When struggling rapper Coco (Azealia Banks) enrolls in a poetry class, she thinks her rhymes will impress her teacher, Professor Dixon (Jill Scott). Instead, Dixon challenges Coco to seek real meaning in her lyrics, setting her on a journey of discovery that takes her through rap clubs and poetry slams, leading her to find her true voice - and true love - in this uplifting movie costarring Lucien Laviscount and Common.
4 April 1972, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
1 April 1971, Richmond [now Staten Island], New York City, New York, USA
28 July 1984, USA
5 June 1990, San Francisco, California, USA
13 March 1972, Chicago, Illinois, USA
4 April 1960, Trinidad, British West Indies [now Trinidad and Tobago]
4 June 1982, Miami, Florida, USA
November 30, 2017
RZA's direction lacks visual personality, but he keeps the narrative moving and elicits strong performances from his cast.
November 28, 2017
[A] formulaic hip-hop romance.
November 30, 2017
There's not much added to the static thump of cliché in "Love Beats Rhymes" to give this tale of a struggling young female rapper-poet any special life.
November 30, 2017
What keeps you watching are the characters, their character development and the brewing romance between Derek and Coco that in an unexpected plot twist; suddenly gets complicated.
November 30, 2017
Despite its frequently clunky dramaturgy, the film makes some interesting points while providing an excellent showcase for Banks' considerable onscreen charisma.
