You get the money?
I ain't got nothing. She wouldn't give it to me.
Told you she wouldn't do it, right?
I made the connection.
You hear me, nigga?
Come on.
You're wasting all this goddamn time.
Now, we're gonna do it my way.
Hey, I got a bat. I got a bat here.
- Be cool, now. Be cool. - Okay.
You want a blow?
Are you gonna leave?
Yep.
I gotta make a pickup.
Then I don't want any.
Some things go better with coke.
Will you be back soon?
Are you coming back soon, Priest?
- Are you with me or not? - Yeah.
Next motherfucker come in here, we off. You got that shit?
Good. Come on. Motherfucking shit.
- Hey, man. - Hey, what's happening?
- How you doing? - Okay, how you doing?
Okay. Have a seat.
Try some of this coke.
Okay.
What's happening?
Fat Freddie, man.
- What's the matter with the fat man? - The dude ain't got your money.
- Well? - He's been all stretched out...
...like he's coming in some money. - That's his ass.
He's good for it. It's that bitch of his that's the problem.
I got 50 men on the street. If they all get bitch troubles, I starve?
- Is that what you're trying to tell me, dude? - Priest, do what you wanna do.
I want his ass out working.
Say, Priest, you know me, man.
- You'll get your money. - When? This ain't the first time for you.
I've had to wait for as long as a month on you.
You're trying to take advantage of me, Freddie. This time, you're going to work.
Priest, all I do is sell coke. I don't do violence. I don't mess with no...
Don't argue with me, man. I'm trying to give you a chance.
You don't get me my money tonight, I'll put that girl of yours on whore's row.
- Listen, that's my wife you talking about. - So what.
Now, somebody's going to work tonight, Freddie.
You really shouldn't have fucked with my money.
You'll get your money, man.
That thing we talked about in New Jersey, you take him on it.
Anything happens, the gun's not marked, dump it.
We'll make it, Priest.
I told you, I don't deal with no guns or no violence, man.
- You don't listen, man. - You meet me at Scatter's tonight.
- Speak on it. - It's Priest.
That's cool.
What do you mean, I ain't got six, baby? These ladies do what I want.
I'm the dude they're working for. Come on, sugar.
All right, coming out. Here we go. Come on.
- Six a winner. - Give me the money.
- Come on. - Pay the man out. Come on, pay him out.
All right, you've seen the dice. Now, let me see your money.
Look like rent money.
It'll be your mother's rent money before we're through.
Did you want to double up on that, my man?
Come on, bet 500. Bet 500 right here.
Money in the bank.
All right, give me the dice. Come on, house. Damn.
Give me a pair of dice, will you?
All right, here we go. Dice coming out.
Here we are, coming out a new point. Coming out, let it go.
- There you go. - All right. Here we go.
- Coming out. Point. - Come on. Shoot the dice.
- Hey, what's the matter? - Everything's cool.
Goddamn, you wouldn't be coming down here unless you wanted to talk to me.
Come on, nigga, don't freeze the dice, roll them. What you gonna do?
- How long you gonna be? - Don't pull me out now.
This nigga's got a fistful of money, and he's letting me double up.
That's what I come down here for.
Hey, come on. Take that number out.
Here we go. Coming out. Coming out. Hit.
That's it.
Hey, Priest.
Wait a minute.
I gotta go talk to my man.
I'll give you a chance to get your money later on.
- Later on tonight, all right? - What's this shit, man?
Dude taps you on the shoulder, my money walks out the door.
Take that shit outside.
Fuck that shit, man. What's so important he's gotta leave now?
I lost a lot of money here and I want an answer.
- We got business. - What business?
Answer me, you white-looking...
Take it easy, baby. Take it easy.
Just relax.
Thattaboy.
- Get your game going, house. - Come on. We're here to gamble.
Come on, give me a shoot in the box there.
- We got anything to eat, man? - I don't know, man.
You know, I had to put Freddie out to work.
You don't mean Fat Freddie.
You didn't, man.
Hey, you know, you're gonna give that hard-luck nigga a heart attack.
Okay, what's wrong with you, nigga?
You think it's funny?
Dragged me out of the crap game to pull me up here. What is it, man?
I'm getting out, Eddie.
- Getting out of what? - The cocaine business.
Oh, sweet Jesus, man.
Those junkies must've knocked a hole in your head.
You're gonna give all this up?
Eight-track stereo, color TV in every room...
...and can snort a half a piece of dope every day.
That's the American dream, nigga.
Well, ain't it?
Ain't it?
You better come on in, man.
How much money we got, Eddie?
About 300,000.
That's 150 each.
That's about enough to keep your nose open for about a year.
Look, I know it's a rotten game.
It's the only one the Man left us to play.
And that's the stone-cold truth.
Look, I'm gonna run a number.
I'm getting out with a half-million.
You are, man? And what about me?
You're my partner, ain't you? What I get, you get.
Now, let me get this straight. You talking about $ 1 million cash.
Right.
In just four months.
Look, we're gonna take that 300,000, and we're gonna buy 30 keys of coke, man.
The best shit in town. Rocks and lumps as big as marbles. No cut.
With the family we got set up now, we can deal 30 keys in four months.
Then we're off the street for the rest of our lives with a million in cash. The big one.
How long this been in your head?
Man, you don't do nothing overnight.
I am your partner. You could've told me.
I didn't want you shooting at it, Eddie.
I didn't need anybody putting any doubts in my mind. Anyway, I'm telling you now.
Man, you're fucking out of your mind. Where you gonna get 30 keys at that price?
From Scatter.
You crazy. Scatter said after that last deal he wasn't gonna deal no more coke.
He'll do it for me, man. He'll do it one more time.
Are you crazy?
Bullshit.
Look, Eddie...
...this is a chance, and I wanna take it.
Now.
Before I have to kill somebody.
Before somebody ices me.
Are you with me, Eddie?
You got it.
Solid.
There he is. The little fat cat who just came out.
Oh, come on, man. This is crazy.
Shut up. Just shut up, will you?
If I blow this thing, we'll both get in trouble.
Let me have the money so I can play this cat.
Shut up! Just shut up, will you?
And take this goddamn gun.
Freeze! Come on with me, man. Get over here!
Keep your hands up. That's right, keep them up.
Get up against that. Come on, get up.
All right, you know what this is.
Give me that money.
- You know what you're doing? - Give me the money and stop talking.
- What money? - In your pocket.
Give it up.
- Give me the money before I kill you. - I ain't got...
Give me the money, guinea. I don't wanna rap.
Come on, give me the other one.
Don't you move an inch.
Hands up and keep facing that wall. You look around, I'll blow your head off.
Keep you hands up.
You understand that?
Cocksucker.
Hello, darling. How are you?
Hello, John, how are you?
Good to see you. How's everything?
Haven't seen you in a while. You didn't square up on me, did you?
Hey, Priest, what's happening?
How you been? Good. Look here.
Loretta, this is Priest.
Yeah!
Yeah, baby!
With all that long bread he's got...
How long you been here?
That long?
Give it to Scatter, now.
Thank you, baby.
I'll handle it. Don't worry about it, all right?
I'm just asking you. You know, I gotta find out.
Hey, babe, how are you?
Having a good time? Out of sight. Hey there. Alrighty.
Hey, baby. Nothing much.
Hey, everybody's together here. Have a good time.
Right. Hey, love.
Hey, come on back to the kitchen.
Just lay off. This is not the place to start, okay?
Oh, shit! I've had enough of you.
Get her off me!
You want a blow?
Now, that's what I need.
That's cool.
You white around the nose as a Georgia mule.
Ain't he?
What you come to see Scatter about?
I got something real heavy to lay on you, man.
Look here.
I want to buy 30 keys of coke, man.
Me and Eddie have put together 300,000 in cash.
What you come to me for?
I ain't dealing, and you know that, nigga.
No, man, dig it. Man, look here.
See, me and Eddie have put together a family you wouldn't believe.
Now, we're prepared to deal 30 keys in four months, man.
Only four months, and I'm off the street for the rest of my life...
...with a million in cash.
Not through me.
Those last 15 keys I laid on you was all I had left.
I gave you one scholarship, Youngblood.
I caught myself giving you a break.
Nobody ever gave me nothing.
I told you that was all up front.
Look, don't do this to me, man. Now, look...
...don't call ass on me, man.
I can't get the price or the quality anywhere else.
Why do you come to me with all this shit...
...after all I've done for you?
I done told you I'm getting out of this business.
I thought you'd do it for me, man.
I've been washing your wheel.
I've run errands for you ever since I was a kid.
You were always the man.
Who the hell else could I go to?
You were always my man, Scatter.
My main man.
What do you mean, nigga?
That cocaine I laid on you, you used to get that 300,000, huh?
And I didn't ask you for nothing up front.
Got your ass started.
Now, this is it. I'm retired.
I ain't got no coke left.
But your lines is still open.
Oh, shit, you can get it, nigga, if you want to get it.
You know goddamn well you can get it.
Talk that talk to me and you ain't got a gun in your hand?
Scatter, man, please. Now, hey, come on, put the gun down. Please, man.
I'll kill this nigga of yours.
Scatter, we're just trying to get out, man. Please, now, don't kill him.
You know what it means to try and get out, huh?
Please, man, I'm sorry.
What if your man get caught?
You going to take that chance with me?
It's all the time I got left.
All I got left, Youngblood.
Don't seem right to shoot it all on one load for nothing.
I don't need no money.
Look.
Look, I can do it, man.
See, I wouldn't have to go through the shit you went through.
I'd still be young. I can get into something else, get my head straight.
Look, do it for me, man, and you can depend on me the rest of your life.
Then turn me on to your man.
Turn me on, and you won't have to take none of the weight at all.
Honky would have me killed.
I don't take nobody to him.
He picks his own niggas.
You got any coke left?
Yeah, I got enough to hold me until I can score.
But you listen to me, I'm gonna do it.
It's gonna take me a lot longer, but I'm definitely gonna do it, man.
Well...
...I got one key of my own. It's my personal.
You come around tomorrow night and pick it up.
You should always have more on hand than you need.
Here, nigga.
Maybe I'll do it for you.
But this is the last time.
You fuck it up, Youngblood, and you're on your own.
Meet us at the after-hours place in half an hour.
You got it. Okay.
Hey, man...
...that number you just pulled was something else.
You crazy, nigga? I knew what I was doing.
You want that man to give up the little time he got left and lay it on the line for you.
And you know, he wanted to do it for you.
That Scatter's a cheap old man, baby.
He's a crazy old man too. He might have popped a cap on your ass.
Not with you standing there.
I hear you talking.
Okay, man, I'll see you tomorrow.
- Sweets. - Yeah?
- I want a nice, cold beer. - You got it.
Solid.
What's happening, Priest?
Thanks, man.
- Where's the fat man? - He had to go pick up his wife.
Hey, Priest.
Man, are you on my case tonight, or what?
Looks that way.
I was around at Scatter's when them ho's went crazy on me, embarrassing me...
...spilling that shit on me. But I'll be all right.
Crazy mothers, but I still love them.
- See that white thing? - The one with the ticket on?
I don't care if there's 10.
I ain't got to pay for it. Somebody else got to pay for them.
Look. Look at this. Look.
- Hey, what's happening? - I see you still got that stuff on.
- I can't help it. - And them shoes on top of your feet.
Hey, you know my wife?
Where you been all my life?
Yeah. Still making my job hard, you is.
Look here, I got to go.
- Catch y'all later. - I'll see you, man.
- Take care. - Y'all take care, you hear?
Hey, anybody want a drink or something?
- No, I'm cool. - I'll have what you have.
- I'm only having beer, baby. - Okay.
Two beers, Sweets.
Listen, give me one of them joints, man. Go ahead, light that.
Where'd you get this, Cuba?
Hey, man. That's $ 75 an ounce, light ounces at that, but it's good.
I hear you.
- How did we do tonight, Freddie? - Just beautiful, man. Here you go.
Freddie, you made something extra for yourself?
Yeah, I sure did.
I'll hold it for you, baby.
Hang on to that real tight, will you?
Why don't you go play the jukebox?
- What do you want to hear? - Just play anything.
We didn't want to come down on you, Freddie...
...but coke costs money, and somebody pays.
Yeah, I know. I have no beef, man.
Well, that's enough of that shit tonight. I'm celebrating.
- What's going on, anyway, man? - Nothing.
Selling cocaine, as usual.
I have a contact with weight. What are you doing tomorrow night?
I got a pickup about 1.
- Well, if it's downtown... - No, uptown. Scatter's.
Say, give me another one of those joints.
- Only the best for the family. - I hear you.
Oh, Freddie, you're so sweet.
You didn't have to do that because of me.
You made me feel guilty.
Guilty?
You don't look like you feel guilty.
You look like you always look.
Hey.
Listen, Priest...
...I know how you feel sometimes when you come in here.
I can feel from you what it's like out there.
I see what it does to you. I know...
I know how dope helps hold your head together.
I don't want your privacy, baby.
All I want to do is help you share the weight.
Priest, let me in.
I just can't be somebody else you gotta deal with.
I love you.
Oh, fuck you.
Oh, Priest.
Come on.
- Let's go! - Let go of me!
Let go of me, man!
- Get against the wall! - Let go!
Spread your legs apart! Let's go!
I'm gonna kill that mother, I swear to God.
I'm gonna kill him!
Let go of me, man.
Nothing wrong, man. I'm telling you.
- Don't push me. - I got him.
- You call the station. - Let go of me, man.
Up against the wall.
Leave me alone, I'm gonna kill that fucker, man!
Yeah?
8-5 to Central.
Broke up a fight, 54th and 2nd. Better send an ambulance.
One of the guys is pretty bad.
Two male Negroes.
Probably a dope dealer. Yeah, cocaine.
He's okay, we'll bring him in as soon as the ambulance gets here.
You're getting better, Priest. Let's try it again.
Okay. But this is it. I gotta meet Georgia.
You beat a man half to death because he touched your wife's hand?
He shouldn't have done it. It means more than that to me.
Give me that. What about this, Freddie?
If you were smart, we could put you back on the street again.
I don't wanna waste my time or the court's money on a two-bit piece of shit like you.
But with your record, nigger, I can put you away for 20 to 25 years.
I don't want you, I want your man!
- Now, who do you work for? - You know I can't tell you nothing.
Who's your man?
You know I can't tell you, man.
Come here.
Now I'll tell you why I brought you out here today.
I made me a deal last night that'll bring in enough money...
...to get us both out of this whole scene.
Both of us, baby.
Now, this Priest, does he work for somebody?
He and his partner work independent.
How big is the family?
About 50 now, or better.
Fifty?
A year ago, they only had 10 or 15.
This key you're picking up tonight, what time?
One o'clock.
- All right, get him out of here. - What should we do with him?
- Take him downtown and book him. - What's the charge?
You read the arresting officer's report.
I don't deal with shit like this.
Get him.
Get up!
Look, maybe you should get out now, before something really bad happens.
I could be happy with a plain life, a poor one, even, if you were.
What would I do?
With my record, I can't even work civil service or join the damn Army.
If I quit now, I took all this chance for nothing...
...and I go back to being nothing, working some jive job for chump change...
...day after day. If that's all I'm supposed to do...
...they gonna have to kill me, because that ain't enough.
Come on.
Go on, you mother...
What'll you do when you get out?
I don't know.
It's not so much what we do...
...it's having a choice...
...being able to decide what it is I want...
...not just to be forced into a thing because that's the way it is.
I'm gonna buy me some time, baby...
...some time that isn't all fucked up with things we gotta do.
- Just to be free. - And will that make you happy?
I don't know. I don't know.
I just know I can't be happy the way it is now.
I never was.
All right, freeze!
Down the stairs, mother. Hit the wall.
Come on.
All right, turn around.
You just picked up a key of cocaine from Scatter.
- You work for Scatter? - What is this shit?
He's asking the questions. Answer him.
I know Scatter hasn't been dealing direct for over a year...
...but he managed to move 15 keys, and he just ordered 30 more.
- You Scatter's man? - Are the 30 keys yours?
Yeah.
They ours.
You don't have to cover for Scatter.
He's looking to get out anyway...
...and I'm looking for someone to carry his weight.
Why didn't you ask Scatter about us?
I got my own ways of finding things out.
Besides, when I heard how big you two guys were, I wanted to meet you myself.
- I don't go through Scatter. - What we talking about?
We're talking about 10,000 a key.
You do all right on this, you get an open line, plus credit.
Any problems?
No, man.
One of my people will call you and give you a number.
You have any problems with police or anything I should know, you call that.
You deal direct with me after a few days.
You'll see that I'm good, standup people. Come on.
- What's wrong with you? - Baby, what's the matter with me?
We in! We got the main line.
And that honky sound like he can even keep the cops off our back.
They got cats out there like that, baby.
We gonna be bigger than Scatter ever dreamed of being.
You forgot what we're in this for, Eddie.
That was before what happened tonight went down.
If we can make a million in four months, imagine what we can make in four years.
Now, can you dig that?
I went along with that thing of yours about getting out because I had nothing else.
When I get out, what am I gonna do?
I don't know nothing else but dope, baby.
Taking it, selling it...
...bankrolling some other small-time pusher.
You know, you got this fantasy in your head about...
...getting out of the life and setting that other world on its ear.
What the fuck are you gonna do except hustle?
Besides pimping?
And you really ain't got the stomach for that.
Now, man, I ain't putting you down.
If it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't be here. I'd be OD'd someplace.
I'm just trying to make it real, baby, like it is.
I mean, maybe this is what you're supposed to do.
This is what you're growing to.
I mean, just think about it.
Don't throw it out.
Just think about it.
You know what? I'm thinking about 30 keys.
Well, let's get this shit on the road, cut it...
...sock it, sack it and go. Shit.
Hey, man.
We'd like to talk to you...
...brother.
We're waiting on some people now.
Well, it won't take long.
Besides, you got plenty of time for your brothers.
After all, black folks been mighty good to you.
And you owe those people something too.
No bet.
Dig it, dope peddler.
We're out here building a new nation for black people.
It's time for you to start paying some dues, nigga.
I ain't giving you shit.
Now, I tell you what you do. You go get you a gun.
And all those black folks you talk so much about...
...get guns and return ready to go down, and I'll be right down front killing whitey.
Until you can do that, you go sing your marching song someplace else.
Now, we're through talking.
Like I said before, somebody's coming here to meet me.
And don't let them find you here when they come.
We'll see you again...
...nigga.
Ain't that a bitch, man?
- How you doing? - Gentlemen.
What's happening?
You always got some superfly shit.
- How much you got? - More than you need.
What kind of cut can you take?
That snort you just had was on a full.
Damn.
What kind of money we talking about?
- That much. - Let's get it on.
Okay, I'll see you later, man.
Those friends of mine want to buy a pound of coke.
You know, baby, without being in it...
...you're about the best dealer I have.
Oh, is that why you come up here?
What kind of question is that?
I mean it. Why do you come here at all?
- You know how I feel about you, Cynthia. - No, I don't.
I'd like to, though.
I know exactly how I feel about you.
All right.
Look, I just finished running down a fantastic number.
What's that supposed to mean?
I'm getting out of the life.
You can't do that, Priest.
You can't.
You've got everything right here.
I don't know what it has to do with me. I have to get out.
I have to change the way I live.
Am I supposed to be part of this big change?
All right, I'll lay it right on you.
This whole number is something I thought I wanted ever since I was a kid.
My haul, my vines...
...that wine you're drinking.
And a woman like you.
Don't you feel that way anymore?
I don't know.
Yes?
Someone called "Scatter Man" downstairs.
Send him up.
Yes, send him up, please.
Thank you.
When he comes, I gotta talk to him alone, so go in the bedroom.
- But this is my house. - Just do what I tell you!
- How'd you find this place? - I don't mean to embarrass you...
...but I'm running for my life.
I need cash.
You're coming to me for bread, man?
You can't understand that shit, can you?
All the money Scatter done made?
I owned that restaurant...
...and damn near two square blocks.
I caught myself getting late.
Bank notes and mortgages.
Nothing but little pieces of paper. Don't mean me no good now.
What are you talking about?
The man, he's trying to kill me.
What man? You ain't making no sense.
The man you bought those keys from!
He won't let me retire.
And I trusted him.
We came up together.
I turned him on when he was nothing but a rookie cop.
He don't need me no more, man. I know too much.
Do you mean we both in trouble?
Square up, nigga!
You think if he's trying to kill me that he'll let you out after you deal those 30 keys?
He owns you now!
I don't know what you're gonna do, Youngblood.
What you gonna do?
Run.
That's all I can do.
- You let me have some money? - Yeah, I got about 20,000 up at Georgia's.
I can lay that on you.
When you get somewhere, let me know. I'll send you whatever you need.
I'll need that 20,000 tonight.
You meet me at the East Side airline terminal at 2.
Yeah, cool.
This is all about the man.
Including his pictures.
Now, his name is Reardon.
And there's some shit in there about his family.
Is he coming yet?
Yeah, he's coming.
He's coming, all right.
Scatter, the skipper wants to see you.
- I ain't got time right now. I'm busy. - Come on, let's go. We gotta talk.
Look, my man, I mean, the Scatter Man won't let you down.
40,000, man! Please! Oh, don't kill me!
Yeah, you motherfuckers did it, didn't you?
Yeah.
What do you think of Scatter OD'ing?
OD? Scatter didn't OD. Somebody killed him.
- Who do you think did it? - Lot of people hated Scatter.
How much stuff we got left now?
About half a key out on the street.
- Let's take what we have now and split. - Are you crazy?
Now, you know damn well who killed Scatter.
Now, we fuck up, he'll kill us too.
Besides...
...we got it beat.
We'll make a fortune.
So don't rock the boat, man.
It's worse now than it was before.
Look, that man owns us. You understand that, Eddie?
To him we're not real.
He'll just use us and then kill us.
Man, people been using me all my life.
Yeah.
That honky's using me. So what?
You know, I'm glad he's using me.
Because I'm gonna make a piss pot full of money.
And I'm gonna live like a prince, a fucking black prince!
Yeah, this is the life.
I could be nothing nowhere else. And about his killing me?
Shit, I don't care.
As long as he lets me live to be an old motherfucker.
And I ain't gonna do nothing to make him kill me now.
Suppose I could figure a way out of this shit.
I ain't going.
Fill it.
Why don't you fill it?
Because I'm gonna keep my eye on you every minute, Eddie.
Right.
He just left the apartment.
Hold on.
Lou, do me a favor. Send out a car right now. I want you to pick up a guy for me.
- All his money's with him? - I'm calling you, ain't I?
Get me the chief of detectives on line two.
185 to Central, K.
Lieutenant, one of our patrols has picked up your male Negro suspect.
And they got his briefcase too.
Good. Three detectives from my office will go take custody.
Have the patrolmen release the prisoner to them. Get going.
We'll hold him until then.
Come on, let's talk.
So you're Priest.
I thought you were gonna be the best dealer I ever had.
What the hell do you want to quit for?
What else can you do?
You're making more goddamn money than you ever made in your life.
You just wanna be another two-bit black junkie.
Well, I don't give a goddamn where your head is.
You're gonna work for me until I tell you to quit.
You don't own me, pig, and no motherfucker tells me when I can split.
Who the fuck do you think you're talking to?
I'm talking to you, you redneck faggot.
Freeze.
You move a muscle, and I'll kill you.
Kill me, Reardon. Kill me like you killed Scatter, and you are one dead pig.
What did you call me?
Deputy Commissioner Reardon. Yeah, that's right. I know your name.
I know all about you. Your wife, that big-legged daughter of yours...
...and even that faggot son.
Do it. Yeah, go ahead.
I'm to the point I ain't afraid to die.
But you kill me, you and your whole fucking family die.
- That's bullshit. - I ain't bullshitting you, captain.
I took a $ 100,000 contract out on your life, your wife, everybody.
You'll all be hit if I die.
Yeah, if I choke on a chicken bone, all the Reardons is dead.
You ain't got $ 100,000.
Not anymore.
Offering to do my dirty laundry ain't gonna help you.
All them honky pig partners you got ain't gonna be able to protect your ass, either.
Because...
...case you think I'm pulling some of that old-time nigga shit on you...
...I think you ought to know something. I hired the very best killers there are.
White killers. White ones, baby.
So you better take good care of me.
Nothing, nothing better happen to one hair on my gorgeous head. Can you dig it?