Boots Riley of The Coup to Direct First Film Starring Tessa Thompson and Lakeith Stanfield

Considered by many to be one of hip-hop’s best storytellers, rapper Boots Riley of The Coup is now preparing to film his first movie.

According to Deadline, the project will be called Sorry to Bother You and will feature Tessa Thompson (Creed, Mississippi Damned), Lakeith Stanfield (Atlanta, Get Out) and Steven Yeun. The film is set to begin shooting this month in Oakland, California.

Financed by Significant Productions, MNM Creative and Cinereach, the film will tell the story of “a black telemarketer with self-esteem issues” who “discovers a magical key to business success, propelling him to the upper echelons of the hierarchy just as his activist comrades are rising up against unjust labor practices. When he uncovers the macabre secret of his corporate overlords, he must decide whether to stand up or sell out.”

Although Riley has been rapping since the early 1990s, the rapper got his start in movies, studying film at San Francisco State University before ending his studies to pursue music. Riley released his first album with his band The Coup in 1991.

While the rapper hasn’t directed a movie yet, he was behind the camera for the music video for The Coup’s Me and Jesus The Pimp in a ‘79 Granada Last Night. Riley’s film will be executive produced by Kim Roth, Poppy Hanks, Michael Y. Chow, Michael K. Shen and Gus Deardoff.

As of now, there's no release date for the film.