It's tough here for a rapper trying to be taken seriously as an actor, but things are changing.
The line between the recording studio and the silver screen has never been thinner. This year, a new generation of rappers is proving that musical talent and acting are not mutually exclusive, delivering performances that are winning critical acclaim and the attention of Oscar voters.
Leads the attack Teyana Taylorwhose role as Perfidia Beverly Hills in Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another has firmly placed her at the forefront of supporting actress conversations. Taylor plays a French revolutionary member of the 75 who runs away from her family and motherly responsibilities, bringing a raw vulnerability to the role that demonstrates her dramatic depth.
This is not her first rodeo – she demonstrated her range in the indie drama One Thousand and One (2023), where she portrayed a struggling mother with heartbreaking authenticity. The multiple-time artist is also celebrating her first Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album for “Escape Room.”
via Instagram
A$AP Rocky is having an impressive year, with not one, but two notable twists and turns. In Spike Lee's The Lowest 2, Apple's A24 crime thriller reimagining Akira Kurosawa's 1963 film High and Low, Rocky takes on the role of Archie/Young Outlaw, bringing a streetwise intensity to Lee's characteristically gritty vision. He followed this up with a supporting role opposite Rose Byrne in Mary Bronstein's dark comedy If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You, where he plays motel manager James, skillfully combining the film's dark themes with unexpected humor.
The three-time Grammy Award nominee is gaining buzz not only for his acting, but also for his highly anticipated fourth studio album, Don't Be Dumb, set for release in January. Rocky's chameleon-like ability to switch between genres and tones suggests an actor who understands that less is more, allowing silence to speak as loudly as any verse.
Tyler, the Creator rounds out this year's standout trio with his role in Josh Safdie's disturbing Marty Supreme for A24. The 34-year-old actor, known by his birth name, Tyler Okonma, plays Wally, a taxi driver and friend of Timothée Chalamet's protagonist, delivering a naturalistic performance that has a casual feel to it.
The two-time Grammy Award winner is also nominated for five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and rap album Chromakopia. His approach to acting reflects his musical evolution: he's not afraid to be weird, vulnerable and completely himself.
These performances build on the forgotten legacy of rappers who have successfully transitioned to the silver screen. Ice Cube made a splash in Boyz n the Hood (1991), establishing himself as a serious dramatic actor before building a comedy empire. Queen Latifah was nominated for supporting actress for Chicago (2002), where she brought tremendous charisma to her role as Mama Morton. Will Smith won an Oscar for King Richard (2021), while Eminem won an award for his original song “Lose Yourself” from 8 Mile (2002), as well as praise for his acting. Ludacris won a SAG Award as part of the ensemble cast for Crash (2005). Donald Glover won an Emmy for Atlanta, which revolutionized television comedy, and Mark Wahlberg, who started out as Marky Mark, received a Best Picture supporting actor nomination for The Departed (2006).
What's different at this point is the amount of talent making the leap, creating a critical mass that is hard for the industry to ignore. The stigma that once dogged rappers at auditions seems to be evaporating, giving way to excitement about what these artists bring to the table. They're not abandoning music for Hollywood—rather, they're expanding the definition of what it means to be an artist today.
Hip-hop's brightest stars don't just drop bars. They educate them.
This week's Oscar predictions are below.
*** = PREDICTED WINNER
(All suggested candidates below are in alphabetical order)
Best Film
“Bugonia” (Focus Features)
Frankenstein (Netflix)
“Hamnet” (Focus Features)
“It was just an accident” (Neon)
“Marty Supreme” (A24)
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) ***
“Sentimental Value” (Neon)
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
“Dream Train” (Netflix)
“Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)
Director
Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) ***
Ryan Coogler, The Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Jafar Panahi, “It Was Just an Accident” (Neon)
Joachim Trier, “Sentimental Value” (Neon)
Chloe Zhao, Hamnet (Focus Features)
Actor
Timothée Chalamet, “Marty Supreme” (A24)
Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Joel Edgerton, Dream Train (Netflix)
Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon (Sony Pictures Classics) ***
Wagner Moura, “Secret Agent” (Neon)
Actress
Jessie Buckley, Hamnet (Focus Features) ***
Rose Byrne, “If I Had Legs I'd Kick You” (A24)
Chase Infinity, One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Renata Reinsve, “Sentimental Value” (Neon)
Emma Stone, Bugonia (Focus Features)
Supporting Actor
Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) ***
Paul Mescal, Hamnet (Focus Features)
Sean Penn, One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Andrew Scott, Blue Moon (Sony Pictures Classics)
Stellan Skarsgård, “Sentimental Value” (Neon)
Supporting Actress
Ariana Grande, Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)
Regina Hall, One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleas, “Sentimental Value” (Neon)
Amy Madigan, “Guns” (Warner Bros.) ***
Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Original script
Blue Moon (Sony Pictures Classics) – Robert Kaplow
“It Was Just an Accident” (Neon) – Jafar Panahi
“Marty Supreme” (A24) – Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
“Sentimental Value” (Neon) – Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.) – Ryan Coogler ***
Adapted Screenplay
“Bugonia” (Focus Features) – Will Tracy
“Hamnet” (Focus Features) – Chloe Zhao
“No Other Choice” (Neon) – Park Chan Wook, Lee Kyung Mi and Jahae Lee
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) – Paul Thomas Anderson
“Dream Train” (Netflix) – Clint Bentley and Greg Kvedar ***
Casting
“Hamnet” (Focus Features) – Nina Gold
“Marty Supreme” (A24) – Jennifer Venditti
“New Wave” (Netflix) – Stéphane Batut
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) – Cassandra Koulukoundis
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.) – Francine Meisler ***
Animated film
“Arco” (Neon)
“Elio” (Pixar)
“KPop Demon Hunters” (Netflix)
“Little Amelie, or the Character of the Rain” (GKids)
Zootopia 2 (Walt Disney Pictures) ***
Production Design
Frankenstein (Netflix) ***
“Hamnet” (Focus Features)
“Marty Supreme” (A24)
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
“Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)
Cinema
“Hamnet” (Focus Features)
“No Other Choice” (Neon)
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.) ***
“Dream Train” (Netflix)
Costume design
Frankenstein (Netflix)
“Hamnet” (Focus Features)
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
The Testament of Ann Lee (Searchlight Pictures)
“Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures) ***
Film editing
“F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
“Hamnet” (Focus Features)
“Marty Supreme” (A24)
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) ***
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Makeup and hairstyle
Frankenstein (Netflix) ***
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
“Wrecking Machine” (A24)
“Weapons” (Warner Bros.)
“Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)
Sound
“F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
Frankenstein (Netflix)
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) ***
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
“Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)
Visual effects
“Avatar: Fire and Ash” (20th Century Studio) ***
“F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
Fantastic Four: First Steps (Marvel Studios)
“Superman” (Warner Bros.)
“Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)
Original score
Frankenstein (Netflix) – Alexandre Desplat
“Hamnet” (Focus Features) – Max Richter
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) – Jonny Greenwood
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.) – Ludwig Göransson ***
“Sirat” (NEON) – Kanding Ray
Original song
“Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Ruthless (Greenwich Entertainment)
“Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters” (Netflix) ***
“I Lied to You” from Sinners (Warner Bros.)
“Girl in the Bubble” from Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)
“Train Dreams” from Train Dreams (Netflix)
Documentary
“The Alabama Solution” (HBO documentaries)
“Come See Me in a Good Light” (Apple Original Films)
“The Perfect Neighbor” (Netflix) ***
“Librarians” (Independent Lens)
“2000 meters to Andreevka” (PBS)
International Feature
“It Was Just an Accident” from France (Neon)
“Secret Agent” from Brazil (Neon)
“Sentimental Value” from Norway (Neon) ***
“Sirat” from Spain (Neon)
“Voice of Hind Rajab” from Tunisia (Villa)
Top 5 predicted Oscar nomination leaders (films): One Battle After Another (14); “Sinners” (12); “Hamnet” (11); “Wicked: For Good” (8); “Sentimental Value” (7)
Top 5 Projected Oscar Nomination Leaders (Studios): Warner Bros. (32); Neon (18); Netflix (15); Focus functions (14); A24 and universal images (8)
