- They've given me the signal
that it's time for me to go, but I ain't ready to go yet.
When I say "Bobby!" you say "Brown!"
Bobby! - Brown!
- Bobby! - Brown!
- Yo, RD here yet? - Nah.
- Man, how long he been out there tonight?
- Three hours. - Too long.
- So, what, that leave us time for like two songs,
and, Johnny, maybe one?
I'm sick of this shit.
I'm gonna go to the other side.
Yo, yo, yo, this is BBD's Ronnie DeVoe.
- Yeah, yeah, y'all give it up for Mr. Bobby Brown.
But New Mexico only wanna know one thing--
y'all ready for some BBD?
- What the hell are you doing?
- What it look like I'm doing?
- Where your boys, man?
You going to let him sucker you up like that?
Huh? Huh, son?
- They had no business!
They had no business!
- Talk to me.
What we gon' do?
- I can't get this thing to work!
- I don't know how everything got so bad.
The egos, the in-fighting, the jealousy.
It wasn't always like this.
When I met them, even at that young age...
- ...there was a brotherhood.
- In the beginning, it was pure.
- Hey, Peanut, you seen Ma? Is she here?
- She should be.
- Did she go to the store or something?
I didn't see her.
- I don't know. I just told you she should be.
- Where's Ma at?
- Don't you know how to knock?
- Just tell me where Ma is.
- Close the damn door, man.
- Ooh!
- You know where Ma is? - Unh-unh.
- Mom?
Hey, Ma. - Hey, baby.
Got my cigarettes? - Yeah.
- Damn it, boy, I asked you to bring me light 100s.
You know I'm tryin' to quit.
- Sorry.
Uh...Ma?
Can I go to the talent show tonight with my friend?
- Which friend?
- Mike.
- Michael Bivens? - Yeah.
- Hell, no.
I don't think so.
A bad ass boy.
Always hangin' around with Dante and them.
Drinkin'.
Smokin' reefer.
If you had any damn sense, you'd stay away from him.
Watch.
See where he wind up in ten years.
Probably locked up!
His big-headed self.
- A tough night, shoot.
A quarter a game.
At this point, you owe me a dollar.
Gain point.
- Yeah, all right, little man, come on.
- Catch.
- Woo!
- Let me get that dollar up off you, brother.
- Hello, man. - Whaddup, Rick?
- Good to see you, man.
- Oh, man, your mom let you out?
- She still thinks I'm in my room.
Still comin' with me to see Bobby?
- Let's go.
- This is his first show.
It's at the Cathedral. We can't miss it, man.
Got him in five. - Come on, man, you know me, yo.
- Hey, you cuttin' out. - Yo.
We're gonna dump y'all, boy.
- Man, they're killin' every song.
- Look how together they are--
the outfits, the hair, the steps.
- They move at the exact right time.
- All right, all right.
Give it up for the Untouchables.
They did that like they meant that, right?
All right, let's keep this show rolling.
Come on, y'all.
Settle down, now.
Listen, this next young man
is making his stage debut, all right?
He's only 11 years old.
- But the best thing is he is from right here in Roxbury.
So, show some love right now for little Bobby Brown!
Come on, little fella.
Little Bobby Brown. Do your thing, baby.
- Come on, let's go, Bob! You got this, man!
- Yeah, man! Let's go!
- Come on, Bob, let's go, man.
- Yeah, man.
- Ladies and gentlemen, just a little stage fright.
It kinda happens sometimes.
- That your boy up there? That little kid sucked.
- I know he did better than
your monkey-lookin' ass could do.
- The hell you just say?
- I didn't stutter. - Come again?
- Mm-hm.
- Take y'all asses back to OP with that.
- Hey, Mike, Rick, wait up!
- Hey-oh!
- Yo, whaddup, Bob?
- Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing.
Yeah, I'm good. What's up, man?
- Man, I'm about to go trippin'
and do it up with some basketball.
You know how I do.
- How was the show last night?
- You mean...
Let's just say your boy did his thing.
- You did your thing? - He did his thing.
- Oh, okay. - Yo, we was there!
- We saw the whole thing!
You can't lie.
- Y'all did? - Yes.
We got in a fight with some Cathedral dude.
Talkin' trash.
- They threw me off with all that damn screaming.
But now I know what to expect, okay?
It's not gonna happen next time.
- Next time?
You going up there again?
- Damn right.
The difference is I want y'all up there with me.
- Nah, man. I don't know about all that.
- Come on, B. You played yourself.
- Y'all talking way too much smack.
Know what? How about this?
Forget it.
I'ma go get Corey and Travis, 'cause y'all scared.
- Nobody's scared. - Whatever, brah.
- All we've gotta do is pick us a good song,
get us some cool outfits, and we'll win first prize.
It's that simple.
- As long as we all get to sing.
- Cool.
- A'ight? Why not?
- Now I know you want that money.
- Damn right.
- See, man, we on our way.
- On our way to what?
This ain't no group. It's only three people.
- So, let's go get Corey and Travis.
- Nah. - Nah.
I know who we should get. - Who?
- You know that kid Ralph? You know him?
- Oh, hell, no!
- That little dude that be doin' Kung Fu? Nah.
- Yeah, he my boy. He good people.
- Can he even sing? - Yeah, man, Ralph Tresvant.
Never heard him before? - Nah.
- Every time I try to go up to him,
he's always kickin' or something.
- Hi-i-i!
- Yo, what's up, Ralph?
- Heh! - Oh.
- Hold up.
- Oh, man, why don't you just go over there and talk to her?
- Nah, man, it's not the right time.
- Stay here, Bruce Lee.
I'll go talk to her for you.
Hello, how you doing? - Hi.
- Nice to meet you.
Uh, you see my friend over there?
- Yeah.
He's afraid to talk to you, but I'm not.
Can I sing something for you?
- Sure. - Okay.
- He just played you.
I know you're not just gonna take that.
- Woo!
- What's your name? - Zena.
- Wow.
- How'd you get to bein' slick?
- Whatever, man.
- All right?
- Aw, come on, man. - What're you doin'?
- Stop! Stop! 'Cause this ain't right.
This is not right.
We need to pick a different song.
I'm not gonna get up here and be lookin' stupid.
- Man, we don't look stupid. - Yeah, we do.
People are gonna laugh at us.
- They ain't gon' laugh at y'all.
- They laughed at you the last time.
- For real. - Yeah, they sure did.
- Get your hands off me.
- What are y'all doin' out here, man?
I can hear y'all switchin' all up down the hall.
Move back, back, back.
Chill out.
What's goin' on, man?
- Man, we're practicin' for the next talent show.
- Oh, man...
what y'all supposed to be--
the next, uh, Jackson Five or something?
- Why don't you just leave us alone?
Go in your room or something.
No one asked you to come out here.
- Nobody asked me to come.
Look, look, this is our house.
Like I ain't gotta go nowhere.
Y'all little dudes wanna practice?
Go ahead, practice.
- Let me ask y'all something.
Y'all serious about winnin'?
Then what y'all need to do is get a manager.
And y'all need to see about gettin' with Brooke Payne.
- What are you thinkin'?
- We ain't even that serious.
- Oh, yes, we are. I want that money.
- Peanut, you gettin' their hopes all up like that, girl?
What the--
He manages the top acts in Boston and all around the--
Like are you serious?
- Don't listen to him.
If this is what y'all wanna do, take it serious.
- I know we're young kids. You know what, though?
- You're crazy, you know?
- Hey, man, when Mr. Brooke come out,
Don't be scared.
- Ain't nobody scared.
- Listen, just let me do all the talkin', a'ight?
- You drive me crazy.
- Over there. Get down, get down, get down.
- You're just...tonight you're just too much.
Nah, I can't take it.
You're too much, baby.
- Get moving. Go, man.
- You are so good, it's unbelievable.
- Yo!
You're Brooke Payne, right?
You manage the Transitions and Untouchables.
- I might be. Why? Why? Who's askin'?
What is this?
- Me and my friends...
we wanna start our own singing group,
and what we wanna know is...
will you manage us?
- I don't work with kids.
- Hold up. We could be good, though.
We got potential.
- Come on, man. - Come on, please.
- Let us work with you. We're almost ready.
- Hear us out. - Give us a chance.
- Listen, man-- - Come on, man.
- Listen, listen, listen, listen.
I told you I don't work with kids, all right?
- Come on, Mr. Brooke, please?
- Wait, wait, wait, wait.
Get off the car. Move away from the car.
Get off my car.
You, too, move away.
Thank you.
Good.
- Come on, please. - Come on, man.
- What are you doing? - Right here, right here.
Try and stand right--
- Five, six, seven, eight.
- All right, enough, enough, enough, enough.
Um...
Where y'all from? Y'all live around here?
- Yeah, we live in the OP. - Oh, yeah?
Y'all know the Rec Center over there?
- Yeah, we do. - A'ight.
So, meet me over there like...
tomorrow, 9:00 a.m. sharp.
- And don't be late.
- Does that mean you're gonna be our manager?
- No, that means meet me over there at 9:00 a.m. sharp,
and don't be late, that's what that means.
- All right. - Thank you. Thank you.
- And...and, listen, listen,
next time y'all stand y'all little asses in front of my car,
I'ma run y'all over and I ain't gonna think twice about it.
- Let's go! - Go! Go! Go!
- Go! Go!
- Now I don't know what y'all heard about me,
but I ain't promisin' I'ma make y'all into no stars.
That ain't what I do.
But if you put in the hard work, though,
and you listen to what I tell you,
I'll make you into a professional.
And be clear.
Y'all are a group.
You do everything as one.
Everybody is equal,
whether it's the Untouchables or the Transitions,
all my groups work the same way.
So, if you're thinkin' about gettin' your little ass
up on stage and try to outshine everybody else,
you can forget about it.
Or you can go home right now.
'Cause I don't play that.
Y'all about to work hard.
It's about to be real hard work.
Harder than y'all ever worked before.
- All right.
- Let's fly. Let's go.
- All right, I'ma count y'all in.
Okay, and...
Five, six, seven, and...
Come on back. Come here.
Okay, one more time and back.
- Okay?
Five, six, seven and...
You don't wanna miss marks.
I don't wanna waste my time.
Y'all gonna be push-ups all day out here.
- Spin, ripple. Think it out. Go.
Get it right.
Find some space. Find equal space.
Every time you come on the stage,
you line up so you know where you are.
Bah. Bah. Bah.
More crisp. More crisp. Bam. Bam.
Two, three, and...
- Much better. Get that right, though, Mike.
It's okay.
- That's your...that's your money slide, okay?
Okay, okay.
- Ah. Bah. Bah. Bah.
- I told you it was gonna be hard work.
If you can't perform when it's hot,
then you can't perform.
- Time.
- I came up with a name for you guys.
See...
your name ain't just who you are,
it's what you're all about.
When you hear names like the Temptations or Stylistics,
or my favorite, Blue Magic,
it's lettin' you know where they come from.
You dig?
- So, what's our name?
- Shut up. - Oh.
- No, no, no, that's a good one.
That's a good question, Bobby.
I'll write it down for ya, 'cause if I tell it to ya,
it's different when you see something,
rather than hearing it.
Listen to this.
Here we go.
- New Edition? - Exactly.
- See...
This lets everybody know what the next big thing
comin' outta Boston is, right?
They know about the Jackson Five,
they know about the Untouchables.
They're about to know about the New Edition.
Say it. - New Edition.
- Can we say that the right way, please?
Again. - New Edition.
- One more time. - New Edition!
- All right, good.
- Five, six, seven, and...
- Stop.
- Ricky, I caught you.
Okay? You dragged your foot.
Start over.
I'm countin' you in.
Five, six, seven, and...
Woo!
- Hey, Mr. B., how you doing? - What's up, sir?
- Man, something's stuck.
- Don't ever talk about yourself here.
The only thing stuck is that big behind Bivins pad you got.
- Man, it's from whatever change he's got on him.
- Whatever, brah. - Why you whinin'?
- Man, you get none from Zena.
- I'm tellin' you, I got her tongue.
- That don't count.
You gotta kiss her through the window screen.
- Tongue is some as far as I'm concerned.
- Exactly, it counts.
- This dude kisses through the window screen
and you're talking about it counts?
- Hey, her mom's not gonna let her come outside.
That's all I can get. Thank you.
- Even a magazine get none. - There it is.
- All right, all right, all right,
enough with the pillow talk, especially since
y'all don't know what the hell y'all talking about anyway.
Let's discuss something else.
Let's discuss some business.
Hey, Ralph, that's nasty as hell, man.
Don't do that no more.
- Y'all know who Maurice Starr is?
- Yes, he produces his own records,
got his own groups, too.
- Right. He's puttin' on a talent show.
- So, how much is first prize?
- Oh, no. No money this time.
- No money? Then what's the point?
- Girls, man.
Females here from all over the city.
- Yeah!
- Well, if we're not gettin' money, what do we get?
- Well, the winner gets to record a demo in his studio,
and I'ma tell you,
that means a lot when you get to make a song.
Okay, the song do good enough,
you might end up having a record deal.
- How much money is that?
- Shoot, now you're talking a lot.
It could be a whole lot--
the type of money that'll change everything,
and move you right out the projects.
- Oh, yeah.
- What if we don't wanna leave the projects?
- You don't wanna be a star? - I never said that.
- Well, I know I do.
- Anyway, the show's gonna be at the Strand Theater downtown,
That place seats like 500 people.
That's a lot of people,
so, we need to get our act together, right?
- Yeah, well, how much time we got, B?
- Well, we have just one week.
So, I need y'all to take y'all coats off and get ready.
Get ready, get focused.
Playtime is over. Let's go. Come on.
- Everybody, freeze!
- Unfreeze!
- Breathe, be relaxed.
- Well, well, Dr. Freeze.
Dr. Freeze, ladies and gentlemen, Dr. Freeze.
- Well, they all can't be wonderful.
- Now who will lead the prayer?
Go ahead, Ralph, go for it.
- Dear Heavenly Father, we humbly ask you
for your Divine blessing.
We ask that you will...
- This next group...
- ...and please let us remember
all the steps that were taught us,
'cause you know we don't wanna do no more push-ups.
Jesus will be praised. - Amen.
- Hands in.
Give me a New Edition low, like one, two, three.
- New Edition!
- Give it up for the New Edition!
New Edition!
- What a night! What a night!
I don't envy these judges one bit.
You guys have a very tough decision to make.
Give it up for our finalists, y'all.
- Woo!
That being said...
A hard job, hard job.
This is a lot of talent on stage.
Their futures are in your hands.
So...
with that being said,
the winner of tonight's Hollywood Talent Contest...
- Boston...
- Congratulations.
Congratulations.
You'll be recording with me in my studio,
Maurice Starr Studio, and, um, good luck.
- Now, my soul wouldn't be right if I let this go down
the way it's goin' down.
- New Edition, come back on stage.
- Tonight, you're gonna record, too,
with Maurice Starr.
We're gonna give two record contracts.
You will also record with me in my studio.
Good job, fellas.
Ladies and gentlemen, New Edition!
- Maurice Starr runs this town.
New Edition, ladies and gentlemen!
New Edition!
- Stop.
This ain't a playground. These are not toys.
- Don't just start touching stuff.
Now if we're gonna be a New Edition to the Jackson Five,
we need another member.
- Why are we trying to fix what ain't broke?
I think we're cool with just four.
- Michael, right? - Yeah.
- In this business, you learn far more
by listening than speaking.
So, close that big ass mouth and open those big ass ears.
- Whatever, brah.
- Now you guys must have a talented cousin or brother
or somebody in your family that can sing or--
- Nah, none of my brothers got any talent at all.
- Man, my brother just learned how to walk a year ago.
- Maybe we can get Corey and Travis.
I know they still wanna do it.
- No, no, no, we need to see everybody.
- My nephew.
He's been wanting to be in the group
ever since the group got started.
Go play or something. I'm busy.
- How come Uncle Brooke don't just put you in the group?
- It does not work like that.
I've gotta earn my spot.
- Nope, it's because you're sorry.
- Ma, can you please come get him?
- Roland, I told you to leave your brother alone.
- What did I just say?
Do I need to get my belt?
- Ha. Ha. Ha.
- All right, would you stop it right now?
Roland, what did I tell you about
bothering your brother so much?
Stop it. Come on now.
- He's sorry. - Stop it, Roland.
- Is he a man?
- Come on, you got this.
- No, he don't. - Roland. I'ma pop you.
- He ain't never gonna get into the group.
- Roland.
Now all you've gotta do is what your uncle taught you.
That's it.
You got this, all right?
Come on.
Roland, I'ma tell you right now,
if you talk back to me one more time, boy.
- Loser!
- Man, Brooke always talkin' about "be on time,"
and "don't be late," but where he at?
- Come on, man.
- Here he come right now.
- This is my nephew Ronnie here.
- Whaddup, man?
- You got the height. You ball?
- Yeah, I do a little something.
- Yeah, he's from Cathedral.
- Man, I don't know if people from Cathedral
could be messin' with us OP boys.
- Man, get up.
Get up, Bobby.
Okay, everybody get in position.
We're gonna run through the same routine we did yesterday.
Ronnie, you stay right in front of 'em
and do it from that way, okay?
I'ma count you all in.
Ready? Five, six, seven, and...
- Stay together.
Yeah.
Good job.
Stay with 'em, Mike.
Good job.
- Good job.
Good job, Ronnie.
Be consistent. Stay together.
- That's right.
And stop!
Good job.
Good job. Good job. Good job.
- Not bad. - For real, man.
- Yeah, he's a'ight.
Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.
You got this now.
- All right, guys, let's get in the booth.
Put your headphones on so you can hear playback, okay?
- Hey.
- You know I was gonna go for them.
- Oh, I had that first.
- Come on, man, let me just get 'em.
- No...
- You wanna handle that?
- Oh, yeah. - You wanna fix that?
- Yeah.
- Get up. Get up!
Get up!
Stop it!
- Let's just start with you first.
You got your lyrics sheet?
- Yes, sir.
- What you waitin' for?
You two, uh, Rick, Mike, whatever your names is,
come on, get outta there.
- Come on, leave me.
- You ready?
- Ready.
- All right.
From the top.
- You got any parts for us to sing?
- I'll be out in a minute.
- What's up, Maurice?
What you doin' out this way?
- I was hoping we could talk.
Your parents around?
- Uh, yeah, in the other room.
- Well, can I come in? - Yeah.
- Hey, y'all. - Oh, hi, Maurice
- Your mother's all right.
She reminds me of my mom.
Does she make you a cheese sandwich?
- Yeah, those are my favorite.
- Yeah, mine, too.
We were so poor, sometimes we couldn't afford the cheese.
- And cheese was free.
- Ralph...
you're a major talent. - Thanks.
- I've seen a lot of kids sing, but...
you are amazing.
With some vocal training and some polishing,
I can make you a star...
...just like that.
- What about the rest of the group?
- Don't get me wrong. They're nice kids.
But they don't have what you have.
- What do I have?
- The French call it "je ne sais quoi."
I know. I couldn't say it for a long time either.
But you've got it.
Michael has it, Marvin has it--
strong voice, strong stage presence,
and good looks.
That's a star, and once you have that,
you don't throw that away.
I don't know, I mean, um...
if it wasn't for the fellas,
I wouldn't even be singing, performing.
They're the ones who brought me in.
My boys.
- I understand.
I mean, they're your...
ho-ho, hip-zip, hip, doop-doop-doop,
they're your homeboys, right?
- Yeah, something like that.
- Yeah, but, Ralph,
you've gotta start thinking about your future.
I'm offering you your own record deal.
It's a chance for you to change your family's surroundings,
and you'd throw all that out the window
for some kids you're not even gonna know ten years from now?
Just think.
Now you don't have to give me an answer right now.
Just think about it.
Call me.
- I can't.
We ain't got a phone.
- No, you're doin' it wrong.
- I just made it that way for a reason.
What are you doing? - Fixing the angel.
- You just made it worse. - No, I didn't.
- Yes, you did. Do what I told you, LaTonya.
- No. - Oh, my God...
What did you do?
- I knew we couldn't afford Christmas this year, so...
I saved up my talent show money
and me and LaTonya went shopping.
- Ma, what's wrong?
Y'all shouldn't have had...
Oh, Jesus.
Y'all shouldn't have had to do this.
My kids...
- Don't cry, Mommy.
- Come on down.
- Merry...Merry Christmas.
- You have a collect call
from Ralph Tresvant-- will you accept the charges?
- Yes, I will.
- Uh, Merry Christmas.
Maurice, it's Ralph.
- Hey, Ralph.
- You told me to call you when I made a decision.
- Yes, I did, my brother.
Have we got a deal?
- Yeah, man, but it's gotta be all of us.
I can't take it alone.
- Really? - Really.
I mean, the solo deal would be cool and all, but...
if I cut my boys out,
everybody in the OP would hate me.
They'd all hate me.
I don't know where you're from, man,
but we don't get down like that here.
Then the group, it is.
Ralph...
have a Merry Christmas, brother.
- You, too, man.
Mark my words-- all the record companies
that pass on you guys are gonna be sorry
because this thing is going to be big.
- What's the name of the company
we're signing with again?
- Streetwise. A friend of mine, Arthur Baker.
- Exactly what part do you play in this, Maurice...?
- Maurice Starr.
- Are you their manager now?
- No, I'm not their manager.
Brooke's still their manager.
I produce the music.
- So, what are we talking in terms of money?
- Mm-hm. - That's a good point.
- Let's get to the nitty-gritty.
- Each member gets a signing bonus of $500.
- Are you serious right now, $500?
- And a Betamax machine.
- Yes! - Man.
- Five hundred dollars.
- Excuse me. Sorry.
- Well, this is good.
- Let's fill out the bottom line.
- There's yours, Ralph, okay?
- What's wrong? - Nothin'.
- Hey, what's wrong?
- What if I never get to play basketball again?
- Honey...
I thought you liked being in the group.
- I like the group, but...
I love basketball.
Listen, there is no telling with this music business
where it might take you.
Look at me.
You deserve this just as much as anyone in that room,
and don't you let no one tell you different.
Remember when you... you wanted to play basketball
and they said you couldn't
because you were too short to play with the big kids?
You outworked everybody
and showed that you're a leader.
And guess what?
Babe, it's gonna be the same thing with this.
Do you believe me?
- Yeah.
- Do you?
- Yeah, I do.
- Good.
Because I believe in you.
Now get your butt up there,
and you go sign that paper,
because we don't leave no money on the table.
We don't ever turn down no damn money.
- All right. - All right.
I love you, baby. - I love you, too.
- Gimme some.
- Go get, 'em.
- This is Mike's. Let's worry about that.
- Thank you.
- We got a deal?
- Elroy Smith, WILD Radio.
We're about to play a new song
from Boston's own New Edition.
- Hey! Hey! You're on the radio!
- Maurice, which one of them's the lead singer?
- All of us are lead singers.
- Ralph is the lead singer.
- Ralph. Which one's Ralph?
- The one in the white jacket.
- Oh, nice.
- Here.
Excuse me, Ralph, right?
I need you to stand over here next to the young lady.
Just like that, okay? You're comfortable, right?
- Look happy, Ralph.
- All right? Great. You with the hat.
You go on the other side of her over here.
You've gotta move over. You've gotta move over.
Right there, okay?
You stay right there.
Perfect.
Nice.
- Mike, let me fix you up. - What about us?
- It doesn't matter, all right?
You're perfect. It looks excellent.
Stay right there.
Nice.
- Big smiles.
Yeah. Awesome. You guys look awesome.
Awesome.
Happy.
Awesome.
Big smiles.
All right, the other half of you, don't smile.
Excellent!
- Look at the marquee.
That's us on the marquee.
Excuse me. Come on.
Come on, boys, let's go, let's go, let's go.
Come on!
- Unreal, man. - Let's go. Come on.
- Wait for me.
- Party people, let's give it up for Madonna!
Show her some love.
- Comin' up, we'll get down with these cats--New Edition!
- Let me get this straight.
You want me to open up for little kids?
I'm not opening up for no kids.
"Candy Girl" kids. It ain't happenin'.
- Cous, come on, baby. You know the game.
They hot as fish grease.
They done sold out every club on the east coast.
- This is New York and not Matunga, New York.
Man, the hell with them kids.
Have you been snortin' that stuff,
or did you just forget what I've done?
- Come on, baby, it's me.
- And it's me.
- Hey, Mr. Kurtis, mind if I can get your autograph?
- I should be asking you.
Ain't that right, Mr. Promoter?
What y'all supposed to be-- Nation of Islam?
- Brooke, how you doing, man?
I'ma sorry about that. I'ma handle that.
- Why'd he play us like that?
- I'll tell you exactly why.
It's 'cause y'all are a threat now.
- What does that mean, sir?
- Okay...
from "Billboard."
In "Billboard," this is how you know
how people's records are doing.
For this week, Michael Jackson is #2, right,
and y'all, y'all are #1.
- Ohhhhhh!
- How y'all doin' out there?
All right, Roseland, with a few records,
for them boys all the way from Boston,
give it up, make some noise,
for New Edition! Woo!
- You're beautiful. - Thank you.
- Can I get your number?
- Get up. Hurry!
- What?
- Brookes...
- It's Brooke.
- We need to talk to you.
- What?
It is past 2:00 in the morning, ladies.
So, whatever you've got to talk to me about,
I'm sure can just wait.
- Y'all got the boys goin' back and forth
to New York every single week.
And we ain't seen not a dime.
- Ladies, okay...
Man, I'm gonna explain this to you one more time, okay?
The group has a booking agent.
He handles the money, not me.
So, go confront him. Go talk to him.
- He ain't their manager, Brookes.
You are.
You're supposed to be lookin' out for them.
- Well, what you want me to do?
- We just want somebody to be straight with us.
The boys are working so hard.
It seems like there should be some money
coming in from somewhere, somehow.
You know what I'm saying, Carole?
- Thank you.
It don't make no damn sense.
They got a number one record.
Video on TV. Interviews in magazines.
- And we're still on food stamps.
When the boys go to school,
they can't even afford to buy lunch.
Now how do you think that makes them feel?
- Ma'am, I'm doing my best.
I ain't never dealt with no record companies and lawyers,
and things like that before.
My job is to get them ready to perform.
- Well...maybe... we should...
hire somebody who knows what to do.
- As soon as school lets out,
the boys are going on their first tour.
They got dates all across the country.
Shoot, the label even got them goin' to Germany and England.
So, them being on the road, and album sales,
I assume y'all gonna get some money.
Right now, hold tight.
That's all I'm asking, okay?
Be patient.
Patience is a virtue, okay?
- Better see some damn money.
- Thank you, ladies.
- Don't make no damn sense.
Punk ass manager.
- We love you! - I love you!
- Welcome back home, fellas.
- I really wish we didn't have to come back here.
- You expect for us to split
a check for a dollar, eighty-seven cents!
Are you serious about this?
How the hell'd you let this happen?
- I didn't let nothin' happen.
Now I'ma tell it to you like it was told to me.
It's called "recoupable expenses."
The record labels charge the artists
for all the money that they spend on them.
They have to pay it back because it is a loan--
up until when they're making some profits.
So, between the tour, the travel, the marketing,
and promotion, and all the studio time,
that's where all the money went.
That's where the budget went.
- Yeah, but...we don't wanna hear about no expenses!
- I wanna know who took the money
because somebody is getting rich off these kids
and it sure as hell ain't us.
- All them album sales
and this all we got to show for it?
- Just like you said, Mae, maybe we should find somebody
who know what the hell's goin' on.
- Hold on, y'all.
Why y'all so quick to jump on my brother?
Shirley, what about Maurice?
And what about Streetwise?
Why y'all so quick to jump on Brooke?
- Brooke is the manager and he needed to manage.
- Brooke is Ronnie's uncle, Carole,
and he would not do anything to hurt family.
- Brooke, ain't there something that we can do?
I mean, this is bullshit.
Ralph works really hard.
- All the boys work hard! - Not just Ralph!
- Hold on, hold on, hold on.
Hold it, hold it, hold it.
Listen, at 3:00 in the morning, when we leave the stage,
and they gotta get from New York to Boston
to get to school by 8:00,
I'm the driver.
I drive them there.
I put my money into the outfits.
I put my money into the food that go in they bellies.
When they fightin', I'm breakin' up the fights.
I discipline them.
And I ain't had nothin' to show for it for six years.
I ain't got no money. - I know that.
- I've spent a lot of money.
I went in my own pocket because I believe in them.
And I love 'em...
like they was my sons.
- I'll tell you what.
Let's put it to a vote. - Carole.
- Those in favor of firin' Brooke, raise your hand.
- Carole, you are out of line.
- Raise your hand!
- Shirley.
Patricia?
You know what?
I ain't about to sit here and let y'all do this.
Brooke, I'm pulling Ronnie out of the group.
- No, you're not. - Yes, I am, Brooke.
This ain't right.
Brooke?
- Listen, this is Ronnie's chance
to make it outta Roxbury.
- I wish y'all success.
- I hope every single one of y'all are happy.
- Nobody happy about this, Flo.
- Y'all are gonna thank me for this one day.
Watch.
- Ladies, I gotta tell ya.
I was at the, uh, the show at the Children's Museum
the other night and I... I can't tell ya...
That was...that was insane. That was like...
That was like Beatlemania and I was at Beatlemania.
I took my sister to see, uh, them at Shea Stadium.
She passed out.
The same thing was happening the other night with these kids.
The kids love you. They love you guys.
I mean, these guys are real stars.
It's unbelievable.
Well, let's, uh...
let's just cut to the chase here, okay?
- Yes.
- I gotta tell you, when I, um...
when I heard about what happened with this group,
I, um... was disgusted.
I, literally, I felt sick to my stomach.
Like I...I...I thought I wanted to vomit.
- And what, exactly, does that mean?
- Plain and simple? - Yes.
- I'll tell ya, okay?
If I was managing this group, that would never happen, okay,
and...and the most important thing that I need to tell you
is I work for you, I work for New Edition.
I wanna make their dreams come true,
and that would never happen with me.
- Okay, that's all well and good, Mr. Evans.
- Always so formal. My name is Gary.
Call me Gary. - Okay, Gary.
What we wanna know are some specifics.
- Mm-hm.
- Ma'am, I can respect that.
I'll give you specifics.
Okay, I'm talkin' about bigger and better paying concert gigs.
- Oh, keep going. - Okay?
I'm talking about keeping these kids educated
with tutors when they're on the road, okay?
I'm talking about endorsements,
national television appearances.
- We've been on TV before.
- I'm talking about national television.
I'm talking about big shows--
"Johnny Carson," "Soul Train,"
okay, "Merv Griffin," big stuff.
And the most important thing--
a major deal with a major record label.
- No more mom & pop crap.
- So, you're saying we'll get paid this time.
- Shirley, I'm not saying anything.
I'm guaranteeing it.
Do you understand?
I've managed artists who have sold over five million records
and I'm telling you that could happen with New Edition.
I feel it in my gut. You want that, right?
I know it. You guys know it.
They know it. They want it. They deserve it.
It could happen with New Edition.
- Flo, I know, but we've gotta move on.
- Flo, this is a business decision.
I mean, excuse me, let me ask these kids.
what do you think about this, kids, huh?
- I'm cool. - This all sounds great.
- As long as our moms cool with it, we good.
- Well, uh...
Mike, are these, uh,
are these your basketball trophies, huh?
- Yeah.
- Yeah, you must have one hell of a game, huh?
- Yeah. - Yeah?
What, like a point guard?
- Yeah, something like that.
- Like Tiny Archibald?
I used to...I used to play. I used to play ball.
I see. I see.
- But what happens to our deal with Maurice?
- That's a good question.
- Yeah, he could be a problem.
- I'm gonna do what any real manager would do.
I make your problems go away.
- You know what? - Flo.
- Another beautiful day here in Los Angeles.
Sunny skies, sunny people,
that is, until you hit the on-ramp
at the 405 this morning.
That, folks, ain't pretty.
- Hey, Gary, any Black people workin' here?
- I'd say so.
The head of the label is Jheryl Busby.
He's a Black man.
- Wow, he's in charge of this whole place?
- Well, he's the one we're answering to.
He's the one who's cuttin' the checks.
So, I'd say he's in charge.
How are ya? - Hi.
- Gary Evans with New Edition. We're here to see Jheryl.
- Okay.
Hi, Sylvia.
- Ricky, what are you doin'?
Don't touch that. You guys, come here.
Listen, have some class.
As soon as we get in there, I want you to give them
a little taste of what they're gonna get, okay?
Sing "Candy Girl" and then give them some dance moves.
- Oh, you want us to sing and dance
right here in the office?
- No, man, that sounds corny.
- And I ain't never doin' nothin' corny.
- He means we ain't never doin' nothin' corny.
- I meant me. You heard me. - We.
- I don't see why we can't just walk in
super-cool like some rock stars.
- Yeah. - Rock stars.
- 'Cause it's the first impression, okay?
Listen, take the Roxbury attitude
and leave it back in Roxbury.
Okay, and take your feet off the couch.
Not only do I want you to sing,
I want you guys to smile,
I want you guys to enjoy yourself.
- Yeah, but that Roxbury attitude
is what New Edition is. - Yeah.
- What are you talking about, Gary?
- What am I even talk... I'm talking about your careers.
I'm talking about making you guys stars.
Okay, I'm talking about making you guys rich.
But I don't...I don't know what I'm talking about.
What am I? You know, I don't...
I don't know what I'm talking about.
I've only been doing this two decades.
You know what? Go in there, take a nap.
- Do we have to sing "Candy Girl"?
I mean, we do have other songs.
- All right, sing "Popcorn Love."
That's a great tune, okay, but smile.
Okay? Enjoy yourselves.
Please? All right? - Sir?
- They're ready. Let's go. All right.
Go with a smile. Have a good time.
- Ha!
How was that? Huh? Huh?
- Pretty good. Pretty good, guys.
- Guys, meet Jheryl Busby.
- Thank you. Thank you.
- President of MCA Records and now he's your boss.
This is Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, Mike and Ralph Tresvant.
- How you fellas doin', man?
- How you doing? - Really good to meet you.
We are happy to have you here at MCA Records.
This is Louil Silas, head of our A&R.
You need to get to know this guy.
- Nice to meet you fellas.
I'm excited to work with all of you.
- Hey, you know what? I've got an idea.
You guys been to Universal Studios?
- No. - We haven't.
- Come on, listen. Go see my secretary right now.
She's gonna give you free passes.
- What? - Ohhhh!
- That good?
- I've got a question.
How you get the hook-up with Universal?
Does somebody owe you a favor, man?
- Oh, come on, Mike. Just say thank you, okay?
This guy'll, uh, talk your ears off if you let him.
- It's no problem. How else is he gonna learn?
Um, MCA is basically the parent company of Universal.
It's all one big family.
And now you're part of that family.
- My man. - Come on. My man.
So, Louil, take 'em down to Linda
and get 'em all situated
with the passes and the whole thing.
Make sure they can get the food and the drinks
and all the cool stuff.
- I'm on it. You guys ready?
- Yes! - See you soon.
Gary.
Can I see you in my conference room?
- Okay.
- What the hell was that?
Was that the damn group
I just paid you a million dollars to sign?
- That's New Edition.
They have a #1 record. You know...
- Gary, you promised me pop stars,
not some ghetto kids from Boston that can barely sing.
You just had them shuffle through my office
like some damn minstrel show.
Whose dumb ass idea was that?
- I just thought it would be--
- Don't think, Gary.
You're wastin' my time, man.
I need to see results.
- We got this little apartment here,
so they can all be together.
They're good kids.
They're kids.
It's so dark in here.
- What the hell is going on here?
Hey, hey, hey!
What is this?
What...what is happening here?
They're topless. Oh, this is...
This is poor timing here.
- Timing's not the only thing that sucks.
- Hey, hey, you need to remove yourselves
from the premises right now, right now!
If you don't have money for a cab, I'll pay for one.
Mike, ladies, I don't know what's goin' on here.
- They're the "Soul Train" dancers.
- I don't care what kinda dancers they were.
I just hope to God
that you guys are using the rubbers I gave you.
- I can't speak for anybody else, Gary,
but I prefer lambskin, myself.
- That's not my business, okay?
Ralphie, zip yourself up, please.
You're exposed.
- Listen, I want you to meet Khalil
and this is Jeff Dyson, all right?
- What's up, man?
- Y'all gettin' us bodyguards or something?
- Y'all in charge of the kiddies?
You're a little small, brother.
- You look too outta shape to be security, B.
- This must be the tough one. - Must be.
- All right, all right, you guys.
Just take it easy, all right?
These guys are...these guys are all part of the team.
They're working with us now.
- So, whatever we tell them to do,
that means they gotta do it?
- Hey, hold on, young buck. We ain't butlers, all right?
Just think of us as more like chaperones.
- Exactly. These guys are here to keep you guys out of trouble
because you need that kind of help nowadays.
- Well, good luck with that, G.
- Okay, first order of business.
Could y'all go get our girls back?
- Hey, when they gonna let us hit the mic?
- Don't look at me. Talk to him.
But I know I'm singing lead on at least one song.
I know that much.
- Hey, what's the reason for these vocal rehearsals
five days a week?
So he can sit in there and be Michael,
while the rest of us sit back here
and be Tito and Jermaine?
- Shoot, we ain't even that.
More like Randy.
- I'm not saying we sing lead on everything.
But they need to give us something.
- I know something we can do.
Roll up outta here, find some females.
Supposed to be a real big mall in Glendale.
- Yeah, I'm in. Let's go.
- Go. Go. - Where are you going?
Where are they going? - It's okay, I got it.
Under control.
- What happened? Where's everyone goin'?
- Man, I've been in the studio all day long.
I just wanna go hang out with the guys.
- Did I tell you Zena called for you?
- Hey, man, you think we can get her
a flight out here or something?
- Let me talk to Gary.
- She givin' you the full court press?
No, more like I'm givin' it to her.
- Oh, ho.
- Yeah, just 'cause I ain't home,
that's still mine. - Hey.
- Yeah, I'ma holla at you in the morning, Jeff.
- Cool.
- What's happenin', man?
- It's good, right?
- Unh-unh, don't come here.
- You're gonna get set. Cool.
- Who is she? - Hi, Ralph.
- What's goin' on? Y'all save me no food?
- Oh, we can't let the superstar be hungry.
You know what?
I think I got something for you here, though.
- You know that ain't worth shit.
- Hey, man, you a big star now, all right?
We figured you was too busy
to eat with some regular brothers like us.
- Right. Right.
- Hey, where'd y'all meet them at, man?
- At the mall.
Come here. Come on, baby.
- Why are we waiting?
Mr. Superstar don't need us anyway.
- Enjoy your evening, Ralph.
- Hey, good luck on that couch, man.
- Enjoy that chicken wing.
- That's his.
- Goodnight.
- Next, on "The New Edition Story"...
- He's lost his damn mind.
That ego's outta control.
- We're some superstars.
Well, at least I am.
- It's my solo album.
- When'd you do this, man?
- You can make this album, or stay here and die.
- Man, he told us what the deal was.
- He told you what the deal was.
People are gonna say
a whole lotta things in this business.
- Now I'm tired of him acting like he my father.
- See, now, I thought y'all was my brothers.
- Who the hell do you think you're talking to?
- Next year? Where's the damn money from this year?
- Everybody's acting like a little bitch!
- I've been doin' all the damn work here,
singin' my ass off, you've been there.
- Do you know how long we've been hearin'
this bullshit about expenses?
Since "Candy Girl."
- So, all y'all can see your way up outta my crib.
- Oh, it's like that?
- Bobby!
What are you doing?
- No, bro, bro, bro, bro! - Hey, man!
- License and registration, sir.
- We've got a decision to make...
- ...if Bobby Brown's gonna stay in New Edition or not.
- Look, Daddy.