The movie follows the character of Johnny B. (played by John Cusack), a washed-up musician who feels stuck in his life. He teams up with his friend and music producer, Sol (played by Jason Bateman), to create a demo tape for a young rapper named Shine (played by Mekhi Phifer). As they work on the demo, Johnny becomes obsessed with the idea of making it big with Shine's music, and enlists the help of a shady music executive named Brick Tamland (played by Ben Affleck).