1

Ludacris is a terrible actor and Eminem is a robot. Pretty good list, although the worst by far is Ja Rule

AK on May 13, 2008

2

Dr.Dre should be put in as one of the worst, his cameo's in Set It Off and Training Day were absolutely painful to watch.

on that note though short lived (no pun intended) Tupac Shakur was good in Poetic Justice and Juice.

The Delightful Deviant on May 13, 2008

3

Tyrese R&B Singer

Cecil on May 13, 2008

4

Great list I've liked Common in everything he's done so far but Wanted still looks ominous, yeah LL Cool J seems to be slipping, and I love me some Mos Def

silver on May 13, 2008

5

DMX could become a good actor if he applies himself, Never Die Alone and Belly he was electric on the screen.

PimpSlapStick on May 13, 2008

6

@Cecil

True, in '06 he released a double album, one disc under Black-Ty, his rapper "Alter Ego" (the name of the album, actually.)

Snoop may not have much range but I don't think he's at all a terrible actor. Dre should be in the 10 worst. I was dying laughing whenever he spoke in Training Day. I guess just because you're a God producer doesn't mean you translate well into film, huh?

Frame on May 13, 2008

7

Perfect!

Drew on May 13, 2008

8

Where's busta rhymes. He could definitely bump method man off the list

Douglas on May 13, 2008

9

I like Common and Mos Def a lot. I'm glad they're getting bigger roles. I've turned the tide on Mark Walberg and like him now too. Just watched We Own the Night yesterday, great flick. You're list is pretty good, although Tyrese sucks, along with T.I., Luda, and Eminem. Should be best 6 Rappers turned Actors.

Matt on May 13, 2008

10

Good list. Funny because I was just talking about it!

Ryan on May 13, 2008

11

It's so funny to think that Will Smith started out rapping. He's so goofy it seems implausible.

Nettle on May 13, 2008

12

Snoop had a nice cameo in Training Day as well.

Heckle on May 13, 2008

13

tyrese also came out wih a double album where he raps as black ty or something like that, so he counts as a rapper

JNYCE on May 13, 2008

14

Completely agree with 50 Cent topping the list of worst. I saw a movie earlier this year and a trailer for Righteous Kill played beforehand and I said to my buddy, "Damn.. this looks pretty good. De Niro and Pacino, this could be pretty awesome. Oh.. oh wait.. 50 Cent. WTF? Ok, I just lost all desire to see this."

Brandon on May 13, 2008

15

Are we all forgetting Vanilla Ice in "Cool as Ice" ? Worst performance by anyone ever.

Tony on May 13, 2008

16

No JA RULE???????

He's by far the worst rapper turned actor.

Fast and the Furious?!??!!?

Did you see Half Past Dead!?!?!?!?

Neal on May 13, 2008

17

Quite a load of information and thought out effort, bravo!….I gotta say though I was more entertained by getting to know the real full names of these rap artists though lol.

Marqwest on May 14, 2008

18

no no no… your list was good… but the worst rapper turned actor beat all yalls

Mysitkal—one of the worst rappers ever

he played a role in a move called 13 dead men. I rented it one night because i couldn't pick anything else. It does not get much worse… he costarred with Lorenzo Lamas

Jesse on May 14, 2008

19

yeh….there really is a whole 'nother layer of bad ones — Ja Rule, Bow Wow, Mystikal, Master P, Dr. Dre…but it's probably too much credit to call these guys actors in the first place

and @9 — you didn't like Tyrese in Transformers? he made that movie! (kidding)

Kevin Powers on May 14, 2008

20

Bow wow wasn't all that bad in Roll Bounce… I actually enjoyed that movie… but then I really like any movie that involves choreographed dance routines…LOL

I agree with your list very highly… except I think Andre 3000 can be a good actor if given the right role.

Ludacris is good also

My favorite on that list right now are Mark Wahlberg and Common, Eminem is another that can be pretty good.

LL Cool J is kind of Whack…

R1000 on May 14, 2008

21

Tyrese was not a rapper, was he??

I thought he was an RnB singer.

Zwandaba on May 14, 2008

22

conventionally, I think most folks might know him as an R&B singer…but yeh, he has/had a continuing stint as a rapper, calling himself Black-Ty (http://www.tyrese.com/)

kevin on May 14, 2008

23

I actually think Eminem is a horrible actor. I did not like 8 mile and as you can see he is not working on anything now. Glad you have TI on the list. I think he was really good in ATL.

Napiers News on May 14, 2008

24

But one problem, MOS DEF IS AN ACTOR BEFORE RAPPER!!!!

The same thing goes for Tupac, he was an actor before rapper. But in all honestly, tupac would have become one of the greatest actors ever in my mind.

Take method man and DMX off the worst list and put them on the best list. DMX might be pretty ok, see the movie NEver die alone. He was really good in it.

Take Common, Eminem and LL cool J off the best list and put them on the worst list. THEY ARE FUCKING HORRIBLE!!!

My two cents!!!

REAL6 on May 14, 2008

25

What???

Ice Cube - DMX - Snoop Dogg

Are the worst rappers? This is sick!!!

I striclty can understand Snoop Dogg, but DMX and ICE CUBE? Hell no!

Real-hiphopper on May 14, 2008

26

#24….

So, Mos Def is an actor before he is a rapper and NOT Will Smith or Mark Wahlberg? Your logic is flawed

Tony on May 14, 2008

27

Not a bad list overall, I guess. The one complaint I have is Method Man. Method Man is cool as shit, and very naturally charismatic. I've liked every cameo I've seen him in, and I think if he applied himself, he could probably be a very good actor. He may not have many credits to his name, but very few of these guys do. In any case, I don't think he belongs on the worst list.

Kelly B. on May 14, 2008

28

ice cube on the worst list? really? he was great in three kings, and held his own alongside wahlberg and clooney, which is no small task. and he had my favorite line in boyz n the hood — "domino, mothafucka"

bondy on May 14, 2008

29

@28 yeh…I'll give you Cube for 3 Kings…but since then: Ghost of Mars, Torque, XXX: State of the Union, Are We There Yet, Are We Done Yet, etc. Granted, some of the Barbershop stuff ain't half-bad…did you see him Trespass? he definitely had a pretty cool movie career about a decade ago

@27 Yeh, I'm interested to see how he does in The Wackness. I loved him in The Wire…but again, that was in pretty limited doses and not the kind of heavy lifting involved with a movie. But speaking of the Wu Tang Clan, one guy that is kinda cool and growing on me is RZA (Derailed, American Gangster)

kevin on May 14, 2008

30

i thought tyrese was pretty good in four brothers also

carl on May 14, 2008

31

Common was great in SMOKING ACES…………………

SHANE D on May 14, 2008

32

Eventhough he has passed away, Tupac had lots of potential and already had some great performances under his belt: JUICE, POETIC JUSTICE & ABOVE THE RIM. Imagine how he would have grown as an actor.

j.d. on May 14, 2008

33

2pac was the best rapper/actor and still is against these rosters and would be upto par with Will Smith.

j.d. on May 14, 2008

34

Sorry Tyrese's "continuing stint," was only one half attempt at rapping on a equally bad double album so a)he shouldn't count since his status is self-proclaimed and b)there's no way on Earth he should be on the best list. Does anyone remember the "bring the rain," crap he kept saying in Transformers?

But I'm surprised the worst list doesn't include Kirk 'Sticky Fingaz' Jones, from the Blade TV series and one of the bad sequels to the Friday Movies.

Rob on May 14, 2008

35

You put Ice Cube on the worst list and say it's because his last few movies sucked…… what does that have to do with him as an actor??? I gues Samuel L. Jackson is a bad actor because of all the shitty movies he's been in lately.

Also Eminem is one of the worst actors i have ever seen pure garbage. I watched 8 Mile on TV about a month ago for the first time since it came out on DVD and I realized that Em was a horrible actor. HORRIBLE.

Also Method Man is a good actor. He is great on the Wire and if I'm not mistaken they still consider it acting if it's on TV. Same with Ice T on Law & Order.

DMX is also a very good actor. He was amazing in Belly and that was his first roll ever.

FU on May 14, 2008

36

#24, neither Mos Def OR 2Pac were actors before they were rappers. Get real.

Frame on May 14, 2008

37

Tupac is, by far, #1. WillSmith will have better box office numbes and mroe contracts, etc. but there is no way that anyone else on this list was a better ACTOR.
There is a story that Tupac got teh role in Juice because he threw a chair against the wall in the test reading because he was so INTO character.
IF this is a popular vote, than Will, LL, Tyrese and the rest shoudl be on it. IF this is about how much money they make, then Will, LL and Tyrese should be on it.
IF and I say IF this is about acting, then someone that knows what they are talking about should review the list and actually put some thought into it.

One side note: Watch 3-4 Marky Mark movies and try to determine if there are any differences in his characters. They talk the same, they walk the same, they act the same and … they ARE the same.
This list is a joke and I can't believe someone paid you to come up with it.

JoeC on May 15, 2008

38

the list is by no means scientific and takes into account a number of variables (e.g. popularity, acting prowess, movies at large, etc.). personally, I think Walberg is great and I've liked a lot of his movies. of course there are common threads in his performances, but most end up being pretty enjoyable.

and I hate to be captain obvious, but the list is really about "rappers turned movie actors TODAY"…Tupac, obviously, doesn't apply (which is by no means a slight…this wasn't a retrospective, otherwise Ice T and Cube would have been ranked much better)

kevin on May 15, 2008

39

@37 hmm… must have struck a nerve or something…

but ok here ya go

Mark Wahlberg

We Own The Night- a legitimate Cop.
The Departed- a Not so legitimate Cop.
Rock Star- a Rock star.
The Happening - a teacher.
Four Brothers - a down and and dirty dude from Detroit, taking people out for the death of his mom.
Boogie Nights - a porn star.
Invincible - based on true story of a football player.

And thats just a few..

I don't know any of those roles needed any accent that he needed to talk differently??
I don't know that you have to walk any different when considering what role an actor wants to take.

Buy your logic, Al Pacino, Robert Deniro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci who have played VERY similar roles aren't great actors????

R1000 on May 15, 2008

40

#39 -
Comparing Marky Mark to DeNiro and Pacino did make me laugh, thank you.
The comparison to Pesci and Liotta though was spot on, one dimensional actors that remind the viewer of every other character they've played.

As for the IMDB list you made of Marky, you forgot a few.
I never said that he couldn't play a teacher, a porn star, a rock star, a football star or a cop.
What i was trying to say is that his cop acting is like his porno acting is like his rock star acting is like his teacher acting and so on.
He reminds me of the guy that lives in his parents' basement and eats his cornflakes and says, "Gee mom, I gotta a gig today."

Another blast on the list too.
#10 is Eminem - one film? 6 years ago? come on…seriously?

As for the acting, most people on the list are very one dimensional. If you account for popularity and number of films along with acting prowess, then your list shifts, I argee.

JoeC on May 15, 2008

41

What you wrote about Tyrese and LL Cool J is essentially the same as what you wrote about Cube.

You discriminate against "gangsta" rap…don't you understand that these guys get typecast? THey sell millions of records talking about gunning and running, etc., and then when they transition into a movie you want them to be playing dramatic puss-roles? 50 Cent will NEVER do a Pursuit of Happyness, even if they guaranteed him the oscar nod. Not his style. Game tho, might do it.




Ice Cube is by far #1. on the best list, primarily because he has both comedy and action locked up.

Three Kings? Friday? Even xXx State of the Union was better than it shoulda been. Sorry Kevin Powers, u picked the whitest list of rappers imagineable.

Jose from L.A. on May 15, 2008

42

I'm toootally not following you, Jose. Discriminate against gangster rap? If you're reading into a theme there, it certainly wasn't intentional. But is it discriminating to the genre to say that Will Smith is better than 50 Cent? They both have a foundation in rapping (gangster or otherwise) and they can both be considered actors (well…one more than the other). Maybe a list should be done on the best "gangster rappers turned movie actors." (?)

And I'm not expecting folks do Shakespeare or anything like that. Of course they get typecast a bit. However, having Tyrese in a supporting role is a helluva lot better than having Xzibit. T.I. and Common, also, bring a lot more depth than The Game or 50. And you have to give solid points to those rappers that have risen above the typecasting (e.g. the top 4 of the Best list).

Kevin Powers on May 15, 2008

43

I think everyone on this list is type-cast.
You know exactly what you are going to get when you go see a Will Smith film.
The joke delivery out of the side of his mouth with an accompanying "spishhhh" has been around since the 'Prince'.
As for giving Queen L props for her 'awards', what was she credited for? Portraying a black female singer? Not a stretch. I'm surprised you didn't add Fantasia, after all, she had a movie made about her life.

JoeC on May 15, 2008

44

Honestly the list should look like this.

Best Rapper turned Actor

10.) Tupac
9.) Ludacris
8.) Common
7.) Method Man
6.) Ice Cube
5.) Mos Def
4.) LL Cool J
3.) Queen Latifah
2.) Mark Wahlberg
1.) AND UNDISPUTED #1 Will Smith. Not even close, not even by a long shot.

Worst Rappers turned actors
10.) T.I.
9.) Tyrese (can only do supporting roles)
8.) Ja Rule
7.) Eminem
6.) Snoop Dogg
5.) Ice-T
4.) Xzibit
3.) DMX
2.) The Game
1.) 50 Cent

Gift on May 15, 2008

45

How could you say andre 3000 is on the crap list. Did you see "Be Cool" Him and The rock were the best parts of the whole film. Be Cool btw is the sequel to "Get Shorty"

JayBear on May 15, 2008

46

I'll definitely give you that JayBear! Dabu was awesome and my first introduction to Andre Benjamin on the big screen (so I had all kinds of hope for him). Nothing's really sparked since then :-/ (But that was definitely one of the more cool roles for The Rock, as well.)

Kevin Powers on May 15, 2008

47

I still don't think you should include Eminem.
One film six years ago should be enough of a reason.
If 6 years isn't 'that big of a number' then consider this; six years before 8 mile takes you into Tupac's career.

Ice Cube has had 9 released since then.
Hell, for that matter, DMX has had ~7.

If you have multiple qualifiers like number of films, popularity, etc. - then you should re-evaluate the higher numbers on your list. You have supporting role actors with 2 films (T.I.) rated over rappers-turned-actors with a long list of film credits and more importantly, their list of future projects.

JoeC on May 15, 2008

48

what about coolio

he is the worst of both worlds

brendon on May 15, 2008

49

honestly, common, ludacris, t.i. and eminem have not made enough movies in order to be considered actors ..

and the top should look like this

1. will smith
2. mark wahlberg
3. mos def
4. queen latifah
5. tyrese
6. ll cool j

luigi_nb on May 15, 2008

50

Common has been in more movies than you think check out his IMDB link:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0996669/

Napiers News on May 15, 2008

51

I am going to have to give you props for these lists. I agree with them for the most part. I think your top ten best is very solid and right on point. I do wish that Tupac was on this list, but then we would need a top eleven.

I would have taken Andre 3000 and Ice Cube off the worst list though. I think that they are both good actors.

Anyways…good job.

Heather Jones on May 15, 2008

52

I love Will Smith as the Prince but to think that he out does Marky Marky is Ludacris, pun intended. Two words: Dirk Diggler probably the greatest icon in cinematic entertainment in recent decades.

Alex on May 15, 2008

53

Kevin -
One question:
After all the ranting and commenting…would you change/alter/adjust your list in any way?

JoeC on May 15, 2008

54

Congrats for the IMDB survey!

Ryan on May 15, 2008

55

@ JoeC — ….nah… you could go back and forth on this sorta thing all day, really, and for as many suggested alterations I've received, I've also gotten broad agreement on both lists. again, it's not scientific, and is in part meant to start a discussion. clearly Tupac is king when it comes to the history of rappers-turned-actors, and there's far more folks that could be counted in the Worst category than the Best.

Kevin Powers on May 15, 2008

56

Kevin -
I commend you for the last post.
I disagree with a lot of your list and criteria but I would have really been disappointed if you would have 'changed' anything.
That would have meant you didn't do your research in the first place.

P.S. Cube over Tyrese for B.A. any day.

JoeC on May 15, 2008

57

Why is P. Diddy not at the top of the worst?

Angel on May 15, 2008

58

Didn't Blondie have the first Rap song on the charts? Where is Deborah Harry on this list?

yesfan13 on May 15, 2008

59

Hey Kevin Powers, you underrated Ice Cube because he's entertaining in his movies. Most of Ice Cube films are good. And you forgot Tupac Shakur. He was the best rapper turned actor because he actually knew what the fuck he was doing.

Kafoos on May 15, 2008

60

Move Ice Cube up to the best acting rapper category. Lately, his movies are a little too Disney for my taste. I hope he goes back to more gritty movies. DMX is a little broody actor and comes across that way but I wouldn't call him a bad actor. Tyrese shouldn't be the list at all because he's not a rapper. (do your homework, dude). Best of all time should go to the legend that is Tupac.

Carlos on May 15, 2008

61

Yeah, Ice Cube definately needs to be on the best list. Definately! He was very good in Friday and Three Kings. I also though Method Man was good in How High; i know that movie was mostly just goof's, but he seemed believable during the other scenes as well. I like RZA too. Rza and Method man may not be top 10 material, but they are definately better than Eminem. Do they have to be living? Tupac is better than Eminem too.

Just cause the movie sucks, doesn't me all the actors in it can't act; it just means the movie sucks.

dullstone on May 15, 2008

62

great list, but ludacris should be rated higher. he steals scenes in crash like nobody's business.

loren on May 16, 2008

63

sean kingston,akon,lil wayne ?

roland on Jun 26, 2008

64

will smith is the greatest of all time im 16 n I WOULD DO THAT MAN OMG HES SOOO FINE LIKE OHHHH MYYY GOD IS SOO FINE I DONT CARE HOW OLD HE IS I STILL WANT TO HAVE HIS BABY IDK IF HE IS MARRRIED

mraia on Jun 26, 2008

65

i didn't see G-Unit,Akon no one.



WILL SMITH SUCKS HIS COCK
why do u think his next movie is called hanCOCK.!.!.!.!.!???????.!?.!?.!?.!?????

mr.Right on Jul 7, 2008

66

This is the worst list I've ever seen. This Web Site doesn't know shit about rappers. I feel sorry for the retards who spend time on this useless misleading sites.

ChuckyIIX0 on Jul 8, 2008

67

There are a few rappers missing from the worst list that, should be noted. Master P comes to mind as someone fairly consistent on bringing a terrible performance, as does the collective of ICP. The fact that they have not only starred, but generated movies for which to fill the shelves is a nightmarish shit fest that sits on my brain whenever I give it a thought.

Several users commented on how Vanilla Ice should also be included. I would have to agree, as anyone who gives TMNT II: Secret of the Ooze a screening would know, he is in the movie. However, this may not be eligible, as he played himself performing a song. The fact that this was committed to film is downright repulsive, no matter how active a role in the acting world he played with that piece of "classic" movie magic, I would still consider him to be top of any shit list.

Oliver on Aug 1, 2008

68

ice cube is one of the best, in fact better than Eminem, plus ”are we there yet" was for the kids and to me was a very good movie, i mean are we done yet wasn't all that better but longshot looks good

Travonne on Aug 11, 2008

69

where's nas?

caitlin on Aug 20, 2008

70

WHAT ABOUT TUPAC SHAKUR ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????? HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN NUMBER ONE OF BEST RAPPERS TURN ACTOR

THUG LIFE on Sep 9, 2008

71

what about AND and jin??? c'mon

Yap on Sep 25, 2008