A young Kanan in 1985 gets into a fight on the playground and runs away after getting beat up. His Mom then stuffs a sock full of heavy items and drives him back to the yard so he can exact revenge on the people who hurt him.

A teenage Kanan in 1991 is picked to take a placement test for a prestigious New York City school his Mom wants him to attend.

A local dug dealer, Kanan’s mother, Raquel, along with her brothers Marvin and Lou-Lou, deal with a threat to their business in the form of fellow drug dealer, Unique. After dinner at a local diner, Unique’s people stage a drive-by on Raquel and her family to send them a message.

Hoping to avoid a war, Raquel and Unique strike a deal.

When one of Kanan’s friends tells him that Unique’s men are selling on one of Raquel’s blocks, Kanan and his friend pull up and shoot at the men, killing one. Raquel later tells him that she’d given the block to Unique.

With a bounty now on his head, Kanan is shot at in front of his home.

Raquel tries to make amends with Unique, but they cannot broker a deal. Finally, realizing she has no other choice, Raquel reluctantly brings Kanan into the family business.