The roots of "Empire".

Rating: Null/10 (7 March 2015)

My wife and I are HUGE of "Empire". So, imagine when I discovered two of my favorite actors, Terrence Howard ("Lucius") and Taraji P. Henson ("Cookie") had appeared together 10 years earlier in a similarly-themed movie about hip-hop. Unfortunately, while "Empire" is consistently entertaining, "Hustle & Flow" builds slowly and unpleasantly. While Terrence Howard's "Djay" is an earlier incarnation of "Lucius," Taraji P. Henson's "Shug" appears mentally-challenged. Worse, the two characters responsible most for the outcome are white. Also, the scene where "Shug" gives "Djay" comes out of nowhere. Just WHERE did the very-pregnant "Shug" get the money to give "Djay" this VERY expensive gift? Not to mention, the Oscar-winning song, "Its hard out there for a pimp" is not as good as the original song created for "Empire"; and it pretty much the only song in the movie.
I fear many of those who see the reviews and awards for "Hustle & Flow" are going to be as disappointed as my wife. I liked "Hustle & Flow" for its raw honesty. However I resent the "tools" given to white racists who will watch "Hustle & Flow" and say, "See?" I give "Hustle & Flow" a "6".