Luke Cage (TV Series)
Moment of Truth (2016)
Mahershala Ali: Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes
Photos
Quotes
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Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : You like my Biggie photo? Me, too. You know what draws your eye when you look at that? The crown. Wanna know why? Huh? 'Cause everybody wants to be the king.
[slaps Shameek]
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : I slapped you like a little bitch. I'm not the kind of man to use a closed fist on a woman. Where's my money?
Shameek Smith : I, I didn't...
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : Uh-uh. Only thing worse than a thief is a damn liar. Where's my money? Hmm?... You left Dante alive. He called Tone, and with his dying words, gave up you and your homeboy. We got your money. Now you're gonna tell us where Chico is so we can get the rest.
[Shameek spits in Stokes' face]
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : [laughs] Thank you. Now I can hit you like a man.
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Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : Colon's Gym is ready to make a sizable donation to my pocket and your real estate project. Sometimes you need a face-to-face.
Mariah Dillard : Colon's Gym"? Is that what that two-bit drug dealer is puttin' on his tax returns? Why do you even waste time with him? Politics is where the power is, Cornell.
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Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : All that "keep Harlem black" rack-a-bully-ack might get you re-elected...
Mariah Dillard : Damn skippy.
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : ...But when the smoke clears it's niggas like me that let you hold on to what you got.
Mariah Dillard : You know I despise that word.
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : I know. It's easy to underestimate a nigga. They never see you coming.
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Mariah Dillard : I need the money you promised me ASAP.
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : Now you want the money?
Mariah Dillard : I used federal grant and tax-deductible donation money to complete construction on your club and to facilitate that meticulous deal that just fell apart. I don't get the money, I'm facing an audit. We all go to jail.
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : It'll be there.
Mariah Dillard : What happened at the junkyard last night? And who's the dude in the sunglasses behind you? Is he after the money, too?
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : Either you want the details, cuz, or you don't.
[Mariah leaves without another word]
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : That's what I thought.
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Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : You're a big one, eh?
Mariah Dillard : He's wearing a little jacket.
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : Haven't seen you behind the bar. Where's Dante?
Luke Cage : Called in sick, I guess.
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : You want a job? I can find something more suitable for a man your size. Better paying, too. You ever carried a gun?
Luke Cage : No. I'm good. Thanks.
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Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : [to Tone, after beating Shameek to death] Get his ass out of here. And go fetch my money.
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Mariah Dillard : You shouldn't be here. We don't need to be photographed together.
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : Why? You ashamed of me? That hurts, Mariah.
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Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : Shades. When'd you come home?
Hernan 'Shades' Alvarez : Ooh, a while ago. Seagate wasn't shit.
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : Hmm. So... what can I do for you?
Hernan 'Shades' Alvarez : It's the other way around. Y'all got hit last night. That expensive, exclusive, hard-to-get hardware that Diamondback gave you is in a police evidence lock-up. And the money... that Domingo and his crew were supposed to give you... is gone. I'm with Diamondback now. You knew that, right?
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : Well, tell Diamondback, it's about time...
Hernan 'Shades' Alvarez : Uh-uh. Diamondback tells you.
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : [laughing in amusement] I'm his number-one seller.
Hernan 'Shades' Alvarez : I ain't here to spank you. But I do need to look you in your eyes...
[taking off his sunglasses]
Hernan 'Shades' Alvarez : Was it an inside job?
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : No. Hell no. I needed that money, too. It took forever to build up that kind of trust.
Hernan 'Shades' Alvarez : We're here to get you back on your feet. Whatever you need.
Tone : Yo, who is "we," you fake-ass Ray Charles?
Hernan 'Shades' Alvarez : I got your back, B. Just like back in the day.
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : Forget about back in the day. Why is this feeling like a takeover?
Hernan 'Shades' Alvarez : It's not. If it was... you would never even see Diamondback comin'. He wants you to win. How can I help?
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Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : What's the word?
Tone : Confirmation of what Dante told us while he was dying. His friends, the ones that play on your summer league team at the Rucker, jacked your shit. Shameek and Chico.
Hernan 'Shades' Alvarez : Any bites yet?
Tone : No.
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : Double down. Twenty large to find those fools.
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Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : What I sell is pure. This is the kind of shit that could blow a hole in a battleship. But it's light enough to hold in your hand. Trust me, Domingo. You can brighten somebody's day permanently with this shit. Top of the line. The crème de la crème. This is that grade-A, military, Justin Hammer-level shit. A hundred large per case. Ten cases, a cool mil. Wholesale. Brand-spanking new. No serial numbers; because my connect is nice like that.
Domingo Colon : Who's your connect?
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : He's real and his inventory runs deep.
Domingo Colon : So that's it?
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : That's it. Easy-peasy.
Mariah Dillard : Nothing's ever that easy.
Domingo Colon : So what happens after they call to confirm?
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : Everyone walks away happy.
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Domingo Colon : So, let me get this straight. I give your cousin a contribution and it's like a get out of jail free card for me, right?
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : That's something to celebrate.
Mariah Dillard : No. I don't do that.
Domingo Colon : See, me... I celebrate when things are finished. Not when it's just starting.
Mariah Dillard : Listen to him. This is nothing to celebrate. You saw what happened to Fisk. You two shouldn't even be seen together, let alone having me all up in the Kool-Aid.
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : But you're here anyway. Something must be right about it. Otherwise, you wouldn't have fronted me if you didn't agree.
Mariah Dillard : I have no illusions about our family's legacy. But you are now turning legitimate money illegal all over again.
Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : What's illegal about it? Our product is protected by the Constitution. But you came to me because you trust me, Domingo. In your business, people need my product like a fish needs water.
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Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : UPS ain't the only brown that delivers.