Rappers turned Actors- Good or Bad Trend?

[Hypestyle]

Hmm, love them or hate them, the trend of rap performers turning to acting has been going on for over 25 years now. So do you think that the 80s, the 90s, or the 00's have produced the better hip-hop actors?

http://tinyurl.com/7ljn4ew

http://tinyurl.com/85wb7mr

http://tinyurl.com/83dnkj2

 

[terry78]

When it comes to those like Will Smith, Mos Def and LL Cool J, they pretty much are the exceptions. I know people ***** about Fitty Cent, but I think the dude honestly tries in his roles, similar they may be.

 

[cherokeesam]

Will is obviously the most successful of the lot, and he's proven himself to be more than just a one-note "awwww HELL naw" actor; Mos Def is a friggin' genius; I think Cube and Ice-T have just ho-ed themselves out and no longer have any credibility anywhere; Diddy has some genuine acting chops; Luda could actually make a career out of comedy and/or action; and I wouldn't be surprised to see Common and T.I. becoming Hollywood fixtures in the very near future. The article mentioned Drake: I haven't seen him act, but he's definitely got a Hollywood look and vibe, and I could see him becoming a major star.

 

[Asgard]

Common is awesome in Hell on Wheels.

 

[Hypestyle]

...I was surprised, to like T.I. in the ATL film, his role in Takers was pretty good even if there were lots of plotholes there.. hopefully he can avoid nutty arrests from now on..

 

[Dr. Evil]

I read all three links, and I don't think there was even a mention of Tupac.

 

[TheAQU4M4N]

Will is obviously the most successful of the lot, and he's proven himself to be more than just a one-note "awwww HELL naw" actor; Mos Def is a friggin' genius; I think Cube and Ice-T have just ho-ed themselves out and no longer have any credibility anywhere; Diddy has some genuine acting chops; Luda could actually make a career out of comedy and/or action; and I wouldn't be surprised to see Common and T.I. becoming Hollywood fixtures in the very near future. The article mentioned Drake: I haven't seen him act, but he's definitely got a Hollywood look and vibe, and I could see him becoming a major star.

He was on Degrassi before he became well know, Jimmy Brooks ring a bell?

Also I can vouch for Eminem, 8 Mile was pretty much the highpoint of his career and won an Oscar for "Lose Yourself". I really hope he finds another role soon but I think he'd rather focus on his music career and running his label.

 

[bullets]

I hardly see Tupac get mentioned and he was surprisingly decent. I think the transitions worked out well. The best ones were from the late 80s /early 90s though.
The 2000s has been mostly lackluster with a few exceptions.

 

[GREEN =w= DAY]

Tupac wasn't bad. not too long ago a saw this old movie with him and Mickey Rourke and i thought he did a pretty good job.

it all depends on the type of role and what kind of film it is to be able to judge them fairly. for example, i think Fiddy Cent is pretty mediocre and tries too damn hard. some of the roles he's gotten don't even fit him.

but guys like Mos Def and Common are excellent at acting. Ice Cube is great in comedies, but i can't take him serious in more dramatic/serious roles.

 

[Lighthouse]

Sean Combs has been quite good in the films I've seen him in.

 

[SuperSoldier985]

I don't mind it..

Rappers are kinds of actors anyway..

 

[The Morningstar]

Tupac was great in Juice and Gridlocked. Xzibit was decent in Bad LT Port of call New Orleans.

 

[chamber-music]

I think Rappers turned actors are hit and miss. Some are great at it Mark Walberg, Will Smith, Queen Latifa, Tupac and Eminem, some are adequate like Common, Ludacris, LL Cool J, Ice T and others suck like Ja Rule and Lil Kim.



Mos Def isn't really a actor turned rapper his both as his been acting since he was 14 years old and he attend a performing arts high school so his been acting and rapping the same amount of time. Much like Ashley Waters (Asher D) his been a child actor and attend acting classes before he was known as a rapper.



I don't have a problem with actors turned actors but I know it does bother some professional actors especially black male actors as there are only a certain amount of roles for ethnic minorites as it is and they feel hard done by when a role goes to a rapper with little to know acting expereince while they went to drama schools and worked their way up doing bit part roles.

Plus acting is their career and they have bills to pay and family to supports.

Some actors who arent't entirely into rappers turned actors


Samuel L Jackson

To take people from the music world and give them the same kind of credibility and weight that you give me, Morgan Freeman, Laurence Fishburne, Forest Whitaker — that’s like an aberration to me; you just can’t do that… It’s not my job to lend credibility to so-and-so rapper who’s just coming into the business.


I know there's some young actor sitting in New York or in L.A. who's spent half of his life learning how to act and sacrificing to learn his craft but isn't going to get his opportunity ... because of some actor who's been created -- and you can use the word 'actor' loosely,' he says. Sorry guys, you may be tight rappers, but stick to what you know best!!!

Anthony Mackie

I don't go to a hospital and let the janitor perform surgery on me, you know what I mean? But if you look at what Ice Cube, LL Cool J, and Queen Latifah have been able to do, it's ridiculous to say their talents should be disregarded because they started out in music.

At the same time, you'd be hard-pressed to find a Sam Jackson these days, because young actors wouldn't be given those roles now. The film business is destroying itself by not breeding talent or nurturing young actors—and that's why all movies suck now.

Nia Long

It’s just not about how talented you are anymore. It’s about, ‘How much box-office revenue will this person generate?’ When you see certain people – we won’t name names – they just don’t have the skill, and no one in their team has said, ‘You need acting classes.

If you’re a singer not an actress, you should sing. If you’re a rapper, you should rap,” “If you take time to develop your craft, God bless you. Jamie Foxx is an example of both a good actor and singer.

If you were able to take all the Black actresses and the choices we’ve made collectively, it’s a pure reflection of what you see on film. People need to work. But the content? The opportunities for Black actresses are more widespread today, but the quality has suffered.

Taye Diggs

When you see someone who is popular as a rapper, sometimes a director will just want a rapper in his or her movie, so that they look cool.

Idris Elba

"The thing is, I straddle the fence with making music. It's just something I enjoy – acting is my profession. It's not always fun, but that's the job. When it comes to making music, it's such hard work to get a single out there that a lot of rappers and musicians see an actor making music, and they think, 'Oh, great.' It's different when the rappers want to do film.

Some actors hate to work with rappers. I don't. I just suspect you have to be really good at what you do, and I'll support you while you're on set. I'll make sure you're up to speed."

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

I think Method Man deserves to be considered one of the better rapper-turned actors.

Rza gets stunt cast in movies but I still like seeing him in flicks.

Ultimately rappers should be judged by their acting on case by case basis.

 

[marvelman2006]

Am I alone in thinking 8-mile was the most overrated, overhyped movie of 2002? I watched it opening weekend and havent watched since. I felt like I was just watching eminem doing a "loosely" based movie about himself and not really playing a character. Im glad he didnt get many roles afterwards.

That brings me to this, most rappers in movies seem to just play themselves or try to be "gangsters". Busta Ryhmes nearly killed the halloween franchise in 2002 with with campy acting and spoiling on smackdwon that his character doesnt die.

 

[cherokeesam]

I think Rappers turned actors are hit and miss. Some are great at it Mark Walberg, Will Smith, Queen Latifa, Tupac and Eminem, some are adequate like Common, Ludacris, LL Cool J, Ice T and others suck like Ja Rule and Lil Kim.



Mos Def isn't really a actor turned rapper his both as his been acting since he was 14 years old and he attend a performing arts high school so his been acting and rapping the same amount of time. Much like Ashley Waters (Asher D) his been a child actor and attend acting classes before he was known as a rapper.



I don't have a problem with actors turned actors but I know it does bother some professional actors especially black male actors as there are only a certain amount of roles for ethnic minorites as it is and they feel hard done by when a role goes to a rapper with little to know acting expereince while they went to drama schools and worked their way up doing bit part roles.

Plus acting is their career and they have bills to pay and family to supports.

Some actors who arent't entirely into rappers turned actors


Samuel L Jackson


Anthony Mackie



Nia Long


Taye Diggs


Idris Elba

Some interesting perspectives from the acting world, but also a bit hypocritical. Wonder if they're just as opposed to actors who try their hand at singing/rapping. Nia Long said, "If you’re a singer not an actress, you should sing." Well then, by the same token, if you're an actor, you should act and not try to sing.

Personally, I don't hold to that philosophy on either side. Ever hear of a renaissance man (or woman)? It's perfectly natural for some people to excel at multiple disciplines. As long as you're *good* at it, I'm all for rappers/singers becoming actors, and vice versa.

 

[kaypain]

I think Rappers turned actors are hit and miss. Some are great at it Mark Walberg, Will Smith, Queen Latifa, Tupac and Eminem, some are adequate like Common, Ludacris, LL Cool J, Ice T and others suck like Ja Rule and Lil Kim.

Mark Walberg was a rapper?

 

[Lencho01]

Mark Walberg was a rapper?

Yeah...

I have no problems with it since it's no different from people who can't act, but get work because of their connections. Some singers, rappers, etc. have the talent and skill for it and some don't. Simple as that.

 

[chamber-music]

Mark Walberg was a rapper?

Yep Mark Wahlberg started out in New Kids On The Block along side his brother Donnie but quit and started a hip hop group called Marky Mark And The Funky Bunch and were rather successful in the early 90s

There biggest hit was Good Vibrations heres the video
[YT]-eSN8Cwit_s[/YT]

 

[chamber-music]

Some interesting perspectives from the acting world, but also a bit hypocritical. Wonder if they're just as opposed to actors who try their hand at singing/rapping. Nia Long said, "If you’re a singer not an actress, you should sing." Well then, by the same token, if you're an actor, you should act and not try to sing.

Personally, I don't hold to that philosophy on either side. Ever hear of a renaissance man (or woman)? It's perfectly natural for some people to excel at multiple disciplines. As long as you're *good* at it, I'm all for rappers/singers becoming actors, and vice versa.

To be fair she did say if your a singer who takes acting seriously like Jamie Foxx she is cool with it.

 

[Evil Twin]

Why are we singling out rappers? The trend of popular singers turned actors has been going on since Al Jolson. I view rappers as part of the same trend that includes the likes of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Elvis Presley, Kris Kristofferson, Dolly Parton, etc. Not to mention actors trained in musical theater like Julie Andrews and Barbara Streisand who had careers outside of musicals.

Rappers might be an interesting subset, but I think it's better viewed as a subset instead of a trend in itself.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

I do think that hollywood uses hiring rappers as an excuse not to bring any new black actors on the scene. I'm not totally against rappers turn actors though because some of them are good.

 

[chamber-music]

I do think that hollywood uses hiring rappers as an excuse not to bring any new black actors on the scene. I'm not totally against rappers turn actors though because some of them are good.

Others have brought that up too

The one noticeable, sad fact is that producers in Hollywood are taking roles away from capable actors—mostly African-American actors—and giving them to rappers.

The idea that T.I. is more qualified to play Frank Lucas' cousin in “American Gangster” over a trained black actor is preposterous. Should 50 Cent really be honing his acting chops opposite De Niro and Pacino when a talented black actor could’ve landed this breakout role?

With a dearth of new black acting talent in Hollywood, these casting decisions by movie producers is an indictment on not just the perceptions of who minorities are, but who many believe should represent them in major motion pictures and television programs

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

That person said it better than me.

There is a difference between rappers turn actors like Will Smith who has really worked to be a fine actor and has two Oscars noms under his belt and almost all the black roles going to rappers and singers who are untalented and are in no way serious about the work. I think that it is race based, like a lot of stuff in Hollywood. That's why I laugh at actors like George Clooney who run their mouth about everything and talk about how tolerant Hollywood is just because they gave a black woman an Oscar for playing a maid in Gone with the Wind. And the most buzzed about role for a black actress in Hollywood 2011 is a ****ing maid in "The Help." Maybe George Clooney should complain about that!

 

[BruceWanner]

And then there's Drake. I think he's an interesting name to bring to this discussion since he actually started out as an actor and then became a very successful rapper. I don't know if he'll return to acting anytime soon, but I wouldn't bet against it.