These days, it seems like there is a specific recipe to making a hit comedy movie in Hollywood. Pick a likable, but troubled main character, write in some sexual innuendos, and sprinkle in some Kevin Hart, and it’s a guarantee that people will cop a ticket in the box office.

Chris Rock‘s new film Top Five, which he directed, wrote, and starred in, includes all three of those components, but has a couple new factors that make it unique. So, what exactly makes this film different than the typical Hangover’s, Ride Along‘s, or Coming To America‘s? Well, for one, hip-hop culture plays a huge role throughout the movie, as the title stands for the main conversation piece of the film…everyone’s Top 5 Dead or Alive rapper list.

Playing his alter ego comedian Andre Allen, Chris’ character exposes a lot of truths about the comedic world, but also about himself. As Allen suffers through a mid-career crisis, he is forced by Rosario Dawson’s fierce journalist character to come to terms with some harsh realism. As a man who battled some alcoholism, which was the sole factor behind his success in comedy, we watch as Chris gives us a raw, and nearly unscripted, look at how intense it can be to keep the spark alive in funny land.

Andre is determined to show his loyal fans, who want more of his gimmick material, that he can be a serious actor as he promotes his new Haitian slave history film. Spending the day with journalist Chelsea [Rosario Dawson], he soon learns that he has much more explaining to do than why he’s becoming serious on-screen.

“I just don’t feel funny,” Andre soon reveals. Showing flashbacks to points in the comedian’s life that brought him to rock bottom, the audience is taken through the twisted, wild world of his newfound fame. With lines like, “I got that kind of sleep you get when you’re waiting to see if a hoe is going to come over,” there is a guarantee that there will be some non-stop laughs ahead in the theater. Mixing hip-hop, raw hilarity, and a little bit of romance, this movie recipe might be one of the most fool-proof ones yet. Trust me, this is not like any other comedy you’ve seen. –Lindsey India