1. Ice Cube in “Friday” (1995)
2. Method Man in “How High” (2001)
3. Ice T in “New Jack City” (1991)
4. Will Smith in “The Pursuit of Happyness” (2006)
5. Ice Cube in “Boyz n the Hood” (1991)
6. Redman in “How High” (2001)
7. Tupac Shakur in “Juice” (1992)
8. Bow Wow in “Like Mike” (2002)
9. Eminem in “8 Mile” (2002)
10. A$AP Rocky in “Dope” (2015)

Does it matter if I haven’t seen every one of these movies all the way through? Well, yes and no, because for the most part you don’t need to have seen “Juice” to know how great Tupac’s potential as an actor was before his untimely death. By the time “Juice” was released, Tupac was set to be hip-hop’s most prominent actor, until another California native took the reins.

Many rappers have come and gone in the film industry since the hip-hop movie heyday ended before the turn of the century. However, one constant in the acting world has been Compton’s Ice Cube.

He has recently landed significant roles in “21 Jump Street” and “Ride Along,” which have both turned into successful franchises. As an actor, Ice Cube has found himself in an ideal situation. He has made both commercially successful movies (with the help of the constantly performing Kevin Hart) and cult classics like “Friday.”

Most rappers who appear on this list have enjoyed the benefits of creating great films, but only for a niche audience. Method Man and Redman have both appeared in films since “How High,” but none of them have been worth watching.