Comfort and gladness
You give me joy
Hey, one, two, three! Whoa!
Yeah!
We're singing out to him
Sing with me now! Yeah
Singing is the way we
Way we celebrate
Freedom to express ourselves
in every single way
I can't help but let out...
...every song I feel inside
Do your dance, it's your chance
Let it shine
Sing of your love
Love
Your love
- Oh, come make a joyful noise
- Make a joyful noise
Come and rejoice
Joice
- Make a joyful!
- Oh, come make a joyful noise
Yeah... I didn't...
Come make a joyful noise
I know you feel it
Jam rock soul
Joyful noise giving the feeling
I can't control
Way down, deep in my soul
Top let back with my beat down low
Turn it up
No need to be under
The boom in my bass
will rock you like thunder
So make way for the joy when it rains
Down with the sound
of greatest in the game
Sing of your love
Love
- Oh, come make a joyful noise
- Oh, come make a joyful noise
Come and rejoice
Joice
- Oh, come make a joyful
- Come sing with me
A joyful noise
Come make a joyful
- A joyful
- A joyful noise!
Come make a joyful noise
Cyrus, why do you want
to embarrass me?
That's not what I want to do.
Then what was
that nonsense out there?
When I appointed you choir director,
I assumed your talent would be
used to sing praises to the Lord.
Well, I know, Dad.
That's why it was a gospel rap and not,
you know, something inappropriate.
Any rap is inappropriate
as far as I'm concerned.
Rap is the devil's music, and does not
belong in a house of worship.
Honey...
We will not have this discussion again.
Yes, sir.
Kris, you know
I'm comin' through with the hot beats.
Wait, wait, wait, wait,
who's rappin' tonight?
Bling? Again? Man, I can't stand him!
Yeah. Yeah, that's it.
Yo, let me get on this.
I'll see you at the club.
Man, no, I don't have to sneak out.
All right, I'm my own man.
Hey, people don't know,
but my rap game is tight, too.
I just, you know, I keep it on the low.
We always enjoy you, Kris.
We should get together sometime,
you know,
and keep this whole vibe going.
Anytime.
Nope, nice to meet you, I'm Cyrus,
Kris' invisible friend since kindergarten.
Oh, my bad, man.
Did you wanna meet those honies?
No, I wasn't interested anyway.
They're not my type.
Wait, "fine" is not your type?
No, I just want a girl
who's about something
a girl who has substance.
A girl I can take to
the Atlanta Jazz Museum. You feel me?
No, I don't. Forget them, all right.
There are plenty of honies in here.
Cy, what up with the new beats, bro,
did you hook me up?
Yeah! Got it right here.
- My man. Catch you later.
- All right.
Cyrus, quit dogging!
Oh, Levi. Sorry, I got caught up.
Yeah, come on,
get these tables bussed.
I'm on it.
Hey, bro. You think you could
play this for me, please?
- Yeah, all right.
- Yes! Thank you.
Sure.
AH right!
Welcome to Club Off The Street.
The coolest place to hang
and be on the street.
I'm your boy Levi and you know
how we do it every week.
So let's go from rhythm to rhyme
as we crown this month's rap king!
All right! We started with eight.
Now we're down to two.
Give it up for newcomer, Da Boss.
And returning champ from last month
and the month before that,
Lord of Da Bling.
- You're going down.
- Nah! You're gonna get it.
The party's goin' wild
Tonight's the night
Come on, come on
This club is on fire, put out your lights
Let's go, let's go
The party's goin' wild
Tonight's the night
Come on, come on
This club is on fire, put out your lights
Let's go, let's go
Yeah, they call you Da Bling
But your jewels looks spoiled
Your platinum chain
looks like aluminum foil
Your hat's too small
'cause your head's too big
The hair under your arm's
like a real big wig
Stop, quit, Bling retire
Your breath's so bad
that your face needs a shower
A marathon wash
Two or three hours
The roof of your mouth
Your mouth is on fire
It's about to go down
Come on! Come on, come on!
It's about to go down
Put your hands in the air
It's about to go down
They call you Da Boss
But you have no wealth
No employees
You should fire yourself
And your pants so tight
that you can barely move
You're a bum that says,
"I'll rap for food"
You're an actor dude with an attitude
I'm the streets' theme song
You're an interlude
Gonna put you on a plate
Watch you get chewed
They should call you a ghost
the way you get booed
The party's goin' wild
Tonight's the night
Come on, come on
This club is on fire, put out your lights
Let's go, let's go
The party's goin wild
Tonight's the night
- Come on, come on
- This club is on fire, put out your lights
Let's go!
Lights off, lights off
Anything you can do, I can do better
Bring it when you want to
I'm ready whenever
- Show me what you got
- Come on!
- I'll show you what I got
- Come on!
Will you rock or roll
The winner takes all
Lights off, lights off,
lights off, lights off
Lights off, lights off,
lights off, lights off
Lights off, lights off
Come on, come on
Lights off, lights off
Come on, come on
Lights off, lights off
Come on, come on
Lights off, lights off
Come on, come on
I know I'm ready and able
But I'm stuck here
bussing all these tables
I could show I got what it takes
But I already used
my 15-minute break
I'm working for minimum wage
when I should be up on the stage
Feel like I'm in a cage
I need to turn the page
'Cause the other guys are fake
I could leave the crowd amazed
The party's goin' wild
Tonight's the night
Come on, come on
This club is on fire, put out your lights
Let's go, let's go
Gentlemen, round two!
I'm bling like my watch
so let's get it tockin'
Your clothes are full of holes
like your granny's ripped stockings
Your style is old, not a good look
Watch Da Boss get burnt
like the food she cooks
Bling, I think you need a shower
I hear you scream
But your odor's much louder
No, that's the sound of victory
Now do your day job
and get my car for me
Ooh!
Lt is over!
The party's goin' wild
Tonight's the night
Come on, come on
This club is on fire, put out your lights
Let's go, let's go
The party's goin' wild
Tonight's the night
Yo, yo, come on
This club is on fire, put out your lights
Let's go, let's go
All right, all right.
Now this is how we do it
here on our street.
It's summer break
so we give kids the beats
to keep them off the streets.
And Bling is still king!
Wait! And one more thing.
I will be takin' home the crown
at the Rap Grand Slam this year!
All of Atlanta will know who Bling
from Midtown is. Midtown, stand up!
Let's go, let's go!
I'm sorry.
Yeah, you are sorry.
You messed up my new shoes, stupid.
You lucky you didn't do it
while I was spitting my hot rhymes.
It wasn't that hot.
What?
No, he did not just call me out!
Listen up, y'all
We got a brain to find
'Cause this whippersnapper's
done lost his mind
I'm getting rich off my words
But now I'm getting challenged
by "revenge of the nerds"
Whoa!
Is that the best you can do?
"Revenge of the nerds"?
I mean, come on, man.
That's just way too easy.
You got some basic skill,
I'll give you that.
But you ain't all that with the rhymes.
Oh.
Oh, really, Mr. Nerd?
So what you really trying to say?
I can come up five better,
and more clever ways
that you could've dissed me.
Five? Please! In your dreams.
One, I'm tripping literally
I should be dish-washing
Cause I got bow-legged knees
and often they be crossin'
Go ahead and ask my bosses
They'll tell you that I'm clumsy
I'll probably fall into your fist
so you won't have to punch me
Yeah! Clean it up!
Let's go, baby! Come on.
Two, I'm vegetarian
So I don't want no beef
You floss expensive jewelry
I floss my crooked teeth
I sing in church choir
My daddy is a reverend
I tried to be a gangster,
but my curfew was 11:00
Three, I drive my Vespa
through the streets
And wear my helmet proud
Do my homework every night
And then come here
to this rowdy crowd
I signed up for the battle
Filled in all the basics
But when they saw that it was me
They put me on the wait list
Four, I run from bullies in the streets
I don't know how to fight
I don't throw lefts or rights
I just left and sprinted right
I'm skinny, y'all
Scrawny arms and a tiny chest
Shoot, I could hide behind that pole
if I just hold my breath
Five, my apron looks like a dress
I should twirl around
like a pretty princess
I'm not a busboy, I'm a waitress
But I can't get the drinks right
Taste test
Let me buy another round
for your guest
My hands got sweaty
and I lost my grip
My shoes don't fit
They're hand-me-downs
From the Salvation Army
right downtown
When I walk into the room,
the lights go down
I'm so ugly, Mom won't hug me
And that's 10 better disses than you
I beat myself
Something you couldn't do
Really? Really?
Yo, yo, everybody!
It seems as if Urkel over here
thinks he's a pretty clever rapper.
Yeah, pretty clever.
So, I'm calling him out.
Urkel, Urkel, Urkel,
Urkel, Urkel, Urkel.
Yo, Cy,
don't worry about that clown.
That fake jewelry
is gonna put a rash around his neck.
He straight-up embarrassed me.
One day he'll get his payback.
But seriously, Cy,
what's your deal, man?
'Cause I know you got
the dope rhymes in the notepad.
I don't know. It's just...
It's different
when I'm writing songs by myself.
I can't do all that up on the stage
when everyone's watching me.
Cy. All you need to do
is get your flow tight,
get some new phat gear,
work on your stage presence,
hit the gym a lil' bit, get a haircut,
moisturize that ashy skin,
and if you put some zit cream on that
forehead, you'll be straight, dude!
I'm telling you.
Oh, and then I'll be straight?
- Yo, show's on. Come on.
- All right, bro, turn it on.
Welcome to Eb&Flo, the best urban
music showcase on the planet.
I'm Ebony Wright.
And I'm Florida Ortiz,
and we are here tonight with Roxie!
- That's our girl!
- That's our girl!
Dang, man, she is looking fine!
Dude, just think, we were all
in third grade together.
She was missing
a front tooth, remember?
She's not missing anything now.
We're here to talk to Roxie
about her new video.
What's up with this group
criticizing your music
and how you look in the video?
What else should! wear, a parka?
So I put on a little somethin'.
It's not a crime.
Oh, it's criminal.
Rumor has it that
you and Atlanta Records
are working on a hot new project.
That's right! You make it, we break it.
It's a contest where one amateur artist
will get their song produced
by my record label
and made as a video for On The Beat.
Just send in a track and a recent photo
and the winner
will be announced live on EB&Flo.
- You're so cool!
- Right here!
So, listen. What do you say
to those wannabe stars out there
who want to enter a song?
Just keep it real
and write from your heart.
All right, okay! Now let's hear it
for Atlanta's own Roxie!
I'm gonna submit a song for the contest.
- For real?
- Yeah. I'm gonna win it.
I don't know about all that.
WW you say that?
'Cause I'm doin' a song
for the contest, too.
'Bout to bust my rap skills
out on you, son.
Okay, we'll see who has skills.
And that would be me. All right, bro,
it's getting late. I'll catch you later?
- You know it.
- All righty. Peace.
Her beauty's crazy
I watch her from the crowd
Her voice is so amazing
She'd make her momma proud
I tried to send her flowers
But she has no address
Her home is in my heart
It's like she never left
This is more than a crush
More than a like-like
More than a love
Baby, imma make you mine
And I ain't givin' up
This is more than a crush
More than a like-like
More than a love
Baby, imma make you mine
And I ain't givin' up
Don't run away
Don't run away from the truth
'Cause I'm not giving up on you
Don't run away
Don't run away from the truth
'Cause I'm not giving up on you
Normally I couldn't turn your head
That's why I had to write this instead
Let's be friends
Start out slow
Get to know you beyond your glow
You're more than meets the eye
Girl you're pterodactyl fly
Way back when you knew my name
Tell the truth is what I claim.
Don't run away
Don't run away from the truth
'Cause I'm not giving up on you
Don't run away
Don't run away from the truth
'Cause I'm not giving up on you
Oh, no.
Now, we were talking about
my generation,
now I wanna talk about today's youth.
Today's youth...
Door needs some oil.
Amen!
It's nice to see my son,
our choir director,
is almost on time for church.
But almost don't cut it
in the kingdom of God, do it?
- Amen!
- I heard ya, I heard ya!
Today's youth.
They say they're not in church
'cause it's too early on Sunday
and they're too tired.
Well, guess what? I'm tired, too.
- Amen!
- I heard ya!
Tired of being blasted
by harsh language out of car stereos.
I heard ya!
Tired of seeing our girls with
their shorts and their skirts too high.
Tired of looking at our boys
wearing their pants too low.
But most of all,
I'm tired of rap and them rap clubs
keeping our kids out so late
on Saturday night
that they can't get up early
on Sunday morning and go to church
'cause they're too...
Tired!
You all know what place
I'm talking about, too.
That place downtown.
And don't you all let them fool you
into believing that it's a good thing.
It keeping our kids safe,
and "off the streets. "
What I am sure about is that
I wouldn't let my son or daughter
support something as blasphemous
as that club,
and neither should you.
People,
we gotta come together as a community
and eliminate the harmful influences
of hip-hop
and end the powerful grip
it's got on our children.
- You're right.
- Yeah.
Young women gotta stop being video
vixens and start being valedictorians.
Come on, man!
Amen!
Young men gotta stop being gangstas
and start being graduates.
Young people gotta turn off that stereo
and turn on G-O-D!
Ah-ha!
G- O-D.
Uh-huh!
G- O-D.
Uh-huh!
G- O-D.
Uh-huh!
That's ridiculous.
Don't Run Away by Truth.
Wait, I know these guys!
Hey, we went to grade school together!
Oh, really? Let me see.
Wait, I need that magazine
you're trying to hide from me.
- It's nothing.
- Lyla, come on! Let me see.
Don't worry about the critics,
they get paid to criticize.
But I'm sick of them saying
I'm hiding my real voice
just 'cause I use a vocoder.
I mean, lots of other artists use it.
Why do they have to pick on me?
Because you're a star, and you're hot.
And that, my friend, is all by design,
thank you very much.
Lyla, you've done a great job
getting me to where I am,
but, you know,
a little respect would be nice, too.
Mm-mmm.
Do not use the "R" word with me.
That is for indie artists
playing the underground circuit
who have a message, and no per diem.
Sweetie, you know I love
and respect you.
And not just because I told your dad
that I would take care of you
on the road.
You're right.
So, do we have a winner
of your contest or what?
Yes. This one is good.
So, he calls himself Truth and
it's real music and it says something.
Plus, it's so cool that these are my boys
from back in that day.
He's cute! And he can rap?
Looks like we do have ourselves
a winner. Hello, Truth!
Excuse me. We're from On The Beat.
A rapper named Truth won our contest
and gave Off The Street as his address.
- Know where I can find him?
- Never heard of him.
- Oh, he's right there!
- Hey, what's up, sweetie?
On The Beat is in the house!
What's up!
EB&Flo is here at Off The Street.
We are in Atlanta to reveal
our big contest winner.
You submitted a song
to On The Beat's contest. Right?
Yeah. Most definitely.
Well, since you decided to make it...
- ... we're gonna break it!
- ... we're gonna break it!
Yeah! This is incredible, yo!
So you won the rap contest?
Yeah, son! Can you believe it?
I guess, if that's what they said.
You're happy for me, right?
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, why wouldn't I be?
I just didn't get a chance
to hear your song.
Oh. That's because I made it last minute
and just threw it in the mail.
So, how's it feel
to be rap's next big superstar?
Hypothetically speaking, of course.
I can only speak English, so...
He's too much.
Well, however you spoke,
it was good enough to win.
And now it's time for you
to meet your new biggest fan.
- Roxie!
- Roxie!
Hi, hi! Hey!
Kris and Cyrus, I can't believe this!
Believe it, baby.
- Kris, you look great.
- Thanks.
And, Cyrus, you look the same.
I mean exactly like you did
in third grade.
Thanks, I guess.
But you, you look better than ever.
I mean, not like you
didn't look good before.
I'm just sayin' now
you're just like all this...
I mean, not like all this.
I mean, I don't mean it like that.
I mean, some people here
might think that,
but I knew you back when you were
in kindergarten so it's...
Just, here! And grown up, but just...
I'm just saying you look awesome.
Thank you.
So, congratulations on your success
winning the contest.
Thank you.
Your song was amazing,
it really touched my heart.
And I may be crazy, but I felt like
you made it about me.
Oh, fa'sho. Yeah, yeah, you were
most definitely what I'm rappin' about.
Roxie! Roxie! Roxie!
Y'all need to quit!
I think your fans
want to hear a song, right?
Yeah!
No, I really wasn't expecting this.
Come on!
But, if you insist.
Okay! Okay!
Okay, here we go-oh
Gather all around,
you don't wanna miss this show
If you don't know
It's about to get serious
A Miss Roxie experience
My energy can make you delirious
Take a chance if you're curious
Follow my lead, up outta yo seat
We're about to P-A-R-T-Y
Y'all ain't seen nothin' like this
Ultimate non-stop excitement
My pyro technique is about
to blow-oh-oh your mind
It's curtain call, the stage is set
Spotlight's on
You ain't seen nothin' yet
This moment is something
that you won't forget
Oh, no, you won't, because
I'm saying that I'm something
you gotta see right now
It's the only place
that you wanna be right now
I'm gonna make some magic
That's what I said
I can be anything, like a chameleon
I'm one in a million
It's gonna be dramatic
That's what I said
That's what I said
Okay! Okay!
That's what I said, that's what I said
That's what I said
See a party ain't a party
without me, the element
And anybody who's anybody
be yellin' it
And when they can't even scream,
they be spellin' it
That I be getting it hype
There's no comparison
I don't mean to sound conceited
or even arrogant
Is it the way that I sing
or my appearance that
Be havin' them sayin'
ya girl got a mad flow
And now they following my swag
like a shadow
Oh, so gather round,
gather round now
'Cause I'm about to break it down,
break it down now
There's too much room
to be standing around
We ought to be shaking the building,
feet stamping the ground
I'm saying that
I'm something you gotta see right now
It's the only place
that you wanna be right now
I'm gonna make some magic
That's what I said
Yeah, I can be anything,
like a chameleon
I'm one in a million
It's gonna be dramatic
Hey! That's what I said
That's what I said
Hey! That's what I said
That's what I said
Hey! That's what I said
That's what I said
Thank you, thank you!
Thank you, love y'all!
But please, give it up
for our new rising rap star!
What up, y'all?
He keeps it so real,
he calls himself 'Truth'!
- Truth! Truth! Truth!
- Truth?
They got my name wrong.
No, I'm Kool Kris.
Who in the heck is Truth?
That's me. I'm Truth.
What? Well, why are they saying
that you won when I did?
- That photo I sent in.
- What photo?
I sent in a photo of both of us.
They probably thought that you
were Truth. They made a mistake.
Sol really didn't win nothin'?
No. I mean, no, you didn't.
Man! I guess we gotta
straighten this out, then.
Yo, On The Beat,
what you want with this wannabe?
You need a sick rapper,
not a sucker MC
I'm like a pit bull and he's a puppy
A candle-lighting, incense-burning
spoken-word-reading yuppie, a rookie
And plus his flow is garbage, sucky
Guaranteed ain't nothing
gonna touch me.
Kris, don't even lower yourself
to his level, okay?
Truth is better than that, right?
Roxie. Roxie, please, just don't.
Now look who's talkin'
Roxie, the diva
She's got him on a leash
like a golden retriever
Standing over this under-achiever
She says he's the truth
Well, I'm not a believer
It's time to go. Time for us... Let's go.
I'm gonna tell her, all right, bro?
All right.
What you staring at, Opie?
Man! I mean, who knew
my homeboys both had talent.
I mean, you with the fly tunes,
and now Kris is the king of rap?
I mean, come on, who knew?
Kris isn't the king of rap.
I mean, there must have been
some kinda mix-up.
The song that won the contest is mine.
I just sent in this photo
with both Kris and me in it,
and I guess they thought Kris
was Truth, 'cause he's tall.
That's messed up.
But, you gonna tell Roxie the truth?
Yeah. Kris is about to tell her right now.
Hold on a second.
Yo, can I talk to you for a sec?
Yeah, what's up?
All right, look,
we been boys a long time, all right?
And you know that I don't usually
let one woman tie me down.
But with Roxie, man, I don't know,
I mean, she loves my flow.
I mean, your flow.
But when she looks at me,
she sees somethin' in me.
You know, like I'm deep.
And I ain't never been "deep" before.
Because you're not.
I know, but Roxie don't know that.
Look, I just wanna see where things go
between me and her.
So you gotta think of somethin',
man. Please.
Okay. She likes you
because she thinks you're Truth.
Okay.
So why don't we just
keep letting her think that?
But, how do we pull that off?
I'll teach you my flow.
I'll stay in the background.
I'll be your DJ,
so if anything goes wrong
I can try to think of
something on the fly. We just...
We really gotta keep this under wraps.
Snap! Man, that is it!
Cy, you're a genius, baby!
Yeah! Stay cool.
Hey, so, I gotta take off.
But, Kris, Lyla says you need
to re-record the song for the video,
so maybe I'll see you
at the studio tomorrow.
I'll be there, fa'sho.
I forgot to tell you, Cyrus here is my DJ.
He produced my track and everything
so he's going to be rollin' wit' me. Cool?
Yeah. Wow. You did some really
nice work on the track, Cyrus.
Thanks.
Okay. So I guess I'll see
both of you tomorrow.
Mos def.
I cannot wait for the day to end
so it'll be tomorrow.
I'm just going to go to bed now.
Night, bro.
Yeah. This is pretty huge.
Now come on, we're gonna be late.
What?
Go, go!
All right, I'm a little nervous, okay.
I need to record your song,
but I don't sound like you.
So you need to record it.
But if Roxie and Lyla are in the studio
with us, they'll see it's you.
This conundrum is just now hitting you?
This is not a condominium, bro.
It is a studio,
and we need to think fast.
Okay, you can copy my style.
You just gotta feel it.
Just feel it?
Yeah.
All right? Just gotta rock wit' it.
Okay. Im rocking
It's time to rap, it's time to roll
Time to rap like you never rapped befo'
Here we go...
Yo! I'm 'bout to rap
I like cats, do you like cats?
I'm getting money
Jump higher than a bunny
I'm getting money...
This ain't gonna work, is it?
You're late!
I knew you'd be late
from the minute I met you.
You got that "late, no watch-wearin"'
kinda look,
suspenders all dangling.
Roxie is late.
My engineer is late.
I have to be downtown in 20 minutes,
otherwise my whole day is shot.
Which is not gonna happen
'cause everybody is late.
That is perfect!
No, I mean it's perfect
that I can work alone
with my DJ slash engineer.
That way I can
get into the zone and flow.
You're an engineer?
Yes. He is highly qualified.
What studios have you worked in?
- He's worked all...
- I'm gonna need you to... Okay?
Yes, ma'am.
What studios have you worked in?
Only one in my room, really.
But, I can show you what I can do.
He's great, I promise.
Sixty-four tracks on this board.
But if you know what you're doing
you can get a good sound out of 24.
But if you don't want
an inexperienced kid like me
who charges half what your regular
engineer makes, I understand.
Wait. Hold on. Hold on, hold on.
I'll give you a chance,
but if you damage anything in here,
anything, you'll never work in this town
again. You understand me?
She is just scary.
Let's get to work.
They say true love is blind
That real romance is timeless
You're like my favorite movie
Play it, don't rewind it
'Cause, baby, you're the finest
Your love, I'm gonna find it
And when I do, I'll run away with you
Somewhere where they can't find us
Yo, it's Roxie.
Lay low, she didn't see you.
Stay right here.
- Hey. Hey...
- Hey!
I hope I didn't interrupt.
But I heard you from outside,
you sounded great.
Oh, thanks. I'm just gettin' warmed up.
I bet when you play it back
you can't even believe it's you.
You can say that again.
I remember my first time.
It was like I was hearing
somebody else's voice.
I know exactly what you mean.
So did you really
write that song about me?
Come on, girl. What you think?
I think, if this blows up like I expect,
people will be looking for another song.
Another song?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah. Maybe when I record my next CD
we can make some music together.
Yeah. Yeah, baby.
I thought you'd never ask.
Great. Then let me hear you freestyle.
Freestyle? Like, right now?
Yeah. Here, I'll give you a beat,
you drop something hot.
Make it intelligent and romantic.
You know how you do.
Intelligent, romantic, right. Here goes.
Girls love me 'cause I'm so pretty
I got babes in every city
LA, DC and Cincinnati
The tall ones, the short ones,
even the uglies
Gotcha! I'm messing with you, girl.
Well, stop playing.
Speak from your heart.
Hey, Kris, repeat after me.
If I speak from my heart,
I'm afraid it'll be broken.
"If I speak from my heart,
I'm afraid it'll be broken. "
I'm scared what you'd say
about the words I have spoken.
"And I'm scared what you'd say
about the words I've spoken. "
I'd rather make you laugh
and act like I am jokin'
than tell the truth about
the feelings that you have awoken.
"I'd rather make you laugh
and act like I am jokin',
"than tell you the truth
about my feelings you've awoken. "
Oh. Sorry. Excuse me.
Yes! That was awesome, Cy.
Did you see the way she looked at me?
We were really vibing
out there, man.
Oh, and she said
I can rap on her next CD.
What? You said you'd rap
on her next CD? Are you nuts?
Yeah, look, I'm sorry about that, man.
I got caught up in the moment.
But now I got Roxie on the ropes.
Kris, what are you doing in there?
It's easier for me to talk to you like this.
Yeah, but now you sound funny.
Come on. Come back out.
I like hearing how you feel.
Don't be shy.
It's hard for me to say
how I feel in person.
Just let my words caress you.
What are you doing?
Can I tell you something now
that I have your attention?
Now that you've got my hopes up.
Please tell me.
You wanna know the truth. Check it out.
How should I describe you?
Sweeter than Godiva
But your thoughts go deeper
than a scuba diver
Whether you're in sweat pants
or dressed in Prada
You can make me dizzy
like a race car driver
I wanna take you to a party
Hold your hand
and show off to everybody
Me, I could be in jeans and a hood
'Cause you're so fine
you make me look good
You're the passion in my life
You're the secret I can't hide
There will come a day
I can't wait to say you belong to me
Girl, and if! let you know tonight
It will be all right, I bet
You don't know it yet,
but, baby, you belong to me
You've been looking for the one
I've been looking for a dime
Maybe we can both find it
at the same time
I'm blinded by ya shine
You're kinda like the sun
'Cause the world revolves around you
till my day's done
I tried to say something
But you had me speechless
I had to hit the booth to tell my secrets
See, I could spit a line
But it's more than my words
How can I describe
what an angel deserves?
You're the passion in my life
You're the secret I can't hide
There will come a day
I can't wait to say you belong to me
Girl, and if I let you know tonight
It will be all right, {bet
You don't know it yet,
but, baby, you belong to me
Wow. That's the most beautiful song
I've ever heard.
Yo, I think she's falling for me.
You really are amazing.
You mean me. Nice job, son.
Kris, I'm coming in to see you.
Yo, switch spots. Quick.
- There you are.
- I'm all yours.
Ready to go again? Oh, hey, Roxie!
Hey, Cyrus.
I didn't know you were there.
Story of my life. Let's go again.
Precious Lord
Come on, take my hand
Oh, lead, lead me on
Lead me...
Hey, sorry I'm late. Sorry.
Thanks, Ma. Thanks, Ma. I got it.
Oh.
Honey, I was just teaching them
Precious Lord.
Got it.
Okay, well, then,
here you go. Just carry on.
Thank you.
Hey, Cyrus, a few of us were
talking earlier and, you know,
we were wondering,
could we spice up the song a bit
like when we did with Joyful Noise?
That's not possible.
Just gonna stick to the basics.
Let's take it from the top.
Hey! What are you doing?
Just doing some different things
with this new track.
It's a duet for you and Kris.
Did Kris ask you to do that?
Did he ask me to do what?
Cyrus is working on a duet.
Is that what you wanted?
Yeah. For sure. So let's hear it.
So it starts off with you,
strong and soulful,
and then the staccato of Kris' rhyme
will come in hard with the counterpoint.
Now I'll drop out the hi-hat,
bring up the harmonies...
It'll be just like The Beatles'
All You Need Is Love.
Yeah, man. See,
that's what I told you to do yesterday.
And it's about time he got it right.
That track is hot! Nice work.
And I love The Beatles.
Oh, me, too.
Yeah, that's my favorite group.
Really? What's your favorite album?
You know, the Greatest Hits.
You are too cute.
Well, I was thinking for this track,
the two of you actually
have a conversation.
Like, talk back and forth
throughout the song.
I'm telling you,
once we're done with that track,
- it's going to be beautiful.
- I feel you, man.
Hey, team, I like what I'm hearing.
Conrad, great work on the board.
CY"- Is!
And my future star, Truth.
I think we're going to update
your wardrobe a little bit.
Okay, go with me,
Justin Timberlake meets Usher
with just a dash of will.i.am.
Cool, I'm down with that.
Great, 'cause I got big plans.
For real? Talk to me.
I just got off the phone
with The Rap Grand Slam people,
and they're looking for a headline act.
What?
Yes! I can't believe this.
I mean, that's cool,
I'm the headline at Grand Slam.
A, don't touch me.
B, what, are you insane?
No, Roxie's gonna be the headline act.
Not you.
Oh.
What? The Grand Slam wants me?
That's right.
You seem surprised.
Well, you know, they usually go
for more traditional soul vocalists.
She means real singers.
No, I mean real old-school singers,
not new, hot and flashy singers
such as yourself.
Well, I made a few phone calls,
stroked a few egos
and I convinced them that Roxie, here,
is going to help boost their ticket sales.
I don't know, Lyla.
I mean, The Grand Slam audience
isn't very forgiving.
They don't care how many CDs
you've sold, you just better be good.
Yeah. And you will be.
Yo, yo, yo!
Yo! What's up?
We gettin' busy or what, yo?
You know it!
Okay. Okay, who are you guys?
Oh, these are the dancers for my video.
Dancers?
Oh, you came to work?
Levi, I should've called.
Yeah, you should have.
I had a full house last night.
Sorry. I forgot and I fell asleep.
Just in a really weird zone.
- Weird zone, huh?
- Yeah.
Is this about that girl, Roxie?
No. No. I mean,
why would you say that?
Just look at you,
your shoulders are all slumped,
you're lookin' all lost and pitiful.
That girl's got your nose wide open.
Is it that obvious?
Yes, it is. Yes, it is.
Did you tell her the truth?
That you're Truth?
Not exactly.
What does that mean?
Well, Kris is into her and he asked me
if I would help him hook up with her.
So, for now, Roxie is going to
think that Kris is Truth.
What? Man, that is just dumb! No.
Listen, now you tell Kris
that you were feelin' her first
and he needs to back on up!
I can't do that.
I mean, me and Kris been homies
since we were, like, five years old.
I don't wanna be a hater.
All right, Cyrus, there's nothing wrong
with you tryin' to be
a good friend to Kris.
But if you use that
as an excuse to not man-up
because you're afraid
you might get rejected?
Okay, I can understand that, too.
But you can't live like that forever.
Ah, yeah, I thought so.
You won't tell your daddy you work here
because he won't approve.
You freeze up
when Bling gets in your face
and it's time for you
to get up on that stage.
And then you get tongue-tied when
it comes to telling Roxie how you feel.
A girl like Roxie
would never go for a guy like me.
I mean, look at me and look at Kris.
He's cool, good-looking,
got that swagger.
And I'm like wallpaper in a hoody.
Kris is a perfect match for Roxie.
Hey, that's not true.
You just got to speak up for yourself
and be who you really are.
Who am I really?
You're Truth!
Oh.
Yeah. And Truth is a bad cat!
He is?
Yeah! Truth won
the Atlanta Records rap contest.
He got skills. He's smooth.
He got that sound.
And you know what?
That's you.
I guess that is me.
Yeah, but Roxie wouldn't know it.
I mean, how can you or Kris
even call yourselves "Truth"
when y'all both
are just living one big lie?
I guess that's a valid question.
Look, I gotta go.
You need to figure out what it is you
want and then do somethin' about it.
Lock up when you leave.
They say I'm young
But my purpose
is the inspiration of a nation
Innovation, till I change
the talk into a conversation
I'm like a doctor
and my patients are anxiously waiting
Healing all the hating
That faking and the paper chasin'
It's hard to live up to
these expectations that I'm facin'
And gain the admiration
of an older generation
That's why I'm pacin' back and forth
Contemplating, meditating
How to use what I've been taught
as a positive force
- Oh, this is who I am
- It's all me, ya 'H
I wish you'd understand
I've been freed, ya 'Il
It's time to set me free
My guardian angel
- No, no matter what I do
- They try and stop me
- I'm still a part of you
- But they can't stop me
I hope you'll always be
My guardian angel
S'up, Atlanta? It's ya boy, Truth.
I wanna be the greatest in the world
Not for the money
or the fame or the girls
Not for the car keys or the jet skis
Or the vacations in the West Indies
But simply 'cause I love it
When I write I'm like a puppeteer
Puffin' my string til! the melody sings
And the honesty makes me
spread my wings
Calling me out was out your mind
Send that thought
back down your spine
I'm on the grind, it's all on the line
Road signs say both ways
at the same time
Most days I can't wait to rhyme
Express my stress, elevate and shine
Progress, regress each step's a climb
So I take that test and! testify
Of course he's late.
They're open?
I feel so misunderstood
'Cause my intentions were good
If you could only see that
poetry can hide in the hood
The passion and philosophy
of possibilities
Every dream is in my reach
I find my freedom in this beat
Follow me now
as I break new ground
Swallow your pride
I'll make you proud
All of my life I've lived out loud
We just preach to different crowds
Cyrus?
Roxie, what are you doing here?
I came to meet Kris.
You were just rapping.
You sound just like Kris.
Oh, that? No, that wasn't me. I was...
This mic's not even on. See?
I was just lip-synching.
Lip-synching?
Yeah, that's one of Kris' old tracks.
I guess I'm not just his DJ,
but I'm also his biggest fan.
Wow! You might just be
the best lip-syncher I've ever seen.
Well, I do a lot of karaoke
so I'm pretty good at it.
What are you doing here?
Well, I came to meet Kris
so we could grab an early dinner,
but he hasn't shown up.
Great. He's not gonna make it.
The car dropped me off here
and I'm starving.
Oh, that's too bad.
But I haven't eaten.
I don't know, maybe we can go
grab something together, or not,
I don't know what you were thinking,
where your head was at.
Which... I don't know,
but I'm just saying.
I mean, we could... It's up to you.
Okay.
- I like the way you handle yourself.
- What do you mean?
You know, when people like Bling
and those journalists
say stuff about you.
Oh, that flattering article in Ether?
Yeah, I mean, people think
they know about music,
but don't know a thing.
Like that vocoder you use,
just because it's the "in" thing.
It's a choice.
I can tell you can sing a lil' bit.
A "lil' bit"?
I mean, you ain't given me nothin' more
than what I've heard on the radio,
but I've got a good ear.
Oh, really,
Mr. DJ-Engineering Lip-Syncher?
So, you got any other music
besides your pop hits in your vault?
Yeah, I've got a few special ones
for those who can think
outside the voice box.
But Lyla says that vocoder's
the "in" thing right now.
And she really knows the business, so.
Not everyone who sells uses one.
Well, I mean, I know my voice is good,
but I don't know if it's special.
You know, to be just belting out tunes.
I remember when you sang in church
and you were like eight years old.
You remember that?
Yes, of course. The little girl with
the big voice. You were awesome.
I don't know about all that.
Okay. Yeah, you were raw,
but the voice was there.
You've got a really great sound
if you ever care to bring it out.
That sounds like a challenge.
It's more of a nudge. Maybe someday
I can hear some of your other music.
Maybe.
Oh, it's raining.
Is this bad?
Do you wanna go inside?
No, no! It's perfect.
So, what kind of music do you like?
Besides the obvious ones,
R&B and Hip-Hop.
What else do you love?
Oh, Jazz, rock, country, salsa,
gospel, reggae, opera.
Opera?
Oh, yeah. Pavarotti? He's the bomb.
Bocelli, too. I also like female opera
singers, like, Maria Callas...
And Marian Anderson?
Yeah! She's awesome! You like opera?
I like great singers.
Me, too!
I don't know, I just like to be influenced
by all kind of things when I rap.
What?
I mean, when I write for Kris.
Yeah, I just think it brings
more foundation to the sound.
You know, every note says something.
And when it's all strung together,
they should tell their own story.
Wow.
You do know your music.
That's funny.
It seems like we have more in common
than Kris and I.
Hilarious.
I liked Atlanta and all, but I was
just so lost when my mom died.
I think the whole neighborhood
felt the loss when your mom passed.
She was good people.
Thanks. That's sweet of you to say.
Hey, look! Come on, let's check it out.
Hey, yo, yo, yo, here we, here we go,
check it out. Call it.
Heads.
Yeah, let's see what you got.
Check it out, y'all.
Phantom come alive
in the nighttime
I spit freestyles
I don't have to write rhymes
Flow unrehearsed
I spit a killer verse
When it comes to your rhymes
Uhh, they're the worst
Your flow's sloppy
Punch lines I brush 'em off me
Yeah, I'm so cocky
No way you could stop me
Swag's through the roof
Believe that's the truth
How'd I know that?
Yo, I'm livin' proof
I just do what I do
when I'm in the booth
I've got a finer chick
Hotter whip, sicker crew
You just got lyrically smacked
Better think twice
before you try to clap back
What?
Okay. You like rap, huh?
Only when it's real.
Yo, why you gotta get up
in my face, like an air bag
Dude, your breath's bad
You need to step back
In fact forget that
You need some gum, jack
Plus a stylist
'cause you got no swag
DJ's say your whack
You wouldn't have rhymes
if you stole my notepad
And you can quote that,
put it on a blog
So everyone could read it
I've never been defeated
Free-styling is a competition sport
And Rev is king
Why's this fool on my court?
It's not a battle
It's more like a roast
Grab a white sheet
I turned phantom to a ghost
And it's like that
One time for your mind
Revelation with the rhymes
All right, all right, all right.
Let's give it up for Phantom style!
Yo, give it up for Revelation!
- Yeah!
- Yeah!
Yo, that's what's up. Revelation takes it,
remains undefeated.
The question is, who thinks they have
what it takes to bring him down?
Man, I got this.
Roxie?
Oh, I see you out
on the town with the geek.
What? You come out
on the street to battle,
but you're too chicken to
go up against me in the club?
Whatever, man.
What? Yeah. That's right.
Can't stop, won't stop. Go on.
Run away, little boy.
Leave him alone.
Rox.
Mm-mmm-mmm.
Sol hear you're headlining
the Rap Grand Slam final.
Which is great,
so you can hand me my trophy,
since you know I'm the only real artist
performing that night.
And, busboy here
can bring along his dish rag
and polish it up for me.
Come on, let's go.
Go. Busboy! Go!
What was that all about?
Nothing. He's just a jerk.
So how's your mom and dad?
They're good.
My dad made me choir director
so I'm at the church a lot.
Look at you getting your praise on.
I should come up there.
It'd be great to see your parents.
Yeah.
Hey!
- You made it.
- Yeah.
Think you could help me out?
- I don't think that's a good idea.
- Come on. I'll play your song.
Same one you sang when you were
eight years old. Remember?
Just go to church with it.
Okay.
Ooh, yeah
With reverence I enter
into this holy place
A home that's like no other
Full of mercy, love and grace
And though it's been a long time
I've never felt that far
'Cause you were always on my mind
And you were always in my heart
So good to be home
Where I know that I belong
Inside this house of love
with a family so strong
And I'm here to worship
and pour out my offering
In the presence of his love
I'm never alone
It's so good to be home
Yeah, yeah, yeah
So good
It's so good to be home
And by faith we believe
And proclaim our deepest love
To give our everything
Everything
To a glow beyond us
And when it's cold outside
It's always warm right here
Yeah
It's so good to be home
Oh, it's so good to be home
Oh, yeah
So good to be home,
where I know that I belong
Inside this house of love
with a family so strong
And I am here to worship
and pour out my offering
In the presence of his love
I'm never alone
It's so good to be home
So good to be home
Yeah
Well, well, well.
Praise to my son, Cyrus,
for directing our wonderful
Mighty Uplifting Youth Choir.
Now, let's get to our word.
As I look amongst you all...
I said, as I look out amongst you all...
I see many God-fearing,
righteous souls.
But, a few of us have lost their way.
Many of us were raised the right way,
but some of us
just can't resist temptation.
Now, I know you do a little prayer
every now and then
when things get a little dicey,
but one day of praying won't erase
all the years of betraying the goodness
you was raised with.
So, you see, the church,
we can be forgiving.
But even our patience can get thin.
You see, you can't walk
with the Devil on Monday,
and then with the Lord on a Sunday.
Yeah, yeah, see, yeah,
you can't dance like a vixen,
and then ask God to do the fixin'.
You can't get all this made up and
then don't want me to say, "Wake up. "
God knows who does
their living in hypocrisy.
Or should I say hip-hop-crisy?
Turn to your neighbor, say,
"He talking to you, he talking to you. "
- Turn to the other neighbor and say...
- Roxie.
Well, that sermon went well today.
I think I deserve a little extra sofa time.
I agree, dear.
That is exactly where you need to be.
Because that is where
you are going to be sleeping tonight
after what you did
to poor Roxanne today.
She's what's wrong with music today.
I gotta practice what I preach, otherwise
I will look like a fool in my own church.
Honey, you look like a fool anyway,
picking on that innocent girl
in front of everybody.
She didn't look so innocent
in her videos.
I don't wanna talk
about this right now, hon.
Fine. Not another word.
Ooh. The sofa's too soft for my back.
Dad, you slept on the sofa?
No, no, I just fell asleep
doing some work.
It's no big deal.
All right. Well, I gotta go.
Okay. It's early.
You scheduled a choir practice?
Oh, no. I just have some errands
to run. It's nothing. Later.
- Honey?
- Yeah?
It's says here in the paper
that Roxie's new rap artist
is filming a music video today.
And, you know, I am willing to bet
that she's going to be there.
Which means you can apologize to her.
Today. Yeah.
- What do you think?
- Hi! Wow.
Matching outfits?
Styling, right?
This, my friend, is hot.
This, my friend, is not.
I don't know there, Cyprus,
I think Kris has his finger on the pulse.
It's Cyrus.
Rox.
Hey. Look, I'm sorry
about my dad yesterday.
It's fine.
He's entitled to his opinion
just like everybody else.
Yeah, but his opinion is
wrong and unfair.
I mean, he should never
judge you like that.
Rox, baby! You look fly as always.
Thank you! And so do you.
Hey, before I forget,
I've got these two passes
to this Middle Eastern art exhibit.
They've got these great abstract
and impressionist pieces,
and it's tonight only.
That sounds kind of deep and all,
but America's Funniest Home Videos
is having a four-hour marathon tonight.
You know,
the one with the dancing baby?
He falls on his butt and then dog,
like, rolls around with him?
Yeah, I can't miss that.
But, you know I would love to catch,
you know, the next art situation.
Kris, Kris, you really are the truth.
I spoke to the folks at the Grand Slam,
and I got them to agree
to let you perform with Roxie.
Yes, that's great!
But the Grand Slam
has a no lip-synch policy,
so you're gonna have to
perform the rap live.
That's no problem. Don't worry about it.
Great. Roxie, look what I got you.
For the show! Aren't these hot?
You're gonna rock it in these.
What? No. They're, like, a foot tall.
I could break my neck in those.
Which is exactly why I got these!
Knee pads.
Fall down, bounce right back up.
You'll be fine.
Hey, Truth, can I talk to you
for a second?
Wassup?
You have to rap live at the Grand Slam.
What're you gonna do now?
Bro, you got the good ideas.
Think of something.
I mean, after all, the ladies love me,
the camera loves me,
and Roxie loves me.
You sure about that?
What'chu mean?
You're not turning into a hater
or nothing like that, are you?
Just trying to see where your head's at.
That's all.
Look, bro, all I'm saying
is Roxie's a great girl and all,
but I pretty much got
the situation in the bag.
I mean, after that video comes out,
and this Fox thing happens,
I'm gonna be on tour
with all kinds of honies,
you know, so I'm not really trying
to be tied down.
Wait, I thought you were serious
about Roxie though.
I am. For now.
Kris, she's not like other girls.
Dude, I know, but that's what I mean.
All these girls, they are different flavors
and the variety is what I like.
You know, you can try
a little burger, son.
They got the ribs,
the chicken fingers, and the shake.
I want all that. Don't you?
Come on, man.
- Wassup, ladies?
- Hi.
All right, everyone, here we go.
Rolling and playback!
Her beauty's crazy
I watch her from the crowd
Her voice is so amazing
She'd make her momma proud
I tried to send her flowers
But she has no address
Her home is in my heart
It's like she never left
This is more than a crush
More than a like-like
More than a love
Baby, imma make you mine
And I ain't givin' up
This is more than a crush
More than a like-like
More than a love
Baby, imma make you mine
And I ain't givin' up
Don't run away
Don't run away from the truth
'Cause I'm not giving up on you
Don't run away
Don't run away from the truth
'Cause I'm not giving up on you
Normally I couldn't turn your head
That's why I had to write this instead
Let's be friends, start out slow
Get to know you beyond your glow
You're more than meets the eye
Girl, you're pterodactyl fly
Way back when, you knew my name
Tell the truth is what I claim.
Don't run away
Don't run away from the truth
'Cause I'm not giving up on you
Don't run away
Don't run away from the truth
'Cause I'm not giving up on you
Cut.
But, hey, the lip-synch
seemed a little off.
Okay, want me to zoom in tighter?
No! No, in fact,
keep it wide when I'm rapping
and only go tighter when I'm not.
Okay? If you say so.
All right. Cool.
Hey.
Hey. Man! The camera loves him.
Is it just me
or does he sound better than he looks?
No argument there.
So, things going pretty good
with you and Kris?
Yeah. Yeah.
I mean, it couldn't be better.
Was that even believable?
Not really, but I'll play it off if you do.
Well, I mean, I just don't know why
I feel like I can talk to you so easily,
but not Kris.
Okay, this is kind of hard
for me to admit,
but I'm not sure about myself.
I mean, am I ready to be there for Kris?
And be the girl he deserves?
Wait. What are you saying?
I'm saying Kris deserves
somebody who's real.
Am I even worthy enough to be his girl?
Please tell me you're just kidding,
or I'm gonna, like,
throw up in my mouth.
Excuse me. I'm looking for Miss Roxie.
Ah.
Dad!
CY"- Is!
What are you doing here?
I'm here to apologize to Roxie.
Roxanne, I'd like to apologize
for my behavior in church on Sunday.
My righteousness was sinful,
and I'm sorry.
It's okay.
Cyrus, may I ask
what business you have here?
Listen, Cyrus, I need you to get to work.
The place is a mess, and I'll never
have it ready in time for opening.
You work here?
Yeah. But just part-time.
The part where I'm not at the church.
'Cause that's my priority.
How could you disrespect me
like this, Cyrus?
Do you know how this makes me look?
This isn't about you, Dad, okay.
It's about the music.
It's what I'm good at.
If I wasn't doing this
I'd be disrespecting myself.
We will continue this conversation
in private.
We're going home.
And don't make me repeat myself.
No.
Excuse me?
I'm not going. Levi needs me here.
I have a job to do,
and that would not be fair to him.
Oh.
We'll deal with this later.
Well?
I apologized to Roxanne.
Oh, good. Now that was
the right thing to do, Jacob.
When I was there at the club,
I saw Cyrus. Honey, he works there.
- You found out.
- What? You knew?
We need to talk. Honey...
Hey. You okay?
Yeah. I think Dad's upset.
I'm more than just upset.
I'm disappointed.
But you don't understand.
I'm a songwriter.
I don't care what you are.
I don't care if Jesus himself told you
to go up in that club and get a job.
He was testing you.
And you failed that test.
Will you at least just look at it?
Cyrus, not another word.
From this point on,
you're on punishment.
You will not set foot in that club again.
You're gonna work long, hard hours
with the church choir
the rest of the summer.
- But, Dad...
- That's all, Cyrus.
Jacob! He's just trying
to show you his songs.
What kind of songs?
Honey, does it matter?
Your son wants to share
a part of himself with you.
Is it so important
what genre of music it's in?
Honestly!
It's about time I figure out
where I'm gonna go
If you don't like what I decide,
you gotta let it go
I don't wanna be stuck in between
just wasting my time
So, give me, give me,
give me, give me some room to breathe
Yeah!
Who I'm gonna be isn't up to you,
it's up to me
Where I'm gonna go I don't really know,
it's a mystery
If I don't do it my way
I'll lose myself completely
Yeah, who I'm gonna be isn't up to you,
it's up to me
Go ahead and try to box me in,
but that would be a shame
If you won't see what's underneath
I gotta walk away
So, give me, give me,
give me, give me some room to breathe
Yeah, yeah!
Who I'm gonna be isn't up to you,
it's up to me
Where I'm gonna go I don't really know,
it's a mystery
If I don't do it my way
I'll lose myself completely
Yeah, who I'm gonna be isn't up to you,
it's up to me
Yeah, yeah, yeah!
Gotta be me, gotta be free
Or it doesn't mean anything
Gotta be me, gotta be free
Tell me, are you listenin'?
Though I'm hearing what you say
I gotta do it my own way
Who I'm gonna be isn't up to you,
it's up to me
Where I'm gonna go I don't really know,
it's a mystery
If I don't do it my way
I'll lose myself completely
Cyrus?
Come in.
Hey.
Oh, hey, Dad. I'm just reading
the Old Testament. It's dope. 'Sup?
Please don't use "dope" and
"Old Testament" in the same sentence.
- Right. Sorry.
- Mm. Mm-hmm.
Someone's here to see you.
Hey. What are you doing here?
Hey. Well, you disappeared on us.
I had to come check up on you.
Oh, I'm just laying low.
You know, letting the storm pass.
Yeah. Cyrus, I just need someone
to talk to. Do you mind if we walk?
I think better
when I'm moving, you know.
Yeah.
Did you hear that idiot Bling
made it into the finals?
Yeah, I kinda figured he would be.
The last thing I wanna do is
share the stage with that jerk.
So, things going well
with you and Kris?
That's what I wanted
to talk to you about.
- It's not going so good.
- Really?
I mean, really, that's unfortunate.
Well, I just don't get him. I mean,
Kris writes me amazing love songs,
but when we're alone
it's like he's somebody else.
You don't say.
It's like we don't really connect
on a deep level.
Like we see the world in totally different
ways, and I just don't know what to do.
I guess I just wish he and I
connected more like you and I do.
Well, you can't really force
a connection, I guess.
No, you can't.
Hey, look! I love this song.
When you appear
All of my dreams are coming...
So old school.
You should do something with it.
What?
You know what I mean.
Go to church with it. Record it.
No. The label would never let me.
Well, have you even asked?
You have to
put yourself out there, Roxie.
Roxanne Andrews, the girl
with the big voice from church.
That's the voice
that the whole world needs to hear.
You're just being nice.
No, I'm not. You have a gift, Roxie.
You just got to step out there
and show people what you can do.
Show them that you're the real deal.
Well, what about you, Mr. Lip-Syncher?
Maybe it's time you turned on the mic.
I gotta go, Kris is taking me
to a jazz museum,
which is by far the coolest place
he's ever taken me.
And, Cyrus,
thanks for being there for me.
Have you girls got tickets
to the Grand Slam tomorrow?
It's gonna be a slammin' show,
starring me.
I heard you're gonna rap live.
That is so cool.
Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's the plan.
Excuse me,
I've gotta make a phone call.
Yeah.
Kris.
Yo, Cy, just the man I need to see.
'Sup, baby.
How was your date
at the jazz museum?
If you could just excuse me
for one second.
Yo, easy, son,
there are other females here.
You don't have an original idea
in your whole body, do you?
What's your problem?
My problem is you playing
with Roxie's emotions
and getting her all messed up
in the head with your nonsense.
Well, hold up, preacher's boy.
All right, you as much a part of this
as me, so don't act all innocent.
Yeah, I had my part in this,
and now I'm starting to regret it.
Listen, you need to chill out
and get wit' me
about this Grand Slam show tomorrow.
We in this together, Cyrus, like it or not.
And I got a little plan that makes sure
my talent goes fully recognized,
you feel me?
Kris, you don't get it.
Okay, you get up on that stage,
you pop, you lock,
you jump around like an extra
from You Got Served.
But you don't hear the music at all,
and you don't feel it at all,
and forget
about your rapping skills, son.
You couldn't wrap a present if I spotted
you a bow and some scotch tape.
And you ain't nothing but a hater.
And you know what else?
You're a punk.
'Cause you're one of the best rappers
I've ever heard in my life, Cyrus,
in my life,
but every time Bling comes
around you let him punk you, what?
'Cause you're scared?
You ain't got no guts, son. And no heart.
You're just a wimp.
Hey! Enough! I said that's enough.
You all know I don't tolerate
no fighting up in here.
Now go home. Get your mind right,
or don't come back at all.
Go on.
You're on your own tomorrow.
And when everyone laughs at you,
you'll see how it feels.
I don't need you! I don't need nobody!
Cyrus, honey, are you okay?
Kris isn't Truth.
I am.
What?
I've been covering for him
this whole time.
I mean, I can't let him get up
on the Grand Slam stage by himself,
he'll be humiliated.
He won't be able to show his face
anywhere, at the club or anything.
His life would be much worse
than mine ever was.
Okay, so, what are you gonna do?
Oh!
Going somewhere?
Dad, I know I'm on punishment
and all that,
but today is a very important day.
Not just for myself,
but for my friend also.
So, I gotta do what I gotta do.
So I'm gonna head out. Right now.
Maybe not right now.
Maybe in, like, an hour or so.
Cyrus, I know about your show.
And before you say another word,
I've been reading your song lyrics.
And I've actually enjoyed them.
Once I got past the fact
that they were rap songs.
See, Son, I've realized
I've been focused
on the type of music
as opposed to its message.
And your songs have messages
of caring, of sacrifice, devotion.
Good Christian values.
So maybe I've been too harsh
to put all rap into one box.
So I guess what I'm saying, Son...
I'm sorry.
Okay, you two, we better get going
or you are gonna be late.
Wait, you're gonna come watch?
If that's okay with you.
Come on, honey.
Okay, baby.
Sure.
Lyla, I'm not wearing this.
What? Why? You look fantastic.
Sweetie, I am bringing you
to the next level.
I've got this whole lunar landing theme
for your next tour.
I'll explain the details later,
but tonight we test the look.
No!
I can't hide
behind these gimmicks anymore.
What good is it to get famous
if nobody knows who I really am?
I have my own voice.
I have my own style.
And if that's not good enough,
I guess I don't wanna be a star.
Okay, listen, we all love you
for who you are,
but this is show business.
You gotta play the game.
And I, my friend,
am the best coach in the game.
Look, I know you think you're helping,
and I love you for that,
but I don't love me like this.
So I'm starting fresh tonight.
- Sweetie, you have to trust me...
- I'm sorry.
Maybe you picked the wrong girl.
Maybe you need to find
somebody else to wear this wig.
'Cause I'm done with it.
Yo, Kris, you all right?
Yeah, yeah, I am great!
You guys, you're on in five, let's go.
I'm gonna be sick.
You don't look too good.
CY! Cy, you're here!
I couldn't leave you just hanging out
in the wind like that.
But after what I said to you,
you'd still come through for me?
We've been friends
since back in the day.
Besides, I said some hurtful things
to you, too.
Yo, listen, all right?
You didn't say anything that wasn't true.
All right? I was the one being rude,
selfish and disrespectful and I'm sorry.
I mean, to be honest, I was jealous.
I was jealous that I'm really not Truth.
I mean, there have been nights
where I couldn't even sleep
thinking about the fact that I'm not you,
and that I could never be you, man.
You wanted to be me?
Yeah.
I wanted to be you.
- Really?
- Yeah.
Well, look, the truth is,
you deserve to be with Roxie.
Besides, I'm not the guy
she fell for anyway.
It's you.
So, what do we do now?
We gotta make this right.
Tonight. It's the only way.
My man.
Oh, not you two busters!
You know, you have a lot of nerve
calling anyone a buster.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Oh, okay.
Well, listen up, Poindexter, okay?
Why don't you and pretty boy here
get out your pads
and take notes
on what it really takes to rock a mic.
Yeah.
Yo, Cy! Chill!
Just swinging on folks now?
Must've been drinking
a Thug Life energy drink or something.
All right?
Just do what you came here to do.
Yeah. You got it.
Good evening, Atlanta.
I'm your host and! welcome you
to the Rap Grand Slam final.
Today, we have
a very exciting show for you.
For the last two months,
rappers across the country
have competed
in single elimination rounds
until we have
just two rappers standing.
For our first finalist,
he's from the dirty-dirty,
Ba ton Rouge, Louisiana
where cornbread and biscuits
grow on trees,
show your love for Revelation!
Our second finalist is from Georgia!
Right here, Midtown, y'all!
Atlanta, show your love
for Lord of Da Bling!
Just tell her. It will be fine.
The "truth will set me free," right?
Not too much. Lightly, lightly.
Come on.
I don't want to see any creases.
Roxie?
Cyrus, hey!
You look different.
I hope that's not a bad thing.
No. No, you look better.
Thanks.
We gotta go on.
Okay. Wish me luck.
You don't need it. Just do you.
In a short while,
these two will battle here, live,
for the Grand Slam Crown.
But first, we have
a musical performance by Roxie!
Along with a newcomer
whose single is blowing up the charts.
So, Atlanta, without further delay,
I give you Roxie and Truth!
You're spinning round
and round and round in my head
Head
Did you really mean
the words that you said?
Said
This is it, I gotta know
Should I stay or should I go?
Show me the truth
Is it gonna be me and you?
Wow.
"Wow" is right. She's gonna be bigger
than I even imagined. You ready?
Ready.
Yo. Are we going on or what?
Nope. Not today.
Give it up to the up and coming
performer that's close to my heart.
Truth!
I know you gonna be mad
Feelings that you thought you had
Was for another guy
Well, I'm that other guy
I'm just a shy kid
camouflaged before your eyes
And I knew my lyrics
were the key to see the other side
I shoulda told you,
but I never had the courage
And I thought
you really wouldn't understand
And now I'm up here
just to let my feelings surface
Apologizing for disguising who I am
Tell me are you
who I thought you were
Or who I wanted you to be?
Did you do it all for him,
or were you only playing me?
I did it for you,
but I couldn't see it through
Roxie, I'm sorry
You're spinning round
and round and round in my head
Head
Did you really mean
the words that you said?
Said
This is it, I gotta know
Should I stay or should I go?
Show me the truth
Is it gonna be me and you?
Is it gonna me and you?
Is it gonna be me and you?
You.
You're all I ever wanted
But I got caught in a shadow
in the background
But I'm back now
And Kris was all this and that
And my look didn't really fit the rap
It didn't match
He had the style
and I had the swag
So I locked up my feelings
in the words he said
Give me your hand,
and I'll take off my mask
If you give me a chance, that's all I ask
What you expecting me to do?
First you were him and now you're you
Now it's just me,
and you got me on my knees
Roxie, I'm sorry
Give it up for Roxie and Truth!
Or whoever that guy was.
So who's ready for some rap?
Then, ladies and gentlemen,
put your hands together
for Revelation and Lord of Da Bling!
Rox, come on, open up.
I'm sorry, but we were electric out there,
couldn't you feel it?
No. Did you feel that?
I can't believe
it was you this whole time.
You two are just one big lie.
No, you see,
what had happened was, I...
I don't wanna hear it.
Please just get away from me.
Such an idiot.
No, Rox, you're not, I am.
I should've been upfront with you
from the jump.
It's just hard to understand that you
didn't wanna hear my words from me.
You wanted the hot guy
and the hot music all at the same time.
Wrong, Cyrus. It wasn't about his looks.
I fell in love with his.
I mean, your words.
I just wanted someone who was real,
but now it's clear
that that's neither one of you.
So both of you just stay out of my life.
Hey, where you going?
We want you to present the trophy
to the new champ.
Thanks, but I'm not in the mood.
Why don't you ask Truth to do it?
This is his night.
Follow me.
All right.
So we've heard from our finalists.
But there can only be one champion.
Atlanta, show your love for Revelation.
That was a whole lotta love!
Yeah!
Atlanta, show your love
for Lord of Da Bling.
We have a new rap Grand Slam King.
Congratulate Lord of Da Bling.
Yeah! Midtown, baby, let's go.
I told you I'm number one!
Our trophy will now be presented
by newcomer, Truth.
Oh, man!
Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo. Look at this.
The busboy just brought me my trophy.
Oh!
Congratulations.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Hold on, hold on there.
You gotta polish it up
for me there, busboy.
Oh, oh, oh, wait,
is it Truth or is it Baby Ruth?
You know, you don't deserve this
trophy, because you're not the best.
I mean, you're not the best in Atlanta,
you're not even the best in the building.
Yo! Is that a challenge?
Yeah. It is.
Yo, I'm gonna love beating you
in front of everybody.
We have a challenge.
So let the challenge begin!
You want this battle, huh?
So you're a rapper now, oh. Okay.
Here we go again
Prepare to meet your end
Just looked you up on Facebook
You have zero friends
This kid's a loser
Yo, he ain't even kissed a girl
You write her love letters
I buy her ice and pearls
So how you like me now?
Even Roxanne's in the background
Saying, "Wow, Bling's got style"
I'm off the gold chain
If you're a rapper
why is Kris your backup dancer
Like an extra on Soul Train?
I see your mommy and your daddy
in the front row
They must be embarrassed for you, bro
You're not a real MC
You should quit hip-hop
Now be a good busboy
and go get your mop
Bling, you don't wanna battle
You're the snake without the rattle
You're the boat without the paddle
You're the duck without the waddle
You're the horse without the saddle
The ranch without the cattle
The day without the shadow
Son, I think you should skedaddle
Kick gravel, sayonara,
punk, arrivederci
What language do I have to say it in
for you to hear me clearly?
Adis, amigo
You're over with, finito
This clown couldn't wrap anything
but my burrito
Kid, you have to hold
your mommy's hand
Before you cross the street
You have to sneak out the house
Just to clean and sweep
And now you look queasy
I made him go mute
Put your camera phones up
so you can post this on YouTube
Truth's got a screw loose
He's terrified to bust
So lightweight that
I could blow him over with a gust
You're weak like seven days
You deserve boos
You should walk around
in some high-heel shoes, ha!
You should rock pigtails and a skirt
You're shaking in your boots
Are your feelings getting hurt?
Well, maybe I should hurt
more than your feelings
Maybe I should rip the roof
off the theater ceiling
Maybe you should start kneeling
His eyes are getting misty
You're so whack if you were me
you couldn't diss me
Kissy-kissy
Roxanne, did you miss me?
I'll take you out for dinner
after I've eaten this pipsqueak
And when we're on vacation
I'll let him house sit
Here's a couple bucks
Buy yourself a better outfit
- Get him, Cy.
- Come on, Cy.
You know what?
You don't have a stack of cash
or a flashy pad
I saw you last week
driving a taxi cab
Your secret's out
and now they know, sport
We'll call you
if we need a ride to an airport
In fact, you can drop me
off at home after this
Then you can take
your couple bucks back, but as a tip
You're playin' yourself like solitaire
Tellin' everyone that's here
that you're a millionaire
You're not a baller, you're a phony
I bet your whole crew
is a bunch of rent-a-homies
At night you lie in bed lonely
Your persona's a facade
The only girls you get
are in the pages of a catalog
Here stands Lord of Da Bluff
His lies were legendary
till the Truth made him hush
And what's funny is
your truth is enough
Why'd you have to make up
all the money and the stuff
I guess it's easier to
play the role and act hard
'Cause you don't have the guts
to tell us who you really are
So you can keep a trophy
that you don't deserve
I might just be a busboy,
but you just got served
That's my boy!
Sorry, man.
Get out, man. Man, whatever, man.
We have a new
Grand Slam Champion.
Truth! Truth! Truth! Truth! Truth! Truth!
Roxie, please, wait.
Roxie. Come on, just open up.
Just give me a minute, please. All right?
What? Look, you got one minute,
and I've gotta go or I'll miss my flight.
Look, Roxie, I am sorry. All right?
Cyrus and I, we never meant to
hurt you. He did it for me.
I saw you looking all fine and
I thought that we'd be great together.
Just like when you saw
that picture with me and Cyrus in it?
You thought I was the rapper and
he was, like, my roadie or something.
He's not wrong. It's show business.
I was the one who asked Cyrus
to help me trick you.
And he saw you feeling me
and me feeling you
and he just wanted to do
what was right, you know?
Of course, then I started feeling
every girl in Atlanta.
Yeah.
But if it is the real
that you were looking for,
that's you and Cyrus. All right?
And you know that as much as I do.
We gotta go.
I gotta go, Kris.
Roxie, wait! Please!
Cyrus.
- Kris?
- Kris!
How you doing, Mrs. Debarge?
Reverend.
Do you mind if I join you all today?
I hear you're doing
some powerful preaching, sir.
Cyrus, Son,
it's time to celebrate and be glad,
'cause this brother of yours was lost
and now he's found.
Yes.
Cyrus Debarge,
I don't know if you remember me,
but we went to school together.
Sure, I do. Roxanne Andrews.
Nice to see you again.
Oh, yeah
Oh, yeah
Oh, yeah
Oh, yeah
It's been a long road,
but we're finally here
And the view from the top's
so beautifully clear
We could see for forever
Not a cloud in the sky
Picture-perfect weather
every day of our lives
Just imagine if everything
you wanted came true
Well, it happened to me
So it could happen to you
We're on a journey of truth
and belief is the key
So open up your heart
and let your light free
And I feel like I'm glowing
And I like where I'm going
Tonight I'm showing up to shine
This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine
Front to back,
we're packed in stomping
Clapping, laughing, singing, dancing
Passion everlasting
When I'm rapping to the track
and askin'
Everyone to put your hands up,
stand up
Roxanne, come take my hand
and make the congregation rock
We're celebrating and it feels so good
If I could thank everybody here I would
I feel like I'm finally free and!
Yeah, I'm ready, I'm ready
I'm ready to fly
Oh, I feel like I'm glowing
And I like where I'm going
Tonight I'm showing up to shine
This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
- I'm gonna, I'm gonna let it shine
- Yeah
You know what's come out
Don't hide your shine, y'all
Now put your hands in the sky
'Cause your light is your love
Here we go!
Oh, yeah, oh, yeah
Oh, yeah, oh, yeah
Come on and sing
Here we go
All right, all right, all right
This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
Yeah, I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
I'm gonna let it shine
Shine
- So, do you, like, manage a lot...
- One second.
Oh.
Hold on.
Whoa! Look at you!
- Matching outfits?
- Stylin' right?
This, my friend, is hot.
This, my friend, is not.
I don't know, Simon. I think
Kris here has his finger on the pulse.
It's Cyrus.
I don't know there, Seamus.
I think Kris has his finger on the pulse.
Cyrus.
I don't know there, Serious.
I think Kris has his finger on the pulse.
It's Cyrus.
All right, relax there, Sinus.
I think Kris has his finger on the pulse.
Cyrus.
I don't know there, Cyclone.
I think Kris has his finger on the pulse.
Cyrus.
Cut! We've got this one.