Best Rapper Turned Actor

Show Discipline

Best Rapper Turned Actor

Here at Show Discipline Magazine, we celebrate culture, not just music. We spent time revering our amazing segment The Scope written by Tiffany Toffey, where she takes us through reviews of different Black Movies and TV shows. In the name of celebrating black music and black films, I’ve wanted to write an article that speaks about some of the best rappers turned actors.

That’s right from Ice Cube to Ice T I’ve been having conversations with some of my close friends to pick their brains and find out who the best Rapper turned Actor is. I think the only criteria we had was how respected they were and they had to be a rapper first not an actor shout out to Childish Gambino.

Throughout all of the conversations, we had a few names come up but one kept coming up. But before we get to that person I want to speak about some of the honorable mentions. Let’s start with Bishop, I mean Tupac. In rap culture Tupac is one of the most celebrated artists of all time but if you don’t mention his movies you not fully talking about his impact on the culture. He was in Juice which was his first role in a major film. I feel like he really got to show his acting skills with this movie. He went on to do more movies such as Poetic Justice and Above the Rim before he passed in 1996.

Another rapper-turned actor that should be celebrated is Will Smith. Yes if you reading this and didn’t know, Will Smith used to be a rapper and just the Gettin’ Jiggy with its phase. Will Smith known as the Fresh Prince in the 1980s, was a fixture in the Hip Hop culture and can actually be considered a pioneer in the culture. The movies he’s been in are blockbuster films Bad Boys, Independence Day, and Men in Black. I think he really showed his best acting in movies like Pursuit of Happiness or even I am legend where he doesn’t have too many scenes with co-stars and literally has to carry the movie.

Although Will has the numbers and the accolades to be considered as the best rapper turned actor is he really? What about Ice Cube who we briefly mentioned at the beginning of the article. Ice Cube is one of the West Coast's most decorated Legends. He’s been in beef before we knew what beef was. He can be political as well be someone who can have fun. We can see a lot of his fun side in his Friday movies. Ice Cube through movies has changed his image from being the rapper that said fuck the police to the approachable actor from Barber Shop, Are We There Yet, and Ride Along. But the role that set it off for Ice Cube wasn’t the nice guy that we used to see on screen. Of course I’m talking about Dough Boy from Boyz in the Hood directed by the late John Singleton. Ice Cube is one of the earliest rappers to be in feature film like Boyz in the Hood and be taken seriously.

Ice Cube is an amazing actor but I think we celebrate him more because he started his own movie production company and gave more people an opportunity to tell black stories. The one person I believe to be the best rapper turned actor is Queen Latifah. In the early 90s Queen Latifah was one of the sharpest rappers. She kept a dope rhyme and you might even get a message in it. Where do you start when it comes to her acting career? How about a wildly successful TV sitcom that is still considered one of the best black TV shows of the 90s. In the 2000’s is where she really hit her acting stride with movies like Last Holiday, Beauty Shop, and Bringing Down the House. She obviously is celebrated the most for her amazing role in Chicago which she deserves.

So what do you guys think did I get it right is Queen Latifah the Best Actor turned rapper and if not who is?