''Hustle & Flow'' is a 2005 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-gen ...

written and directed by

Craig Brewer Craig Brewer (born December 6, 1971) is an American filmmaker. His 2005 movie ''Hustle & Flow'' won the Audience Award at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and achieved commercial success, along with an Academy Award for Best Original Song, "It's ...

and produced by

John Singleton John Daniel Singleton (January 6, 1968 April 28, 2019) was an American director, screenwriter, and producer. He made his feature film debut writing and directing ''Boyz n the Hood'' (1991), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for B ...

and

Stephanie Allain Stephanie Allain (born October 30, 1959) is an American producer of independent movies in Hollywood, California. Early life Stephanie Allain was born in New Orleans to an African-American father Dr. Charles Allain, a biochemist, and a white m ...

. It stars

Terrence Howard Terrence Dashon Howard (born March 11, 1969) is an American actor. Having his first major roles in the 1995 films ''Dead Presidents'' and '' Mr. Holland's Opus'', Howard broke into the mainstream with a succession of television and cinema roles ...

as a Memphis hustler and

pimp Procuring or pandering is the facilitation or provision of a prostitute or other sex worker in the arrangement of a sex act with a customer. A procurer, colloquially called a pimp (if male) or a madam (if female, though the term pimp has still ...

who faces his aspiration to become a

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

. It also stars

Anthony Anderson Anthony Anderson (born August 15, 1970) is an American actor, comedian and game show host. He is best known for his leading roles in drama series such as Marlin Boulet on '' K-Ville'', and as NYPD Detective Kevin Bernard on the NBC crime drama ...

Taryn Manning Taryn Manning is an American actress and singer. She is best known for portraying Tiffany "Pennsatucky" Doggett in the Netflix original series ''Orange Is the New Black'' (2013–2019), Cherry in ''Sons of Anarchy'' (2008–2010), Nola in ''Hus ...

, Taraji P. Henson,

Paula Jai Parker Paula Jai Parker is an American actress. She is best known for her supporting roles in the films ''Friday'' (1995), '' Sprung'' (1997), '' Why Do Fools Fall in Love'' (1998), '' Phone Booth'' (2002), ''Hustle & Flow'' (2005), and '' Idlewild'' (20 ...

Elise Neal Elise Demetria Neal (born March 14, 1966) is an American actress. Her big break came with three 1997 films, appearing in ''Rosewood'', '' Money Talks'' and ''Scream 2''. From 1998 to 2002, Neal starred as Yvonne Hughley in the ABC/UPN sitcom ...

DJ Qualls Donald Joseph Qualls (born June 10, 1978) is an American actor. He is best known for his work in films including ''Road Trip'' (2000), '' The New Guy'' (2002) and ''The Core'' (2003), and for several appearances on television series such as ''B ...

and Ludacris. ''Hustle & Flow'' was released in the United States on July 22, 2005, by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production and distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldest film studio in the world, the second-oldest ...

. It received positive reviews from critics, with praise directed at the performances (particularly those of Howard and Henson), Brewer's script and direction, and the soundtrack. It was also a commercial success, grossing $23.5 million against a production budget of $2.8 million. The film received numerous accolades and nominations, and was nominated twice at the

78th Academy Awards The 78th Academy Awards presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 5, 2006, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:00 p.m. PST / 8:00 p.m. EST. The ceremony was sc ...

for Best Actor (Howard) and

Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who have composed th ...

for

Three 6 Mafia Three 6 Mafia is an American hip hop group from Memphis, Tennessee, formed in 1991. Emerging as a horror-themed underground hip hop group, they would eventually go on to enjoy mainstream success. The group's 1995 debut album '' Mystic Stylez'' ...

's song "

It's Hard out Here for a Pimp "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp" is a song written by American hip hop group Three 6 Mafia, alongside Cedric Coleman, as the theme song to the American drama film ''Hustle & Flow'' (2005). It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and in ...

", winning the latter and becoming the second hip hop song to win an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

, after

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...

's "

Lose Yourself "Lose Yourself" is a song by American rapper Eminem from the soundtrack to the 2002 motion picture '' 8 Mile''. The song was composed and produced by Eminem, longtime collaborator Jeff Bass, one half of the production duo Bass Brothers and Lu ...

Plot

DJay is a

and

drug dealer A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalati ...

living in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the County seat, seat of Shelby County, Tennessee, Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 Uni ...

, who is dissatisfied with his life, and is going through a midlife crisis. After reacquainting himself with an old friend and sound technician, Key, DJay decides to make hip hop music. Key and his sound-mixer friend Shelby help DJay put together several songs in which he expresses the frustrations of struggling to survive in the

ghetto A ghetto, often called ''the'' ghetto, is a part of a city in which members of a minority group live, especially as a result of political, social, legal, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished ...

. DJay proves his talent, and his first song appears to have a decent chance of getting local radio play. The group experiences setbacks throughout the creative process. DJay must hustle those around him in order to procure equipment and recording time, and Key's relationship with his wife becomes strained. DJay throws out one of his prostitutes, Lexus, along with her infant son, for ridiculing him. DJay's pregnant prostitute, Shug, joins in the creative process, singing hooks. The group eventually records several tracks, including " Whoop That Trick" and "

". After their first recording, DJay gains romantic feelings toward Shug, even sharing a passionate kiss. DJay's friend Arnel informs him that Skinny Black, a successful Memphis rapper, will be returning for a

Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...

party. DJay gains admittance under the pretext of providing

marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...

, with the true intention of giving Black his

demo tape A demo (shortened from "demonstration") is a song or group of songs typically recorded for limited circulation or for reference use, rather than for general public release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas in a fixed for ...

. Black is dismissive at first, but DJay successfully persuades him into taking the tape. Before leaving the party, DJay discovers that a drunken Black has destroyed his tape. DJay confronts Black who insults him. In a fit of rage, DJay nearly beats Black to death but attempts to resuscitate him. A member of Black's entourage enters the bathroom and pulls out his gun. DJay shoots the man in his arm with Black's gun and escapes. DJay arrives home to find the police and Black's associates waiting for him. DJay turns himself in and tells prostitute Nola to safeguard his writing pad with his lyrics on it, also placing her in charge of sending his songs to radio stations. He then exchanges a glance with a tearful Shug before a brawl breaks out after one of Black's crew sucker punches him. DJay is charged with assault and possession of a firearm and is sentenced to 11 months in

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correcti ...

. While serving his time, DJay is visited by Key and learns that Nola has successfully gotten radio DJs to play his songs, which have become local hits. The pair then prepare to discuss their future business plans. Two

correctional officer A prison officer or corrections officer is a uniformed law enforcement official responsible for the custody, supervision, safety, and regulation of prisoners. They are responsible for the care, custody, and control of individuals who have been ...

s ask DJay to listen to their demo. Humbled and flattered, DJay accepts.

Cast

as DJay *

as Key *

as Nola * Taraji P. Henson as Shug *

as Shelby * Ludacris as Skinny Black *

as Lexus *

as Yevette *

Juicy J Jordan Michael Houston III (born April 5, 1975), known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip hop group Three 6 Mafia, established i ...

as Tigga *

Haystak Jason Winfree (born March 22, 1973), professionally known by his stage name Haystak is an American rapper from Nashville, Tennessee Early life Jason Winfree was born to teenage parents in Trenton, Tennessee, outside of Nashville and was raised b ...

as Mickey *

DJ Paul Paul Duane Beauregard (born January 12, 1977), better known by his stage name DJ Paul, is an American DJ, record producer, and rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. He is a founding member of hip hop group Three 6 Mafia and uncle of the late rapper ...

as R.L. *

I-20 Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with I-10 in Scroggins Draw, Texas, and ending at an interchange with I-95 in Florence, South Carolina. Between ...

as Yellow Jacket *

Isaac Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, actor, songwriter, and composer. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwri ...

as Arnel

Production

initially turned down the role of DJay. He reportedly was attempting to avoid being

typecast In film, television, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character, one or more particular roles, or characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ...

as a "pimp" archetype. However, after recognizing the complexity and depth of the character, he reversed his earlier decision and took on the role. As concepts of both hustle and flow are unique to African American culture, it turned out to be nearly impossible to find proper translations for international release of the film. For example, the Russian translation of the title means "The bustle and the motion". The Italian title is appended with "Il colore della musica" which means "The color of music". The film experienced many years of near-misses and outright rejection from major studios and potential financiers before finally being backed by its longtime supporter

. In the DVD extras Singleton says that he decided at last to put up the money himself because he was exasperated at his friends' not getting what their film deserved.

Critical reception

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

the film holds an approval rating of 83% based on 160 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "''Hustle & Flow'' is gritty and redemptive, with a profound sense of place and exciting music."

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc D ...

gives the film a weighted average score of 68 out of 100 based on 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The ''

Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'' said, "Some will find it chicly inspired, recalling blaxploitation's heyday with its grimy urban realism. Some will find it corny, absurd, and a limited view of options for disenfranchised African-Americans." According to ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cultu ...

'', "The home-studio recording sequences in ''Hustle & Flow'' are funky, rowdy, and indelible. Brewer gives us the pleasure of watching characters create music from the ground up."

Accolades

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was released on July 12, 2005, by

Grand Hustle Grand Hustle Records (formerly Grand Hustle Entertainment), also known as Hustle Gang Music, is an Atlanta, Georgia-based hip hop record label, founded in 2003, by American rapper T.I. and his manager Jason Geter. Up until December 2012, the lab ...

and

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most ...

. The album centers on

Southern hip hop Southern hip hop, also known as Southern rap, South Coast hip hop, or dirty south, is a blanket term for a regional genre of American hip hop music that emerged in the Southern United States, especially in Atlanta, New Orleans, Houston, Memp ...

References

External links

* * * * *
Sundance Films Honored
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hustle And Flow 2005 drama films 2005 independent films 2000s English-language films 2000s hip hop films 2000s musical drama films American independent films African-American drama films American musical drama films Midlife crisis films Films about prostitution in the United States Films directed by Craig Brewer Films scored by Scott Bomar Films set in Memphis, Tennessee Films shot in Tennessee Films that won the Best Original Song Academy Award Films with screenplays by Craig Brewer Midlife crisis films Hood films MTV Films films Paramount Vantage films Sundance Film Festival award winners 2000s American films