Keepin‘ It Reel

You can’t keep a good rapper from the mic . . . or a movie camera apparently. Here, we give you our choices for five great flicks starring rhyme-slingers.

Boyz n the Hood (1991)

Feat: Ice Cube.

Sure, Laurence Fishburne delivered a powerful performance as “Furious” Styles and this movie spawned an entire industry of “hood” movies (Menace II Society, Juice, ad nauseam), but it was Cube’s Doughboy and “don’t know, don’t show or don’t care” epilogue that really made this John Singleton film such a can’t-miss example of urban cinema.

Friday (1995)

Feat. Ice Cube

Cub again, but this time as the light-hearted Craig just trying to make it through a day in South Central despite a job loss, shenanigans from his low-rent family and the constantly smoking (pun definitely intended) performance by a then-unknown Chris Tucker. I’m still quoting Smokey!

8 Mile (2002)

Feat. Eminem

This dramatic film shocked fans and critics alike with its biopic take on Eminem’s rise from his gritty, poverty-stricken origins. It drove the point home that, yes, some rappers do in fact have to struggle for respect and shoot for the stars and end up getting out of the ghetto.

Gridlock’d (1997)

Feat. Tupac

Really, more art-house dramedy than mainstream flick-hop, this film casts Tupac as a junkie alongside fellow addict Tim Roth. A strange, and lyrical film.

New Jack City (1991)

Feat. Ice-T

Equal parts The Godfather and King of New York, but with urban African Americans and crack replacing Italians and old-school racketeering, New Jack City is an essential movie about the rise of an East Coast crack dealer and the mixed-bag, hardscrabble team of cops trying to take him down. Ice-T’s harder-than-hardcore performance as NYPD cop Scotty Appleton makes his Law & Order stuff seem tame.

These films are awesomely bad and make about as much sense as Rick Ross in a prison guard uniform.

House Party (1990)

Feat. Kid ‘n Play

The worst thing to happen to ’80s dance-rap. And it spawned three sequels(!)

Hood of Horror (2006)

Feat. Snoop Dogg

The horror . . . the horror.

Disorderlies (1987)

Feat. The Fat Boys

A heavyweight contender for godawfulness.

Cradle 2 the Grave (2003)

Feat. DMX

Really, DMX, you retired from making music for this?

The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)

Feat. Will Smith

Sorry, if I want something exciting from a golf course, there’s Happy Gilmore—and Tiger Woods’ love life!