21 Times A Rapper Showed They're Actually A Good Actor

When I see some of my favorite musicians on my favorite TV show, I become hooked. I feel like Hannah Montana, "It's the best of both worlds."

Rappers are some of the most talented performers in the world.

From the likes of Andre 3000 to Ice Cube, from conscious rappers to gangster rappers, all these rappers have shined when it's their time for the big screen. We start the list with maybe the biggest of them all.

1. Will Smith

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The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air has killed it anytime he's on the big screen. Most people may not know he was a rapper first due to him being one of the most talented people the acting world has ever seen. In 1992, Smith won the Grammy for Best Rap Performance for the classic tune "Summertime." 

2. Queen Latifah

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If you watched Latifah play Cleo in Set It Off and thought that acting wasn't for her, you're a hater! Latifah has now been featured in several classic tv shows and films!

3. Tupac Shakur

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Between his first role in Juice or his role co-starring with Janet Jackson in Poetic Justice, I can only imagine how big of an actor Pac would have been if he didn't pass away early.

4. Aubrey "Drake" Graham

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Before he became the best rapper to ever exist (sorry not sorry), Graham as Jimmy Brooks was a child actor on the show Degrassi.  Drake is the only actor turned rapper on this list, and in some of his music videos lately, we see some of his acting skills coming out.

5. Common

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Grammy Award-winning actor and rapper Common always displayed his versatility. Common playing a policeman in The Hate U Give was one of the best portrayals of a police officer battling home life and his work-life we're ever going to see.

6. 50 Cent

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50 Cent has created a monster with the Power Universe. His portrayal of himself in Get Rich or Die Tryin' and Kanan in Power are gripping and excellent performances from 50.

7. André 3000

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André 3000 is not only one of the coolest rappers ever but made one of the smoothest transitions to the big screen as well. His acting in Four Brothers stands out, as well as his short-lived cartoon Class of 3000 where he was a music teacher. 

8. Ice-T

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22 Seasons! That's how many Ice-T has been playing his role on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit as Detective Fin Tutuola. It's incredible the longevity he has in every field he's in.

9. Shad "Bow Wow" Moss

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Shad Moss has been in the industry since he was a jit. The rapper-actor shined in one of my favorite childhood movies, Like Mike. As an adult, he shined in the Lottery Ticket and showed that he's one of the most talented people to step foot on this earth. 

10. Kendrick Lamar

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"Kenzel" or Kendrick Lamar's cameo in Power was enough to get him on this list. After such a good acting debut, I'm surprised we haven't seen him on the big screen more.

11. Mack Wilds

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Mack Wilds has been doing this acting thing ever since he was a youngin'. His breakout role early on in his teenage years inThe Wire prepared him for the hard-hitting roles he has now.

12. Eve

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Eve has an uncanny ability to bring authenticity to every role she plays. Terri Jones is the best character in the Barbershop series. The Grammy and Daytime Emmy-winning role as "Professor Sex" in ABC's new hip-hop drama Queens is interesting to watch going forward. 

13. LL Cool J

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LL Cool J's acting bag is DEEP! Personally, nothing will top Any Given Sunday for me, but his acting in Last Holiday and Mindhunters may give it a run for its money.

14. Ice Cube

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Ice Cube is really one of the top 3 rappers-turned-actors. My favorite role of his is Are We There Yet? The way he handled the chaos in the movie as the annoyed "step-father" bumped him up high in the rankings in my world. 

15. Ludacris

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The Fast and Furious films have many standout actors; one of them is Ludacris. Luda excels in every role with the F&F franchise, and he really held his own in Crash.

16. Method Man

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Method Man recently won an NAACP Imagine Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his role in Power Book II: Ghost, and it's well-deserved. Method Man as a lawyer is something I honestly could imagine him killing, and him doing so with ease truly means "the price is up" on future gigs in Hollywood.

17. Snoop Dogg

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Baby Boy, The Wash, Soul Plane are all CLASSICS. Snoop Dogg is the most charismatic rapper ever. So him hitting the big screen and killing all three of those roles is inevitable.  

18. Nicki Minaj

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I remember the hype when Nicki Minaj was added into the Barbershop series. She played her role well, and in her last music video, showed that she needs to hop back into the acting scene.  

19. Freddie Gibbs

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Bust Down came out last week, and as I was watching, any scene with Freddie Gibbs in it made me crack up. He's really good at this, and I need to see more of him on the scene. 

20. DMX

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DMX's energy crossed over into roles as Belly and Romeo Must Die. The rapper (RIP) played both roles with certain integrity that demands you to watch.  

21. Mos Def/Yasiin Bey

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Dawg, Def as Gangstalicious in Boondocks makes me crack up every time. Not only can we catch him on the big screen, but he's appeared in plays, showing his chops there as well.

Any rapper I should have added?

Let me know your thoughts!