[SIRENS]
This is going to be fun.
DESUS: No, you're not in jail.
This is where we record, come on.
Hey, what up?
We're here with a legendary thespian.
- That's right. - You guys know her.
We in the barbershop, we got a name for her, because she's
been in all the hood classics.
You know what I mean?
Like star of a little show called--
I don't know-- (FALSETTO) "Empire."
You know who's here?
Taraji P. Henson, that's who.
DESUS: Right!
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
[APPLAUSE]
DESUS: More affectionately known as Yvette.
(WHISPERING) Yes.
That's what we're here to talk about,
"Baby Boy," the classic movie.
Number one first question.
Do you get a check every time it shows on BET?
Because if that's the case, you're
probably one of the richest actresses around.
TARAJI P. HENSON: No. - In Hollywood.
[SNICKERING]
TARAJI P. HENSON: Yeah, that's be like $5 or $0.05, yeah.
What was the first major purchase you made you was yo,
I'm balling?
Gotta like that. - Oh, the first major?
DESUS: The first one you was like-- it was like, ridiculous,
you didn't even need it.
But you was like, yo, I got it like that.
[INTERPOSING VOICES] - You got the yacht master--
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
I was very smart with my money.
So when I've booked my first--
well, when I-- oh, I'm going to make you laugh.
So when I did "Baby Boy," I was still broke.
Because I didn't really get paid any--
I got paid Schedule F, which is like the lowest.
It's like $60,000, you know, after taxes,
and I pay 30% to my team.
Oh, you got 60 racks?
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
About $10,000, about--
Right, exactly.
--how much I got paid.
So I actually went right back to substitute teaching.
And then I booked a television show series on Lifetime
called "The Division."
And I played a rookie cop.
So I was making $22,000--
whoo, I ain't never seen that much money in my life!--
a week, I mean, per episode.
But again, that sounds like a lot.
You know, taxes 50% off.
They take 50% of that and then again, 30%.
So again, I'm getting paid maybe like $5,000.
But it looked good.
So I had to wait.
I want to wait.
I waited until I knew the show was going
to get picked up another year.
The first thing I bought was a truck, because I
always wanted a truck.
I couldn't afford the Cadillac Escalade,
so I got the GMC Yukon.
MERO: Yeah! DESUS: OK, all right.
[INTERPOSING VOICES] - The small one.
MERO: Yeah, it's still a hardbody.
Because I remember when I went to audition for that show,
I went back to the last reading for a studio and network,
and my car wouldn't start.
[GROANING]
And I had to catch a cab.
And I walked out of that bitch with a job.
DESUS: There you go.
And I was like, I'm getting me a car, so I got that.
And then I waited that whole season.
I stayed in my apartment instead of moving.
I ripped up all the carpet, and I moved here.
So I changed the interior of my apartment.
And I was like, see?
This is a whole new place.
- Marcell, we moved, look. - Yeah, yeah.
There you go.
We still live in the same place,
but we moved, just go with it.
And then when I started getting more successful,
I bought a house.
DESUS: (WHISPERING) Nice!
And I still own that first house.
Yeah, you got to.
Very smart, very smart.
Wise investments, you know what I'm saying?
You can never go wrong--
Property and art, property and art.
MERO: That's the jewel for you right there.
It's the last season of "Empire."
Mm-hm!
Now you mentioned someone's going to die.
I know you can't say any names. TARAJI P. HENSON: I can't.
You can't say any names.
Is it you?
No.
You can't kill Cookie, baby!
I know!
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
It might be wildin'.
What should we expect in this last season?
Oh my, god !
You know what I think people are really
going to get a kick out of?
Cookie and Lucious like this again.
It's almost like the first season.
DESUS: Right. MERO: Yeah!
TARAJI P. HENSON: Like, they're at war again.
DESUS: My partner here does very good Lucious lines.
TARAJI P. HENSON: Oh, let's see it!
(AS LUCIOUS) Cookie, God is watching over me.
He's protecting me.
And you got to get a little dampness in your eyes.
(AS LUCIOUS) He's protecting me,
Cookie, like you protected me for all those years
that you was behind bars, and I was building this empire
for us, Cookie, for us.
[APPLAUSE]
That was beautiful.
Thank you, Thank you.
Know what I'm saying?
They might have to have you in the spin-off.
You know what I'm saying?
And you light-skinned like him.
- You know what I'm saying? - It works.
You know what I mean? [LAUGHTER]
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
I got a little less hair, you know what I'm saying?
[GIGGLING]
But we could work on that.
Are you doing a hair care line?
I am.
Oh, you are?
I am.
But my hair care line has something for everybody.
I can't say too much yet.
DESUS: Can't say too much.
You're bringing back Jheri curls?
No?
No.
[LAUGHTER]
Trying to jump out there, trying to guess?
This is what I could never understand.
Why did black people get into the Jheri curl anyway?
(YELLING) We already have a curl pattern!
That was the dumbest--
Got a better question, why did black people
get out of the Jheri curl?
My sister, think about it, though.
In the '80s, we were carefree curls.
Now look at us, we stressed.
No, now we on natural journeys.
We on natural journeys, B.
How do y'all work like this?
[LAUGHTER]
Dude's looking at me with a straight face.
What I'm saying to you-- DESUS: Yes.
You understand what I'm saying?
DESUS: I understand what you're saying, my sister.
We didn't need a Jheri curl. DESUS: OK.
MERO: OK.
But the drip was worth it, though.
- The drip was not worth it. - What?
Really?
My best friend had one, and we used to share clothes.
And every time she walked out with a shirt, I was like,
keep it.
My sister ruined a couch because of the carefree
curls dripping the back. - SoulGlo spots?
DESUS: Yeah. - SoulGlo spots.
MERO: We had Ice Cube up here talking about the Jheri curl.
Because you know, he was one of the pioneers.
TARAJI P. HENSON: He rocked it. DESUS: He rocked it.
Yeah, he was a pioneer.
He was a pioneer.
He was like--
I thought I felt some juice.
He was like--
[LAUGHTER]
Make you sure you don't get none on that blazer.
Oh man!
And he was just like, yo, I couldn't do it,
because it was just too much maintenance, bro.
It was too much maintenance.
And then we he cut that Jheri curl, oh, Ice Cube became fine!
I was like, Juice hiding all of that
up under that Jheri curl juice?
[LAUGHTER] DESUS: Oh man!
OK, OK!
That's right, that's right, I see you.
The fellas have caught up with us, ladies.
They have wigs and--
Yeah, we get wigs and shit now.
--props and shit.
- Hell yeah! - Yeah, they got props.
Hey, man! [INTERPOSING VOICES]
--props just like us, ladies.
You know what I'm saying?
And ladies, next time you date a man, go in his bathroom.
Find that spirit gum, bitch.
It's in there somewhere.
[LAUGHTER]
Can men not wear a toupee?
Is that not cool?
Like if like, if I had like a fake flattop--
Let me tell you something.
Just like, long as it looks good.
OK.
Would you date a woman with a good weave?
- Yeah. - Hell yeah.
Right, all right.
40 inches is a sign of wealth.
TARAJI P. HENSON: Right. - You know what I'm saying?
TARAJI P. HENSON: Well, it really is nowadays.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
Yeah, that's a whole car note.
You had a '80s themed birthday party?
(WHISPERING) I did, oh my god! DESUS: How was that?
You should have been there.
DESUS: We were poor, we weren't invited.
- You missed out. - Yeah.
[LAUGHTER] - You know what?
Who was there?
Name some heavy hitters.
Mary J.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
Mary J. was there.
She was there. [INTERPOSING VOICES]
TARAJI P. HENSON: She didn't put on roller skates, though,
but she was there. - Oh man!
I just imagine her roller skating like--
- Ah, no. - Doing the Mary.
Yeah, the doing the Mary, like (WAILING).
No.
Jennifer Hudson was there.
We had
Was she doing vocal runs for no reason,
just to like, flex on everybody?
No, everybody was relaxing.
It was so turnt.
I can't even begin to tell you how much fun.
People are still hitting me today, saying, oh my god, I'm
still glowing from the party.
When's the next one?
You know what I--
I kind of think I want to do like a traveling skating party,
bring back roll--
no one's like-- - Roller skating
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
--roller skates anymore.
But I think it was because they don't think of it,
you know what I mean?
They don't-- right.
Out of sight, out of mind.
- You gotta make it hot. - Yeah.
- Make it hot again, you know? - It used to be hot.
TARAJI P. HENSON: It used to be hot.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
Yeah, but they closed like, all the roller skating rinks.
That's when the--
Well, we got to build one.
Build one and just do it.
DESUS: That's right. [INTERPOSING VOICES]
Black people, we need roller skating rinks.
TARAJI P. HENSON: We need roller skating again.
- Know what I'm saying? - For the kids.
Bring it back. TARAJI P. HENSON: Bring it back.
What's that De La Soul song?
Roller skating--
- Roller skate, uh, uh-- - Saturday.
- Saturday, Saturday! - Yeah.
Yes, yes.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
- I remember that. - You know what I'm saying?
I remember that video.
MERO: TI roller skating in "ATL--" I think
that was the last time--
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
- That movie is lit, "ATL." - Or "Roll Bounce?"
- Yeah. - Yeah, it sounded like that.
- "Roll Bounce," right? - "Roll Bounce," with--
[INTERPOSING VOICES] - With Bow Wow?
Yeah, Bow Wow.
No, no, no, Shad Moss.
TARAJI P. HENSON: Shad Moss.
Excuse me.
Don't want to offend, sorry, Bow Wow.
Bow Wow Shad Moss.
[GIGGLING]
You guys are bad!
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
We in the basement.
We doing what we do in the basement.
DESUS: Basement, you know what I'm saying?
MERO: You know what I'm saying? - We just hanging, kicking it.
We hanging.
Can't do all the extra stuff on camera,
but you know the vibes.
All right, what would your neon sign say?
My neon sign was would say breathe, the bar is open.
DESUS: There you go!
[SCREAMING]
Drinks on her.
They thought I was going to be all deep with breathe.
(YELLING) Bitch, the bar is open!
DESUS: The bar is open! [LAUGHTER]
Give it up for Taraji! [WHOOPING]
We get to go drink and get loony.
You know what I'm saying? [APPLAUSE]
Yo, watch the final season of "Empire--"
[WHOOPING] [INTERPOSING VOICES]
You know what I'm saying?
(YELLING) Somebody gonna get capped, bitch!
DESUS: Someone's dying. [INTERPOSING VOICES]
- I'm going to be watching it. - Somebody dying.
Anyone else getting thrown in the garbage?
Who?
Anyone getting thrown in in the garbage this year?
- No, we did-- - No?
Bring it back!
Make that the final scene.
The final scene should be Cookie throwing Lucious in
the garbage, then the credits.
Cookie should have thrown his ass in the garbage
a long time ago.
(YELLING) I know that's right, girl!
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
(AS LUCIOUS) You can't do this to me.
[LAUGHTER]
(YELLING) Give it up for Taraji!
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
[APPLAUSE]
[MUSIC PLAYING]