Fixed & Synced by bozxphd. Enjoy The Flick.
Rough street records freestyle battle is now about to commence!
Ladies and gentlemen, is Brooklyn in the house?
Is queens in the house?
Is money-makin' Manhattan in the house?
Is Staten island in the house? Where's the island at?
Guess they a no-show.
Let's go, y'all! Come on! Give it up!
Let the countdown begin!
Ten, nine,
eight, seven,
six, five,
four,
three,
two,
one!
You can feel it, people!
That boy on fire right there!
Can you feel it? Can you feel it in the air?
Si's finest, where you at? Where you at?
Ladies and gentlemen!
Si's finest has showed up!
And they brought a motherfuckin' coffin!
This fuckin' battle is on!
Listen...
Watch me work. Yo, pay attention y'all.
Hold up, hold up, wait, wait.
Choke!
Si's finest. Great performance tonight, guys.
Yeah!
Yeah, you all know! What's up, baby?
Yeah.
Naveen, when are you gonna hook us up with your boss?
Everyone knows you got the boss's ear.
Richard Reid is a busy man. I don't like to waste his time.
Waste his time? What you talkin' about?
Rough street records needs a group like Si's finest...
Hip-hop needs a group like Si's finest.
We got somethin' for everybody.
A strong female rapper.
Undeniable skills.
You guys just won five grand tonight. What else do you need?
A record deal. Duh.
Look, you guys have great potential.
But I need more than potential to sell records.
I need songs with structure, hook, verse.
I'm definitely not bringing a bunch of battle rappers in to my boss.
Yo, you don't know shit about music.
Hangin' around in clubs trying to scoop up groupies.
Throwin' around the a&r card.
Yo, man, a&r to this guy stands for ass and romance, man.
I'm done with this conversation. You guys enjoy your winnings.
Hey, Naveen.
You guys aren't done talking shit tonight?
All I've ever wanted was to be a rapper.
Rappers delight, California love, mind's playing tricks on me.
Those are the songs people remember.
I get it. That's what you want from us.
We can do that.
Yeah? Well, I haven't heard it.
You're in a&r. You're supposed to see greatness
before anyone else does.
Anyone could walk in here today and discover Jay Z.
But it took someone special to see greatness in Shawn Carter.
Let me think about it.
Give me your info.
Where's Malik? Hey...
I dunno. Yo! See Malik?
Nah, man.
Why not?
I think Malik left.
You good?
Yeah. I ain't trippin' over Malik.
Mmm-hmm.
Really. I just left my hard drive in his crib.
Come on. Don't start.
Malik doesn't owe me anything.
And more importantly, I don't owe him anything either.
You guys wear me out.
Yo! Uber's here. Who's coming?
You coming? I'm coming.
Coco?
You coming?
I think I'ma hang around a little bit longer.
Okay.
Bye. Bye.
I can't stand you.
You ready to go?
Get away from me. Are you ready to go?
Coco!
We killed it last night.
You had the audience eatin' out ya hand.
Yo, yo, it's too hot for that, co. Come on now.
You out?
I gotta work the breakfast shift.
Get me a number 6 for lunch.
You wanna grub for free, get up off your ass and come get it, lazy.
Yo, put some cheese on that shit!
You're late.
Good morning, ma.
I didn't hear you come in last night.
How you ever gonna find someone to love
if you keep being Malik's Booty call?
Ma!
Well?
Who says I'm looking for love?
We all lookin' for love, baby.
Malik's always had my back.
You remember how good he was when dad died.
What we have, we don't need labels.
Yeah? Well where I come from, it's got a label.
It's called "ho."
I call it like I see it.
What you lookin' at, huh? This ain't no reality show. Get back to work.
These goddamn...
Ooh... oh, my god.
What happened? You look like you just won the lottery.
It's Naveen from rough street records.
"Good morning. I thought about what you said
"and I showed your stuff to Richard last night.
"He liked what he saw. But he agrees with me
"so here's the deal. You have three months.
"We have our labor day weekend showcase for new talent.
"You send me three songs. Richard and I like one, you play it live."
That is the ticket. We're in.
It sounds like a whole lot of maybes to me.
Well, you know these music industry guys.
They're just always trying to play it cool.
No, I don't know these record label guys.
All I know is that he did not just offer you a contract.
And you know what? Time's up, baby. You gotta get back to school.
Ma, can we just not talk about school for, like, five minutes?
Coco, we had a deal.
I need to focus on this demo right now.
I'll go back to school in the fall, I promise.
You were supposed to be out one semester.
Baby, it's been almost a year.
Baby, your father and I, we have made ridiculous sacrifices
to make sure that you got to college.
Well, I'll pay you back as soon as I get a record deal.
You wanna pay me back? Graduate!
Just get it over with, huh? You're almost done.
Summer session starts soon, right?
Just do it. It'll be over before you know it.
I can't be 30, trying to start my rap career, ma.
Your not goin' back to school is not an option with me.
It is not gonna happen. Not on my watch.
You wanna rap? Fine. But ya gonna have to do it between classes.
Yo, what the fuck? What took so long?
I was... I dunno.
Are you gonna let me in?
What's up, y'all?
Coco, what's good, mama?
You smell like fuckin' balls and underarms.
You want somethin' to eat?
As if I would eat something over here.
Where's Malik?
How we supposed to know where Malik at? Matt, you seen Malik?
Nigga, do I look like his fuckin' parole officer?
Let me go upstairs and get my bag.
Uh... What?
You can't just be goin' in Malik's room when he not here.
You can't do that.
Since when?
Go grab her!
Coco!
Yeah?
Yo. What up, what up, what up?
Reasons and Matt said you weren't here. What are you doing here?
Nah, I'm chillin', I don't know why they said that, I'm just...
Guess what. What?
Richard Reid is gonna give us another chance.
For real? Yes!
That's what I'm talkin' about.
Hey all right. That's what I'm sayin', so let's put some shit down.
Let's do our thing, right?
Right, what?
I was... I was write... I was writin'.
I was workin' on, you know, I'm workin' on the lyrics.
I got these... I got this shit in my head.
It's crazy, I just had like this epiphany and shit.
And I was collabin' on some... Actually, she got a new...
I got... we got verses. We got hook... co!
Co!
Coco! Hey!
Coco!
Shit.
What the fuck is wrong with y'all niggas?
You know I got... You know I got shorty upstairs.
What's wrong with y'all? Why didn't y'all say somethin'?
You know how the fuck she is, man. The fuck is wrong with...
She just stormed in here.
Twiddle Dee, twiddle dum over here. What the fuck, man.
The time is up, coco.
You have got to get back to school.
Do you know how many sacrifices your father and I made
so that you could go to college?
You wanna rap? That's fine with me.
But from now on you gonna have to do it between classes.
Hey, coco. Coco!
What?
I thought you'd be working on your demo.
I'm doing both. Just need eight more credits to graduate.
What are you taking?
I have an accounting class at 3:00, just to finish my major.
And then just lookin' for some bullshit course.
I got the perfect bullshit for you.
Easy a. Nah, no, no, no.
Yeah. Trust me on this one.
No, no, no.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
No. Yeah.
Poetry? Hell, no.
Just give it a chance.
Professor's gonna be amazing.
Uh, excuse me, darling. I think you're in my seat.
I think you're blockin' my view.
Well, listen that's my bag next to the chair.
And this is my ass in the seat.
"I don't write poetry.
"I sweat poetry.
"I drink poetry.
"I breathe poetry.
"I make love to poetry.
"I fight poetry.
"I bleed poetry.
"I once tripped over poetry,
"got angry and kicked poetry."
"I live poetry.
"For I am poetry.
"I do not write poetry.
"Poetry writes me."
Welcome to poetry 101.
I am professor Nefari Dixon.
Thank you.
For the next 12 weeks we will be discussing
the rhythmic language of experience.
Poetry.
How many of you have ever written a poem?
Ah.
How many of you don't even like poetry?
Well, let me give you a word of warning.
This class is not for the faint of heart.
You will explore the limits of your abilities.
You will find those limits
and you will soar past those limits.
Remember this.
Reading a book will change what you know.
Reading a poem will change who you are.
This is my teaching assistant, Mr. Derek Morris.
He will run the study services
as well as be responsible for the bulk of the grading.
We are fully-booked.
Who's that? Sorry.
Any students that aren't registered in this class
will have to audition in order to get a place.
The audition process is simple.
Recite a poem from memory.
No songs. Just poems.
And I will decide who stays
and who goes.
So, let's get into it.
Who's first?
"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways."
"If thou wilt not, be but sworn my love
"and I will no longer be a Capulet."
"Once upon a midnight dreary
"while I pondered weak and weary." Hi.
Thank you. Chris.
Seat won't go down.
"I pledge allegiance to the flag..."
And who do we have left? Who do we have left?
Floor's yours.
"I start to think and then I sink into the paper
"like I was ink.
"When I'm writin' I'm trapped in between the lines.
"I escape when I finish the rhymes."
Yes!
Rakim, right?
Yeah.
Well that's a rap. So, I'm gonna disqualify you.
You said "no songs." You didn't say anything about "no raps."
And I think you're misunderstanding what the audition process was.
No, I understand what you're saying. I get it.
What you're trying to say is that
what some dead dudes wrote 100 years ago
is more important than hip-hop is today.
Ooh!
I'm sorry, what's your name again?
Coco Ford.
Well, I'm sorry, coco Ford, but you're disqualified.
That's wack.
I'm out of here.
It is not an assumption that
you need this class to graduate.
So I suggest to all of you
who are remaining
to focus.
How can they teach poetry and leave out rap?
Right?
Where's the English department? This ain't right.
Coco!
Next.
The Rakim fan.
Have a seat.
A little before your time, no?
My pops got me open on Rakim.
It's the first rap I knew by heart.
Oh, you're one of those, huh?
You think that rap and poetry are the same.
Yeah.
I grew up on hip-hop, okay?
I was the shorty running around all the block parties.
I've forgotten more about hip-hop than you will ever know.
And I've watched it become misogynistic
and small-minded and uninspiring.
Not all hip-hop is misogynistic and small-minded.
Oh. You're talking about conscious rap.
But no one listens to it.
They don't play it on the radio. And no one buys it.
So you're just gonna turn your back on the whole culture?
Oh, with fantastic lyrics like
"I woke up in the morning and the girls were still there."
"They were naked with their asses in the air"
and, I don't know, some canonical work
by Ifmao or whatever their names are.
Professor, you and your ta, Mr. Morris
are in a position to inspire people to do better.
You have a platform and a voice.
I'm not turning my back on hip-hop.
Hip-hop has already turned its back on us.
I'm sorry, class is full.
None of this sounds like us.
That's the point. We're supposed to make a hit.
But it don't sound like a hit.
Yo, man, reasons makes better beats than this shit.
Thank you, man. Matt, come on.
Seriously, you guys, we don't have
that much time to get this together.
We need to come hard, all right. Like east coast style, son.
Coming hard is why we're still recording in this dingy-ass basement.
Yo, whatever, man.
I mean, for real. We are not gangstas.
We have never been to jail. And we ain't got no guns.
Coco, I got guns. Where?
That's it. Let's drop that.
No, that's the shit I'm talkin' about.
Let me know when you guys are done. I'm takin' a nap.
Get that "I'll be sure" line and all that.
Especially, get that one.
You good? Yeah, yeah.
Watch your feet. You know you're wrong.
Co, can you forget about shorty?
Let me get some.
You ain't gonna give me none? Have one.
Why are you so worked up? Hmm?
You wound up way too tight.
Feel good, right?
It feels okay.
You know it feels good.
Yeah, co, we gonna get it. All right?
We gonna get it.
Guess who's blowin' you up on Twitter.
Derek Morris at Derekinspace writes,
"students, next time you can't get your way
"don't go running to the teacher. # freshmanfail."
That's not me.
Girl, you know it is.
What's his handle?
They can keep me out of class, but they can't keep me off Twitter.
You gotta turn everything into a battle?
Check this out.
That little hip-hop diva is putting you on blast.
Let her in.
The iambic pentameter
is the most common way of writing poetry.
Can you repeat that?
Iambic pentameter.
I want you to know this.
I want you to take her home, ride her all night if you will.
But please, do not marry the bitch.
Well, this week's assignment was for you to write something
that scares you.
Who's willing to share what they've written?
Let's see. Coco Ford?
You only let me in class today.
I'm aware of that.
But you are responsible for your assignments.
You did receive the email with your assignment and the reading?
Yes?
I did the reading. I just didn't have time to finish the assignment.
I only had a few hours.
Oh.
Try to keep up.
As part of your curriculum, you are expected to attend
at least one of Mr. Morris' weekly slam poetry field trips.
Mr. Morris, where is it this week?
This week, guys, we're gonna be heading to the Nuyorican poetry slam.
Welcome to the house Miguel Algarin built.
A mix of Nuyorican soul and neighborhood hustle.
Here, you can learn your love's truest name
and claim the reign to victory.
Here, you get to be whoever you want to be. And more.
Welcome to the house of smooth lyrics and slam poetry.
Slick talk and real heartbeats.
Here time stands still.
The vibe tonight, we takin' it higher than we ever been.
Our first poet, Adam Falkner.
I can't believe all these people are here for poetry.
The whitest thing. Owning your own white guilt isn't cool yet.
Listen, I'd like to introduce two of my new students.
This is coco.
Hi. Hey. How you doin'?
I'm well, thank you. Nice to meet you.
And this is Julie.
- How you doin', Julie? - Hi.
This right here, guys, is the man. Coltrane.
He's a pillar of New York's poetry community.
And he knows professor Dixon pretty well.
Has she made your life miserable, yet?
I see you know her very well.
Yes, very, very well. She's my wife.
Well, I'm sorry to hear that.
Of all the street compliments I get walking down the street
"Ga gless you, ma" is my favorite.
So what's your thing?
She's a rapper that doesn't like poetry.
Oh, come on.
Perfect. Perfect, coco.
Because you're gonna be a judge.
No. Yes.
You can do it, you can do it. Don't worry about it. You got taste?
Mmm.
All right, great.
Clip the keratin armor until your nails are slick.
Keep each operation uniform. Rank, file, top, sides.
Push back the enemy cuticles with oil and lotion.
The chemical arsenal of a Vietnamese manicurist named Chien.
A name that means "war."
Even oceans away, she carries the war like a name.
She's bent over, scrubbing your fingers.
The cuticle foliage remind her
of slaughtered soldiers, her dead father, her sister buried alive.
"Tell me what color you like."
Judges, let me see those scorecards.
We got an 8.5.
A 9.5.
I see a 10 over there.
We got a 7 right here.
Uh, okay. Damn!
People take this seriously.
Now perhaps I should start this poem
by informing you that I am bilingual.
That the queen's English that I speak so eloquently before you now
is not my first language, no.
My grandmother never used such diction
when she spoke me up in the welfare line amongst the other dwellers.
Or when she called down to me from the project window for dinner, no.
We spoke a more Southern-fried English.
I am a be-hyphen-ginner and my moves shall remain inadequate
until these hands can rip the skull from out of my lips
and hand deliver you perfection.
Brown body collapses like cardboard across the dance floor.
Sarcophagus unlocked.
Blades reveal, blades reveal these bones.
My Swiss army skeleton.
Skull, Flathead screwdriver, finger bone, switch shoulder, switchblade
switch rib cage keys cords cage.
The b-boy's spinal cord is key to pandora's cardboard boom box.
Click and rewind. Click.
They scared o' you, black boy.
Do you see how they shiver when you speak, young man?
How they speed up when you walk behind them in your crown.
When you become a king and point your notebooks at their temples.
When you rob them of their knowledge.
When you carry your backpack more than your basketball
and pull your jeans up off your boxers.
When you put down your gloves and stop fighting.
When you pick up your gloves and keep fighting.
When you put a rod in your spine
and proclaim you ain't ready to die.
Take your place as the chosen people.
We have a 9.6.
And we got an 8.
We got a 10.
I want y'all to give it up for Derek Morris, y'all.
Um...
Sounds of apologetic hearts breaking
have been my life's anthem since I was 16 years old.
Cultivating the platform for this now 21 year old monument of a man
who's afraid of commitment.
I saw it first in my father.
When I realized that he was afraid
of heights midair of jumping the broom.
Attracted to women quick to tie knots like boy scouts.
While simultaneously making ones in the womb.
These were wavering women.
Willing to compromise their morals
for the maintenance of morale.
Wailing women who viewed my father's infidelity like a crucifixion.
I wonder how god felt
when he saw his own son die due to a flaw within his own system.
Or how my father feels
when he sees his own son strive to be nothing like him
so therefore resembles his victims.
Do either of them live vicariously through their children?
Or look away as they go through hell and back.
Thank you.
Loved the poem, hated his delivery.
Are we havin' fun here tonight or what?
All right, I wanna see some scores.
8.2.
We got a 9.5.
We got a 9.
And we got a 6.5.
She took him out.
Oh, damn.
Remember, for the next two months
the winners of each weekly slam
will compete for a spot on my 5 boros slam team.
Representing New York City on labor day weekend
in the national competition.
He didn't mention anything about that.
And tonight we have our first finalist.
The winner of this weekly slam.
I want y'all to give it up for Vanessa Hidary.
Peace, y'all.
Derek.
Hey. I just wanted to say that your poems are really good.
So, what, you gave me low scores just to mess with me?
No, not at all, I just...
Listen, this may be a joke to you
but that 5 boros slam team is important to me.
I just think your performance could have been better.
And you know this because you get up on a stage
and say whatever shit comes into your mind and think that's poetry.
You know what? Save your constructive bullshit for your homies.
Goodnight.
My homies?
That went well.
I told ya you could be a good judge.
But damn, his students usually give him a good score.
Very nice, miss Ford, very nice.
Thank you.
You've got the voice and the snaps.
A real crowd pleaser.
But is that really all you have to say?
Really, Mr. Morris, what was that?
That was a rap.
This nigga.
Precisely.
Miss Ford, please, care enough to learn the difference.
It's poetry, not rap. Poetry, not rap.
Whatever.
Miss Ford, I like the rap.
But I liked it better when mos def did it 10 years ago.
We are going to keep this up until you write a poem.
If everybody else in here can get that,
I don't understand why you can't.
What is wrong with you? What is your problem?
Children, please, understand,
this university already has your money.
I already have your money.
You may as well learn something.
Dixon's not here.
I came to see you.
I'm looking for some advice.
Yeah, well, my advice to you,
if you don't respect the curriculum, drop the class.
I wasn't trying to be disrespectful.
Poetry is just harder than I thought.
But I'm gonna get it.
Oh, well, thank you so, so much for sharing that with us.
Do you know what Dixon meant when she said
I need to learn the difference between a rap and a poem?
I mean, I thought I knew,
but I obviously don't.
Look, rap, when you break it down, is 95% bragging and boasting.
Poetry is more about truth and introspection.
Nas, biggie, Kendrick Lamar,
plenty of rappers are truthful and introspective.
And that's exactly why they stand out.
Put some real emotion into it.
Tell me how you really feel.
My feelings. Right.
'Cause that's what niggas is tryin' to hear at the strip club?
My feelings?
I should burst into tears in the middle of a battle.
Then maybe I'll sell lots of records.
You're never gonna sell any records
if you don't start putting more of yourself into your music. Okay?
So buy a journal and a separate rhyme book. Make sure you keep your notes.
You know what? I'm good. Never mind.
Oh, so you're mad now?
Good. Use it.
Don't push it away.
I'm not mad. You can't make me mad.
Okay then. So, whatever this not mad thing you got going on,
write about it.
You should feel pain when you write.
Listen coco, if your art doesn't make you feel uncomfortable
then you're not going deep enough. And that's plain and simple.
You really believe that shit?
I live that. Okay?
Mmm. I don't work like that.
Rap is what I escape to.
Well,
that's your problem.
And that's the difference between a rap and a poem.
Sea, water, body.
Moonlight.
Fresh fish flakes in my mouth.
Love's words match love's touch.
How to forget me and do you.
Let's go, sweetheart.
You can't relate to what I'm sayin'.
Everybody leave.
Coco got big dreams.
God, hear me, please.
Thanks for meeting me here.
Okay...
Look, it doesn't have to rhyme, you know.
Like, rhyming over a beat is cool and things,
but you've gotta be really careful with spoken word poetry.
It can sound a little bit cheesy. Like Dr. Seuss.
And distracting you from what you're really trying to say.
You just need to dig deeper.
Okay, let's try something. Yeah?
Look out the window and tell me what you see.
I see the doo-doo brown river.
And some...
Rusty old bridge.
Some dirty projects.
And some big houses with a bunch of rich people living in them.
You're looking, but you're not seeing.
When I look out that window, I don't see a dirty doo-doo brown river.
I see the agent of the sea.
That brings life with it.
That separates two worlds.
And that bridge?
That bridge is the portal between them.
Where it allows people to grow and come together and learn.
And this, where we are right now,
this institution houses great minds.
Scientists, lawyers, professors, philanthropists,
and yes, poets.
This is where rappers come to die.
So when I look at you...
I see a girl who is afraid to Pierce that veil on a calculated cool.
What's inside might hurt her.
When you can go deep enough inside yourself your work will be incredible.
And you know what the best part of it all is?
It doesn't have to rhyme.
"Pick a topic you believe in.
"Something you're passionate about..."
Miss coco Ford, what do you have for us?
"Displacement of low income residents.
"The poor folk, the lower class, the impoverished.
"The blacks and the browns.
"We used to scare 'em. They used to think us dangerous.
"Dropped heads, averted gazes. Clutched bags.
"Walks quicken to a sprint when we walk past.
"Or they saw us on the corner,
"god forbid we met eyes or brushed shoulders.
"Before there was Williamsburg,
"it was the south side and the north side.
"Before there was east Williamsburg, it was Bushwick.
"Places they never even thought of walking through
"before there were white folk there.
"There were no trash cans on our street corners.
"No yellow taxis driving through.
"No bike racks and no dog parks.
"Even though we've always had bikes and we always had dogs.
"And even though we some days get tired too, we had no benches to rest on."
Mmm-hmm.
I'm amazed how amazing that was.
Well, check you out.
You nailed it.
Really?
'Cause all I heard was, "mmm-hmm."
You kidding me? That was the ultimate compliment.
She was digesting it. You made her think and feel.
Excuse me.
Well, then, I guess you broke me down.
You know what?
Why don't we go out and celebrate or something?
Nothin' crazy, just...
A bit of food.
I got somethin' we can do.
Check out a little bit of my world.
And what does that mean exactly?
Drop down to Killah hill 10304.
What you know about Killah hill?
Come on.
Now, get ready for some real hip-hop.
This place is something else.
They call it the gym.
Whenever I need a workout, I come out here and soak up all the flows.
Then afterwards, we come up here and drink.
Do you drink?
Tip a glass or two.
Peace, peace, kid.
What's your name, man?
I'm Derek, bro.
Oh, Drake, nice to meet you, bro.
Where you from, Derek?
Just outside London.
That explains why dude sounds like Harry Potter. Right?
So, I mean what you into, Derek?
Uh... I'd like to be a poet.
Nah, I mean, it...
Did I say something funny or...
Real fuckin' funny, man.
I thought most rappers consider themselves poets.
Nah, we rap and shit. We ain't with that poetry, y'all.
You're a funny dude.
What the fuck was that?
Man, yo, son, you know what, son? Definitely drew his beard in.
He drew that shit in.
He painted that shit on. I don't like it.
Here we go, here we go.
I think I can do that.
Yo, co, co, you ready to go?
Listen, mate, she's with me.
This your new man?
He's a friend.
Friend? Yeah good, good, good. We all need friends.
Even poets.
Come on, we got work to catch up on, let's go.
Listen, take your hands off her, bro.
Oh.
Yeah. Chill out, Malik.
I'll see you tomorrow.
That's a real good idea, I'll see you tomorrow.
Right. Gosh.
Look at you.
I got somewhere I wanna take you.
Back up off me, nigga. What the fuck are you gonna do?
You better watch yourself, son.
What the fuck are you gonna do?
What you gonna do, huh? Chill out, all right?
Chill. What, man, what?
What, what, what?
What you doin' up on the rock, Derek? Hey.
I just am out here... Yeah?
Coco, this here's my boy AJ and Hassan. 'Sup?
They were in my class last year. Are you good?
I'm good, bro, I'm good, I'm good. You good?
See you again. All right. Take it easy.
Was you worried about me then?
How adorable.
No. I was about to jump in for you.
Have to save your light skin.
I am Brooklyn, sometimes.
And she is queen.
And we, we're separated by the cemetery of sentimentality.
Totally I would take on a relation, she gets ill with us.
The thrill with us is the break up to make up.
Two together define, yet unrefined and pure.
So, when I'm at her crib, I leave my timberlands at the door.
Mint tea and a spliff and let's hold each other on the couch.
Tellin' each other that without, without knowledge of self,
knowledge is nothing.
I'm Brooklyn, sometimes.
And she is queen.
And she reads a book to me
about a man's invisibility. Yes, about a man's invisibility.
But to her I am visible and perceived with vision.
You are full of so many surprises.
What are you looking at?
You.
You're freaking me out.
I look that bad?
You know, actually, you don't look half bad.
It's nothing a little plastic surgery can't fix.
No, really, I know a good surgeon. Mmm.
Well, there's not one thing I'd change about you.
Unless, maybe I could get like some
brain surgery to, like, get it taken out.
Shut up.
You must have been a real brat when you was a kid.
I was shy. Very shy.
Yeah, okay, and I was the prince of wales.
No, really. I was a runt when I was a little kid.
And I got picked on a lot.
My dad was my only friend.
And I remember, we'd have these little rap battles
and my favorite line of his was
"I'm the twinkle in your eye, the tear in your cry,
"the reason for your why.
"So seek me.
"As you learn to love yourself better, teach me."
And I remember when he would say that,
I would just feel like the most invincible little kid in the world.
But then he died.
And Malik sort of took over as my rap partner.
Malik and those fools have been the only men in my life.
Until now.
Thank you. For inviting me tonight.
Thank you for teaching me poetry.
I had to get out of there.
Was it good?
I can't explain it.
He was so...
Open.
That kind of freaked me out.
You're just used to being ignored and neglected.
I like him for you. You don't like him?
Suppose he is the love of your life.
But how will you know if you keep pushing him away?
Well, if he's the love of my life,
then I don't have to do anything.
It'll happen, right?
Speak of the devil. I'm out of here.
Now look, I really don't want things to be weird in class.
So can we just pretend nothing happened?
Yeah?
Okay. Cool.
It still needs to be mixed properly. No.
Mixing won't make the lyrics better.
And the song structure sucks.
We gotta dig deeper than this.
Let's just send it to Naveen and see what he says.
We can't send this to Naveen.
We have one shot with his ear.
We don't wanna fuck that up.
So, we're just gonna keep working until we get it right.
I'm done with this demo shit.
All right, we damn near broke.
We ain't battled in a month. We ain't no snap crackle pop-ass rappers.
We ain't no fuckin' sellouts.
We need to stick to battles. That's what we do.
No, that's what you do.
We are a group.
And we made a commitment to finish this demo,
so that's what we're gonna do.
Reasons, play the beat, please.
Nah, nah, reason, don't play shit.
Don't play a motherfuckin' thing, all right?
Coco, you don't run shit around here.
And you don't run shit around here but your goddamn mouth.
Yeah? This mouth is gettin' us all fuckin' paid.
Where? Obviously, not enough to buy some fuckin' roach spray
to spray the booth out.
- Shut the fuck up! - Fuck you.
Exactly. Talk to her.
Fuck you. Talk to her.
I'm sick o' y'all bickerin', man, for real.
Can we please, please, just focus for once?
Reasons is right, y'all.
Let's just focus and get it done.
Come on.
The sonnet
depicts love as both pain and pleasure.
As joy and anguish.
As disdain and devotion.
Relationships equate
a surrendering of one's self.
Mmm.
Well, let's start here next week.
Hey, coco. Wait up a minute.
So, uh...
How've you been?
I'm good.
Just been busy with my demo.
Yeah, me, too, but I've been working on my new poem.
Still trying to get in Coltrane's slam team.
Just haven't got the moves quite down.
Don't switch up those moves.
Look, I'm sorry about what I said the other day.
About what?
About pretending nothing happened.
It's okay.
We both just had too much to drink and, you know, shit happens.
It's cool, though.
Friends?
Nah. No?
No.
I want to be more than friends.
Coco Ford, may I speak with you for a moment, please?
My husband and I are... We're having a salon on Saturday.
I'd like you to come.
Really?
Don't tell anyone.
But you can bring a date.
Thanks.
We have one shot to get our songs right for this record label.
These guys just don't get it.
So, when is the showcase?
Labor day.
You comin'?
Is that an invite? Maybe.
Look, listen, I have an important question for you.
Is it a really important question or
like, a dumb important question?
Course it's an important question.
Fire away.
Why can't you tell me what you and Dixon whispered about?
Hmm. What's it worth to you?
Let me see.
Well, that's a start.
But just to let you know that it wasn't about you.
Okay, so now you have secrets with my boss, I see what's goin' on.
Fine. She invited me to a salon.
Seriously? Yeah.
So, is she gonna have a bunch of hairdressers at her house or something?
Nah, nah, nah, it's a poetry salon.
It's where people go and showcase their work, their art.
Are you going?
I wasn't invited.
She probably forgot.
I wasn't invited last year either.
Just be careful with Dixon.
She likes to toy with people.
I do feel like I'm finally starting to make progress with her.
Well, I'm just saying you should keep an eye out.
Well, she told me to bring a date.
So I'm gonna bring you.
So you can watch out.
In case anyone tries anything tricky.
Well, I'll be watchin'.
You look great tonight. Thank you.
I think this is us.
You make me laugh.
Seriously, though you are something.
Coco.
You've made it. How are you, Mrs. Dixon?
Thank you so much for inviting me here. Your house is amazing.
I need to steal her for a moment.
I know you won't mind.
Come.
Coco, you are such a good writer.
You've advanced immeasurably since your first assignment.
It's actually miraculous.
I've been working like, really hard.
You have a voice.
Ah...
The voice of a poet.
I just...
I just worry that you're wasting your time
with a lover that'll never love you back.
What? I don't understand.
You're a smart woman, coco.
Flirting with a ta for a good grade?
That's so beneath you. No. No, no, no.
It's not like that.
Okay, well, I'll...
I take it back.
Come on.
Coltrane.
This is my most promising student, coco Ford.
How you doin'? I remember you from the other night.
Yeah, yeah. You made your boy here lose.
Coltrane and his slams.
Everyone's always trying to impress him so they can make the new team.
Well, baby, you know slam saw where poetry was messin' up
and I just wanna make things right. Hmm.
You know, it's a whole generation of young poets like coco
who have been raised on hip-hop
and brought up by poets like us.
This is our duty. Yes.
You do know how to please young girls.
Um...
I'm going to read in just a moment.
You should come outside.
What the fuck?
Accompanying me is the amazing and beautiful Esperanza Spalding.
"I am the kind of woman who loses things.
"The kind of woman who makes room for a child she lost.
"I am the kind of woman who keeps the porch light on.
"The kitchen light on.
"The bathroom light on.
"I am the kind of woman who keeps the light on.
"During sex.
"During naptime.
"After dark.
"It is safe that way.
"I am the kind of woman who needs to feel safe.
"The kind of woman who has needs that no one can satisfy.
"I am never satisfied with things god allows.
"I am the kind of woman who sins for entertainment.
"Who says ugly things about ugly people.
"Who says even uglier things about prettier people
"who have been ugly to me.
"I am the kind of woman who is ugly for fun.
"And god knows I could be so much prettier.
"I am the kind of woman
"who uses her vagina as a missile.
"Who will beg your pardon, if you ask for it.
"Who will bust your head, if you ask for it.
"Who will help you bust your nut, if you ask for it.
"I am the kind of woman who says things like,
"'don't ask me for shit.'
"but I will give up anything if you need it.
"But be cautious.
"Because I lose things.
"Like children."
Does anyone else want to share tonight?
I mean, who wants to follow that?
Coco Ford.
Miss Ford, you wanna share anything?
I don't have anything prepared.
Oh, come on.
Please, don't make me do this.
I don't like when people tell me, "no."
Ladies and gentlemen, this is my protege,
the very opinionated and talented hip-hop poet,
coco Ford.
I hope you like this.
That's enough. Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
She is both talented and opinionated.
Well, you can see how important it is
for all of us to continue to uplift the unenlightened.
Coco.
Listen, we gotta talk about this.
Nothing to talk about. It's over.
I'm done. Look, coco, wait.
Why would she invite me out just to
embarrass me in front of all of her friends?
Dixon likes to toy with people.
It's like her twisted way of teaching.
She actually believes that hard lessons are poetic.
I'm dropping the course.
You have a gift.
But if we're being perfectly honest with ourselves.
What happened in there... I know.
It was a rap, not a poem.
You said it, not me.
Come on, you. Let's get out of here.
"As you learn to love yourself better."
"Teach me.
"As you learn to forgive yourself for failing."
"Teach me."
Ready? Switch.
"The way the light shines through
"your window was always brighter to me.
"The way the shadow falls on your doorstep is more inviting.
"You've shaken my world."
"You've awoken my dreams."
"You free my soul."
"You set my goals."
"So...
"Come run with me." "Come run with me."
That's beautiful.
Thank you. Thank you.
Read it again.
I've got a better idea.
Really blows my mind.
The way he expresses love with his words?
Quite magical.
Oh, don't get that.
Si's finest can't have you today.
I have to get it. It's my mom.
Hi, mom.
Where are you?
At my friend Derek's house.
Honey, I need you.
Missy canceled. You gotta come in.
Really?
Girl. Ma...
I'll be there in 20.
Sorry. I gotta go to work.
Couldn't we just say no today?
No, I can't say no to my mom. I'll come with you.
What?
Thanks but no. Stay and enjoy your weekend.
No, it's fine, I'm actually, a specialty dishwasher person.
Coco, I think it's time you realized that
I'm more than just a poet with a pretty face.
And I make a fantastic Shepherd's pie with Yorkshire pudding.
Gonna go check in with mom.
Okay.
I don't care what you do.
I just need you to boil those carrots until they are mush.
We do not have denture insurance up in here.
Hi, mom. Don't you "hi, mom" me.
Go put that apron on, get to work.
And where were you last night?
And who is this new guy? And why haven't I met him?
He's here. What do you mean, "he here?"
You brought him here, girl?
I don't have time to entertain the hip-hop nation.
He better not be out there smoking dope with old man Johnson.
Mom, chill. It's not even like that.
And besides, he insisted on helping.
Helping? Yeah, right. Helping to eat my food.
Do I need to remind you of your priorities, young lady?
Where is he?
You guys all set? Fantastic.
Ladies, I'm gonna take this dirty plate away.
I'll be back in two seconds if you need anything else.
Guys, coffee? Coffee. Coffee.
I've got you covered, okay?
Oh, he is a cutie.
I know that look.
Yes, I do.
Uh-huh.
Oh!
Mom, you're such a creep.
I like him.
Girl, go help that boy.
I got this.
You wrote that shit, co?
I wrote it as a poem, actually. Play it again.
What do you think?
That shit cool, man.
So you a poet now like your boy Harry Potter?
No, I'm a rapper who wants to better herself with poetry.
I've written more in the last month than I have in years.
No, I ain't feeling it. Or your whole new direction.
I mean, coco, it's cool and all, but it doesn't
sound like any of our other songs.
Well, this is where I'm at right now, so...
I've been busting my ass writing lyrics and here you come.
On some hallmark greeting card type shit?
I've had to rap around your stupid thug fantasy lyrics for years.
You could at least just give me one song.
Save that shit for a poetry reading.
Well, if I can't make the music I want then
what's the point of me being in the group?
Maybe you don't need to be in the group.
Coke... This is bullshit.
Coke, he didn't mean that. Yes, I did.
Malik, you didn't mean that shit.
You better believe I did.
Yo, reas, play my shit.
Play that.
Yeah.
Hi, it's Derek. You've reached my voicemail.
It's finals time so I've been pretty busy,
but please leave a message after the beep.
Hey, Derek, it's me, coco. I know you have a late class, but...
I just really need to hear your voice right now,
I'm having a terrible day.
Call me back when you get this. Bye.
Things are different now.
You what?
Things are just as they've always been.
You're seriously?
Look, look, look. I can't do this anymore.
Hey, don't go. Don't mess up a good thing.
Coco! Coco, wait!
Coco, listen!
Let me explain to you. Please, please stop! Just stop!
Just let me explain, okay?
I've been reading professor Dixon's poetry since high school.
She's the whole reason I came to America.
I sent her my writing and she gave me a full scholarship.
Coco, I come from nothing.
No one ever did anything like that for me before.
Listen, I knew it wasn't right.
But it started happening and...
I didn't know how to make it stop.
No, coco! Listen, please.
Please. Please, please, please.
I have one question.
What was gonna happen if I didn't walk in?
You were supposed to be different.
Okay, class. Final exam starts now.
Coco? Coco. Where are you?
How'd you find me here? Talked to your moms.
She said you had a lot on your mind. So where else would you be?
Damn. Harry Potter really got up in your head, huh?
Thinking about maybe we can get the group back together?
Is that your way of saying you're sorry?
Sorry for what?
For giving Naveen our mix demo?
You sent our demo to Naveen? Yup.
What did he say?
What did who say? Naveen.
Well, he liked it. He liked the tracks. He thinks we got potential.
Come on, what did he say?
Nah, he said, Si's finest is headlining
the rough street records showcase. We did it.
He loved our shit.
For real? For real.
Right? That's crazy, right?
So you back, right? You back in the group.
Yeah. Yeah?
Yeah, yeah. All right.
The only thing is...
He didn't accept your solo track.
He said it was too different, too slow.
It didn't fit.
Do you agree with him?
Fellas do.
We gotta stick to who we are, co.
Si's finest, right?
Right? Yeah.
Yeah?
All right.
Let's just go out there and kill it then.
That's what I'm talking about. Let's go kill it.
Coco! Coco! Coco!
Shut up. Stupid.
I have one question.
Did you really fail my class as a way to punish me?
Because I thought you were smarter than that.
I expected so much more from you, coco.
Today, I emerge as a writer.
What angels dare to dream.
Every day tears fall from my eyes is a day I survive.
Conquering the crumbling mountains of self-doubt.
I am no longer a dream deferred.
My growth is inevitable.
Who I am requires you to see past your ego.
And see me.
You can't grade me like a piece of meat.
I am the embodiment of verses and stanzas.
Of freedom fighters and poetry slams. We are no different.
If you examine the diameter of hip-hop's slang and grammar,
you'll find that it is very similar to the iambic pentameter.
But you're so ignorant.
Rappers are poets. And poets are rappers.
Only academics are too afraid to admit it.
And despite what you think, I did learn one thing.
That the truth is inevitable.
Oh. And yeah, it doesn't have to rhyme.
For what it's worth,
Derek came into my office to tell me that it was over.
I was the one hanging on.
He dropped out of the master's program today.
He had one week left.
He said that he didn't want to earn his degree this way.
I guess I was wrong then.
He did love you back.
That's poetry.
You ready for tonight?
Yeah. I just have to go pick up my jacket at Malik's.
Okay now. Don't get nervous and start talking too fast, all right?
Like you do when you get nervous, you talk fast.
See, you got this. You are so great at it.
For you, baby, this is like breathing
so don't put any extra pressure on yourself, all right?
Are you okay, mom?
Lord, I'm a wreck.
I just want you to know that no matter what happens tonight,
baby, I am so proud of you.
Thanks, mom.
Just want you to know that I'm going to
finish my semester and get my accounting degree.
I've still got plan b in the works. I haven't forgotten about it.
To hell with plan b.
Tonight, I want you to go out there and make plan a happen.
I wanna thank everyone for supporting
slam poetry and the 5 boros team.
Tonight, we're selecting four people.
These are the best of New York City.
Coco. Hey, coco.
Hey, Naveen.
Thanks so much for letting us do this.
No, I can't wait to see your solo song tonight.
We're not performing the solo song. Wait, what?
Malik and reasons and Matt said that you guys
didn't like the solo song, so we're just not gonna do it.
That's the only song that Richard and I even liked.
We were willing to tolerate the other songs,
but I was very clear with Malik and the boys about this.
I need you, okay? Okay.
Co...
Fucking liar.
No one gives a damn about Naveen,
what he thinks or what Richard thinks.
I think they're wrong since day one.
They been wrong the whole time.
You all knew about this.
Your songs just don't fit, all right?
They're not who we are. And you a part of us.
You really think rough street records
is gonna give us a second chance?
Look, they're just trying to make money off us.
They charging $20, $30 to get in here.
And we ain't even getting paid.
We're gonna go out there and we're gonna make so much noise,
all of them, everybody gonna be wanting to sign us.
All right, and gonna do it our way.
Si's finest way. From the beginning.
Let's do this.
Don't fucking touch me.
Come on.
Co...
You okay?
What up, yo? How y'all doing?
And we can't forget the female of the group. Beautiful.
Coco!
This is a coco Ford song that you almost didn't hear tonight.
Coming to you from across the waters.
All the way from London, England.
You all make some noise.
For Derek Morris.
Thank you.
She does to me what winter does to the trees.
She strips me bare, naked and empty.
I laugh to myself, because...
I can't sing, it's just...
She makes me want to try and harmonize.
Like...
Like I've got no worries bothering me tomorrow.
Like I've got no dirty clothes hamper full of yesterdays...
Stinking up what future is left in me.
But I...
I really ain't no Saint.
Never felt love's true bliss.
A disciple of my father, I learned to love with clenched fists.
I learned to love like reading braille on skin.
Tracing the insecurities of women
through the palms of their hands.
But with her...
It was different.
See, she was in every single word I wrote.
She walked a poet's refrain.
Spoke a sweet soliloquy.
But I recognize the lack of trust in my own heart.
Because only a fool won't accept the nourishment
that's right before their eyes.
Instead he will starve.
I look at her and every time she smiles,
it reminds me of everything I stole from myself.
Every joy...
Every joy I never had the courage to taste.
As you learn to love yourself better...
Teach me.
As you learn to forgive yourself for failing...
Teach me.
As you learn to accept strength and vulnerability...
Teach me.
Some days I miss the burn of a love lost.
Or maybe... Just maybe.
I never found true love. Until right now.
I love you, coco.
Like, I loved you.
Derek Morris.
Welcome to the 5 boros team.