Often times, rappers are trying to create a persona for themselves to stand out from the crowd in a music industry that covets personality more than talent. Therefore, it is an almost natural transition for many rappers to try to make the plunge into acting. With the Black Eyed Peas front man Will I. Am’s first film role coming in this summer’s Wolverine, I figured I would compile a list of rappers turned actors (or at least dabbling in acting) in studio films. You can call these guys rapper actors if you like.  I look at those in studio films because tons of these guys (and gals) are doing smaller fare and putting it out themselves, see the blueprint set by Master P. A few rules for the list: the artist has to have been a legitimately known MC (so no Gravy aka Jamal Woolard from Notorious.) Also, you have to also have done more than one film as well (Will I. Am excluded since he is inspiration for the piece), so you will not see Eminem (8 Mile) below. Here are 21 Rappers Turned Big Screen Actors. This is not an entirely comprehensive list by any means, so feel free to add any you see as necessary or comment on those you see here.

Ice-T

The former gangster rap star is still going strong on TV with “Law & Order” (9 years in!), but lest we forget he was in Trespass, New Jack City, and Ricochet back in the day. He actually kind of started this whole movement. He has the longest list of credits of any rapper you will find with more than 70 acting credits to his name. It is amusing that he played a cop in “New Jack” and a detective in “Law” considering he boastfully sang “Cop Killer” more than 15 years ago. He obviously has something that works to get him by, so respect is due.

Andre Benjamin aka Andre 3000

He seems a natural to try his hand at this but has been hit or miss in my view so far. He had Be Cool, Four Brothers and Guy Ritchie’s underseen Revolver, but Idlewild with partner Big Boi (ATL, Who’s Your Caddy?) flopped. Still, he was good in the indy Battle In Seattle proving that he has a chance in acting for the foreseeable future. To his credit, he is willing to stretch himself and is seemingly serious about the craft at least.

Bow Wow

The youngster had Like Mike, which put him on the map, and roles in Roll Bounce and Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Will he be forever known as a child rapper/actor or can he transition as a man? It remains to be seen but has as few projects in the works.

Will I. Am

Getting a role as Wraith in Wolverine is surprising only because it is his first acting role ever and now he gets to turn up in what is anticipated to be one of this summer’s biggest films and a possible franchise. Slightly curious to see how he does. Here is his somewhat convincing Wraith spot in case you missed it.

LL Cool J aka James Todd Smith

The man dubbed “Ladies Love” has had enough opportunities to turn this into a legitimate big screen career and I don’t think it is happening at this point. Deep Blue Sea, Any Given Sunday and S.W.A.T. showed what he can do, but it appears he is going to be sticking with smaller TV roles at this point. It’s always been hard for me to see him as anything other than LL for the most part, since he was a pretty big star.

50 Cent aka Curtis Jackson

The man who was shot 9 times (and still lived!) seems to be more focused on acting nowadays after becoming among the biggest music stars on the planet at one point. He has done his Get Rich or Die Tryin’ biopic but then was in Righteous Kill and has the busiest slate of anyone on the list with at least 6 projects coming in the next two years. I wonder if he can stick around, now that he is out of the music limelight (at this juncture).

Mark Wahlberg aka Marky Mark

While some may find him a stretch to be included as a rapper, he was a pretty big star with his Funky Bunch hits (“Good Vibrations”, “Wildside”) back in the day and has been highly successful as an actor by any measure. Boogie Nights’ Dirk Diggler showed he could act and he has parlayed it well into countless acting roles with considerable range (A Perfect Storm, I Heart Huckabees) and producing hit TV show “Entourage” to boot.

T.I. aka Tip Harris

The slim one who calls himself “King of the South” on the mic showed up in ATL and American Gangster to mixed results. He has charisma but not sure he has any real range as an actor. His recent gun charges will stem the tide from him showing up in anything in the near future with Takers being his next acting project due in 2010.

Ice Cube don’t call me O’Shea Jackson

The former gangster rap star and would be greatest MC ever (that’s a different discussion, but accurate) is one of the bigger successes as far as this list goes. He went from Boyz ‘N the Hood to Friday to xXx 2 and now routinely shows up in his own produced projects (family fare, no less). He was once more promising as an actor than it has turned out in my eyes, but it is interesting that he somewhat has played against type. As a financial and box office success, he can’t be denied.

Eve

The “pitbull in a skirt” was in two Barbershop films, xXx, and The Woodsman with Kevin Bacon but seems like she might have run her course on the big screen for the time being. She is still getting TV roles though as she battles some legal issues (hip-hop streed cred—cool!). A multi-hyphenate interested in fashion as well, she may never just been seen as an actress.

Mos Def

A backpack rapper known for thinking-man rhymes, he was really an actor before he became an MC, so he seemed a natural fit for the big screen, that is until…you hear him talk. Too often he uses a particularly annoying voice when trying to create characters for film. Still, he has a varied string of film credits from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, 16 Blocks with Bruce Willis, Be Kind Rewind, and he earned raves for HBO’s Something The Lord Made (a pretty solid film too). In the end, might have more respect as an actor than rapper (debatable) as he has Next Day Air hitting soon.

2Pac aka Tupac Shakur

The notorious, fallen icon might have been the biggest star out of any one on here (and may still be), but died young. An artist who showcased his acting in Juice, Gridlock’d, and Poetic Justice, which all showed off his undeniable charisma but we’ll never know how far he might have gone. See Film-U-Missed, Tupac: Resurrection for a look at his life from his perspective.

Snoop Dogg

The “slim with the tilted brim” star was surprisingly good in Training Day but it’s tough to see him as anything other than Snoop. Need I mention Bones? I thought not. His former partner and sometimes collaborator Dr. Dre is less convincing, something he himself acknowledges and it will keep him out of the mix as an actor.

Puffy/P.Diddy aka Sean Combs

The producer/rapper is trying to be taken seriously as an actor. Though he hasn’t had a real big studio film, he did get respect for 2001’s Monster’s Ball and last years “Raisin In The Sun” TV work was lauded. First acting role was in the Jon Favreau/Vince Vaughn teaming part-deux, Made. He claims he will win an Oscar someday, and surprisingly, he is tough to doubt.

Queen Latifah aka Dana Owens

From her CD “All Hail The Queen” as one of the original female rap stars to acting in Chicago and earning a Golden Globe in the process, Latifah is now a full-fledged acting star. She participated in the huge hit Bringing Down The House and the Barbershop spin-off Beauty Shop. She has been removed from the rap scene a long time now and is only seen as an actress these days, though she recently put out a Jazz album lest we forget she has other interests.

Common

The Chi-town MC had put out several albums before getting a big hit and venturing into acting. He is an another guy that seems to be a natural for this and I think he has a chance to be one of the more successful on the list. He’s been in a lot of actioners to some surprise with Wanted, American Gangster and Smokin’ Aces and he will be in Terminator: Salvation with Christian Bale this summer.

Ja Rule/DMX

Jeffrey Atkins was a big rap star at one point with commercial and hardcore hits which he used to get into other avenues like acting. He had his chance in both film and music but is next to off the map in both these days. Did 50 Cent kill his career? As an actor he had Scary Movie 3 as well as Half Past Dead with Steven Segal and that title was apropos for his career as it turned out. DMX aka Earl Simmons, the gravelly voiced, barking rapper on the other hand, was in independent ‘hood film Belly, Romeo Must Die and Exit Wounds (another Segal film) but has the range of a cardboard box and simply can’t be taken seriously. Hence, I lumped these two together.

Xzibit aka Alvin Joiner

The West Coast underground rap legend who rose to fame on MTV’s “Pimp My Ride,” has had a pretty good go of things as an actor. He got Derailed with Jennifer Aniston and Clive Owen and did xXx 2, X-Files 2, 8 Mile and Gridiron Gang which all showed off the X to the Z. He may not be a great actor (yet?), but he is likable and charismatic. Known for a muscular build, he has had to be stronger inside than out as Xzibit recently lost his infant son to a rare lung disorder. He still has projects acting coming through 2011.

Ludacris aka Chris Bridges

The former radio DJ (Chris Lover Lover) turned punch-line rapper, has had some higher profile films as an actor including Oscar-winner Crash and last year’s Max Payne. He initially stretched himself for Hustle & Flow (I kid). Was in Guy Ritchie’s RocknRolla in a small role, where he was at the very least, efficient. Chris some talent here and it will be interesting to see how things turn out for him as I suspect he is going to try to be in it for the long haul.

Will Smith aka The Fresh Prince

The former fun and charming rapper is now the most successful box office star on the planet. Need I say more? He was once accepted to M.I.T. and was the first rapper to win a Grammy for “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” He once exquisitely portrayed Ali, has been nominated for many awards, regularly stretches himself, and is among the most personable stars you can imagine. Will is the undisputed box office champ who may never be topped. His string of $100m hits just was broken with Seven Pounds last year and he is currently on a bit of a hiatus. We eagerly anticipate seeing how he will react.

Christopher Wallace, aka The Notorious B.I.G. was gunned down and murdered here in LA back in 1997 at the tender young age of 24. There is no reason to dance around this matter, so like the late man himself said, “If you don’t know, now you know.” The man with several monikers such as Big Poppa, The Teflon Don, The Rhinoceros of Rap, Black Frank White, and Biggie Smalls, lived a life filled with controversy before his untimely passing. Notorious covers the life of the hip-hop icon without revealing anything that might disparage the man’s legacy.

“Straight from Bedford-Stuyvesant, the livest one, representin’ BK (Brooklyn) to the fullest.” – Notorious B.I.G. from “Unbelievable” on the album Ready To Die

He was the proud New York MC who rose from a street-hustler to a hip-hop legend. Early in the movie, a young Big (played by his true to life son, Christopher Wallace Jr.) is shown as the smartest kid in the class who just happened to be a drug dealer, so he drops out, to the chagrin of his mother Voletta (Angela Bassett). Big goes through the expected trials of this type of biopic and when an arrest is made for Chris tossing a gun, it is either he or his homeboy D-Roc left to handle the bid in jail. Chris has priors so D-Roc takes the fall advising Big that if he makes it in hip-hop “then we all make it.”

The many controversies of Biggie’s life are played out in panoramic widescreen but nothing that any true fan doesn’t already know. Yes, Director George Tillman Jr. (Men Of Honor) shows us the events, but the script by Reggie Rock Blythewood based on a book by noted hip-hop journalist Cheo Hodari Coker (Vibe magazine) gives us no reasons as to why these things occur. What are the motives behind Big’s actions? Notorious offers little in the way of answers painting Big as a patron saint. The film is filled with soft lighting and tender moments. This for a man who was known for the toughest of street rhymes with songs like “Machine Gun Funk.” Are we to assume that Big was a “studio-gangster,” the popular term coined for MC’s who talk about dramatic things without having lived them? He titled his first album “Ready to Die” but he is unconvincingly glossed as a tragic figure.

“We lie together, cry together, I swear to God I hope we f–ken die together.” – Notorious B.I.G. from “Me & My B–ch” on the album “Ready To Die”

Notorious makes no light of the fact that Big was known as a ladies man. His rapid marriage to R&B singer Faith Evans with whom he has a child, and his tumultuous relationship with Kim Jones, aka Lil’ Kim from the hip-hop group Junior Mafia, are detailed, just not explained. Of course, in real life, Kim is pissed about her portrayal in the movie, but that likely has more to do with her being tinted as someone constantly in the way of the woman Big really loves, Faith.

Notorious covers too much ground, jumping from scene to scene, again showing you things without telling you why. If the film is to be believed, the supposed close-knit relationship Big had with Sean “Puffy” Combs is a myth. Here, they are mere business collaborators, their friendship never shown as much more than artist and boss while Combs has always had us believe that he and Wallace were the best of friends.

Oh yeah, there is music. There’s a fair amount of rapping, whether it is freestyling in the street, performing in the studio (the film tells us that Big never wrote down words to his hit “Juicy” but performed the rhymes off the top of his head, which is something many “top” MC’s are known for), or live stage performances. Yet for all of that, only a few songs are really used. There’s no “Big Poppa” to be found. Oscar-winning composer, Danny Elfman, does a good job handling the schmaltzy score.

With B.I.G. being such a big man and icon, Notorious feels empty. This is a biography approved by Big’s mother Voletta and mentor Combs (Derek Luke) and it is obvious that Chris’s name will not get denigrated in any way. Okay, so he had girl troubles. What successful male artist doesn’t? The film would have you believe that Big is a patron saint incapable of harming another human being, Tupac included. And yes, the coastal rap rivalry is touched on with a decidedly East-Coast slant. If you want gloss, the film delivers, if you want depth, it’s as shallow as a 4-foot pool. Olympic hero Michael Phelps couldn’t swim in this water.

The acting saves Notorious from drowning. Big is depicted with great flair by first timer Jamal Woolard, aka real-life rap wannabe, Gravy. Woolard captures Big’s essence, even doing his own rapping. Another newcomer, Naturi Naughton, shines as Lil’ Kim. She goes all out at truly capturing the woman’s persona. Derek Luke efficiently delivers Puff’s cockiness while Anthony Mackie slips up as the late Tupac. Admittedly, he is in a losing battle here anyway. It is ridiculously difficult to capture a man as complex and iconic as 2pac in 3 or 4 scenes. The filmmakers should be ashamed of making him try.

This doesn’t play like an “Outside the Lines” episode from ESPN. You won’t learn any true insight into who Biggie really was outside of the heavily skewed angle given. It is kind of like being a Republican George Bush fan (not me, by the way) watching Fahrenheit 911, you are only going to see one side of the story. You want to know about Biggie being one of the best MC’s who ever lived? You’ll be better served going to his wikipedia page, as it is (surprisingly, but thankfully) not touched on here. From a historical hip-hop fan’s perspective, the “big” questions will not get answered. As a straight biopic made with commercial appeal though, the film works just enough.

The last year has been one of those strange, bizarre years for Jo Phoenix as he first said he was going to quit acting to become a musician.  As if that wasn’t strange enough, now comes word form The Hollywood Reporter saying that Phoenix’s music of choice is rap. THR says,

Phoenix is embarking on a new path as a rapper, with an album to be produced by Sean Combs. He is scheduled to make his first public performance Friday at a Las Vegas club, which will officially kick off Affleck’s shoot.

Yes, actor Casey Affleck is supposed to direct Joaquin, documentary style, to capture the whole affair on camera.  The timing couldn’t be more appropos with Notorious dropping in theaters today.  I just can’t help but picture this as a massive PR stunt of some sort.  Maybe Joaquin and Puffy have some joint venture that they are planning to embark on, a cologne or vodka perhaps, and then they will reveal to the world this hidden gem.  I just can’t see it.  The BS meter is off the charts here.  Joaquin doesn’t seem to be the MC type.  Maybe he will shock us all, but maybe not.  What do you think, can this be possible?  Please share.  Below is Joaquin’s original “retirement” announcement.