# It's Hard Out There for a Pimp: Deserving of Best Song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 7, 2006, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-hard-out-there-for-a-pimp-deserving-of-best-song/347333 "2006-03-07T01:56:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2006, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-hard-out-there-for-a-pimp-deserving-of-best-song/347333/21 "2006-03-07T20:22:18Z")
As has been noted above, I don’t think a song wins an Oscar based solely on how the song works, musically, divorced from the context of the movie. It’s the Oscars, not the Grammys. I didn’t see the other movies–Crash, Transamerica–so I can’t compare it to those. But “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” deserved recognition for how well it worked within the context of the movie. I think it’s a great song too, but as far as its movie context, it was \*critical \*to the movie. It carried a lot of weight, and it carried it well. ---
**Author:** ![annieclaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5a626/32.png) [@annieclaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/annieclaus)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-hard-out-there-for-a-pimp-deserving-of-best-song/347333/22 "2006-03-08T04:20:23Z")
[QUOTE=lissener] I didn’t see the other movies–Crash, Transamerica–so I can’t compare it to those. But “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” deserved recognition for how well it worked within the context of the movie. I think it’s a great song too, but as far as its movie context, it was \*critical \*to the movie. It carried a lot of weight, and it carried it well. [/QUOTE] I DID see both CRASH and TRANSAMERICA (in addition to HUSTLE AND FLOW) and the nominated songs from both films were so insignificant as to have gone unnoticed in the course of watching. However, “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” was at the very heart of HUSTLE & FLOW. It said everything about DJay’s life and why he wanted to do and be something better. ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-hard-out-there-for-a-pimp-deserving-of-best-song/347333/23 "2006-03-08T04:44:59Z")
Just echoing what most people have said - it’s a decent (not particularly great) rap song, but it’s a _motherfucker_ in the context of the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Rachael\_Rage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@Rachael\_Rage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachael_Rage)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-hard-out-there-for-a-pimp-deserving-of-best-song/347333/24 "2006-03-08T06:05:32Z")
Heh. Was this inspired by a tangent on [The Oscar Rehash Thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=361705)? Rehashing what I said on the rehash - YES YES YES! Or, what all y’all said. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-hard-out-there-for-a-pimp-deserving-of-best-song/347333/25 "2006-03-08T06:19:51Z")
I really liked it. I agree that the rapping wasn’t great, but the chorus was. And I haven’t even seen it in the context of the movie yet. I also liked the other two performances. ---
**Author:** ![threeorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@threeorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threeorange)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-hard-out-there-for-a-pimp-deserving-of-best-song/347333/26 "2006-03-10T01:27:40Z")
[QUOTE=annieclaus] I DID see both CRASH and TRANSAMERICA (in addition to HUSTLE AND FLOW) and the nominated songs from both films were so insignificant as to have gone unnoticed in the course of watching. However, “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” was at the very heart of HUSTLE & FLOW. It said everything about DJay’s life and why he wanted to do and be something better. [/QUOTE] I thought Bird York’s “In the Deep” perfectly set the tone for the resolutional events happening onscreen while it was playing near the end of **Crash**. I certainly noticed the song, as did my wife, and two friends with whom we saw the film, and I would certainly not call it insignificant. Having said that, I agree that “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” was the more integral to its film and deserved to win. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-hard-out-there-for-a-pimp-deserving-of-best-song/347333/27 "2006-03-10T01:53:08Z")
[QUOTE=randwill] I’m still not sure what the “rimp” is that the pimp is trying to get the money for. Or is it a “pent” that’s trying to get the money for the rent? I’m sure I’m misunderstanding it one way or the other. I don’t know much about rap, but I know it’s suppose to rhyme. I’m sure artists as talented as 3 Six (or whatever) know that “rent” and “pimp” aren’t even close to rhyming. So I’m sure I’m just misunderstanding one word. [/QUOTE] :rolleyes: Rap isn’t about rhyming. It’s about the melody. ---
**Author:** ![JonScribe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3be4f8/32.png) [@JonScribe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JonScribe)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-hard-out-there-for-a-pimp-deserving-of-best-song/347333/28 "2006-03-10T02:56:50Z")
Well, if how a song fits into the context of a movie is what counts, then the songs sung by Dianne Reeves in “Good Night, and Good Luck,” should have at least been nominated. THe songs, particularly “Too Close for Comfort,” were brilliantly woven into the story. ---
**Author:** ![threeorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@threeorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threeorange)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-hard-out-there-for-a-pimp-deserving-of-best-song/347333/29 "2006-03-10T11:06:15Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] Were there really on 3 songs nominated? Why only 3? [/QUOTE] I was wondering this myself. Was this an especially bad year for original songs, such that only three were worthy of nomination? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-hard-out-there-for-a-pimp-deserving-of-best-song/347333.md?page=1)