NETFLIX PRESENTS
This fiction is inspired by true stories and the testimony of real witnesses.
-Joseph, hurry! -Nina Hagen is our guest host tonight...
-It's starting. -Coming.
You're a musician yourself...
-Who's she? -The girl who invited them on the show.
What kind of a crazy scarecrow is she?
Your sticker and mine say 93NTM.
I'm saying it in French because they're a French band.
They're your first guests.
What does NTM mean? 93 is the Seine-Saint-Denis zip code.
And NTM means?
As soon as their first record comes out,
everyone will know what NTM means.
Until then it's a secret that mustn't be revealed.
You can only know the letters.
OK, OK, Shen!
For an opening Just to see you grinning
I rap!
He looks so handsome. How great!
Dodging errors I spit my flavors
For you to savor...
Look, there's Didier!
-See him? -I rap!
Lemme get to know ya My rap's gonna floor ya
My rhymes set the beat Make the dance floor heave
But don't mind me I leave you free
We're gonna be on the ceiling
Listen to my meaning Gonna start reeling...
Pasta!
-After effort, comfort. -Will you serve, Vivi?
-Looks good, ma'am. -Not ma'am. Granny.
-Looks good, Granny. -Guests first.
No, guests last.
-Ah, yes! -Granny?
-Cute waitress. -She's lovely.
My granddaughter.
-I like her too. -Down, boy!
One more spoonful.
-That's right, go on. -You honor me.
Yeah, I'm hungry.
Smell that?
What?
Smells weird. No offense, Granny.
You guys don't smell it?
Why do you do that, Didier?
Yeah Didier, why do you?
You're still the best-looking.
-He's the best-looking? -You bet.
-Reak's the best-looking! -Raisin bread!
Have you studied the offers? What's your decision?
We've had offers from BMG, Labelle Noir, Virgin.
And?
We're in discussions.
Most of them know nothing of rap. They just saw us on TV.
-Got a bidding war going? -That's right, ma'am.
Take your time. I recommended you to Epic.
Puydauby's very good and really wants to work with you.
But he's just an artistic director. His bosses are tough businessmen.
They'll find someone to sign quick.
We're tough businessmen too.
We'll respect them if they respect our conditions.
Puydauby, Epic...
That's CBS. A major label.
-They'll want to format us. -They all want commercial rap.
-It won't be different. -When Trust
sings Antisocial, is that commercial?
I don't know...
Is Léo Ferré formatted, for example?
-Colette Magny? -Granny?
Granny's not formatted. Granny!
Seriously. They're all revolutionaries.
And they're all on CBS.
Needs more sauce.
Vivi, will you heat more sauce please?
Out in the kitchen.
It's great to resist formatting,
refuse an assigned songwriter, I agree.
Gotta be true to yourselves. But now...
you gotta get in high gear.
Otherwise they'll find someone else. But do as you like.
Bingo! That's what we'll do.
We're in high gear now.
Once he washes off his foundation
and we finish the spaghetti, we'll take off!
Ferrari, Formula 1!
We're already ahead of the pack.
Don't worry about us, we're racing!
Too fast.
Great! That's great, boys.
Hey.
What the fuck do you want?
Dunno, I wanted to see you.
Are you pissed at me?
Over rehearsals?
-You really let us down. -Yeah, I know.
I'm sorry.
-Cool TV show. -Yeah?
Thanks for watching.
Shame we didn't see much of you.
What'd you think of us overall?
-"Us"? -Yeah, us. NTM.
Dunno. Did you see yourself?
You were in the back. A cheerleader.
Pathetic.
NTM, NTM...
You wanna be part of it, but you aren't.
-What do you mean? -They're fucking you over.
I don't mind being in the back. I don't need to shine.
What they're doing is amazing.
They're changing music. I want to do it with them.
You're jealous!
I'll dance with them if I want.
-I do what I want. I'm free. -Free?
You're always with Bruno!
I'd rather be with him than you.
-Silly little girls! -Miss Sullé!
-My guy's doing a huge thing! -Why are you here?
You've been expelled. Leave now.
Leave!
This is it.
Yes?
Philippe? They're here.
-Show them in. -Have a good meeting, boys.
The idea is to start with an EP.
Two tracks and a remix.
Then we'll do an album with ten tracks.
If you like, we can do remixes of some tracks,
and DJ versions too.
And then...
SUPREME NTM CEDES TO EPIC
IRREVOCABLY
SUBJECT TO PROSECUTION
You'll get a 9% advance on royalties.
And we'll commit to three albums.
We have to make all three albums with you?
It's a mutual commitment, yes.
We saw your TV performance and your Rap Attitude interview.
We want you to stay true to yourselves.
How many tracks do you have so far?
Finished tracks?
They have five or six.
But they're very productive. The album will happen fast.
-Good. -Did you read it?
-Yes. -Cool.
-Sign away. -Where?
Bottom of the last page.
And initial each page of the contract.
-What's the date? -April 5th.
There.
Don't forget your advances.
Dudes! Damn!
20,000 big ones!
Fuck me! Did they make a mistake?
-Maybe it's all a mistake. -There's no mistake.
This is the advance on royalties. The rest comes...
We're outta here, dudes. Gotta leave the scene of the crime!
Hey, where you goin'?
I'm gonna splash out! 20,000!
Are you kidding? We got plans to make.
-Don't worry. -You just signed a contract.
Nah, I just took the loot.
Bruno, tell him about the album before I get mad.
Mad at who?
Cut it out, you two!
Show some respect!
We got a single to do. Let's focus.
See ya later, girlfriends. Ciao!
Fuck...
Not ten, twenty! 20,000 big ones!
How many warnings have you gotten?
This is the second one.
You'll be alright.
You'll get it together. I been there.
How much do you owe?
It's not just the electricity. I owe four months' rent.
And a long list of other shit.
Since I got banned from Radio Nova, times are hard.
And that's not all.
What else?
Béatrice.
When she's gone I can't breathe, dude. I can't deal.
I swear, I don't know what to do.
Fight for her!
Take a chance, go see her. Get on your knees.
It's hopeless.
What'll she do with a guy like me? I have nothing to offer.
C'mon, she's not Lady Di either.
And I owe the record store a small fortune. Fuck!
Daniel, you're off topic.
Take things one at a time.
One thing at a time.
Look at our star, so handsome! This is real.
Concerts, albums, everything. I'm so happy.
Tonight, we celebrate.
-Wanna hit the clubs? -Yeah, Le Palace.
Le Palace? I'm all over that!
-Cool. -Where's the West Indian?
Dunno.
Major congrats dudes, for real!
Studio's reserved. It's game on!
Where's Didier?
I'm getting a drink. Want one?
I'll take a beer.
Pizza, kids.
Vivi?
How you doin'?
Why are you here?
No, why are you here? What's wrong?
Don't worry, I'm fine. Just wanted some peace.
-Go have fun. -No, tell me what's wrong.
I feel like I'm not really here.
What do you mean?
Sometimes in life there are...
opportunities.
You know how to seize them.
You do too, Vivi.
You're doing videos, auditions...
Yeah, but it's always the same.
I'm the sexy ethnic girl, I brighten the décor.
So? That's how it is at first.
Pay some dues, then do your thing.
I'll always support what you do.
I'll never let you down.
Vivi, you're free.
That's the difference between us.
I'm stuck. I signed a contract for three albums.
Now I gotta find rhymes night and day.
I'm supposed to be a singer but I can't sing.
I'm no fucking artist, you know?
-You are. -I'm not.
-You are, you just don't see it.
True, you can't read music and you sing flat!
What?
They call me Pavarotti in the hood.
Wasn't it Platini?
Oh yeah, him too.
I need you so much, don't let me go.
I'll never make it without you.
We're together, see?
I love you.
Don't cry, it's a party!
Hello?
Yeah, it's me.
Who?
Daniel?
Hello.
I'm Jen, I do production for Mylène.
Sorry, we're so busy I couldn't get an office.
Mind if we just sit here?
I love that photo.
It really captures her essence.
Thanks, Sylvie.
Tea or coffee? No, all good?
-No thanks. -OK.
The whole team knows your work.
It's amazing.
Mylène danced to your music at Globo.
As did I, Dan. May I call you Dan?
Sure, of course.
What do you want me to do?
I won't beat around the bush. Here's a demo.
These three tracks need to be punched up, shaken...
Dee Nastified!
Know what I mean?
I'll let you listen and get back to me, OK?
When will you have something for us?
Two days? We're under pressure.
OK? This is super confidential, obviously.
No need to mention lawyers and lawsuits.
Right, uh... Excuse me, but I'd like...
I'd really like to speak with Mylène first.
I understand.
She isn't in Paris right now. You'll see her in the studio.
It'll be great. OK?
So nice to meet you.
Welcome.
Thank you.
After you.
You know Fred Versailles, our producer.
And this is Leo, the sound engineer.
I'll be back with your defrayals and to see how it's going.
OK? See ya later.
I set up two SL-1200s, as agreed.
I brought my SP-1200.
Cool.
-Where can I put it? -Here.
-I'll plug it in. -Careful.
Right.
We'll run it through the compressors.
You'll be compressing my sounds?
These are killer machines. Tube compressors.
They'll bring warmth and brilliance to your sounds.
But you can choose.
Here's the console. A 4000 SSL.
Top notch.
48 tracks.
Killer equalizers everywhere. I can work on every frequency.
This is digital. We weren't gonna mess with the sound.
OK, we can stick to analog if you want.
OK? Bruno, come.
Come see the booth.
Here it is.
We'll record your vocals in here.
I picked out a bunch of mics.
See?
You'll have to choose.
The 414 is sharp, forthright and unforgiving.
The U47 is the Rolls Royce of mics. And the U67, which I really like.
Warmer, obviously.
Pick what's right for you.
-OK? -Yeah.
So what's the plan? How do you want to work?
We can't work until Didier comes.
Since when do we need all that to cut a tune?
This is bullshit! It's not rap.
And that asshole not showing up.
He's pushing it with me.
We look like fools.
So what do we do?
What can we do?
Are you fucking kidding?
I've been looking for you all week.
Hey, chill.
Look. Seb?
Remember the intern at Polydor?
How's it hangin'?
I'm crashin' at his place.
Didier!
-What? -We gotta record.
You better chill or else! You hear me?
Anyway.
A beer for my friend.
We gotta make that fucking single!
They're waiting.
-We gotta? -Yeah!
But why?
Let me explain.
We just took the money.
We committed a fucking holdup without a gun!
Are you off the rails? Isn't this what you wanted?
To do what we love, our way?
Why keep shopping around?
All record companies are the same.
-You're scared! -Scared?
Yeah!
Listen to me good.
I didn't need those assholes to do my thing.
I'm fucking them over! Tough shit for them.
Your little fuck-over is chump change.
20,000 francs? Don't make me laugh.
A Renault 5 costs more!
-You wanna quit now? -What'd you say?
A Renault 5 costs more!
Listen to me, Didier...
The real holdup, the big one?
That's still to come.
Further down the road.
I'll be waiting.
Yeah, yeah.
Did Bruno take off?
Bruno!
Shut up about him.
Hey! Hands off.
What's your problem?
Want my dick up your ass?
Yeah, oh yeah!
Stop it! C'mon!
No, no!
You're too ugly anyway!
Don't hog it all!
I hog it all! I'm a pig!
Stop, stop. Wait.
C'mon, let's go to my place.
King of the world!
Look! Wait.
Watch this.
'Morning.
A pack of Golds, please.
And two coffee-calvas.
Forget the coffee. Just calvados.
OK.
Thomas Claudio, 21, the passenger without a helmet,
died in the ambulance to the hospital.
The police say it was an accident.
But youth in Vaulx-en-Velin
say the police saw the motorcycle
and purposely swerved in front of it.
The reaction was immediate.
Thomas' friends from the neighborhood set fire to cars.
Looting and drag racing with one aim,
lure out the police to make them pay
for what everyone here considers a crime.
After everything that's happened these past four days,
the question is not "How do we solve these problems?"
but "Why did it happen?"
Young people are outraged
in memory of all the dead,
and especially Thomas right now.
The thing is,
people are sick of seeing brothers crying,
mothers crying, sisters crying.
Where there is injustice, there is violence. And vice-versa.
Why kill people like that?
They die when they get run over!
Their parents go crazy, they're all...
Their whole lives, they'll never forget. Why?
The cops don't give a shit. They say, "It's nothing."
When someone kills someone, a cop or anyone else,
the punishment must reflect the crime.
Whatta chance Whatta chance to live in France
Too bad so many Show incompetence
Amid the indifference we see Scourges rising naturally
In my hood, violent scenes Become routine, so...
Whatta chance Whatta chance to live in France
Too bad so many Show incompetence
Amid the indifference we see Scourges rising naturally
In my hood, violent scenes Become routine, so...
See their lives Look your youth in the eyes
You who make the laws...
Goddammit! Fuck this!
-Relax, he'll be back. -You don't know him!
That asshole could take off for six months!
Wanna see my new dance moves?
No babe, can't you see I can't even finish this?
All on my own in the studio like some fool, I won't make it.
This shit's gotta go too!
Hello?
I'll put him on.
Bruno?
You who make the laws...
Bruno?
Look your youth in the eyes You who make the laws...
-Yeah? -Chevalier.
Hello?
Huh?
You're the manager. I don't know where he is.
Fuck that asshole!
-Any news? -No, we gotta work.
Work how?
I practiced his part.
Pure product of infamy North of Paris
Climbin' out the hole With just one goal:
Make myself known
Unstable and lazy Too proud for charity
I prefer it easy
Cos I know any job Gonna grind me to a stub
Consider these blues Too many in my shoes
A stone's throw from you Whatcha gonna do
-Same old song... -Where is he?
Dunno, he was just here.
Play it back.
Pure product of infamy North of Paris
Climbin' out the hole With just one goal:
Make myself known...
So?
Not bad, but you're not always on the beat.
Yeah? Where?
Play it back.
Pure product of infamy North of Paris
Climbin' out the hole With just one goal:
Make myself known
Unstable and lazy Too proud for charity
-I prefer it easy... -There.
On the snare drum, you come in late.
Yeah, kinda.
I'll go again, I'm on fire.
-Perfect. -Hit the sounds.
Here we go.
I'm good, thanks.
It's cool.
Sure, real cool.
Music?
Dude does whatever he wants, but it's cool.
-Let it go. -Let it go?
He's here, we work.
No secrets, girls!
Let's do it again.
Music.
You come and go at will.
You coming tomorrow?
You're fucking up our whole schedule.
-What d'ya mean, I'm here! -Look around you.
They're professionals. We need to be too, OK?
Music!
This is a question of respect.
-Respect? -For Bruno,
for me, and for Fred!
Tryin' to throw me off my game?
-Stop shouting! -I'm right here at the mic!
-Hear me? I'm killin' it! -Do your job.
Shut the fuck up and do your job!
You know the Marseille crew? Those IAM guys?
They used the same sample as us.
-In a song on their mixtape! -What the hell?
So do your own job right before you mouth off at me!
You knew about that sample.
You signed off on it! Don't try to turn the tables.
I don't know what the Marseille guys do.
-Go again, Didier. -I been waitin' an hour!
-We been waitin' six months. -Play the music.
Bruno, listen up.
One day, you'll have to choose.
Him or me.
No longer the good little girl Left behind
I came to steal today The love that you gave
I'm the wild rebel You wish you could forget
I'm too full of anger to forgive you
My rap is not a game I'm out in the open
My childhood stolen My dreams all broken
Listen to my rage And know I've spoken
My eyes, my skin My wrath is black...
Hi.
What are you up to?
-Talking to yourself? -No, I'm...
I'm writing something.
Yeah?
I'm wiped. Puydauby wants press on the NTM signature.
I gotta make calls. I haven't even eaten.
Oh, and I found you a space.
For you and your dancers.
Cool.
You OK?
Is it Bruno?
Did you fight?
No.
Why would I fight with Bruno?
Well...
I better make those calls.
Do you think I should dance with the guys?
Alex and Reak.
Of course.
You three are the NTM dancers.
And now it's official.
You'll rehearse in good conditions.
The maxi single is coming out.
There'll be concerts. You gotta be ready.
Pure product of infamy North of Paris
Climbin' out the hole With just one goal...
Try adding more bass. Ease up on the compression.
I prefer it easy
Cos I know any job Gonna grind me to a stub
Consider these blues Too many in my shoes
A stone's throw from you
Same old song Been playin' too long
People turn their backs on Crucial problems
Social problems Suffocating the young...
We should accentuate his growl.
Fuck, I been...
-Stop the music. -What is it?
I been askin' for an hour! Put Bruno's part on!
Whatta chance Whatta chance to live in France
Too bad so many Show incompetence
Add some reverb to his voice.
In my hood, violent scenes Become routine, so
Go see their lives Look your youth in the eyes
You who make the laws
Listen to my cause...
We've got the intro.
Hey guys, cut it off.
Could you go back to the top at four?
Then switch to eight,
and we'll redo the chorus. I'll do a whole one.
From the top?
Yeah.
The intro is solid.
Whatta chance Whatta chance to live in France
Too bad so many Show incompetence
Amid indifference we see Scourges rising naturally
In my hood, violent scenes Become routine, so
Go see their lives Look your youth in the eyes
You who make the laws Listen to my cause
Don't assume it's a game Cos young people change
Making you dismayed
No more waiting For things to be arranged
I'm not a leader Just a loudspeaker
For a rebel generation About to shake the nation
And the system that dissed 'em
To reveal the truth, I feel obligated Cos silence can no longer be
Tolerated
Sad to say But you cannot fathom
Why youth in my hood Are dwelling at the bottom
-Crime is on the rise -And it's no surprise
-Violence runs in the veins -Of those who hate
OK I'll take the reins To pry open your mind
-Pry! -Prisoner of a system
Where rules depend On your class
Yeah!
Your style
-Oui! -Your face
Your race Stay in your place
The system harms
But don't forget I'm armed
-My prose I impose -Impose!
My process is engaged My truth is what I say
The world of tomorrow Belongs to us
The power's in our hands Listen to our chorus
The world of tomorrow Belongs to us
The power's in our hands Listen to our chorus
The world of tomorrow Belongs to us
The power's in our hands Listen to our chorus
On the beat we go faster, more like...
OK for the chorus?
Ready?
Five, six, seven, eight.
One, two, three, four...
five, six, seven, eight...
And one, and two...
-Fuck! -It's lame.
Hey, guys!
When will you do what I ask?
Hey, chill.
We don't like it.
No lie. We're regressing.
You don't like my moves or my orders?
Neither.
I showed Bruno my moves and he approves.
So stop breakin' my balls!
So?
You may be Bruno's woman but you ain't the boss.
Look me in the eyes. You too.
I'm not the singer's girlfriend here, OK?
I'm a choreographer.
Sure.
Choreographer?
Yeah, choreographer!
-Sure. -What's so funny?
I'm gonna smoke. Rehearse it.
-Hello. -How are you?
Sorry I'm late, we're mega busy.
Mylène's finishing the album. We need the single fast.
Thanks for being quick.
I brought my latest version.
The first one was great.
So inventive. We'll talk.
But it's not at all what we need.
We're looking for a bit more vibe.
Modern sounds to boost the refrain.
Just a little break with some of your scratches.
We can jump in a cab and be at the studio in 20.
We have turntables so you can do it live in the studio.
All good?
I need to talk to Mylène.
I just spoke to her, I speak her words.
My lips move and Mylène's words come out.
Get the concept?
I get the bullshit, yeah. Bye.
Message from Vivi to Dora.
Listen...
I wanted to say I'm sorry.
And...
what happened is a real shame.
I miss you.
Booth 14.
Ni hao.
So?
Are you shy?
Hello, Béatrice?
Daniel?
I'm sorry. I was a jerk, I want to apologize.
You took your sweet time.
Listen, I promise I'll be brief.
You have 10 minutes, then you gotta pay again.
You know...
When we met...
I thought the enemy
was this society that doesn't understand our kind.
So I believed...
it was time for us to carve out our own place to belong.
Not rely on anyone else, just us.
Helping each other out, in true hip-hop spirit.
But it turns out the enemy is everywhere.
I was dreaming.
There was never a movement.
Just hungry individuals thinking only of themselves.
It's wrecking me!
Yeah, but Daniel...
It's not all black and white.
We all have gray areas.
That's how it is, that's life.
We're all hungry. We're all a bit tainted.
We all want to win the carnival prize. That's life.
I'm the same.
And so are you.
If you can't accept that...
you'll never make it.
Never.
Yeah, maybe. But you have no gray areas.
You're the prettiest, strongest woman I've ever known.
I know what I want now. I want to live with you.
Never lose you again.
I want to make my music with you and the people I love.
Fuck everything else.
With me?
Yeah. I want to make a record with you.
And a baby.
Or a baby and a record! Any order you want.
A record, sure.
Why not?
Stay away from that glass.
It's covered in sperm!
'Sup?
Been ages.
Cool.
How you doin'?
You good?
Cool.
'Sup, blood?
What's goin' down?
Why the heat?
They came for Claudio.
Over the riots in Lyon.
They're scared.
If they get cocky, things'll blow up.
Right...
I'll leave you with the pigs.
Enjoy the yummy pork.
Fuck!
Ready to party, ball sacks?
How's it hangin'? Chillin'?
'Sup, bro?
-Didier. -You good, Franck?
-'Sup, Brunette? -It's locked.
-What? -It's locked.
No, seriously?
Hey guys. Bruno,
a guy from city hall wants to talk to you.
Franck Chevalier, NTM's manager. What's the problem?
-Hello, I work for the mayor. -Yes?
I'm afraid I have bad news.
The mayor of Mantes has refused to open the gym.
-What? -Meaning?
-Let me explain. -What do you mean, refused?
We've been waiting two hours.
We have a big audience, you know?
I know. But he's afraid there'll be trouble.
-After the riots in Vaulx-en-Velin... -What trouble?
-You're cancelling? -I know.
But with the recent riots,
they're afraid it'll degenerate.
Is the mayor the idiot or is it you?
-Sorry. -Crowds are coming.
If we don't play, it'll degenerate.
Listen, I'm just the messenger.
Let me talk to your boss.
I can't reach him now.
What about the people waiting?
You should make an announcement.
Why should we clean up your shit?
I know, I'm sorry about the cancellation.
What cancellation?
-We can't open the gym. -You can't what?
If you tell your fans yourselves, they'll take it better.
-Tell them what? -The mayor said...
Fuck that!
-What's your problem? -Didier!
-It's holdup time. -So sorry.
-I'll pass the message... -This is so unprofessional.
Step aside.
I'll give them your message!
Step aside. Hey, everybody!
Hey, everybody!
Hey! Come together!
Yeah! Everybody come!
Everybody, everybody!
We got something to say!
Apparently the mayor doesn't want us to play!
What the fuck?
That means we all came for nothing!
I don't think you caught my meaning! Are we fools?
-No! -Are we fools?
We won't budge! There'll be a concert tonight!
Go on!
What do we say to the mayor?
Fuck you, Mr. Mayor!
No! What do we say to the mayor?
Fuck yo mama, Mr. Mayor!
Nique Ta Mère!
Let's go!
OK! OK, everybody!
I can't hear you! Are you there?
C'mon, guys!
Lemme tell ya how it is I wanna smoke a spliff
And build a competitive riff
I wanna wax musical All while stayin' ethical
Make wads of money Without tarnishing my homies
It's crazy but truly It feeds me
I need it My sanity depends on it
I'm on the mic It's what I like
I like to hear pow!
I like it low-down But I'm gonna frown
If it's neat as a pin Sophistication is a sin
I keep my eyes on the prize Never compromise
I won't change my tune
To my roots I'll always be true
It's hard, but bring it I will rise to it
Being a muckraker Is an honor
For me and my crew
My cronies, my homies We're sick of the phonies
We're done takin' it We won't submit to it
I have one dream: For my people to breathe
Everybody!
Besides smokin' grass I like sittin' on my ass
Hangin' with my peeps
Kickin' back to shoot the breeze
Talkin' all night Puttin' the world to rights
With our skewed insights
We're madmen caged In stairwells, enraged
We live and die hard In a concrete house of cards
Days turn to years Weighing heavy on our spirits
But in the future I predict Embers still lit
In the tired eyes Of the kids who get passed by
-Pass the mic! -Let me spew my unfiltered views
I'm weary but determined To obliterate the vermin
-Whatcha gonna do? -I ain't their punching bag
I'm gonna speak out
When fascists brandish their flame I'll snuff it out
I ain't no brainiac Just a rhyming maniac
-Using my psyche to speak for my posse -Louder!
Everybody!
IN MEMORY OF VIRGINIE AND PATRICIA SULLÉ,
AND TO ALL THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTED
TO THE BIRTH OF HIP-HOP IN FRANCE.
-Go, go, baby! -Louder!
In the back!
Subtitle translation by: Bad Kitty