Empire

Previously on "Empire"... Will you marry me?

Yes. I'm pregnant.

So? It's Hakeem's.

You know, a lot of women,

they don't survive childbirth.

Cookie, this is Harper Scott. Harper Scott.

You're falling for him again.

What me and your father got

is very deep.

Hi, Grandma. I wish I could have met you.

My father and I are nominated

against each other for the same category.

He's never won an ASA award before.

He wants it more than anything.

Ladies and gentlemen, Empire's new CEO, Hakeem Lyon.

Nobody thinks I should have Empire.

Who cares? You're a natural.

You got a room full of people here,

all waiting to hear your vision, but instead, they're hearing

delays, mishaps and mismanagement.

They did it.

They voted me out.

I don't want to do it.

Oh, come on, why not?

Why not, baby?

Y'all just trying to make me turn up.

Hmm, do it for the Gram.

Laura's blowing up his phone right now.

So what?

Hey, cut the music.

Yo, hey, man, what are you doing?

Hey, Hakeem, Keem.

Chicken, why are you blockin'?

I know, man.

Laura is blowin' up your phone.

I don't care.

I lost my everything.

DJ, turn it up.

ASA voting's over in ten days.

Make sure you vote for a Lyon.

Any one, doesn't matter.

You look beautiful. Nice group of people.

It's not enough to be nominated. I do want to win.

It's been a crazy year for my family

and there's been some doubters.

I feel like to win would be a big up to my fans.

Talking about the people who doubted you,

you seemed like you were poised for a ASA sweep

till your father's video hit.

That dude's comin' to take you out.

Nah, man, maybe so, but, uh, it's-it's not a boxing match.

Well, maybe someone should tell him that.

Well, maybe someone should tell the press to leave us alone

with the negative... Uh, you know what, you know what?

I promise you this, whatever those rumors

you're hearing about my family,

they're just that, baby, media lies.

See, 'cause the Lyons, baby,

we are closer, we are tighter than...

The Manson Family.

Right? Don't listen to this bitch,

She don't know what she's talking about.

Besides, we're more like the black Partridge Family,

you know?

I do know what I'm talking about.

Stop moping, boy.

Lucious is doing exactly what a big superstar does.

And if you want to be bigger than him, like you say you do...

I will be bigger than him, and I'm gonna win.

But it's like this is just stupid,

and he's so damn thirsty, Ma, just coming with...

Stop it.

Now, Empire has a lot riding on these ASAs, Jamal.

We need to get that board to officially reinstate Lucious,

or I don't know who the hell is going to run my company.

So is this a best-man-win situation

or a me-help-him situation?

It's neither one, dummy.

All right, Ma.

Make sure that you don't get caught up in him again.

It's pretty rare for a man with your rep,

from your culture,

to admit to having suffered from childhood abuse.

Well, one of the wonderful things

that I learned in making this video,

is the fact that...

the people with real courage are those

who have suffered with mental illness.

Oh, really? Well, I don't think you realize

there are more people in this room.

Like ASA voters.

Come on.

I will see you soon.

Ten minutes-- I'm sorry. Yes.

Keep rolling.

Hey, you're gonna have to get your emotions in check.

Harper happens to have the hottest blog

in the music business,

and if she could put me on the cover,

man, that-that raises my odds.

Watch it.

It is disrespectful of you

and quite childish for you

to try to put this on my emotions.

What you're about to do is ruin

the truce you got going with Jamal.

What? If he can't handle the heat... Uh...

the boy should get out the kitchen.

Shut up. You get out the kitchen,

son, I got the better song.

Which one? My song, "Heavy."

Okay, hey, hey, y'all, hey. Which one? Thank you.

Now that you're all liquored up,

I know y'all have some questions

for the first family of music,

so shoot.

Now, I know he said it's not a boxing match,

but Jamal was the favorite

on every list, so, I mean, isn't this kind of like

Balboa-Creed?

Wait, wait. First and foremost,

um, me and my son are not the only people up for this award,

but if this was a boxing match,

it would be more like

Foreman in his prime versus De La Hoya.

I'm just saying,

I'm ready to play, you ready to play?

I was born to play.

Let's play.

Oh, here come your goon in his tacky suit.

Hey, Cookie. Hey.

Always a pleasure. Mm-hmm.

Hey, Luc, can we, uh, chop it up in private?

Anything you need to say to me, you can say around Skeletor.

All them bones I done buried.

Okeydokey.

Well, Lucious, as you officially don't know,

I have not been spying on our board members.

But if I was, I would tell you that

a few members are pushing real hard

to bring in a new CEO.

Uh-uh.

An outsider to run my company?

Mmm, our company.

Well, that ain't gonna happen.

I don't know how many of these white folks I'm gonna have to...

Ah, Lucious, uh-uh.

Not after two dead lesbos and a strangled cat.

I mean, listen to her, she's right.

I mean, as much as it would bring me joy,

it's not the right time for that. No.

No.

We got the shareholders right where we want them,

we just got to push.

The way I see it, we got all these cameras on us right now.

Mm-hmm. Because of these ASAs.

If they see my family's united behind me,

then it's the next logical step for the board