Many rappers have attempted to dabble in film with their side, but just a handful really have the acting talent to gain critical or box office achievement. Here are 4 actors who took it from the big screen to the hip hop scene.
Rapping and acting might seem different from the same, but many famous performers (and some do both) started out as rappers. Since it started, Ice-T has been a co-star in many hit film movies, including the Ride Along with movies, and former rappers Queen Latifah and Will Smith have made a very good move from musicians to beloved actors. Ice-T has been on the hit series Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Rappers produced a lot of excellent hip-hop music on RapTV, but they also made some pretty enjoyable movies.
Eminem:
Eminem is probably the most popular white artist in history, selling more than 155 million records and singles around the globe. It was just a matter of time before he graced the large screen, with such a massive international success. This rhythmic rhymer, unlike other rap stars who almost always started off in tiny supporting roles, though, went all or nothing to appear as the lead in his first feature. ‘8 Mile’ not only earned him his first Academy Award for co-writing the film’s theme (“Lose Yourself”), but also had him known worldwide as a charismatic stage presence, focused on Eminem’s own pre-success experiences in crime-ridden Detroit.
For his followers, the emergence of Eminem as a movie star was a rather highly awaited affair, with many people unclear whether he might cut the mustard on the frame. The semi-autobiographical 8 Mile, though, was both a success and a critically praised box office. The theme was predictably embedded in hip hop, and the strongest show of it is the final fight sequence.
Friday-Ice Cube:
In Friday, Chris Tucker and Ice Cube star, a film about the misadventures of two men living in South Central LA. It offers the hood a more lighthearted, satirical appearance. An all-star comedy ensemble features Bernie Mac, Regina King, Nia Long and John Witherspoon on Friday. In the end, Friday will contribute to two more sequel films. Ice Cube co-wrote the picture. He and co-writer DJ Pooh evidently decided to make a film that displayed a lighter side of life in the city. Before Friday reached theaters, Ice Cube was in the middle stages of his solo career, launching four songs. The most common was Lethal Injection in 1993. Before Friday, Ice Cube had already produced several television and animations, including Boyz n the Ghetto.
Bad Boys -Will Smith:
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence star in a Michael Bay-directed buddy cop project, Bad Boys. The first film was released in 1995, and then two sequel movies Bad Boys II and Bad Boys for Life were released, with potential plans for another film. Through Bad Boys’ release Will Smith started his big transformation to mega film superstar. He’d already starred on the popular TV show The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, but Bad Boys was his first big success in the box office, and with Independence Day it leads to another. Bad Boys was mostly the film that set off his film career, but, like his 1997 album Big Willie Style, he was already producing rap albums after Bad Boys as a solo artist.
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Notorious (2009):
As for most seminal performers, at some stage it was obvious that a biopic about Biggie Smalls would be made. Many of Biggie ‘s fans were worried that the film might fall short of fact, but the film stood up and was well received. Any song in the album may be deemed the greatest, but we went to the “Hypnotise” Biggie classic.
