Apparently members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences weren’t the only ones impressed by Terrence Howard’s Oscar-nominated role as a pimp-turned-rapper in 2005’s Hustle & Flow. EW has learned exclusively that the 39-year-old Crash veteran, now starring in the Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, has landed a record deal with Columbia Records. “The full name [of the project] is Terrence Howard Presents Me and the Band of Kings,” says a label rep, who adds that the group’s as-yet-untitled debut CD “is slated for a fall release.” Maybe it’s not so hard out here for a pimp after all.