Rappers Turned Actors: An A-Z Definitive Breakdown

50 Cent

50 Cent first portrayed himself in a 2005 episode of The Simpsons before starring as Marcus in the semi-autobiographical film, Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, that same year. He’s had over 20 film roles since then including the Escape Plan franchise, All Things Fall Apart, and Den Of Thieves. His most notable roles, though, are Kanan Stark (Power) and Cassius Dawkins (For Life).

André 3000

André 3000 (né Benjamin) got his acting start in 2003 as Silk Brown in Hollywood Homicide. His breakout role came in 2005, though, with his starring role as Jeremiah Mercer in Four Brothers, alongside fellow rapper-actor Mark Wahlberg. That year, he also starred in Revolver and Be Cool. The following year, he starred in Idlewild with his OutKast brethen, Big Boi. Benjamin later starred as Sunny in Class Of 3000 and appeared on hit TV series, The Shield, American Crime, and Dispatches From Elsewhere. His latest roles came in 2022 as Eric in Showing Up and Lasher in White Noise.

A$AP Rocky

A$AP Rocky (born Rakim Mayers) made his acting debut in 2015’s Dope as Dom. He also appeared in Zoolander 2 as himself the following year. He then starred in Monster as James King in 2018. He’s set to appear in the upcoming dramedy, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, slated to be distributed by A24 in 2025.

When speaking on his acting career, he described it as “another art form” that he loves.

Azealia Banks

Per her IMDb, Azealia Banks made her acting debut in the 2005 “dramatic-documentary-musical,” The American Ruling Class, as an Empire Falls singer-dancer. Her true debut came in 2017 when she starred as Coco in the RZA-directed drama musical, Love Beats Rhymes, alongside Jill Scott, Common, and John David Washington. Her latest role came in 2023 when she voiced Catty Noir in Monster High.

Big Boi

Big Boi‘s first proper role came in 2004 when he starred as Lucious in 20 Funerals. One of his most notable roles came in 2006 when he starred as Marcus in ATL. That same year, he starred alongside André 3000 in Idlewild as Rooster. Big Boi appeared on three episodes of Girlfriends, later starred in Who’s Your Caddy?, and appeared on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Star, Single Ladies, The Quad, and in The Cookout 2, The Trap, SuperFly, American Soul, Creepshow, and Scream: The TV Series.

Big Daddy Kane

Big Daddy Kane, born Antonio Hardy, started his acting career in 1993 with roles in The Meteor Man and Posse. The following year, he played himself in Gunmen, which starred Mario Van Peebles. Hardy didn’t return to the screen until 2007’s Dead Heist, according to his IMDb. He went on land roles in Love For Sale, Just Another Day, Exposed, and more. He also guest-starred on The Equalizer and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Big Sean

Big Sean’s first foray into acting came when he appeared in Ye’s short film, Cruel Summer, in 2012. He then played himself in Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Beyond The Lights in 2014 before making a guest appearance on Uncle Buck in 2016. He had some voiceover roles before truly making his acting debut as Tristan on the BET series, Twenties. Back in April, he hinted that he may return to acting, but “when it comes to acting and just anything I do, I want to really concentrate and focus on it.”

Sean added, “When that time comes, if it’s right, then it’s right.” 

Bow Wow

Shad Moss, known professionally as Bow Wow, needs to be considered as one of the most successful rappers turned actors.

He first played himself on an episode of The Steve Harvey Show in 2001. That same year, he made a cameo on Moesha as Ray-Ray and had a minor role in Robert Townsend’s Carmen: A Hip Hopera alongside Jermaine Dupri, Beyoncé, and yasiin bey. Moss then played Kelly in All About The Benjamins before starring as Calvin in Like Mike.

Two years later in 2004, he starred in Johnson Family Vacation along with Cedric The Entertainer, Solange, and Vanessa Williams. The following year, he starred in Roll Bounce before joining the Fast & Furious franchise as Twinkie. He first appeared in Tokyo Drift before reprising his role in Fast 9. Moss has had cameos on Ugly Betty, Smallville, and Secret Life Of The American Teenager before getting a recurring role on Entourage. He later starred in 2010’s Lottery Ticket, 2011’s Madea’s Big Happy Family, and on CSI: Cyber for two seasons. His latest role came in 2022 when he played Mega in Hip Hop Family Christmas.

Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes has made quite a name for himself in film and television. He got started in 1993’s Who’s The Man? and Strapped. He then landed a role in 1995’s Higher Learning. He had guest appearances on Cosby, The Wayans Bros., and The Steve Harvey Show. Busta even voiced Reptar in The Rugrats Movie and Flonominal in The Boondocks.

He later starrred as Rasaan in Shaft and Terrell in Finding Forrester. In 2002, Busta landed leading roles in Narc and Halloween: Resurrection. He continued to pop out every few years in minor roles on Fresh Off The Boat and Master Of None. He voiced Graffiti Skull on the Everybody Hates Chris animated reboot and is set to appear in the upcoming film, The Naked Gun, which is based on the original hit franchise from the ’80s and ’90s.

Cam’Ron

Cam’Ron made his debut in cult classic film, Paid In Full, in 2002. He then played himself in State Property: Blood On The Streets and on Single Ladies. In 2014, he starred as Ant in Percentage. His next role came in 2018’s Honor Up. Cam returned to the silver screen on 2021’s Queens and played himself in the 2023 Peacock series, Bupkis.

Per his IMDb, Cam will star in Is It A Crime, premiering in February 2025.

Cardi B

Cardi B got her start as a voiceover actress on Kate and Mim-Mim as Lily. She then had a minor role on Being Mary Jane in 2017 as an over-the-top reality star named Mercedes. She had a brief stint in 2019’s Hustlers and surprised us all when she appeared as Leysa in F9: The Fast Saga. She was also the voice of Sharki B on Baby Shark’s Big Show! and in Baby Shark’s Big Movie!. She’s reportedly set to star in Assisted Living as Amber; the film is currently in pre-production.

Childish Gambino

Childish Gambino is a special entertainer because he’s always acted under his birth name, Donald Glover. Nonetheless, he got his start as an extra in the TV movie, Winner Takes All. He then appeared on 30 Rock and Girls, but his breakout role was Troy Barnes on Community. He’s also been seen in The Lazarus Effect, Magic Mike XXL, The Martian, starred in Guava Island, and later created his own show, Atlanta. It ran for four seasons.

More recently, he starred as John Smith on the Prime Video series, Mr. & Mrs. Smith. He will reprise his role as Simba in Barry Jenkins’ Mufasa.

Common

Common‘s acting career started with a guest appearance on Girlfriends in 2003. The following year, he had a guest role on One on One and played himself on Scrubs. In 2006, he starred alongside Alicia Keys, Ben Affleck, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven, and Ryan Reynolds in Smokin’ Aces. He later appeared in Frank Lucas’ semi-autobiographical film, American Gangster. He continued to star in action films before his rom-com run with Date Night and his starring role as Scott McKnight in Just Wright.

He had a minor role as Halle Berry’s husband in New Year’s Eve in 2011 and his career continued to soar. He then starred in the TV series, Hell On Wheels and later appeared in a slew of films including Selma, Alice, Barbershop: The Next Cut, Love Beats Rhymes, All About Nina, and The Hate U Give.

Common also had recurring roles on Silo, Never Have I Ever, The Chi, and The Lion Guard.

David Banner

David Banner got started with a minor role in 2006’s Black Snake Moan, but his proper debut came in 2007 when he starred as Mo in This Christmas. He later appeared in several films including Stomp The Yard 2: Homecoming, The Butler, and Ride Along before landing recurring roles on Empire, Saints & Sinners, and more recently on Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist.

His next projects, Bid For Love 2 and The Family Business New Orleans are both in post-production.

Da’Vinchi

Da’Vinchi was once a recording artist, but opted to focus on his acting career instead and it’s been paying off. His debut came in 2018 when he landed a role on Jessica Jones as Eric Ambrose and another on Lethal Weapon as Dylan. He then earned a recurring role on Grown-ish as Cash Mooney. The next year, he appeared on the hit series The Boys before pivoting into film.

Since 2020, he appeared in The Way Back, and The Disappearance of Mrs. Wu. He became a household name by 2021 with his leading roles on BMF as Terry “Southwest T” Flenory and on All American as Darnell Hayes. Mary J. Blige later tapped him to star in her 2023 series of Lifetime movies: Real Love and Strength Of A Woman. His next film, Hard Feelings, is currently in post-production.

Drake

Before Drake became Drake, Aubrey Graham was a household name with his leading role as Jimmy Brooks on the Canadian drama, Degrassi: The Next Generation. Before his eight season run came to an end, he had guest roles on Soul Food, Blue Murder, and in Conviction. Following his Degrassi tenure, his music career took off.

However, he returned to the screen occasionally—in 2011’s Breakaway, 2012’s Ice Age: Continental Drift, 2012’s Grimey, 2014’s Think Like A Man Too, and 2023’s Dave. He reportedly set to voice Elu The Eiger in the 2025 film, Australian Cats: A Eiger’s Tale.

DMX

DMX lit up the screen every chance he got. He first voiced himself on South Park in 1998 before making his onscreen debut in Belly that same year. He later had a minor role as Silk in Romeo Must Die. In 2001, he starred as Latrell Walker in Exit Wounds and two years later, starred as Anthony Fait in the cult classic, Cradle 2 The Grave. Throughout the early 2000s, X had cameos on Eve and Third Watch while still appearing in films such as Never Die Alone, Father Of Lies, Death Toll, Last Hour, and Lords Of The Street.

In later years, he made guest appearances as himself in Top Five, The After Party, and Fresh Off The Boat. However, he still dabbled in other roles like Midnight John in 2018’s Pimp and Detective Munce in 2019’s Beyond The Law. His final role will be in Antonio Simmons’ Doggmen, which is currently in post-production.

Dr. Dre

Dr. Dre’s on-screen debut came in 1996 when he appeared as Black Sam in Set It Off. Since then, he also had roles in Whiteboyz (1999), Training Day (2001), The Wash (2001), and later, Pauly Shore Is Dead (2003) as himself.

Eminem

As many know, Eminem made his acting debut as Jimmy/B-Rabbit in the semi-autobiographical film, 8 Mile. Per his IMDb, he was in The Wash a year prior, but was uncredited. Years later, he played himself in Funny People and Entourage. He also made a guest cameo on BMF as White Boy Rick in 2021. He’s currently working on an 8 Mile television series and may reprise his role.

Eve

Eve got her start as an actress in 2002’s Barbershop as the fearless female barber, Terri. She continued to reprise her role throughout the franchise over three films. She also starred in xXx, had a cameo on Third Watch, and did some voiceover work. She later appeared on One on One, and in The Cookout before landing her own sitcom, Eve. It ran for three seasons.

After that run, she continued to make guest appearances on shows like Numb3rs, Glee, and Single Ladies. In later years, she played herself on Empire, Jane The Virgin, and Happy Together until she starred as Brianna a.k.a Professor Sex on ABC’s Queens, which ran for one season.

Fat Joe

Fat Joe got his start in the romantic drama I Like It Like That in 1994. His first starring role came in 1999 in Thicker Than Water. He famously starred alongside Q-Tip and Mary J. Blige in 2001’s Prison Song. He continued to have minor roles in films through the early 2000s including Happy Feet and Scary Movie 3.

The Bronx emcee continues to act through present day. He’s starred in films such as Checkmate (2016), Lady Rider (2017), and Night School (2018). He also landed a leading role in the Netflix series She’s Gotta Have It, which was inspired by Spike Lee’s 1986 film of the same name. He recently appeared in Jennifer Lopez’s film, This Is Me… Now and is set to star as King Cesar Colon in the upcoming film 179th Street.

Fredro Starr

Fredro Starr was a huge star by the time he pivoted into acting in 1993. He made his debut in the TV movie Strapped as Bamboo. He then appeared on the hit drama Law & Order as Tony “G-Dog” Rowland. It seemed like he was on a run throughout the ’90s. He appeared in The Addiction, Clockers, New York Undercover, Sunset Park, and Dangerous Minds. He then garnered a recurring role as Quinton ‘Q’ Brooks on Moesha.

.He also starred in Light It Up alongside Usher—who also had a recurring role on Moesha— and had a guest appearance on In The House. After Moesha, he co-starred in Save The Last Dance and had recurring roles on The Wire and NYPD Blue. He’s been in a series of movies and most recently, starred in One Mic. The Queens native currently has a handful of new films in varying stages of production.

Heavy D

Heavy D’s first appearance on the silver screen came in 1989 when he guest-starred on an episode of A Different World. He then landed roles on Booker and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air the following years. By 1993, he had a recurring role on Roc as Calvin Hendricks and appeared on a 1992 episode of Tales From The Crypt. He later had a minor stint on Living Single as Regine’s love interest.

The beloved rapper played himself in B*A*P*S, but had actual roles in Life, The Deli, The Cider House Rules, and on the short-lived series, For Your Love. His most notable roles, though, may be his recurring role as Mr. Lick on Boston Public and Bernard on The Tracy Morgan Show. He continued to act in things including Step Up, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Are We There Yet? until his death in 2011.

Ice Cube

Ice Cube’s on-screen debut came in 1991 as Doughboy in John Singleton’s Boyz N The Hood. It catapulted him as he landed roles in Trespass and CB4. He then launched the Friday franchise in 1995 and starred as Craig Jones in the hit comedy. That same year, he also had a role as Fudge in Higher Learning. Cube starred in several classic films including The Players Club, All About The Benjamins, the Barbershop franchise, Are We There Yet?, First Sunday, The Longshots, Lottery Ticket alongside Bow Wow, 21 Jump Street, Ride Along, Fist Fight, and more.

Ride Along 3 is currently in development and he has at least four other films also in development or production.

Ice-T

Before Ice-T became a household name as Det. Odafin “Fin” Tutuola on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, he played himself in the early days. His breakout role was as Det. Scotty Appleton in 1991’s New Jack City. He appeared in several films throughout the ’90s including Ricochet, Trespass, Who’s The Man?, and Exiled. He had a lead role on Players as Isaac “Ice” Gregory in 1997 through 1998.

Throughout his career, he’s been in over 30 films, but has remained a steady force on Law & Order: SVU and even reprised his role in other Dick Wolf-created series including Chicago P.D., and Law & Order: Organized Crime.

Jaden Smith

Jaden Smith followed in his father Will Smith‘s footsteps. He made his acting debut as a child in 2003 with a guest role on All Of Us. His true debut came in 2006, though, when he starred alongside his father in The Pursuit Of Happyness. He continued to balance music and acting as he starred in The Karate Kid and The Day The Earth Stood Still. He returned to the big screen in 2013 as Kitai Raige in After Earth.

He later starred in The Get Down as Marcus “Dizzee” Kipling. He then starred in the anime series Neo Yokio as Kaz Kahn. His recent roles were also animated. He voiced Jordan in Kid Cudi’s Entergalactic and College Myron in The Proud Family: Louder And Prouder.

Ja Rule

Ja Rule added actor to his résumé at the beginning of the 21st century. He made his debut in 2000’s Turn It Up as David “Gage” Williams. The next year, he made a cameo in The Fast and The Furious before starring as Nick in Half Past Dead. After appearing in 2003’s Scary Movie 3, he joined the ensemble cast of The Cookout. The Queens native later starred in Back To You In The Days and had guest cameos on Mad TV and South Beach.

He continued to appear in lesser-known films before starring in I’m In Love With A Church Girl alongside Adrienne Bailon-Houghton in 2013. His last role came in 2022, but he’s set to star in the upcoming film Hoorah 99.

Joey Bada$$

Joey Bada$$ made his acting debut in 2016 on the USA Network series Mr. Robot as Leon. After that run, he guest-starred as Rebel in the hit series, Wu-Tang: An American Saga. Three episodes later, Joey had a recurring role as Camden on the BET series, Boomerang. He appeared in an intense short film, Two Distant Strangers and in the midst of all that, he guest-starred on Grown-ish.

His most recent role began in 2021 as Unique on Power Book III: Raising Kanan.

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar hasn’t had many acting roles, but when he made his debut in 2018 as Laces on Power, he made an impact. No one could forget the drug addict he portrayed and how well he did so. Fans still hope that he’ll return to film and TV one day.

Kid Cudi

Cudi made his debut in 2010 in the recurring role as Domingo Brown in How To Make It In America. He had cameos on The Cleveland Show and Brooklyn Nine-Nine while also making appearances in Goodbye World, Need For Speed, and Two Night Stand. His notable roles include Francis from Westworld, Richard from We Are Who We Are, DJ Chello in Don’t Look Up, Jackson in X, Stephen Love from Young Love, and of course, his leading role in Entergalactic— a film he also co-wrote.

Cudi recently appeared in Knuckles and Trap, and has three more films in pre-production.

Kid N Play

Kid N Play was comprised of Christopher Reid and Christopher Martin.

Martin’s acting career was mostly spent playing himself throughout the House Party franchise. He did also play Blade in Class Act and more recently, he landed a recurring role on the TV series Church Folks and Bigger. He also appeared in the 2021 film Jesus Saves! and reprised his role as Play in the Calmatic-directed House Party reboot.

Reid had a more extensive acting career. He had a recurring role on Sister, Sister as Clark and guest starred on Smart Guy and Minor Adjustments. He also appeared in the Temptations mini series and had guest roles on several TV shows including Barbershop, Mad TV, Black Dynamite, and also reprised his role as Kid in the 2023 version of House Party.

The Lady Of Rage

The Lady of Rage made her acting debut in 1997 on season two of The Steve Harvey Show as Coretta Cox. She played a bully who was crushing on the show’s quintessential heartthrob, Romeo (Merlin Santana) and remained a recurring character throughout its remaining seasons.

After that stint, she had guest roles in Ride, Next Friday, The Cookout 2, and on Kenan & Kel. In recent years, she also appeared in Judas and The Black Messiah, The Equalizer, and starred as Miss Cleo in Miss Cleo: Her Rise and Fall.

Lil Kim

Lil Kim made her acting debut in 1999 as Alex in She’s All That. She had guest roles on DAG, Moesha, and V.I.P. and appeared as herself in Zoolander (2001) and on The Parkers. She had a minor role in 2002’s Juwanna Mann.

The Brooklyn native also had notable roles in Gang Of Roses (2003), You Got Served (2004), and Nora’s Hair Salon (2004). Her most recent role came in 2021 as Zsa Zsa Hottest in Miracles Across 125th Street.

Lil Mama

Lil Mama was how we met her, but she evolved into a blossoming actress under her birth name, Niatia Kirkland. She made her debut in 2013 as the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes in the biopic CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story. She went on to star in When Love Kills: The Falicia Blakely Story, appeared on two episodes of All American, and starred in All In.

Her last film, A Hip Hop Story, dropped in 2024 and per her IMDb, her next short is in post-production.

Lil Yachty

Lil Yachty made his television debut on Lopez in 2017 as himself before transitioning into voiceover acting as Green Lantern in Teen Titans Go! To The Movies the following year. He later appeared in Life-Size 2 (2018), Long Shot (2019), How High 2 (2019), The System (2022), and On The Come Up (2022). He also had a recurring stint on the final season of Grown-ish as Cole Hudson.

Lil Zane

Lil Zane has been an actor for the past 25 years.

He got his start in Finding Forrester as Damon before getting a role as a love interest in 2001’s Dr. Doolittle 2. He made appearances as himself in One On One and The Parkers prior to joining the ensemble cast in The Fighting Temptations (2003). He later appeared in Motives (2004), All Of Us (2007), Cold Case (2007), Atlanta (2016), When Love Kills: The Falicia Blakely Story (2017), and much more before landing a recurring role on BMF. He recently appeared in Midnight Coffee Shop and is set to have roles in three upcoming productions.

LL Cool J

LL Cool is one of the most memorable and successful rapper-turned-actors.

He made his film debut in 1991’s The Hard Way as Billy. The Queens native starred in his own sitcom, In The House, for five seasons and also had leading roles in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998), Deep Blue Sea (1999), In Too Deep (1999), Any Given Sunday (1999), Kingdom Come (2001), Deliver Us From Eva (2003), Mindhunters (2004), Last Holiday (2006), and more.

He reached mainstream success when he landed a starring role on NCIS: Los Angeles in 2009. He also appeared in crossover episodes on NCIS and NCIS: Hawai’i.

Ludacris

Ludacris is best known for his role as Tej Parker in the Fast & Furious franchise, but the rapper has been consistently booked since his debut in 2001’s The Wash. He first joined the action series in the 2003 sequel, 2 Fast 2 Furious. The following year, he co-starred in the Oscar-winning film, Crash.

He also appeared on Hustle & Flow (2005), New Year’s Eve (2011), The Ride (2018), End Of The Road (2022), and Dashing Through The Snow (2023), had a two-episode stint on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and guest-starred on Being Mary Jane, Eve, and Empire. Luda also voiced Conrad Grant on the beloved children’s series, Karma’s World.

Machine Gun Kelly

Machine Gun Kelly made his film debut in 2014’s Beyond The Lights. He also had notable roles in Nerve (2016), The Land (2016), Bird Box (2018), Big Time Adolescence (2019), The Dirt (2019), Project Power (2020), and Good Mourning (2022).

MGK also appeared on the TV series, Roadies.

Mark Wahlberg

Before Mark Wahlberg became the blockbuster sensation we know and love today, he was Marky Mark.

He was an original member of New Kids On The Block before branching out on his own with Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. He made his acting debut in 1993’s The Substitute and sequently dropped his moniker Marky Mark.

Wahlberg is best known for performances in Four Brothers (2005), Ted (2012), Boogie Nights (1997), The Fighter (2010), The Departed (2006), Flight Risk (2025), Me Time (2022), Instant Family (2018), Daddy’s Home (2015), and The Lovely Bones (2009).

Master P

Master P didn’t wait for a callback; he instead made a lane for himself as an actor. His debut film, in which he starred, wrote and directed, was 1997’s I’m Bout It. He had a minor role in The Players Club, per his IMDb, but went on to have more notable roles in films including I Got The Hook Up (1998), Foolish (1999), Hot Boyz (2000), Hollywood Homicide (2003), Uncle P (2007), and The Christmas Dance (2021).

He also had a leading role in Romeo! alongside his son, had a four-episode stint on Moesha, and appeared on other TV classics like Girlfriends, Bet On Black, CSI: NY and Oz.

Method Man

Method Man‘s foray into acting began in the late ’90s with guest appearances as himself, but his first actual came in 1997 as Dennis Broadway in One Eight Seven. The same year, he appeared in Cop Land as Shondel.

With notable roles in Belly and Wonderland, he began garnering more acclaim with his arc on Oz in 2001. He went on to appear on several shows including Mad TV, One On One, The Twilight Zone, Boston Public, The Fairly OddParents, Soul Plane, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Meth had a 13-episode run on The Wire, an four-episode run on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, a three-episode arc on Blue Bloods, five episodes on The Breaks and Rebel and solid runs on The Deuce, The Last O.G., Marvels, and Godfather of Harlem before stealing the spotlight as Davis Maclean on Power Book II: Ghost.

MC Lyte

MC Lyte kicked off her acting career in 1992’s Fly By Night and has far more credits than you think.

She had early appearances on Moesha, In The House and Cousin Skeeter before landing an extended run on For Your Love. She co-starred in Civil Brand and later earned a recurring role on Half & Half as music executive Kai Owens.

In recent years, she had multi-episode runs on S.W.A.T., Queen of the South, Partners In Rhyme, and Angel as well as roles in Bad Hair and Sylvie’s Love.

Nas

Nas made his acting debut in 1998’s Belly as Sincere, the same character that made Teedra Moses want to “be his girl.”

He went on to appear in In Too Deep (1999), Ticker (2001), Black Nativity (2013), Monster (2018) and one episode of Hawaii Five-0.

Nelly

Nelly added actor to his résumé back in 2001 when he appeared as Prolifik/Clarence in Snipes. He later appeared on Cedric The Entertainer Presents in 2003, as Megget in The Longest Yard in 2005, and as Terrence Davis in CSI: NY in a four-episode arc. His last role was his portrayal of E-Ruption in Reach Me (2014).

Nick Cannon

Nick Cannon was an actor before he became a rapper, so yes—he’s an outlier on this list, but worth the exception.

His debut came in 1998’s Sports Theater With Shaquille O’Neal and on Kenan & Kel. He dominated screens since then with guest roles on All That, Cousin Skeeter, The Parkers, and Taina before landing his first leading role in 2002’s Drumline. The following year, he starred in Love Don’t Cost A Thing and debuted as a music artist with his single, “Gigolo.”

Cannon’s most notable roles also include Roll Bounce (2005), Underclassman (2005), American Son (2008), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2014-2015), and most recently, his guest role on Accused in 2024.

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj‘s proper film debut came in 2014 when she starred as Lydia in The Other Woman. She then starred in Barbershop: The Next Cut in 2016 as Draya, and also landed voiceover roles in Steven Universe, Ice Age: Continental Drift, and The Angry Birds Movie 2.

Offset

Offset has been quietly taking over the voiceover space since 2014 with his role as Mim-Mim in the animated show, Kate and Mim-Mim. He appeared as himself in one 2016 episode of Atlanta and then landed a guest role as Kadri Kashan Khan in a 2020 episode of NCIS: Los Angeles.

He, Cardi B, and their children, Kulture and Wave all guest-starred on Baby Shark’s Big Show! in 2022 and reprised said roles in the 2023 film, Baby Shark’s Big Movie!.

Q-Tip

Q-Tip first hit the big screen for a few brief moments in 1993’s Poetic Justice as Janet Jackson’s slain boyfriend, Markell. He later appeared as Complex and narrated 1999’s Love Goggles and landed a role in 2000’s Disappearing Acts.

However, his breakout role came in 2001 as Elijah Dixon in the critically-acclaimed cult classic, Prison Song. The film also starred Mary J. Blige, Harold Perrineau, and Fat Joe.

Tip also appeared in 2004’s She Hate Me, 2008’s Cadillac Records, 2010’s Holy Rollers, and 2022’s WeCrashed.

Quavo

Quavo’s acting foray began in 2016 when he started making guest appearances as himself. The rapper popped up in Atlanta (2016), Star (2018), Black-ish (2019), and Narcos: Mexico (2020).

His fictional roles came two years later when he portrayed Coyote in Savage Salvation (2022), T.Y. Way in Praise This (2023), Anton in Cash Out (2024), and Lil Zoo in The Waterboyz (2024). His upcoming projects include Takeover as Guy Miller and the animated film, Sneaks.

Queen Latifah

Queen Latifah has garnered so much success as an actress than the younger generation thought that was where she started.

After blazing her trail in the rap game, she began gaining acting credits in 1991 with roles in Jungle Fever, House Party 2, and The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air. The following year, she had a minor role in Juice before starring in her hit series, Living Single, for five seasons.

Her most notable roles include leading roles in The Secret Life Of Bees (2008), Brown Sugar (2002), Bringing Down The House (2003), Beauty Shop (2005), Just Wright (2010), Taxi (2004), Last Holiday (2006), The Perfect Holiday (2007), Star (2016-2019), Hustle (2022), Girls Trip (2017), End Of The Road (2022), and currently, The Equalizer.

Rah Digga

Rah Digga’s acting career was short-lived, but memorable nonetheless.

It seemingly began and ended in 2001 with leading roles in Carmen: A Hip Hopera and Thir13en Ghosts. However, she returned to the screen in 2023 as Oprah in Stars, a film that centered around a “group of homeless women learn that a tiny glimmer of hope is worth all the money in the world.”

She is set to appear in the anthology series, Rufus, as Louise/Clarisse, which is currently in post-production.

Redman

Redman’s acting debut was in 1998’s Ride as himself. The next year, he starred as Trevor in Colorz Of Rage. His most notable roles include How High (2001), The Seed of Chucky (2004), Dark (2015), and most recently, his recurring stint on Power Book II: Ghost.

Romeo

Romeo was already a heartthrob by the time he made his foray into acting with his proper debut coming in 2003. The rapper had a leading role in Honey and starred on his own eponymous sitcom. He has guest spots on One On One, The Proud Family, and All Grown Up. He returned to the big screen in 2011 for Jumping The Broom.

Romeo had one-episode arcs on Reed Between The Lines and Charlie’s Angels that same year. He also had notable roles in Madea’s Witness Protection, Brotherly Love, A Girl Like Grace, and Who Is Christmas Eve? In adulthood, he’s really made a lane for himself as a leading man in romance and holiday films.

RZA

RZA first appeared on-screen in 1999’s Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai. His notable roles include 2005’s Derailed, 2007’s American Gangster, 2009’s Funny People, 2010’s Due Date, 2018’s Thriller and recurring roles on Californication and Gang Related. He also voiced Biker in 2022’s Minions: The Rise of Gru.

The Wu-Tang member also directed three features: Cut Throat City, Love Beats Rhymes and The Man with the Iron Fists.

Silkk The Shocker

Silkk made his acting debut in 1998’s MP Da Last Don as D.J. followed by 1999’s Corrupt. However, his most notable role came in 2000 when he starred as Kool in Hot Boyz. He portrayed a good kid in a bad neighborhood who turns to a life of crime after his girlfriend gets framed for murder. The film was written and directed by Master P.

He also had roles in Reservation (2010), More Money More Family (2015), and I Got The Hook Up 2 (2019).

Snoop Dogg

After making guest cameos on Martin and The Steve Harvey Show in 1994 and 1997 respectively, Snoop Dogg made his true debut in 1998 when he appeared in five films— Half Baked, Caught Up, Ride, I Got The Hook Up, and Da Game of Life. He appeared in Hot Boyz alongside Master P, C-Murder, and Silkk The Shocker in 2000 before starring as Rodney in Baby Boy. He also has a guest role in Training Day (2001) and did The Wash and Bones that same year.

One of his most notable roles came in 2004 when he was part of Soul Plane‘s ensemble cast. That same year, he also starred as Huggy Bear in Starsky & Hutch. Snoop has made cameos on several shows including Entourage, Monk, The L Word, and The Bernie Mac Show. He’s only had recurring roles on BMF and Doggyland. He currently has several films in production.

T.I.

Can you believe T.I.’s film debut was ATL (2006)?

After that leading, breakout role, the rapper appeared in American Gangster as Stevie Lucas and then returned to big screen in 2010 in Takers. He had a recurring role on Boss as Trey Rogers and made guest cameos in Hawaii Five-0 and Identity Thief. His next recurring role came in 2014 on Single Ladies and House of Lies. He continued to pop out occasionally in Get Hard, Ant-Man, Sleepless, The Breaks, The Trap, Dolemite Is My Name, and most recently, Genius, Fear, and Da ‘Partments.

Tupac

Tupac was a force from the moment he stepped onto the scene until the day he died.

His onscreen debut came in 1992 when he starred as Bishop in Juice. He made guest cameos on Drexell’s Class and A Different World. He then starred alongside Janet Jackson in Poetic Justice (1993). The following year, he starred in Above The Rim as Birdie. He later starred in 1996’s Bullet, which premiered six months before his tragic death. His last two films— Gridlock’d and Gang Related— came out posthumously in 1997.

Will Smith

Will Smith is one of the most successful rappers-turned-actors. He made his onscreen debut with his own sitcom, The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air in 1990.

During the show’s six seasons, he simultaneously kicked off his career as a movie star. His first was 1992’s Where The Day Takes You. Then came Made In America (1993), Six Degrees Of Separation (1993), Bad Boys (1995), Independence Day (1996), Men In Black (1997), Enemy Of The State (1998), Wild Wild West (1999), Ali (2001), Men In Black II (2002), Bad Boys II (2003), I, Robot (2004), Shark Tale (2004), Hitch (2005), The Pursuit Of Happyness (2006), I Am Legend (2007), Hancock (2008), and Seven Pounds (2008). He took a break until 2012 and continued to drop a movie nearly every year through present day. He finally won his first Oscar for his performance in King Richard (2021).

After reprising his role as Mike Lowery in Bad Boys For Life, he is set to return for I Am Legend 2.

Xzibit

Xzibit first appeared on-screen in 1999’s The Breaks as Jamal. His notable roles include The Wash (2001), 8 Mile (2002), CSI: Miami (2004), xXx: State Of The Union (2005), Gridiron Gang (2006), Hawaii Five-0, The Boondocks, American Dad!, and Empire.

yasiin bey

Before yasiin bey changed his identity, he was Dante Smith/Mos Def and made a name for himself in Hollywood. He got his start in 1988 in the TV movie God Bless The Child. He then starred on the short-lived CBS sitcom You Take The Kids from 1990-1991. In the latter year, he appeared in The Hard Way and had a recurring role as Dante on The Cosby Mysteries.

He continued to have minor roles in TV shows until recurring role from 1997 through 2000 on NYPD Blue. He then starred in Carmen: A Hip Hopera as the crooked Lieutenant Miller in 2001. He had a solid run for a few years with leading roles in Civil Brand, Brown Sugar, and Monster’s Ball. He also appeared in Lackawanna Blues, The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, and even voiced Gangstalicious on The Boondocks. Smith later appeared as Chuck Berry in Cadillac Records and landed a recurring role on Dexter in 2011. His last role came in 2016’s Tour De France, but it seems he’s since returned to music full-time.