Hustle & Flow
- Jun 11
- 2 min read
I love the city of Memphis—from its raw and gritty and soulful music scene to eating barbecue at The Rendezvous. And I love movies set in Memphis, too.
Hands down, my favorite one is 2005’s Hustle & Flow. Written and directed by Craig Brewer, the movie is set in a decaying part of Memphis, worlds away from Graceland and Beale Street. It’s about a hardened, streetwise man named Djay who makes his money selling bags of weed and managing the lives of three women who toil for him as sex workers.
Hustle & Flow also has the power to startle and move you.
Talk about raw and gritty! From the movie’s harsh language…to the painful, daily grind of making a living in the sex trade…. to the tragedy of being trapped in dead end lives…Hustle & Flow portrays a world that is likely to shock and offend. So, consider yourself warned. But if you can find a way to let yourself go and experience the struggle of Djay and the others as they try to break free and lead better lives, then Hustle & Flow also has the power to startle and move you.
The story kicks into gear when Djay learns that a famous rapper named Skinny Black is coming to a private party at a local nightclub. Djay swears that he and Skinny know each other from their high school days in Memphis, and the owner of the nightclub invites Djay to come to the party as his guest.
Because he was interested in music as a kid, Djay hatches a plan to write and record some rap music of his own and give it to Skinny in the hope that it will catch the rapper’s interest. Inspired by his new “against all odds” dream of rapping stardom, Djay starts putting all his time into writing lyrics that are brutally honest about his life on the streets. Incredibly, with the help of two friends who know music production and how to make beats, Djay’s lyrics burst to life. The music they create is emotionally gripping. Even the women in Djay’s life get excited by it and want to be involved. Suddenly there’s hope that Djay’s long-shot musical dream might come true and lift all of them to a better life.
As you might imagine, the moment when Djay meets Skinny Black and gives him the tape containing his homegrown rap is dramatic and intense. It does not disappoint.
As I said, Hustle & Flow is grim, sordid even. But it’s also a compelling watch. As Djay, the actor Terrence Howard is brilliant. The cast around him is stacked with terrific supporting actors. And the rap group Three 6 Mafia won an Academy Award for their hit song “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp”.
I give Hustle & Flow three-and-a-half stars out of four. It’s a raw and gritty slice of Memphis heaven.
