Next Friday - Plot

Plot

There has been a fight between Craig (Ice Cube) and neighborhood bully, Deebo (Lister, Jr.). 5 years later, rumor has spread that Deebo has broken out of jail and will come looking for Craig. As a precaution, Craig's father Willie Jones (Witherspoon) decides to have him stay with Elroy (Curry), Craig's uncle, and his cousin Day-Day (Epps). However before leaving, Deebo shows up because he wants a rematch. His younger brother, Tyrone (Sticky Fingaz) tries to intimidate him, but Craig tells Willie to drive off. Initially, life in Rancho Cucamonga seems to be ideal, but trouble soon arises in many different areas.

Day-Day's pregnant ex-girlfriend D'Wana (Tamala Jones) is angry over him breaking up with her and claims he is the father, but he denies it. She vandalizes his car, sprays pepper spray into his eyes and threatens to return with her "little" sister Baby D (Lady of Rage). In spite of his family winning the lottery, Day-Day informs Craig that his family isn't that rich anymore. After taxes had been taken from their winnings, all they were left with was their house and Day-Day's BMW. Because of this situation, Day-Day still has a job at Pinky's, a local record store.

A family of Mexican thugs (the Jokers) live next door and Day-Day and Craig learn about their drug dealing activities from Mrs. Ho-kym (Amy Hill). Craig notices their sister Karla but is warned by Day-Day to stay away from her because of her brothers.

Craig visits Day-Day at his work place and meets Day-Day's friend/co-worker "Roach" (Justin Pierce). After an angry customer attempts to scam Day-Day out of money by returning a broken CD, Craig throws him out of the store. Shortly after, record store owner, Pinky (Clifton Powell), returns and mistakes Craig for a thief attempting to rob his store. After a brawl between him and Craig, and subsequently being informed that Craig is Day-Day's cousin, a furious Pinky fires both Day-Day and Roach.

They had earlier that day received a notice of unpaid taxes on their house and Day-Day is extremely upset with Craig for getting him fired. As they think of a solution and Roach attempts to leave, he slips on his skateboard which is then intentionally run over by the Joker brothers' Cadillac. As they watch, they see the elder Joker removing a suspicious hydraulic pump from the trunk. They decide to find out what is inside the pump.

They manage to break into the Jokers’ house and Craig finds the hydraulic pump to be a hiding place for a large amount of drug cash, and takes some of it. However, he soon goes into Karla's room which impresses her. She then tells Craig that the neighborhood was once peaceful until her brothers got out of jail. They took over the house and are the direct cause of her parents mental breakdown. Karla and their parents tried to avoid them by saving money and moving away, but it only encouraged her brothers to follow them.

Day-Day and Roach grow nervous about Craig's prolonged absence and attempt to go find him. They knock at the door and are greeted by the three brothers armed with pistols and automatic rifles who take them hostage. When Craig realizes that Day-Day has not returned home, he, Willie, and Elroy plan a rescue mission.

A fight ensues between Joker and Craig. He aims an automatic rifle at Craig, Day-Day and Roach in an attempt to kill them, only for him to get knocked out from behind by Deebo. Tyrone takes the rifle from the unconscious Joker and gives it to Deebo so he can enact revenge on Craig. Unfortunately, his plans are foiled by Chico who attacks both him and Tyrone. The police soon arrive and arrest Deebo, along with Tyrone and the Joker brothers. However they are unaware of the hydraulic pump and its contents, and thus Craig, Day-Day and Roach are left with the cash which helps in paying their debts so that Elroy and Day-Day can keep their house. Craig returns to South Central, but not before seeing D'Wana and Baby D trash Day-Day's car.