*Terrence Howard was reportedly approached by a number of black stars requesting that the actor turn down the opportunity to perform his Oscar-nominated song from “Hustle & Flow” during Sunday’s ceremony.

Howard is up for a best actor award for his role as DJay, a Memphis pimp who hopes to become a rapper. The song he sings in the film, “It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp,” has been nominated for an Academy Award as well. But as previously reported, the song’s writers, Three 6 Mafia, will perform the track instead.

According to the UK’s Mirror newspaper, actress Eva Longoria said the actor was approached by several black stars, including Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington and Will Smith, who have asked him not to perform the song during the telecast.


“Sidney Poitier said, ‘Do not get up there and represent the African American community singing about a pimp,’” Longoria told the newspaper.


Meanwhile, Taraji P. Henson, who belted the song’s chorus in the film, will join Three 6 Mafia on stage for the Oscar performance and will be allowed to keep the word “b*tches” in the chorus. A spokesman for Gil Cates, the producer of the Oscars telecast, confirmed that the term was not on the list of banned words.


Lyrics in the song that do appear on the list include the N-word, the S-word and the F-word. After being asked to perform the track, Three 6 Mafia members Jordan "Juicy J" Houston, Paul "DJ Paul" Beauregard and Cedric "Frayser Boy" Coleman, went through the lyrics line by line and substituted various words to make it FCC-friendly.

African American's defining music, and I'm sorry if this offends you, is jazz.

Rap/R&B is shit music and I wouldn't even classify it as music. Jazz is more refined and actually needs talent. Rappers are talentless scum suckers.

Again, sorry if your offended, but rappers offend me as an american

Rap/R&B is shit music and I wouldn't even classify it as music. Jazz is more refined and actually needs talent. Rappers are talentless scum suckers.

Why do we as black folks not support each other? Denzel won for Training Day because he was a monster in that film, and he was believable... It was completely different than all the other Denzel movies out there. Same for Halle with Monsters Ball, acting is about taking a role and making it your own, so that when people see the movie, play, TV show etc, the see the character, not the actor playing the role. If your children are being brainwashed, it is because you are allowing them to be, you should be your children's role models, not actors, actresses, rappers, & singers that they do not know, and more than likely will never know!!! I could care less how white people perceive me, and to be honest the same goes for black people. You know why, because you same blacks that berate 3-6 Mafia for being too “niggerish” will berate me for sounding too white!!! We are always on that how white folks perceive us crap, but we are our own worst enemies!!! I teach my sons that if a person isn’t making moves to make your life better, then what they think or feel about you is irrelevant!!! Why was the song nominated? I guess now ya’ll want to know why it won? The song tells the story of the movie perfectly. Who cares if you don’t condone the language or the topic, it was nominated! Where is your nomination? Or better yet, what have you done to better the lives of black folks? Rap is art. Rap like all music tells a story. If you have a problem with the stories that our young black men and women have to tell, then get off of your tail and do something about it!!! Go down to the hood and take a look at what our people go through, and until you have had to endure some of the things they have, shut up!!! And I have to say, the whole “bitches” and “hoes” argument is so OLD!!!!! Get over it, if you don’t have %*$!( or hoe tendencies, then the song isn’t about you. DoctorSmooth, the Oscars are not about class and style, that is the way you are supposed to dress, the Oscar are about being the Best of the Best, as determined by the Academy. And sir, 3-6 Mafia now has a golden statue!!!!!

So if Joaqin Phoenix had said Johnny Cash sucked and he doesn't get it, what would have been the reaction? At least Jamie Foxx respected Ray Charles Music, but Charles again was not what I would consider a role model.