Hustle & Flow Writter Goes On MTV

MTV New Media has joined forces with Hustle & Flow director Craig Brewer to bring online audiences $5 Cover, a new series based on the musical uprisings and lives of Memphis, Tennessee’s own talents.

Coming together to expose the raw southern atmosphere famous for crafting the careers of popular musicians like Three 6 Mafia, Isaac Hayes and Justin Timberlake, this web-only program will take viewers to no-holds barred spots ranging from the city’s clubs and 24-hour cafes to sultry motels and woolly neighborhoods. With over 15 digital episodes featuring a performance or recording session, dramatic stories will be unveiled exclusively online.

“$5 Cover allows a talented filmmaker like Craig to use technologies that change the way audiences consume and engage in content,” MTV New Media VP David Gale said in a statement. “Rather than using all the new screens as simply additional distribution platforms, we are building an entirely new interactive experience that makes connections between the audience and content more meaningful.”

In addition to allowing the world to see the lives of Memphis-bred artists, users will also be allowed to use various online features to peep virtual tours of the city including habitual spots where some of the cast members hang out.

“Content is now a click away and distribution platforms can fit in the palm of your hand,” Brewer said in a statement. “For me it’s always been Memphis music and musicians. And now people from around the world, at any time of the day, on a multitude of devices, will be able to click and snack in my own backyard with some of the coolest cats this side of the Mississippi River.”

Brewer is known for creating Memphis-based projects like his 2007 film Black Snake Moan that featured a range of entertainers including Justin Timberlake, David Banner, Christina Ricci and Samuel L. Jackson.

$5 Cover’s cast will consist of 11 young artists with interests in a range of music including rock, indie, folk, rap, crunk, pop, comedy, alternative, and folk.

No official kick-off date has been announced for the upcoming digital series.