Making the Band 2 (2002)

At the end of the last season, Da Band were schmoozing the music press, impressing them with their personalities and music. Now, they are releasing their album to the public and hitting the road. P. Diddy warns Da Band that this is when it gets difficult to stay together as a group, because a demanding tour schedule and being away from family and friends can take its toll on young stars. Call P. Diddy a prophet, but the issues begin almost immediately. Sara finds out her mother is going into surgery and decides she needs to go home even though Da Band have a show that night. Chopper isn't very sympathetic and thinks they should leave only for life and death situations. Regardless of the lack of support, Sara catches the next plane home, leaving her band mates to perform without her. Chopper and Fred make up for Sara's absence from the show by bringing girls on stage to shake their tailfeather. To show their appreciation, they invite the girls to party with them that night. Apparently,

Half of Da Band head to the V-103 FM Atlanta Radio Show. Dylan, Chopper and Fred are MIA and the remaining band members are freakin'. With only seconds to spare, Chopper and Fred roll up. Dylan still isn't there but the show must go on with or without him. They continue touring and performing across the country--without Dylan. Babs observes, Dylan thinks he's Bob Marley; he's going to go do Bob Marley things. While his band is working, Dylan is doin' his Bob Marley thing in Brooklyn because he can't violate his probation. Diddy thinks he's just lazy and is making excuses. Since money wouldn't be important to Bob Marley, they split up the cash that Dylan would have gotten if he had actually shown up and they go on a spending spree. Da Band head back to the Big Apple to shoot a video for their second single, Tonight. Diddy rolls up to make an appearance in the video and surprisingly so does Dylan. His band mates aren't thrilled and neither is Diddy. Diddy has a meeting with Da Band at Ba

Da Band continues to tour with all of its' band members. Their patience with each other is starting to wear very thin--especially between Sara and her smoking band mates. They feel that she's always running late and holdin' them up. Sara can't stand them ""smoking her up"" all the time. Her voice was ""touched by God"" and even if everyone else smokes, she's not letting the majority win. She doesn't get sympathy from her band mates, or Jason--not even Diddy. He shoots down her complaint in their meeting, which leaves her feeling humiliated. She doesn't see herself as weak but Diddy thinks that he needs to toughen her up because ""life ain't easy."" Hopefully life will be a bit easier for Sara now that they've moved to Daddy's House. Watch out, Park Avenue!

Even though Da Band have enjoyed a lot of quick fame and success, they still owe their fans a good show. Diddy complains their performances are lackluster, and immediately takes action. He enrolls Da Band in the ""Sean Combs school of showmanship,"" where as professor Diddy, he shows them some tricks that he's picked up while being a ""great, incredible superstar."" He expects them to use what they learn in their next show--in Alabama. While they're preparing to leave for their concert, Sara learns that her daughter Eva has pneumonia. Her band mates are pissed to find out that she wants to miss the show. But it looks like she won't be the only no show. Dylan also can't go because he has ""meeting with his lawyer"" and can't postpone it. Chopper knows he's lying, he can feel it. Here we go again. Luckily, their tour manager Jason finds Sara a flight home after the concert so she won't miss the show. Sara says that she doesn't want to hear anything negative from Fred. Chopper relays the messag

Da Band are living with Diddy, and it ain't pretty. Their Park Ave crib is a total mess ‘cause no one is cleaning it. Diddy stops in for a surprise inspection at 4:15 a.m. while everyone is sleeping. While munching on some cereal, he tells them they're some ""stinky nasty ass heathens"" and they better get cleaning. He needs a break from Da Band and decides it's time they go back on the road. Da Band head to Detroit, Sara's hometown, to make an appearance for Coats for Kids. While at their hotel, Chopper riles up some young fans and has them chase him through the hotel. Being the equal opportunity party crasher that he is, Chopper crashes a ""convention with a whole bunch of white people"" in it. The hotel manager is less than pleased. As they continue to tour, Chopper's behavior gets more out of control. Diddy thinks that he's ""setting himself up for a downfall"" because fame can be a drug--a very addictive drug. Chopper doesn't see it that way and wants to please his fans. ""I'd want to se

To keep the momentum going, Da Band start to record their second album while still promoting their first. Ness wants to make the new CD more ""street"" but Sara isn't feeling the ""gangsta sh*t."" Sara's husband, Tony, arrives to support her. Problem is, her band mates don't like her husband at all. Sara and Tony visit her publicist, Genelle, to talk about her future. Genelle wants to take Sara outside of the ""urban realm"" and make her a household name, outside of Da Band. Her band mates see her layout in King magazine; Chopper can't stop drooling but Fred thinks it's a little overboard. Babs says it's shady and is even more fired up after she overhears Sara talking about her band mates' smoking in a phone interview with a Christian radio station. Babs doesn't want people to know they smoke (she apparently forgot about the reality TV show she's on). The conflict between Da Band and Sara comes to a head in the studio after Dofat, their album producer, tries to have a quick meeting. He asks

Da Band couldn't ask for a better or more experienced advisor than P Diddy. As he repeatedly reminds them, he's sold 100 million records worldwide. Obviously, Diddy knows what it takes to make a hit. And Da Band just doesn't have a single in their new songs. Diddy explains that people want to hear full songs not free styling when they buy a record. Chopper breaks it down even further with his question, ""where the hook at?"" But Ness sees the problem as something deeper than just not writing a good hook. He thinks that the members of Da Band are losing their drive and everyone's just about themselves and not the group. Ness recently had things put in perspective with the premature birth of his daughter. Splitting time in the Park Ave apartment and a hospital in Philadelphia, Ness realizes that he has a family that depends on his success. Diddy recognizes Ness's love of hip hop and predicts ""Ness is definitely gonna be one of rap's next big super stars."" Da Band members pick up on Diddy's

Da Band's album, Too Hot for TV has reached gold status (500,000 sold) but Diddy isn't settling; he wants platinum. He starts pushing his staff and Da Band to promote the CD and themselves. While their album may not be flying off the shelves, the sparks were definitely flying between Chopper and Babs. It's obvious to Babs and the rest of Da Band that he's crushing on her but he keeps denying it. Babs heads to Brooklyn to visit her late boyfriend's grave. Even though it has been four years since he was murdered, she hasn't gotten over him and doesn't think she will ever meet someone as special. At Babs' request, Fred, Dylan and Chopper come to her solo show at a nightclub to support her. She flirts with Chopper and asks if he'd come on stage during her performance. He agrees to but only if she gives him a kiss. She does kiss him…but only on the cheek. He keeps up his end of the bargain and makes a cameo during her performance. King magazine wants to send Babs on a blind date with someon

Now that Diddy has made Da Band, he's ready to lead them to their next challenge. The next step: to become legit performers and entertain a crowd of 30,000 people in Chicago. Diddy calls in the reinforcements to help Da Band prepare for this show and Doug E. Fresh arrives to turn Da Band's concerts into hot live shows. ""This is going to be like basic training,"" Doug warns the group. Nevertheless, everyone's confident that Da Band will come together and the show will be amazing until Dylan starts missing photo shoots and other promotional events. The missing Dylan situation gets even worse when Dylan learns he could spend seven years in jail for probation violations. Diddy describes himself as ""a fool in hope"" to continue thinking Dylan will get his act together. Things go from bad to worse when Dylan misses an interview on ESPN's Cold Pizza to meet with his lawyer. While Babs flips out about Dylan missing the show and Young City complains about the lack of actual cold pizza on the Cold

After all of the previous conflicts, Da Band have starting collaborating and have almost completed their sophomore album. They feel like they're vibing and progressing but Diddy thinks that only four out of fifteen of their songs will actually make the cut. Trying to get his style on to the album, Dylan strolls into the studio to throw down some ""hooks"" for tracks that his band mates had already completed. Dylan, the Jamaican Rastafarian, thinks that he's ""an artist"" and he's creating ""art."" Dofat and Chopper aren't feelin' him or his art. Dylan doesn't take the criticism lightly. Diddy calls Da Band together to talk about the direction they're taking. Before anyone else gets a chance to say a word Dylan speaks for everyone saying that they would rather be solo but they're making sacrifices to be in Da Band. Diddy is less than impressed by Dylan's speech. He's just about had it with Dylan and the rest of Da Band's antics. Mary J. Blige stops by the house to sit down with the band membe