<P> Poetic Justice is a 1993 American romantic drama film written and directed by John Singleton and starring Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur with Regina King and Joe Torry . In the film, the main character Justice writes poems which she recites throughout the film . The poems featured were written by Maya Angelou, and Angelou also appears in the film as one of the three elderly sisters whom the characters meet at a roadside family reunion . The Last Poets make an appearance toward the end of the film . </P> <P> Poetic Justice reached #1 in the box office its opening weekend, grossing $11,728,455 . It eventually grossed a total of $27,515,786 . Jackson received nominations for the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, with the Billboard Hot 100 number one song, "Again". It was later referenced in Kendrick Lamar's single "Poetic Justice", which was titled after and based on the film . The song sampled Jackson's "Any Time, Any Place ." </P> <P> Justice (Janet Jackson) is a young woman living in South Central, Los Angeles . She was named Justice by her late mother, who gave birth to her while attending law school . After the shooting death of her boyfriend Markell (Q - Tip), Justice falls into a deep depression . She spends the majority of her time in the house that she inherited from her grandmother, with her cat White Boy, only going out to her job at a local hair salon . Justice is a talented poet, and she reads many of her poems throughout the course of the film, both to other characters and in voice over . </P> <P> Justice is at the hair salon working one day when a young postal clerk named Lucky (Tupac Shakur) comes in and begins flirting with her . She rebuffs his advances with the help of her female boss; the two women pretend to be lesbians and mock Lucky with their "relationship". </P>

Who played tupac's mom in poetic justice