Scene-Stealing Spitters: 10 Classic Rapper Cameos On Television From ‘Scooby-Doo: Origins’ To ‘A Different World’
Hip-hop can be quite a performative genre, so it makes perfect sense that many of the emcees in the game make a turn towards Hollywood at some point in their careers.
André 3000, one half of the iconic rap duo Outkast, is no stranger to being in front of a film camera, having already turns heads on the big screen in projects like Idelwild, Be Cool, Four Brothers and the titular role in Jimi: All Is by My Side. His work on television is a bit less prominent, limited to just a few guest spots on The Shield, a recurring role in season 2 of American Crime and a lead in the AMC limited series Dispatches from Elsewhere.
However, it appears 3Stacks is cranking up the dial on his TV resume with an upcoming recurring role in Netflix’s live action series, Scooby-Doo: Origins.
The beloved pup and his crime-solving quartet come to life next year in the highly-anticipated show, which is currently filming in Atlanta. The “Prototype” rapper was recently announced as a new cast member alongside veteran actress Cathy Moriarty, both joining a roster of rising stars that includes Mckenna Grace as Daphne Blake, Tanner Hagen as Shaggy Rogers, Abby Ryder Fortson as Velma Dinkley and Maxwell Jenkins as Fred Jones. For the first time in the franchise history of Scooby Doo, an actual dog will be used in place of animation or CGI.
More details on Scooby-Doo: Origins below, via Deadline:
“‘Scooby-Doo: Origins’ is described as a modern reimagining of the iconic mystery-solving group of teens and their special dog. During their final summer at camp, old friends Shaggy and Daphne get embroiled in a haunting mystery surrounding a lonely lost Great Dane puppy that may have been a witness to a supernatural murder. Together with the pragmatic and scientific townie Velma and the strange but ever so handsome new kid Freddy, they set out to solve the case that is pulling each of them into a creepy nightmare that threatens to expose all of their secrets.
Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg serve as showrunners, writers and executive producers. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Leigh London Redman (via Berlanti Productions and its overall deal with Warner Bros Television), André Nemec, Jeff Pinkner and Adrienne Erickson (via Midnight Radio), and Toby Haynes (EP/Episode 101 Director) also executive produce. Warner Bros. Television is the studio.”
No word on who André will portray, which side of the friend-or-foe spectrum he falls on or how many episodes he’ll appear in overall, but fingers crossed he at least commits to providing a musical number. Fans of the 2002 Scooby-Doo film fondly remember Outkast’s contribution to the soundtrack with “Land of a Million Drums” featuring Killer Mike and Sleepy Brown. We can only hope for something equally as catchy this time around as well.
The announcement also reminded us of other hip-hop stars from the past who gave memorable performances in their own right on the small screen. Whether embodying a whole different persona or just acting out a dramatized version of themselves, there’s no denying the talent they each possessed in putting on a convincing performance.
As we wait to see what André 3000 brings to Scooby-Doo: Origins, keep scrolling to check out some of our favorite rapper cameos on television:
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2Pac as Piccolo on A Different World (1993)
The Notorious B.I.G. as himself on Martin (1995)
Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) as Lee in House, M.D. (2009)
