Hustle & Flow (2005) on Netflix
DJay, a Memphis pimp and drug dealer nearing forty, is dissatisfied with his life. When Key, an old friend and sound technician, returns, DJay decides to make a hip-hop record.
- Netflix3.7/5
- IMDb7.3/1045,931 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes82%
Trailer
Plot summary
DJay makes his living in Memphis, Tennessee, as a pimp and a drug dealer, and he is dissatisfied with the way things are going. When Key, a friend from his past who works in sound, comes back around, DJay decides to try recording hip hop. With Key and Shelby, a sound mixer, he records songs about his frustrations, and his lyrics prove strong. Equipment costs money, so DJay offers his top prostitute, Nola, to a microphone salesman in return for gear; she angrily tells him how he treats her, and he agrees to give her a bigger part in his plans. Shug, a former girl of his who is pregnant and needs money, sings hooks on his songs. DJay learns that Skinny Black, a rapper he looks up to, is coming to a Fourth of July party nearby.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Hustle & Flow (2005)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Three 6 Mafia's "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp" won Best Original Song at the 78th Academy Awards, the second hip-hop song to win an Academy Award after Eminem's "Lose Yourself" from 8 Mile; Howard was also nominated for Best Actor.
- Terrence Howard initially turned down the role of DJay, reportedly hesitant to be typecast in a stereotypical "pimp" archetype, but reconsidered and accepted after reflecting on the complexity and emotional depth of the character.
- The film faced years of rejection from major studios and financiers; in the DVD extras John Singleton expressed frustration with the industry's reluctance to recognize its potential and said he ultimately decided to fund the project himself because he believed it deserved to be made.
- The phrase "Whoop That Trick", prominently featured in the film, became a rallying cry for fans of the Memphis Grizzlies basketball team during the early 2020s, used by fans to energize the team during games.
