Mom’s Spaghetti

20. Machine Gun Kelly

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19. Snoop Dogg

Snoop has cemented himself as a rap great so he can do whatever he wants let’s be real.

18. Romeo

I mainly know this man as Lil Romeo (right of picture), from his own show, ‘Romeo!’ It doesn’t sit right with me that he is in his 30s, but, he is, and he floats around in the rapping and acting space. Floats gracefully nonetheless.

17. Eminem

Because I think Eminem almost played himself in ‘8 Mile’, the ranking can’t be too high. But he did a good job! He won’t mind, acting isn’t what he does anyway. This man is still a rapper through and through. I don’t need to mention his accolades, you know them.

16. Bow-Wow

Oh Bow-Wow. He is pictured next to Romeo in the 18th ranked picture. He has had many roles which has to be acknowledged, but a lot of the time, he has literally played himself. He is not a bad actor at all, but a lot of his roles that he is known for is when he was still Lil’ Bow Wow, for example ‘Like Mike’.

15. Ice-T

Ice-T has been playing the same role in ‘Law & Order: SVU’ for almost 25 years! Props for consistency. I knew him from ‘Ice Loves Coco’ and had no knowledge of his rapping career, but it is there! Godspeed to him.

14. Mos Def (fka)

This rapper is an impactful actor. Despite not doing much, what he did was very good.

13. Lauryn Hill

Because of ‘Sister Act 2’. I almost put her in the top 10. But this is the only main acting role so it had to be lower. But I wonder what she can’t do at this point.

12. Ludacris

Ludacris, I can’t complain too much. He does what he needs to do. I do think the Fast and Furious franchise needs to be stopped though. 

11. Method Man

Did you know that Method Man had his own sitcom? It only aired 9 episodes but STILL. He started off in Wu-Tang Clan and decided to take acting very seriously and has been on screen a lot. He is hardcore in both sectors.

10.  Tupac

Gone way too soon, but we know this. Tupac had a flurry of movies that came out and some posthumously. His range is insane, and you could see the passion and charisma in his eyes. If he was here a bit longer, we would have seen real growth from him as an actor.

9. Nick Cannon

This man has been about! He’s not just wilding out, but he actually had a flourishing acting career. He has had his own show and has been the main character of films. But, to me, he is a more of a host than an actor. In fact, I didn’t know that he rapped, but I promise you he rapped at one point.

8. LL Cool J

Feeling like he had the ability and wanting to stretch himself and his talents, LL Cool J became an actor after being a proficient rapper. He was a main cast member on ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ for 14 seasons as well as acting in many films and presenting multiple shows. 

7. Eve

Eve’s self titled sitcom propelled her on this list. It is not an easy thing to get or maintain for multiple seasons, especially as a black woman. She has also been in ‘Barbershop’ and ‘Queens’.

6. Kano

Despite not being in a lot of stuff, his work is excellent. The role of Sully in ‘Top Boy’ was initially described as an Asian drug dealer but was rewritten to accommodate him. He made an impression and stands out as an extremely skilled rapper and actor in Britain. It is still early for his acting roles to expand, but from what he has done so far with Sully, I am very optimistic and you should be too

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5. Ashley Walters

Asher D (on the left) started acting at 14 years olden has been on the stage and the screen. He is an award winning actor and even has his own acting school ‘Kingdom School of Arts’ where he trains other actors. He had graced movie and TV screens after his rapping stint with the So Solid Crew.

4. Common

A respected part of the rap industry and multi-award winner, Common has also been acting for over 20 years. He has a wide range and has played minor and major roles in film and television. His transition into an actor seems to be quite seamless, and you can tell that he worked his way up through his talent and passions. You may have seen him in ‘Now You See Me’, ‘Just Wright’, ‘Selma’ and ‘Silo’.

3. Ice Cube

Ice Cube is a RAPPER rapper. Ice Cube has serious acting abilities – his rapping is undisputed. To have a leading role in ‘Boyz in the Hood’ at 22 years old as his first role is no small feat. He did so well, and has explored different genres so much so that some people don’t even know that he rapped! His turn from serious N.W.A. to family friendly movies is crazy, but the variety has to be commended.

2. Queen Latifah

Not only is the star of one of my favourite films, ‘Just Wright’, but she was a trailblazer for female rappers and black actresses. She was the first hip-hop artist to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and she is a decorated in both sectors. Breaking the mould of a black leading lady, she championed size inclusivity and has been a feminist icon through her music. It’s not easy to make a mark on both sides, especially as a plus size black woman, but here she is.

1. Will Smith.

It’s pretty obvious that Will Smith has to be first. Oscar slap aside, he is a respectable multi award winner in music and a very good actor that has tackled many different genres for over 30 years. He is one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars, has carried a show, holds many iconic characters, and owns a production company. He is critically acclaimed and has global fame as an actor and a rapper. Also, did you know that he’s from West Philadelphia?