“Burn Hollywood Burn,” or so went the old Public Enemy rallying cry.
But Chuck D’s threat to torch Tinsel Town–partly provoked by the racial stereotypes he saw at the movies and on TV–clearly fell on deaf ears.
Fifteen years later, every rapper wants to go Hollywood. And it’s all thanks to Boyz N the Hood. Sure, Run DMC scored a then-astounding $3.5 million by cartoonishly proving they were Tougher than Leather (1988). But John Singleton’s look at life in inner-city Los Angeles vividly captured–for the first time–the angst, despair and violence found on albums by West Coast gangsta rappers like Ice-T and N.W.A.
If Elvis Presley deserved the chance to make the leap from the concert stage to the movie theater, then why not N.W.A.’s Ice Cube? Or Ice-T? Or Tupac?
Now it’s 50 Cent’s turn. And Fiddy’s showing his street smarts by following in the footsteps of his boss at Shady Records, Eminem.
Like Eminem’s 8 Mile, Get Rich or Die Tryin’ finds bad-boy 50 Cent seeking fame and fortune as a rapper (coming soon after Hustle & Flow, one can only wonder what Chuck D makes of this emerging stereotype). That means leaving behind the thug life, one that deliberately recalls 50 Cent’s own criminal past, his well-documented brush with death, and his eventual rehabilitation.
The comparisons to 8 Mile don’t end there. Eminem wanted to be taken seriously, so he placed his trust in a highly respected director, L.A. Confidential’s Curtis Hanson. Same goes with 50 Cent, who’s working with Jim Sheridan of My Left Foot fame. Sheridan doesn’t quite coax as strong a performance from a surprisingly understated 50 Cent as Hanson did from Eminem. But 50 Cent–pretty much playing himself in a mature, reflective but predictable film that’s he tells The AP. is “75 percent factual”–possesses a natural charm and enough raw talent to suggest he could be a fairly decent actor.
Eminem doesn’t seem too interested in pursuing an acting career, but 50 Cent‘s signed a development deal with Sony Picture. If Get Rich or Die Tryin’ massacres the competition–and makes half of 8 Mile’s $116.7 million–then 50 Cent might put apply his hustler’s ambition to challenging these rappers who already have Hollywood wrapped around their fingers.
Will Smith
Greatest Hit: Independence Day, $306.1 million
Greatest Miss: The Legend of Bagger Vance, $30.9 million
The Bottom Line: The Fresh Prince of PG rap reigns supreme thanks to I, Robot, Enemy of the State, and the Bad Boys and Men in Black franchises. So Smith didn’t sting like a bee in Ali, but he earned great respect for trying to float like a butterfly. And while his dramas don’t possess the same punch as his July 4th extravaganzas, the former TV sitcom star’s return to out-and-out comedy with Hitch made lovebirds coo. And Hitch demonstrated Smith can open a film in the cold of winter.
Ice Cube
Greatest Hit: Are We There Yet?, $82.5 million
Greatest Miss: XXX: State of the Union, $26 million
The Bottom Line: By starring in John Singleton’s Boyz N the Hood and Higher Learning, Ice Cube made it clear from the get-go that, as an actor, he would not perpetuate Hollywood’s stereotypical portrayal of disfranchised young black men. Of course, it’s debatable whether he inadvertently created two stereotypes–the taciturn would-be gangsta and the dope-smoking slacker–with Boyz N the Hood and Friday. If this is indeed the case, then he made amends with his Barbershop series, which nobly called for entrepreneurs of all colors to give back to the community that supports their businesses.
LL Cool J
Greatest Hit: S.W.A.T., $116.9 million
Greatest Miss: Mindhunters, $4.4 million
The Bottom Line: Unlike Ice Cube, who’s failed to make himself America’s most wanted man of action with Torque and the XXXsequel, LL Cool J’s got the muscles to knock us out. Sure, in Deep Blue Sea, he feared he’d end up as shark food because “brothers never make it out of situations like this.” But LL Cool J bucks the odds and lives to fight another day. Still, he needs to graduate from right-hand man to the main man, and that probably won’t happen until one of his comedies proves bigger and deffer than Kingdom Come or Deliver Us from Eva. And that may happen with Last Holiday (Jan. 13), in which Queen Latifah undoubtedly learns why ladies still love Cool James.
Mos Def
Greatest Hit: The Italian Job, $106.1 million
Greatest Miss: Civil Brand, $254,293
The Bottom Line: Most definitely the promising of all rappers out to earn a name for themselves in Hollywood. Considered one of hip-hop’s smartest and articulate orators, the “Sex, Love & Money” maker naturally gravitates toward characters who prefer to use brains than brawns. His quietly powerful performances in The Woodsman and HBO’s Something the Lord Made demonstrate a willingness and a confidence to tackle dramatic roles that are simply beyond Ice Cube or LL Cool J’s abilities. Yes, he was something of a surprise choice as Ford Perfect in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, but he revealed a droll wit that was only hinted at in The Italian Job.
Snoop Dogg
Greatest Hit: Starsky & Hutch, $88.2 million
Greatest Miss: Bones, $7.3 million
The Bottom Line: To think, less than a decade ago Tha Doggfather found himself being tried on murder charges (he was acquitted). Now he’s as harmless as a little lost puppy as he yuks it up with Chrysler’s ex-CEO Lee Iacocca in TV commercials. How sweet. Still, Snoop Dogg’s fun and funky ways certainly could not go unnoticed by Hollywood. A little of Snoop Dogg goes a long way. Hey, who could have slipped on Huggy Bear’s fly pimp suits for the Starsky & Hutch redo? Too much of Snoop Dogg, though, seems to leave anyone with a hangover worst than any induced on by a night of sippin’ gin and juice. Please, Snoop, stick to Huggy Bear-ish cameos and rubbing shoulders with corporate bigwigs. Anything but another Soul Plane. Please.
