This weekend’s box office is almost sure to go to Notorious, Fox Searchlight’s much-anticipated biopic about rapper Biggie Smalls (aka The Notorious B.I.G.; aka Big Poppa; aka Christopher Wallace), who tragically met his end 12 years ago in a controversial shooting. So far, the reviews are mostly favorable, though even a 0% score on RottenTomatoes.com couldn’t keep people away from this film. Fans aren’t likely to learn anything new about the hip-hop star, and they sure won’t gain any fresh revelations regarding the mysterious circumstances behind Biggie’s death, but they’ll definitely enjoy seeing the icon portrayed on the big screen (partly by his own look-alike son, Christopher Jordan Wallace). Like Newsweek critic Allison Samuels, many moviegoers will feel like they’re “attending a 10-year high-school reunion and reliving the good old days.”
And with the success of Notorious, both Hollywood and hip-hop fans will probably be begging for more. So, in anticipation of the potential copycats, and in hope for the best, we’ve selected five deceased rappers who are also worthy of the biopic treatment.
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Who would you rather hear sing Etta James’ signature tunes, the real deal or Beyonce Knowles? If you prefer the latter, then you’ll want to see Cadillac Records and even buy the film’s soundtrack, both of which feature Beyonce performing a few of James’ songs, including a nearly spot-on copy of “At Last” (listen to it here). Other actors in the film (and on the soundtrack) who do their own singing while portraying legendary music artists include Jeffrey Wright (as Muddy Waters), Mos Def (Chuck Berry) and Columbus Short (Little Walter).
It’s a strange idea to pay tribute to a singer with a biopic or ensemble music historical and then replace that singer’s voice with another, more amateur vocalist. Yet Hollywood does it all the time and, surprisingly, the new performances usually turn out pretty good. Just listen to the following nine actors and actresses who managed to do justice to the artist they were portraying.
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