Harder, Better, Faster, Browner

**Harder, Better, Faster, Browner** is the second episode of season two of *The Cleveland Show*. It is the twenty eighth episode, overall.

## Synopsis

Cleveland attempts to get Kenny West's rap career off the ground.

## Plot

When Cleveland destroys Rallo and his friends during their basketball game, he reminisces about his childhood playing days including beating a kid named Barry Obama whom Donna informs him is now President Obama. Cleveland takes the news hard, wondering what he has done with his life. When he runs into Kenny West dropping his daughter Candice off at Rallo's school, he invites him to drop her off for a play date which Kenny agrees to do that afternoon as he has other business to attend to. When Kenny brings Candice over, Rallo is thrilled to see her. When Cleveland forgets that Kenny will pick Candice up, Candice shows Cleveland where he works; As a server in a rap-themed restaurant. Cleveland also finds out they have been living in Kenny's car and invites them to move into the garage in a gesture intended to show up Barrack Obama. Kenny decides to sell his rap recording equipment and becomes a cable installer like Cleveland.

Rallo is thrilled with Candice's attention until she slowly becomes pushy. Kenny emulation of Cleveland reaches the point of growing a mustache and even looking like him when Cleveland loans him a shirt. Donna makes Cleveland see that he has taken Kenny out of his element and Cleveland buys back all of Kenny recording equipment and they write a new song. At first they have no luck in promoting their new song, but when a little girl falls down a well they rush off to perform a benefit concert and their song takes off. When the reach success, Kenny dumps Cleveland. On a date with Candice, Walt and another friend of Candice, Rallo has had enough of Candice's attitude and leaves the girls behind at a restaurant with every other guy in the place. Cleveland tells Donna about being fired by Kenny, but just then President Obama's helicopter lands on the front lawn and Obama challenges Cleveland to a game of basketball which he wins and then departs. Donna tries to jump on board but is kicked off by the secret service.

## Characters

### Major Roles

* Cleveland Brown
* Donna Tubbs-Brown
* Rallo Tubbs
* Kenny West
* Candice West

### Minor Roles

* Cleveland Junior
* Roberta Tubbs
* Tim the Bear
* Lester Krinklesac
* Holt Richter
* Walt
* Julius
* Federline Jones
* Judy
* Bruce (Cameo)
* Chanel Williams (Mentioned)
* Loretta Brown (Indirectly Mentioned)

## Quotes

**Donna**: Cleveland, it's not that bad.
**Cleveland**: Not that bad? Easy for you to say. You're a woman. You can't be president.
**Donna**: That's true.

**Cleveland**: Barry and I are almost the same age and yet some would say he's accomplished much more than me. Oh, Donna. What have I done with my life?
**Donna**: You've done plenty. You raised Cleveland Junior pretty much all by yourself and I'll always be your first lady.
**Cleveland**: Not to brag, but you're more like my sixth lady.

**Cleveland**: Locally famous rapper, Kenny West? What are you doing here?
**Kenny West**: I'm just trying to get my daughter a decent education so she doesn't grow up to be in one of my videos.

**Cleveland**: Hey, you should bring Candice over for a playdate.
**Kenny West**: Hm, that's actually not a bad idea. I've got a gig this afternoon anyway.
**Cleveland**: I'll treat her like she's one of my own, and I mean my own, not one of my stepkids. Sometimes I forget to feed them.
*[Cut to Roberta on the couch with Federline]*
**Roberta**: Man, I am starving. I feel like I haven't eaten in days.
**Federline**: That's probably why you look so fly, Ro. My girl has mad breasts.

**Cleveland**: I'd like to see Barack Obama look after two kids.

**Cleveland**: Any chance you can watch them at your place since I plain ol' forgot to go to work today?

**Cleveland**: Kenny! You're-You're homeless!
**Kenny West**: Shhh, man! Not in front of my kid! I told her cars were houses and houses were cars, so she just thinks we're carless!

**Cleveland**: Remember when I was upset that I haven't accomplished as much as the president?
**Roberta**: No.

**Bruce**: Awesome! ... Oops, wrong show.

**Julius**: I would kill to be five and a half again. I'm just so tired all the time.

**Cleveland**: Good honest work is for the downtrodden and the Polish.

**Kenny West**: Aw, come on, man. My music wasn't going anywhere.
**Cleveland**: That's because you didn't have anyone to believe in your or should I say "Be-Cleve" in you, *[to the camera]* registered trademark.
## Trivia

* It's revealed that Cleveland used to go to middle school with Barack Obama.
* Cleveland says that Donna is his "sixth lady". In "Back to Cool", Cleveland claims that he's had sex with six women, throughout his life.
* Kenny West and Candice West from "Brotherly Love" return. Chanel Williams however, does not, as Kenny mentions, she dumped him.
* While Cleveland & Kenny are sitting in the diner, Dat's What I Was Tellin' You Before! is seen from the Pilot on television.

### Cultural References

* The episode's title is a reference to Daft Punk's song "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger". In addition, Kanye West's song "Stronger" sampled "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger".
* Various jokes are made at the expense of Kanye West, Kenny's voice actor, including references to Kanyegate; an incident at the 2009 VMA Awards, and his infamous statement, "George Bush doesn't care about black people" that he made during an NBC concert as a tribute to those who were lost when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans.
* Billy Joel's "Pressure" plays when Cleveland sits down to write a rap song.
* Bruce from Family Guy makes a cameo appearance.
* The Apollo Creed Theater is named after the fictional boxer Apollo Creed from the Rocky film franchise, as well as being a parody of the Apollo Theater.
* Numerous references to songs from other cartoons appear on the MyTunes chart including:
	+ Songs from *The Simpsons*, such as: "*Do the Bartman*" by Bart Simpson, "*We Put the Spring in Springfield*" by Springfield Townspeople, "*Baby on Board*" by The B-Sharps, and "*Boozehound*" by Sharry Bobbins and Barney Gumble.
	+ Songs from *Family Guy*, such as: "*Bag of Weed*" by Brian and Stewie, "*You Have AIDs*" by Seth MacFarlane.
	+ Songs from *American Dad!*, such as: "*The Pecan Sandies Song*" by Roger the Octopus.
		- Roger being referred to as an "Octopus" is a reference to a running gag from the "FOX Sunday Table Talk" bumpers, where Cleveland mistakes Roger for a space octopus.
	+ Songs from *The Cleveland Show*, such as: "*Balls Deep*" by Cleveland Junior, feat. Scottie Pippen, "*Straight Outta Stoolbend*" by Cleveland Brown.
	+ Songs from *South Park*, such as: "*Kyle's Mom is a Big Fat Bitch*" by E. Cartman, "*What Would Brian Boitano Do?*" by E. Cartman, K. Broflovski, and S. Marsh, "*Blame Canada*" by S. Broflovski.
	+ Songs from *King of the Hill*, such as: "*Teddy Bear*", by Hank Hill, "*One Tin Soldier*" by Luanne Platti, and "*Mow Against the Grain*" by Citizens of Arland.
	+ Songs from *Futurama*, such as: "*Leela: Orphan of the Stars*" by Philip J. Fry.
	+ Songs from *Looney Tunes*, such as: "*Hello, My Baby*" by Michigan J. Frog.
	+ Songs from *The Flintstones*, such as: "*Happy Anniversary*" by The Flintstones, "*Happy Housewife*" by Wilma Flintstones.
	+ Songs from *The Jetsons*, such as: "*Eeep, Opp, Ork, Ah, Ah*" by Jett Screamer.
	+ Also included are: "*Feel Good, Inc.*" by The Gorillaz, "*Kiss Dee Girl*" by Sebastian the Crab, "*Heffalumps and Woozles*" by Winnie the Pooh, "*Opposites Attract*" by Paula Abdul and MC Skat Kat, "*Hong Kong Phooey*" by Stover, Biggers, Covington, & Harris, "*Love Theme from Anastasia*" by Seriously, Nobody saw Anastasia?, "*Somewhere Out There*" by Jewish Mouse, "*Hakuna Matama*" by Timon and Pumbaa, "*Lesbian Seagull*" by Beavis and Butthead
* Fuddruck the Police parodies N.W.A.'s "Fuck the Police" as well as the casual dining hamburger chain Fuddruckers.