5 Reasons Rappers and Singers Will Always Be Actors
Singer Rihanna is the latest singer to take the actress dive into the filmworld pool. She will make her acting debut as the character Raikes in the movie, Battleship. The film starts production this Labor Day and is scheduled to hit theaters in Spring 2012. So as much as actors like Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie may complain publicly about music folks taking their jobs this latest casting is just further proof that the rapper and singer turned actor is here to stay. So to break it down even further, VIBE now presents the Top 5 Reasons Rappers and Singers Will Always Be Actors.—Ronke Idowu Reeves
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5. Some Rappers And Singers Are Natural Born Actors
Most singers and rappers say they sometimes channel different characters (thru the lyrics of the storylines in their own music) when performing songs in the studio and onstage. If that’s true imagine how much ‘thespian’ rehearsal time they’ve put in? Even if they are a new musical act their acting performance time could translate to years.
4. Rappers and Singers Provide The Best Multimedia Cross Marketing
Rappers and singers and their record labels often schedule album release dates to coincide with film theatrical release date. And the musical artists often supply songs on the movie soundtracks as well. The music promotes the movies and the movies promote the music, get the picture?
3. The Music Industry Is The New Affirmative Action For Some New African American Actors
The acting game has proven to be a tough nut to crack for people of color for decades. For every 20 to 30 white actors we get only a handful of actors of color actively working in the mainstream. And the music industry has bolstered the numbers of black actors on the scene today in a big way. Let’s take the Academy Awards as an example. If it were not for music artists turned actors we would not have the following Oscar nominees and winner: Diana Ross [Academy Award nominee for Best Actress in 1972’s Lady Sings The Blues], Will Smith [Academy Award nominee for Best Actor in 2001’s Ali and 2006’s The Pursuit of Happyness], Queen Latifah [Academy Award nominee for Best Supporting Actress in 2002’s Chicago] and Jennifer Hudson [Academy Award winner for Best Supporting Actress in 2006’s Dreamgirls].