On the Come Up Summary

Bri Jackson, a 16-year-old girl from Garden Heights, dreams of becoming a successful rapper like her late father Lawless, an underground sensation. She anxiously waits for an invitation to showcase her talent in the Ring, a local club known for rap battles, while attending an ACT prep class to recover her smartphone seized by her teacher. Despite her mother and teacher's emphasis on education, her heart is set on rap for the sake of her family's dire financial situation. Bri's chance finally arrives, and despite the initial shock of her opponent Milez's lyrics about her father's death, she manages to outperform him and wins the battle, instantly becoming a local sensation.

However, Bri's moment of glory comes to a halt when she is unfairly targeted by two school security guards who subject her to a violent search alleging she had contraband in her bag. Shaken by the incident and the ensuing rumors of her being a drug dealer, she channels her anger into a rap song titled "On the Come Up". The song, addressing her experience of racism and boasting about carrying a firearm, goes viral after being shared by her father's former manager, Supreme. While her friends are supportive, some of her relatives criticize her for misrepresenting herself and promoting gang violence.

As her family's financial struggles intensify, Bri wrestles with staying true to herself or conforming to the stereotype of a gangster rapper to accelerate her career. Bri is reluctantly persuaded to record a song not resonating with her own experiences, but at the last moment, she decides to freestyle her own lyrics, affirming her refusal to fit into people's expectations. This defiance costs her a potential record deal, but it also reaffirms her determination to succeed in the rap industry on her own terms, a decision that is applauded by a celebrity who hails her as the future of hip-hop.