lil yachty on the come up movie

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On the Come Up

Story centers on 16-year-old Bri, who wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Facing controversies and with an eviction notice staring down her family, Bri doesn't just want to ... Read all Story centers on 16-year-old Bri, who wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Facing controversies and with an eviction notice staring down her family, Bri doesn't just want to make it, she has to make it. Story centers on 16-year-old Bri, who wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Facing controversies and with an eviction notice staring down her family, Bri doesn't just want to make it, she has to make it.

• Sanaa Lathan
• Angie Thomas
• Jamila Gray
• Noa Dior Rucker
• 6 User reviews
• 16 Critic reviews
• 52 Metascore
• 2 nominations

• Brianna 'Bri' Jackson
• (as Jamila C. Gray)

• (as Titus Makin)
• See all cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Aunt Pooh : You can't spell brilliant without first spelling Bri.

• Soundtracks Where The Flowers Grow Written by Mark Woodford Performed by Mark Woodford Courtesy of Beats and Rhymes

User reviews 6

• Sep 26, 2022
• How long is On the Come Up? Powered by Alexa
• September 23, 2022 (United States)
• United States
• Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
• Paramount Pictures
• State Street Pictures
• Temple Hill Entertainment
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• Sep 25, 2022

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• Runtime 1 hour 56 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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On the Come Up: release date, trailer, cast and everything we know about the movie

On the Come Up centers on a teenager making it big in the battle rap scene.

Twenty years after 8 Mile became an Oscar-winning movie, On the Come Up tells the story of a young female battle rapper split between staying true to the culture and selling out for mainstream commercialized rap. This is another cinematic adaptation of The Hate U Give author Angie Thomas, while the movie also serves as the directorial debut for actress Sanaa Lathan.

From the 2002 8 Mile to 2017’s indie-film Bodied , which Eminem also produced, battle rap has always been an important yet niche product of Hip Hop culture. The competitive sport blending improvisational theater and pure disrespect between two opponents can make for good drama that On the Come Up hopes to capture. 

Here’s everything we know about On the Come Up .  

When is the On the Come Up release date?

On the Come Up is set for release in theaters and on Paramount Plus Friday, September 23, in the US; Canada and Italy also get the movie on Paramount Plus on September 23. This is just one of the titles new to Paramount Plus in September .

The movie premieres for the UK and other international territories later this year. 

What is the On the Come Up plot?

Here is the synopsis according to Paramount Plus:

" On the Come Up is the story of Bri, a gifted 16-year-old rapper, who attempts to take the battle rap scene by storm in order to lift up her family and do right by the legacy of her father — a local hip hop legend whose career was cut short by gang violence. But when her first hit song goes viral for all the wrong reasons, she finds herself torn between the authenticity that got her this far and the false persona that the industry wants to impose upon her."

On the Come Up trailer

Watch the official trailer for On The Come Up below, which premiered August 28, 2022 during the MTV Video Music Awards.

Who is in the On the Come Up cast?

Newcomer Jamila C. Gray makes her major film debut in On the Come Up as lead character Bri Jackson, aka lil Lawless.

Other members of the cast include Only Murders in the Building and Dolemite is My Name star Da’Vine Joy Randolph stars as Bri’s close friend. Also appearing are Method Man ( Power Book II: Ghost ), Mike Epps ( The Upshaws ), rappers Lil Yachty and GaTa, as well as Sanaa Lathan, pulling double duty as director and actor.  

On the Come Up reviews — what the critics are saying

As of September 20, On the Come Up has "Fresh" 91% on Rotten Tomatoes .   Deadline contributor Valerie Complex said:

" On the Come Up has an old-school quality to it regarding the shooting style and aesthetic. John Singleton, and the Hughes Brothers, clearly influenced Lathan’s direction."

Who is Sanaa Lathan?

Better known as the actress in classic films including Love & Basketball and Brown Sugar , Sanaa Lathan makes her directorial debut with On The Come Up . She is also the daughter of celebrated film and television producer/director Stan Lathan, who also directed one of the definitive Hip Hop centered film Beat Street .  

How to watch On the Come Up

On the Come Up releases in the US in select movie theaters and on Paramount Plus on September 23.

To see the movie on the big screen, check your local movie theater website to see if it is playing near you or a resource like Fandango .

If you want to stream On the Come Up from home, you'll need to be a Paramount Plus subscriber (either ad-supported or ad-free tier).

There's no information yet on where On the Come Up is going to be available for UK audiences, but since there is a UK version of Paramount Plus, it's a good bet it'll be there when the movie arrives. We'll update this page with more info when it becomes available.

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On the Come Up

2022, Drama/Music, 1h 56m

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On the come up videos, on the come up   photos.

Starring newcomer Jamila C. Gray, ON THE COME UP is the story of Bri, a gifted 16-year-old rapper, who attempts to take the battle rap scene by storm in order to lift up her family and do right by the legacy of her father -- a local hip hop legend whose career was cut short by gang violence. But when her first hit song goes viral for all the wrong reasons, she finds herself torn between the authenticity that got her this far and the false persona that the industry wants to impose upon her.

Rating: PG-13 (Some Violence|Sexual References|Drug Material|Strong Language|Thematic Elements)

Genre: Drama, Music

Original Language: English

Director: Sanaa Lathan

Producer: George Tillman Jr. , Robert Teitel , Wyck Godfrey , Marty Bowen , Isaac Klausner , Angie Thomas , Timothy M. Bourne

Writer: Kay Oyegun

Release Date (Streaming): Sep 23, 2022

Box Office (Gross USA): $229.3K

Runtime: 1h 56m

Production Co: Paramount Pictures, Temple Hill Entertainment, State Street Pictures

Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

Cast & Crew

Da'Vine Joy Randolph

Jamila C. Gray

Miles Gutierrez-Riley

Justin Martin

Titus Makin Jr.

Michael Cooper Jr.

Sanaa Lathan

Screenwriter

George Tillman Jr.

Robert Teitel

Wyck Godfrey

Marty Bowen

Isaac Klausner

Angie Thomas

Timothy M. Bourne

John Fischer

Executive Producer

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'On the Come Up' Trailer Promises a YA Love Letter to Hip-Hop

Sanaa Lathan will be making her feature directorial debut with 'On the Come Up', which stars Method Man, Lil Yachty & Jamila C. Gray.

The first teaser for Paramount's adaptation of On the Come Up has officially arrived. The teaser trailer debuted during the 2022 BET Awards and is described by Paramount as "a love letter to hip hop."

In just 30 seconds, the teaser already showcases how integral hip hop is to the story as it introduces the movie's protagonist, Bri ( Jamila C. Gray ). As the teaser plays out, Bri is told to just make music, and "the right song, at the right time" will be a major turning point. Viewers get a glimpse of Bri's prowess as she partakes in rap battles and is lauded by her peers.

On the Come Up is based on the YA novel of the same name by Angie Thomas . It follows 16-year-old Bri, an aspiring rapper who's also the daughter of a hip-hop legend. When Bri releases a song that goes viral for all the wrong reasons, she becomes entangled in a controversy that pulls her in different directions. Despite this and struggles at home, Bri won't back down.

RELATED: From 'The Spectacular Now' to 'Everything Everything': 7 Underrated Film Adaptations from YA Bestselling Novels

On the Come Up marks the second book by Thomas to be adapted, following the footsteps of her debut novel The Hate U Give , which was adapted into a film in 2018. Both books were quick to land on the New York Times bestseller list, with the latter spending over 200 weeks on the list. Given the powerful nature of The Hate U Give , book and film, On the Come Up 's teaser previews its hope to have a similar impact on audiences.

On the Come Up is written by Kay Oyegun and directed by Sanaa Lathan , who makes her feature directorial debut with the project. Thomas, Temple Hill, and State Street are producing. Alongside Gray, the movie stars Lathan, Da’Vine Joy Randolph , Lil Yachty , Method Man , Mike Epps , GaTa (a.k.a. Davionte Ganter ), Miles Gutierrez-Riley , Titus Makin Jr. , and Michael Anthony Cooper Jr.

There is currently no release date for On the Come Up , but it will release exclusively on Paramount+. Check out the teaser trailer below:

The full synopsis from Paramount+ reads:

"Bri (Jamila C. Gray), a young Black girl, attempts to take the battle rap scene by storm in order to do right by the legacy of her father—a rapper whose career was cut short by gang violence—and to help her family climb out of poverty. But when her first hit song goes viral for all the wrong reasons, she finds herself torn between the authenticity that got her this far and the false gangsta role that the industry wants to impose upon her. Based on the New York Times #1 best-selling YA novel by Angie Thomas (who also penned 'The Hate U Give'), 'On The Come Up' is punctuated by the comedic talents of Mike Epps, hip hop heroes like Method Man and Lil Yachty, and the lyrical prowess of Rapsody."

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The film will hit Paramount+ on September 23.

Published on

Paramount+ has unveiled the first trailer for On The Come Up , which features Lil Yachty , Method Man , and more. The film adaptation of Angie Thomas’ hip-hop-themed coming-of-age novel, On The Come Up, premieres next month.

On the Come Up is the feature directorial debut of Emmy-nominated actress Sanaa Lathan and will also hold its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.

On the Come Up will premiere on the streaming service starting on Friday, September 23 in the U.S., Canada, Italy, and later in the year in additional international territories.

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According to a logline, the film tells the story of “Bri, a 16-year-old gifted rapper, who attempts to take the battle rap scene by storm in order to lift up her family and do right by the legacy of her father–a local hip hop legend whose career was cut short by gang violence. But when her first hit song goes viral for all the wrong reasons, she finds herself torn between the authenticity that got her this far and the false persona that the industry wants to impose upon her.”

Yachty has been quiet on the music front this year. Around this time in 2021, he released Birthday Mix Vol. 6 via Quality Control Music & Motown Records. The annual tradition is a fan favorite among Yachty devotees.

The rapper, entrepreneur, and mogul has released his birthday mixes since 2015 exclusively on SoundCloud, with this installation being the first available on all streaming platforms.  Birthday Mix Vol. 6 is a nine-track project featuring verses from Lil Tecca, Sofaygo, and DC2DRILL & Draft Day, who are both signed to Lil Yachty’s Concrete Boys label.

Back in June of 2021, Lil Yachty shared “Love Music.” The laid-back single was his first release following his highly praised Michigan Boy Boat mixtape .

In other news for the mogul, Yachty has been working on a new series for HBO Max based on the card game ‘UNO’, releasing his cryptocurrency “YachtyCoin,” partnering with Reese’s Puffs Cereal, and promoting his new unisex nail-paint line Crete.

Listen to the best of Lil Yachty on Apple Music and Spotify .

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Paramount Plus' 'On the Come Up' Hip-Hop Movie Debuts Official Trailer

Sanaa Lathan makes her feature directorial debut.

On the Come Up  is making a splash!  Paramount+ dropped the official trailer for its upcoming coming-of-age movie during Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards , which marks the feature directorial debut of Sanaa Lathan .

The film, based on the best-selling Angie Thomas novel of the same name, follows the story of Bri (newcomer Jamila C. Gray), a 16-year-old gifted rapper, who attempts to take the battle rap scene by storm in order to lift up her family and do right by the legacy of her father -- a local hip hop legend whose career was cut short by gang violence. But when her first hit song goes viral for all the wrong reasons, she finds herself torn between the authenticity that got her this far and the false persona that the industry wants to impose upon her.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Lil Yachty, Mike Epps, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Justin Martin, Titus Makin, Michael Cooper Jr., GaTa, Lathan and Cliff “Method Man” Smith round out the cast. 

On the Come Up  will also make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. Kay Oyegun wrote the screenplay. George Tillman Jr., Robert Teitel, Wyck Godfrey, Marty Bowen, Isaac Klausner, Thomas and Timothy M. Bourne are producers, along with executive producer John Fischer.

Watch the official trailer below. 

On the Come Up  premieres Friday, Sept. 23 on Paramount+ in the U.S., Canada, Italy and will drop later in the year in other international territories.

ET and Paramount+   are both   subsidiaries of Paramount . 

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On the Come Up

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Brianna "Bri" Jackson

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Infamous Millz

Sanaa Lathan

Book-based drama about race, art, identity has gun violence.

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Here’s a first look at sanaa lathan’s ‘on the come up’ movie.

The film stars Lathan alongside and serves as her feature directorial debut.

By Amber Corrine

Amber Corrine

Staff Writer, News

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During the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday (Aug. 28), Paramount+ unveiled the official trailer for the Sanaa Lathan -directed original film, On The Come Up . Based on the same-titled book by Angie Thomas, the film will serve as the feature directorial debut of the Emmy-nominated actress . On The Come Up will premiere exclusively on the streaming service Friday (Sept. 23).

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sanaa Lathan (@sanaalathan)

Grammy-nominated rapper Rapsody recently spoke with VIBE about working behind the scenes as a rap coach to Gray in the film. “I’ve been working on a film with Sanaa called On The Come Up where I coach the main actress,” Rapsody revealed exclusively. “And I did music along with 1500 or Nothing for the film, so that was an amazing experience. I feel like we’ll start promoting that sooner than later.”

She added, “Sanaa opened the door, and she allowed me to learn a lot about filmmaking, the process, and she trusted my ear. We worked well together along with Larrance Dopson in just creating something dope, musically.”

Ahead of the forthcoming film, Lathan has played iconic roles in classic movies, including  Love & Basketball  and  The Best Man  franchise films. She most recently starred in Netflix’s  The Perfect Guy  amid celebrating her first Emmy nomination for HBO’s  Succession .

Rapsody Talks Working With Sanaa Lathan On Upcoming Feature Film, ‘On The Come Up’

“We are thrilled to bring a truly inspiring film about fighting for your dreams to the service this fall,” said Tanya Giles, chief programming officer at Paramount+. “ One The Come Up  is a moving love letter to hip hop and an entertaining film for all ages.”

Check out the new trailer for On The Come Up above.

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On the Come Up (2022)

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Sixteen-year-old Brianna Jackson is a gifted rapper who plans to take the battle rap scene by storm to lift up her family and do right by the legacy of her father, a local hip-hop legend whose career was cut short by gang violence. However, when her first hit song goes viral for all the wrong reasons, she finds herself torn between the authenticity that got her this far and the false persona that the industry wants to impose on her.

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On the Come Up — Official Trailer

source:   youtube.com

added: Mon, Aug 29th '22

The official full-length trailer has been released for "On the Come Up," the new battle rap drama for Paramount Plus, which is based on the best-selling book by "The Hate U Give" author Angie Thomas.

The film, which marks the feature directorial debut of actress Sanaa Lathan who also co-stars, features newcomer Jamila C. Gray as Bri, a talented teen rapper who is also the daughter of an underground hip hop legend who died before hitting it big. Bri becomes a viral sensation during one of her battle raps. But her newfound notoriety is pushing her into a corner as the media is unfairly turning her into a controversial figure.

The cast also includes Da'Vine Joy Randolph, rapper Lil Yachty, Method Man, Mike Epps, and rapper GaTa.

Adapted by Kay Oyegun (This Is Us), "On The Come Up" will start streaming on Paramount Plus on September 23rd.

synopsis: Bri (Jamila C. Gray), a young black girl, attempts to take the battle rap scene by storm in order to do right by the legacy of her father -- a rapper whose career was cut short by gang violence -- and to help her family climb out of poverty. But when her first hit song goes viral for all the wrong reasons, she finds herself torn between the authenticity that got her this far and the false gangsta role that the industry wants to impose upon her. Based on the New York Times number-one best-selling YA novel by Angie Thomas (who also penned The Hate U Give), On The Come Up is punctuated by the comedic talents of Mike Epps, hip hop heroes like Method Man and Lil Yachty, and the lyrical prowess of Rapsody.

directed by   Sanaa Lathan

starring   Jamila C. Gray, Sanaa Lathan, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Lil Yachty, Method Man, Mike Epps, GaTa (a.k.a. Davionte Ganter), Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Titus Makin Jr., and Michael Anthony Cooper Jr.

release date   September 23, 2022 (on Paramount Plus)

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Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, on the come up.

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I can understand a movie not making logical sense. I can even work through a movie lacking emotional sense too. But I can’t stand a film that feels dishonest or reeks of manipulation. It gives me no pleasure to say this, but actress Sanaa Lathan ’s cliched, visually inert directorial debut “On the Come Up” is both dishonest and manipulative.

The film follows 16-year-old Bri ( Jamila Gray ), living in the fictional inner city of Garden Heights as she pursues her dreams of becoming a famous rapper. For Bri, such lofty goals aren’t beyond the realm of possibility. Rapping is in her blood, and her legendary MC father Lawless was a local sensation with the kind of talent to break through. That is, until he was fatally shot. Now Bri, living with her mother Jay (Lathan), a recovering addict, spends her nights visiting rap battles with her Aunt Pooh (a powerhouse Da’Vine Joy Randolph) in the hopes of being discovered by a record company so she might provide for her family. 

Adapted from The Hate U Give  author Angie Thomas ’ same-titled novel, “On the Come Up” unoriginally hits the beats of other rap battle movies like “ 8 Mile ” and “Hustle & Flow,” but without either of those films’ lived-in feel. Everything in Lathan’s aesthetic vision looks and sounds artificial. The neighborhood of Garden Heights, though often given shoutouts, is rarely experienced and seen; Lathan and her cinematographer Eric Branco (“ The Forty-Year-Old Version ,” “ Clemency ”) rarely opt for an establishing shot. Instead, scenes begin with cars or buses driving into a static shot, leaving us confined within the boundaries of the lens rather than exploring what makes this neighborhood alive. 

Lathan also opts to use Bri’s internal monologue, whereby she rhymes and counts out syllables, as the film’s narration for reasons that aren’t wholly clear. The voiceover adds little grounding to the character—apart from vocalizing her craft—and her internal lines are so basic, they might as well have been lifted from a Dr. Seuss book.  

Despite her immense talent, Bri’s ascent toward stardom isn’t assured. At her white high school, which is supposedly striving for greater diversity, a security guard mistakes her for a drug dealer and body slams her to the ground. With Bri’s mother now laid off, their family struggles to make ends meet. Her first entry to the rap battle ring saw her running away once a rapper started clowning her deceased father. But when she finally wins a battle against the son of her father’s former manager and a successful music kingmaker, Supreme (Cliff “ Method Man ” Smith), her hotheaded aunt spoils her progress by threatening a rival gang with a gun in the rap battle’s parking lot. Bri’s precarious situation forces her to leave her Aunt Pooh’s protection for the riches promised by Supreme.

While “On the Come Up” wants to be about a girl falling into the pernicious clutches of the music business, even that feels hollow, especially when Bri records a hardcore diss track aimed at her local gang. Her friends Malik (the charming Michael Cooper Jr.) and Sonny (the catty Miles Gutierrez-Riley) see her as a sellout trying to get rich off a lifestyle she doesn’t rep. Bri sees no problem with playing the part if it’ll get her paid, mostly because she doesn’t see the dangerous consequences lurking within her actions. 

Bri's naïveté is the least believable portion of “On the Come Up”; It stretches and distorts reality, and it's emotionally manipulative. I grew up on the West Side of Chicago. By the age of ten, we knew what piece of the city we called home—both its beauty and its obvious risks. How are we supposed to believe that a 16-year-old girl like Bri, who lost her father to gun violence, isn’t aware of the ramifications of her actions? How is she so blinded to the realities of Garden Heights? “On the Come Up” would rather trade truthfulness for an uplifting Black film about Black people overcoming hardships aimed at white audiences. 

It’s a dated tactic. But that unfortunately makes sense in a movie that references Pandora as a viable streaming app, Soundcloud as a platform used by music managers, and whose entire commentary about institutional violence centers around Trayvon Martin, who while important, is one of many. No attempt is made to update or expand these references in order to make this film speak to now. Instead, an awkward queer love story becomes rushed. 

“On the Come Up” takes the standard path and subsequent turns you expect in a feel-good story, with all of the extraneous subplots inherent in these movies. We even get a final rap battle whose outcome tramples over the pain and trauma separating mother from daughter and friend from friend. Lathan’s film is only a pale imitation of what came before it. But while “On the Come Up” is a major miss, here’s hoping that Lathan returns with a bigger and better directorial effort next time out.

This review was filed from the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10th. "On the Come Up" opens in theaters and premieres on Paramount+ on September 23rd.     

Robert Daniels

Robert Daniels is an Associate Editor at RogerEbert.com. Based in Chicago, he is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) and Critics Choice Association (CCA) and regularly contributes to the  New York Times ,  IndieWire , and  Screen Daily . He has covered film festivals ranging from Cannes to Sundance to Toronto. He has also written for the Criterion Collection, the  Los Angeles Times , and  Rolling Stone  about Black American pop culture and issues of representation.

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On the Come Up (2022)

Rated PG-13 for strong language, sexual references, thematic elements, some violence and drug material.

115 minutes

Jamila Gray as Bri

Da'Vine Joy Randolph

Miles Gutiérrez-Riley as Sonny

Michael Cooper Jr. as Malik

• Sanaa Lathan

Writer (based on the novel by)

• Angie Thomas

Writer (additional literary material)

• Zora Howard

Cinematographer

• Eric Branco
• Steven Rosenblum
• Daniel Wohl

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On the Come Up

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