Ludacris and Terrence Howard star in this drama written and directed by Craig Brewer. Street hustler and pimp DJay (Howard) spends his time selling Nola (Taryn Manning) to clients so that he can support his pregnant girlfriend Shug (Taraji P. Henson), but his sleazy lifestyle leaves him feeling hollow and unfulfilled. When he hears that local rapper turned superstar Skinny Black (Ludacris) is returning home for the Fourth of July, DJay seizes the opportunity to team up with a couple of friends and put together a demo tape that he hopes will bring him fame and fortune.