Rapper Young Thug is joining the cast of musical dramedy Throw It Back, according to Deadline. Young Thug will be playing opposite the film’s lead, Them‘s Shahadi Wright Joseph as well as executive produce and oversee the film’s soundtrack. Tiffany Haddish is producing via her She Ready Productions company with Haddish also starring in the film. Paul Feig’s Feigco Entertainment is also producing.

The film, directed by Shadae Lamar Smith from a script by Smith and Rochée Jeffrey, is about Wytrell (Joseph), a high school senior who fights for a spot to be on her high school dance team after a scandalous rapper (Young Thug) wants to feature the team in his upcoming music video.

The film is expected to heavily feature HBCU-style band music and southern hip hop, which fits with Young Thug both within the film and in reality. In the film, Young Thug’s character hails from Miami, and in real life, Young Thug is a native of Atlanta. The film also brings to mind other films about southern music and HBCU influences like 2002’s Drumline.

The film will also allow us to see more of Joseph’s acting and singing ability. Joseph got her start on Broadway in The Lion King in 2014 and she was also an original cast member in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stage adaptation of School of Rock. In 2016, she played Little Inez in Hairspray Live. In 2019, Joseph also voiced Young Nala in The Lion King reboot. Her upcoming film, Come Find Me, is in post-production.

Born Jeffrey Lamar Williams, Young Thug is a Grammy-winning artist whose work has been featured in projects like The Underground Railroad, Spiral, Euphoria, Guava Island, SuperFly, Furious 7, The Fate of the Furious and more. He also starred in the 2016 documentary short How Jerrika Met Young Thug and 2014 TV series The Rap Monument.