Original subtitles

What's in the dark is also in the light.

It's just your perception that changes.

See?

- Good night, Bobby. - Good night, Uncle Hollis.

That verse was crazy!

Go ahead and hit me with that next verse, nigga.

- Hey, yo, D. - Yo, I'm in the studio.

And it... it don't feel right without you, man.

Go to New York and get with Bobby.

Now is the time for you to see

if you could really make this music thing work.

You know how many rappers is out there?

Better than you?

The single... it's not moving like they hoped it would.

I mean, people are over that corny poppy shit.

People want that real shit.

There's not gonna be an album.

It's over.

I tried to do this shit by myself, and I failed.

If we want to checkmate this industry,

we need all the pieces.

Once we get all them pieces, the whole industry will know.

You don't get an album if you don't have a single...

Something that distinguishes you.

That's self-distribution.

If we want to get the DJs and the local spots

to put it on the shelves,

we're gonna need, like, 5,000 vinyls and 5,000 tapes.

- For one single? - Yeah.

But if we move fast and wide, then that single...

That's gonna get us our record deal, huh?

Right, if it's the right one.

What are you talking about...

All the tracks that we recorded?

Right now, "Method Man" is killing in the streets.

That's the one, son.

It's a banger for sure, but...

Right... exact... Yo, the ladies is fucking with it, too, son.

Meth is a star. You know that.

But, see, that's the problem.

Meth's the only one who's rhyming on it.

No, people need to know the Wu-Tang is a group.

So I'm thinking... you know, I'm thinking we do, uh...

we do "Tearz."

- - "Tearz," nigga? - Mm-hmm.

"Tearz"?

"Tearz" only got two people on that shit.

That's not a group track, nigga.

Yeah, but it's Ghostface, and it's the RZA.

That's the heart, and that's the brain right there.

You know what I mean?

Yeah, "Tearz" is my shit.

But that shit ain't gonna go in the club, son.

This is what I'm thinking about "Tearz," right?

It's got a bomb-ass...

Yo, it ain't "Tearz," and it's not "Method Man."

All right, so... so what you thinking, huh?

You thinking about... oh, you thinking about that track

that you and Rae were working on?

It ain't that one either.

No, we don't got that shit.

Then what?

Gonna have to start from scratch.

What the fu...

Yo, Bobby.

Yo, son, you got floppy disks full of tracks, son.

Yo, all of these shits is bangin', come on.

We're introducing the Wu-Tang Clan

to the entire world with this single.

It's like making a first impression with a chick.

If you don't do it right,

she ain't gonna let you in her crib.

Boom, see, if it's about the chicks, then let's go

with "Method Man," just like I said.

It's not about chicks, yo.

So then what it is about, Bobby?

Explain it to us.

It's got to be...

Wu-Tang rugged, you dig?

Grimy as shit,

but like Power said, it's got to play in the clubs.

And like you said, it's got to have the entire Clan on it.

We got to do a posse cut.

- Hey, yo, I, uh... - I hear you, Bobby.

I hear you, but we don't got any time

to be... to be making new tracks, man.

Yeah, and we ain't got money either.

You know what I'm saying?

We got enough to pay for two days in the studio

to mix and master, you know what I'm saying?

And the rest of the cream is for pressing up wax and tape.

Just trust what you already have.

No, yo...

We got to come through chopping heads, yo.

We got to have high BPM and high energy,

not just one animal roaring.

We got to have the entire fucking soundtrack

of the jungle, yo.

And we ain't got that shit.

Bobby, look, what do you mean we ain't got that shit?

Look at all the damn floppy tapes.

Yo, let me have a couple more days to figure this out,

and if I don't,

we can pick something else for the single, all right?

Okay. Bobby, I hear what you're saying.

We do not have a couple...

Oh. All right, I guess we leaving then.

Shit.

Didn't you hear what he said?

I see that you know how to fight.

Well, today you are up against the Ting brothers.

What?

Ain't you supposed to answer "Wu-Tang Productions"?

Yeah, my bad.

Studio's booked for tomorrow.

- - For tomorrow? - Tomorrow.

It's the only time I could get.

They're booked for the rest of the month.

Know what I mean? We got it for two days, kid.

That's it. You're gonna be ready, right?

Yeah.

- What's up, man? - What you looking for?

I have no idea.

What's up, man?

What's up?

What's up, yo?

Yo, what up with Dennis?

I heard about him and Shurrie.

Yeah. Yeah, he's... he's cool.

It's all in the family.

Cool, cool.

Yeah, man.

Tell D-Lover I said what up.

Heads been wanting to hear more from us

ever since we did that "No More Mr. Nice Guy" track.

That shit was cool...

you know, for the... For the neighborhood.

Oh, by the way, he's going by, uh, Ghostface Killah now.

- Oh, yeah, I forgot. - Y'all be on that kung fu shit.

Yes.

So, uh, you working on anything new?

Always, yo.

Oh, shit, I was just there...

A couple of hours ago.

That shit was kind of dry, though, a little stale.

I mean, I guess it's easy to miss shit

when you don't know what you looking for.

Oh, I was looking for this! Deep cut.

Yo, Puba and his people gonna love what I do with this shit.

I got a session with them next week.

Word.

Hey, yo, yo, yo, what he just cop?

Man...

Almost.

You know Stevie Wonder wrote this, right?

You should know.

I only played these boys for you 10, 20 times.

I do remember, Uncle Hollis.

That's why I had to pick them up.

Good man.

So this is what goes on in your head?

It's like Radio City.

Bobby, they don't like that.

What you doing to them?

It wasn't... it wasn't what I needed it to be.

So I had to... I had to pick them up.

Oh, damn, Bobby.

I still don't see why you want to use this music

if you just gonna tear it up.

- That's just your perception. - My perception?

- Do you remember when I was... - I was afraid of the dark?

Oh, I remember very well.

Well, you told me not to be scared.

You told me that...

That everything in the dark exists...

in the light.

It's a change in your perception.

It's the same with this music.

I can't change exactly what's...

What they're playing with the notes,

but I can... I can shape it.

I can...

I can push it from...

from dark to light,

make it whatever I need it to be.

Whatever you can imagine.

Yeah.

Make up your mind already!

I told you your imagination can turn on you.

See, that's exactly why, uh...

Hey, man, what the hell?

Keep that shit going.

That shit's good.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Bong, bong.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Wu-Tang city.

Ladies and gentlemen,

we have the Honey Drippers in the house tonight.

And they just got back from Washington, D. C.

And I think they got something they want to say.

Hey, man, look, we know you ain't gonna use us.

All y'all ever want is Phil.

- Oh, you know what? - You're right.

Oh, whoa, brother, brother,

brother, you know Phil wasn't shit when I found him.

I had to drill his ass!

Oh, shit!

Thanks. He always riding me.

Hey, that motherfucker talks too much.

I ain't got time for none of that shit.

So now that Hammond's out, how you want me to play it?

Most of y'all like it like how Marley Marl has it.

Let me hear that.

This is Hammond's version.

But Marley Marl love that kick.

Yo, uh, let's, uh...

- Let's try it out my way. - Whatever you say, I'm down.

Sick.

I can dig that.

- It's feeling kind of... - Kind of thin.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Hey, Phil, let me... let me get you on that snare.

Lean into it.

Yeah.

And, yo, uh, what's your name?

Alex.

Let me get that shit more, uh... more frantic.

Frantic?

Hey, you, uh, on the left, let me get that, uh...

The...

- No, you can't. - But you can get it like this.

Yo, keep that shit going,

- Yo, I need more drums, yo. - Make that shit big.

Give me... give me, uh, 4 dB on the bass.

Okay, like that?

How does that sound?

Yeah.

Yeah, right?

- That shit's hard, right? - Very hard, bro.

- Hey, yo, pause. - Watch your mouth, son.

You heard this nigga?

Hey, yo, what's up, man?

- Thought you said to pause. - Turn that shit back on.

Hey, watch the board, man!

Play the music.

- Hey, yo, just... - Never mind them, all right?

Let's... let's stay focused here.

All right, my bad. I thought it was hard, man, but...

- Yo, I'm done with my shit, son. - Me too.

Yo, how you even read that shit, son?

- I'ma show you. - Nah, nah, nah, hold on.

- What you mean? - I'm getting on the mic first.

You wilin'.

Yo, ain't nobody going in the booth, all right?

Until I say so.

This shit is like a fucking symphony, all right?

Everybody's voice is an instrument, all right?

What you mean?

Deck, you first.

- Come on, man. - The RZA chooses wisely.

Yo, wack, son.

'Cause I'm going first, y'all better get to re-writing.

Whatever, yo.

What are you talking about?

- - And my nigga, GZA... - Yo.

You last, yo. All right?

Ah, yeah, save the best for last.

I'll be right back, matter of fact.

You better have some shit ready.

- What up, dog? - Peace, dog.

You out already?

Yeah, I'm about to go contemplate my verse.

Know what I mean?

Might watch a phat karate flick or something.

You feel me? You good?

Yeah, son, I'm chillin'.

I just ain't realize

we was rolling this deep in the studio and shit.

Oh, yeah, the RZA wants this record

to feel like a live show, know what I mean?

Yo, kill that shit.

We gon' take care of it. Peace, cuz.

Oh, yeah, make sure the kick is stand, uh...

Okay.

And the weight of all that shit is just...

You rock, man. And we're out...

So we got Inspectah.

What you think?

Hey, yo, this spot mad different than yours, son.

I'm talking about this beat, yo.

Oh, yeah, this shit phat.

You know, always is, though.

- Hey, what's up, man? - I'm Ethan.

What up? D-Lov...

Ghostface.

Oh, he's the one you've been talking about?

- Yeah, yeah. - Okay, sick.

- Yeah, so what you do, Ethan? - Uh, I'm the engineer.

Oh, word, word.

You're after Deck, yo, all right?

- Damn. - So that's mad soon, son.

Better get that shit cracking.

Peace, peace.

- Imagine that. - I know, right?

Nah.

Yo.

- - Shoo! - You hear that shit?

Yeah, he did, son. He did.

Hey, Ghost, you up next, yo.

You ready?

- Nah, nah, nah. - Let... let one of them go first.

I'm out here right now. Hold my quarter.

All right, Rae?

Like you even have to fucking ask, yo.

- All right. - Word, word.

Let's get that fucking shit.

- Yeah, yeah. - Watch and learn.

Come on, God, you already know.

- Yo, play that shit again. - Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, play that shit, again and again, guy.

Raise it up just a little bit.

What's up?

- I don't know, yo. - It's... it's not lining up.

Really?

It's like the mix is off or something.

I don't hear it.

No?

Everything's how you wanted it.

All right, fuck it.

Let's just lay down everything else,

and we can figure it out later.

- Okay. - Right?

Yeah, that works.

Hey, yo, Ghost, you ready yet?

Nah, son.

Nah, nah. I'm still working on it.

- All right. - Dirty, what's up with you?

- Sure, I been ready, son! - What's up?

Hey, yo, let me see this shit, man.

Yeah, you might learn something, yeah.

Hey, yo, this nigga clowning, son.

Look at that shit, son.

Look at it.

Yo, cuz, for real, yo?

For real, son.

Yo, this nigga... you wrote this shit when you was 13, yo.

How am I supposed to help if I'm a prodigy, man?

I can't help that, son. Give me my shit, man.

Hey, son, gold is gold.

Man, I don't know why y'all niggas is hating on me.

We got this studio so we can record some new shit,

not come up in here with old bars, all right?

Yo, take this shit serious.

Go and write some new shit.

An original verse, all right?

Man, listen,

I can't even write under these circumstances anyway, man.

Don't oppress me, man. The Black man is God.

Yeah. Whatever, nigga.

Yo, come back with a new verse, all right?

You ain't shit.

What?

Yo.

Yo, you hear me?

You ready yet?

Hey, yo, I-I got to go

take a leak, son.

Well, hurry your ass up, nigga.

We have one more day left in the studio, all right?

Hey, yo, so then don't put me on the song then.

Everybody has to be on the song.

Yo, you know, everybody has to be on the track.

All right, all right, I heard you, I heard you, all right?

Meth, you're up.

Finally, son.

Damn, how long you's gonna take?

- It's on you. - - Symphony, right?

Fuck, yo.

We've been at it for a while.

Maybe we should re-do some verses.

- It's not the verses. - It's the beat.

This beat is soulful, but I need something...

more original.

I need something unpredictable.

I-I feel you. I just... I think you're burning out, man.

I love this beat, and these guys do, too.

Every verse...

needs to hit hard...

every verse.

It's just, if we can't mix with four,

it's gonna be crazy with seven.

Yo, I'm not taking anybody off of the single, all right?

Everybody will stay on the song.

All right.

- I just need to... - I need to think.

Atención, por favor.

This nigga here, man.

Yeah, that shit better be hard.

You just wrote this shit right now?

Yeah, son.

What you thought I was doing on the roof the whole time?

Not supposed to go on the roof.

Yo, if he keeps writing like this,

he can climb to the top of the Empire State Building.

Word.

Yo, this shit is fucking hard, son.

King Kong, motherfucker!

That's original right there.

- Word! - Rhymes is phat.

Hey, Ghost, well, after that, you got to be motiva...

Yo, what the fuck?

Yo, where this nigga Ghost at?

Disappearing. I'm not gonna hold you.

Ghostface Killah for real. You know what I mean?

Word.

No, as I...

Wait. Shh, shh, shh.

Oh, come here.

Oh, I got you. I got you.

Mommy's little alarm clock.

- Yo, I'm sorry. - I woke him up by accident.

It's okay.

Just go back in there and go back to sleep. Give me...

- No, no, no, it's okay. - He's probably just hungry.

How about you... you go in the bedroom,

and, yeah, I'll stay out here with him?

Thank you.

Can you make a bottle first, though?

All right. All right, baby.

All right, all right, I'm coming, I'm coming.

Yo, son, you gonna keep me like this?

Gonna let me get through my whole verse this time?

I don't fucking know yet.

Yo, I ain't doing this shit all night, son.

- Hey, man, cool out. - Give the man his space.

Yo, drummer boy, check this out.

You don't know me, son.

- What's up? - Come on.

Yeah, motherfucker! Jamaica Queens, baby!

You jive turkey motherfucker!

Damn, son, Honey Drippers ain't no joke.

All right, let's get back to work.

Yo, let me... let me get something...

Something a little more like...

this.

That's a totally different beat.

Yeah, yeah, I know.

I know, but it just might work, all right?

Why you messing with the beat, son?

We already wrote to the other one, and now you changing it?

Yo, why did you bail on the studio session earlier?

You know that shit cost money.

Hey, yo, I ain't bail on that shit, son.

It was just too crowded in there.

It wasn't really my style, know what I mean?

All right, but we got a day to get that single, so...

I know. So why you fucking with the beat, son?

Yo, where the fuck is your verse at?

Man, I already told you

I need space to hear myself, son.

Is that not why we got the studio space

in the first place, for us to...

Yeah, and then you filled it up

with a bunch of random dudes.

Random?

Who is you talking about... Ethan?

Hey, yo, fuck Ethan.

Yo! I'ma tell Ethan exactly how the fuck you feel

about his ass, man.

- Yeah, whatever, son. - Whatever.

And I don't mean to be wasting studio time and shit.

I just...

nothing's sticking right now, you know.

I ain't flowing. It don't sound right.

Yeah, I feel that.

I have not been able to get this shit together.

My beats are cool,

but the shit just sounds like it's clashing, yo.

Hmm. Hey, yo, push through all of that shit.

You always find it.

I know.

I know.

That's why I changed up the drums on this motherfucker,

so...

Yeah, well,

play that shit again. Let me hear it.

Let me hear U-God on top.

Yeah, see, when I... when I try to mix in Rae and Meth's verse

over this,

it just... it doesn't mix, you know?

Yeah, I think I hear what you talking about, son.

Hey, y'all sure y'all want him back, man?

I like having more room.

Hey, yo, shut the fuck up, son!

Go ahead.

Nah, nah, son.

Yeah, t-this the one right here.

This one right here?

Okay. Okay.

It's easier to think and shit when we back home.

Well, this is cool to be trying shit out.

No, but if you want to take that sound to that next level,

we got to record at Firehouse Studio.

It's just... you know, when we here,

shit could just flow when it flows.

You know what I am saying? Back at the studio...

Yeah, it feels like you got to force yourself sometimes.

Yeah.

Hey, yo, let me... let me hear

that thing you was trying with the keyboard, though.

Check this out.

Yo, what? What?

What, you're not fucking with it?

- Nah, son. - I'm just... I'm just wild hungry.

Oh, shit.

You trying to eat?

Oh, shit. Yo! Yo, yo, yo, yo!

"And now I will kill you

"not because you killed my family,

but because you are an ugly motherfucker."

Oh, man, yo.

Whoa, shit!

What the fuck is going on, dog?

This shit's fucking crazy right here.

Yo, Dirty! Is it just...

Can y'all hear me?

Where are we?

How you feeling about this?

What you think?

Hey, yo. Yo.

Yo, check this.

All right.

Oh, shit.

Okay.

Yo, that's... that's the sound. That's it right there, B.

That's it. That's the sound, B.

Yeah. Yeah, baby.

Hey, yo.

It's about fucking time, nigga.

It's about fucking time, yo. I was waiting for this.

Hey, yo, what's this beat, son?

This ain't the shit we spit over.

- It's better now, nigga. - This that Wu-Tang shit.

Yeah, word.

Yo, this shit gonna tear the club up.

- Yo, yo, yo. - Hey, what up?

What up?

It is, bro.

- - I like your handshake. - There you go.

Yo, son, I ain't never heard no shit like this before, yo.

I ain't never heard no shit like this.

Nah, nah, no one has.

Peace, peace, peace!

- Peace, peace, peace. - Hey, yo.

You went to the movies

and dipped off for, like, two days, son.

Yo, son, they was playing the whole Dragon marathon.

Dragon Fist, Dragon Lord, what's the shit?

- The Dragon Forever shit. - Oh, yeah.

The whole shit had me spent on Dragons now.

I need to chill out.

What you think?

I think...

I think we getting this pressed up tomorrow, right?

Yo. Yo.

Sooh!

Wu-Tang! Wu-Tang! Wu-Tang! Wu-Tang!

Watch your step, kid! Watch your step, kid!

Get on the line.