Hustle & Flow (2005)

With help from his friends, a Memphis pimp in a mid-life crisis attempts to become a successful hip-hop emcee.

Director:

Craig Brewer

Writer:

Craig Brewer

Stars:

Terrence Howard, Ludacris, Anthony Anderson

Won 1 Oscar. Another 25 wins & 46 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Terrence Howard	...	Djay
Anthony Anderson	...	Key
Taryn Manning	...	Nola
Taraji P. Henson	...	Shug
DJ Qualls	...	Shelby (as D.J. Qualls)
Ludacris	...	Skinny Black
Paula Jai Parker	...	Lexus
Elise Neal	...	Yevette
Isaac Hayes	...	Arnel
Juicy J	...	Tigga
William Engram	...	Slobs (as William 'Poon' Engram)
Bobby Sandimanie	...	Yellow Jacket (as Bobby 'I-20' Sandimanie)
Haystak	...	Mickey
Claude Phillips	...	Harold
Josey Scott	...	Elroy

Storyline

Aspiring emcee DJay works the angles to get his first record made with help from assorted people in his Memphis 'hood. And when he hears that hip-hop superstar Skinny Black is heading to his area, he throws together a supreme hustle to grab Skinny's attention.

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Plot Keywords:

electronic keyboard | audio cassette | car | disc jockey | drug abuse | 

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Taglines:

The music will inspire them. The dream will unite them. This summer get crunk.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sex and drug content, pervasive language and some violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

The filmmakers convinced star Terrence Howard to live in Memphis for a while before production started to learn the dialect and get the feel of the place.

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Goofs

Toward the end of the scene in which Djay is arrested, the padding used to make Shug appear pregnant is visible.

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Quotes

Key: Sometimes I feel like... like I talked such a good game when we was young, man. About my own studio and my own label, that... shit, DJay, now I'm just payin' rent, man. This shit right here gotta work. It gotta work, man, 'cause it ain't over for me.

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Connections

Referenced in Honest Trailers: The Wolf of Wall Street (2014)

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Soundtracks

Swerve
by Terrance Hatch & Webster Gradney
Performed by Lil' Boozie & Webbie
Courtesy of Trill Entertainment/Asylum Records
By Arrangement with Warner Strategic Marketing

User Reviews

Terrence Howard is phenomenal!

Incredibly moving, yet definitely not for everyone, Hustle & Flow tells the story of D-Jay, an incredibly conflicted Memphis pimp down on his luck. In one of the most raw and intense performances of recent memory, newcomer Terrence Howard embodies D-Jay with an animal-like ferocity that will help you overcome what few formulaic clichés embody the script. In his mid forties, D-Jay seems too old and far too nice for his profession, and his "hos" seem to take notice. You see, D-Jay represents a lifetime of failed dreams, ambitions, and wrong turns. It seems as if it could all be over, but then fate offers him the opportunity to realize his life-long goal of becoming a successful rap star. D-Jay pours his heart and soul into his music, just as Howard pours his into the performance, and the result is somewhat of a urban Rocky, a true underdog tale. This is perhaps the first hip-hop film to actually get it right, and everything that 8-Mile should have been. Don't let the subject matter keep you from enjoying Howard's brutal tour-de-force.

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount Pictures [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 July 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hustle & Flow

Filming Locations:

Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,800,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,017,808, 24 July 2005

Gross USA:

$22,202,809

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$23,563,727

Company Credits

Production Co:

Crunk Pictures, Homegrown Pictures, MTV Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1