MAN:
Keef Knight needs to go.
WOMAN:
Black People for Rent sucks.
MAN: That guy's an assh*le.
WOMAN: Hey, man, stick--
KEEF: Why is it
that it's people of color
always having to stand
for something
or, you know, say something
in our work?
[intense music]
That's why I keep it light.
ADRIENNE: Keef.
Keef. Hi.
- Huh?
ADRIENNE: Hey.
- Oh, hey.
Hey, sorry.
- You okay?
- No, I'm good. You?
- Do we, uh...
do we need to talk
about that--that thing
the other night?
- Oh, no.
No, no, uh--
- The shirt, the--
KEEF: Innocent mistake.
Innocent mistake.
That's fine.
Yeah, but this...
ADRIENNE: sh*t.
Man, that's a lot of hate.
KEEF: A lot of hate.
- I got canceled
when I was .
Look at me now.
- Oh, wow.
Took you years
to get uncanceled.
- Really?
KEEF: Mm.
- . Thanks, Keef.
KEEF: Okay.
What's the plan?
What do I do?
- Now?
Nothing.
You just take your mind off it.
I have an idea.
Bear with me.
It's--it's out there.
- Ready?
KEEF: Mm-hmm.
- Swing dancing.
- Yeah, but what's your idea?
- Swing dancing.
Something fun, different.
- Okay, look, I've been to
my fair share of hockey games,
a Phish concert,
and I love true crime podcasts,
but this may be
a little too white for me.
- Oh, Keef, come on!
You know that the Lindy Hop
was invented
by Black people, right?
- What?
- Yeah.
I mean, the Harlem Renaissance.
Didn't you learn about it
in primary school?
- No, but I know what to do
in a mass sh**ting.
- Jesus.
- Okay, look, I just...
I just don't wanna go dancing.
- [sighs]
- People are gonna
be staring at me,
seeing if I'm good or not.
- Oh, you're not a good dancer.
- I'm actually
a pretty good dancer.
- Not so sure about that.
I've got a better idea anyway.
- So why do you have
a swing set in your art studio?
- It's not a swing set.
- Hmm.
- It's an interactive
installation.
- Mm.
- Yeah.
I just wanted to create
an experience, you know,
where we could get out of
our self-important adult minds
and remember how it feels
for us
to be like children
without cares in the world.
- Wow.
We may have had
slightly different
childhood experiences.
- Could you just try it?
- You want me to try this?
ADRIENNE: Yeah.
- Okay.
The back and forth thing?
- Yeah.
- It was called swinging?
- Yeah, you already said no
to the dancing, so--
- Okay, all right.
Swinging.
- This is the least
you could do.
- Here we go.
- So what do you think?
- Do I feel better?
A little bit, maybe.
- You're a natural.
- Well, it's like riding
a swing.
[both laugh]
Oh, okay.
You might know
what you're talking about.
- Thank you. Feels good, huh?
- So how much
would this thing cost me?
- Well, more than a Ferrari,
but less than therapy.
- Jesus.
- It's kind of a steal.
[rock music]
♪ ♪
[hip-hop music]
♪ ♪
- Hey, uh, guys?
I hate to interrupt your food,
but I have to call
an impromptu, uh, meeting.
Now, as someone who knows
the importance of focus groups,
and you two are the only
two people that still like me,
I need your opinion.
- Okay, but we don't like you
that much.
Boom!
- Okay, cool.
Kay.
Thank you very much.
It's this way.
I've been working
on some new characters,
you know,
some more personal stuff.
I gotta get back in the game,
so check it out.
That's for you.
I want you to pass those out.
GUNTHER: That's really smart
of you.
- Okay,
confer amongst yourselves.
I'll give you a minute.
I'll be over here.
I don't want you to think that
I'm trying to influence your...
ah, I can't stand it.
Okay, so, uh,
what do you think?
- No, it's, uh...
it's a great first draft.
Um...
- It's--it's a second draft.
- Love the concept, but...
- How 'bout you draw people?
Like, actual human beings.
What's this sh*t?
- People.
- Yeah.
This is a talking trash can?
I don't know, that's kinda--
that's kinda out there,
you know?
- And talking toast isn't?
- Do you want feedback or not?
- Yeah, no, I'm--
I'm done talking, so just--
- Yeah, well, what is--
I mean, what is this even for?
- Excellent question,
uh, you on the right.
Um...a salon.
- Oh!
Okay.
Okay.
- What the f*ck is a salon?
Like--
- Yeah, I don't know.
I don't know.
- A beauty salon?
- [scoffs]
A salon is a gathering
of people
that come together
to refine taste
and also increase knowledge
using art
and also...
[clicks tongue]
Conversation.
- Oh, cool.
- So one of them
pretentious-as-f*ck parties?
- Yup.
- It's in Oakland.
- Oh, well--
- [laughs]
- Yeah, I f*ck with Oakland.
- Oh, yeah.
- I f*ck with Oakland.
- It's the best.
- Oakland, that's where
all them, uh, fake-ass,
wannabe "Wakanda"
m*therf*ckers live.
GUNTHER: Yeah, I like Wakanda.
- We f*ck with Wakanda. We do.
Wakanda don't f*ck
with him though.
GUNTHER: Mm.
- They don't f*ck with Keef.
Yeah, Wakanda gonna hate
this sh*t.
- Like Wakanda,
the Oakland in your head
does not exist.
Beyond all of that,
this is an opportunity
for my work to be seen among
some of the best tastemakers
in the Bay Area, okay?
All the sh*t
that I'm going through?
This is the opportunity
to turn that around.
Ayana hooked it up.
- Ayana gon' be there?
- She puts it on, so yeah.
- Oh, sh*t, man--hey, come on.
We in there.
- Oh, bro.
- We in there, my boy.
All right, man.
- Still trying to scale
that mountain, huh?
CLOVIS: No.
Maybe.
Yes.
I mean, she do owe me
for them Kottos.
- So what's the deal?
You, uh, invite Adrienne
or what?
- No, I am not bringing
Adrienne.
It's work thing.
I don't wanna...
and besides,
it's always important
to preserve a little mystery.
- The mystery
is why it's called a salon
and I can't get a fade.
- Is there a world in which
you two stay home tonight?
- Hmm...
nope.
[Sidewalk Chalk's "Make Room"]
[beeping]
[upbeat funk music]
SINGER: ♪ I'm gonna need
a whole lot of room ♪
♪ Whole lot of this world
right now ♪
♪ Right now, right now ♪
♪ ♪
CLOVIS: Damn, all right.
It's a party.
Okay.
Oh.
- It's poppin'.
- Hey, you guys go ahead.
I'm gonna check in.
- Oh, uh, did I tell you about
the Paul Robeson assemblage?
- No.
- Yeah, it explores
the dichotomy
between mysticism and science.
It's already been accepted
into the Whitney Biennial.
ARTIST: Congratulations.
You know, I've
been meaning to submit
my multimedia piece
celebrating Oscar Micheaux,
but it's already been purchased
by the Obamas.
ARTIST: I'm looking forward
to what carcass Darque Noir
is going to be
opening up tonight.
[indistinct chatter]
BAG: Psst. Hey.
Hey, Keef!
Yeah, down here.
You think your little
cartoon drawings
are gonna get you uncanceled?
- You've gotta be
f*cking kidding me.
- You can't survive in here.
You can't even pass
the paper bag test.
- What paper bag test?
- You got to be Blacker than me
to present at this event.
- [laughs]
That's easy.
Look at that.
- I didn't say darker.
I said Blacker.
First question:
how do you pronounce
this author's name?
- This author?
Oh, that's simple.
- T-ta--mm.
Tennessee?
Not Tennessee?
That's...Ta-hi--Tie-ha-ness--
[clears throat]
Hmm.
I'm gonna go with Mr.--
Mr. Coates.
- You suck at this.
- You know,
I'll just check in later.
[funky music]
♪ ♪
- [whispering]
Hey.
- Let me guess.
You're a Virgo
with a Taurus rising.
- What the f*ck?
Yeah, I am.
How'd you know that?
- It's your aura.
- My aura?
Sick.
[laughs]
- Do you like mushroom tea?
- I do like mushroom tea.
[laughs]
Sweet.
Thanks.
Cheers.
- Cheers.
♪ ♪
KEEF: Ayana.
- Keef Knight.
BOTH: Hey.
- Hey.
This party, huh?
It's hyphy.
- I'm sorry, what was that?
- This party, it's hyphy.
- "It's hyphy"?
- Yes.
I don't believe that
you've ever said that before.
- Well, not in a sentence, no.
- You've just said
the individual word by itself?
- Yes.
- Yeah.
I'm surprised you're here.
I thought you'd be laying low,
avoiding the haters.
- What?
Come on, now.
No, no, I'm here to, you know,
redeem myself.
- Oh.
Well, well, well.
And how will you do that?
- Oh.
Glad you brought that up.
- Mm-hmm.
- Some of my new stuff.
New cartoons, new me.
- Oh.
KEEF: Bam.
- Oh, nice.
- Yeah.
- Is that T-shirt girl?
- Uh, yes.
- I can tell
'cause she's white.
- Uh, I know other whites.
Fun fact:
not sure if you knew this,
but swing dance was invented
by Black people
in the Harlem Renaissance.
- Yeah, everyone knows that.
- Everybody knows that.
AYANA: Yeah.
- So I was just seeing
if you knew.
- Look,
if you're gonna present,
do actually present.
Don't back out.
- I won't. What?
- Okay, well, you just have
backed out of everything
we've ever tried to do
together.
- That tracks. That tracks.
- Okay, so don't do that today.
This event is hosted
by Darque Noir,
and you don't wanna upset them.
- Darque Noir?
Isn't that just..."dark black"?
- Yeah.
- Oh.
- "Super black."
Years ago, Ryan Coogler
screened an early cut
of Fruitvale Station.
Darque Noir critiqued it,
and Coogler went home crying.
- Oh, sh*t.
AYANA: Rumor has it
that Darque Noir critiqued
one of Maya Angelou's
last poems.
A week later, she d*ed.
- Okay, that--
that doesn't seem real at all.
- She is dead, isn't she?
- Okay. All right.
I get it.
- Yeah. So go meet them.
Go talk to them.
Endear yourself.
'Cause one post
from Darque Noir
will get rid of all the haters.
- Okay.
- Kay?
- Yeah, just talk to the person
who k*lled Maya Angelou.
- Allegedly.
Good luck.
[chill music]
MARIA: Mm.
Oh, my God.
You're perfect.
- Mm.
[chuckles]
You know, that's what
I've been telling everybody.
MARIA: Mm-hmm.
- What's your name?
- Maria.
- Maria, Maria.
MARIA: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
- How you doing, Maria?
I'm Clovis.
MARIA: Are you comfortable?
Do you wanna...
kinda try lying back a little?
- I mean, honestly,
I think it'll be time
for more of that later,
but you know.
So what do you do?
- I'm an artist.
This is my piece.
- Your piece of what?
- This is my installation.
- Baby, this a couch.
- [laughs]
Couch in a Dollhouse.
♪ ♪
- Your spirit animal.
On three.
One, two, three.
ALL: Manatee.
[laughter]
- f*ck no.
You're kidding me.
Really?
- I feel like
you are my brother
from another mother.
- We are brothers in manatee,
I guess.
- This is--wow.
- Actually, you know,
it just could be considered
a little rude
to touch a man's hair
without his permission.
ZIGGY: Oh.
- But you have my permission.
- Ah!
- Yeah, go nuts.
You do too.
Whatever.
- Really?
- Yeah, yeah.
- I wanted to touch it.
Oh, my God.
- It's for everybody, yeah.
- Oh, my God.
- That--actually, that feels
really f*cking good.
- It's so soft.
- What's up?
- No.
How do you keep finding me?
- Girl, you know
I'm looking for you.
- Please stop.
- Mm-hmm.
I bet it look real good
on you though.
- What?
- Those Kottos
that you owe me for.
- I don't owe you sh*t.
I already paid you.
- Eh, you did,
but you know that was,
like, the friendship price.
- We're not friends.
- Exactly.
- Okay.
- You know, I could've sat
on those for, like, a year,
probably sold 'em
for at least $ ,
so you owe me.
- Well, you told me
it was a gift, so--
- And it was.
It was a gift.
But, you know,
that was before...
- "Before..."
- You turned me down, right?
- Bitch, I'm gay.
- [spits]
So it's not me?
- Mm...
- Damn!
No, stop that.
I thought it was me
all this time.
- No, you should keep
thinking that.
- Yeah.
Oh, that's what you like?
- Yeah, that is
what I used to like.
- [laughs]
- Damn, she look like
she pissed off at you.
- Yup.
We broke up this morning.
- Damn!
And she doing all that
with somebody else.
- Yeah.
- Wow.
- Heartless.
[funky music]
♪ ♪
- What a poignant commentary
on our obsession with image.
- It is a black mirror indeed.
- Fleeting, valueless.
Although this artist has made
millions off this piece.
- Millions, you say?
I could use some of that money.
I am broke.
- Ha!
We have another starving artist
in our midst.
Medium?
- Pen and ink.
- Cartoonist.
Keef Knight.
Black People for Rent?
- Ah, that's--wow, you've--
you're aware.
- I'm drawn to tragedy.
- [laughs]
That's tragedy.
You know, funny story.
I'm actually here showcasing
some of my newest stuff,
really trying to get back
to my roots
and, uh, really try to...
- White folks started buying,
and now he's at The Whitney.
Appropriate, I suppose,
given all he draws
is white women.
Look at this place.
If I see another white face,
I'm gonna lose my mind.
I'm excited
to see your new work.
- Indeed.
♪ ♪
[whispering]
f*ck.
[breathing heavily]
MARKER: Ow!
Is this what it comes down to?
Burnt-corking your girl
for some critic's approval?
- What choice do I have?
You heard Darque Noir.
He said if they see
one more white face,
they'll flip out.
- And you flipping out
right now.
- Stop that.
Please, okay?
Because you know that this
is all that people will see.
I'm merely shading the message.
That's it.
I'm just shading the message.
- I give up, man.
You're on your own.
- Shut up.
[knocking]
Occupied!
[scribbling]
Oh, sh*t.
I did Blackface her.
She's never gonna know.
[knocking]
Occupied!
[rap music playing]
- Ooh, this looks comfy.
- Hey, bro,
can you respect the art?
- Huh?
CLOVIS: Man, what the f*ck
is going on with your hair?
Why you like
White Iverson?
- Oh, well, there's actually
a real salon back there.
- Oh, word?
- No. You kidding me?
I got it done
by my new friends.
- Ha-ha.
- It's Oakland magic.
- I don't think
those are your friends.
GUNTHER: What?
- Yeah.
GUNTHER: Oh, they are.
- Yo, yo.
- Hey.
- Where you been?
- Don't worry about it.
- Okay, I won't.
AYANA: Everyone
gather around, please.
We're getting ready to start
the Salon du Noir
presentations.
[scattered applause]
Thank you.
- Wanna hit it?
AYANA: Gather round.
Have a seat.
Welcome, welcome.
Come on.
Come on in.
Have a seat
on our amorphous furniture.
Please.
Yes.
Welcome to Salon du Noir.
[applause]
Yeah.
This is supposed to be a room
full of love and support,
and some of you
are more capable
of that than others.
[laughs]
This girl knows
what I'm talking about.
- This chick is devastated.
- So, uh, you're all here
to see a show.
I'm seeing a show right now.
And, um, yeah.
It'll be good.
It'll be good.
It'll be good.
[laughing]
For everybody.
So yeah, let's get ready
for the show.
Okay?
Uh, yeah.
So do your thing or whatever.
- Thank you.
Thank you so much.
I'm so excited
to share this with you.
So sculpting is my medium...
- [whispering] Hey. Hey, Keef.
SCULPTOR: You can see my mom
always said...
- Is that Adrienne?
SCULPTOR: I just wanna
turn this around here.
- Yes.
SCULPTOR: For two years
and I really think this is
the one that's gonna get me...
- Yes, it is.
- This is made entirely
of discarded IKEA materials.
- Hi, stranger.
KEEF: Hey.
- Didn't know you were here.
- Same here.
- Hey, you still owe me
some toast, by the way.
- He seems relaxed.
Oh, look at your hair, Gunther.
It looks nice.
- I took mushrooms.
- Got it.
- Uh, listen,
I'm a little bit hungry.
Y'all hungry?
I think we should just
get out of here
and grab something to eat,
you know?
- What are you talking about?
What, did I trip through
your entire presentation?
- Oh, no.
That hasn't happened yet.
- You're doing a presentation?
- Am I?
- Kept that under your hat.
- Yeah.
ADRIENNE: Oh, my goodness.
Keef Knight.
- I don't wanna talk
to you guys anymore.
- Okay.
ADRIENNE: Cool.
- Yeah, the presentation,
it's something that, you know--
ADRIENNE: You can tell me.
- I didn't know I was--
- You've wasted all our time.
Frankly, I don't care
for any of it.
I hope your return policy
on this art
is better than IKEA's.
Please, Lord, I hope
it gets better from here.
Continue.
- Thank you.
Uh...um, as, you can see...
- Seems nice.
- Yeah, real nice guy.
- Oh, that guy bought
a piece of my art.
I gotta talk to him.
- Okay.
SCULPTOR: Um,
so I'm really hoping
on, uh, getting people
to come around...
- Hey.
- No.
I cannot with you right now.
- First of all, it ain't got
nothing to do with me.
Don't get mad at me
'cause your girl over there
with Amber Rose.
AYANA: It's not just her.
It's all these
f*cking fake people.
I'm just tired of everyone
acting like they're artists.
- You know, honestly,
I'ma keep it real with you.
I don't give a f*ck
about nothing
you're talking about right now.
- Oh, okay.
CLOVIS: You're focused
on the wrong stuff.
She's not perfect.
- You don't know her.
- Oh, my God.
You know what, close your eyes.
- This, like, a trap
or something?
- Girl, I ain't trying
to trap you
in front of all these
damn people.
Close your eyes.
- But if we were, like, alone,
you were gonna trap me?
- Can you close your eyes?
I'm trying to help you. Damn.
AYANA: All right.
- All right.
Now, imagine your girl.
You're laying in bed together,
you know,
and her breath,
it smells like booboo.
- Oh.
- Yeah, straight dookie.
AYANA: Oh.
- Number two.
AYANA: No.
- Yes.
And then you go
and get in the shower.
- Okay.
- All right,
because you feel dirty now
'cause of her breath.
- Yeah.
- And you come out,
and she's dancing, right?
Kicking in the mirror.
- Mm-hmm.
- But she's dancing
to Black Eyed Peas.
- Mm.
- Now imagine you come home
from work.
She's in the house,
on your couch.
- My couch.
- And she's watching
Full House.
- Mm.
- Laughing.
[laughs]
Like that sh*t funny.
- It's not.
- What's her credit score?
- I don't know.
- -something?
- Probably.
She's bad with it.
- Now open your eyes.
Voilà.
- Damn.
- Mm-hmm.
Look how she digging
in her mouth.
AYANA: Ugh.
CLOVIS: Yeah.
You're welcome.
- Okay.
Not as bad as I thought.
- See, that's what
I've been trying to tell you.
Damn.
So you still gay?
- Yeah, man.
Very gay.
CLOVIS: Okay. Okay.
- Okay.
- Yeah, that was probably
the worst day of my life.
I'll never go
to the waterslides again.
- [whimpering softly]
- [sighs]
You carry a lot of pain.
- I can feel it.
- Yeah.
I'm a soldier, though,
you know?
- Mm.
- Yeah.
- Hey, what the heck
are you guys doing after this?
- Hanging out with you?
- Great.
[both laugh]
[applause]
- My goal with this piece
is to reveal
the blatant hypocrisy
of critics
not being able to handle
their own criticism.
- Hey, Ayana.
- Hi.
- I am so sorry.
- Mm.
- But, uh,
tonight's not my night.
- Oh, okay.
- Yeah.
- If you bail on me,
I'll never run your sh*t again.
- Okay.
Good.
- Okay?
- Okay.
- Great.
Wow, that was something.
Give it up for Mirror Face.
Yes, thank you.
Thank you.
You can go.
Thank you, that's enough.
[voice echoing]
And now for something
completely different...
[normal voice]
Cartoonist Keef Knight.
[cheers and applause]
Keef Knight, everyone.
GUNTHER: That's my boy.
My boy.
- Yeah, come on.
All right.
- Right now?
Thank you, Ayana, for such a...
aggressive intro.
- Mm-hmm.
- Appreciate that.
Um...hello.
My name is, uh, Keef Knight,
and, uh, I would like
to show you all
some of my new stuff,
um, which is, um, using humor
to shed a spotlight
on the human condition,
so...okay, yeah.
My ne--first piece is all about
my roommate.
[grunts]
Yeah, I call this one
Back to the Future
because he does not like
new stuff.
- That's me.
- Oh.
- That's freaking me.
- [clears throat]
And this next series, actually,
is about my other roommate.
Um, here we go.
And...
this is because he--
[laughs]
He lies a lot
and he hates women, so...
- Them just jokes, y'all,
you know.
[laughs]
You know, I love women.
My mama a women.
- I've been Keef Knight,
and that is my time.
- Are you gonna show
the last one?
- I'm sorry, what?
- You have one more.
Do you wanna show it?
- ¿Qué?
- You have one more board.
I can see it right there.
Do you wanna show it
to the audience?
- Oh, yeah--this thing?
- We wanna see
the rest of his work, right?
Come on.
[chanting]
Show it, show it.
ALL: Show it, show it, show it,
show it, show it,
show it, show it.
- Mm, okay.
[laughs nervously]
Yikes.
All right, here we go.
This one, um...oh, boy.
Let's not even...
uh, don't focus
on the girlfriend character
at all.
I mean, she was kind of just,
like, an afterthought.
Yeah, so...
[crowd muttering]
- Kind of like you and me.
[scoffs]
- Um...
[laughs awkwardly]
Did you, uh, know
that swing dancing was invented
in the Harlem Renaissance,
which is--
uh, and people don't know that,
so I just thought
I'd teach you guys a lesson
before I get out of here, so...
- Why is her face so f*cked up?
- Uh, you know, just for--for--
for reasons.
- But why though?
- Art-based reasons.
Mainly for art...
- The complexities
of toxic masculinity.
Men are afraid of the future
because the future is feminine.
Man is afraid to face
what they know is coming.
An excellent portraiture
of Black-on-Black love.
Bravo, Keef Knight!
Bravo.
[applause]
AYANA: Keef Knight, everybody.
[chill music]
♪ ♪
01x05 - Oaktown Get-Down
Watch/Buy Amazon
Keef is a cartoonist on the verge of mainstream success when an unexpected event changes his life.
Keef is a cartoonist on the verge of mainstream success when an unexpected event changes his life.