Love Beats Rhymes (2017)

When struggling rapper Coco (Azealia Banks) enrolls in a poetry class, she thinks her rhymes will impress her teacher, Professor Dixon (Jill Scott). Instead, Dixon challenges Coco to seek ... See full summary »

Director:

RZA

Writers:

Nicole Jefferson Asher (as Nicole Asher), Nicole Jefferson Asher (as Nicole Jefferson)

Stars:

John David Washington, Common, Lorraine Toussaint

Cast

Credited cast:
John David Washington	...	Mahlik
Common	...	Coltrane
Lorraine Toussaint	...	Nichelle
Arjun Gupta	...	Naveen
Hana Mae Lee	...	Julie
Method Man	...	Ref
Lucien Laviscount	...	Derek
Jill Scott	...	Professor Dixon
Daniella De Jesús	...	Tomboyish Latina (as Daniella De Jesus)
Mary Christina Brown	...	Sapphire
Craig muMs Grant	...	MuMs da Schemer
Jeremie Harris	...	Matt
Jin Au-Yeung	...	Jin (as Jin Auyeung)
Jas Anderson	...	Thug 1
Esperanza Spalding	...	Herself

Storyline

When struggling rapper Coco (Azealia Banks) enrolls in a poetry class, she thinks her rhymes will impress her teacher, Professor Dixon (Jill Scott). Instead, Dixon challenges Coco to seek real meaning in her lyrics, setting her on a journey of discovery that takes her through rap clubs and poetry slams, leading her to find her true voice - and true love - in this uplifting movie costarring Lucien Laviscount.

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Plot Keywords:

poetry | college | rap | 

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Genres:

Drama | Musical

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual material

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 December 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

It Doesn't Have to Rhyme

Company Credits

Production Co:

Codeblack Films, Lionsgate, Spoken Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Azealia Banks cancelled parts of her tour to have time to film the movie.

User Reviews

A solid film

Brilliantly directed and acting was very well-done. Jill Scott and especially Azealia Banks were outstanding in their performances. Hope to see more of Ms. Banks in future films! Her talent and charisma really shines through. The only major downside of the movie was probably the romance which happened very suddenly and spontaneously, as there was not enough development between the two characters and it seemed a tad unconvincing. Aside from the romance and a semi-predictable plotline, the movie makes for an enjoyable quick watch and is definitely worth checking out.