Lucious Lyon is powerful music mogul and CEO of Empire Enterprise. As problem for Lucious, he have medical problems. He must decide choose which of his four children and his kids figure will take over. His favorite youngest twin son and daughter Hakeem and Harriet, is gifted musicians but values fame over hard work. His surrogate twin sons, Khalil Payton and Marquise Payton, is accomplished musicans and actors. Middle son, Jamal, is talented and shy but gay -- embarrassing to Lyon. His daughter figure Tabitha Payton, childhood best friend of Jamal and mother of Jamal's children, brilliant musician. The oldest, Andre, is business-minded but lacks charisma. The reappearance of Cookie, his ex-wife, complicates things; she says he owes her for taking the fall for the drug-running that financed his early career.