The Top Musicians Turned Actors
Jumping from the mic to the big screen.
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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!
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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
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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."
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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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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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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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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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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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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 - 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.
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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.
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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.
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Mariah Carey - Mimi made us all forget about Glitter with her performance in Precious.
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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 - Bussa Buss lists Higher Learning, Shaft, Finding Forrester and Halloween: Resurrection in his filmography.
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The Game - The Compton rapper has appeared in Waist Deep and Street Kings.
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Ray J - Before becoming a reality TV star, Ray J memorized lines on Moesha and One on One.
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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.
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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 - 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.
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Kid Cudi - Cudder currently stars in HBO's How to Make It in America.
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Lord Jamar - The former Brand Nubian MC had a brief stint in OZ and has also appeared in Law & Order.
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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.
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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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