Djay A Mans Got To Have A Dream Hustle

Posted on 24-05-2021 by admin

May 21, 2012 Djay chases a dream that’s laden with so many setbacks and long shots that a lesser man might have called it a day. But his diligence pays off, even when he ends up going to jail for it. I would urge anyone who finds him or herself down and out with discarded creative ambitions to sit down and watch this movie again. The unforgettable tale of DJay (Terrence Howard), a pimp whose gritty hustle selling sexy Nola (Taryn Manning) and supporting pregnant Shug (Taraji Henson) leaves him wondering if this is it for him. Only when he trades contraband for a keyboard and bumps into his old schoolfriend Key (Anthony Anderson) does he see a way out by laying down some tracks and fulfilling his dream of becoming a respected. Jul 22, 2005 With little help from his friends and 'family' DJay sets in motion the hustle of his life, and galvanizes the lives of those around him as they learn that 'Everybody's gotta have a dream.'

Djay A Mans Got To Have A Dream Hustle Full
Djay A Man's Got To Have A Dream Hustle Movie

Lyrics to It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp(feat. Taraji P. Henson (Shug))
[Chorus x2: Shug - singing + (Djay)]

You know it's hard out here for a pimp (you ain't knowin)
When he tryin to get this money for the rent (you ain't knowin)
For the Cadillacs and gas money spent (you ain't knowin)
[1] Cause a whole lota bitches jumpin ship
[2] Will have a whole lota bitches jumpin ship (you ain't knowin)
[Djay]
In my eyes I done seen some crazy thangs in the streets
Gotta couple hoes workin on the changes for me
But I gotta keep my game tight like Kobe on game night
Like takin from a ho don't know no better, I know that ain't right
Done seen people killed, done seen people deal
Done seen people live in poverty with no meals
It's fucked up where I live, but that's just how it is
It might be new to you, but it's been like this for years
It's blood sweat and tears when it come down to this shit
I'm tryin to get rich 'fore I leave up out this bitch
I'm tryin to have thangs but it's hard fo' a pimp
But I'm prayin and I'm hopin to God I don't slip, yeah
[Chorus]
[Djay]
Man it seems like I'm duckin dodgin bullets everyday
Niggaz hatin on me cause I got, hoes on the tray
But I gotta stay paid, gotta stay above water
Couldn't keep up with my hoes, that's when shit got harder
North Memphis where I'm from, I'm 7th Street bound
Where niggaz all the time end up lost and never found
Man these girls think we prove thangs, leave a big head
They come hopin every night, they don't end up bein dead
Wait I got a snow bunny, and a black girl too
You pay the right price and they'll both do you
That's the way the game goes, gotta keep it strictly pimpin
Gotta have my hustle tight, makin change off these women, yeah
[Chorus]

Songwriters:
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Hustle & Flow
Directed by	Craig Brewer
Produced by
Written by	Craig Brewer
Starring
Music by	Scott Bomar
Cinematography	Amy Vincent
Edited by	Billy Fox
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date
Running time	116 minutes^[1]
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$2.8 million
Box office	$23.5 million

Hustle & Flow is a 2005 American drama film written and directed by Craig Brewer and produced by John Singleton and Stephanie Allain. It was released on July 22, 2005. Terrence Howard stars as a Memphis hustler and pimp who faces his aspiration to become a rapper.

The film won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for Three 6 Mafia's song 'It's Hard out Here for a Pimp'. Howard was nominated for Best Actor.

Plot[edit]

DJay (Terrence Howard) is a pimp and drug dealer who is dissatisfied with his life. After acquiring a keyboard and reacquainting himself with an old friend from school, Key (Anthony Anderson), who has become a sound technician, DJay decides to try his hand at making hip hop songs.

Key and his sound-mixer friend Shelby (DJ Qualls) help DJay put together several 'flow' songs in which he expresses the frustrations of a small-time hustler struggling to survive. DJay quickly proves to have a real talent for lyrics, and his first fixed-length song, done at the urging of his friends, appears to have a decent chance of becoming a hit and getting local radio play.

The group experiences many setbacks throughout the creative process. DJay must hustle those around him in order to procure proper equipment and recording time, and Key's relationship with his wife becomes strained. DJay throws out one of his prostitutes, Lexus, along with her one-year-old son Roger, for ridiculing his art. DJay's pregnant prostitute, Shug (Taraji P. Henson), joins in the creative process, singing hooks, and the group eventually records several fixed-length tracks, including 'Whoop That Trick' and their primary single 'It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp'. After their first recording, DJay falls in love with Shug.

DJay's friend, Arnel (Isaac Hayes), informs him that Skinny Black (Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges), a successful Memphis rapper, will be returning to the neighborhood for a Fourth of July party. DJay gains admittance to the party under the pretext of providing marijuana, with the intention of giving Skinny Black his demo tape. Black is dismissive at first, but after a long night of reminiscing DJay successfully persuades him into taking the tape.

Before leaving the party, however, DJay discovers that the drunken Black has destroyed his tape, leaving it in the toilet. When DJay confronts Skinny Black, Black laughs at the idea of touring with DJay and insults him. In a fit of rage, DJay beats Black to a bloody pulp. Realizing what he has done, DJay attempts to resuscitate the unconscious Black, until a member of Black's crew enters the bathroom and quickly pulls out his gun. DJay shoots the man in his arm, then uses him as a human shield to make his escape.

DJay arrives home to find the police and Black's associates waiting for him. DJay turns himself in and tells Nola (Taryn Manning) to keep his writing pad, with his rap lyrics. He tells her she is 'in charge' of getting his songs on local radio stations, and exchanges a glance with a tearful Shug. DJay is charged for assault and possession of a firearm and is sentenced to 11 months in prison.

While serving his time, DJay gets a visit from Key. When Key asks DJay if he really knew Skinny Black, DJay reveals that he made it up in order to keep the group's dream alive. DJay learns from Key that Nola has hustled the local radio DJs into playing his songs, which have become local hits. Key says he and Nola want to discuss his future plans. The film ends as we see a friendly duo of prison guards who have their own rap group asking DJay to listen to their demo, much as DJay had approached Skinny Black. Humbled and flattered, DJay accepts their tape and responds with: 'You know what they say, everybody gotta have a dream'.

Cast[edit]

Terrence Howard as DJay
Anthony Anderson as Key
Taryn Manning as Nola
Taraji P. Henson as Shug
DJ Qualls as Shelby
Ludacris as Skinny Black
Paula Jai Parker as Lexus
Elise Neal as Yevette
Isaac Hayes as Arnel
Juicy J as Tigga
Haystak as Mickey
DJ Paul as R.L.
I-20 as Yellow Jacket
Josey Scott as Elroy
Al Kapone as Kateezy
William 'Poon' Engram as Slobs
Claude Phillips as Harold
Latasha Texas as Stripper #1
Tracy Davis as Stripper #2
Mark Goodfellow as Pawn Shop Owner

Production[edit]

Terrence Howard initially turned down the role of DJay. He reportedly was attempting to avoid being typecast 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 John Singleton. 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[edit]

On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 82% based on 152 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.'^[2]Metacritic gives the film a weighted average score of 68 out of 100 based on 37 critics, indicating 'generally favorable reviews'.^[3]

The Boston Globe 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.'^[4]According to Entertainment Weekly, '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.'^[5]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Academy Awards

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Terrence Howard (Nominated)
Best Original Song: Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman, and Paul Beauregard for 'It's Hard out Here for a Pimp' (Winner)

Austin Film Critics

Breakthrough Artist Award: Terrence Howard (Winner) also won for Four Brothers, Get Rich or Die Tryin', Lackawanna Blues and Their Eyes Were Watching God

Black Movie Awards

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture: Terrence Howard (Winner)
Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role: Taraji P. Henson (Winner)
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: Anthony Anderson (Winner)
Outstanding Motion Picture: (Nominated)

Black Reel Awards

Best Actor: Terrence Howard (Winner)
Best Supporting Actress: Taraji P. Henson (Winner)
Best Original Soundtrack: (Winner)
Best Film: (Nominated)
Best Supporting Actor: Anthony Anderson (Nominated)
Best Ensemble: Nominated

Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards

Best Actor: Terrence Howard (Nominated)
Best Song: Terrence Howard for 'Hustle & Flow' (Winner)

Chicago Film Critics

Best Actor: Terrence Howard (Nominated)

Florida Film Critics

Breakout Award: Terrence Howard (Winner) also honored for Crash and Get Rich or Die Tryin'

Golden Globes

Best Actor in a Drama Motion Picture: Terrence Howard (Nominated)

Gotham Awards

Breakthrough Actor: Terrence Howard (Nominated)

Image Awards

Outstanding Motion Picture (Nominated)
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture: Terrence Howard (Nominated)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture:
- Taraji P. Henson (Nominated)
- Elise Neal (Nominated)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Anthony Anderson (Nominated)

MTV Movie Awards

Best Breakthrough Performance: Taraji P. Henson (Nominated)
Best Kiss: Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson (Nominated)
Best Performance: Terrence Howard (Nominated)

Screen Actors Guild Awards

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

Sundance Film Festival

Audience Award, Dramatic: Craig Brewer (Winner)
Excellence in Cinematography Award, Dramatic: Amelia Vincent (Winner)

Teen Choice Awards

Choice Drama Movie Actor: Terrence Howard (Nominated)