DJay is the character portrayed by Terrence Howard in the 2005 movie Hustle & Flow.
Howard received Oscar, Golden Globe, and Independent Spirit Award nominations for his portrayal of DJay and the song “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” won an Academy Award (Oscar) for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song. He did not perform the song during the ceremony, however, saying that it took seven months for him to find DJay’s voice and that to perform it now would not have the same impact as it did then. However, perhaps more importantly, he was petitioned by many prominent black actors such as Will Smith and Sidney Poitier to not perform the song as it depicts a very negative view of black men in general. |
