for what, bruh?
The hood been good to me,
I don't know about you, though.
It's all I know, for real, for real.
- Exactly.
The hood is all you know.
Don't mean it's been good to you.
I'm going to school down south.
Good weather, good food, bad females.
- You ugly.
I swear to God.
- Come with me, bro. You'll see.
The hood ain't what it's cracked up to be, bro.
- Down south?
- Down south.
- All right bro. - Yeah?
- Nah, chill out. - Yeah?
- Chill out, chill out, look.
I'll tell you what.
I'm a go. - Yeah?
- It better have everything you just said, though,
I promise you, bro.
I'm talkin' 'bout if I don't see Tyler Perry
and some fine women down there, bro,
we got a problem.
- All right, be a bet, bro, you with me?
- I'm right back to the block.
I'm a be right back.
- All right, bro.
Hey, bro.
- I'm trustin'.
- All right, I ain't gonna let you down, bro, trust me.
- Be safe. - All right.
[engine revs] [door slams]
- Yes, he's here now.
Black hoodie, black pants.
Low cut hair in his early 20s.
I need the police now.
- Bro, who is you talkin' to?
- I'm talking to the police
and I'm calling for you.
You rob my store last time.
I never forget a face.
- Bro, you are tweakin', fam.
- [Owner] I'm tweakin', bleakin', nothing.
- Why would I come back in a store that I robbed?
- I don't know why you would come back
to the same store.
- [Jacob] You say you callin' the police?
- The police are on their way right now.
- [Jacob] Look, here go your money, I'm out. I'm out.
- The police are coming.
Where are you going? Don't leave!
Come back here!
- [Ted] Hey, hands up.
I said hands up now.
- Yo, yo, I didn't do nothing.
- Don't try me, boy.
I will blow your head off.
- Yo, I didn't do nothing.
- What's that in your pocket?
- That's my wallet.
- Don't lie to me.
I can see it sticking out, you got a gun.
- I don't have a gun, okay?
- He's armed, I need backup.
- I'm not armed, okay, look.
[gun fires]
[glass breaks]
- [Officer] Ted, what the hell was that?
He had his hands up.
And he had no weapon.
- Look, in the report, we'll just say
that he resisted arrest, all right.
This sort of thing happens all the time.
- It's not even the guy.
That means he was telling the truth.
- Look, you need to get it together
before backup gets here, man.
- No, I'm not covering for you on this one.
It looks bad and with the whole Black Lives Matter thing.
- I'm so sick about hearing
all of this Black Lives Matter shit.
We chased down four murders today.
Nobody cares or notices
and it won't even make the news, why?
'Cause one young punk killed another one
and they were both black.
But when a fine upstanding officer
such as myself kills a thug,
who was breaking the law,
who happens to be black, it's a riot
and there's protests and marches and boycotts.
Look, if they want their lives to matter to me,
it's gotta matter to them first.
Now tighten it up before backup gets here.
You need to get your story straight
for this report.
- That's some bullshit and you know it.
[sirens blaring]
- Reporting live from the memorial
of the young man, Jacob Jackson,
who was tragically gunned down here yesterday evening.
Now, as you can see here,
many have gathered here because multiple residents
in the neighborhood claim to have witnessed
that a police officer actually shot this young man.
Now the police department spokesman confirms
that they have credible evidence
that this young man was a known gang member
and this was a gang-related murder.
Well, for now, the community is out
in numbers looking for justice.
In the meantime, we'll see if that happens.
Coming to you live, Chicago, channel 17,
back to you, Heather.
- [Jowann] After the police killed my cousin, Jacob,
my life changed forever.
♪ Saw something today
♪ It made my heart fall out of place ♪
♪ It filled me with anger
♪ Could you help me, I'm lost, unsure ♪
♪ How much more can we take, Lord ♪
♪ We've come a long way, it's true ♪
♪ But our women and our men, see our people ♪
♪ Are still treated cruel in our life ♪
♪ Is it just me
♪ Or could this world be turning sideways ♪
♪ Nowadays
♪ Nowadays things haven't really changed ♪
♪ I'm afraid it's more of the same old nowadays ♪
♪ Nowadays
♪ Yeah, tell me how far have we come ♪
♪ I tell you it just ain't far enough ♪
♪ Nowadays
♪ We protest peacefully
♪ But war is the only time they speak all the days ♪
♪ And same old nowadays
♪ These same old nowadays
♪ Help I can't breathe
♪ Nowadays, nowadays, nowadays, nowadays, nowadays ♪
♪ Help I can't breathe
♪ Nowadays, nowadays, nowadays
♪ Help I can't breathe
♪ I gotta find a plan
♪ Strategize, organize, mobilize ♪
♪ Freedom ain't free
♪ Nowadays, freedom ain't free
♪ No justice, no peace
♪ Killer said we gotta plot, plan ♪
♪ Strategize, organize, mobilize ♪
♪ Help I can't breathe
♪ Nowadays
♪ Help I can't breathe
♪ Freedom ain't free
♪ No justice no peace
♪ Nowadays, nowadays, nowadays, nowadays ♪
♪ Oh, mama
♪ Take a ride, take a ride
♪ I, oh, mama
♪ Take a ride with me
♪ I
♪ Yeah, yeah
♪ I
♪ Yesterday was not a good day
♪ A couple of people close to me ♪
♪ Kind of rubbed me the wrong way ♪
♪ Positivity is what I try to keep near ♪
♪ As I pursue to chase my goals ♪
♪ And elevate my life this year ♪
♪ I work a job I hate
♪ I hate to complain
♪ But I'd rather have a job
♪ Where I'm using my brain
♪ Livin' check to check
♪ I'm just tryna stay sane
♪ Without jeopardizing it all
♪ And my life be in vain
♪ See I'm just man with many talents ♪
♪ Caught up in all the balance
♪ Drugs and alcohol and women I barely call ♪
♪ 'Cause love is overrated
♪ When money is not involved
♪ Bills lay at your table
♪ Can't even shop at the mall
♪ Lord, it's so easy to get caught up ♪
♪ In the beginning, all the lessons ♪
♪ That I learned when I was growed up ♪
♪ Word
♪ Charge it to the game
♪ I guess this is the reason
♪ That the people know my name, know my name ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah I'm livin' the life ♪
♪ I'm livin' the life
♪ The life, all right
♪ I'm livin' the life
♪ One helluva life, all right, all right, all right ♪
♪ I'm livin' the life
♪ One helluva life, all right, all right ♪
♪ One helluva a life, all right, all right ♪
♪ At times I'm inspired from incidents of my past ♪
♪ Thinkin' 'bout when younger got in trouble and laughed ♪
♪ I never was bad
♪ Just made bad decisions
♪ Blame it on youth or my pops being missing ♪
♪ No admissions I make
♪ Consequences I take
♪ Lookin' for escape
♪ Grandma told me have faith, word ♪
♪ Great
♪ Nowadays I don't have much to say ♪
♪ Knowin' I need help, but pride gets in the way ♪
♪ Same food, same job, same money ♪
♪ Somebody playin' a joke on me ♪
♪ But it ain't funny, nah
♪ Young and educated
♪ Always motivated
♪ Looking toward the day
♪ Where I could say I made it
♪ But since it's like a mountain to climb ♪
♪ There was your time when someone ain't
♪ Grind
♪ Word
♪ Don't be afraid to be dope
♪ You only get a minute at the top ♪
♪ Ski slow
♪ I'm livin' the life
♪ The life, all right, I'm livin' the life ♪
♪ One helluva life, all right, all right, all right ♪
♪ I'm livin' the life
♪ I'm living the life
♪ One helluva of a life, all right, all right ♪
♪ One helluva a life, all right, all right, all right ♪
- Before the rise of Alexander the Great.
Now, can anybody tell me what you feel
is like the architectural distinguishment
between the ancient Greeks
and Romans as it pertains to mythology
and put your phone away.
Put your phone away.
Anybody, Tess?
[camera clicks]
Jazz?
Anybody?
[bell rings]
Don't forget to read chapter seven
over the weekend, guys.
All right, we'll pick this up on Monday.
- Yo, yo, my boy.
- [Jowann] What's up my boy?
- [Man] What up boy, where you at?
Why you missed school?
- Suspended.
- [Man] Boy, you got suspended again?
For what, what'd you do?
- Long story, man, you know me.
But we checkin' our prog, though.
- [Jowann] You trippin'.
Hey, I'm think about taking Angel to prom, though.
She is looking bad right now, bruh.
She on.
- Man, you scared, you ain't gonna ask her.
- So, who you girls taking to prom.
- You already know who I gotta take to prom.
- I wanna go with Tyrese, he's cute,
but he's a little bit goofy, so,
I don't know about that.
- [Jowann] Hey, hey.
- [Girl] Hey, Jowann.
- Hello, Jowann, talking.
- Can I talk to Angel?
- No. - Stop!
- You good?
- I'm good. - You sure?
- I'm good, I'm sure.
- All right.
- Thank you, ladies.
- I'm sorry.
- Oh, it's cool.
- I like your shoes.
- Thank you.
Hey, look, so I was thinking, you know,
prom next week and I was wondering if I could take-
- Back up off my girl, man.
- Hey, man, chill, bro, chill.
- Heard what I said, I told your ass to back up.
[locker slams]
- What's going on?
Answer me.
- Look, Mr. Ragland, we were
just having friendly conversation.
- Clear the hall.
Go home.
It's the weekend, go home.
Ezekiel, I need to talk to you.
- Ya'll doing exactly what they want y'all to do
to end up exactly where they want y'all to be.
Dead or in jail.
Get your asses down this hall.
- Now why you pullin' me over here, man?
I wasn't the only one over there.
- Listen, you're better than this, man.
Why every time there's a fight
or a scuffle, you're always in the middle of it?
That's gonna get you nowhere fast.
You need to shape up.
- What?
- I choose to work here.
I wanna encourage young men
like yourself to reach your full potential
and definitely make sure
that you understand anger is not going
to solve your problems.
- Thanks, man.
- Have a good weekend.
Ezekiel, remember what I told you.
- [Ezekiel] Appreciate it.
♪ Sun
♪ Coming
♪ Morning light
♪ Sun
♪ Coming
- Hey, excuse me, can you open up the bathroom,
I'm tryna use it.
- [Janitor] I was told to lock that door up
for the weekend, young man.
- For real, you right here, you can't unlock it.
I'm fixin' to piss on myself.
- Well, if you pee on yourself,
I'll just mop it right up my man.
- Is you for real right now, bro?
♪ Lord, your faithful
♪ Lord so good and faithful
♪ Yeah, you're faithful
♪ Don't get in my way
♪ Don't get in my face
[gentle music]
- Man, old shorty.
See his ass, boy, it's bustin', boy, on my mama.
I'm a what, I'm a meep, meep, bop.
Time out.
Man, and his girl's in my DM.
I ain't even tryna hit it.
You already know I am.
Wait!
[gun fires]
- What the fuck you doin' over here?
- Hey, Ty, look, man, I ain't see nothing, I swear.
It's no problem.
- What didn't you see?
- Nothin'.
- Don't let me find out you said something
about this shit you didn't see.
I'll kill you.
You hear me?
- It's cool.
- Get the fuck outta here.
- [Jowann] Tyler like a big brother to me.
He know my whole family.
But the difference between me and Ty
is that he can catch a body
and do it with a smile on his face.
He took me in after Jacob got shot by the cops.
He wanted me to join his gang,
but that wasn't for me.
One thing's for certain about Ty Lord
is that he ain't really no one you wanna mess with.
Especially if you catch him doing something
I just saw him do.
I had to keep my head low about that.
♪ Woke up this morning feeling grateful ♪
♪ Brand new day and I'm thankful ♪
♪ The Lord's so good, yeah, he faithful ♪
♪ Yeah, he faithful
♪ Better get out my way
♪ Don't get in my face
♪ Let me start my day
- Man, I'm sober as a motherfucker, man.
Let's do this B, straight up, man.
- Oh, hey.
- [Man] What's happening?
- Man, the boppin' too slow, man,
I can't keep going like this, man.
- Loud pack, loud pack, loud pack.
- Man.
- Oh, my man.
Future 20 school boy.
Future 20, man, future 20, man.
- [Man 1] Fuck with me,
you gotta reach out and spend some money.
- [Man 2] Damn, man, let's get some money
from this school boy.
- [Man 3] School boy.
- [Man 2] You gotta be spendin' some money
coming through here.
- [Man 1] Bust up the money, man.
- [Man 2] Need something loud over here.
- [Man 3] Bro, where that money at?
- Aw, man, I knew you had something for me, man.
Take care of my man.
Keep studying.
- Smoke that, man.
- Study.
♪ Like that
♪ I can count this money with my eyes closed ♪
- [Jowann] All my life I wanted to be different.
I didn't want to become
a product of my environment.
Especially not in Chicago.
So I thought maybe, just maybe I'll go off to school
to Morehouse in Atlanta.
There was a problem with that.
My grades weren't all that.
I ain't had no money.
And I didn't play any sports
so I didn't look for any scholarships.
One thing I learned,
you gotta work twice as hard
to have half as much.
♪ I can count this money with my eyes closed ♪
- You know I appreciate you, bro.
- Come on, man, you know you my people, man.
- [Grady] Man, you been rockin' with me since day one, bro.
- [Man] You already know, man.
- [Grady] Stay with it, man.
- [Man] Let me know when you got
the new joints comin' in.
- [Grady] I got 'em, like gimme a week.
- [Man] Okay, all right.
Keep shakin' boy.
- Thanks, bruh, appreciate you.
- All right, well, good to see you, boy.
- Yes, sir, take it easy, man.
Grady, look, I'm sorry I'm late, man.
- You're like two hours late, bro.
- Just listen to me.
I had to pee, this is after school.
I had to pee and the janitor wouldn't let me
in the bathroom, so I bop out to the alley.
The next thing you know,
I'm in a sticky situation and, man.
- Look, look, I'm not tryna hear about none of this.
You know, you know, Carlos, little Carlos Garcia?
- Yeah, buddy down the street.
- He wanna work here and he willing to take less money
and he gonna work harder than you.
You need to get your stuff together, bro.
I'm doing you a favor by letting you work here, Jo.
- Man, once I go to college,
I'm out this bad boy.
- Ho, about that college.
I been meaning to talk to you about that, man.
'Cause I need to give you a reality check.
If you been applying to colleges
for two years, I've been hearing you for two years,
oh, man, when I go to college, I'm a get up out.
If you haven't been accepted to a college by now,
it's because you're unacceptable.
You can't even keep this shop going.
These are shoes.
You think you could take a test?
What you think you fixin' to go be, a doctor?
Or a lawyer or something.
You need to get a simple job,
'cause you a simple minded person.
Okay?
- Won't you just fire me then, bro?
If that's true how you feel,
won't you just fire me then?
- You don't want the truth, man.
- I do want the truth, tell me.
- Look, man.
Your pops was like a big brother to me, man.
Now when he got locked up,
I told him I'd, you know, keep you working,
try to keep you out the streets.
So, look man, get it together
and like I said, when I come back
this place better be how it's supposed to be, man.
I got business to handle.
I'm a business owner.
Step your game up. Get to work.
- All right, all right, Grady.
Have a great day, man.
- [Grady] I will.
♪ Don't take it for granted
♪ Pull up in the new thing
♪ Baby, make your booty shake
♪ Shining like a moon, bae
♪ High off that propane
♪ Always on the go, man
♪ Money like you grown, man
♪ All on the floor, man
♪ I need a rate
♪ A couple of garbage bags and a bigger safe ♪
♪ No love, got no time for the heart break ♪
♪ Break it off, then I leave
♪ She know I can't stay
♪ Joining back on the track
♪ With my foot on the gas, man
♪ I ain't never stoppin'
♪ Never comin' down
♪ Everybody that I rock with been around ♪
♪ Been around, but I love my town ♪
♪ If you talkin' exponentials here ♪
♪ Yeah I touch down
♪ Bring it back like 99
♪ When I was on my grind
♪ And everything we did was dedicated ♪
♪ To the lives we wanna live
♪ Now I'm livin' my life turnin' wheels ♪
♪ Drop top, hop out, chasing meals ♪
♪ Chasing meals
♪ Drop top, drop top, hop out, chasing meals ♪
♪ Chasing meals
♪ Drop top, hop out, chasing meals ♪
♪ Chasing meals
♪ Drop top, drop top, drop top, hop out, chasing meals ♪
♪ You know what we doin'
♪ It's a everyday thing
- [Grady] Hey, yo.
- Yo, what's up.
- I got your check, man,
you a little jumpy, bro.
- Here. - Okay.
- Thanks bro, I appreciate it.
- [Grady] Relax, man, say no to drugs.
You way too jumpy, bro.
- All right, Grady, man, take it easy, man.
- [Jowann] Growing up on the west side of Chicago,
I ain't really had my parents.
My dad got locked up for 22 years
and he's still in there riding the wave.
I know that's a place I never wanna be.
And as far as my mom, Debbie,
man, I don't even wanna talk about her.
But luckily for me, I have my grandparents.
They looked out for me.
They cared for me.
They kept me off the streets.
And they love me.
- They say it's probably drug related,
but who knows.
We're still getting testimonies
from the witness and it was three shots in the back.
It might have been a new recruit.
Three shots in the back.
I'm gonna finish up in a sec,
excuse me a moment.
Sorry, Green, you can't be here right now.
- [Green] What is you talkin' about, LT,
what's going on?
- Listen, Green, it's your son right there.
- What? - What?
- I'm sorry.
- Hey, L, goddamn, L.
- Detective Green, I know.
You cannot be here right now.
- See, that's my son,
I gotta see my son.
- I'm sorry. Later.
- Don't do this right here, LT.
- Later. - LT.
- Don't worry.
- LT, you serious?
- [Jowann] I'm sure Ty Lord had killed more people
in that alley.
I heard the shots when I ran off.
I knew that was unfinished business.
I knew I had to deal with Ty Lord sooner or later,
but to be honest, I didn't wanna talk to him,
I didn't wanna see him,
I didn't want nothing to do with him.
But I knew I had to settle that first.
- How Granny doing?
- [Jowann] She cool.
- Yeah. - Yeah.
- She good?
You don't fuck with Granny, man.
She used to always fuck with niggas,
especially for Halloween, man.
I would trick or treat on the block.
I knew your granny was gonna give me
some extra shit.
- [Jowann] That's how Granny is.
- How your whole family is.
Your whole family be holding me down.
That's why fuck with y'all, man.
It's hard to find family out here.
You know, I don't really got much, man.
I didn't have a granny.
Your granny my granny.
You understand what I'm saying?
I swear that trust is real.
It's real important to me.
- [Jowann] I'm happy to have your trust.
- What make you say that?
- [Jowann] I mean-
- Nigga, the only reason I fuck with you,
only reason I let you in this shit
is because of your family.
I fuck with y'all, nigga.
That don't mean I fuck with you.
- What you mean?
You know, Ty I know you don't wanna be messed with, man.
- Who brought you in this shit?
- [Jowann] You did.
[Granny sighs]
[door squeaks]
- Was that you smoking a cigarette
or was the Tyler?
- It wasn't me.
- Better not be.
You know your uncle died of lung cancer.
- Yeah, I remember.
- And don't hang around Tyler.
I heard he is the biggest gang banger
on the west side.
- Well, we grew up together.
- Just because you grow up with somebody
don't mean you shouldn't grow apart.
He already got three kids
by three different women,
no job and dropped out of school.
He may think it's okay now.
But in 10 years, he's gonna realize his mistakes.
I don't want that to happen to you.
You got a nice job,
going to a good school
and you gonna go on and go to college.
I'm proud of you.
You already doing better than you mother and father did
at your age.
Don't mean much, but it's something.
All you gotta do is good
and good things will come to you.
Do what's right.
- I'm trying.
- Speaking of your mother.
- They let Debbie out of rehab?
- She's out and she wants to spend some time you.
- Aw, man, she ain't wanna spend time
with me when she was trying to sell me for crack.
Or when she threw daddy in jail.
She the reason why this whole family bogus now.
- Listen, I understand the anger you feel,
but she's still your mother.
It's not gonna kill you to spend one day with her
and it actually might help her.
- Granny, I don't wanna see her.
- Well, she's gonna be here in the morning
and you need to be respectful.
Your mother loves you
and how you treat her will have a big impact on her.
- All right, yes, ma'am.
Angel, girl, you walked all way over here?
- [Angel] I came to say thank you.
- Thank you for what?
- [Angel] For showing me that you really wanna be with me.
- I mean, I do, shoot, what's going on.
- You killed Tez just so you could take me on prom?
- No, girl, I ain't killed,
I ain't killed nobody.
What you talkin' about?
- It's okay, you don't have to lie.
I know the truth.
- Nah, I ain't, I ain't kill nobody.
Don't be saying nothing like that about me.
I ain't killed nobody.
- [Angel] It's okay, you don't have to lie.
[ominous music]
[gun fire]
- Angel!
Angel!
- [Tez] You shot me, bruh?
Did you shot me?
[ominous music]
- [Debbie] It smell so good, what you got over there?
- [Granny] Well, you need to learn
how to make this so you can get you a husband.
- [Debbie] Ma, ain't no recipe gonna keep no man.
- [Granny] This oven and this stove
is how you keep a man.
- Well, I guess that's how you kept Daddy, huh.
- [Granny] Mm-hmm, got that right, girl.
[Grandpa snoring]
- Son.
I miss you.
I'm so proud of you.
I love you.
Don't you miss your mama?
- Yeah.
- You hungry?
- Nah, Granny, I done lost my appetite.
- I'm not fittin' to keep kissin' his ass.
- You have to be patient.
You can't criticize him.
When you made your mistakes, he had to cope.
He did everything he was supposed to do,
even when you weren't there.
- But I'm here now.
How long y'all gonna keep throwin' this shit
in my face, I'm clean.
Instead he come up here and kiss,
I'm not gonna keep kissin' his ass.
How long y'all gonna, I can't do this.
I come home and get myself clean just
to get treated like an animal
by my own flesh and blood.
- Oh, baby, come on now.
- No, no, Ma.
- We love you.
- Everybody calm down.
- I am calm.
I get myself together just to get treated
like I'm the villain.
[door squeaks]
- [Jowann] I ain't really know Tez like that.
I just knew him as a kid who always wanted
to start something in school.
I think it's because his dad
was a cop or a detective.
He used to chat how his dad ran the world,
or the west side at least.
All I know is that he was no one
you really wanted to mess with neither.
If he wanted you dead, you was dead.
That don't sound like the detective
who's protecting and serving.
[men chattering]
- Got that last night.
- Yeah, look like somebody, bro.
About to walk up on some shit.
- Shit, just might, just might
up in this motherfucker.
- [Man] Dude got a vest on.
- You seen him?
Going pretty fast out here, man.
- Going fast?
- Yeah, you was going fast .
- Smoky, man.
- Hey, how you doing?
- You seen him?
You ain't seen him.
Nah?
- Nah, man, ain't nobody seen him.
- I mighta.
- What you mean you mighta?
- Give me a dollar or two or something.
Give me a couple of dollars.
- Ain't seen nothing, ain't heard nothing, man.
- You ain't heard nothing.
- I mighta seen it?
- Where?
- On the streets.
- Smoky, oh.
- Man, let me have a couple of dollars.
- You gotta give me something.
- Give me something.
- You gotta give me something.
- Look, son, I love you.
- I ain't tryna hear you right now, Deb.
- What more do you want from me?
I'm here, I'm clean.
Like what more do you want?
- First off, you need to stop yelling at Granny.
You know she got high blood pressure, man.
- Look, all those nights when I was out there
feigning for another hit,
do you know how that made me feel knowing
all the pain I put you through.
I mean, I'm clean, I did this for you.
I'm doing this for y'all.
- Man, pain?
The pain you felt when you was out there?
You was trying to forget about me.
- Son, you gotta let that go.
I'm here now, what more do you want?
- No.
I can't do nothin' with you.
I can't do this with you right now.
- I'm your mother.
[Debbie exhales]
- Damn, it's a real treat when two playas meet.
Man.
Ooh, wee.
- [Man] Get this money.
- Yeah yeah, I ain't here for the money, man.
It was a murder.
A boy got shot in an alley.
Know anything about that?
- No, don't know nothing about that, man.
That's not good business.
- Yeah, it ain't.
How about you?
Y'all know what's up, right?
- [Woman] I don't know what's up, what's up?
You tell us.
- You ain't hear about nothing?
- [Woman] I ain't heard nothing.
- Still know our agreement, right?
Yeah, I could've locked you up a long time.
Still can.
Shay, you, too.
- I don't know nothing.
- [Green] So how long you think I need?
- [Man] Hey, give me a couple days, man.
Maybe less.
I'll reach out to you.
- [Jowann] It's times like these
where I wonder where is God?
Why am I here?
Why my dad in prison?
Why my mom in and out of rehab?
Why can't I get into Morehouse?
But then I remember.
I can't alter my past.
All I can do is live in my present
and try to change my future.
That's why it's good to have people
you can call your homie for the better things in life.
I guess I get the saying laugh to keep from crying.
♪ Mm-Hmm go ahead Trey Billz
♪ I can't forget this mornings on the couch ♪
♪ In the band, though
♪ Only God knows what I'm gonna do ♪
♪ With all the Sam-o
♪ Tryna get these snakes off my plane ♪
♪ Like I'm Samuel
♪ God know this all I want
♪ I got the plan to
- Hey, yo, what up boy?
- What's good.
- Happy birthday, man.
- Man, appreciate it, turn up, man.
- How you doing? - Good, good.
- I know you got a gift for your boy.
- Oh, yeah, bro, you know I had
to get that loud pack.
- Ooh.
Loud.
You can't prove it that
I know you gonna get high with your boy, Dove.
- I can't even do it, bro.
- Come on, man, roll up.
- I got you, I got you.
Hey, what we on tonight?
What?
- Have you not been on Facebook?
Instagram? Snapchat?
Come on [claps]. Wake up.
- I was rushing out the crib
and forgot my phone at home.
- Look, everybody fittin' to be here.
When I say everybody,
baddies right there, baddies right there,
baddies right here.
Hoopers, drug dealers, we fittin' to be lit.
Everybody fittin' to be in here
in the next two hours, even Angel.
- It's early.
- Exactly.
My OG is out of town till tomorrow morning
so I gotta get it in right now
'cause she know she never let
a brother do nothing when she be here.
So, by the time tonight come,
all we gotta do is clean up
so when the OG walk through
it's like nothing even happened.
- What you mean we?
- Yes, we, you and I gonna clean up
'cause you about to come up.
Listen, my big brother,
all he do is like go to day parties and stuff.
It's like the next big thing,
so next time we do this,
we gonna charge people $15 to get get in,
bring 40 people.
- That's like- - I hear you.
- A pair of Mike's for the both of us at least.
- Yeah, boy, you know I gotta get
them new, uh, Sevens, they come out in June.
- Zip it, shh, shh.
You hear that?
Don't say nothing.
You the ultimate shoe plug.
You have on the Space Jams.
They don't come out for the next three weeks.
- Facts, facts, facts.
Well, playas do what they want,
squares do what they can.
- Man, please.
- Hey, but, uh, Angel coming, though?
What?
Come on, boy.
- Ooh.
What I tell you about that?
What I tell you about being so thirsty, bro?
For real, but her girlsie is coming,
so she supposed to be coming, too.
- Cool, cool, cool.
Well, you know, I guess we can go here
and light this up, kazooed it.
What?
- Look at me eye to eye.
You have murdered that blunt.
It's dead.
Deader than Michael Jackson.
Now how am I supposed to be higher,
high like Whitney and Bobby, how?
How, talk to me.
That blunt is, it's a wrap.
It's no coming back.
All right, let me something, let me something.
Let me breathe.
Doctor always say breathe, Chad.
Let me stop the playing.
I ain't about that.
You should be mad at yourself.
- Hey, man, fuck you, anywho,
can you go get me a tape in the back?
- Come on, bro, step into the lab.
I got you, man.
- Man, life crazy right now, bro.
- [Chad] What you mean?
- Man, I done saw my mom for the first time
in a long time.
- I don't remember the last time I seen your moms.
- Man, 'cause she say in rehab.
Like all my life she been in rehab.
Damn, like, but this time, though,
I could tell things are a little different,
like I know she love me,
she care and everything.
- My pop was the same way,
in and out of rehab, you know,
then the next minute he wanna bond
and next thing you know, my PS4 missing.
- Bro, but this different.
This my moms.
Granny always saying be nice to people
when people aren't nice to you.
- You gotta stop, you gotta stop.
You gotta stop listening to your grandma.
She too old.
And to keep it a buck with you,
I ain't tryna hear about your mama issues.
I need you keep real with me, like,
I been your man since junior high
and the streets talking.
- Man, I am keeping it real with you bruh,
I ain't even told nobody.
You the only person that know.
- You wanna know the real reason
why this party gonna be lit at 2 o'clock?
- 'Cause it's your birthday, nigga.
- Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, I done have plenty birthdays,
20 birthdays before this to be exact.
- Wait, hold up.
Your ass 21?
[Jowann laughs]
Boy, you still in high school.
When you gonna graduate with your dumb ass, boy,
you goofy as hell [laughs].
Boy, what, flame, I dare you.
That's what I thought.
- Stop playin' with me, for real.
That's why Angel don't even wanna talk
to your lame ass, bro.
Marcus Houston ass lookin', Mr. Rat Burn lookin' ass.
- Aight, aight, aight.
What was you sayin' bro?
- The reason this party fittin'
to be bustin' bro is 'cause you
and Tez got into it yesterday
and today he end up dead
and his homie's dead, too, so
everybody think you killed him.
- What? - Yeah.
- You a hero.
Everybody hated Tez, everybody.
Angel is definitely fittin' to feed
you some tonight.
Tez was straight B, knowing the like,
she was some type of man or something.
- But, it ain't even go down like that, though.
- Listen, I ain't saying you did it,
but don't be so quick to say you didn't.
You the man right now.
Ain't nobody gonna try you.
When I say nobody, I mean nobody.
- Well, I guess you right about that then.
Hey, but you can't tell nobody, though.
- I ain't saying nothing.
I'm taking this to my grave
on my soul, on my granddaddy grave.
- Aight.
- But for real, this dude named Jerry.
- Who Jerry?
- He a GD.
I'm want his girl and I need you to kill him.
- Ah, shut your ass up boy, you steady.
- Wow, my homie is going who wants some more.
- Hey, you finished, bro?
- [Chad] Yeah, man, you crispy right now, man.
- Aight, we gotta run to the store.
We cop that blunt.
- Yeah, I got you, we need to,
you know, ride with me anyway,
'cause we gotta get some smokes,
some weed, some liquor.
- Oh, hold on, that's far enough.
- Detective Green from homicide.
- Homicide?
You at the wrong house, Mr. Green.
Have a blessed day.
- Does Jowann Stevens live here?
- Yes, but he just stepped out.
What do you want with my grandson?
Is he in some kind of trouble?
- Well, it seems a couple of classmates
got shot and murdered.
And they say the witnesses seen him talking
to one of the boys in a physical altercation,
so I'm just here to talk to him
if that's okay with you.
- Well, now, Mr. Green.
- Detective Green.
- Okay, Detective.
My grandson might have been
in some altercation with one of those boys,
but he's no killer.
- Well, I can understand that, ma'am.
I didn't say he was a killer.
Maybe he know something
or maybe he knows somebody.
I just wanted to talk to him, that's all.
If you see him, can you give him this card,
tell him to call me?
- Hmm.
- I appreciate it.
You have a good day, ma'am.
[door closes]
- [Cedric] Who was that?
- That was a homicide detective.
- For what?
- For Jowann.
No matter how hard we try,
we just can't seem to keep these boys
out the streets and out of trouble.
Where are we going wrong?
- It's not us, it's bigger than us.
- All I want my family to do
is the right thing and to make something of themselves,
but it don't seem to work like that.
The devil is always busy.
God help us.
- Hattie, calm yourself.
Getting worked up ain't gonna change nothing.
It's bigger than us.
[gentle music]
- [Jowann] With my parents out of the picture,
my dad in jail and my mom just straight crazy,
some would say I was headed
the same direction as them.
But I always had my grandparents.
My grandparents kept me clean and straight.
So I gotta make it.
Just so I could repay them.
[gentle orchestral music]
- Yeah, she still digs it.
We damn near even now, we can do business.
- Look.
I just need a little bit,
just to hold me off for a while.
'Cause I need more than just for today.
- You wanna plan on seeing me every day, mm?
- I need some for my friends, too,
we be all wanna do it together.
- What friends?
You having a party, you ain't even invited me,
yet you want me to front you some?
You wild then, ain't you Deb.
- Look, I don't need you to front me shit.
I got money.
I'm just trying to pay you
what I owe you so we can get this shit over with.
- I see you, Deb, I see you.
With the brown sugar.
Brown sugar, huh?
Brown sugar daddy.
Stay right there.
- You know the mayor says
that Chicago has tripled the murders this year.
And Chicago has double
the murders of New York, Los Angeles
and Memphis combined this year.
- Mm-hmm, I heard that on TV this morning.
There was this girl on there talking
to the anchor.
She sound so ignorant.
Why don't we take education more serious?
- We haven't had a good mayor since Harold Washington.
What she should have said
is there is a war on poor folks.
- Well, at least this mayor
has taken some sort of action.
Something needs to be done
with these kids killing each other.
- The mayor can't change it, nobody can.
This the way it's gonna be
when you oppress a people
the moment they exist in this country.
It's gonna backfire.
And it's nothing nobody can do about it,
except keep tally until it's over.
- Cedric, don't say that.
We can pray.
- Don't be so naive.
If you had a dog, a puppy,
and you put that puppy in a little cage
and you leave it there until
it grows up into a big dog
and you open up the cage door,
what do you think that dog's gonna do, huh?
He's gonna come out that cage a misfit
and that's exactly what happened
to black folks in America
after being caged for hundreds of years, misfit.
[upbeat music]
- Yeah, hey, uh.
You're welcome.
- Bro, what are you doing right now, bro.
Why are you playing a game?
I know you see Angel over there, bro.
- Yeah, I see her, bro.
- So you see her, but why you ain't next to her, bro?
Are you trippin' on some liquor or somethin'.
say what you want to do, 'cause what you do say,
what the juice say 'cause you trippin', you buggin'.
- You cappin' right now.
- No, you cappin', bro.
- [Jowann] Hey, bro, you see I'm tryna-
[all chattering]
- Take it easy, take it easy.
- Y'all always late.
- You guys late.
- You stop, you stop, you stop.
- This party dead.
It's fucked.
What's going on.
- Why you so disrespectful?
- The party, the party must begin.
Let me see the cup, thank you, thank you.
- Yeah, y'all go get something to drink, bro.
Y'all get outta here.
Get out, you'll be fine or I'll kick you out.
- Hey, get me one, too.
- No, you, what you need to go do
is go talk to Angel.
That's what you need to do.
- All right, brother, let me finish this game.
- You think we should even be here?
I mean, it's a lot of guys.
- No, we're good.
Plus Jowann's here.
He'll make sure we're safe.
- Bro, what are you doing right now?
You don't see Angel over there?
- You're not thinking
about doing anything with him, are you?
- Maybe.
- Like what's your problem,
like why you not over there?
- What you talkin' about right now?
- What you mean what I'm talkin' about, bro.
This is on purpose, you ain't talking to her.
You playing a game.
What's your problem.
- Ain't nobody even here yet.
- Girl, didn't your man just get shot the other day?
- Everybody think you a man right now.
You supposed to take advantage
having her in my mama room doing the thang.
- Your mama room?
- Yes, in my mama room.
- You bogus.
- No, you bogus for not taking advantage.
Listen, man to man, put the game away
and go findin' your business, bro.
- All right. - You trippin'.
- You still got the, go do what you do.
- Hey, Angel, how you doing?
- Hey, Jowann. - How you doing?
- Good.
- Angel, I could talk to you real quick?
- Yes.
- Come on.
All right, cool.
- Wassup, how you doing?
- I'm doing good.
- You lookin' good, what you Puerto Rican?
What you tryna do?
You tryna get a drink and some weed?
You smoke?
- Yeah, let's smoke, I need something.
- I got you, girl.
- You a virgin?
- [Jowann] Nah, girl, I ain't no virgin.
- Wanna know how I feel?
- [Jowann] Yeah.
- Just relax.
[Jowann moaning]
- Jowann!
Did you just come in me?
- Nah, I don't think so.
- What?
- [Jowann] That's my bad.
- No, that's not cool.
- [Jowann] I, I.
- You better be lucky my sister got a Plan B.
- [Jowann] That's good news.
- [Angel] Whatever, I'll catch you later.
- I'll catch you up in there.
Ooh.
That was good.
[upbeat club music]
[hip hop music]
- I'm good.
- Look, I ain't come all the way over here
for you to be all on scrolling on Facebook and shit.
Is you gonna serve me or not?
I'm a paying customer.
- No show Mr. Brody.
Remember that one?
Used to come through, get a good head,
fuck around for the favor
and now she got a little bread.
We on your time, huh?
That's how you feel?
- [Man 1] Hey, I see that nigga talking
to the cops, bro, I'm a smoke his ass.
- [Man 2] That boy been a lame, he always been a lame,
goody two shoes.
- [Debbie] Jowann, my son, Jowann?
- So y'all niggas dumb as hell.
Don't y'all got some shit to do?
What about the shit I told you to run,
go play that.
Huh?
What the fuck is y'all on now.
Ain't nobody talkin' about your son.
It's a whole nother Jowann, somewhere from over here.
That's that gas.
Try that out.
I'm a calculate it.
Take your time with that, though.
You hittin' it like it's a pipe.
[Debbie coughing]
- It's still too hot for you.
["Moonlight Sonata"]
- Come on, I need the hit.
Take him.
You could do what you wanna do.
Take him, I don't want him.
I don't want him.
Do what you wanna do.
I heard about you.
Them little boys.
Come on.
Look at me, I'm clean now.
Son, don't look like that.
Give me another chance.
This Bianca.
Son, don't look like that, give us a chance.
We can all be one big happy family.
- Outback, outback, what's good with you boy.
- Brother, let me hold something.
Let me hold something.
- See, you can't get no chick like this, man.
Studying and getting good grades.
You gotta get that paper, man.
You gotta get it now.
Don't wait till that diploma come.
- You know why it happened.
'Cause you ain't game.
["Moonlight Sonata"]
[Jowann groans]
- Granny!
Granny.
- [Grady on voicemail] Hey, Jowann, this your boss, Grady.
I got you on security camera throwing
them shoes in the garbage can
and taking the bag with you.
You're fired and bring them shoes back
or I'm calling the cops.
- [Cedric] Jowann, it's your granddad.
Boy, what's the sense of having a phone
if you won't answer?
Your grandmother fell on the stairs
and hit her head.
She hasn't woke up since.
We at the hospital.
Room 2209.
Hurry up and get up here now.
- Man, come on, God.
Jacob, now Granny.
Ugh [moans].
Granny.
Thank you for your interest in Morehouse College.
Sorry to inform you.
Wait.
Who qualify for the pre-freshman program,
college credit in July.
Cover letter and a $1,000 check money order deposit.
- Hey, what's up, buddy?
What's going on with you? - Hey.
- Who is y'all.
Hey, man.
Hey.
[doors close]
[rocks crumble]
- [Green] Did you kill those boys?
- Look, it wasn't me.
- You gonna make this hard on yourself, man.
Did you kill those boys?
- I said it wasn't me.
[punch strikes]
- I don't think you understand me.
I could put you away for a very long time.
- Hey, man, what up man.
- Hey, man, see you out here shining.
- Hey, man, you know what's going on, man.
- I know Ty Lord don't put us down.
- [Man] Oh, what?
- That's why he sent me out here.
He told me I was, hey.
- Look, even if I did tell you,
I'm as good as dead.
- But I can help you.
If you help lead me to the killer,
I can get you out of school
for a few weeks, stay away for a while.
I'm a keep you under the radar, man.
- [Officer] But only if you help us.
- [Man] Ain't that shorty right there.
Over there.
- Looks like Jowann trying get tenor, G.
- [Man 1] Is that Jowann?
- [Man 2] Hell, yeah, hey, look
that nigga singin', too.
- That dude over there.
Hey, call Ty Lord.
- Make that phone call, G.
- You gotta go, though. - Make that call, bro.
- I knew it was y'all.
- Yeah, yeah, this nigga out here
with the feds, bro.
Yeah, right now on the block.
- Look, man, even if I say anything to y'all,
I'm as good as dead.
- Then listen to me.
Ezekiel Green, one of the kids you killed,
that was my son,
so I take this case very personally,
so if you don't help me find the killer.
[phone ringing]
Hello.
- I got that name for you.
- Man, get him out the car.
- Come on, man.
[door closes]
[Jowann] Look, Granny, I'm sorry, this all my fault.
But you the only one that's keeping me going.
And I didn't get into Morehouse,
but they got this summer program
that'll give me the opportunity
to earn my way in,
but all the money I saved for Fleet Club is gone
and I know Debbie took it.
[sirens blaring]
- Yo, hey, yo!
Where my money go?
- Don't talk to me like that.
I'm your mother. - Hey.
- Granny and Granddad are at the hospital,
'cause Granny ain't feeling well.
- It's not my-
- You shouldn't even be here.
- It's not my fault she not feeling well.
She the one wanna keep cooking soul food
and making baked pies and cakes and shit.
Listen, help me find out where the money at.
I'll split it with you.
- What?
Are you that dumb?
Has the crack and heroin really tried
your brain to the point you stealing from your son?
- Look, I never stole nothing from you.
I'm the reason you even here.
I was in labor 12 hours pushing
out that big ass head of yours.
- I hate you!
I wish you never even existed.
Everything that's wrong with me
is because of you.
- Look, son, I know I wasn't a good mother.
I know I was a bad mother,
but it's a lot going on.
I'm hearing things in these streets.
- What you hearing? From who?
- Tyler. Yeah, Tyler.
He looking for you and guess what, he got guns.
- Look, I'm leaving and I'm taking Granny
and Granddad with me, man,
so they can get away from all
this bullshit, especially you.
- Granny, Granny, what about me?
I'm your mother.
- You are 40 years old.
Granny already took care of your responsibility,
which is me.
You sorry, man.
[Debbie crying]
[gentle music]
- Somebody told me you sang, nigga.
- Clear. - Clear.
- My family always fucked with me.
But you ain't gonna be the one
that's gonna fuck me over.
- What you talking about?
- What the fuck you say to the feds, man?
- Hey, hey.
- Hmm?
- Hey, they pulled me, man.
Hey, they came to me.
Hey, come on, man, hey.
You don't even gotta do that man, for real.
- I've done did some shit that I didn't wanna do,
but there's some shit that I gotta know.
You ain't fuckin' with me, bro.
- Hey, I ain't tell them nothin', man, I swear.
I put that on everything. [gate rumbles]
I ain't say nothing to them.
- The fuck was that?
I'll be right back.
Don't move.
And if you not here when I get back
and I have to find you,
I'm a kill you, okay.
[suspenseful music]
Who the fuck is in here?
Huh?
Where the fuck are you at
and what the fuck do you want, huh?
'Cause all I got is smoke.
[gun fires]
Huh?
Where you at?
[gun fires]
Motherfucker.
[gun fires]
[Ty groans]
[gun fires]
- Well, well, well, Tyler Wilcox.
You know what I'm here for, right?
About them boys in the alley.
- Go ahead, lock me up.
My lawyer a beast, I'll be out in the morning.
- Nah, this ain't that type of deal.
This ain't got nothing to do
with the boys in blue.
This one right here, this is personal.
I don't know what you heard,
but one of them kids you killed was my son.
- Both of y'all got the game fucked up.
Fuck you and you son.
- I thought you would say that.
[gun fires]
[door closes]
- Shit.
Yo.
We gotta go.
We gotta go, now.
Green, let's go.
[gentle music]
[door closes]
- Who is this?
- My friend, Frank.
- Come and give me a hug first.
- When he leave, come and get your gift.
- My birthday passed already.
- It's a early gift.
- Hey, who's buddy, he weird as hell.
- My stepdad.
- Shit, that wasn't not stepdad hug.
- Look, my family ain't perfect, okay.
You judging me now? - No.
- I only brought you here
because they were gonna kill you.
- Look, I appreciate that,
but I don't need you watching over me,
protecting me, man.
I'm cool, I got myself.
- After you left the party,
Tyler and his friends came in,
they got drunk and they were talking
about how you're gonna turn up dead.
- See, man, this shouldn't even went down like that
'cause I ain't tell nobody.
Like I didn't tell a soul.
- Tell what, what are you talking about?
- Long story short, your boy Tez,
your prom date, I saw Ty Lord kill him
and his homies.
He said he was gonna kill me
if I told anybody, so.
- Dang, you know everybody thought
you killed Tez?
So I guess you had no choice
but to snitch.
- Look, I wouldn't snitch regardless,
but the cops said they was gonna put it on me
if I didn't say nothing.
- So you told and I don't blame you.
It's too many fools out here
who in jail for something they did not do.
My cousin in jail for 30 years
for something he didn't do.
So basically you didn't say anything,
but the whole hood looking at you
like you a snitch.
So you might as well did tell.
- Basically.
- So that's why they want you dead?
That's so lame.
I hope Tyler done learned his lesson.
He always after somebody.
It's only a matter of time
before they catch up with you.
- Look, I gotta get outta there tonight.
The only reason why I'm here
is because Granny in a coma.
- And go where?
- Look, I'm going to Atlanta.
I applied to a couple of colleges down there.
Morehouse is one of them.
CAU was another one.
I mean, I ain't get accepted,
but, hey, they got this summer program, though.
Where you going?
- [Angel] Are you serious?
- What's that?
What's this?
- Oh.
You got accepted?
Man, that's huge.
I mean, I ain't get accepted,
but man, congratulations.
- I mean, it feels good
to know that I'm smart enough to get into college,
but I'm not gonna actually go.
You know, what's the point?
I know people with good degrees
and no jobs.
I know a man who moving weight
with a master's degree.
- I mean, I much rather take my chances trying
to get a degree
then spend another summer here in Chicago.
- But you don't understand.
I never left the Chicago area.
I don't know how to act if I'm somewhere else.
- I done seen five people get killed
in one weekend.
I'm outta here, I can't stay here.
The last thing Jacob told me before he died,
he said he was gonna go with me,
so that's why I wanted you to come with me.
At least I know somebody if I'm down there.
- You must think I'm a ho
because what happened at that party, don't you?
Well, I'm not, I was just tipsy.
But I do like you.
- I don't think you no ho
and I know you probably think I'm a goof
because I came quick,
but the truth is I want you to come
to Atlanta with me because I like you, too.
- I can't.
- I mean, you can.
If anybody can, you smart and you pretty.
You can do anything you want.
If you stay here, what you gonna do?
Get pregnant, get a bogus job,
get Link card, Section 8?
What's stopping you.
- [Angel] It's Frank?
- Frank, what about him?
Ever since my mom died,
he took care of me and my sisters.
You know, even when mom and him wasn't
on good terms, he still took care of me.
- He would want you to get an education, too.
- [Angel] You don't understand.
- [Jowann] Why would he try to stop you from doing
what's right with your life?
- He isn't.
- [Jowann] Then what is it?
- He touches me.
Ever since I was a little girl.
I didn't like it then.
But I like it now.
He makes me feel special.
- Look, Angel, that's none of my business,
but what he doing to you, that's wrong.
That's, you don't deserve that.
- Angel, you still got company?
- [Angel] Yes, Frank, go away.
- What, stink ass.
I gotta get outta town ASAP, man.
But you got time, so I want you to think about it.
I'm a go down there, around the 7th,
I'm a be back.
I'm a let you know everything you missing, all right?
- Okay, I'll think about it,
but you know you don't have to leave, right?
Get the police to say excuse me from school
and I'll come meet you at the Plug Thug.
- I'll make a few calls then,
I'll pull some strings.
But for right now, I gotta get up outta here.
So, all right then.
[gentle music]
[door closes]
[Jowann] First, I was confused.
Angry.
I was frustrated.
But then I realized I can't change
the people around me and that's the struggle.
Do I leave them and give up on them?
All I know is that I have to focus on myself.
And maybe all this can change them for the better.
It's funny how one weekend can change
the course of one life.
But my path is clear.
It's clearer than ever,
especially since Ty Lord told me what he told me.
I'm a pray for Debbie
and I really hope she gets better,
but what's crazy is Angel.
I thought she was the one.
But with the whole Frank situation,
I'm a pray for her, too.
The person I'm really gonna miss the most is Granny.
I'm sorry I have to leave you like this,
but if I can make it out
on the west side of Chicago,
I'd be the only one that I know
to have done that.
So it's bye for now, Chicago.
You will always be home.
But I gotta keep it moving
and take my chances in Atlanta.
[triumphant music]
[gentle music]
[gentle piano music]
♪ Chicago
♪ This is my life, this is my life ♪
♪ This is my life in Chicago
♪ This is my life, this is my life ♪
♪ This is my life in Chicago
♪ This is my life, this is my life ♪
♪ This is my life in Chicago
♪ This is my life, this is my life ♪
♪ This is my life in Chicago
♪ Chillin' on the down low
♪ Watch out for the potholes
♪ LSD to cruise a psychedelic on the no low ♪
♪ Sayin' we don't gotta light that ♪
♪ Boy you must be loco
♪ Got my reasons, quashin' up
♪ But funky like the skyline
♪ Rappin' in my city always poetry it takes time ♪
♪ Eenie, meeny, miney mo
♪ I'm pickin' out the right rhymes ♪
♪ Roost Road in only reach me through the baseline ♪
♪ This is my life, this is my life ♪
♪ This is my life in Chicago
♪ This is my life, this is my life ♪
♪ This is my life in Chicago
♪ This is my life, this is my life ♪
♪ This is my life in Chicago
♪ This is my life, this is my life ♪
♪ This is my life in Chicago
♪ The second city
♪ That means anyone that's talkin' down ♪
♪ Can sock it to me
♪ I mean me and city
♪ Everybody eats, so we got rules ♪
♪ We always teach
♪ If we gonna do 'em dirty
♪ We best make sure to keep it neat ♪
♪ Every night seem like it's Halloween ♪
♪ So many tricks and treats
♪ On each and every bumpy street ♪
♪ Best be home before them lights come on ♪
♪ Out in the street
♪ You know if you don't
♪ Then you catchin' a beat down ♪
♪ Tourist side of state
♪ Come and thinkin' we senile
♪ Meanwhile we could holla figures to the gov, too ♪
♪ Rushin' to 'em out the pocket ♪
♪ We ain't great, you outta pocket ♪
♪ We ain't stressin' under pressure ♪
♪ Eight ball in the corner pocket ♪
♪ Chicago
♪ This is my life, this is my life ♪
♪ This is my life in Chicago
♪ This is my life, this is my life ♪
♪ This is my life in Chicago
♪ This is my life, this is my life ♪
♪ This is my life in Chicago
♪ This is my life, this is my life ♪
♪ This is my life in Chicago
♪ I can count this money with my eyes closed ♪
♪ Just like that I get it
♪ No doubt in my mind I will get it ♪
♪ No wastin' my time, I stuck to the ground ♪
♪ Woulda thought I had unfinished business ♪
♪ I stuck to the script
♪ They stuck on hate
♪ Every day I wake I'm about this cake ♪
♪ Lord knows I got more to say
♪ More to do and no hesitatin'
♪ No conversation, just revelation ♪
♪ Wake up in the morning, I hug my lady ♪
♪ Get to the money, gotta feed my baby ♪
♪ Prayed up, I don't know what's waitin' ♪
♪ Ain't no cuttin' planes, 'cause I'm hood, though ♪
♪ Friends are few what I get into ♪
♪ And I'm still good in my hood, uh-huh ♪
♪ Mama now be eatin' good, uh-huh ♪
♪ Livin' the life that I should ♪
♪ Nothing for granted, we planted ♪
♪ Everything, yes we demanded
♪ Feelin' myself on the man
♪ No talk from the Coopers, you can ♪
♪ United we stand
♪ The heck when you do what you can't ♪
♪ The heck when you do what you can ♪
♪ I say fuck 'em and do it again ♪
♪ No time to waste
♪ We runnin' up dance, hey
♪ Hey
♪ I can count this money with my eyes closed ♪
♪ Just like that, like that, like that, like that ♪
♪ Like that, like that
♪ I can count this money with my eyes closed ♪
♪ Just like that, like that, like that, like that ♪
♪ I can count this money with my eyes closed ♪
♪ My mouth is a ski slope
♪ To see me you don't need a microscope ♪
♪ To be me gotta walk a tightrope ♪
♪ Black is top, but I am the white goat ♪
♪ Livin' in the burbs with the white folk ♪
♪ Don't sit there and hit it fast ♪
♪ You might choke
♪ All this paper the hood could not cope ♪
♪ If I stay around hoods there's a gun to my throat ♪
♪ Low main swag
♪ I'm bound to get flapped
♪ Rob my city, I gots to be strapped ♪
♪ New made back can stop on that jack ♪
♪ The game I'm in, I'm stackin' them stacks ♪
♪ Rackin' them racks
♪ Clippin' that bread
♪ No dope spot, man
♪ I'm dodgin' them fades
♪ All the young niggas is poppin' their lid ♪
♪ I reverence God, I ain't never be scared ♪
♪ Ooh
♪ I can count this money with my eyes closed, yeah ♪
♪ I can count this money with my eyes closed ♪
♪ Just like that, like that, like that,
♪ I can count this money with my eyes closed ♪
♪ Just like that, like that, like that,
♪ I can count this money with my eyes closed ♪