Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Of 2025Holiday Watch GuideGotham AwardsCelebrity PhotosSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Love Beats Rhymes

  • 2017
  • R
  • 1h 46m
IMDb RATING
5.5/10
1.2K
YOUR RATING
Common, Lucien Laviscount, Hana Mae Lee, and Azealia Banks in Love Beats Rhymes (2017)
An aspiring hip-hop artist discovers the world of slam poetry.
Play trailer2:07
6 Videos
9 Photos
DramaMusical

Azealia Banks, Jill Scott, Lucien Laviscount, and Common lead this inspiring, music-filled story of a struggling rapper looking to find her own voice.Azealia Banks, Jill Scott, Lucien Laviscount, and Common lead this inspiring, music-filled story of a struggling rapper looking to find her own voice.Azealia Banks, Jill Scott, Lucien Laviscount, and Common lead this inspiring, music-filled story of a struggling rapper looking to find her own voice.

  • Director
    • RZA
  • Writer
    • Nicole Jefferson Asher
  • Stars
    • Azealia Banks
    • Common
    • Method Man
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.5/10
    1.2K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • RZA
    • Writer
      • Nicole Jefferson Asher
    • Stars
      • Azealia Banks
      • Common
      • Method Man
    • 10User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
    • 54Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos6

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:07
    Trailer
    Love Beats Rhymes: New Direction
    Clip 1:34
    Love Beats Rhymes: New Direction
    Love Beats Rhymes: New Direction
    Clip 1:34
    Love Beats Rhymes: New Direction
    Love Beats Rhymes: Restaurant
    Clip 1:22
    Love Beats Rhymes: Restaurant
    Love Beats Rhymes: Coco Meets Coltrane
    Clip 2:00
    Love Beats Rhymes: Coco Meets Coltrane
    The Rise of John David Washington
    Clip 3:55
    The Rise of John David Washington
    Official Trailer
    Clip 2:05
    Official Trailer

    Photos8

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 3
    View Poster

    Top Cast42

    Edit
    Azealia Banks
    • Coco
    Common
    Common
    • Coltrane
    Method Man
    Method Man
    • Ref
    Hana Mae Lee
    Hana Mae Lee
    • Julie
    Jas Anderson
    • Thug 1
    Lorraine Toussaint
    Lorraine Toussaint
    • Nichelle
    John David Washington
    John David Washington
    • Mahlik
    Lucien Laviscount
    Lucien Laviscount
    • Derek
    Arjun Gupta
    Arjun Gupta
    • Naveen
    Caleb Eberhardt
    Caleb Eberhardt
    • Reasons
    Jill Scott
    Jill Scott
    • Professor Dixon
    Craig muMs Grant
    Craig muMs Grant
    • MuMs da Schemer
    Mary Christina Brown
    Mary Christina Brown
    • Sapphire
    Jeremie Harris
    Jeremie Harris
    • Matt
    Jin Au-Yeung
    Jin Au-Yeung
    • Jin
    • (as Jin Auyeung)
    La Daniella
    • Tomboyish Latina
    • (as Daniella De Jesus)
    Bryan Burton
    Bryan Burton
    • Shy Nerdy Guy
    Melissa Jackson
    Melissa Jackson
    • Slam Host
    • Director
      • RZA
    • Writer
      • Nicole Jefferson Asher
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews10

    5.51.2K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    7uberdonkey6

    Formulaic plot doesn't spoil a great film

    So.. any film that starts with a rap battle is an instant turn-off for me. But this is neither a story of how life is tough in the streets, or how women are strong. Like step up movies, there is quite a formulaic plot, but unlike those films, the acting is great.. natural and simple. The lead is a good actress. The poetry and rap is good, and really gives body to the film. There is a real love of the content shown by the writers and director. I thought it was touching and made me realise myself that I was missing poetry and needed to keep expression and feeling in my life. Some famous faces in there, and erm, it just seemed to fit together well in a very satisfying way. I wanted to give it an 8, but it just doesn't have the intrigue that could be created with a better storyline. If you like art and have feelings of some type, watch the film.
    10degourd

    Great story, great acting, great directing

    I didn't expect much from this movie but I was blown away by this film. The acting, story and directing were top notch. A truly gorgeous film by RZA. Azealia Banks also brought her A game. Definite must watch!
    10mqueenrice

    Love

    I loved this movie Azealia is a very good actor I was wowed great job girl I enjoyed this movie and you are a talented rapper also don't ever let nobody tell you different you have skills girl acting or rapping you have the package and the guy that played her love interest did and very good job I enjoyed this movie I see it didn't get many stars people are just plum hatters cause this was a very good movie 🙏🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾👍🏾
    10jeanmarccamilleri

    Loved it

    Love this film, azealia is pure talent and has great potential.
    7trdsun718

    This movie deserves more eyeballs

    A nice flick about a young upcoming female rapper finding out that words have meaning and power. This is a love story about the art of spoken words. The cast did a great job. Azelia Banks was good to a degree for her first starring role but Jill Scott knocked it out the park. I didn't know RZA was this good at directing a love story, it flowed seamlessly. Btw RZA should have cast Jeremie Harris to play him in Wu-Tang An American Saga, they looka like.

    More like this

    Being Mary Jane
    7.6
    Being Mary Jane
    Cut Throat City
    4.9
    Cut Throat City
    Monsters and Men
    6.1
    Monsters and Men
    One Spoon of Chocolate
    7.9
    One Spoon of Chocolate
    She Taught Love
    5.3
    She Taught Love
    Monster
    6.5
    Monster
    The Man with the Iron Fists
    5.4
    The Man with the Iron Fists
    Seven Bucks Digital Studios
    3.2
    Seven Bucks Digital Studios
    Malcolm & Marie
    6.6
    Malcolm & Marie
    The Piano Lesson
    6.2
    The Piano Lesson
    Beckett
    5.7
    Beckett
    A Wu-Tang Experience: Live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre
    8.3
    A Wu-Tang Experience: Live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre

    Related interests

    Naomie Harris, Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monáe, André Holland, Herman Caheej McGloun, Edson Jean, Alex R. Hibbert, and Tanisha Cidel in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)
    Musical

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Azealia Banks cancelled parts of her tour to have time to film the movie.
    • Soundtracks
      Get That Work
      Written by Chief WaKil (as Mansa Wakili), Cheapshot (as Colton Fisher), Jason Rabinowitz, James Katalbas and Jaron Lamot

      Performed by Icy Black

      Courtesy of The Math Club

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ13

    • How long is Love Beats Rhymes?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 1, 2017 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • It Doesn't Have to Rhyme
    • Production companies
      • Codeblack Films
      • Lionsgate
      • Spoken Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 46m(106 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.