Rappers turned actors

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Rappers turned actors

Rappers turned actors

Common became--ahem--commonly known for his cerebral rapping on albums like "Electric Circus" and "Be," but he's also made a name for himself as an actor in movies like "Terminator Salvation" and "Just Wright" with fellow rapper Queen Latifah.

Remember when 50 Cent was ever-present on the radio, commanding you to party like it was your birthday? He still raps, but he's since focused his attention on acting--he has five films in production for 2011.

The "Put Your Back Into It" rapper has reinvented himself as a successful actor and producer with films like "Barbershop," "Are We There Yet" and "Boyz n the Hood."

Eve has a proven track record as a female rapper, but she's also dipped her toes into the acting pool with her self-titled TV show and the movie "Barbershop."

Who knows how long Outkast fans might be waiting for a new album? In the meantime, they can listen to "Stankonia" on repeat and watch the movies of Andrew 3000 ("Semi-Pro, "Four Brothers) and "Idlewild," which the pair both wrote the soundtrack for and starred in.

Mos Def started his career in the seminal rap group Black Star, and he's still known to pop up on other artists' albums. But he's also carved out a niche as a go-to character actor in films like "Be Kind Rewind" and "The Italian Job."

Xzibit's rap hits include "X" and "What U See Is What U Get," but he also pimps rides on MTV and stars in movies like "The X Files: I Want to Believe" and "Derailed."

Once upon a time, Ice-T was best known for his controversial song "Cop Killer." He's mostly given up the rap game (and some would say his street cred) for a regular gig on "Law & Order: SVU."

The court jester of the rapping world, Snoop Dogg has made the most of his silly persona with appearances as Huggy Bear in the film version of "Starsky and Hutch" and "Soul Plane."

Will Smith is one of the biggest movie stars in the world, with hits like "Independence Day," and "I, Robot," and two Oscar nominations, but it wasn't so long ago that he was known as the Fresh Prince, busting out with raps on "Summertime" with cohort DJ Jazzy Jeff.

All hail the Queen (Latifah)--she conquered the rap world with songs including "Ladies First" and "Come Into My House" and also has a successful acting career, including her Oscar-nominated turn in the movie "Chicago."

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges is one of the most successful rapper-to-actor crossovers. He manages to maintain a successful career as a rapper while his acting career has thrived--he had a key role in the Oscar-winning "Crash," acted in "RocknRolla" and has three movies coming out in 2011, including "No Strings Attached" with Natalie Portman.

Atlanta's T.I. might have made noise recently for extracurricular activities that have landed him in legal hot water, but he still has a viable rapping career and has had roles in several movies, including "ATL," "Takers" and "American Gangster."

Don't call it a comeback--LL Cool J has simply started a second career as an actor on TV's "NCIS: Los Angeles" and in moves like "In between acting gigs, he even finds time to put out the occasional album.

True, it's been a few years since DMX actually released an album, but when he was better known for his rapping than his brushes with the law, he had a successful run in movies like "Cradle 2 the Grave."

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Common became--ahem--commonly known for his cerebral rapping on albums like "Electric Circus" and "Be," but he's also made a name for himself as an actor in movies like "Terminator Salvation" and "Just Wright" with fellow rapper Queen Latifah.

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