It 's Hard Out Here for a Pimp - wikipedia It 's Hard Out Here for a Pimp This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( June 2011 ) `` It 's Hard Out Here for a Pimp '' Song by Three 6 Mafia from the album Hustle & Flow soundtrack Released 2005 Genre Gangsta rap, Crunk Length 3 : 02 Label Atlantic Grand Hustle Songwriter ( s ) DJ Paul, Juicy J, Frayser Boy Producer ( s ) DJ Paul, Juicy J `` It 's Hard Out Here for a Pimp '' is a song written by hip hop group Three 6 Mafia and Cedric Coleman as the theme song to the film Hustle & Flow. It was ranked # 80 on VH1 's `` 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop ''. Performances The song was performed in Hustle & Flow by Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson as their respective characters DJay and Shug. Three 6 Mafia included their own version of the song with vocalist Paula Campbell on a 2006 special edition reissue of their platinum album Most Known Unknown. In 2015, Howard and Henson compete against each other in the Season 1 finale of the Spike series Lip Sync Battle and, by popular demand, performed the song as the first duet by competitors in the show 's history. 78th Academy Awards At the 78th Academy Awards in 2006, Three 6 Mafia and Henson performed the song shortly before it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Howard did not wish to perform at the ceremony, and since two of the song 's writers are themselves artists in the form of the trio Three 6 Mafia, they were given the opportunity to perform it. In the live performance, the word `` bitches '' was replaced by `` witches '' in the chorus, much to the disapproval of the International Society of Witchcraft and the occult community at large. Three 6 Mafia became the first hip hop group to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song, and the first hip hop artists to perform at the ceremony. It was the second hip hop song to win an Oscar, after Eminem 's `` Lose Yourself '', from the film 8 Mile ( 2002 ). This song became the third in five years to win the Oscar without a Golden Globe Award nomination. The others were `` If I Did n't Have You '' from Monsters, Inc. ( 2001 ) and `` Al Otro Lado del Río '' from The Motorcycle Diaries ( 2004 ). Their founding member, Luke Mckinnon of Cambridge, Ma, accepted the award on their behalf. References ^ Jump up to : Roberts, David ( 2006 ). British Hit Singles & Albums ( 19th ed. ). London : Guinness World Records Limited. p. 137. ISBN 1 - 904994 - 10 - 5. Jump up ^ Blog.vh1.com Jump up ^ Lip Sync Battle First Competitor Duet - It 's Hard Out Here for a Pimp ( from Hustle And Flow ) - Terrence Howard & Taraji P. Henson Spike TV on YouTube Jump up ^ Popkin, Helen A.S. ( March 5, 2006 ). ' It 's Hard Out Here ' for a good Oscar song. MSNBC. Accessed April 12, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Three 6 Mafia Wins Oscar ''. xxxlmag.com. Wikinews has related news : 2006 Oscars handed out at Kodak Theatre Academy Award for Best Original Song 1934 -- 1940 `` The Continental '' Music : Con Conrad Lyrics : Herb Magidson ( 1934 ) `` Lullaby of Broadway '' Music : Harry Warren Lyrics : Al Dubin ( 1935 ) `` The Way You Look Tonight '' Music : Jerome Kern Lyrics : Dorothy Fields ( 1936 ) `` Sweet Leilani '' Music and lyrics : Harry Owens ( 1937 ) `` Thanks for the Memory '' Music : Ralph Rainger Lyrics : Leo Robin ( 1938 ) `` Over the Rainbow '' Music : Harold Arlen Lyrics : E.Y. Harburg ( 1939 ) `` When You Wish Upon a Star '' Music : Leigh Harline Lyrics : Ned Washington ( 1940 ) 1941 -- 1950 `` The Last Time I Saw Paris '' Music : Jerome Kern Lyrics : Oscar Hammerstein II ( 1941 ) `` White Christmas '' Music and lyrics : Irving Berlin ( 1942 ) `` You 'll Never Know '' Music : Harry Warren Lyrics : Mack Gordon ( 1943 ) `` Swinging on a Star '' Music : Jimmy Van Heusen Lyrics : Johnny Burke ( 1944 ) `` It Might as Well Be Spring '' Music : Richard Rodgers Lyrics : Oscar Hammerstein II ( 1945 ) `` On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe '' Music : Harry Warren Lyrics : Johnny Mercer ( 1946 ) `` Zip - a-Dee - Doo - Dah '' Music : Allie Wrubel Lyrics : Ray Gilbert ( 1947 ) `` Buttons and Bows '' Music : Jay Livingston Lyrics : Ray Evans ( 1948 ) `` Baby, It 's Cold Outside '' Music and lyrics : Frank Loesser ( 1949 ) `` Mona Lisa '' Music and lyrics : Ray Evans and Jay Livingston ( 1950 ) 1951 -- 1960 `` In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening '' Music : Hoagy Carmichael Lyrics : Johnny Mercer ( 1951 ) `` High Noon ( Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin ' ) '' Music : Dimitri Tiomkin Lyrics : Ned Washington ( 1952 ) `` Secret Love '' Music : Sammy Fain Lyrics : Paul Francis Webster ( 1953 ) `` Three Coins in the Fountain '' Music : Jule Styne Lyrics : Sammy Cahn ( 1954 ) `` Love Is a Many Splendored Thing '' Music : Sammy Fain Lyrics : Paul Francis Webster ( 1955 ) `` Que Sera, Sera ( Whatever Will Be, Will Be ) '' Music and lyrics : Jay Livingston and Ray Evans ( 1956 ) `` All the Way '' Music : Jimmy Van Heusen Lyrics : Sammy Cahn ( 1957 ) `` Gigi '' Music : Frederick Loewe Lyrics : Alan Jay Lerner ( 1958 ) `` High Hopes '' Music : Jimmy Van Heusen Lyrics : Sammy Cahn ( 1959 ) `` Never on Sunday '' Music and lyrics : Manos Hatzidakis ( 1960 ) 1961 -- 1970 `` Moon River '' Music : Henry Mancini Lyrics : Johnny Mercer ( 1961 ) `` Days of Wine and Roses '' Music : Henry Mancini Lyrics : Johnny Mercer ( 1962 ) `` Call Me Irresponsible '' Music : Jimmy Van Heusen Lyrics : Sammy Cahn ( 1963 ) `` Chim Chim Cher - ee '' Music and lyrics : Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman ( 1964 ) `` The Shadow of Your Smile '' Music : Johnny Mandel Lyrics : Paul Francis Webster ( 1965 ) `` Born Free '' Music : John Barry Lyrics : Don Black ( 1966 ) `` Talk to the Animals '' Music and lyrics : Leslie Bricusse ( 1967 ) `` The Windmills of Your Mind '' Music : Michel Legrand Lyrics : Alan and Marilyn Bergman ( 1968 ) `` Raindrops Keep Fallin ' on My Head '' Music : Burt Bacharach Lyrics : Hal David ( 1969 ) `` For All We Know '' Music : Fred Karlin Lyrics : Robb Royer and Jimmy Griffin ( 1970 ) 1971 -- 1980 `` Theme from Shaft '' Music and lyrics : Isaac Hayes ( 1971 ) `` The Morning After '' Music and lyrics : Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn ( 1972 ) `` The Way We Were '' Music : Marvin Hamlisch Lyrics : Alan and Marilyn Bergman ( 1973 ) `` We May Never Love Like This Again '' Music and lyrics : Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn ( 1974 ) `` I 'm Easy '' Music and lyrics : Keith Carradine ( 1975 ) `` Evergreen ( Love Theme from A Star Is Born ) '' Music : Barbra Streisand Lyrics : Paul Williams ( 1976 ) `` You Light Up My Life '' Music and lyrics : Joseph Brooks ( 1977 ) `` Last Dance '' Music and lyrics : Paul Jabara ( 1978 ) `` It Goes Like It Goes '' Music : David Shire Lyrics : Norman Gimbel ( 1979 ) `` Fame '' Music : Michael Gore Lyrics : Dean Pitchford ( 1980 ) 1981 -- 1990 `` Arthur 's Theme ( Best That You Can Do ) '' Music and lyrics : Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, Christopher Cross and Peter Allen ( 1981 ) `` Up Where We Belong '' Music : Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte - Marie Lyrics : Will Jennings ( 1982 ) `` Flashdance... What a Feeling '' Music : Giorgio Moroder Lyrics : Keith Forsey and Irene Cara ( 1983 ) `` I Just Called to Say I Love You '' Music and lyrics : Stevie Wonder ( 1984 ) `` Say You, Say Me '' Music and lyrics : Lionel Richie ( 1985 ) `` Take My Breath Away '' Music : Giorgio Moroder Lyrics : Tom Whitlock ( 1986 ) `` ( I 've Had ) The Time of My Life '' Music : Franke Previte, John DeNicola and Donald Markowitz Lyrics : Franke Previte ( 1987 ) `` Let the River Run '' Music and lyrics : Carly Simon ( 1988 ) `` Under the Sea '' Music : Alan Menken Lyrics : Howard Ashman ( 1989 ) `` Sooner or Later ( I Always Get My Man ) '' Music and lyrics : Stephen Sondheim ( 1990 ) 1991 -- 2000 `` Beauty and the Beast '' Music : Alan Menken Lyrics : Howard Ashman ( 1991 ) `` A Whole New World '' Music : Alan Menken Lyrics : Tim Rice ( 1992 ) `` Streets of Philadelphia '' Music and lyrics : Bruce Springsteen ( 1993 ) `` Can You Feel the Love Tonight '' Music : Elton John Lyrics : Tim Rice ( 1994 ) `` Colors of the Wind '' Music : Alan Menken Lyrics : Stephen Schwartz ( 1995 ) `` You Must Love Me '' Music : Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics : Tim Rice ( 1996 ) `` My Heart Will Go On '' Music : James Horner Lyrics : Will Jennings ( 1997 ) `` When You Believe '' Music and lyrics : Stephen Schwartz ( 1998 ) `` You 'll Be in My Heart '' Music and lyrics : Phil Collins ( 1999 ) `` Things Have Changed '' Music and lyrics : Bob Dylan ( 2000 ) 2001 -- 2010 `` If I Did n't Have You '' Music and lyrics : Randy Newman ( 2001 ) `` Lose Yourself '' Music : Eminem, Jeff Bass and Luis Resto Lyrics : Eminem ( 2002 ) `` Into the West '' Music and lyrics : Fran Walsh, Howard Shore and Annie Lennox ( 2003 ) `` Al otro lado del río '' Music and lyrics : Jorge Drexler ( 2004 ) `` It 's Hard out Here for a Pimp '' Music and lyrics : Juicy J, Frayser Boy and DJ Paul ( 2005 ) `` I Need to Wake Up '' Music and lyrics : Melissa Etheridge ( 2006 ) `` Falling Slowly '' Music and lyrics : Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová ( 2007 ) `` Jai Ho '' Music : A.R. Rahman Lyrics : Gulzar ( 2008 ) `` The Weary Kind '' Music and lyrics : Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett ( 2009 ) `` We Belong Together '' Music and lyrics : Randy Newman ( 2010 ) 2011 -- present `` Man or Muppet '' Music and lyrics : Bret McKenzie ( 2011 ) `` Skyfall '' Music and lyrics : Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth ( 2012 ) `` Let It Go '' Music and lyrics : Kristen Anderson - Lopez and Robert Lopez ( 2013 ) `` Glory '' Music and lyrics : John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn ( 2014 ) `` Writing 's on the Wall '' Music and lyrics : James Napier and Sam Smith ( 2015 ) `` City of Stars '' Music : Justin Hurwitz Lyrics : Benj Pasek and Justin Paul ( 2016 ) `` Remember Me '' Music and lyrics : Kristen Anderson - Lopez and Robert Lopez ( 2017 ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=It%27s_Hard_out_Here_for_a_Pimp&oldid=852447974 '' Categories : 2005 songs Three 6 Mafia songs Best Original Song Academy Award - winning songs Songs written by Juicy J Gangsta rap songs Songs written by DJ Paul Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from June 2011 All articles needing additional references Articles with hAudio microformats Talk About Wikipedia Español Հայերեն Italiano Nederlands Português Türkçe Edit links This page was last edited on 29 July 2018, at 02 : 09 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who sings it's hard out here for a pimp
Answer: Three 6 Mafia