Love Beats Rhymes Page #5

---

plastic surgery can't fix.

No, really, I know a good surgeon.

Mmm.

Well, there's not one thing

I'd change about you.

Unless, maybe I could

get like some

brain surgery to,

like, get it taken out.

Shut up.

You must have been a real

brat when you was a kid.

I was shy. Very shy.

Yeah, okay, and I was

the prince of wales.

No, really. I was a runt

when I was a little kid.

And I got picked on a lot.

My dad was my only friend.

And I remember, we'd have

these little rap battles

and my favorite line of his was

"I'm the twinkle in your eye,

the tear in your cry,

"the reason for your why.

"So seek me.

"As you learn to love

yourself better, teach me."

And I remember when

he would say that,

I would just feel like the most

invincible little kid in the world.

But then he died.

And Malik sort of took over

as my rap partner.

Malik and those fools have

been the only men in my life.

Until now.

Thank you.

For inviting me tonight.

Thank you for

teaching me poetry.

I had to get out of there.

Was it good?

I can't explain it.

He was so...

Open.

That kind of freaked me out.

You're just used to being

ignored and neglected.

I like him for you.

You don't like him?

Suppose he is

the love of your life.

But how will you know

if you keep pushing him away?

Well, if he's the love

of my life,

then I don't

have to do anything.

It'll happen, right?

Speak of the devil.

I'm out of here.

Now look, I really don't want

things to be weird in class.

So can we just pretend

nothing happened?

Yeah?

Okay.

Cool.

Cool.

Cool.

It still needs to be

mixed properly. No.

Mixing won't make

the lyrics better.

And the song structure sucks.

We gotta dig deeper than this.

Let's just send it to Naveen

and see what he says.

We can't send this to Naveen.

We have one shot with his ear.

We don't wanna f*** that up.

So, we're just gonna keep

working until we get it right.

I'm done with this demo sh*t.

All right, we damn near broke.

We ain't battled in a month. We ain't

no snap crackle pop-ass rappers.

We ain't no f***in' sellouts.

We need to stick to battles.

That's what we do.

No, that's what you do.

We are a group.

And we made a commitment

to finish this demo,

so that's what we're gonna do.

Reasons, play the beat, please.

Nah, nah, reason,

don't play sh*t.

Don't play a motherfuckin'

thing, all right?

Coco, you don't

run sh*t around here.

And you don't run sh*t around

here but your goddamn mouth.

Yeah? This mouth is gettin'

us all f***in' paid.

Where? Obviously, not enough to

buy some f***in' roach spray

to spray the booth out.

- Shut the f*** up!

- F*** you.

Exactly.

Talk to her.

F*** you.

Talk to her.

I'm sick o' y'all

bickerin', man, for real.

Can we please, please,

just focus for once?

Reasons is right, y'all.

Let's just focus

and get it done.

Come on.

The sonnet

depicts love as

both pain and pleasure.

As joy and anguish.

As disdain and devotion.

Relationships equate

a surrendering of one's self.

Mmm.

Well, let's start here

next week.

Hey, coco.

Wait up a minute.

So, uh...

How've you been?

I'm good.

Just been busy with my demo.

Yeah, me, too, but I've been

working on my new poem.

Still trying to get in

Coltrane's slam team.

Just haven't got

the moves quite down.

Don't switch up those moves.

Look, I'm sorry about

what I said the other day.

About what?

About pretending

nothing happened.

It's okay.

We both just had too much to drink

and, you know, sh*t happens.

It's cool, though.

Friends?

Nah.

No?

No.

I want to be more than friends.

Coco Ford, may I speak with

you for a moment, please?

My husband and I are... We're

having a salon on Saturday.

I'd like you to come.

Really?

Don't tell anyone.

But you can bring a date.

Thanks.

We have one shot to get our songs

right for this record label.

These guys just don't get it.

So, when is the showcase?

Labor day.

You comin'?

Is that an invite?

Maybe.

Look, listen, I have

an important question for you.

Is it a really

important question or

like, a dumb important question?

Course it's

an important question.

Fire away.

Why can't you tell me what you

and Dixon whispered about?

Hmm. What's it

worth to you?

Let me see.

Well, that's a start.

But just to let you know

that it wasn't about you.

Okay, so now you have secrets with

my boss, I see what's goin' on.

Fine. She invited me

to a salon.

Seriously?

Yeah.

So, is she gonna have a bunch of

hairdressers at her house or something?

Nah, nah, nah,

it's a poetry salon.

It's where people go and

showcase their work, their art.

Are you going?

I wasn't invited.

She probably forgot.

I wasn't invited

last year either.

Just be careful with Dixon.

She likes to toy with people.

I do feel like I'm finally starting

to make progress with her.

Well, I'm just saying

you should keep an eye out.

Well, she told me

to bring a date.

So I'm gonna bring you.

So you can watch out.

In case anyone

tries anything tricky.

Well, I'll be watchin'.

You look great tonight.

Thank you.

I think this is us.

You make me laugh.

Seriously, though

you are something.

Coco.

You've made it.

How are you, Mrs. Dixon?

Thank you so much for inviting me here.

Your house is amazing.

I need to steal

her for a moment.

I know you won't mind.

Come.

Coco, you are

such a good writer.

You've advanced immeasurably

since your first assignment.

It's actually miraculous.

I've been working

like, really hard.

You have a voice.

Ah...

The voice of a poet.

I just...

I just worry that

you're wasting your time

with a lover that'll

never love you back.

What? I don't understand.

You're a smart woman, coco.

Flirting with a ta

for a good grade?

That's so beneath you.

No. No, no, no.

It's not like that.

Okay, well, I'll...

I take it back.

Come on.

Coltrane.

This is my most promising

student, coco Ford.

How you doin'? I remember

you from the other night.

Yeah, yeah.

You made your boy here lose.

Coltrane and his slams.

Everyone's always trying to impress

him so they can make the new team.

Well, baby, you know slam saw

where poetry was messin' up

and I just wanna make things right.

Hmm.

You know, it's a whole generation

of young poets like coco

who have been

raised on hip-hop

and brought up by poets like us.

This is our duty.

Yes.

You do know how to

please young girls.

Um...

I'm going to read

in just a moment.

You should come outside.

What the f***?

Accompanying me is the amazing and

beautiful Esperanza Spalding.

"I am the kind of

woman who loses things.

"The kind of woman who makes

room for a child she lost.

"I am the kind of woman

who keeps the porch light on.

"The kitchen light on.

"The bathroom light on.

"I am the kind of woman

who keeps the light on.

"During sex.

"During naptime.

"After dark.

"It is safe that way.

"I am the kind of woman

who needs to feel safe.

"The kind of woman who has

needs that no one can satisfy.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes