Alfred's cousin Earnest "Earn" Marks (Donald Glover) tries to mediate the situation whilst stoned sidekick Darius (Lakeith Stanfield) has a sensation of déjà vu.
Earn is a homeless Princeton dropout, living with his daughter's mother Vanessa "Van" Keefer (Zazie Beetz) after being kicked out of his parents' house.
He is working a dead-end job signing passengers up for credit cards at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport when he learns his cousin Alfred had released a new mixtape under the rap name "Paper Boi."
Earn attempts to prove himself by going to a local radio station and bribing the DJ to play Paper Boi's song.
Later, just as they listen to the song on Alfred's car radio, a man walking by suddenly snaps off one of the side-view mirrors, resulting in the incident at the opening scene which ultimately culminates with a shootout.