Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in On the Come Up, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Identity and Individuality
Racism and Prejudice
Trauma, Poverty, and Childhood
Control, Image, and Fame
Summary
Analysis
On Saturday morning, Sonny texts Bri and asks her to meet him at the park. When she gets there, she finds Malik there too. Sonny says that Rapid is on the way and he needs bodyguards in case Rapid is an old man. Bri and Malik tease Sonny, tell him it'll be fine, and straighten his shirt. When they see a black Mercedes pull in, Sonny hisses for Bri and Malik to hide. They run behind a big oak tree and peer around it. Miles steps out of the car. Bri, Sonny, and Malik are all shocked. Malik and Bri snigger and imitate Sonny's shock at having been talking to the "Swagerific" guy.
The revelation that Miles is gay shows Bri that she truly cannot judge people on first impressions—Miles clearly isn't the same person he portrays in "Swagerific" and when he's participating in rap battles. The fact that Malik and Bri are able to put their differences aside to support Sonny shows that these three will be able to patch things up if they focus on showing up for each other.
Themes
Malik tells Bri that he's missed her, and says that it is Bri's fault they haven't spoken—she cared too much about the chain to care about the fact that he was hurt. Bri sees the point, but explains that she needed the chain to potentially pawn it. Malik snaps that Bri only cares about money, but he awkwardly stares at his shoes when Bri says that she hasn't had food and electricity at several points over the last month. He apologizes for not being there for her and for kissing her. They decide that though things are different, they can still be friends.
Though Bri is absolutely not required to share her family's hardships with anybody, it's worth noting that if she had mentioned to Malik or Sonny how dire things had gotten, they certainly would've stepped in to help in some way—and at the very least, Malik would've been more understanding of why Bri was so upset about losing the chain.
Themes
Sonny and Miles approach Bri and Malik. Sonny introduces Miles as "Miles, without a z," and Malik immediately calls Miles out for insulting Lawless. Miles apologizes again and says that Supreme wanted him to say that—Milez the character is a jerk. Bri asks if Supreme knows that Miles is gay. Miles says that Supreme ignores it and makes Miles pretend to be straight, as girls are supposed to love Milez. Miles says in real life, he hates rapping and is gay. Sonny asks why Miles came today at all. Miles says he wanted to meet Sonny, and he's done being Milez. Bri asks if he's giving up his rap career, and Miles says it doesn't even feel like his, since he's not being himself.
Miles offers a damning character reference for Supreme: in short, that Supreme doesn't actually care about the people he represents. Instead, Supreme cares about their ability to play a role and make money, something that Supreme hasn't yet realized—even after losing Lawless, Miles, and probably several others—isn't a tenable situation long-term. Though Supreme may know how to make a quick dollar, he doesn't know how to help artists create lasting fame.
Themes
