Hustle & Flow is a 2005 independent film written and directed by Craig Brewer about a Memphis hustler called DJay, played by Terrence Howard, who experiences a midlife crisis and is compelled to face his aspiration to become a rapper. DJay, a petty drug dealer and equally petty pimp, and his original and primary charge, prostitute Nola, troll the streets and under bridges and overpasses of Memphis, looking for clients. From the start, it is clear that Nola is more DJay’s business partner and fellow hustler (DJay refers to her as his “primary investor”), rather than his subordinate, and that neither of them is satisfied with their lives or with the ins and outs of prostitution; however, each is also in a crisis about exactly what to do instead. While DJay quickly turns to music once he re-discovers the keyboard, Nola remains indecisive and crisis-ridden throughout much of the movie. Despite this, however, the two always remain close, and “in charge” of everything around them, and Nola eventually finds her purpose alongside DJay as his manager.
The film, like its own plot, has had a hard life. It experienced many years of near-misses and outright rejection from major studios and potential financiers before finally being backed by an exasperated John Singleton. Once it got made, it was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Actor for Howard and won an Academy Award for Best Original Song, for Three 6 Mafia’s “It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp”.
Trivia
- Terrence Howard initially turned down the role of DJay. He reportedly was attempting to avoid being typecast as a “pimp” archtype. 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 fuss and the torrent”.