Rappers' Breakout Film Roles
Many MCs followed 2Pac's path from hip hop to Hollywood.
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Rapper's Breakout Film Roles - 20 years ago today, Juice hit theaters. Not only did the landmark film give a then-rare look at hip hop and New York street life, it also introduced us to the stormy, intense acting skills of one Tupac Shakur. The movie was a breakthrough vehicle for the young star, propelling both his acting and music careers to new heights. Two decades later, many MCs have followed Pac's trailblazing path from hip hop to Hollywood. Here, we take a look back at rappers in breakout film roles. (Photo: Paramount Pictures)
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Tupac Shakur, Juice - Tupac's brilliant, chilling turn as arch-villain Bishop in Juice immediately established him as a credible actor, helping him later land roles in films like Poetic Justice and Above the Rim. (Photo: Paramount/courtesy Everett Collection)
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Eminem, 8 Mile - Slim shattered expectations with his star turn in the semi-autobiographical film 8 Mile. (Photo: Universal Pictures)
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T.I., ATL - T.I. cracked his Hollywood seal with a starring role in the coming-of-age flick ATL in 2006. The king of the South took off his crown to play a rollerskating teen trying to make it in the tough streets of the A.(Photo: Warner Bros.)
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Ice Cube, Boyz N the Hood - Before he was a Hollywood mogul with several hit film franchises under his belt, Cube killed it as Doughboy in Boyz N the Hood. (Photo: Columbia/courtesy Everett Collection)
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