Favorite Artists Turned Actors

Samuel L. Jackson once turned down a role because he didn't want to play opposite 50 Cent who was the lead character. He felt that it was below him as a serious and established actor to do so. As someone who had early acting roles as a stickup thief in Coming to America (shoutout to McDowells) and a crackhead in Jungle Fever he's experienced firsthand the climb up the ladder by paying dues first with smaller roles. He respects the craft and I'm sure music, but he's one of many who still have that old school opposition to entertainers gliding easier into the film industry than those upcoming actors who struggle for years for work.

Understandable, but some singers/rappers truly are a double threat and when in a film or on TV screen they convince you they deserve to be there as you begin to see them as their character, not what you know them for. (Come on, Tyrese as Jodi, priceless.) Even if you love them you can hate them, or if you hate them you can love them if they play the role right. To be believable, there has to be a combination of drive and that willingness to be vulnerable on screen.

Here are my favorite double threats with a few of my favorite roles from them.

Tupac -I preferred him at his calm introspective states when he wasn't the wild, loose cannon spitting at video cameras and throwing up W's. He's immortalized with his music, but willl always be remembered best on screen as Bishop, the troubled teenager from a dysfunctional home with a "do or die mentality" who felt he had nothing to lose - not even his friends. Bang. Bang.
Juice
Above the Rim
Poetic Justice
Gang Related
His cameo as Picolo on A Different World (yes, only one episode, but one of my favorites nonetheless)


Ice-T - Ice-T is the coolest former rapper turned actor who doesn't have to really sacrifice his everyday swag for movies or the television screen. He still has charisma, but he's not really that versatile of an actor. Ice-T's list of movies he's been in is actually quite long, but he's best known for his current role as Detective Fin in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and as Scotty in the early 90s film, New Jack City.

New Jack City
Law & Order: SVU
New York Undercover (Throwback! He was that trademark ruthless drug dealer. He even ended up killing J.C's fiancee which really made me hate him.
Stealth Fighter



Will Smith - Not even sure he should be on this list; his acting career has completely dominated his recording career when he learned long ago acting was his golden ticket. Yeah, he won the first rap award at The Grammy's, but we know as much as we love Will he's not on any of our top 10 rappers list. In Ali, he garnered a new appreciation for his acting skills by being able to portray a living legend with intensity and believability.
Ali
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Independence Day
Bad Boys
Hitch
Enemy of the State


Ludacris - He's actually an artist I wouldn't mind seeing in more movie roles; he hasn't done numerous roles, but the ones he has portrayed he's convincing. In Crash he wasn't a main character, but he represented that lost, "I'm a victim of the man" mindset. There was also that complexity in terms of him being a product of his environment and how he felt he could do what he wanted because the world owed him something. I love when Terrance Howards character said to him, "you disgust me". (He may have said, "now get out my car, but I don't remember)


Crash
Hustle and Flow
Guest role on Law & Order:Special Victims Unit (very surprised by his performance)

Mos Def - Who would of thought the guy formerly exchanging rhymes with his little brother and sister in the hip-hop group, Urban Thermo Dynamics ( oh yeah, I'm familiar with Manifest Destiny) and later collaborating with Talib Kweli for Blackstar would become known not only for his conscious style rhymes, but for acting as well? STLM, is maybe not my favorite movie he's in, but the fact he steps outside some of his earlier roles for a distinguished mature one that beefed up his acting resume was impressive.

Something the Lord Made
Bamboozled
Brown Sugar
16 Blocks



Ice Cube: We all know how hardcore Ice Cube was, and perhaps deep down maybe he still is, but writing scripts, co-starring alongside George Clooney, starring in family-oriented films (Are We There Yet?) is officially in the safe zone". People can watch his movie and not think N.W.A or West Side Connection. Not to get it twisted, he definitely could still pull off another Friday movie, although I hope he doesn't. My pick is his role as Doughboy in Boyz in the Hood, because gangsta mentality, gun toting, jerry curl, and all, he just wanted to be loved. lol.
Boyz in the Hood
Friday
Barbershop
Anaconda

Andre 3000 - Forgive me, I may be biased. No scratch that - he nailed it in Idlewild. The reserved son of a mortician who eventually broke out of being suppressed musically made for a good storyline with his character. and the scene at the end when his girlfriend is killed and he dresses her up for the funeral like with "She Lives in My Lap", playing? Pure genius.
Idlewild
Four Brothers

Whitney Houston (No matter what Whitney, I'll always love you) Longtime Whitney rumors and substance abuse problems aside, Whitney has always be a strong performer in my eyes. Whether through her vocal strength or through acting there has always been something authentic about her. Or maybe it's a native Jersey thing and I'm just biased. j/k.
The Bodyguard
Waiting to Exhale
The Preacher's Wife



Queen Latifah- She went from this harsh, out with an attitude take no nonsense young female rapper to a woman who has had her own sitcom, daytime talk show, makeup line, and who has appeared alongside many mainstream Hollywood actors. She is Hollywood. For me, the best testament of her talent is how was she so convincing as the hardcore, brash, go get'em and run lesbian, Cleo, in Set it Off. So all other movies aside my pick is Set it Off.

Set it Off
The Bone Collector
Bringing Down the House
Beauty Shop
Living Single



Honorable Mentions:
Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, and Common.
Tyra Banks - Only for her role in Higher Learning and Jackie on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air; her small part in Love in Basketball was kind of weak and didn't really have any impact.

Snoop - For Bones, horrible movie, but gets a mention because he portrayed a pimped out drug peddler from the 70s and I love the 70s. Bad movie, but Khalil Kain was in it. And also, Snoop's never portrays anyone deep on screen but his humor and charisma have made way for him to expand beyond just being a rapper.

Janet Jackson - Not good at all in Nutty Professor II, but she was cute as Penny in Good Times and I liked her in Why Did I Get Married?

T.I - I liked ATL and his small role in American Gangster, but I'd like to see more from him.

McNugget Lovin'

I couldn't help myself. So just when I wasn't done shaking my head at the Florida man who called 911 because Burger King ran out of lemonade, comes Latreasa Goodman. Latreasa just wanted some of that McNugget lovin' only to find that the McDonalds was out of McNuggets. I can understand the outrage, I've never encountered that either and I would of been shocked too. However, when she was told she would not receive a refund and had to pick another item off the menu instead of doing what normal/sane people would do which is, I don't know ask to speak to a manager or at the very maximum call the cops (even then is a bit overboard), she dials a 911 dispatcher. In fact, she calls 911 three times!

However, as most of us learned as a kid, calling 911 is no joke. I remember accidentally calling 911 a few times and panicking wondering if they were going to show up at my front door responding to the call. Luckily, that never happened.

When the cops finally showed up she apparently said, "this is an emergency, my McNuggets are an emergency." This woman cannot be serious. I love how calm the operators are on the phone. I know they're trained to do that, but I don't know if I could have contained my laughter. She was later given a misdeameanour citation and this isn't her first experience with 5-0. The Smoking Gun article contains more details and audio of all three 911 calls:
I shouldn't do this because I hate this commercial and it was only really funny the first three times, but here's that infamous McDonalds commercial featuring that guy with the fake R&B song about his girl creepin' on him......with nuggets.

The Quick Rise and Long Fall of Yung Berg.....A Timeline

The Quick Rise and Fall of Yung Berg...A Timeline

Above is a link to story I worked on featuring the ups, and downs, and well beat downs of Yung Berg. I knew he stayed in controversy in '08 while doing the research I just kept shaking my head at the amount of beef he stayed in. Literally, almost every month he had a problem brewing with another artist or had offended someone. In general, I admire anyone who starts off motivated at a young age and shows that persistence and determination to succeed. But as stated in the intro, is it really smart that early in your career to gather that much negativity? I'm not saying you can't stand up for yourself, but clearly some of these issues were based off recklessness.

I don't think his career is necessarily over, but he has to build himself back up for the right reasons. He shouldn't worry about being the tough guy and focus on music if that's what he really wants to be known for, in the future. All rappers don't have to be tough. For example, Biggie may have rapped about violence and guns (quite often), but was he really running around threatening people? Not so much.

Lock the Door and Throw Away the Key

I have no sympathy and very little interest in celebrities who repeatedly get in trouble with the law for incidents that could have been avoided. Do they think they're above the law or simply don't care? Mixture of both probably. Yes, at the end of the day they're humans just like everyone else and make mistakes, but why damage your reputation consistently?

O.J Simpson
Following his last botched attempt of retrieving what he said was "his" property, The Juice was sentenced to nine years in prison. For real this time. Whether we want to go back 14 years ago as to whether he "did it" or "not", after being acquitted he had the chance to try to repair a severely damaged reputation. Instead of fading into the background O.J managed to get attention for all the wrong reasons - drugs, domestic abuse, tax problems, you name it. He even managed to get a lawsuit slapped against him by DirecTV for stealing television signals. People have been bootlegging cable for years, how dumb can you be that you get caught and you're a celebrity??

And he seriously must have gotten every brain cell knocked out of him when he played football because in 2006 he wanted to release a book called, If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer detailing how he would have executed the murders if he had done it. He should of been locked up then for sheer stupidity.
Lock away the key. No one cares anymore, not even those who supported him through the trial. Bye.

DMX
A rapper fallen from hip-hop grace. In the late 90s/early 00s DMX was on top of the world with multi-platinum albums, collaborations with hip-hop heavyweights, and what appeared like a solid career in music. Well, crack is wack, and apparently so is DMX. Numerous drug arrests, carjacking, driving with a suspended license, babies mothers coming out the wood works suing him prove DMX had slipped and fell and couldn't get up. The icing on the cake for me was last fall during an interview with XXL when he said he didn't know who Barack Obama was and didn't even know a black man was running for president. Wow.
He's currently on lockdown now and apparently part of his punishment is he has to wear pink at all times.

Mike Tyson
I haven't heard anything recently but Mike loves to take a retreat from his criminal activities and come back every few years with a new drug or assault charge. In 2005, USA Today ran an article where he reportedly said, ""My whole life has been a waste, I've been a failure. I just want to escape. I'm really embarrassed with myself and my life." Again, someone who served time for a convicted rape you think would of dedicated his life to shedding a negative image, but he just kept racking up charges...and ridiculous tattoos. Well, as of now he's acknowledged his drug problem and trying to seek help. Better late than never. I guess.

Suge Knight
Does Suge have nine lives? Suge has been shaking the industry down since the early 90s through what most would say by fear, extortion and violence. He served a little time, but still never seemed to learn his lesson. But someone's not afraid of Suge as recently he got beat up during the NBA All Star weekend by a guy they claimed was Akon's manager, but reportedly isn't? I just get tired of hearing about Suge Knight; for someone who hasn't really been relevant in the music game for awhile he sure can't seem to stay out of the news.

Amy Winehouse
She should be jailed not because of the illegal drug use but for being a waste of talent (you think I cared when Britney Spears fell off the wagon. Not so much)
I'd say throw away the key, but perhaps lock her away and don't let her out until she promises to deliver a new dope album, get off drugs and gain some weight. Fair exchange is no robbery.

Sidenote: Bobby Brown could of made this last about four or five years ago, but he's been on good behavior lately. Speaking of Bobby, I never hide my shameless love for late 80s/early 90s R&B, so here's Bobby live.

Chimpin Ain't Easy

Is it ever okay to joke when you know because of a certain implication it could be seen as offensive? Or do we do it anyway because we think the joke is so clever and hope nothing controversial comes of it? Good question for The New York Post.

Today they are under scrutiny for a cartoon depicting police officers with a chimp lying on the ground who they just shot with the caption, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill". This cartoon was inspired by a combination of current events as yesterday the stimulus bill was officially signed by Barack Obama and and a chimp was shot and killed by officers in Connecticut after it attacked and mauled a woman.

Insiders claim the cartoon has no racial connection to referring to African-Americans or more so the president as a chimp, but is poking fun and calling the writer of the stimulus bill a chimp, not the president. If that was the case, then yes people would be overacting.

Of course Reverend Al Sharpton's spider sense went off when he heard about this and he released a statement saying, "Being that the stimulus bill has been the first legislative victory of President Barack Obama ... and has become synonymous with him, it is not a reach to wonder: are they inferring that a monkey wrote the last bill?... The Post should at best clarify what point they were trying to make, or in fact reprimand their cartoonist."


I doubt Obama will speak on it, but there's also a chance he's personally not offended by it and doesn't think it was in reference to him. But as intellectuals on staff, I'm surprised no one raised any flags about how this might be perceived or maybe they didn't care. The average person when they see that cartoon will not assume they're referring to the writer of the stimulus act, but of the president who has been the main person involved with pushing it. Even if someone was sitting back there giggling at the implication of the chimp representing Obama, we'll never really know the truth or they'll never admit it.

Update: They issued an apology to anyone who was offended, but then in a very backhanded way said that anyone who has it out for them they are not apologizing to. That's like being a schoolyard bully being forced to apologize to a kid you beat up and saying, "I'm sorry, but I'm really not apologizing because those kids over there beat me up too"....best analogy I can think of at the moment, but definitely not sincere.

But the original article is here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/18/new-york-post-chimp-carto_n_167841.html


Article on Woman Attacked by Chimp:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/16/chimp.attack/

Re-Makin' it Happen

Plies. Oh Plies. How many of my favorite R&B songs from the 80s are you going to sample? First, he sampled Janet Jackson's "Come Back to Me" for "Bust it Baby Part 2" and now in his new song which features Ashanti he jacks The Deele's (80s group with Babyface, Antonio L.A Reid and four others), "Two Occasions".

Blasphemy! Now my music knowledge is pretty vast but not omniscient but maybe these songs contained elements of others as well, but I have a big problem with remakes if it doesn't do the original any justice. And I know some random bottom feeder songs that never made it big, so it's even more of a surprise when someone comes out with a new song and it has elements of a song that never made it big because now you know they're getting away with no flack for it.
Granted, sampling and having elements of other songs doesn't mean it's free which is why we hear of artists getting sued every once in awhile.

There's nothing wrong with modern versions of songs or remakes, but artists rely on them too heavily especially these newer ones. Think of this familiar formula: A new singer or rapper wants to come up in the game and they may not be extremely talented, but have a look that'll work in the music scene. All you have to do is get some producers behind a track, take a song from the past that worked or had a catchy beat or hook and you can cook yourself up a hit. Whether their career stands the test of the time is often up in the air, but back in the day old school singers had to claw their way in. And back then you didn't even have to be the best looking. Although it helped, it really was all about if you could carry a tune.

This is also rampant in the film industry. Remakes of old movies, relying on the popularity of a comic book storyline, and importing overseas plots into new movies permeate. It's more evident to me in the horror genre as it seems no one can come up with any scary themes or villains so they rely on the stale leftover hype of a 70s/80s movie to carry a new movie. The most recent remake in the works is a remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street minus Robert Englund which sounds like a cinematic disaster.

There's nothing wrong with being inspired by something, but where does it end and when can we begin again?




In honor of it being one of my favorite songs here's "Two Occasions", but honestly these guys sound much better than they look in this video (Babyface is the only one who looks somewhat normal in it).

The Valentine's Day Anti-Virus

It's really not my fault Cupid's arrow misses me until some point before or after Valentine's Day (Thanks Cu, you're the man). Ironically, around February I'm usually never even "talking" to anyone to fully enjoy it. Sure, I could have a makeshift Valentine, but not my style. I don't hate Valentine's Day for one reason. I love to raid the Valentine-themed section at stores afterward when it's discounted. Even if I was bitter on V-Day I'll eat a chocolate heart in a minute. Plus, you can make Valentine's Day whatever you want sure it's geared to the couples but plenty show excess love and appreciation to friends and family members too.

Jen who kind of gave me the idea for this blog believe that V-Day was cute when you were a kid when it was all cards and candy but now all it does is remind you of sex and candy. She didn't mention love, so I'm assuming she doesn't see it that way at the moment, but I guess the only thing that stays constant is the candy which sounds like a sweet deal to me.

So, I rounded up responses from a few friends and acquaintances on their favorite anti-love/ relationship/ anti-opposite sex or or breakup song and I added my personal suggested song by that artist to remedy the anti-love song. Oh, and for those who didn't respond, I forgive you, I hate being put on the spot too ;)


Arien/Knowledge says "I Get Around" by 2Pac
Reason: "Hell if I know, cuz it's funny? Cuz he says, "well if I couldn't have it silly rabbit why ya sweatin' me"
Remedy for that anti-love song: "Me & My Girlfriend". Ohh..no wait he's talking about his gun. Nevermind. Ok , "Do For Love" from R U Still Down(Remember Me)? But then again in the song he had a girl when he met her, she knew and eventually she cheats on him...damn.
Well, he shows some much respected love for his mom on "Dear Mama".
Where to Find Knowledge:
http://www.knowledgethinks.blogspot.com/

Allie says "Bust Your Windows" by Jasmine Sullivan
Reason: "It actually was the first song that popped in my mind it's such a real song".
The Remedy: Jazmine Sullivan's "Need U Bad". Great song, good lyrics, but definitely I'm never letting you go again crazy kind of love.

Nafiys IModel Blakewood says "See You in My Nightmare" by Kanye West
Reason: " I never had love on valentines, no one to give my heart too"
The remedy:"Gold Digger" because sometimes giving your heart means giving your wallet too, but seriously funny song which has undertones of truth in it.
"Good Life" is a good carefree song to listen to.
Where to Find Nafiys: http://www.mrblakewood.com/

Megan (she's special and gets two picks) says "See You in My Nightmare" by Kanye West
Reason: Because it's such a f**k your couch I don't even love you a little song
Remedy: Try "Slow Jamz" because the song was a lot better than the wack video and I'm sure you remember those guys singing it to us in '03 while we were in Target

and
My Friends Over You" by New Found Glory
Reason: "It's the other extreme where it didn't work out but it's cool 'cause I have my friends".
Remedy: Of the few NFG songs I knew and liked at one point, none of them are saying any positive about love. lol.

Bob says "I Hate You So Much Right Now" by Kelis
Reason: "Cuz it's a song you can yell and not seem crazy"
Remedy: "Marathon" off Tasty which I'm sure you have.

CeCe "Paparazzi" says "Lions, Tigers, and Bears" by Jazmine Sullivan
Reason: "Favorite line. Why do we love love when love seems to hate us".
Remedy: "And I". She's busted windows and is ready to move on.
http://tinyurl.com/aqvsfu
to get to Cyncere Photography and Publishing



Al B. Young says "I don't have one, I'm all about the love." but then
on his own comes up with Keyshia Cole's, "I Changed My Mind"
Remedy: Keyshia's entire new album, I promise this time she's not on the love-lost/gone wrong type of tracks this time around. "You Complete Me" is a good one.
Where to Find Him: http://www.crackhouserock.blogspot.com/


Jen says "Separation of Church and State" by NOFX
Reason: "It's about the loss of freedom which sometimes can happen sometimes when you and are in a relationship".
Remedy: I don't know any NOFX songs to give you a remedy, sorry. Watch the end of Sex and the City movie where everyone ends up happy.


Uch says "Doin' Just Fine" by Boyz II Men
"It says a lot in that song, let's the girl know she made a mistake".
Remedy: Can't go wrong with "I'll Make Love To You". I'm sure many babies are still made off this song nearly 15 yrs later.

Myke says ""What Goes Around.../...Comes Around" by Justin Timberlake"
Reason: "Because I felt like that in my first relationship".
Remedy: "Until the End of Time", the version with Beyoncé even better



Some anti-love/relationship/breakup songs off the top of my head:
'Goody Goody" - Frankie Lymon (in a blog from '06 I explained this as .a.k.a good riddance you got what you deserved covered up by euphemistic lyrics and high pitch overtones before it was acceptable in music society to just say f- you b**h for breaking my heart)

"Break up to Make Up" - The Stylistics (classic)
"Heartbreaker" - Mariah Carey
"Son of a Gun" - Janet Jackson (jacking Carly Simon..I bet you think this song is about you....and it is! But even if it wasn't about you, you'd think it was...)
"Baby That's Backacha" - Smokey Robinson
"You and I" - Jason Mraz
"I Wish" - Heather Headley
"The One I Gave My Heart To" - Aaliyah
"Ms. Phat Booty" - Mos Def (damn, Mos Def was really feeling you and you played him)
"I Don't Ever Wanna See You Again" -Uncle Sam (I guess he was so heart broken he couldn't even make another song - well he did make that one, "Baby U Are" which was bad)
"Ice King" - Res
"Ex-Factor" - Lauryn Hill
"In My Bed" - Dru Hill (At age 11 the video's girl on girl creeping element did surprise me, lol)
"Me, Myself and I" -Beyoncé (Alicia reminded me of this song yesterday)
"Get Money" - Junior Mafia (I like the chorus, 'nuff said)