Marc Mauro Worldwide

Hustle & Flow

Lemme holla at you for a second mang! I guess my feeling on this post is.. I can sit around and try to write about some cool new movie that is opening this summer.. OR.. I can actually write about something that has a lot more meaning to me, and it can be worth SO MUCH MORE to someone who is spending their time hanging out on the site.. so.. why not make it worth your while.. HUSTLE & FLOW.

Hustle & Flow came out about 5 years ago. I haven’t seen this movie in a bit.. but every now and then I come across it on my shelf.. it always seems to come into my life JUST at the right moment. I guess where do I start?? I mean there is just a lot of great lessons to learn from this movie.. first off.. kudos to John Singleton and Terrance Howard! What a great collaboration. I mean.. the entire CAST.. WOW.. great performances by Anthony Anderson, Taryn Manning, Taraji P. Henson, DJ Qualls, and Ludacris. LUDA! They ALL did such a fantastic job.. however the one thing I do love about the film is it’s chemistry.. the characters.. the interactions.. the stories.. they were just REAL.. and I am all about REAL. I felt like I was there too! and to me.. when I watch a film.. that is VERY important.  If I don’t believe the characters and the story.. their struggle.. their pain.. their journey.. their destination.. then I just don’t buy into a film.. and well after I don’t buy into it.. I pretty much pop the DVD out and put on the next brain dead action movie with bullets and testosterone flying and then continue to do my hustle while it plays in the background. But this movie.. had me sold. I would say about 95-98% of movies don’t.. SO.. that says a lot about this film. AND if you have not had the opportunity to see this film yet.. I really suggest that you take a minute to rent it or buy it and check it out. I think it is well worth your time!

So.. where do we start.. Damn.. Terrance Howard.. I’ve always like you Mang!.. you’re a REAL dude.. you always push the role as far as you can possible take them.. you always bring so much HEART to a line and your delivery is always spot on par.. you even recorded the tracks for the movie! GOD BLESS YOU MANG! Terrance plays a pimp in the film. Not the way I normally call my boys pimps.. to make them feel like superstars.. NOPE.. a real PIMP in Memphis. A broke hustlin’ drug dealing pimp.. that’s his job.. that is his hustle.. he pimps ho’s and slings weed. At this point maybe some are you saying… REALLY?? This is what this blog is about.. pimps, ho’s, and drugs?? And you know what.. YEAAAA.. EXAAAACTLY.. that’s EXACTLY what this blog is about.. HO’S and DRUGS.. so if you don’t like.. go back to facebook you closed minded judgmental comment leaving monkeys. Anyways.. Yes.. where was I.. oh yes.. so a pimp.. and well.. he does what pimps do.. only problem is.. he isn’t a very successful pimp.. if you ask me.. Taryn Manning “Nola” in the film is the real HUSTLER of the group.. DJay is just a dude trying to find his way and wasting time, sort of searching for a PURPOSE in life. You see.. that is the problem I find with most people.. even myself.. we all need a purpose in life.. EVERYBODY HAS GOTTA HAVE A DREAM.. otherwise.. we just sit around for most of our free time.. doing whatever it is we do.. I don’t know.. sit on a couch and watch ESPN.. do the 9-5 thing.. mow the lawn.. play with the car engine.. card night.. sit on facebook.. smoke weed.. go to the gym.. workout.. play video games.. shop for clothes.. whatever your thing is.. live for the weekend? I guess.. go back to work on Monday.. same ole shit.. same ole day.. everyday is the exactly the same as the next. Well.. let me tell you.. what if I told you.. everything can change in your life just by adding a DREAM?

So you say a DREAM? Well what can I possibly do now in my life?? I’m broke.. or i’m stuck.. or I have kids.. or I have no money.. or I’m too old.. or I don’t know anyone.. where do I even begin?? Well how about the GRAVE with that attitude??.. go ahead .. jump right in.. you already have 1 foot in it.. why waste time? Here’s your shovel!! I mean.. doesn’t everyone have.. or had.. at one point in time.. a dream? Didn’t you ever dream when you were a kid?? Anything?? Or did everyone tell you NO! NO you can’t do this.. NO you can’t do that.. I grew up in one of those families.. it’s not that they were against it or didn’t support it.. but I come from a very “old school” family who feels.. that you should have that 9-5.. to be “safe”.. THEN YOU CAN.. go for your dream.. problem with that is.. when you go for a dream.. sometimes.. having that fallback plan in place.. well.. it’s like a safety net.. you get comfortable. Knowing.. if you fail.. there is something there to catch you. And THAT is where the problems lies in having DREAMS and fallback plans. If it isn’t ALL or NOTHING.. if EVERYTHING ISN’T ON THE LINE.. then it will always be.. comfortable.. and you will ALWAYS fail. You won’t push yourself that extra step.. and 9 times out of 10.. it’s that one last step.. that is needed before you break through. So close.. but yet.. So far.

Hustle and Flow The Choir Scene

Djay was an UNDERDOG. Ha! Everyone knows how much I LOVE the underdog.. SHIT.. I’ve been one my whole life. Djay wasn’t tall, dark, and handsome on wall street with a suit. He didn’t come from money. His job was a pimp and a drug dealer. He didn’t have opportunity handed to him. He didn’t know the “right” people. He wasn’t born into something. Life was what it was for him. He got a raw deal when it came to a dream. Dream or no Dream… life just ended up being… what it was… and he was cool with it… BUT he knew… he ALWAYS wanted MORE. It wasn’t until one day when he met Key (played by Anthony Anderson.) Man Anthony makes me laugh… he always had this kind of cool nonchalant swag about him. Key invited Djay to come see what he does… and that scene… the Choir scene was probably one of the most MOVING scenes I have EVER seen produced on film… I am not sure what it was… the song?… the sound?.. the silence?.. the singer?.. who by the way did just a BEAUTIFUL job “Jennifer Bynum Green”… the movement of the camera?.. the feeling?.. WOW… WOW… what an amazing performance and scene… I really wished that song was on the soundtrack… the soundtrack to this film is GREAT by the way… I just wish that performance was on it. MASSIVE kudos to Terrance for laying down the four tracks too.. AWESOME! That dudes got flow.. I’d buy an album if he ever decided to switch careers.. most just record and lip-sync.. but SHIT.. those tracks were him.. GOOD SHIT! Anyways.. back to what I was saying.. he got caught up in this time stopping performance.. and it made him realize.. what am I doing with my life? It catapulted him into a midlife crisis.. and at that moment.. he realized.. it was ALL or NOTHING. So what now mang?

It was all about making that first step. It was all about realizing he had a talent.. and acted on it. You see we all have a talent.. EVERYONE on this earth has some sort of talent.. and if you let that talent go to waste.. well then that is the real sin. So he showed up at Key’s house.. and Key said something very interesting.. he said.. there are 2 types of people in this world.. those who talk the talk, and those who walk the walk. But what I found even more interesting is.. when he said.. sometimes.. those who walk the walk.. don’t talk.. because they are busy walking.. and those who talk the talk.. are always busy talking about walking.. and most of the time.. they are busy talking walkers into doing the walking for them. HA! That’s totally me.. always too afraid to do the walking.. so I spent so most of my time talking.. and trying to talk people into doing the walking for me.. I never really got anywhere like that because most of the time they would walk me into walls. Because talkers don’t really know how to walk.. they are normally walking around talking themselves into walls. Because in this life.. there is only one person who can do the walking for you.. and that is YOU! And so.. NOW.. I AM WALKING!.. and I still do occasionally talk But hey.. I like to talk.. it’s what makes me.. me.

The turning point in the film to me was when Djay kicks Yevette out the house.. He DROPS the anchor loose.. lol. Amazing? No not really.. the day he decided to go after his dream.. is the day he decided to surround himself with successful people. The day he decided to surround himself with success.. is the day he started realizing.. maybe not everyone around him was right for him? Maybe everyone around him didn’t support him the way he thought. And so.. he started dropping anchors.. if you are interested in learning more about anchors.. you can read about that here.. BE MORE.. Anyways.. it was at this moment where I believe.. Djay.. had made up his mind.. that he was going to succeed. And that it wasn’t.. over for him. And HENCE.. IN COMES THE LAVA LAMP.

The Lava Lamp. Everything you need to succeed is right in front of you.

THE LAVA LAMP.. brought in by the “Bottom Bitch”.. lol. I suspect the Bottom bitch was a nice way of saying.. now there is a woman who hangs around no matter what! When you hit bottom.. she’s there.. you see.. it’s EASY to hang around when you are flying high.. shit.. everything is wonderful when you are flying high.. but life isn’t just about the highs.. it’s about the lows too.. and that is when you REALLY find out what people are REALLY made of.. because the weak minded.. can’t handle the lows.. the weak scatter.. they scurry like roaches for new options.. they run from hard work.. they are scared about the bottom because they don’t know how to get themselves off the bottom.. they don’t know how to handle it. They whine,  complain, look for new options, disappear.. I call them the “bigger better party people”.. they will always go to the bigger better party when the party they are at.. starts to suck.. they are not “ Bottom Bitches.. “ Shug.. played by Taraji P. Henson.. walks in on the boys recording and fighting.. more fighting at the moment then recording.. to put a LAVA LAMP on the studio table.. she explains.. that.. she saw this lava lamp in a real studio.. and she thought that it would be cool.. if they had one too.. and in that moment.. I must say.. THIS was my favorite part of the film. It made me realize when Djay said.. we have EVERYTHING we need.. right here in front of us.. everything we need to succeed.. It made me think about me. It made me think about my dream.. one that I somehow lost vision of  for a while. You see I always thought I needed to know BIG industry people.. or I needed a fancy Manhattan loft space to succeed.. or I needed to surround myself with a bunch of people who could help me.. but I came to realize I don’t.. I don’t need any of it at all.. I just needed.. to open my eyes and look around at what is in front of me.. and use what I have. EVERYTHING I need.. is right here. I don’t need anything more than a camera, the internet, a talent, a vision, and of course.. a dream.. not to mention the balls to take that first step.  In the words of Djay.. “I’ve been trying to squeeze a dollar out of a dime and I don’t even have a cent.” .. I understand Djay.. me too.. I never had the patience.. I never did.. and Key was right when he said.. “It takes time.” Time and perseverance.. and who would have thought.. it was all inspired by a “Bottom Bitch”.. isn’t that something? Everyone needs to find themselves.. a “Bottom Bitch”.. they are the ones that you KNOW who will be there when the chips are down.. and you are laying in the dirt. They will NEVER hurt you.. They will NEVER give up on you.. they will be the first to grab you by the back of the shirt and start pulling you out of the dirt.. they will ONLY help.

Djay.. was a man with a dream.. he became someone with a PURPOSE. He had a hard time achieving that purpose.. he didn’t have the confidence he needed to accomplish that purpose until he surrounded himself with people that believed in him and shared in achieving that purpose. And in return.. he gave those people a purpose too.. So many people in life.. look for a purpose. A Purpose is a really an important thing in life.. Djay showed a lot of people that they had a purpose by having a purpose himself.. he showed them they ALL had a GIFT.. and he showed them they ALL had a choice.. they could either step up.. or bow out. Against All Odds… they ALL went up against every odd out there.. as a team.. they all went out and decided that “It wasn’t about the size of the dog in the fight.. but it was about the size of the fight in the dog!” Not only Djay.. but EVERYONE put EVEYTHING on the that line. ALL or NOTHING. It all came down to one thing..

1 man and his skills.. EVERYBODY HAS GOTTA HAVE A DREAM! What’s yours?

I guess I can keep going on and on about this.. but I don’t really want to ruin the rest of the movie. Luda did a fantastic job as Skinny Black.. he played him perfectly. You should definitely check this flick out if you ever have a minute. Funny how Terrance being an actor rapped.. and Luda being an rapper acted.. and they both did great transitions. Well enough about this for now.. I guess.. My point being was.. sometimes all you have to have is a DREAM and believe.. it doesn’t matter how big or small the dream is.. it can be something as small as owning a house.. or something as big as having your own production studio in L.A. or N.Y. ..and after the first step.. the rest just sort of comes into play on it’s own. As long as you are the one doing the WALKING.. then.. you just took the first step of being on your way to accomplishing your dream. Most are so afraid of taking that first step because of all the judgemental idiots out there who NEVER did.. or are jealous you are walking.. and they aren’t. Not Everyone is built to take that first step.. but.. if you find people who are.. and tag along with their purpose.. sometimes you would be amazed at what comes out of that equation for you as well.. just make sure you are a WALKER.. and not a TALKER.. because in order for it to payoff.. you always have to put something on the table to take something off. Well.. after you decide that you are ready for it.. the rest.. is just a matter of time.