American Soul

Previously on American Soul

-top talent, and three of them are awful. - Maybe you don't understand.

I don't need dancers nailing the latest moves.

I need stars creating the next dance craze.

I see you again, you ain't got my money,

it'll be the last time I see you, Mikey.

I'll get it, Gerald, I promise.

She won't keep making a fool out of me.

You see anything, you blink the high beams twice.

Officer down.

Your boys can't protect you.

Give me a name.

Code 7...

There you go.

S-Something don't feel right, man.

That Mexican shit got you, uh, jumpy and whatnot.

Oh, yeah? That's what it is, Reg?

JT, you got to be cool, man.

Cool? Man, I can't sleep, I can't eat.

If I listen close enough,

I can hear that cop choking on his own blood.

That pig had blood on his hands way before we put him down.

That wasn't murder; that was retribution.

Don't let nobody tell you different.

On my signal.

- I told you, heat's cooling. - We're good.

Police! Get on the ground!

-Hands where I can see them! -Nobody move! -Police! On the ground!

- Don't move! - Police!

Get on the ground!

- Stay down! - Get on the ground!

Dexter Brown, you're under arrest

for the murder of Officer John McMartin.

What?! I didn't do nothin'!

- Get him out of here! - Get off me, man!

-I didn't do nothin'! I didn't do nothin'! -Don't move!

So we gonna drop this on an innocent dude?

Dexter ain't been innocent a day in his life.

That's a certified snitch, good for two bodies.

If he a snitch, what that make you?

A concerned citizen, brother.

Well, what about the money, man?

Latch died protecting us.

So when the coast is clear, we return the favor:

use the jewels to take care of his family.

So we did all this for nothing?

Revolution don't come easy, baby.

Gonna drop this one on somebody else,

and you're cool with that?

Oh, I'm cool.

The question is, are you?

I didn't do nothin'. I didn't do nothin'!

Stop! Stop!

Time's up!

I'm standing outside

Precinct Ten, where the authorities have obtained

the confession of Dexter Brown,

chief suspect in the murder of Officer John McMartin.

Brown was arrested earlier this week,

and while the police call this arrest "textbook,"

a lawyer for Brown's mother has photographs

that may tell another story.

With me now is Mr. John Cochran.

Johnnie. Please. Johnnie Cochran of Cochran, Atkins & Evans.

Johnnie, Dexter Brown's mother claims these photographs depict

the police assaulting her son on his way to county jail,

while the police say he was resisting arrest.

Words can be twisted, but pictures do not lie.

The cops beat this supposed confession

out of my client's child, and they know it.

To be fair, Johnnie, it is hard to see

what's going on in these photos.

What's happened to Dexter Brown is what's been happening

to black men at the hands of police for years.

There is nothing fair about it.

It's just tough, you know?

Yeah, I know.

Bet I can make you smile.

I'm eight days late.

Seriously?

I don't want to get too excited.

I'll set up an appointment with Dr. Cox, but...

I think I'm pregnant.

Yeah.

Oh...

What are you doing?

Minding my own business.

You should try it sometime.

You know Mama don't want that flag up in here.

And Dad would hang it with pride.

Since I'm the man of the house now, that's what we'll do.

Man of what house? You so broke, you can't pay attention.

- Get out of my room. - Wait, Mama went to San Diego

to visit Uncle Pete... I need a ride to school.

Mm, I'm too broke to care.

Out.

You sold us a Bandstand for coloreds.

Now, I don't know B.B. King from Nat King Cole,

but this... is certainly not that.

Aw, come on, Clarence Carter is one

- of Atlantic Records' top acts. - We gave you

prime real estate.

Know how long the line is for a Saturday slot?

I mean, it would wrap around this set and...

stretch down to Watts.

Open up this door, Willard! Willard, I'm not playing

with you! Open up this door!

Mama, Mama, Mama, what's going on?

- Where's Aiya? - She's next door.

Willard done kicked us out!

He won't give us my stuff back!

I ain't high, Jeffrey!

-Open up this door, now! -All right, all right, all right, here, here, just...

Hey!

-Whoa. -Hey. -What you doing

- in our place, man? - It's your place when you pay.

I've given y'all enough time; now time's up.

I told you I was gonna get you the money.

Y'all owe $500 in back rent,

plus $20 for the door you just busted.

Pay me... or get to steppin'.

Why shouldn't I yank you from that slot

and bury this shit between sign-off

and "God Bless bloody America"?

But this is just a filler episode, Richard,

to air during the holidays.

We've got great acts in the pipeline.

- Yes, we do. - The best.

Yeah, well, based on this list, uh...

all I see is reasons to worry.

Damn it, Brooks, this is the wrong list.

Do I have to do everything myself?

This list is...

not the list that you gave me.

My apologies, Mr. Kanter.

I'll, uh...

I'll make this right.

I will get you the right list,

and I promise that you will go wild for it.

Listen to him.

Is he even Negro?

Look at this place.

If that bitch didn't have a million-dollar mouth,

they'd have been out of here months ago. Oh!

- Jeffrey! - Yeah. What's up?

- Get him. Hold him. Hold him. - Don't touch him.

- Don't touch him! - Back up!

Please. Willard, I'll do anything.

No, no, no, no!

No, no, no.

Get off me!

Get him out of here!

And you stay the hell away from my building, you hear me?!

It's okay. You're okay, Jeffrey.

I'm gonna take one of them.

So, how much are we talking about?

$500.

I had some personal problems.

I'll pay you back.

I raised six kids, Jeffrey.

Now, girls got a God-given knack for lying,

but I can smell boys lying a mile away.

We got evicted.

- Do you ever knock? - Wow.

-Bad moods must be contagious. -You embarrassed me Firsthis morning.

I haven't seen you all day. How'd I manage to do that?

Episode eight, your dancers were dragging.

They made Clarence Carter look ridiculous.

My dancers can only work with what they're given.

And I can't attract better artists with second-rate dancers

on a dance show.

This has to be fixed, Tessa, now.

- It has to. - Don, the show's working.

The dancers are strong. We're good.

And we have to be better than that.

We're staying out in my car

but I swear tl'll pay you back, Ma.

I ain't got the money to give you.

But you can take that storeroom out back.

Small, but it's got running water,

which is more than I can say for that car of yours.

I can't take that from you, Ma.

You said you was gonna rent that out.

But you can take my money?

You better take God's blessing, boy.

If not for you,

then for your mama and that baby girl over there.

All right. All right.

Brandy, it's Tessa. We need an emergency rehearsal.

It's a quarter to 2:00 now.

I want the core crew here by 4:00.

Just do it.

"("

Hold up, man.

The monitor's out. Again.

Sorry, boss.

This better be fixed before I get back.

- Yes, sir. - Come on, baby.

Whoa, Mr. Love, Peace and Soul in the flesh.

I ain't seen you in a minute.