As conversations around youth mental health, trauma and suicide prevention continue to grow nationwide, Baltimore rapper Tashera “T” Savage is bringing her own story of survival to the screen.

Her upcoming biopic, Thru the Eyes of the Hustler’s Daughter, is based on Savage’s real-life journey through childhood violence, depression and recovery. The film follows a young girl born into Baltimore’s drug trade who witnesses her father’s murder and struggles for years with the psychological aftermath.

Rather than focusing solely on street life, the film explores what trauma can do to a child’s mind and how healing can begin through therapy, creativity and community support.

“People will automatically think this is a hood movie, but it’s not,” Savage said. “I want people to see the triumph in my story — the overcoming.”

As she starts to heal, her fractured relationship with her mother, former queenpin Shontel Greene, evolves into a shared journey marked by accountability, forgiveness and the possibility of change.

Written by Andrena Hale and co-written by Peter Allen, the film stars Hassan “Iniko” Johnson (best known for HBO’s The Wire), and Courtney Adele and Varonica Mitchell, who portray Tashera at different stages of her life. The cast also includes hip-hop artist B.G. (Christopher Dorsey) and former NFL player Terrance West.

“All of it’s a true story,” Savage said. “Losing my dad, especially the way that I lost my dad, was one of the most painful things I ever went through in my life.”

At its core, Thru the Eyes of the Hustler’s Daughter is a story about what it takes to confront inherited pain and choose a different path.

“I was forced into this lifestyle at just 14 years old after my mother’s and father’s heroin addictions,” added Shontel Greene, Savage’s mother. “I thought there was no other way out! This is a life that SHOULD NOT BE GLAMORIZED. The purpose of this film is to inspire and empower others to make a way out of no way. I am living proof of this, as a doctor and thriving business owner, that a different, more meaningful and productive life is possible.”

The film is currently in production and expected to debut this fall.