Rappers go Hollywood: big-time musicmakers take their skills to the big screen and stage - Brief Article

RED-hot rappers are using their rhyming skills in acting rehearsals as much as in the recording studio as a bevy of rap stars reach for stage and film success.

And they are succeeding. Pioneer rappers Ice Cube and LL Cool J have appeared in more than 20 films each. Will Smith, whose latest film, Men In Black II, is set to open this month, has enjoyed outstanding box office and critical success for his past films Independence Day and the original Men In Black. They don't call him a rapper in Hollywood; they call him "Mr. July."

Rappers-turned-actors became a bonafide trend, garnering critical acclaim in 2002 when four rappers were featured in films and plays that won top awards. Will Smith was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Muhammad Ali in the movie Ali; P. Diddy appeared in the acclaimed film Monster's Ball; Snoop Dogg appeared with Best Actor Oscar winner Denzel Washington in Training Day; and Mos Def became the first rapper with a starring role in a Broadway play, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Topdog/Underdog.

It has been a long time, more than 10 years, since rapper Ice Cube made his acting debut in 1991 in John Singleton's classic Boyz N the Hood. Since then the actor, born O'Shea Jackson, has starred in 21 movies, composed music for 16, produced six, written five and directed one. In a recent interview he says he had to put his musical career on hiatus for a while because he was so busy making films. Female rappers as well as male rappers have answered the call of Hollywood. One of the major forces of the new scene is Queen Latifah, who has played opposite Denzel Washington.

The original "Doggfather," rapper Snoop Dogg, born Calvin Broadus, has parlayed his 10 million record sales into an expanding acting career. Snoop says he has been bitten by the acting bug and would like to star in more films, but he won't forget his musical roots. "The acting will definitely take the music to the next level," he says. "With acting there's a lot I haven't done, so that will open up avenues for the music and help me grow as an artist." While some actors would be happy to appear in four movies in four years, Snoop has appeared in four movies in the last year, Baby Boy, Bones, Training Day and The Wash.

Another rapper new to the acting scene is multiplatinum recording artist DMX, born Earl Simmons. He has signed a four-picture deal with Warner Brothers, says Angelo A. Ellerbee, president of New York City-based Double Exposure, who represents DMX, as well as other rappers. Ellerbee says he advises his clients to think long-term when pursuing an acting career. "A lot of these parts are being designed around their image as rap artists," he says. "I encourage my clients to understand the business part of show business, to retain good legal counsel and to educate themselves by taking acting lessons." DMX is currently filming Cradle to the Grave with Jet Li.

Broadway is also beckoning rap royalty. Rapper Mos Def, also known as Dante Terrell Smith, surprised some onlookers with his role in Topdog/Underdog. But Def is no rapper-come-lately to the acting stage. He has been acting since high school, and recently acted in such films as Bamboozled and Monster's Ball. He enjoys both acting and rapping.

"I was always an actor, but I am also a rapper, so there it is," he says. "I am just an artist. There are too many boxes, and I am just trying to avoid the labels. This is the natural progression for me, as an artist, performer and person. I continuously try to challenge myself."

This trend of rappers making their mark on Broadway's Great White Way or the silver screen is showing no signs of slowing down. Heavy D, known to his mother as Dwight Myers, won a Drama Desk award for his performance in Riff Raff, a one-act play written, directed by and starring Laurence Fishburne. Child rapper Bow Wow's film debut in Like Mike opens the July 4 weekend and youngster Lil' Romeo is also set to star in a film. Eve, the first lady of the Ruff Ryder label, debuts in Barbershop, while Treach stars in Love and a Bullet. Ja Rule (Jeffrey Atkins) debuted in The Fast & The Furious and is set to star in Half Past Dead with Steven Seagal.

Acting represents a new challenge for the hip-hop set, many of whom are rapidly heading for the 30 and over age group. As Heavy D told one writer, "I don't want to be 50 and still dancing on stage and doing rap."

COPYRIGHT 2002 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group