Let It Shine

**Let It Shine** is a Disney Channel Original Movie directed by Paul Hoen. The film was released on June 15, 2012.

## Plot

In Atlanta, Georgia, 15–year-old Cyrus DeBarge is a musically talented choir director who writes rap lyrics under the pseudonym "Truth" because of his father Pastor Jacob's disapproval of rap music and his shy demeanour compared to his more outgoing best friend Kris Howard. Cyrus also secretly works as a busboy at a club, Off the Street, where the music label of their childhood friend, teenage singing sensation Roxanne "Roxie" Andrews, is sponsoring a song writing contest. Roxie chooses Truth's heartfelt song "Don't Run Away" as the winning entry but misidentifies Kris as Truth because the photo Cyrus submitted was of them both. Kris convinces Cyrus to let him take credit for the song because he has feelings for Roxie. As Kris uses Cyrus' verses to get closer to both Roxie's heart and his newfound fame, Cyrus begins to resent his best friend.

Cyrus and Roxie get to know each other and Roxie says she can talk to him better than she can talk to Kris. Cyrus invites Roxie to perform with the choir at his church. Right after their rousing performance, Pastor Jacob humiliates Roxie in front of the congregation by calling out people who are living in "hip-hop-crisy". At the urging of his wife, Gail, Pastor Jacob goes to the club to apologize to Roxie, where he catches his son working at the club, and learns that Cyrus writes rap lyrics. Although furious at first, Pastor Jacob comes to realize his son's raps carry positive messages and rescinds his initial disapproval.

The conflict between Cyrus and Kris comes to a head when they have a physical altercation at the club. Levi, the club owner, convinces the two not to let their friendship die. The two mend their friendship and during a duet with Roxie, Cyrus takes Kris' place on the stage to sing "Me and You", revealing through the lyrics that he was Truth all along. Cyrus apologizes and confesses his true feelings, but Roxie storms from the stage and wants nothing to do with either of them. At a hip hop battle contest, Cyrus calls out the winner, an arrogant rapper named Lord of Da Bling. The two battle for the trophy, which Cyrus wins by rapping to the audience that Bling is not in fact rich, but a normal person, which he found out by seeing Bling work his day job as a taxi driver. However, his victory didn't change anything with Roxie still upset with him.

Kris eventually tells Roxie that Cyrus is a great person and only pretended he was not Truth for Kris, and they did not try to hurt Roxie: he also says Cyrus is real and that is who she needs to be with. But just when there is no happy ending, Roxie goes to church and hugs Cyrus as they sing "Let it Shine".

## Cast and Characters

* Tyler James Williams as Cyrus DeBarge/Truth
* Coco Jones as Roxanne "Roxie" Andrews
* Trevor Jackson as Kris McDuffy
* Brandon Mychal Smith as Lord of da Bling
* Dawnn Lewis as Gail DeBarge
* Alex Désert as Levi
* Nicole Sullivan as Lyla
* Courtney B. Vance as Pastor Jacob DeBarge
* Algee Smith as Da Boss
* Shay Roundtree as Rap Battle Host
* Hans Daniels as Phantom
* Courtney Gray as Revelation

## Production

The movie's soundtrack features 13 original songs by acclaimed music producers/songwriters/performers Rock Mafia, Toby Gad, David Banner, Andy Dodd, In-Q, Adam Hicks, Lindy Robbins, Dapo Torimiro, Thomas Sturges, Jon Vella and Adam Watts.

The movie was shot in Atlanta and Marietta, Georgia. The DVD was released on August 7, 2012.

## Release

The movie aired worldwide on Disney Channel. It premiered on June 15, 2012 in United States and Canada, on July 20, 2012 in the United Kingdom and Ireland, on August 3, 2012 in India, and on September 28, 2012 in Australia and New Zealand. In Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines it previewed on October 19, 2012 and premiered on November 10, 2012. In the United States, the episode aired following a new episode of Good Luck Charlie, and was itself followed by the series premiere of Gravity Falls.

## Reception

The premiere of Let It Shine garnered 5.7 million viewers, the high cable rating of the day, and obtained an adult 18–49 rating of 0.9, second only to Family Guy. It was the most watched Disney Channel Original Movie to that point of 2012 and was the #1 movie of the year across kids 6–11, tweens and teens. The Rap Battle Edition, which aired on June 30, was watched by 4.54 million people.