The Top Musicians Turned Actors

Jumping from the mic to the big screen.

RZA - The Abbott has shown promise with his roles in American Gangster and Funny People. Now he is reportedly set to join the cast of the next G.I. Joe film.  RZA is also no stranger to scoring music for films including The Man With The Iron Fists ! Don't miss The RZA tonight on 106 as a guest discussing his new film Brick Mansions at 6P/5C!

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RZA - The Abbott has shown promise with his roles in American Gangster and Funny People. Now he is reportedly set to join the cast of the next G.I. Joe film. RZA is also no stranger to scoring music for films including The Man With The Iron Fists ! Don't miss The RZA tonight on 106 as a guest discussing his new film Brick Mansions at 6P/5C!

Lenny Kravitz - Lenny Kravitz is one of the most accomplished rock stars of this generation and he took his career to the next level when he decided to become an actor.(Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

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Lenny Kravitz - Lenny Kravitz is one of the most accomplished rock stars of this generation and he took his career to the next level when he decided to become an actor.(Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Beyoncé - Since her breakout role in 2006 as Deena Jones in Dreamgirls, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination, Bey has proven she can draw crowds on the big screen as well.  Recently, she landed the coveted role as the lead in the fourth remake of A Star Is Born, which starred Judy Garland in 1954 and Barbra Streisand in 1976. The film will be directed by the legendary Clint Eastwood. Beyoncé calls the role "the biggest opportunity of my life. I will work as hard as I can."

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Beyoncé - Since her breakout role in 2006 as Deena Jones in Dreamgirls, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination, Bey has proven she can draw crowds on the big screen as well.  Recently, she landed the coveted role as the lead in the fourth remake of A Star Is Born, which starred Judy Garland in 1954 and Barbra Streisand in 1976. The film will be directed by the legendary Clint Eastwood. Beyoncé calls the role "the biggest opportunity of my life. I will work as hard as I can."

Mos Def - The Mighty Mos actually starred in The Cosby Mysteries way before becoming a household name in hip hop back in 1994. He's since apppeared in Monster's Ball, The Italian Job and Cadillac Records, just to name a few. He's also a Golden Globe nominee, for his portrayal of Vivien Thomas in HBO's Something the Lord Made.  In addition, Mos signed a multi-episode deal for the sixth season of Showtime's Dexter.

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Mos Def - The Mighty Mos actually starred in The Cosby Mysteries way before becoming a household name in hip hop back in 1994. He's since apppeared in Monster's Ball, The Italian Job and Cadillac Records, just to name a few. He's also a Golden Globe nominee, for his portrayal of Vivien Thomas in HBO's Something the Lord Made.  In addition, Mos signed a multi-episode deal for the sixth season of Showtime's Dexter.

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Tyrese - Since getting his start in John Singleton's Baby Boy back in 2001, Tyrese has appeared in films from the action franchises Fast & Furious and the Transformers. With blockbuster sequels from both in theaters this year, Tyrese has been a busy man.

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Will Smith - He's currently Hollywood's most bankable star, but people tend to forget that Will Smith is the first rapper to win a Grammy, as half of DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. A long way from his The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air sitcom on NBC, Smith released 10 consecutive blockbusters ($100 million plus at the box office) with movies like I Robot, Hitch, I Am Legend and Hancock in the 2000s. He's also a two-time Oscar nominee and produces movies and television shows.

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Will Smith - He's currently Hollywood's most bankable star, but people tend to forget that Will Smith is the first rapper to win a Grammy, as half of DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. A long way from his The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air sitcom on NBC, Smith released 10 consecutive blockbusters ($100 million plus at the box office) with movies like I Robot, Hitch, I Am Legend and Hancock in the 2000s. He's also a two-time Oscar nominee and produces movies and television shows.

Queen Latifah's Advice for Kate Middleton - "Make sure you have a sanctuary, because everybody in the world is going to be in your business. He happened to be born a prince; you happened to go to college and meet him. You’re two kids who fell in love. I just hope you have a happy life. And don’t take anything personally."

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Queen Latifah - The first rapper to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Queen was acknowledged by the academy for her role in 2002's Chicago. She's appeared in over 20 movies in the last two decades.

Mark Wahlberg - Wahlberg and his Funky Bunch may have lacked credibility in hip hop, but it's a different story in Hollywood. One of three former rappers to be nominated for an Oscar, Wahlberg has grown into one of Tinseltown's most reliable leading men.

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Mark Wahlberg - Wahlberg and his Funky Bunch may have lacked credibility in hip hop, but it's a different story in Hollywood. One of three former rappers to be nominated for an Oscar, Wahlberg has grown into one of Tinseltown's most reliable leading men.

Ice Cube - The industry got us out here on an island; we out here and we don't get no light or very little [light]. So artists have been tryna figure out what we need to do to get that light. And I feel like with this record, we don't need to do nothin', we do what we do, have fun with it. Do a record that fans would enjoy and kinda leave it at that and let the chips fall where they may.

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Ice Cube - Initially cast in more hardcore roles, Cube has successfully transitioned into comedies. He's also written several films, including 1995's classic Friday.

Ice-T - The former "cop killer" has been playing an NYPD detective for 10 seasons on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Imagine that!

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Ice-T - The former "cop killer" has been playing an NYPD detective for 10 seasons on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Imagine that!

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Ludacris - Luda's shared the screen with silver screen vets like Mark Wahlberg, Don Cheadle, Terrence Howard and Gerard Butler, among others. He appeared in the Oscar-winning Crash in 2005 and is showing no signs of slowing down.

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Ludacris - Luda's shared the screen with silver screen vets like Mark Wahlberg, Don Cheadle, Terrence Howard and Gerard Butler, among others. He appeared in the Oscar-winning Crash in 2005 and is showing no signs of slowing down.

Common - Known as a conscious rapper in hip hop circles, Common has been making a name for himself playing tough guys and villains in Smoking Aces, Wanted and Terminator Salvation. However, he did play a lovable b-ball star along side Queen Latifah in Just Wright.

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Common - Known as a conscious rapper in hip hop circles, Common has been making a name for himself playing tough guys and villains in Smoking Aces, Wanted and Terminator Salvation. However, he did play a lovable b-ball star along side Queen Latifah in Just Wright.

T.I. - Critics have dubbed Tip a natural for his turns in ATL and American Gangster. The rap star even held his own alongside acting vets Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Matt Dillon and Michael Ealy in Takers.

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T.I. - Critics have dubbed Tip a natural for his turns in ATL and American Gangster. The rap star even held his own alongside acting vets Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Matt Dillon and Michael Ealy in Takers.

Method Man - Meth has been finding work in Hollywood for well over a decade now. Though he appeared opposite Samuel L. Jackson in 187 and had his own Fox sitcom with partner-in-rhyme Redman in the early 2000s, the Wu-Tang standout earned rave reviews for his performances in HBO's OZ and The Wire.

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Method Man - Meth has been finding work in Hollywood for well over a decade now. Though he appeared opposite Samuel L. Jackson in 187 and had his own Fox sitcom with partner-in-rhyme Redman in the early 2000s, the Wu-Tang standout earned rave reviews for his performances in HBO's OZ and The Wire.

Diddy - Always ambitious, the Puffster took over Broadway a few years back and starred as Walter Lee Younger in A Raisin in the Sun. He also starred in the TV version in 2008. Diddy's also appeared in Monster's Ball and as a music executive in Get Him to the Greek.

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Diddy - Always ambitious, the Puffster took over Broadway a few years back and starred as Walter Lee Younger in A Raisin in the Sun. He also starred in the TV version in 2008. Diddy's also appeared in Monster's Ball and as a music executive in Get Him to the Greek.

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Brandy - Singing wasn't enough for Brandy. The R&B artist embarked on an acting career and scored her own sitcom, Moesha, in the mid-'90s. She also starred in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer with Jennifer Love Hewitt.

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Brandy - Singing wasn't enough for Brandy. The R&B artist embarked on an acting career and scored her own sitcom, Moesha, in the mid-'90s. She also starred in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer with Jennifer Love Hewitt.

DMX: December 18 - Rapper DMX celebrates his 40th birthday.

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DMX - Before legal drama derailed his success, X enjoyed a brief run as an action hero in films like Romeo Must Die, Exit Wounds and Cradle to the Grave in the early 2000s.

Eve - Eve is one of few rappers to have landed her own sitcom, Eve. She's also appeared in popular films Barbershop, XXX and The Cookout.

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Eve - Eve is one of few rappers to have landed her own sitcom, Eve. She's also appeared in popular films Barbershop, XXX and The Cookout.

50 Cent - Ok ladies and [gentlemen] I'm writing my new album. I will not be on twitter again till Sept 6. This album will be a classic.

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50 Cent - Since inking a multimillion dollar film production deal, Fif doesn't just focus on staying on the music charts—he's eyeing the box office. Aside from his 2005 biopic, Get Rich or Die Trying, Fif's appeared in Home of the Brave alongside Jessica Biel and Samuel L. Jackson, and in Righteous Kill with Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino. He is presently developing several films for his production company, Cheetah Films.

Snoop Dogg - Films are just one of the countless forms of entertainment Snoop has dabbled in. The Doggfather has played thugs (in Baby Boy) and pimps (in Starsky & Hutch) and frequently puts out his own music-related movies.

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Snoop Dogg - Films are just one of the countless forms of entertainment Snoop has dabbled in. The Doggfather has played thugs (in Baby Boy) and pimps (in Starsky & Hutch) and frequently puts out his own music-related movies.

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Bow Wow (@BowWow) - Bow isn’t wasting his time on one spoiled apple when there’s plenty to choose from. “Fellas: "Why cry over 1 woman, when god produced millions of beautiful women in this world for us?"

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Bow Wow - Bow was going on auditions the second his first record went platinum. He's starred in Like Mike and Roll Bounce and had a brief stint on HBO's Entourage.

Chris Brown - Chris Brown will release "Graffiti" on December 8 via Jive Records.

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Chris Brown - C. Breezy's yet another crooner who's been bit by the acting bug. After delivering a solid performance in This Christmas, Brown had a spotlight-stealing role in Takers.

Jill Scott - Jilly from Philly surprised quite a few with her performance in Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married. She then starred in her own HBO series, The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency.

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Jill Scott - Jilly from Philly surprised quite a few with her performance in Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married. She then starred in her own HBO series, The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency.

Mariah Carey - Back in 1995, Mariah Carey became the first female artist to have a single debut at #1 on the Billboard Top 100 Singles chart with "Fantasy."

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Mariah Carey - Mimi made us all forget about Glitter with her performance in Precious.

Q-Tip - The Abstract Poetic is one of countless MCs to have sampled Michael. His “Move/Renaissance Rap” single off “The Renaissance” samples Jackson 5’s “Dancing Machine.” He also threw an event to celebrate Mike’s 51 birthday last year.

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Q-Tip - Tip's appeared in Poetic Justice, Prison Song and Spike Lee's She Hate Me.

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Busta Rhymes (@BusaBusss) - Want to know what Busta Rhymes considers real hip-hop?  TWEET: “RICK ROSS ALBUM IN STORES AND AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE RIGHT NOW ASWELL!!!#SUPPORTREALHIPHOP!!!”

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Busta Rhymes - Bussa Buss lists Higher Learning, Shaft, Finding Forrester and Halloween: Resurrection in his filmography.

The Game - The Compton rapper has appeared in Waist Deep and Street Kings.

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The Game - The Compton rapper has appeared in Waist Deep and Street Kings.

Ray J - Before becoming a reality TV star, Ray J memorized lines on Moesha and One on One.

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Ray J - Before becoming a reality TV star, Ray J memorized lines on Moesha and One on One.

Eminem - Em offered a surprising performance in the semi-autobiographical 8 Mile back in 2002. While he hasn't been too active since, he's appeared in Judd Apatow's Funny People, but is said to be preparing to star in a film where he plays a boxer.

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Eminem - Em offered a surprising performance in the semi-autobiographical 8 Mile back in 2002. While he hasn't been too active since, he's appeared in Judd Apatow's Funny People, but is said to be preparing to star in a film where he plays a boxer.

Drake - Drizzy first got a taste of fame by incarnating Jimmy Brooks, a wheelchair-bound high school student on Canadian teen series Degrassi: The Next Generation.

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Drake - Drizzy first got a taste of fame by incarnating Jimmy Brooks, a wheelchair-bound high school student on Canadian teen series Degrassi: The Next Generation.

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Lauryn Hill - Hill is far from miseducated. The singer/rapper attended Columbia University before joining the Fugees. DEGREE: N/A

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Lauryn Hill - Before killing us softly with Roberta Flack's song, Ms. Hill stood out alongside Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. She's also starred in Restaurant alongside Adrien Brody and Elise Neil.

Kid Cudi - 'Gorgeous' was one of those records that, as soon as I heard the beat, I was like, 'Man, this is the one. This is that 'This Can't Be Life' Kanye beat.' 'This is that classic 'Ye beat. I want to be on this.' I came up to him, and I was like, 'Man, are you working on this record? Are you working on this beat?' He goes, 'Yeah ... do you got an idea for it?' I was like, 'Yeah, I might.' I didn't. I was lying like a mother----er.

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Kid Cudi - Cudder currently stars in HBO's How to Make It in America.

Lord Jamar - The former Brand Nubian MC had a brief stint in OZ and has also appeared in Law & Order.

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Lord Jamar - The former Brand Nubian MC had a brief stint in OZ and has also appeared in Law & Order.

Xzibit: September 18 - Rapper Xzibit celebrates his 36th birthday.

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Xzibit - X to the Z aided Mulder and Scully in X Files: I Want to Believe and terrorized Jennifer Aniston in Derailed.

will.i.am - Will made his motion picture debut in X-Men Origins: Wolverine this past summer.

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will.i.am - Will made his motion picture debut in X-Men Origins: Wolverine this past summer.

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Lil Wayne - Weezy played a high school basketball player in Hurricane Season, also starring Bow Wow, Forest Whitaker and Taraji P. Henson.

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Lil Wayne - Weezy played a high school basketball player in Hurricane Season, also starring Bow Wow, Forest Whitaker and Taraji P. Henson.

Treach - Treach has made appearances on HBO's OZ and The Sopranos, but his most memorable role to date is as Alonzo in Jason's Lyric.

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Treach - Treach has made appearances on HBO's OZ and The Sopranos, but his most memorable role to date is as Alonzo in Jason's Lyric.

Alicia Keys - Keys is the first female R&B artist to debut with three consecutive #1 albums with "Songs In A Minor," "The Diary of Alicia Keys" and her "Unplugged" album.

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Alicia Keys - Ms. Keys has appeared in Smoking Aces, The Nanny Diaries and The Secret Life of Bees.

LL Cool J: January 14 - The rapper and actor turns 44.

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LL Cool J - Uncle L's acting career has come full circle. He got his start on TV with In the House, graduated to movies with Any Given Sunday, S.W.A.T. and In Too Deep and is currently enjoying the success of his NCIS: Los Angeles series on CBS.

Jennifer Hudson - Each city we go to, my suitcase won’t hold my new clothes, so we have to box them up and ship them home. Then I get back and want to try on everything I bought, so clothes are just everywhere. It got to a point where I could barely get in my bedroom. And when did I realize I had a problem? Well, my bed is a canopy. I had nowhere else to throw the clothes. So I threw them on top of the canopy!

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Jennifer Hudson - Hudson won Best Supporting Actress for her first film, Dreamgirls. She's since starred in Winged Creatures, Sex and the City and The Secret Life of Bees.

VH1 Announces Famous Crime Scenes - A new VH1 show, “Crime Scenes,” debuting Feb. 12 will revisit famous murder cases. Episodes are expected to retell the lives and deaths of rap icons Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. Forensic experts, witnesses and investigators will share testimony and viewers will go on an excursion to the famous crime scenes where the rappers and other famous people were killed.

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Tupac Shakur - Pac was on the verge of becoming a Hollywood player at the time of his death. In addition to playing Bishop in Juice, the MC worked with Tim Roth in Gridlock'd, Mickey Rourke in Bullet and James Belushi in Gang Related.