-You Iying. -It's all in your grill.
That's him right there. Come on.
Men, grab your Iadies. Ladies, grab your weaves.
It's about to be on. Y'all got three minutes till couples' skate...
...and four weeks till Skate Wars.
But until then, hold this.
Man, I got that good...
...the bad...
...and, man, the ugly herbal.
-I gotta smoke something. -Hey.
Man, I don't understand a word that you been saying.
What you want, man?
Well, well, well. So we meet again.
What's up, gorgeous?
You tell me. You're the one that's shining.
Oh, you know, that's how we do. But you Iook mighty fine yourself.
Oh, thank you.
So do you wanna hook up or what?
Yeah, you know, Iike...
...if it set up all right.
You know, I be real--
-Stepped on that shit. -Yeah, boy.
This thing's off the chain, tonight, man.
I got shotgun.
Hey, whoa, whoa.
-What are you doing? -Come on.
Come on, Brooklyn.
-You heard me call shotgun. -Come on, man.
AII right, you see up in here, right? You see it, right?
It's Iike a goddamn Negro clown car up in here, man.
Come on, get your ass in the back, man. That's real.
-Damn. -Come on, I don't Iike him, man.
He never sits in the front. Now he wanna sit in the front.
-Sit your ass over. -Shut up.
Hey, man, what you doing?
-Ain't you gonna wait on Ant? -He say he got a ride.
That tickles.
That's my belly button, baby.
Yeah, yeah. I know.
Good, baby.
You're getting closer.
-That's strong, baby. -What's up? What's up?
-Was it a good idea to keep my money? -No, no!
Shut up. Come on. Get up.
Come on. Come on.
Boy, don't you know I graduated with a 3.68?
Lord, I'm parched. Let me get my drink.
This supposed to be my family, my blood cousin.
-Give me the money. Give me the money. -AII right.
-It was only 1 00 dollars. -That's it?
Shut up.
You better not tell my mama.
Come on, baby.
That empty space right there on the bar, that's for this year's trophy.
Don't even worry about that.
A Iittle confident, aren't we?
For good reason. You Iike the pole?
You wish.
What's this?
Nothing.
These are fly. You did these?
Yeah, but it was just me fooling around, though.
This ain't somebody just fooling around.
This is good, Rashad.
Is this me?
-My mouth is not that big. -Hey.
It's artistic expression.
And I'm sensitive about my shit, so I'd appreciate it....
Thank you.
Cute.
But for real, Rashad...
...you got talent.
-I don't know. -Like you can't have no talent.
Be real with me. Come on.
Be real with me. I'm serious.
AII right.
Well, when I was younger, every Sunday...
...my pops used to give me...
...the comics out the of Sunday paper.
I guess I kind of had this dream...
...that one day I could be the one...
...who drew the comics in the Sunday paper.
-That's it. -You still can.
What's happening, Uncle G?
How you doing this morning?
Get myself some orange juice. Good morning, brother.
-Good morning, Uncle George. -What's happening?
What is y'all so happy about?
How come you here grinning? You just grinning.
Grinning, Iike you a new man or something.
No, Rashad's a New New man. He got some cutty Iast night.
Shut up.
You got some booty in this house?
I told you I don't want no company in my house.
I told you I don't want them fast girls in my house.
No females in this house, that's the rule.
There's a one-bowl rule in effect.
Okay, Uncle George.
One bowl.
What is with you?
I ain't gonna Iie.
-I got some cutty Iast night. -Stop Iying.
You ain't got no cutty.
With your Iittle scrawny ass.
If anybody gets some cutty, it's supposed to be me.
I gets the booty here. I gets the drawers.
I gets the booty. I gets the trim.
I'm the one supposed to be getting cutty. I'm a grown man.
I get the cutty, not y'all. Understand what I'm saying?
Uncle George. Me.
Well, I guess we see who didn't get the cutty Iast night, huh?
Give me my cereal.
I hope your Iittle weenie fall off.
You say something?
-No, man, Iet me see this. -See what?
This thing gonna make her neck turn green.
Man, shut up, man. It got the 1 4-karat stamp on it.
I don't know how you bought that. You never bought a girl anything.
-So what, man? -You need to watch it, Rashad.
This girl got your nose wide open.
Let you tell it.
Yeah, it ain't even Iike that. She real, man.
He bought a cheap-ass necklace for New New.
I was about to buy her some shit, man.
-Yeah, right. -We gotta go, man.
It's my first day, B.
K.K. Soul Food.
I'm with my people now, homey.
Free collards. Free collard greens.
Why you blocking, man?
That's what I'm talking about.
Who this?
-New New. -Shut up, man.
-What you want? -I need a ride tomorrow.
I got you.
You got some gas money? Hold on.
-Who this? -It's New New.
Y'all need to find something to do, because y'all ain't funny.
-I Iove that. -Hold on.
-Yo. -Who's that?
-Teddy. -Hey, how old is he anyway, 30?
Hold on. Hello?
Hello?
My bad, man.
I just wanted to see what was popping.
Hey, y'all going to the pool tomorrow?
I don't know. I gotta take Esquire up to Sandy Springs.
Teddy? Teddy.
If you don 't get off that damn phone and clean them dishes....
Hey, Ma, I'm 21 years old, man.
Still getting on the phone?
I never feel comfortable on this side of town.
Man, kind of how I feel about our neighborhood.
I don't see what this cat making you drive all the way up here for.
He invited me to dinner, fool.
Man, this is John Garnett.
The millionaire. If he want me to cook dinner, I'm with it.
-Hey, man, that's 31 Canterbury. -Right here?
Damn!
Yeah.
Hey, man, go ahead and push the buzzer.
Yes, may I help you?
It's Benjamin-- It's Benjamin Gordon for John Garnett.
Yes, Benjamin. John 's expecting you. Come on in.
Ben. Right on time.
-AIways, sir. -Come on in.
I talked to some friends at the Falcon Society.
This should help.
Thank you.
One thing you should Iearn early in this Iife:
It's not always what you know.
Sometimes it's who you know.
Yes, sir.
You'II be fine.
-You hungry? -Oh, I could eat.
Well, dinner's almost ready.
I'd Iike you to meet my daughter. She's going to Brinton next year too.
Erin, honey? Come down to dinner.
-You hear me? -Yes. I'm coming.
Have sons.
I just wanna say again, I appreciate this a Iot.
Oh, well, just do well.
You'II be fine.
-Here she is. -That shirt is just so cute.
-Dad, I already ate. -That's all right.
Come here.
Erin, I'd Iike you to meet Ben.
-This is her friend Holly. She Iives next door. -Hi.
I gotta go. Bye.
Bye.
Strange chick.
Erin, nice to meet you.
It's always a pleasure meeting new people.
It's nice to meet you too.
You're not telling Rashad.
Wow, you even talk different.
You're not telling him.
Oh, I'm telling him. PIease believe that.
You're not saying anything to him...
...and I'm not telling my dad about you.
If I tell him where you're from, you're done.
-Is that a threat? -Call it what you want.
I gotta tell him in my own way.
I knew it. Because Rashad was telling me how "New New is this"...
...and "New New's so real."
-I am real. -You ain't shit.
Excuse you?
How did you even find Cascade?
What, you go buy you a 99-cent ghetto handbook to show you how to keep it real?
The salad fork goes on the other side.
I'm from the Trey.
You from the Trey? That's funny.
-Well, my dad is. -I never read that.
-He never talks about it. -I don't blame him.
Are you serious?
He's a sellout.
You really wanna be ghetto.
Believe me, you can have the piss in the hallway.
I'II take the Picasso.
You got a Picasso in your house!
You need to Iower your voice. Shut up.
I bet when you go to Brinton, you won't be all up in here...
...doing all that New New stuff.
I'm not going to Brinton.
-I'm going to Spelman. -Oh, you going to Spelman.
Well, your daddy seems a Iittle confused.
Yo, what happened?
She took care of me in the parking Iot.
-No. -Yeah, that right.
Here come your boy.
Hey, yo, Ant.
What up, big time? Hey, man, I heard you got that fire.
How come I'm the only one that ain't getting blessed? Hook me up, man.
Fine, nigga, what you need?
-Whatever, man. Whatever, nigga. -Right. Exactly.
Hey, where Esquire at?
I don't know, man. I ain't seen him since I dropped him off Saturday.
-I ain't seen him either. -Rashad. Rashad.
Rashad, Ant just got arrested.
-Come on, they got your brother. -Get up!
-What the hell going on? -Let's go, man. Let's go, man.
-Anton Swann. -Right here. Right here.
-Swann. -That be me, sir.
-Swann. Front and center. -Oh, man.
I got a gun, man.
Come on, boss. Let me be out.
Thank you, man.
It's all part of the game, young buck.
Now all you got to do is put a Iittle overtime in, you know.
We get the books square, you be good.
You have to get in the house before your brother get hurt.
Where he coming from?
I think he's coming right about now.
What you doing with my brother in your car?
You got him trapping? That's what's happening?
-Get out. -Hey, hold up, hold up.
What you reaching for? You ain't fitting to do nothing.
With your bitch ass. Bust a move, then.
-Thought so. Anton, get your ass out the car. -You don't know--
Watch your rabid ass, man.
-Get in this house, man. -Get off me.
Both of y'all get in the house before I take off my belt.
Whatever, partner. You know me. Come get some. Get in the house.
Nobody told y'all Iight-skinned dudes ain't in style no more?
-Get off! -You out your rabid-ass mind, homeboy.
Rookies.
Man, get in your room, man.
Man, I ain't playing with you, bro.
Man, you ain't nobody's dad!
You heard what I said. What you gonna do?
I'm gonna Ieave.
-You think you're a dope boy? -Hey, hey!
-You tough, huh? -Get up. Get off of him.
You all right?
What the hell is going on here?
OId dumb-ass here got arrested for selling weed.
You better get in your room, Iike he said.
I ain't gonna have y'all tearing up my house.
Come on, man. Let me talk to you.
Look here. Now, I know you might be a Iittle upset...
...but Iet's be grown folks about this thing, all right?
Now, you may not wanna hear it, but that boy gonna do what he wanna do.
A few extra dollars in the house ain't gonna hurt.
I can't believe you, man.
Look, hey, hey, hey.
I got a mortgage to pay every month.
-You know the water heater done cracked. -What that mean?
You just gonna Iet your nephew ruin his Iife over a few dollars?
What kind of man is you?
I'm the same kind of man took his sister's two kids in...
...so they could stay together.
Take us--? Hey, we took you in, man.
-What? -Hey, be clear, this is my daddy's house.
I been running things here since I was 1 5.
-You just been getting over. -Getting over?
Boy.
You best....
Yeah, right.
I ain't never wanted none of this.
Pushing a damn broom the rest of my Iife. I'm 41 years old.
I'm a grown-ass man.
You see a decent car sitting out in that driveway?
You see women rolling through here?
-That's your fault, man. -Hell, no.
Because don't no woman want no man with two dumb-ass kids and no money.
A janitor.
Shit, I'm a janitor. A janitor.
Boy.
Yeah, I should've just Iet y'all's asses go to foster care.
Then I wouldn't even be in this mess.
What?
-Hello? -Hey.
Can you meet me somewhere?
-Hi. -Hey.
Why are we here on old people's night?
They from College Park.
How you know that?
Every side of town got their own way of skating.
They got, Iike, a Iittle bounce to them.
That's Chicago. And that's Detroit all day Iong, right there.
You talk to Esquire today?
Ain't seen him all day.
Why?
Nothing, I was just....
Rashad?
I kind of have something I need to tell you.
If it's bad...
...I don't even wanna hear it.
Got enough shitty news for one day.
What's wrong?
Everything.
My Iife's a mess right now.
Just tired of being Iied to.
I keep trying to think of what my pops would do.
Can't come up with nothing.
Hey...
...it's gonna be okay.
Hope you right, shorty.
Hey.
I'm starting to think this is our song.
Oh, yeah?
Too bad we didn't bring our skates, though, huh?
Hey, babies, how y'all doing?
AII right, now. Be careful, babies.
Oh, man, is that the twins' mama?
-Man. -Ms. Gayle is a hot mess.
I was gonna wait till Sunday, but I got something for you.
What?
Thank you.
Watch yourself.
It's beautiful.
-I'm glad you Iike it. -I Iove it.
It's time we had a brother-to-brother talk.
Or to put it delicately, a talk about the birds and the bees.
A t 1 3, girls are just like comic books...
...Ioaded with adventure, easy to understand...
...and don 't cost more than a quarter to take out.
In this house, we never discussed our problems.
We just watched Good Times. It seemed like the answer to everything.
When you get a little older, I'll teach you how to handle yourself in the NFL of love.
My pops always told me to take care of my little brother.
I hope I got through to him.
Here we go. It's gonna be a Iong night for some of y'all.
We got the Warriors, the Preps and the Ones in the house tonight, baby.
Look, you see them boys practicing their moves.
Tonight we break out the secret weapon. Y'all remember how?
-I'm gonna break it down. For real. -I remember, I got it.
No, no, no, Iike this here:
So...and...and...?
-You got a crick in your neck? -Hell, no. Come on, man.
-Watch what I'm about to do. Hold up, man. -Watch.
-Before you mess us up again. -Watch.
-What's up, y'all? -Hey, what's happening?
-Oh, you wanna hug me. -We gotta go.
-We gotta go. Ma's coming. -See you.
-Bye. -Bye.
-Hey, man. -Hey.
I just bagged the shorty that work at the snack bar.
Free hot wings. Let's go, baby. Come on!
-Well, hell, yeah. Come on. -What? We ain't gotta chase no chicken.
Priscilla, it's Janice.
I have some disturbing news to share with you.
Shut up!
What they call this, Star?
Damn, who is you?
He a retired rapper or something.
Attitude.
He do got a attitude, but his car is cute, though.
-I Iike that. Let's touch it. -Okay.
Let's go.
-Bambi's Iike a ghetto tale. -How?
Moms gets shot in the head. She ain't doing nothing.
Pops is never there. House gets burned down, insurance reasons.
And out of nowhere, she pregnant.
Father's never there, you know what I mean?
You feel what I'm saying? House burned down, he meets a girl, then--
-Dad, how did you--? -Let's go. Erin, get up, now.
That's your fault, man. How you gonna Iet him take your girl?
See, if she were with me-- Oh, you gonna shush me now, huh?
Why you ain't shushing the old man?
See, now you wanna get buck, man. He gone, now. He gone, fool.
Get in.
-Yo, what's up? -Where you going?
-It's all right, it's my dad. -It's your daddy?
Is he still with your mama?
Keep it up, hear? Keep it up. Lie to me again.
Lie to me again.
What'd you say? Get back down here!
How could you humiliate me Iike that?
You were supposed to be over at Holly's house getting some rest before practice.
Baby, you been Iying...
...about where you been going and who you been with.
What if something happened to you?
I'm sorry, Mom.
Why can't I pick my friends and choose things in Iife for myself?
Because you're not making very good choices, baby.
I mean, you got a Iot of good opportunities to choose from.
Like what? Going to Brinton?
Oh, baby.
Spelman is a great school, but your father and I just--
-But what? -Well, we're saying...
...Iook at some other choices, some other options.
-What? -Keep talking to Mother Iike that...
...and your Iips will beat you to the hospital.
You know how Iucky you are?
Yes, Daddy. I do know that I am very fortunate.
Thank you for being a great parent.
But I knew if I were to ask to go over there, you would've had a heart attack!
You damn right! You know why? Because I was that guy.
I know what he wanted from you.
And it wasn't them big-ass earrings.
Why do you always think somebody always wants something?
I work too hard. I don't wanna see you go down--
I don't have to explain myself.
Why? If you don't have to explain, I don't have to explain.
Because I said so!
You better go to bed now.
Okay, wait a minute, wait a minute.
Let's just calm down...
...and collect ourselves, and talk about this in the morning.
There's nothing more to talk about.
End of conversation.
Yo, man, you all right?
Just checking on you, man.
You knew, huh?
AII this time.
That was the same car from the Garnett's house.
Man....
That's foul, man.
-Look, man, I'm sorry, I-- -Hey, hey, hey.
Man, get out.
-But just hear me out, man. -Bounce.
I don't wanna see you, talk to you, kick it with you, skate with you.
Nothing, man.
-Come on. -You still here?
I'm gone.
What you gonna do with it, man?
-Hey-- What up, man? -Yeah.
And the rest of y'all niggas, man, get the fuck off my porch.
-What we do? -Man, you heard me, homes.
Hey, you ain't gotta tell me twice.
-Yeah, well, bust a move then, partner. -Was it me?
Man, I think it was your breath. It usually is.
Whatever, man. You always eating those sunflowers, you country.
-Hey, hey. -I'm tell-- It's the A-Town.
Hold it, now.
-John. -Yeah?
Not Iike playing golf, is it, boy?
Look, sir, this is fun...
-...but I came to talk to you. -What about?
I came to give you this back.
Did I make an error somewhere?
No, I made the mistake.
Not being honest with you before.
What about?
I Iive five blocks away from Cascade's on the south side.
-You said you went to Mount Paran. -I do.
I use the club address to go to school in a better district.
So you're just a Iiar?
My parents can't afford to send me to private school, sir.
So you knew Erin before you met me?
Yes, I knew Erin.
-But I didn't know you was her father. -You expect me to believe that?
-I got your game, Ben. -My game?
I don't play games, Mr. Garnett.
That's one thing I do not do is play games.
I'm too busy trying to make it out.
I figured you knew that, coming up on the south side.
As far as the Ietter, I just thought the Ietter would give me a better shot, that's all.
We'II never know now, will we? You can Iet yourself out.
You know, I read in this article...
...where you said being a CEO didn't make you a proud man...
...being a proud man made you a CEO.
But a proud man doesn't hide where he comes from.
Be careful.
See, with or without that Ietter, I'm gonna make it.
And I won't forget Mechanicsville, Georgia, made me who I am.
With all due respect, sir, it made you who you are.
Might help your daughter to know that too.
Come on.
Holler at your boy, man.
I made them come...
...so you wouldn't kick my ass.
Man, come on, dog. Damn.
Man, we friends, man. We boys. Hear him out.
I just wanted to say sorry.
And if it mean anything to you, I gave the Ietter back.
What you do that for?
-Hope you ain't think it was for me. -It was for me.
I didn't want it Iike that.
Hey, Iook, man. We about to go to Cascade.
Now, tonight is our night.
You already know what it is, homeboy.
I mean, we're Iike the Yankees, baby. We're Iike--
We're Iike the Bulls in the '90s. We're Iike the Lakers.
No, not the Lakers. But we're a dynasty.
When we're out on that rink, nobody can touch us, man.
Nobody. Let's go.
No. I'm gonna Iet y'all have it. I don't skate no more.
Oh, man, you acting Iike a female, man.
-Hell, man. -Yeah, whatever.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the moment you've all been waiting for.
Skate Wars is here.
I just got word Rashad Swann ain 't here tonight...
...so the Ones are not in competition.
Damn. This sucks, man.
-It really sucks. -Hey, man, my arm is skinnier.
No, no, no. Your arm ain't skinnier, your face got bigger.
-Hate to put it to you Iike that, man, hey. -You Iaughing, and we're gonna Iose.
I ain't been down here in a while. Love what you've done with the place.
Yeah, Iooks Iike you really Iet your Iittle partners piss you off.
I don't wanna talk about it.
Boy, I just came to tell you there's some Iemonade upstairs.
Best batch I ever made too.
Now, that's good.
Now, Iook, I ain't trying to get in your business...
...but, I mean, I do know a Iittle something about being pissed.
I mean, it's all-- You know, it's all just feelings, man.
From females to friends to funerals...
...it's all about the feelings.
I just want you to recognize the difference...
...between what you feel and what's real.
That way you don't Iook back on Iife with a bunch of regret.
-What's happening? -This Ant?
-No, this ain't Ant. Who is this? -Is this little big brother?
What the hell is you calling my house for, man?
The streetlight's on and our boy ain 't come home yet.
I'm gonna have to get out here and go find him.
Hell is you talking about? My brother ain't your business no more.
Like hell. Yeah, and he ain 't into me for two G's either.
And I ain 't about to put some hot shit in his chest, you know what I'm saying?
You better stay away from my Iittle brother, partner.
Boy, stop.
What's up, Ant?
I ain't heard from you in a while, boy. Boy, where you been?
No, no, I-- I'm cool.
I mean, I'm cool. It's just taking me a minute, that's all.
But I'm gonna straighten everything out as soon as I get that money.
Cognac.
Remember what I told you, right?
-Yeah. -What'd I say?
-It's grown-man business. -It's grown-man business.
Got your ass.
Scared as hell, man.
-Goddamn, Carl Lewis, where you going? -Come on, man, please.
PIease what? What? What? PIease what?
Boy, you're shaking Iike a stripper. Tighten up.
I'm so disappointed in you this evening.
Look at me when I'm talking to you, boy.
I know that ain't who I think it is.
-Little big brother. -Get in the car, Ant.
I told you to Ieave my brother alone.
-Y'all so funny. -You got a problem, you deal with me.
-Nigga, who the hell is you? -He owe you some money?
-Here you go. -Oh, shit.
-Yeah, I'm tired-- -That was so disrespectful.
You done hit me in my mouth with some goddamn money.
Yeah.
You don't get it, do you?
I'm his daddy now.
Get out the way.
Pleasure turns to the pain
Of the lessons learned from the strain Of the questions burned in my brain
About whether love is humane In its touch.
These thoughts are like salmon
Swimming upstream In the tears of your deceit
Fighting the current hurt That kills more than is created
By the chaos of our intertwined emotions
Chaotic because the anchor Of Eros ' arrow
Has been plucked from the vessel Of my undying infatuation
Separation not as simple As the distance between us
My mind no longer possessed By the demons
That had been the overseers Of my enslavement to your lies
The seeds of these lies Rooted so deeply
They have cracked the foundation Of what we once shared
Allowing the faith in us I had sealed inside To gush out like a river
Ripping the image of our future together From my thoughts
As violently and as brutally As if it were a child being taken
From his mother's arms
I'm left surrounded in darkness
But I refuse to be swallowed by it
My loneliness like the night air. Invisible to the eye, obvious to the touch
In its cold uncomfortableness
Yet if I could do it all over again
I'd do it in the same skin I'm in
To lay down and let love die
Just stay down and let love lie
No, no, not I
I'll stay 'round and let love fly
Even though I have seen Its darkest form, deceit
Nothing else could taste this warm Or feel this sweet
So you gonna stay mad at me forever?
It ain't even about that, bro.
I mean, Iike, when you was a baby, I couldn't walk for you.
And I can't walk for you now.
I'm sorry.
-Rashad, I'm not gonna be messing up. -Hey, Ant.
I Iove you, regardless.
I can teach you everything under the sun...
...but I can't be a man for you.
You gotta figure out the best way to do that yourself.
We didn't win Skate Wars that night.
But I got something better.
I got my friends, I got my girl, and I got my little brother back.
Teddy finally graduated from high school.
He even opened up his own spot. He call it "Gangsta Grills. "
But see, that's what I wanted, though.
Okay, well, hey, if that what you want, I got my money, we straight.
-That's right. -There it is.
Brooklyn finally found a job he could keep.
Congratulations.
Esquire got a mysterious letter of recommendation...
...for the Falcon Scholarship.
Guess Garnett ain 't so bad after all.
My boy's in the Ivy League.
Hey, get back up and try it again, baby girls.
Skateman says get back up, try it again.
-Get out of here. -We know how to skate, okay?
-We getting up. -This is so embarrassing.
Twins, well, they still at Cascade every Sunday night.
Ghetto fabulous.
Uncle George quit dealing with them dating services...
...and went to church and got him a real woman.
She 's nice.
New New finally convinced her parents that Spelman was right for her.
I'm glad she's close.
My little brother let go of all his dope-boy ambitions...
...and finally got it together.
I'm proud of him.
As for me...
...I never realized I was dreaming all along...
...because I was always drawing.
My pop said I'd put these skates down when I found something more important.
I think he was right.
This is the beginning.
[ENGLISH]